KYONIN (and Jundo's) TRAVEL DIARY in JAPAN

[Shoki]

This is all just so cool, interesting and fun to follow along with. Thanks for all the updates and pictures. Thanks to Taigu too as I'm still viewing his sewing videos. That drum fish with the hole in it reminds me of Willie Nelson's guitar.

Gassho
STlah
James

[Seishin]

Many thanks to you both. Be safe in your travels Kyonin.

sat

[Risho]

That's awesome! Good to see Taigu! Wish he'd drop a line once in a while.

Gassho

Risho
-stlah

[Kyonin]

Hi guys,

Before my day walking around Kyoto begins, I wanted to add some notes to Jundo's last post.

It was a very moving and emotional day for me. At long last I got to sit with my two teachers, Jundo and Taigu. After quite a while secretly wishing a day like this could be possible, it finally was.

Sitting at the table, listening to both talk and exchange laughs was humbling. Gave me hope for a lot of possibilities for our sanghas. All this while I stuffed myself with tempura and ice cream.

Then at Kiyonomizu temple I must admit that it was a little discouraging seeing so many people. It was too crowded and sometimes you could barely walk or stop to admire the beauty.

However, the most important things were being almost ignored by people, like Jizo or Kannon.

But then we got to the big golden Amida Buddha and words fail to describe what I felt. All this trip, my practice, all my past... Everything made sense in a nano second.

I simply couldn't hold back my tears. All I could say was a very faint "This is it, Jundo".

If it wasn't for the amount people, I would've cried a lot more.

Have you ever had a feeling like that?

After that we went to have dinner, and we said our goodbyes.

And now on to Eiheiji and to experience a super typhoon.

I might not update in a bit because I'm not sure if I'll have internet or power. But I'll be in touch with Jundo.

Gassho,

Kyonin

Enviado desde mi SNE-LX3 mediante Tapatalk

[Meitou]

'Have you ever had a feeling like that?'

Yes, just now reading your updates! What an amazing trip. I also laughed when I read that Jundo introduced you to a tailor - I thought you were going to get measured for one of those very special Zen shirts that he and Taigu are wearing
You guys stay safe please, Metta to everyone in the path of the typhoon.
Gassho
Meitou
Satwithyoualltoday

[Jundo]

A couple of more photos of the capsule hotel we stayed ... an excellent example of Japanese use of small spaces. When they saw how tall Kyonin is, they upgraded us to the high ceiling version for the same $25 too!



l recommend to all Japan travelers ... provided no claustrophobia, of course.

Kyonin slept like a baby, except when the starship transitioned to warp speed.

[Tairin]

Thank you for the updates. I am enjoying this thread immensely. I am very happy for you Kyonin.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Daitetsu]

Thank you so much for sharing this with us, Kyonin and Jundo!
And great to see a happy Taigu!

Gassho,

Daitetsu

#sat2day

[Jundo]

Just heard from Kyonin, who has enjoyed his day in Kyoto on his own. He wrote, "I decided to take it easy today and just walk around with no expectations or a plan."

First, he visited a garden at the Shinsen-en, which happens to be located near the "Starship Enterprise" capsule where l left him ...

Shinsenen (神泉苑) is a Shingon Japanese Buddhist temple located south of Nijō Castle in the approximate center of the modern city of Kyoto, Honshu, Japan. It was founded by Kūkai in 824 and predominantly consists of a large water garden centering about a pond. It is said to be the oldest existing garden in Kyoto. ...

He then says, "Then in the middle of office buildings there's Rokkakudo mini - temple. There were 2 monks and some people chanting Hannya Haramita Shingyo and I joined them. "

The Rokkaku-dō (六角堂 Rokkaku-dō), official name Chōhō-ji (頂法寺 Chōhō-ji), is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan, said to have been established by Prince Shōtoku [the famous leader and sponsor of Buddhism who lived in the 6th Century]. The name [6 Corner Hall] comes from its main hall's hexagonal shape. This temple is part of the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage. ... Rokkaku-dō is believed to have been established in the early Heian period. The origins of traditional Japanese flower arrangement through the Ikenobō school are linked to Rokkaku-dō in the medieval Muromachi period. Rokkaku-dō was instrumental in the development of Jōdo Shinshū [Shin Pure Land School]. ... In 1204, when he was 29 years old, Shinran Shonin (1173 - 1263) decided to spend 100 days in seclusion or privacy at Rokkakudo Temple. On the 95th day, Kannon appeared to Shinran in a dream and told him to forgo his vow of celibacy and marry. She told him that she would appear to him in the form of a woman and they would become lovers and enter into Amida’s Paradise. She then told him that he should ... found a new order of Buddhism that encouraged clerical marriage and family life. A small hexagonal hall at Rokkakudo features two statues of Shinran – one seated in a dream trance and one standing with walking staff and beads.

