Buddhism
建仁寺
Kennin-ji
“Where Zen and tea crossed the sea together, and first entered the capital”
Scenes
Meaning
Step inside the walls at the foot of Higashiyama, and gardens of white sand and moss encircle the abbot's hall, while the scent of freshly drawn tea drifts low from the tea room.
Said to have been founded in 1202 by Eisai, it is the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto, regarded as the place where the Rinzai school took root in the capital. With the tea Eisai carried home from Song China, it is remembered as the ground where Zen and the way of tea flowered together. It is known for the Zen gardens of its abbot's hall and for its ceiling painting of twin dragons.
Field notes
- Location
- Kyoto · Higashiyama · N35.0° · E135.8°
- Best time
- Morning, when light enters the Zen gardens.
- Getting there
- A short walk from Gion, in Kyoto's Higashiyama district.
- Etiquette
- Quiet is appreciated in the abbot's hall and gardens.
Sources
- · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- · 일본 임제종 전승 · 에이사이 『끽다양생기』 (전거)
Photographs are freely licensed works from Wikimedia Commons and similar sources; the author and license appear beneath each image.