For all (Saikyo-ji) has done for us, taught us, and provided for us, it’s hard to think I could have received a more fulfilling experience elsewhere. Not only does Saikyo-ji have an endearing and aesthetically pleasing complex, but those who work for Saikyo-ji play a large part in shaping its beauty as well. I doubt I will be fortunate enough to receive the same kindness and hospitality in other countries as I have at Saikyo-ji.

~

 

The daily routine was highly structured and concentrated. There was no free time outside the academic parameters and living arrangements at the temple. That did not diminish the enthusiasm students had for the program, however.  

 

In the mornings, students anxiously waited for Toyama-san – a novice monk at the temple – to ring the temple’s bell at 6 AM signaling it’s time to put away the futons and get ready for the chanting service called “otsutome.” The otsutome includes a call to prayer, recitations from the Lotus Sutra, nembutsu chanting, an invocation to nyorai, bosatsu and teachers associated with Saikyo-ji, and finally a recitation of the Heart Sutra. On Thursdays after otsutome students engaged in zazen practice. Breakfast was always served in the dining hall at 7:30 AM and students enthusiastically welcomed their tofu, miso soup, salad, the assortment of condiments, tea, and rice. Classes began at 9 AM every day, seven days a week, and ended at 11 AM. Everyone had about one hour to get ready for field trips to various Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in the Otsu area including Hiyoshi Taisha Jinja, Takebe Taisha Jinja, Mii-dera, and Ukimi-do. It was not uncommon for students to have walked 5-8 miles a day with no complaints. On one occasion, all students were led down Mt. Hiei by their sensei from Enryaku-ji on old mountain trails used by monks and hikers alike to Saikyo-ji – a total of 8.09 miles!

After dinner at 5:30 PM, students enjoyed some “down time” before the temple was locked and the lights were out at about 8 PM. Occasionally, the evening included visits from guests like the 87-year-old Imai-sensei - who was officially adopted by the students as a grandparent - and readings from Ugetsu Monogatari (Tales of Moonlight and Rain) from the temple’s cemetery.

Students visited numerous Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples as part of their course. Many of these shrines and temples played a role in Japan’s political and cultural history and to this day still play an active role in Japan’s religious life. While on the field trips students were introduced to not only Japan’s religious traditions but also Japan’s literature, poetry, and art, as well. On their schedule were visits to Karasaki Jinja, Mii-dera, Ishiyama-dera, and Ukimi-do, for example, and these four sites are integral to the region’s Omi Hak’kei (Eight Views of Omi) series memorialized by artists like Hiroshige. On the Ishiyama-dera field trip, students read Chapter 20 from Tales of Genji since Ishiyama-dera is the temple where Murasaki supposedly wrote the tales. On a field trip to Gichu-ji, students read many haiku from the famous poet, Basho. Students enjoyed experiencing this intersection of Japan’s art, literature, poetry, and religion that the course offered.

The program was not easy, but it was gratifying. As Emma Pittsley, an MSU student on the 2015 program, commented,

The trip was demanding, with seven-mile hikes every day. But that made the experience all the more rewarding. Walking everywhere we got to observe every little detail of the countryside, the mountain forests, the suburbs, and the city streets. Every single temple and shrine was beautiful and it was amazing to see this preserved antiquity mixed in with urban development.