Japan - Kyoto temples
There are somewhere around 2000 temples and shrines in Kyoto. We absolutely loved our time there and could have spent days visiting many of the different historical sites but for the short time we had this trip we chose to explore a few of the more well know temples and gardens. If these temples were anything to go by, I can only hope that we will return again someday to visit some of the other amazing places in Kyoto.
Kiyomizu Temple
Located halfway up Otowa Mountain in the eastern part of Kyoto City, Kiyomizu temple is a historic temple that was built in 778, even before Kyoto became the capital of Japan. Kiyomizu (the temple of clear water) was named after the Otowa Waterfall. Water from a spring in the mountain has been falling there since its foundation.
A walk to the bottom of the temple took us to the Otowa Waterfall with 3 separate streams of water with each stream believed to have a different benefit. Kingsley and I stood in line to get to the waterfall and our turn for a sip of the clear magical waters. Everyone takes a metal cup that is attached to a long pole, holds it out to one of the streams to collect some water, and then pours it into their cupped hands to drink a sip.
From the drinker’s viewpoint, the one to the left is good for wisdom, the middle one for longevity and the one to the right is helpful for good matchmaking (major oops the matchmaking one is the one Kingsley and I drank from because there was less of a line for that one!) Thankfully our complete cluelessness about what was going on didn't get us into too much trouble - we did only drink from one stream instead of drinking from all 3 streams (the thought did cross my mind!) Drinking from all 3 streams is believed to bring very bad luck. Phew!
Created in the Muromachi period by the monk Tokuho Zenketsu, the rock garden is a pleasant place to sit and relax for a few minutes. It contains the most famous Zen garden in Japan. The garden consists of a number of small rocks surrounded by a sea of white pebbles which are painstakingly raked each day to form the ripple patterns. The origin of the garden is a bit mysterious, and one of the interesting features is that out of the 15 stones which form the design, at least one will be hidden from the viewer from any vantage point.
Kingsley and I really enjoyed Ryoan-Ji. This is the epitome of Zen landscaping, and there is something really therapeutic about staring at the rocks which looked like mountain tops peaking out above white clouds.
One of the top attractions, Kinkaku, Golden Pavilion temple is a Zen temple whose top two floors are completely plastered with gold leaves. Though it looks incredibly peaceful in the photos, we found it a bit difficult to enjoy the zen with flocks of other tourists scrambling around to get their perfect shot of the temple. Also I was in a bad mood as my camera memory card was full by the time we reached Kinkaku temple. I guess I took WAY more pics in Japan then I ever realized. These pictures were from my iphone and they turned out ok. Thank goodness for backup cameras!
Kinkaku-ji was built in 1397. It was created to serve as a villa for Shogun Ashikaga retirement. It was quite late that the son had the building converted into a Zen temple. The Golden Pavilion was burned twice and was rebuilt after five years the final roof restoration repairs were completed in 2003.
Ryoan-ji Garden
Created in the Muromachi period by the monk Tokuho Zenketsu, the rock garden is a pleasant place to sit and relax for a few minutes. It contains the most famous Zen garden in Japan. The garden consists of a number of small rocks surrounded by a sea of white pebbles which are painstakingly raked each day to form the ripple patterns. The origin of the garden is a bit mysterious, and one of the interesting features is that out of the 15 stones which form the design, at least one will be hidden from the viewer from any vantage point.
Kingsley and I really enjoyed Ryoan-Ji. This is the epitome of Zen landscaping, and there is something really therapeutic about staring at the rocks which looked like mountain tops peaking out above white clouds.
Contemplation
Outside the rock garden is this beautiful fountain with 4 kanji characters on it. The exact translation is somewhat open to interpretation but the most common I heard was:
"I only know what I need to know" or "I am satisfied with what I know" and "Learn only to be contented".
Or, in other words, one's goal should be contentment. You should meditate or reflect on things that make you content. I like it!
Kinkaku - Golden Pavillion
One of the top attractions, Kinkaku, Golden Pavilion temple is a Zen temple whose top two floors are completely plastered with gold leaves. Though it looks incredibly peaceful in the photos, we found it a bit difficult to enjoy the zen with flocks of other tourists scrambling around to get their perfect shot of the temple. Also I was in a bad mood as my camera memory card was full by the time we reached Kinkaku temple. I guess I took WAY more pics in Japan then I ever realized. These pictures were from my iphone and they turned out ok. Thank goodness for backup cameras!
Kinkaku-ji was built in 1397. It was created to serve as a villa for Shogun Ashikaga retirement. It was quite late that the son had the building converted into a Zen temple. The Golden Pavilion was burned twice and was rebuilt after five years the final roof restoration repairs were completed in 2003.
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