Here.　

 

This temple. 

 

This is the place… from which the spirit of Zen spreads out all over the world.  And as the living center of Zen, it is also a temple where training is still living, breathing…. in…. out...

 

Opened in 1244 by a monk named Dogen, this is a temple, a monastery of Buddhist meditation.  Even now, many monks in training work hard, waking up early in the morning to engage in rigorous training such as zazen (a meditative discipline), Buddhist liturgy, a rice-porridge diet, and "samu” - the physical labor needed to maintain the temple.

 

As worshipers, we can tour the temple while watching the monks.  Unlike other temples, here, there are many monks who are still actively training, so one can feel a dignified atmosphere that differs from that of the temples in Nara and Kyoto. That difference is especially obvious after having visited other temples.

 

In addition touring the temple, visitors can learn about "the Zen mind” through an overnight experience where you can undergo the same daily routines as a monk, including zazen and sutras.

 

What is the Zen mind?  

 

Come and find out.  

 

Separate yourself from the hustle and bustle of daily life.  Here.  

 

Here at Daihonzan Eiheiji Temple in Fukui.

 

*  When visiting, please do not point your camera directly at the monks.