Hi there. It is raining to-day and I felt like I needed a rest...however we took off late from the Hostel for Uji. Uji is sort of the green tea capital of Japan, from the train we saw rows of tea bushes and I'm growing used to drinking green tea. The green tea ice cream is growing on me, as it were!
At Kosho-ji Zen Master Dogen wrote some of his major works notably Fukanzazengi, and about half of the Shobogenzo as well as Daishingi and Gakudoyojinshu. I will type some information I was given while at the temple:
"Dogen returned to Japan at the age of 28, and first of all returned to the temple Kennin-ji (we will visit there tomorrow I think), but later moved to live alone in a tiny dwelling. To this place came many disciples and from this humble beginning developed the temple of Kosho-ji. During a period of 11 years of staying at Kosho-ji temple, Dogen strove to expound the principles of Buddhism, not only by direct teaching but also from four important books....." (which are list above)
Latter in the information is the following:
"The temple has endeavored to follow and expound the Zen Buddhist teachings of Dogen and today this temple continues in this tradition. In the present difficult situation fo japanese Buddhism, this temple edeavors to continue to be true to the essence of Dogen's interpretation of Zen Buddhism, and to exist as a Buddhist temple rather than as a tourist showplace".
I was amazed that it was possible to walk into the shrine for Dogen, offer incense and make bows. This temple was very much 'alive' with practice and it did indeed feel like a temple rather than, as they put it, a tourist showplace. The setting was amazing, it being up in a wooded valley away from the town, fresh grean trees in every direction. There were four monks going about their work, one was mending the paper on the sliding doors that act as walls as well as doors in Japanese buildings . We left them as they were having a tea break in the kitchen which was equiped, from what I could see through the door, in a traditional temple way.
That's about it for to-day. My one hour of free internet access is almost up and it is time to get back to the Hostel. Thank you to all of you who write comments, it is good to know you are there traveling along side. Now who is going to be the brave person to add there photograph to their Blogger ID. Adrienne, how about it?
