Zojo-ji....The Path To Redemption And An Old Friend

21st August, 2010 - a short taxi ride (or a longer walk) from Takeshiba monorail station you'll find the temple Zōjō-ji (or more correctly, San'en-zan Zōjō-ji). Tokyo is normally a city more renowned for the newest fashion, pop culture or electrical goods rather than historical temples. But there remains (if you look for it) any number of temples around the city. Zōjō-ji may lack the razzmatazz of Senso-ji in Asakusa, but it's still one of the more significant temples in Tokyo. You can check out my original post from our trip back in 2003 here.

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The temple was first built in 1393 AD for the Jodo Shu sect of Buddhism (the ones that popularised the act of reciting the nembutsu chant as a way of finding enlightenment). It was later moved to the current location in 1598 AD. However, despite it's rich heritage, only the main gate, known as the Sangedatsumon (roughly as the Gate of the three deliverances - in this case form greed, anger and stupidity!) This huge vermilion painted gate was constructed in 1622.... one of the oldest surviving structures in Tokyo - a city with a history replete with bad endings for buildings.

From the other side of the gate... the busy streets of Tokyo echo softly with the hot breath of summer life drifting through the huge temple gates.

And of course it is still a working temple... so expect to see the odd monk or two around...

Actually - back in it's hey day, you'd have been quite likely to have spotted the elite of Edo (old Tokyo) around the temple, as it was the favoured temple of the Tokugawa clan; the Shogun rulers of Japan for over 250 years. Indeed the family mausoleum was on this site... though the history (other than Sangedatsumon) was largely destroyed following the fall of the Shogunate, and of course the bombing of Tokyo in WWII.

The creatively named Daibonsho... or BIG BELL....constructed in 1673, and comes in at a modest 13.6 tonnes of purification. Rung twice daily - early in the morning and in the evening (I'd vote for seeing it in the evening)... it evokes an amazing feeling as it rings out across the amazingly quiet temple grounds. Remember this is still in the heart of the city,

Time for some purification of another sort at the chōzubachi, which is a ceremonial water trough used for the act of washing your impurities in the temizu ritual (te = hand, mizu = water). How to do it? Grab the full cup/ladle in your right hand, rinse your left hand with it. Then repeat with your left hand washing your right... then pour some water into your left hand and wash your mouth. Though I suspect this last step is often (though not always) skipped for the sake of hygiene.

One of my favourite - though that's perhaps not the right word -  parts of Zōjō-ji is the memorials to the lost children. Around the north-western wall are lined row after row of Jizō statues, disturbingly garbed in red bibs and hats they make for a memorable, if a little disturbing, sight bathed in the late afternoon glow. It's a sad place - and a place for quiet reflection on our children. Jizō is the patron saint of children, and you will find Jizō statues all over the country - protecting and guiding the souls of those unfortunate souls that were not long for the world.

Actually I have also read (not sure about it) that the practice of parents paying for Jizō statues to remember their departed children is used by some temples as a way of money-raising; using emotional blackmail and fear to pry money out of the grieving parents pockets. Of the two versions, I prefer to believe in the more soulful and spiritual protection of Jizō for the children lost to the world.

The Daidan (Honden) is the main hall in the temple building and was a relatively recent construction of (1974). Actually, reading the blurb it's described as combining the best of Buddhism and modern architectural designs (at least circa 40 years ago). I kinda get worried by those sorts of statements - for some reason. Inside you'll find a large - and venerated - image of the Amida Buddha. That's of course if you go inside. Actually, we were just passing through today.... a more detailed visit will need to wait for another trip....

And our old friend is revealed... Tokyo Tower. Mama-san of the Tokyo's night skyline.

Kanteibyo - The Technicolour Temple of Yokohama

18th August, 2010 -  One of the places in Yokohama's Chinatown that should not be missed is the Kanteibyo temple (and a place we visited way back in 2003). It's not a subtle temple, and it would be hard to miss it in the street (just down from Chikyumon or Earth Gate, ie Gate 6 on my previous post). This is also referred to as the Kan Ti Miao temple.

