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Zen meditation(Zazen)

Meditate with Zen Buddhism monks at a local temple

About your guide, Masahiro

I was born in Kyoto and have lived here more than 30 years. As a local, I am familiar with Zazen here. In Kyoto, there are several temples where Zen meditation is possible, but they are too touristy because all the participants are foreign visitors. I will take you to a local Zazen place, which is not held regularly. You'll experience a true Zen meditation with the local people in Kyoto.

What we will do

We will go to a local temple to meditate with real Zen Buddhism monks.In Kyoto, we locals have each family related temple to meditate with monks. It is a part of our culture and custom but not everywhere in Kyoto. And never advertised in English unlike other touristic meditation events for foreign travelers. During meditation, the real Zen monks will tap your shoulders with a stick(In Japanese, called Keisaku or Kyosaku). This is to help concentFees the spirit, but it is not mandatory because it is a self-declaration system. Sitting cross-legged on a seat is a basic posture—like the picture of this listing—but this might lead to numbness of the legs for foreigners. Don't worry because it happens to me as well. If you cannot sit on the seat like that, it's no problem to sit however you feel comfortable. Then you'll keep breathing quietly and try not to think about anything. Clearing your mind is the goal. Zen meditation in a spirited space with beautiful air will give us a fresh feeling.Let me give you additional instruction on basic principle,rules and how to do when we meet up.Clear your mind in Solemn atomosphere close to Budda.

Where we'll meet

I'll inform you of the exact meeting point after you've booked your reservation. We will meet up at the nearest train station.

Where we'll be

The meditation I'll take you to is not like those generally published in a magazine or guidebook. This is a holy silent space where the local residents participate. Therefore, there is only an announcement in a paper on when the next Zazen is actually going to be held. It's totally different from a Zazen for tourists and you'll feel the magnificence of Japanese Zen Buddhism in a very quiet and beautifully spacious place.

Guest requirements

Minimum age is 7.

What you should know

We'll start on time, please be careful not to be late. Note we shouldn't chat while we're meditating. Guests must be quiet while meditating.

Maximum group size

Price per guest

→　PRICE LIST

At what time will we typically host your experience

We have to make an indivisual confirmation in advance.The local meditation is not held every week at a certain date. We check each calendar and call the temple to make sure the session. Contact us to make a reservation for your most convenient date.

When do we need to know your booking request

1 days before

Payment

Cash

Contact form

Mantra used in Zazen session

※you don't have to remember the lyric to join, just for reference

Hakuin Zenji's - Zazen Wasan (白隠禅師 - 坐禅和讃)
The Song of Zazen by Hakuin Zenji

Shu-jo hon-rai hoto-ke nari
衆生本来仏なり
Sentient-beings are primarily Buddhas.

Mizu to ko-ri no goto-ku nite
水と氷の如くにて
It is like water and ice:

Mizu wo hanarete ko-ri naku
水を離れて氷なく
Apart from water, no ice can exist

Shu-jo no hoka ni hotoke nashi
衆生の外に仏なし
Outside sentient-beings, there are no Buddhas.

Shu-jo chikaki wo shirazu shite

衆生近きを知らずして

Sentient-beings, not knowing how close [to Bodhi] they are,

toku motomeru hakanasa yo

遠く求むるはかなさよ

seek it far away, what a pity!

Tatoeba mizu no naka ni ite

譬えば水の中に居て

It's like being in the midst of water,

katsu wo sakebu ga gotoku nari

渇を叫ぶが如くなり

[yet] crying out with [great] thirst.

Cho-ja no ie no ko to narite

長者の家の子となりて

[Or,] like the [rich] chief's son,

hinri ni mayoni kotonarazu

貧里に迷うに異ならず

[who,] from his parents home, goes astray [amongst] the common [people].

Rokushu rinne no innen wa

六趣輪廻の因縁は

[We] transmigrate through the six [realms] as a consequence

onore ga guchi no yami-ji nari

己が愚痴の闇路なり

of our foolish-ignorance in [choosing] dark ways.

