500 disciples of Buddha (埼玉川越の五百羅漢)
On the grounds of the Kitain (喜多院) in Kawagoe, you can find these Buddha statues (Gohyaku Rakan or 500 Nirvana achievers), each with unique expressions on their face. These were carved over 200 years ago.
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Posts tagged buddhist
Momijidera (紅葉寺)
A fall photo? Actually, no. I took this picture in May. As part of the bike ride, mentioned previously, in which I somewhat followed the street car line from Waseda to Oji (Ouji or Ooji) in Kita Ku, I parked my bike for a while in Oji (王子) and followed a walk in a guide book. The book led me to a temple called Kongouji (金剛寺). The nickname for the temple is Momijidera or Japanese Maple Temple and you can see why.
The trees were amazing. Some looked to be in their fall splendor even in May, but I think that is how they look all late-spring and summer long.
An old man who lived in the neighborhood stopped me and we chatted for a while. He told me a lot about the temple and the neighborhood. I wish I had written it down then as I forget most of it now. I do remember feeling like it was a wonderful conversation at the time.
Temple Guardians
When a nio isn’t providing a temple with quite enough protection, it’s time to call for some feline assistance.
This ungyo (吽形) guardian can be found at Saifukuji (最福寺, a.k.a. Enoshima Daishi or 江ノ島大師) on Enoshima. I’m not sure if you will find the cat here or not, although you are almost sure to see some wandering the island.
Yanaka Water Well during Sakura
Occasionally in Tokyo, and in several places in Yanaka, you can spot these old water wells. I’m not sure the era in which they no longer became the main source of water, certainly pre-WW2 but how much earlier I don’t know. This one is at Tennoji (天王寺), near the Nippori Station in Yanaka. Few things are better in life than a blue sky day, at the peak of the cherry blossom season, in Yanaka. To top it off, this was a weekday so there were no crowds, and the temple was giving away free tea and snacks.
The Buddha in the Maples
The Kamakura Daibutsu can be seen from a distance due to the size. I’d like to see the Giant Buddha through these Japanese Maples when they are turning colors in the fall.
Obama was here – Giant Buddha Kamakura Daibutsu
President Obama visited the Kamakura Daibutsu yesterday. He didn’t see the blue sky or shadows caused by the sun on the Buddha’s face (like I did above), but the Buddha looks great in any season or weather.