The temple is as much a celebration of colour as it is the enshrined statue of Guan Yu... the famous Chinese general under Liu Bei who would become the first emperor following the collapse of the Han Dynasty (around 200AD). This story became the basis of the movie epic Red Cliffs. His life was one of romance and myth, and indeed his military exploits leading up to the civil war lead to him being deified around 600AD... although it's not clear to me if he's deified as the God of War or the God of Business (perhaps at one level these are one and the same). The temple was first constructed in 1862, and quickly became a tourist attraction, as it remains today. It had a chequered history however, having been destroyed in the 1923 earthquake, then again in WWII, then burnt down in 1981... AND in 1986. Each time being re-built in even grander scale. This temple was completed in 2000.

 The temple gate is the most immediately striking element of the temple... the detail is exquisite.

From inside the temple, it's not quite as dramatic, but not by much.

Like in many of these temples, there can be found a large urn/container for burning joss-sticks... and it's always thought to bring good luck to waft the incense smoke from the sticks over yourself.

And of course, it wouldn't feel like a Chinese temple without some lions.... 

But the big attraction is of course the main hall, where Guan Yu is in permanent residence. Now, I have to admit that I am no expert on Chinese history, though I did watch Red Cliffs (both of them)... bit boring actually, but that's a different story. Anyhow, I'd advise hitting the web if you want to know more... but apparently he is often depicted as having a red-face. Perhaps he was just a very angry man... I don't know.... He's synonymous with loyalty and bravery. He also came to a gruesome end... in two parts (his head being one of them).

Although, in a scene reminiscent of an Austin Powers movie, it would appear that good ol' Guan Yu had his very own, mini-me. I wish I had a mini-me... well, I suppose I should stop calling my son that... ?:-)

And whilst you're here paying your respects, don't forget that the hall itself is a wonderful sight as well. It's nice to just stand and admire it for a while.  And yes, this temple is fan-enhanced for the devout (and tourist alike).

Once again... the level of detail everywhere is incredible as it is ubiquitous... and colourful. 

The temple is open freely to the public... and I mean free... from 9am to 7pm at night. They do request (if you want to take photos) to make a small donation... well, actually, the way they say it is that you should pay to pray, and then whilst you're being all humble and reverent you can snap off a few shots for extra good luck.

The final thought on the temple is that in most photos of the temple, the photographers go to great lengths to hide one dominating aspect of it. The road in front of the temple is a jungle of overhead power/telephone/internet cables. 

Whilst they may power the vitality of Chinatown, I can't help but feel a bit sad that even here a little more effort could have been made to keep these low key. Then again, this is Japan, and it would seem the Japanese have an ability to look past the unpleasantness in front of them, to the beauty behind. That's not such a bad thing I suppose...

Kennin-ji... The Last (Sad) Hurrah

1st November, 2006 - Stepping from the Gion Odori, we had a feeling of joy and fulfillment. Could there have been any better way to end our trip to Kyōto? The answer was probably no. Still, we had one last opportunity to step back into Olde Kyōto on the way back to our apartment.

That temple was Kennin-ji, of the Rinzai Zen sect.

It's definitely not on the top 10 list of sights in Kyōto, however it was in fact the oldest (er... that means first) Zen temple to be established in Japan; initiated by the monk Eisai (Yousai) in 1202 AD. After returning to Japan in 1197, and having started teaching the way of the Zen, he was invited to establish a temple by the shogun Minamoto no Yoriie during the Kamakura period.

It’s emphasis on discipline was particularly attractive to the military thinking of the samurai of the Kamakura period. It was one of the few temples to have survived the Onin Wars (around 1477 AD), however was then all but destroyed in a separate uprising in 1556.

