Showing posts with label rinzai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rinzai. Show all posts

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Seikantei Garden Kinosaki

 


Gokurakuji Temple is hidden away in a corner of Kinosaki Onsen and is barely visited by the majority of visitors to the resort town, who will miss a quite remarkable garden.


Called Seikan Tei, it is a karesansui, "dry garden" most often associated with Zen, and Gokurakuji is a Rinzai Zen temple.


It is somewhat unusual in that the garden is in front of the main hall and the entrance pathway cuts right through it. many of the traditional gardens were built to be viewed from the rear of the main hall or from the Abbot's residence.


The most unusual thing, to my mind, was that one half of the garden used areas of white gravel and dark gravel, something I don't remember noticing before.


The light and dark areas are separated by a border made of roof tiles set vertically, something that is quite common.


Actually the light areas inside the dark ground form the Chinese character for kokoro, "heart". This is sometimes the shape of ponds.


The rock and moss "islands" in the sea of gravel  also use standard design representations, there being a Crame Island, a Turtle Island, a Three Buddhas Island.....


The garden uses a red rock brought from Kurama, a blue rock from Yoshino, and Shirakawa sand from Kyoto.


 I have been unable to establish when the garden was built. Most sources suggest it is fairly modern and a photo of it dates to 1976.


One source suggests it was designed by a disciple of Mirei Shigemori.


Entry is free, so if you are in the area it would be well worth a visit.


Later I will post on the temple and its history and the nice rock garden in front of it.


The previous post in this series on Toyooka was on the lower part of nearby Onsenji Temple.


Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Sukyoji Temple Gardens

Sukyoji Temple Gardens


Sukyoji is a Rinzai Zen temple located in Izushi castle town and was founded in 1392.


The temple is often called Takuan Dera after the famous monk Takuan Soho who was born in Izushi in 1573. Later in life, he returned to Isushi and stayed at Sukyoji for 8 years. He was very influential in bringing a zen influence to various schools of swordsmanship.


He is credited with designing several of the gardens at Sukyoji, but is more famous for being the creator of the daikon pickles, takuan, named after him.


The temple has a Rock Garden, Crane & Turtle Garden, Moss Garden, and  Heart Pond Garden.


It is said that Takuan designed the Crane Turtle garden and the Shinjioike Garden ( pond in the shape of the Chinese character for heart)


In the photo above the building behind the Shinjioike is the Toenken, the hermitage where Takuan stayed for 8 years and where he is said to have created his namesake pickle.


The Crane & Turtle Garden by Takuan Soho is a National Important Cultutral property.


The rock garden viewed from inside the temple.


Later I will post more on the temple and takuan Soho.


These last three images were taken on my second visit, in the winter.


The previous post in the series is the Eirakukan Kabuki Theatre.


Monday, September 27, 2021

Bairinji Gaien the Outer Temple Garden

 


The Gaien is the outer gardens of Bairinji Temple in Kurume. Mostly situated to the north of the temple along the bank of the Chikugo River.


In 1958 the temple gave it to the city asa public park. It is most famous for more than 500 Plum trees of about 30 different species, asa well as azaleas. I visited in late December so there wee no plum blossoms ready yet.


As the first photo shows, there was evidence of maple trees, and the last photo shows evidence of Gingko, so there must have been some nice autumn colors a month or so before.


Even without the seasonal displays, I found the gardens nice to visit.


The buildings inside the walls seem to be closed to the pub;ic, but there still remains some zen gardens in the outer garden.


A previous post with details of the temple and its history can be found here.


Saturday, September 25, 2021

Bairinji Zen Temple

Bairinji

Bairinji Zen Temple.

Situated on the bank of the Chikugo River in Kurume, Fukuoka, Bairinji is a long established temple of the Rinzai sect that I would call a monastery as many Buddhist monks, priests, and laypeople come here for training .

Bairinji Zen Temple.

The temple originated in Fukuchiyama, northern Kyoto, and was named Zuiganji. It was moved to Kurume in the early 17th century by Toyoji Arima after he was given the Kurume Domain for his part in the battle of Sekigahara.

Bairinji Zen Temple

Zuiganji was where his father had been buried and the remains were also brought along so the temple could continue to be the family temple.


It was renamed Barinji after the posthumous name of his father. The cemetery contains the tombs of  the Arima famiy.


There seems to be some fine buildings, but the gates to most of them were closed. Some of the fates had some fine carvings. The temple is apparently home to many treasures..... but seems ,ostly closed to visitors.


However, the larger "outer" garden of the temple was made into a public park, and to this I return in the next post...


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Monday, August 3, 2020

Torinji Temple the Oldest Wooden Building in Okinawa

Torinji


Torinji Temple belongs to the Rinzai Zen sect and was established on Ishigaki Island and built in 1613, the same time as neighboring Gongendo Shrine. Like Gongendo Shrine it was built by the Satsuma Clan who had invaded the islands.


It is said that the building is the oldest wooden building in all the Okinawan Islands. In the gate are two Nio statues that are also credited with being the oldest wooden statues in all Okinawa.


Buddhism was introduced into Okinawa from China in the 13th century, but unlike in Japan, where it had been introduced from Korea in the 6th Century, it was never used to politically unify the country.


It would seem that both the shrine and temple were established by the Satsuma samurai for themselves as Zen was the sect of choice for many samurai. Behind the small main hall is the remains of a small garden.


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Thursday, April 13, 2017

Shikoku Pilgrimage Temple 33 Sekkeiji


Sekkeiji, the 33rd temple on the Shikoku pilgrimage was fairly unimpressive. That may be due to it being the end of a long day when I finally reached it.


Though reputedly founded by Kukai, it became a Zen temple and not long after was sponsored by Chosokabe, the warlord who burned down so many of the temples on Shikoku. It became his family temple and was where he was buried.


Perhaps fittingly, it was burned down in the early Meiji period in the anti-Buddhist wave that swept many parts of the country. It was eventually rebuilt at its current site, next door to its original site which is now a shrine.


Sunday, July 5, 2015

Izumo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage Temple 33 Seiganji



The 33rd and final temple on the Izumo 33 Kannon Pilgrimage is Seiganji, located in the north of Tamatsukuri Onsen.


It is a Rinzai Zen temple and the honzon is a Kannon, but it is not the Kannon of the pilgrimage.


It is located in the small Kannon Hall next to the main hall. It was built originally in 1702 and was located in the mountains at a temple called Iwayadera. It was moved here in 1873.


Staffs left by pilgrims who have completed the pilgrimage. I have never seen another walking pilgrim while I walked the pilgrimage, and I suspect most of the staffs were carried by car pilgrims.


It was a thoroughly enjoyable pilgrimage for me. I will post a couple of more posts of shrines I visited on my way from here to the station, and then I will concentrate my posts on my Kyushu pilgrimage.