Higashi Hongan-ji is a large, beautiful temple located in Kyōto, Japan. Higashi Hongan-ji translaes to Eastern Temple of the Original Vow, representing True Pure Land Buddhism (Jōdo Shinshū). Originally, Higashi Hongan-ji was part of a single temple complex Hongan-ji, but in 1602, under the recommendation of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Hongan-ji split into two temples. Kyonyo established Higashi Hongan-ji while Junyo became the chief priest of Nishi Hongan-ji (Western Temple of the Original Vow). Both temples are located in Kyōto only a few blocks from each other.
Before visiting Higashi Hongan-ji, the class had been repeatedly (somewhat as a joke) told that "pigeons are Buddhist", and this temple was an example of this claim. After entering through the main gates, we were greeted by a small stall selling prayer beads and omamori, as well as food for the pigeons. Some of the members of our group immediately grabbed money and paid for a few bags to feed the pigeons, and we entered into the main grounds of the temple and began feeding the pigeons. This was probably one of the most exciting portions of our trip up to that point because it's rare to get so close to animals like pigeons and have them eating directly out of your hand. Three or more pigeons would be in someone's hand, other pigeons would fight over the food in another person's hand, and it was a unique and fun experience to have together. Once we were finished feeding the pigeons, we went into the temple itself and met a beautiful sight. The altar that faced us was quite large and had many sculptures, the main being Amida Buddha in the middle. Amida is the main Buddha in Pure Land Buddhism, which was the reason for its prominence on the altar. We were given the chance to sit and meditate for some time on the tatami floor with the smell of incense floating around us. This was one of my most favorite experiences on the trip because it was a very relaxing and beautiful place to be in the middle of one of the largest cities in Japan. We stayed inside the temple for approximately five minutes, and although I would have loved more time, it was still the perfect amount of time to rejuvenate me and prepare me for the rest of our day. Upon our exit, we were greeted by the beautiful lotus fountain seen in the banner picture, completing our trip to this beautiful temple. |
Click on the videos below to experience some of
Higashi Hongan-ji. The first gives a panoramic view of the temple grounds, and the second is a fun video of the students feeding the pigeons. For full-screen click here.
For full-screen click here.
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