And, so, Japanese Buddhist Priests began marrying and having families, a momentous development in the history of traditional Buddhism. Here's the Rokkakudo today ...



An old painting of Shinran's dream there



Then, "Lastly I got to wonderful Bukkoji, and sat zazen under the main altar, which was open to the public."

Bukkō-ji (佛光寺 Bukkō-ji), also known as the "Temple of the Buddha's Light", was originally named Kosho-ji, a Jōdo Shinshū temple in the Yamashina ward of Kyoto, which later moved to the heart of Kyoto. The temple was founded and officially opened by a disciple named Ryōgen in 1324.

Although Kyonin sat Zazen there, it is not a temple of Zazen, for the Jodo Shinshu folks believe that nothing more is needed but faith in Amida Buddha's light ...

Shinran, like his mentor Hōnen, saw the age he was living in as being a degenerate one [[Mappo] where beings cannot hope to be able to extricate themselves from the cycle of birth and death through their own power, or jiriki (自力) [such as Zazen]. For both Hōnen and Shinran, all conscious efforts towards achieving enlightenment and realizing the Bodhisattva ideal were contrived and rooted in selfish ignorance; for humans of this age are so deeply rooted in karmic evil as to be incapable of developing the truly altruistic compassion that is requisite to becoming a Bodhisattva.

Due to his awareness of human limitations, Shinran advocates reliance on tariki, or other power (他力)—the power of Amitābha (Japanese Amida) made manifest in his Primal Vow—in order to attain liberation. Shin Buddhism can therefore be understood as a "practiceless practice", for there are no specific acts to be performed such as there are in the "Path of Sages". In Shinran's own words, Shin Buddhism is considered the "Easy Path" because one is not compelled to perform many difficult, and often esoteric, practices in order to attain higher and higher mental states.

As in other Pure Land Buddhist schools, Amitābha is a central focus of the Buddhist practice, and Jōdo Shinshū expresses this devotion through a chanting practice called nembutsu, or "Mindfulness of the Buddha [Amida]". The nembutsu is simply reciting the phrase Namu Amida Butsu ("I take refuge in Amitābha Buddha"). Jōdo Shinshū is not the first school of Buddhism to practice the nembutsu but it is interpreted in a new way according to Shinran. The nembutsu becomes understood as an act that expresses gratitude to Amitābha; furthermore, it is evoked in the practitioner through the power of Amida's unobstructed compassion. Therefore, in Shin Buddhism, the nembutsu is not considered a practice, nor does it generate karmic merit. It is simply an affirmation of one's gratitude. Indeed, given that the nembutsu is the Name, when one utters the Name, that is Amitābha calling to the devotee. This is the essence of the Name-that-calls.

Note that this is in contrast to the related Jōdo-shū, which promoted a combination of repetition of the nembutsu and devotion to Amitābha as a means to birth in his pure land of Sukhavati. It also contrasts with other Buddhist schools in China and Japan, where nembutsu recitation was part of a more elaborate ritual.

In another departure from more traditional Pure Land schools, Shinran advocated that birth in the Pure Land was settled in the midst of life. At the moment one entrusts oneself to Amitābha, one becomes "established in the stage of the truly settled". This is equivalent to the stage of non-retrogression along the bodhisattva path.
Many Pure Land Buddhist schools in the time of Shinran felt that birth in the Pure Land was a literal rebirth that occurred only upon death, and only after certain preliminary rituals. ... For Shinran Shonin, who closely followed the thought of the Chinese monk Tan-luan, the Pure Land is synonymous with nirvana.

At the end of the day, Kyonin was successful in finding a raincoat such as here (and one that fits his big size!), and says "I am a little bit scared of the typhoon, but I am sure Japan has great knowledge how to manage the situation and gaijin [foreign folks] like me."



He is all set to leave for Eiheiji tomorrow, but coming out of Eiheiji is still the question. The national railroad says ...

