A Japanese rock garen (枯山水, karesansui?), sometimes called a Zen garden, is an enclosed shallow sandpit containing sand, gravel, rocks, and occasionally grass and/or other natural elements. The main elements of karesansui are rocks and sand, with the sea symbolized not by water but by sand raked in patterns that suggest rippling water. Plants are much less important (and sometimes nonexistent) in many karesansui gardens. Karesansui gardens are often, but not always, meant to be viewed from a single, seated position. Some Westerners believe that karesansui gardens can be used to calm human minds, but they were not intended for such in their native Japanese settings.