Kansai? category ?

At Kounji Temple, zazen (zen meditation ) sessions are held every Saturday from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. I happened to be staying at a nearby hotel, so I attended a zazen session. As I was doing zazen, I heard the sound of frogs croaking outside the main hall. As I sat there, breathing slowly, I felt very calm.

Syunkoin is a sub-temple of Myoshinji Temple that was built in 1590. You can rent out the Hojo, an important cultural property, exclusively for a special Zen experience. Zazen instruction is available in English. If you're interested, please make a reservation and participate.

It is the head temple of the Tenryuji branch of the Rinzai sect of Buddhism and is also registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This temple is located in Arashiyama, a major tourist destination in Kyoto. At the back of the temple grounds is a beautiful strolling garden with a pond.

I had buddhist vegetarian cuisine at "Shigetsu" located within the temple grounds. It was a charming building with Japanese-style architecture. What I felt after eating the meal was that it was light in flavor but very satisfying. It was not only delicious, but also a meal that taught me about Buddhist thought.

Jisyu-jinja Shrine is located at the back of Kiyomizu-dera Temple. It is said that if you can walk between the two stones with your eyes closed, your wish for love will come true. If you are planning to try it, we recommend going early in the morning when there are fewer people around.

The monk Mankei, who founded Yatadera temple, saw Ksitigarbha saving the suffering souls of the dead in hell. It is said that the principal image of Ksitigarbha was carved based on that image. For this reason, it is believed that this temple will take on people's suffering and protect them from evil.

Seiganji Temple has long been revered as a temple that provides salvation to women. You can freely enter the main hall. The principal image of the temple is the Amitabha, a gigantic Buddha statue measuring approximately 6.5 meters (21.3 ft).

This temple was headed by Izumi Shikibu, a female poet who was active from the late 10th century to the early 11th century. She is known for her passionate love poems. If you turn the Prayer wheel at the entrance to the temple, you will be granted success in love.

Eifukuji Temple enshrines Bhaisajyaguru (Medicine Buddha) as its principal image. There is a story at this temple about a monk who bought octopus for his sick mother, but was questioned as to whether a monk should eat it. The octopus then turned into a sutra scroll and cured his mother of her illness.

Saikoji Temple was founded in 1279. A statue of Bhaisajyaguru (Medicine Buddha), said to have been carved by Kobo Daishi, is enshrined here. Because it was completed on the day and hour of the Tiger, it came to be called Tora Yakushi (Tiger Medicine Buddha).