I got ready and packed my bags so I could just pick up and go when the time came, this proved to be really handy. I got downstairs to the meeting area, and had just enough time to upload the previous post before we left for the temple. I have to say, the morning air at 5:30 in the morning is really brisk and cool. I can see why some people wake up early for walks or jogs. As a small group, we climbed up to the temple where the service was being held. It started off in a relatively small building in comparison the the next. There was a large golden Buddha that sat in the middle, and someone cleaning the carpet before the service began. He sat down in out area, and the monk marched in as he and a few others chanted Amitabha Buddha's name. The service was interesting, and I felt myself at a crossroads as to how to hold my hands, and if I should bow or not. I felt as if I should have down the prostrations as they did, but didn't end up doing it.
The monks were dressed up in traditional clothing, with the exception of the main monk, who was adorned with a really fancy robe, it was orange and then a layer of ivory and gold embroidered silk.
They finished and we moved to the next location of the service. Here the room was large and looked to seat hundreds. They had little stands set up for many monks to participate, although it was the same few as the previous location. We were invited to get a closer look, and so we sat in the front to view, instead of the back. There is such a meticulousness to every movement they make, it's really interesting to compare it to the Buddhist temple I go to at home. I was in awe by the chanter who seemed to facilitate the service by the playing of the instruments. He chanted everything, I think collectively they chanted the Heart sutra, but this guy did something off on his own with no mistakes, I just wonder how they can talk so fast for so long. I was struck by that.
Towards the end, we were invited to light incense. And here, the one that we lighted is slightly different from the traditional incents that I am used to. I'm not sure how the monk lit it, but I thought it was the wooden sticks because we had to grab the incents from a bowl, but when I got there, it saw it was pieces of incents that you just place in the incense bowl.
There was a sermon after the main service, and the monk preached of the sutra. It was all in Japanese and without having Professor Glassman translate, it was difficult to fully enjoy the monks words of wisdom, as he also seemed really into it.
We left the temple and had a few minutes to walk around the complex, it was very beautiful and I got some decent shots of it. As we walked down the stairs, I thought about the deliberateness in which it was built. As it really forces you to think about each step to get up and down from the top of the complex. Each step was slightly angled and not level. You really had to think of each step not to fall, and the little bit more work you had to put in to climb them. Then I saw a large staircase leading to the same place and felt I had to climb it. I got to the top and Professors Francl and Schulz took a picture for me. There were a total of 50 steps going up and down. They were steeper than your average stairs, maybe about 18 inches per step?
We got down and had a bit of extra time so I went for a walk with YuXin. We found a park right next to the hotel (which apparently part of this temple complex) the park evetnually lead us to a shrine, where we cleansed with cleansing water and then wrote wishes on wooden boards. Then off to breakfast we went.
Breakfast was just as fancy as this hotel was. Apparently it is considered temple food because it was all vegetarian, but it was a very filling and fancy meal.
I am starting to forget the names of the different places we go to, so this may not be entirely accurate. After breakfast we left for a temple up on a hill that is known for people looking to get married and find love. Unfortunately I didn't make it to the top, but spent my time going to the shops on the way up. It was a very traditional looking street, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. However, on this street, you quickly find out just how expensive Japan really is. But I ended up with some great gifts!
We left for an early lunch at a restaurant with an outdoor garden. It was a nice restaurant, we even had lockers for our shoes. We entered a private room split into two sides. I thought we would have to sit on the floors cross legged, but under the table was a square cut out of the floor for your legs to go into. The meals were ornate, but I opted fore shabu shabu or hot pot. Then we got dessert.
After lunch we went to the Shunko-in Temple. At this point you may be thinking, oh she went to another temple, but this experience gave another viewpoint on zen. The vice abbot that gave us a tour around the place spoke English very fluently, which made the experience much less perplexing than the morning sermon. He talked about zen buddhism and the practicality of it. Not just meditation for meditations sake, but an emphasis on why the practice has become the way it is and the benefits it has on every day living in a modern context tied to traditions. In a way, he reminds me of my sifu.
This was a seemingly very well educated man, and he offered a very different take not only on meditation, but the tour around the garden as well. Up to this point, we've had the abbots take us around and explain the metaphors of the garden, which he did. But he also went into detail about the context in which it was built, how to view it, and the juxtaposition between the architecture and nature. He did the same with the beautiful gold leaf paintings on the screen doors of the inside. What I would have just walked past, he explained in great detail and pointed out the intricacies in which the paintings were painted, and how to view them.
He really emphasized the need to think of the origins and context of how each piece was created and to think in the mindset of those who created it. It was really a east meets west take on everything.
The abbot also shared a story of how a bell was saved and how it is the oldest Christian bell in Japan. His family has taken care of this temple going back at least 3 or 4 generations. I found that to be a neat fact.
We spent the rest of the night in Gion, a popular street and shopping area. For dinner I had ramen, an experience specifically requested by my younger brother. And I'll say, it was an experience. I also got a chance to visit a department store. Even though I am not a huge fan of this guy, I couldn't resist taking a picture with his life-size image, just because I had the chance to.
At the end of the night, we took taxis back to Daishin Inn. Did you know that the taxis here open and close their doors automatically? Another form of simple amazement and awe that I went through.
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