December 22

Lonely Planet Japan is our best friend right now. Since we’ve got only a few days to explore such a culturally rich city, we’ve decided to take the advice of our trusty book and start our trip on the Southern Higashiyama walking tour. The good book says that if you’ve got only one day in Kyoto this walk is the one to do. The bus system is really easy and efficient in Kyoto so finding our way around has been relatively easy. My two favorite experiences today were the walk through Zuigu Hall and the trek through Fushimi—Inari Taisha. The basement of the temple, Zuigu Hall, has in it a large stone with a Sanskrit character on it. This particular character is known as the symbol for the motherly Buddha. Therefore, the stone in the basement with this symbol on it is considered the womb of Zuigu Bosatsu. Once you descend the stairs you are in complete darkness; you just as well could have your eyes shut as even a hand held in front of your nose cannot be seen. You are guided through the narrow path by hollow wooden baseball size Buddhist beads on the left side of the wall at hip level. In complete darkness this path twists and turns as if testing my faith in a higher power to walk blindly into the unknown, to trust that all will be okay in the end. After making one of the many turns a faint light outlined the large stone a few meters ahead and the Sanskrit was able to be seen on top of this chest high rock. You are to make a true wish in front of this stone and come out purified and feeling a rebirth with the virtue of Zuigu Bosatsu. I’m not sure if my wish will come true or if I felt this rebirth but it was certainly a peaceful experience. The Fushimi-Inari Taisha shrine was just as powerful but in a very different way. This was not one shrine but hundreds of small shrines spread across acres and acres of mountainside connected by over a thousand Torii gates.