Hatsumoude in Kyoto Vol.3

Hi! It’s been a long time, huh? How do you guys doing? I was busy studying English test called TOEIC.

March is about to finish, however, I’ll try to write the last of my hatsumoude article.

The final place I went to was Ryoanji temple.

Ryoanji, which was built in 1450, is located in the north of Kyoto called “rakuhoku”. You can hear these words, such as “rakuhoku”, “rakusei”, “rakutou”, “rakunan”. These words indicate the four cardinal points respectively. “rakuhoku” means the north of Kyoto. “rakusei” means the west of Kyoto. “rakutou” means the east of Kyoto. “rakunan” means the south of Kyoto.

Ryoanji temple is famous for the rock garden called “sekitei” in Japanese. The rock garden is 250 meters squares, and consisting of white sand and fifteen rocks.

Once you get in the garden, you can feel the dignity of silence…. Writing this article, I remembered one song’s title….it’s “Sound of Silence”. You can hear the sound of silence in this garden.

White sand is lying in the garden like ocean, and fifteen rocks is lying as well like islands.

I’ll tell you one interesting topic on this garden. In only one angle and position, you can see whole fifteen rocks. If you stand and see in the other places, you will not see them. That is most interesting mistery of this garden.

After the rock garden, you can find a beautiful mossed garden. Many tourist guides tend to tell one topic about moss.

“Do you know the moss burger?” the guides might say that.
“Yeah, ofcourse. What is it?” the tourist might say that.
“Oh, great. then….do you know what the meaning of moss is?” the guides might say that.
“oh…I don’t know it at all. What does it mean?” the tourist might say that.
“the word ‘moss’ means…’koke’ in Japanese! ‘Moss burger’ means ‘koke burger’ heheh! Hey, take a look at this garden. You can find the beauty of this gurden’s moss!” the guides might say that.

Those conversations are used by many guides in Kyoto.

When I left this gurden, I faced very terrible scene in the enterance of this garden. I guessed they were Italian… They came to Japan for sightseeing.

To enter this temple, you have to put your shoes off, however, one of Italian tourist tried something suprising with his smile on his face!

He…put two plastic bags on his shoes….like putting a new shoes on his current shoes! What an impolite behavior! I was surprised with it! We think it’s important to be polite in such holy places…. That is what we are taught from Confucianism and Buddhism… What he did was definitely allowed….ummm…

I thought on thing at that time…. If I did wrong attitudes in the CHURCH, would he feel disappointed with me???

My hatsumoude in Kyoto article is over. Next time, I’ll write other topics in my ordinary life. Don’t miss it!