October 2nd: More Temples So many Temples
1:55 AM
The art of concentration, is a good way to put the mediation we're doing. Our abbat today told us that breathing is like an anchor, and our mind is a boat. Learning how to keep breathing as our anchor will keep our minds, although often distracted, steady. It's like working out your brain to not freak the hell out! Today I told my dad not to throw off my zen. I've never understood the 70's till that moment.
The next temple were going today is called Tenryujin, meaning Heavenly Dragon. A monk there will be talking to us! The phrases and names like mindfulness, no mind, and boddhi dharma will be thrown around casually.
We had a western monk named Thomas who gave us a lecture on monastery life! I caught him talking so he was very casual, but believe me when I tell you, despite being a western monk in Japan this man was totally zen.
The moss temple is next!! Very exclusive. We have to make it there at 1pm or else we cant get in. only people with ~special letters~ get invited in.
Moss temple wasn't fucking around guys. Moss moss and more moss. I have 5,000 pictures of moss. But man is this the prettiest moss I've ever seen.
Not only did I feel my inner miyazaki ghibli filmer senses tingle, I also got to appreciate the silence in this garden specifically. The moss drowns out sound, making the temple that much more quiet. The water flowing through this garden, if looked at from birds eye view, creates the kanji for kokoro (心) which means heart. In this temple you learn to write the buddhist heart sutra. FITTING.
If you didnt get enough of gardens heres some more from the tenryuji temple.
I even got a chance to draw!
There's a festival tonight. Although I wont be able to achieve the dream of wearing a yukata and grabbing my date to catch me some goldfish, I will be finally attenting a festival!
More deets on the festival in a seperate post <3
Love,
Mana
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