The Dharma Hall (Hattou)

 One thing that gets lost these days is just how young many of the founders of Japan were... Eisai was all of fourteen years of age when he was ordained a priest. When I was that young, I was largely worried about how to get through high school - and playing computer games...

The grounds are pleasant, but not necessarily impressive... one of the things that's a little interesting is the small dry garden (not shown) known as.... well...... huh? What ya talkin' about? Apparently this is the sort of crazy hijinx that Zen monks get up to (when not playing computer games)... the idea is that all forms in the world can apparently be constructed from these basic blocks. Actually... now that I think about it... if they only added an X, then we'd get a good advert for the Sony Playstation (maybe there's something in this computer game thing after all). This design was based on the untitled artwork of Zen artist, Sengai Gibon.

The temple itself is fairly enjoyable, but after two weeks of seeing some truly amazing temples and gardens I found it hard to get too excited... but if you're walking in the area, it's worth popping in and having a look around.

The Sanmon...The temple's main gate.

If you're in the area, and you've got the time (which we didn't) then pop in to see Hokan-ji, Yasaka's Pagoda, it's just a bit up the hill, and easy to see from many of the side streets.

Yasaka no To (Hokan-ji)

So, our last moments in Kyōto were spent, like much of it, walking through the streets of history. The Gion Odori may have been the cream-on-top of our trip so far, and like such feasts, what comes after can be a bit of a let down. And there was a feeling of sadness that had come into our hearts (end of holiday grief perhaps). Still, it had been a great (and busy) day - and we were leaving Kyōto - 12 days after arriving - with a rich memory of events, places, traditions and history that continues to bring us enjoyment through the years. It will also forever be linked to the pregnancy of our first son, L-kun.

If you haven't been to Japan before and you're wondering if its worth spending much time in Kyōto, then I hope that these posts have given you a bit of a feel for the sorts of things that you might experience (good and bad)... both the well trodden paths, and the more obscure sights (and sites). I know that many would wonder in disbelief as to why we would have spent so much time in Kyōto... and it's almost certainly not the sort of thing that most tourists coming to the city can even do. For me however, there remains so much more to see and do in this capital of "peace and tranquility".

I can't wait to return.

Eikan-dō? Yokan-dō?... In Zenren-ji, we all can do!

31st October, 2006 - As you walk down the Philosopher's Path, you will come across Eikan-dō on the left, across the canal. This temple was dedicated to a monk by the name of Eikan (1033 – 1111 AD) - actually his name was Yokan Risshi, famous for his evangelistic Amidism (a form of Buddhism).

The temple was originally known as Zenrin-ji (and still is), or "Temple in a Calm Grove" and was founded in 856 AD by Shinjō, a disciple of Kūkai and the Shingon school of Buddhism. It shows how belief systems evolve over time from the highly esoteric (ritualised and somewhat impractical) form of Shingon Buddhism to the popularist form of Jodo-Shu, otherwise known as the Pure Land Buddhism. The difference here is that Jodo-Shu believed that the recitation of the Nembutsu (the words Namu Amida Butsu) was a path to release from the wheel of worldly re-birth - to be born in the Western Paradise. This is a modification of the Chinese Pure Land belief where the Nembutsu (Nianfo) was only seen as a single part of the mediation ritual... rather than an ends in itself. Eikan didn't come to the temple until around 1072 AD.

Ok - this ends Japanese Buddhism 101. Let's have a look around the temple.

The Chokushi-mon gate to the temple proper is no longer in use, but makes for a nice backdrop to the sand sculpture which is immaculately raked every day.

The Chokushi-mon

The sculpture is simple in design, especially compared ot the patterns seen in Honen-in, and Ginkaku-ji.

Actually - when I look at Google Maps (satellite view) , I don't see much evidence of this "raked sand sculpture" area in front of the gate, and I wonder if this has disapeared since we were here in 2006. I'd appreciate some comments from people that have been here recently to update me.

