This is a continuation from the first part of our Eiheiji Temple series…
Religious Life
Ang mga monks sa templong ito ay sinisimulan ang kanilang araw sa paggising ng 3:30 AM. This is an hour later when these pious men and women had completed their zazen ritual and had read the chant sutra. Eating breakfast is likewise part of their daily routine. This is composed of a bowl of pickles and the so-called rice gruels. Speaking of their daily chores, these monks are constantly engaging themselves in these worthwhile activities: cleaning, weeding and snow shoveling to name a few.
Afterwards, they chant and read again. As far as their dinner is concerned, it begins at exactly five o’ clock in the afternoon. If you do think that they have a very quiet and simple dinner processes; then, you are not correct. There are exact and ritualized positions of their utensils. Then, a Zazen lecture will immediately follow before bed time at 9:00 P.M. The trainees take a bath every five days at inaahit nila ang kanilang mga buhok sa tulong ng bawat isa.
Tourist Attraction
Sa mga nagnanais bumisita sa Eiheji Temple, ang mga turista ay dapat may modest dress at mag-aral manahimik. They may attend one to three meditation rituals if they want to have an actual glimpse as to how Buddhism nourishes the spiritual lives of people the world over. Ang bawat bisita ay may set of rules na dapat sundin. Halimbawa, ang pagkuha ng larawan ng training process ay mahigpit na ipinagbabawal. Sa kabuuan, mayroon nang mahigit isang milyong tao ang nakadaan sa banal na gate ng temple.
Sa pangkahalatan, kahanga-hanga ang Eiheiji Temple sapagkat ito ang nagsisilbing paalala upang ang bawat isang Hapones ay mapalapit sa Diyos ng buong puso, sa pamamagitan ng mataimtim na pananalangin araw-araw tulad ng mga monks ng makasaysayang templong ito sa Japan.
image from: Emran Kassim / Flickr
