While the destination(s) each day are significant in that they are temples where my spiritual ancestors took important steps in their lives, the journey there holds or contains important steps in my life. Today was no exception.
We pointed ourselves at Mt Hiei rising 4000 ft. out of the valley where Kyoto spreads itself. Dogen Zenji was ordained on this mountain at Enrakuji as a boy of about 12. We saw the ordination platform where this took place, it being perhaps the oldest building on the mountain. There were a vast number of buildings, many steps up and down, all the while a huge bell was being rung by devout pilgrims. Sitting by the ordination platform one got a sense of our tradition stretching back into distant time, to China and India where the Buddha taught over 2500 years ago. Yes, certainly a deep sense of continuity shown, or connected with, on todays journeying.
One thinks of a mountain of that size as being bare at the top with rock outcrops, not so with Mt. Hiei. We took a somewhat unusual route by bus and train and then two separate cable car rides. And then...no temples! There are several temples scattered in the heavily forested hill side, but we had come in via the 'back door'. Following a party of pilgrims we found ourselves at the very top of the mountain scrambling on uneven ground, nothing dangerous by the way. Eventually we caught up with the party and since they knew the way we walked into the first temple via the ancestors grave yard, very impressive.
Later in town we went to Kennin-ji, a Rinzai temple near the centre of Kyoto, where Dogen departed from to travel to China with Myozen when he was 21. While we were on the tour a young monk ran after us saying "Dragon ceiling" and proceeded to escort us to the hall where indeed there were dragons painted on the ceiling, very impressive. It was the first time we encountered Zen gardens and I must say I really like them! Watch out for pictures when we get a chance to publish them next week.
