"Sakuteiki Gardening Book" explains how to create a garden, taking Shinden-zukuri (a style of architecture for the residence of court nobles) into consideration, in which the theory of 'Four Gods = Mountain, river, road and lake' is described as the ideal basis for such a garden.
『作庭記』は寝殿造を念頭においた庭園の作り方を述べた書物であり、理想の庭園の姿として「四神＝山川道澤」説を記述する。