My OperaA Week At A Temple In Kyoto
Monday, November 20, 2006 5:23:25 AM
I just spent a whole week at a Buddhist Temple in Kyoto, learning about the Tendai Sect （天台宗）of Buddhism, and basically living the way of life of a Buddhist monk.
It was a great experience and I was hoping to spend more time there, maybe even to take the course to become a fully fledged monk (this takes three years!), but that proved difficult. The Head Priest （和尚様）told me that it was bad timing, as the only other monk in the temple is taking a special aesthetic course and doesn't really have time to teach me. Plus, in two weeks' time he'll be going on a one week fast (no food, no water, and no sleep, just chanting sutras 24 hours a day) and this coincides with a business trip the Head Priest has to make, so I'd be on my own. Therefore the Head Priest has recommended that I go back to Aichi to find another place. He also said I'm welcome to come back anytime I want though and stay for a while, which is very kind of him, but all this puts me in a bit of a fix, as I now have to find someone to stay with, but I'm sure I'll manage.
So, what did I do there? Here is my daily schedule (the schedule of a novice monk):
4:00am Wake up
4:15am Open all the gates
4:30am Sweep the courtyard and carpark
5:30am First ceremony (actually, two ceremonies simultaneously - I did the daily morning ceremony, while the head monk did the ceremony for the dead)
6:30am Cook breakfast for everyone (we took this in turns)
7:30am Clean the toilets, and if there is any time left, study to prepare for the next ceremony, and just study Buddhism in general.
9:00am Perform odd jobs, like maintenance, moving things, cleaning, etc.
12:00pm Cook lunch for everyone (again taking it in turns)
1:00pm (as per 9:00am)
4:00pm Sweep the courtyard and carpark again
5:00pm Second ceremony (again simultaneously)
6:00pm Clean the Head Priest's Office
7:00pm Cook dinner for everyone (again taking it in turns)
8:00pm- Free time (usually consisting of washing clothes and having a bath before going to bed)
7 days a week, and apparently 365 days a year.
The ceremonies are very much a community thing, with large numbers of people coming to the temple to take part. The accommodation and food are free. The accommodation consists of a 6 tatami single room with a futon. I was given a table for my laptop, but usually you wouldn't get one (if you have a wireless LAN, you can use the temple's internet connection). Apart from that, there is nothing else in the room. The food is typical temple food - all vegetarian, and all brought as offerings by the local people, so we don't actually buy any food. Actually, monks don't need cash, as everything is provided by the community. They don't even pay taxes! The only problem is, that they don't get paid either, but the idea is, if they are going to live their entire lives in the temple, they don't need money.
It sounds like a dead easy option, with a guarantee of a job for life and everything is free, but it's not. If you are thinking of becoming a monk, you have to be sure that you will stick with it all of your life, otherwise, if you drop out after a few years, that will be a few years wasted and nothing gained except for some experience and a different outlook on life (which is a great thing, but you'll be back to square one as far as qualifications and finances are concerned, and the job market is increasingly looking for younger and younger people these days).
X X X X X
So, what lessons have I learned?
I've learned to take things more easily, and not worry about things so much. The work was hard, and I worked hard at it, but the atmosphere was extremely positive amongst everyone involved.
It has taught me to appreciate the simple things in life, too, like water instead of fizzy drinks, boiled rice instead of steaks, and a quiet walk through the park instead of a mad day of karaoke.
I have started to have a more positive outlook, keeping the eyes in the front of my head and not always dwelling in the past. There's a lot more to life than what you've lived.
It has also taught me a few, slightly more personal things, which I think I'll keep to myself until I can explain them better in a later post (stay tuned, folks!).
All in all, it was a good experience, and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in Buddhism or traditional Japan, or just wants a relaxing week away from it all (besides the 16-hour work day!).
Scouse Mouse
It was a great experience and I was hoping to spend more time there, maybe even to take the course to become a fully fledged monk (this takes three years!), but that proved difficult. The Head Priest （和尚様）told me that it was bad timing, as the only other monk in the temple is taking a special aesthetic course and doesn't really have time to teach me. Plus, in two weeks' time he'll be going on a one week fast (no food, no water, and no sleep, just chanting sutras 24 hours a day) and this coincides with a business trip the Head Priest has to make, so I'd be on my own. Therefore the Head Priest has recommended that I go back to Aichi to find another place. He also said I'm welcome to come back anytime I want though and stay for a while, which is very kind of him, but all this puts me in a bit of a fix, as I now have to find someone to stay with, but I'm sure I'll manage.
So, what did I do there? Here is my daily schedule (the schedule of a novice monk):
4:00am Wake up
4:15am Open all the gates
4:30am Sweep the courtyard and carpark
5:30am First ceremony (actually, two ceremonies simultaneously - I did the daily morning ceremony, while the head monk did the ceremony for the dead)
6:30am Cook breakfast for everyone (we took this in turns)
7:30am Clean the toilets, and if there is any time left, study to prepare for the next ceremony, and just study Buddhism in general.
9:00am Perform odd jobs, like maintenance, moving things, cleaning, etc.
12:00pm Cook lunch for everyone (again taking it in turns)
1:00pm (as per 9:00am)
4:00pm Sweep the courtyard and carpark again
5:00pm Second ceremony (again simultaneously)
6:00pm Clean the Head Priest's Office
7:00pm Cook dinner for everyone (again taking it in turns)
8:00pm- Free time (usually consisting of washing clothes and having a bath before going to bed)
7 days a week, and apparently 365 days a year.
The ceremonies are very much a community thing, with large numbers of people coming to the temple to take part. The accommodation and food are free. The accommodation consists of a 6 tatami single room with a futon. I was given a table for my laptop, but usually you wouldn't get one (if you have a wireless LAN, you can use the temple's internet connection). Apart from that, there is nothing else in the room. The food is typical temple food - all vegetarian, and all brought as offerings by the local people, so we don't actually buy any food. Actually, monks don't need cash, as everything is provided by the community. They don't even pay taxes! The only problem is, that they don't get paid either, but the idea is, if they are going to live their entire lives in the temple, they don't need money.
It sounds like a dead easy option, with a guarantee of a job for life and everything is free, but it's not. If you are thinking of becoming a monk, you have to be sure that you will stick with it all of your life, otherwise, if you drop out after a few years, that will be a few years wasted and nothing gained except for some experience and a different outlook on life (which is a great thing, but you'll be back to square one as far as qualifications and finances are concerned, and the job market is increasingly looking for younger and younger people these days).
X X X X X
So, what lessons have I learned?
I've learned to take things more easily, and not worry about things so much. The work was hard, and I worked hard at it, but the atmosphere was extremely positive amongst everyone involved.
It has taught me to appreciate the simple things in life, too, like water instead of fizzy drinks, boiled rice instead of steaks, and a quiet walk through the park instead of a mad day of karaoke.
I have started to have a more positive outlook, keeping the eyes in the front of my head and not always dwelling in the past. There's a lot more to life than what you've lived.
It has also taught me a few, slightly more personal things, which I think I'll keep to myself until I can explain them better in a later post (stay tuned, folks!).
All in all, it was a good experience, and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in Buddhism or traditional Japan, or just wants a relaxing week away from it all (besides the 16-hour work day!).
Scouse Mouse
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