The temple was enlarged by Eikan (i.e. Yokan), and he also built a large hospital complex for the poor and destitute, along with the means of producing medicines, within the temple grounds. The temple itself was largely destroyed around 1477 AD, and was later rebuilt in the 1500’s and then restored again in the 1880’s. It is now a very good vantage point to enjoy the autumn colours.... alas we arrived about 3 weeks too early to enjoy these.

Yokan (Eikan) reputedly repeated the Nembutsu 60,000 times a day... however just a simple calculation would suggest that if he managed to repeat the Nembutsu every second, it would still take nearly 17 hours a day of continuous recitation to achieve this huge figure. It could be that this was a story that transformed into this unbelievable figure... the offical Eikan-dō website suggests he did this many times, but not necessarily all in one day. I guess we shouldn't maths get in the way of a good story.

Towards the back of the temple there are several paths leading up into the mountain-side.

Here's a photo of an unsuspecting schmuck.... that would be...er... me, walking up the stairs known as the Garyuro. It would have been a much nicer photo if I hadn't got my ugly mug in it.

At the top of the stairs you will find the Kaizan-dō - where the three founders are seated (er... images of the three founders). You will also find one of the more interesting offeratory collections that I've seen here. You definitely can't doubt the honesty of most of the people that come here... Actually, I didn't notice this until now... but if you quickly scroll up and down past this image, it has a very disturbing (i.e. interesting effect)... or is it just my eyes?...Perspective, it's a wonderful thing.

If you go up another path you get to a pagoda... just above this shrine. However, we were starting to get a little tired and when we found out we had to go all the way to the bottom, and then all the way back up the top; well - let's just say we decided that somethings were best left for the next trip.

The legend goes that on February 15, 1082 AD, one of the statues in the temple stepped down and rebuked the praying Yokan (aka Eikan) for dawdling - such was his amazement at this unexpected event. A statue now exists (known as Mikaeri-Amida) to honour this occasion - and is indeed one of the highlights of this temple. The statue of Amida is noted for it’s unusual posture of looking backwards, as if to suggest (as it did to Yokan that we should follow the lead of the Amida Buddha - and get a move on about it. Personally, I think if I had seen a statue get down off its stand and start telling me off, one of two things might have happened. (1) I would have gone out to the nearest pub and got drunk, or went crazy, or both, or (2) it would have been on for young and old and by that I mean fisticuffs at dawn (statues should, by and large, remain statuesque and keep their opinions to themselves).

I didn't get a photo of it... but if you're interested, you can pop over (here) to have a look. It is a very famous statue.

Actually, now that I think about it, I'm not sure about this story... hold on... they built a statue to commemorate another statue coming to life? My vote would be for seeing the original "coming-to-life" statue. Come to think of it... might have been more trouble than it was worth. "Roll-up ladies and gentlemen (replace with culturally suitable invitation)... come see our amazing living statue... er... well, it was over there just a minute ago...has anyone seen where our statue went... er... anyone... nice statue...

The gardens of Eikan-dō are quite nice - and extensive. There's a series of inner gardens and larger outer gardens. The inner gardens are immersive, with the temple buildings floating above a quiet, serene and very green blanket.

The outer gardens are a little more brash. Perhaps a product of the golden leaves (yet to appear at this time). Certainly it's much more a stroll garden and can keep you occupied for some time.

Water plays an important part in the design and heart of this garden... as is often the case in Japanese temple gardens.

Now I'm starting to feel a bit like where's Wally (if you're Australian or English)... or Waldo if you're American... or Wōrī if you're Japanese. Needless to say, I don't think I'd last long in a hide-and-seek competition.

Bridge to Benten-shima - small island with shrine to Benten

The gardens surround the large Hojo-no-ike (Abott's pond), and must make for quite a sight during the height of the golden leaves weeks. We enjoyed the few trees that had started to turn early.

T-chan takes a stroll in the gardens of Zenrin-ji... Hey, not going to turn around for us?