JR East considers halting Tokyo train services this weekend as violent Typhoon Hagibis approaches

East Japan Railway Co. said Thursday that it is considering whether to suspend many train services in the Tokyo metropolitan area this weekend as a powerful typhoon is expected to hit the country. The company, widely known as JR East, is expected to announce the decision later Thursday and make it available in English, Chinese and Korean on its website and its Twitter account. ... There is a possibility that operations of the conventional lines and Shinkansen will be suspended on October 12th and 13th due to Typhoon No.19. For future information, please pay attention to the weather information and train status information

l wrote him, "l assure you that, compared to about maybe any other country, the Japanese will take care of you now if you get caught in transit." However, let us all sit and hold Kyonin in heart for the coming days. l believe that Zazen and Amida will keep him safe and warm.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Ishin]

Thanks for the sharing and updates. It’s interesting and moving to read.
Gassho
Ishin
Sat/lah

[Hoseki]

Hi guys,

Just wanted to say I'm enjoying the travel diary. Safe travels Kyonin!

gassho
Hoseki
Sattoday/lah

[Seibu]

Thank you Kyonin and Jundo, it is a joy to follow this thread.

Gassho,
Jack
Sattoday/lah

[Meitou]

I love those capsule hotels, so perfectly complete and so cheap!
THinking of Kyonin, as you say Jundo, I'm sure that Amida Buddha will hold him safe in his/her heart but a little extra from around the world won't do any harm.


Gassho
Meitou
sattoodaylah

[Nengei]

Following this thread is one of my favorite things the last several days.

Metta for everyone in Japan during this trying storm. Please keep letting us know you are safe.

Gassho,
Nengei
Sat. LAH.

[Jundo]

The title for a young trainee monk is "Unsui" ... clouds and waters ... meaning that one must flow around circumstances like clouds and waters ... sometimes flowing, sometimes changing course according to circumstances, sometimes blocked and arrested by tall mountains or other barriers in one's path. Kyonin a full priest, but he will need to be clouds and waters tomorrow in the face of clouds, winds and waters.

Kyonin has arrived at Eiheiji town, and is now proceeding to the monastery itself. I encourage everyone to watch the little movie I posted about about life at Eiheiji, and you will see a little about what he will see during his short visit there.

https://youtu.be/iqvtJIHKLyA

However, the problem will be tomorrow, when he leaves there to try to return to Tsukuba. The Japanese railroad just released their predicted stoppages and, it is still too early to tell, but I think his odds are less than 50% of making it all the way through to Tsukuba without being stopped along the way. Hopefully, that stop will only be for a day until the storm passes (the railroad is usually very good about getting the trains running again, and will even bus people if tracks are blocked or the like). So, I am guessing that he will be caught somewhere in route, need to pass the night at least. I have told him to ask to be taken to a local emergency shelter (the Japanese have a pretty good system), or he may have to pass the night in a station. Maybe Eiheiji will tell him to stay, or maybe he will make it through. We don't know.

Here is the present position of the storm, Japan is 9 hours after UTC (e.g. 00 UTC is 9am Japan time, 06 UTC is 3pm Japan time same day). The storm has weakened slightly, but I believe is still a category 4.

Powerful Typhoon Hagibis could be the first to make landfall on Japan's main island of Honshu while still categorized as "very strong," the Japan Meteorological Agency has warned. The agency is predicting fierce winds, rough seas and torrential rain over a wide area, as the typhoon, this year's 19th, continues on its path to approach and possibly make landfall on Japan's main island on the weekend. Transportation operators are already planning to cut services as the country braces ....

Typhoon Hagibis is currently categorized as "very strong." This refers to a typhoon having a maximum wind speed near its center ranging from 44 to less than 54 meters per second, or from 158.4 to less than 194.4 kilometers per hour. According to the agency, only three typhoons of that strength have made landfall in Japan since 1991, and all of those cases were in western Japan's Shikoku and southwestern Japan's Kyushu. If Typhoon Hagibis makes landfall on Japan's main island of Honshu while maintaining its strength, it would mark the first time for such a powerful storm to do so.

I have told him that "the real Zen lesson of this trip may come tomorrow, not in any monastery or Sesshin, as you just allow life, weather, roads and obstacles to carry you where they will. Just staying dry and warm will be enough. It is more training perhaps in this "Typhoon Zen Hall" ... accepting circumstances ... and you will learn the real meaning of "unsui" as "clouds and water." "

Kyonin writes, "I keep on hoping Amida Butsu and Jizo will take good care of all travelers."

Gassho, J

STLah