Of all the temples we visited during our time, Engakuji seemed the most like a "temple" of all the ones that we visited. I am not sure what contributed to that: the lateness of the day (it was our last stop, post 1500), the weather which was overcast, or the relative lack of people present after the crowds we had seen earlier. But it truly had a sense of the otherworldly.
The Senbutsujo, or Zen Meditation dojo. The building dates from A.D. 1699 and is currently still used for Zen Meditation sessions:
The interior of the Zenbutsujo. The image is of Yakushi Nyorai, the deity in Buddhism associated with healing:
Still too early for cherry blossoms, but ume (plum) were out in force:
The Kojirin, another meditation hall. It burned in A.D. 1926, but was since rebuilt:
The Hojo. Originally the abbot's quarters it is now a general use hall. It was rebuilt in A.D. 1929 after an earthquake:
The Sacred Place of 100 Kannon. Gathered here are 100 (likely more) of carved images of Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. It was originally started in the 13th Century A.D., and became a place of pilgrimage. Leaving coins (interestingly 1 Yen and 5 Yen coins are the best) are left as offerings; some of the carvings were surrounded by them.
The lack of people is noticeable TB and it's interesting to see the supports in that last photo. Did you leave an offering TB?
ReplyDeleteNylon12, I am not sure if it was the end of the day or the temple is not as well visited due to location - but yes, it was quite empty compared to the other temples we were at that day.
DeleteThe supports are typical of the sorts of things I have seen associated with other Japanese Gardens and temples.
I did indeed leave some change. I always view these things as helping to pay for general upkeep, same as any other donation I make.
I did some searching last night and came to the conclusion that Japanese roof design is merely a function of engineering for their climate. The upswept ends allow more light to enter while the deep overhangs protect the more fragile materials of the house which is mostly wood from getting wet and rotting. Although they said is sheds water well, I couldn't find much on snow loading which I suspect might be a problem here if we had such roofs, at least before global warming was a thing.
ReplyDeleteEd, that does not surprise me. I will say that there is also a fair amount of thatched roofing in traditional Japanese architecture as well.
Delete'Engakuji seemed the most like a "temple". . .' That is an interesting statement, as I would not detect a difference based on the all the photos I've seen. Ambiance?
ReplyDeleteI would love to see it in summer, in full leaf and flower.
Possibly, Leigh. The lack of crowds may have also played an aspect, as well as the weather. There was muted, quiet quality to the whole site.
DeleteOne of the nice things about traditional Japanese gardens (and temples) is that they are planned for full year viewing and enjoyment.