Here's another great photo of T-chan... that's her on the left (on the bridge). How good are your eyes?

The temple is deceptive... it doesn't feel that big, but when you see it on a map (here) you get to appreciate just how big it is... big enough to run it's own kindergarten and library. Nowadays, it is golden leaves and living statues that dominate the visitors minds. It's easy to forget just how important temples have been in the fabric of Japanese society over the millenia - often forming the backbone of social support for the poorer communities. I have to admit, I often wonder if we haven't turned them into Buddhist theme parks... and I often wonder what the likes of Yokan (or is that Eikan) would think of it all...

Hōnen-in - Inhale...Pause...Exhale...Smile

31st October, 2006 - Not far south of Ginkakuji, is the well-worn walking track known as the  Philosopher’s Path (Tetsugaku no Michi)... the subject of my next post. However, on that path are a number small temples that are well worth popping into. The first of these, and one that was quite a surprise was Hōnen-in.

Sanmon gate to Hōnen-in

Dedicated to the monk Hōnen, of the Pure Land (Jōdo) sect fame. Along with his two disciples, Anraku and Juren, he constructed an image of the Amida on the Higashiyama foothills, on Nyoigatake. As mentioned in relationship with Chion-in, Hōnen gave up the Tendai teachings of Hiei-zan for the nembutsu teachings of the Jōdo school of Amidism. 

The temple has two sand sculptures, with ever changing designs. The temple itself has no amazing buildings (maybe a little harsh), nor any particularly exciting art - or for that matter, no must-see ceremonies either. Indeed it's garden is rather subdued - and it's perhaps for this very reason that I'd definitely recommend going to see this temple. There's something about this simplicity and beauty of the garden that, like Ginkakuji, can allow your soul to pause. To reflect.

One of my favourite moments was when we came across this small fountain, a focal point in the garden - but nothing ostentatious in itself.

It was only as we drew closer that we noticed the detail of the carefully placed leaf, that acted as a spout for the running water. It's may not make it on anyone's top 10 memorable moments, but it certainly gave our hearts a moment of zen-like joy that we still remember. It's a place where time seem to slow down, and where a moment can last a lifetime. Breathe.

The other thing about the temple grounds is the small, but inviting pond around which you walk to approach the main temple buildings. There is a stillness in the air - made more special for the fact that this temple sees comparatively few tourists. You can selfishly enjoy all the sweetness of the air, the whispering of the breeze in the trees and light playing amongst the leaves largely by yourself.

It was Hōnen's two disciples, Anraku and Juren, that erected the first memorial here, with a statue of the Amida Buddha attributed to Genshin.

This statue is now held in the inner sanctum of the Hondo. Such was the antagonism between the Jōdo and Tendai schools that not long after the death of Hōnen, the site was almost completely destroyed by monks from Enryaku-ji temple. With the subsequent (though unrelated) destruction of Enryaku-ji by Oda Nobunaga, and with the later rise of the Tokugawa shoguns, the power of the sect of Hōnen once again gathered strength.  The present temple complex was built around 1680, and features a number of rooms moved from Fushimi-jo (after Hideyoshi’s death) to attach to the Hondo.

As with the statue of the Amida, there also lies a shrine to Jizo, cut into the hillside (below) - this one dates to the late 17th century. It was not uncommon for the followers of the Amida Buddha to have shrines to Jizo as well.

The temple buildings nestle in the foot-hills, amongst the trees. Neither imposing their will upon the natural surround, nor succumbing to it. There's a nice balance to the temple design.

So with that we bid farewell to Hōnen-in... Whilst it may not be somewhere that you'd intentionally put on any itinerary of Kyōto purely for itself, IMO it does make a brilliant side-trip to mark the start of the Philosopher's Walk and well worth the extra walk for.

To the south of the Hōnen-in lies the temple graveyard, before passing Anraku-ji, dedicated to one of Hōnen’s disciples.