Yami-ji ni yami-ji wo fumi-soete

闇路に闇路を踏みそえて

Walking on dark-ways within dark-ways,

itsuka sho-ji wo hanaru beki

いつか生死を離るべき

shall [we] ever free [ourselves] from Birth-Death?

Sore Makaen no zen-jo wa

夫れ摩訶衍の禅定は

As for Zen [Dhyana] practice of the Mahayana,

sho-tan suru ni amari ari

称嘆するに余りあり

exhaustive-praise [would] not surpass [it's merits].

Fuse ya ji-kai no sho-haramitsu

布施や持戒の諸波羅蜜

The several [six] paramitas [beyond-perfections]; giving alms, observing the precepts, [patience, vigorous effort, dhyana and prajna],

nen-butsu sange shu-gyo to

念仏懺悔修行等

calling on Nen-butsu [invocation], repentance, ascetic practices,

sono shina oki sho-zen-gyo

その品多き諸善行

and the many other virtuous deeds of that kind,

mina kono naka ni kisuru nari

皆この中に帰するなり

all these are [found] within, or arrived [at through] Zazen.

Ichi-za no ko wo nasu-hito mo

一坐の功を成す人も

[Those] persons accomplishing the merit of [just] one sitting,

tsumi shi muryo no tsumi horo-bu

積みし無量の罪ほろぶ

[begin to] annihilate the infinite accumulation of past misconduct.

aku-shu izuku ni arinu beki

悪趣何処にありぬべき

Where then [will the basis for] evil-tendencies be found?

Jo-do suna-wachi to-kara-zu

浄土即ち遠からず

The Pure Land [will] very soon [be reached].

Kata-jikena-kumo kono nori-wo

辱くもこの法を

Graciously [accepting] this Dharma,

hito-tabi mimi ni furu-ru toki

一たび耳に触るるとき

[after] once hearing it proclaimed,

san-tan zui-ki suru hito wa

讃嘆随喜する人は

persons who praise it with heartfelt gratitude,

fuku o uru koto kagiri-nashi

福を得ること限りなし

[will] gain blessings of unlimited benefit.

Iwan-ya mizu-kara e-ko shite

況や自ら廻向して

Moreover, [if by] then turning around and confronting oneself,

jiki ni jisho o sho-sureba

直に自性を証すれば

witnessing instantly [the truth of] self-nature

jisho o suna-wachi musho nite

自性即ち無性にて

that self-nature is no-nature,

sude-ni ker-ron o hanareta-ri

已に戯論(けろん)を離れたり

[we will] already [have] finished with [intellectual]-argument.

Inga ichi nyo no mon hirake

因果一如の門ひらけ

As the gate of oneness of cause and effect is opened;

mu-ni mu-san no michi naoshi

無二無三の道直し

the straight Way of non-duality and non-trinity [manifests],

mu-so no so o so toshite

無相の相を相として

the form of no-form appears as [characteristic]-form.

yuku mo kaeru mo yoso narazu

往くも帰るも余所ならず

[both] going and returning occur in the same place,

mu-nen no nen o nen toshite

無念の念を念として

the thought of no-[self]-thought is [our Samadhi]-thought,

utau mo mau mo nori no-koe

歌うも舞うも法の声

[our] singing and dancing are the voice of the Dharma,

zan-mai mu-ge no sora hiroku

三昧無礙の空ひろく

the unhindered sky of Samadhi is boundless

shi-chi en myo no tsuki saen

四智円明の月さえん

how clear-bright is the moon of the four-fold wisdom!

kono toki nani o ka motomu beki

この時何をか求むべき

This being so, what [more] could [we] want

Jaku-metsu gen-zen suru yue-ni

寂滅現前する故に

[As] Nirvana [presents itself] before ones eyes, therefore

to-sho suna wachi renge koku

当処即ち蓮華国

this place [here now] is namely the Land of the Lotus,

kono mi sunawachi hotoke nari

この身即ち仏なり

[and] this [your] person, is namely the body of Buddha.