Temple visit is a must when you are in Kyoto for sightseeing, but you shouldn’t be contented with only viewing temples because there are various kinds of event held throughout a year there which are open to everybody.
High recommended one is Zazen.
Zazen means seated meditative practice in Zen, where you can unify both mind and body in the position with your legs crossed. “Practicing” sounds hard to follow, but it is fairly easy for anybody to challenge once you have got the knack of Zen.
By calming yourself down in the silent ground of temple and thinking of nothing but your breath, you will be able to cast off your fatigue and stresses and refresh yourself.
Here is a list of spots for your Zazen experience. Zazen classes are provided at fixed fame temples for sightseers.
1. Tofuku-ji Temple Bishamon-do Shorin-ji Temple
Website : http://shourin-ji.org/
Map : Google Map
Date : Irregular
Time : 60 minutes
Fee : One thousand yen
Reservation : Necessary
Tofuku-ji, most famous for its autumn tinted leaves, is overcrowded by the tourists for spectacular view from “Tsuten-kyo Bridge” in the ground of temples, between middle of November and the beginning of December every year.
First of all, we will introduce the Zazen classes provided at Tatchu, or Shorin-ji (smaller temple in the ground of large temple).
“I don’t think I can sit formally (in Japanese style) for that long”
“I don’t even know the right way to be seated, but is it alright?”
“When hit on the shoulder, does it hurt?”
Those are the one you are anxious about. For the very those people, Zazen class at Shorin-ji is most recommendable.
The lectures will be given prior to Zazen time on a history of temple, what the essence of Zen is, and how to Zazen (formally seated with your legs crossed), so there is no problem. This applies correspondingly to the following temples.
It also makes it easier for beginners to challenge since Zazen time is shorter at Shorin-ji, with only two fifteen minutes Zazen with a break instead of its formal Zazen time of approximately fourteen to fifteen minutes until when one stick of intense goes out.
Normally, a stick, called “Keisaku or Kyosaku” is descended on meditator’s shoulder or back in order to help you clear your mind, right your posture, ease your excessive nervousness and so on, but here at Shorin-ji, it is given to candidates only so you don’t have to worry at all.
After Zazen, have a break with tea as listening to Buddhist sermon.
Confectionaries and Green tea (extra charge) will be provided if booked in advance.
Sixty minutes in total is required for a Zazen, and one thousand yen participation fee are necessary. Also, booking in advance is essential, so make sure you visit the official website to ensure its booking process and schedule.
2. Kennin-ji Temple Ryosoku-in (Gion)
Website : http://www.ryosokuin.com/
Map : Google Map
Date : Irregular
Time : 60 minutes
Fee : One thousand yen
Reservation : Necessary
Next one to introduce is, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto, Kennin-ji, with a lot of highlights to see such as “Hojo”, “Fujin Raijin-zu byobu (The folding screens of Wind God and Thunder God)” and so on.
Zazen classes are provided at the ground, “Ryousoku-in”.
Kennin-ji is very famous for its beautiful Japanese garden, which is usually closed to the public, and is open only at the very best viewing period between June and July. Participants to Zazen classes, however, is specially allowed to visit to enjoy its view from inside the temple.
As Kenni-ji is located in Gion, it’s good timesaving to Zazen early in the morning, and then wander in fleshpot, or Hanamachi in Gion, Yasaka Shrine, and Kiyomizu-dera Temple afterwards and it is suitable for short-term tourists, too, as they can visit different areas in the afternoon.
Zazen is held for twenty-five minutes with a break here.
Beside the Zazen class including tea time and Buddhist sermon (approximately sixty minutes of Zazen time and one thousand yen for participation fee), a trial session to try rice porridge for breakfast is also provided (for approximately ninety minutes with the cost of twenty-five hundred yen). Check this out if interested.
Booking in advance is essential for both plans, so apply through the official website.
3. Rinzai-shu Tenryu-ji-ha, Daihonzan Tenryu-ji Temple (Arashiyama)
Website : http://www.tenryuji.com/
Map : Google Map
Date : The second Sundays every month from 9 a.m
Time : 120 minutes
Fee : Free
Reservation : Unnecessary
Tenryu-ji, located at the main street in a popular sightseeing area, Arashiyama, is well-known for its “Sogenchi Garden” which was designated as a first Special Place of Scenic Beauty of Japan.
