In Japan, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines often go hand in hand and complement each other in the everyday life of the Japanese people. When the own children are 3, 5 or 7 years old, the whole family goes to the shrine, but on the other hand, the temple is responsible for funerals and mourning ceremonies. In our prefecture, you can find a small shrine after every third corner, but temples seem to be less common in this part of Japan than in the rest of the country.
So I was even more excited when a friend invited me to join her to go to Jikoji 慈光寺, a temple that is located quite far out in the woods. Why not, a little trip is always nice and it was not that far. After about half an hour we arrived at a sandy parking lot in the forest, from where it didn't really seem to go further by car and so we had to continue walking from here. After about 20 minutes of easy uphill we arrived, Jikoji is simply said in the middle of the forest.
A very peaceful and lovely temple, which fortunately didn't have any visitors that day, so we had the place, the time and the atmosphere all to ourselves. Surrounded by mighty cedar trees, time really seems to run a little slower here, probably you can even stop it.
Inside the buildings it was quite pleasantly cool and shady and after a quick chat with a temple inhabitant we had time for a little meditation to get a little bit calmer and free our minds. Something that I unfortunately do much too seldom, but especially in this atmosphere there, such a little spiritual time out has a completely different value from which you can benefit later as well.
Unfortunately I have only made it to Jikoji once, although I always have it in mind. But plans are just too many and the time too little for me to realize everything that is buzzing around in my head.
The silence of this place was interrupted only by the sounds of the wind and the forest, a little bit of magic can be felt the first time you enter the temple and this feeling is pleasant and soothing throughout your stay and you will not want to take off this little coat later on.
The whole complex has something sublime about it and you will feel confident that you are in the right place at that moment. Even if you only walk through here for quickly, you will have gathered enough strength and energy to get through the rest of the day with self-confidence and concentration. Not all temples have such an effect, but Mother Nature contributes a lot to this effect.
Even by looking ate this pictures today I feel some of the Jikoji-magic and I want to go there again right now. It is already dark outside and the night is setting in, so I will leave it by sending my mind on a quick journey.
Have a great day everyone and don't switch me the channel, because I will be back soon with more pictures and impressions from the land of the rising sun. #angelenglishblog