Koyasan

Yesterday Andrew and I set off for Koyasan, a small mountain town founded by the Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi in the 9th century.  By bus, several trains, cable car and another bus, we watched the crowded city scape of Osaka dissipate into open spaces and towns in the crevices of mountains, filled with the magic that made their existence possible.  The auditory clutter of sirens, beeping walk lights and yelling vendors relaxed into the silence of trains waiting for the single track line to clear before passing, squeaking on old rails as they climbed along mountain ridges.  We arrived at our temple and were escorted to our room, a simple beautiful space with sliding doors made with paper and thin wood lattice, a kotatsu table in the middle.  We walked around the temple for 20 minutes before going to the afternoon meditation.

Shortly after returning to our room, they brought a beautiful dinner of tofu, tempura, soup, rice, oden, noodles with vegetables, radishes, tea, and an orange.  And when they cleared it away they rolled out the futon.  We went to the communal baths, copied the heart sutra, read some of the Teachings of Buddha that was in the room, and watched some Japanese television before going to bed early enough that we might awake for the morning service and fire ritual at 7 and 7:30 respectively.

Everywhere in the temple was cold, heated only by space heaters, the hallways lined with sliding paper doors, breath visible and the sound of temple slippers clumping and sliding along the broad wood planks.  At morning service, the breath of the chanting monks came out quickly, a space in front of their lips before it was visible.  The fire ritual heated the early winter morning.

We then walked the town, a single street about 4 km long.  Okunoin, the cemetery in the cedar trees, beautiful temples, the silence of the forest everywhere.  Such a different space in Japan.  Amazing to merge in and out of it in the space of a single day.

our dinner

sitting down to eat

satisfaction

futons, space heater, and tea snacks left on the table

the Heart sutra and tea

putting on yukata for the communal baths

and the haori to stay warm along the way

breakfast: rice, tea, miso soup, sour plum and pickle radish,
sweetened black beans, tofu cake and seaweed

behind the paper sliding doors, a space for conversation or thoughtful sitting, or hiding...
(not pictured is the game of Go under the cabinet)

beautiful view from the toilet (with heated seat, oh yeah)

hallway to the baths and office

courtyard through the windows

another room with a typical setup (kotatsu table with blanket, etc)

corner on the way to the Mainhall and Meditation Room

entrance gate to Ekoin Temple where we stayed

the cemetery stones in the forest

in Okunoin cemetery, with hanging icicles 

up to a silent wooded shrine

mountain villages along the train line