Zen week
The highlight of the previously mentioned walk is Heirinji (平林寺), quite possibly the most wonderful place on earth.
I have been to other Zen temples before in China, Kyoto, and Kamakura. Zen temples are my favorite, but they lose a lot of their impact when they are crawling with people. Even though the weather was perfect, we visited Heirinji on a Friday, without anything in particular in bloom or changing color, which meant we shared the nearly 500 acres with about five retired Japanese couples and a few monks who live there. Needless to say, we rarely saw anyone as we explored the grounds in peace.
The top photo is of Hansobo (半僧坊). You can find this structure to the left after paying 500 yen (rather expensive but worth it) and entering through the first gate (built in the Edo Period).
Heirinji is loaded with Japanese Maple trees. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many. Combine them with bamboo and a blue-sky day for best results.
As always, you can click on these images for a much larger (and better) view.
I’ll add more photos from these Zen surroundings over the next week. Stay tuned…