Today we arrived in Koyasan (Mount Koya), which are the mountains in Wakayama Prefecture just south of Osaka. The journey there was a very eventful and beautiful one. We traveled mostly by train on the Nankai Rail. While on the train ride there, we were able to see a big difference between Osaka and Koyasan, it began to feel like we were actually in Japan. The buildings and scattered traditional Japanese homes that we once saw in Osaka began to transform into mountains full of vegetation and flowing streams of water. The sense of nature was heightened, not only in the aspect of seeing, but also hearing.
Once we arrived in Koyasan, we found our lodging in the Buddhist Monastery (Fukuchi-in Temple). Actually experiencing the temple and the spaces that it offers, was very astounding. It felt as if the interior spaces were designed to accompany the exterior spaces, rather than the other way around. The architectural elements framed the exterior gardens and spaces as a way to exalt them. The circulation of the monastery also exudes a sense of discovery through the procession of the building. As you walk through the spaces, you learn more about the history of the temple and the people that it represents.
After our Journey to our place of lodging concluded, we started another journey. We visited the Kongobu-Ji Temple and the Oku-no-in Cemetery. The progression through the cemetery really was a great representation of the Japanese culture. The sense wabi-sabi, which is the celebration of ugliness and the process in which something is made, was everywhere. The decay of wooden gates and nature’s interaction with the stone monuments created a sense of mystery and historical depth to the cemetery. As we got further to the Kongobu-Ji Temple we all acquired a book for monks to sign for 300 yen each. In a way the books represent an aspect of passage and a journey taken, by the number of signatures we will acquire through the duration of our study abroad trip.
When we arrived at the Kongobu-Ji Temple, we could tell by the smell of the pine incense burning, that we had arrived at a sacred place for prayer. Seeing the people come in for prayer and meditation, reminded us that for the Japanese culture, Buddhism is not just a religion, but a way of life.
Chelsea, Kirsten, Geoff
(Written by Chelsea)
Photo by Kirsten
(Photo by Chelsea)
(Photo by Chelsea)
(Photo by Chelsea)