Zen Center outside Kyoto

I spent four nights at Hosenji Zazen center outside of Kyoto, Japan on top of a hill nestled nicely in a bamboo forest. The days were peaceful and slowly long. Many japanese people (when i was here there was only one other westerner present) at some point go to a center like this in order to seek training, healing, relaxation and deeper learning. Zazen is seen by many, including some monks i spoke with, as more of a skill rather than as religion. the whole point is to learn how to be fully present in the moment and be accountable to all of one's actions. the whole structure of the day is based around facilitating an environment conducive to the fruition of such goals
Daily sched:
5:20am Wake-up
-tai-chi
-meditation and group chanting
-daily cleaning
-breakfast
-tea
-daily work (one day was 2 hours of weeding a 2 square meter moss patch)
-tea (so much tea)
-work
11:30 lunch
-free time: for me this included napping, reading about zen and quatum physics, yoga and juggling
4:30 dinner
-tea
-reading form buddha's teachings (dharma), chanting, sitting meditation, walking meditation
9:00 tea
10:00 lights out (i was already sleeping)



Dinner and breakfast were formal affairs. each part of the meal had a ritual and there was no talking.





each morning during dawn and evening for dusk we spent a total of four hours in this room meditating together. it was really interesting to sit with eyes slightly open and notice the subtle changes in light as time passed during the beginning and end of each earth rotation. it was also really intense to sit in a room with 15 people and be totally still, yet fully connected with one another via each breath.


running water could be heard from this garden in all rooms of the center. such a cleansing and centering noise to be with always. during meditation the sound of the rush and splash was the best tool for me remaining present in the moment.