Kyoto, part 2

As promised... more pics from my Kyoto adventure this past Wednesday.


The view on an island of a gate on the grounds of Ryuanji (Dragon Peace) temple. The island was pretty cool... stone bridge and everything. Ryuanji, like Kinkakuji, is also the former residence of a wealthy aristocrat that was transformed into a Buddhist temple after the death of the owner.


Ryoanji temple's most famous feature - a simple Zen rock garden that is considered by culture experts to be both a masterpiece and epitome of Zen design. It's said that the longer one mediates and looks at the garden, the more your imagination allows you see things. Since it wasn't crowded, I sat down for awhile and just watched...


Other folks mediating on the garden.


Another famous feature of Ryoanji temple - a water basin with a simple inscription: "I have learned to be content". Quite profound.


Statue of Buddha holding a lotus blossom in the outer courtyards of Ninnaji temple - the temple used to be the residence of an emperor after he had retired from the throne. It was later converted into a temple / monastery.


The great southern gate to Ninnaji. Note the size.


Courtyard and walkway.


The inner courtyard that surrounded the ex-emperor's residence.


One of the emperor's rooms, with screens painted with a Japanese pine motif.


The outside of the ex-emperor's phat pad. It's good to be the emperor, eh?
posted by G at 5:52 AM   |

in?scrip?tion (n-skrip-shun)n.
1. The act or an instance of inscribing.
2. Something, such as the wording on a coin, medal, monument, or seal, that is inscribed.
3. A short, signed message in a book or on a photograph given as a gift.
4. The usually informal dedication of an artistic work.
5. Jeremiah 31:33