Author of the Hiro Hattori (Shinobi) mysteries
Kyoto’s Eikan-do Zenrin-ji is the head temple of the Seizan branch of Pure Land Buddhism in Japan. The temple sits near the southern end of the famous Philosopher’s Path, and although it’s famous for autumn foliage, the temple gardens are spectacular year-round. The photo above shows the path that leads from the gardens (and pagoda hill) down to the temple’s beautiful lake.
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No visit to Kyoto’s Eikan-do would be complete without a visit to the hillside pagoda – though many visitors miss the amazing view because the path to the pagoda (and the fact that it’s open to the public) isn’t always obvious. The path lies past the dragon fountain, at the edge of the steep hillside incline at the back of the temple grounds.
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Eikan-do Zenrin-ji sits on the southern end of the famed “Philosopher’s Path” that runs along a canal in Northeastern Kyoto. Founded during the mid-9th century, Zenrin-ji is the head temple of the Jodo-shu Seizan Zenrin-ji sect of Buddhism in Japan, and although it’s a popular tourist spot, it’s also very much a living, functioning Buddhist temple.
Read moreEikan-dō Zenrin-ji (sometimes known merely as “Eikan-do”) is Japan’s head temple for the Jōdo-shū, or “Pure Land” Buddhist sect. With its focus on faith, and specifically on Amida Buddha, Pure Land Buddhism differs from the popular Zen schools often followed by members of the samurai class (especially during Japan’s medieval age); however, many samurai families followed Pure Land teachings. Originally founded in 863 as “Zenrin-ji” (in Japanese, “ji” means “temple”), the temple continued to expand through the centuries, adding new buildings and reconstructing older ones as the need arose. The temple is famous, in part, for its statue of Amida Buddha, which looks over its shoulder rather
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