You can enjoy different aspects of four seasons, such as cherry blossoms in spring, fresh green leaves in summer and snowy landscape in winter, in addition to tinted leaves in autumn.
“Unryuzu”, a painting of a dragon painted on the ceiling of Hatto is also the must to see but, it is normally closed to public. It is open only three times a year during special worship period.
Zazen is provided on the second Sundays every month from 9 a.m. here.
Beginners are, of course, welcomed and more appealingly, you could participate in for free anytime you made up your mind, since booking is not necessary. Zazen, however, is not provided in February, July, and August, but on the last Saturdays and Sundays in July and August, Zazen and Buddhist sermon are available at “Gyoten” class.
After the lesson on how to seat in the right Zazen way, its fifty minutes start. It might sound quite long to hear fifty minute of Zazen, but there will be a break, so don’t worry.
After Zazen, lectures on Zen, called “Ryumonkai” are given and finish at around eleven a.m.
4. Zuiganzan Enkou-ji Temple (Ichijo-ji)
Website : http://www.enkouji.jp/
Map : Google Map
Date : 6 a.m. every Sundays (at 7 a.m. between December and February)
Time : 120 minutes
Fee : One thousand yen
Reservation : Necessary
Enkou-ji is a temple located in Ichijo-ji area, a little far from central Kyoto, but is excellent to visit, neighboured on “Shisen-do”, famous for its magnificent garden and “Manshu-in Monseki Temple”.
Enkou-ji is also well known for its garden, “Jyu-gyu no Niwa Garden”, which will be sure to catch your eyes with bright green leaves between spring and the beginning of summer, and vividly tinted leaves in autumn.
The Japanese sole Dojo specialized in nun, “Zendo” where nuns had strived for its practice, still exists in this temple with a long history in nunnery.
Zazen is provided for public here in tranquil Zendo.
It starts at 6 a.m. every Sundays (at 7 a.m. between December and February) and lecture in detail on how to sit and breathe in the right way, will be given when you go fifteen minutes early.
You will have two sets of twenty minute Zazen early in the morning, do some cleanings called “Samu” afterwards, and then have rice porridge for breakfast. All activities come to about 120 minutes including Buddhist sermon given at last.
It requires booking by the day before, and one thousand yen on your first participation. Zazen clips are available on official website, so check out if you are interested in.
5. Takagamine-zan Genko-an Temple (Takagamine)
Website : https://kanko.city.kyoto.lg.jp/detail.php?InforKindCode=1&ManageCode=1000055)
Map : Google Map
Date : Sunday in the first week of the month after seven o’clock in the morning
Time : 120 minutes
Fee : Free
Reservation : Necessary
“Genko-an”, located in Takagamine, in the north of Kyoto.
All the temples listed above are in the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, but this temple is Soto, the sect which is specialized in Zazen. Its highlight is “The Window of Enlightenment“ and ”The Window of Confusion” in its grounds.
Each window has the meaning of the teachings of Zen. “The Window of Enlightenment”, a circular window symbolizes “the universe”, expressing the Zen mindset that frees yourself from everything else, and “The Window of Confusion”, a square window symbolizes “life of humans”, referring to the four kinds of suffering according to Buddhism: birth, old age, disease, and death.
Zazen held at the ground which is dedicated to Buddha, is provided once a month, on Sunday in the first week of the month after seven o’clock in the morning. Please be aware that it is closed in August, and from November to January.
About 30 people participate a month and most of them are said to be regulars, but beginners are, of course, welcomed.
At Zazen here, you advocate Buddhist sutra, “Hannya Shingyo” first of all, and then Zazen for about 30 minutes. After a different type of Zazen which is performed while walking called “Kinhin”, you will have a break. Zazen for another thirty minutes, do some work called “Samu” or listen to sermon, and your 120 minute program is finished.
Membership fee is free, but reservation is necessary on your first participation.
How did you like our lists?
You can wear casual clothes to experience Zazen, but you had better wear loose clothes other than tight jeans or miniskirts so that you can be relaxed to be seated in with legs crossed, practice abdominal breathing, and so on.
Each temple differs in program contents and its duration but all temples will treat beginners good and polite.
Facing yourself in meditation at silent temple in the morning where you can free yourself from any matters, will surely make your sightseeing more special.
Don’t be afraid, encourage yourself to experience your first Zazen!
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