Bukkokuji

Waking up bell at ten to four in the morning, at four everybody must be in the zendo, or meditation hall, sitting still facing the wall for forty minutes, after that twenty minutes exercise and a jog through the town, then back in the zendo for another forty minutes of silence, after that about an hour of sutra recitation, only after the sutras a breakfast, a bowl of watery rice with a pickled apricot. Then work, in a garden or polishing floors or something. This is a morning routine in a Zen monastery, the rest of the day is similar. Begging rounds in the town are not every day but they are regular, begging is one of the three pillars of Zen (together with work and meditation) and the monks live off what people give them. Selfless giving is the first step on the path to wisdom and accepting gifts is giving people a chance to make that step.

I know this because I spent some time in a monastery in Japan. It was a long time ago, more than a quarter of a century, but it was a memorable experience. The monastery was called Bukkokuji, in the town of Obama in Fukui prefecture. The name of the master was Tangen Roshi. One day I asked if it was OK to take some pictures documenting the life of the monastery, he said yes and here is the result.

More about Bukkokuji

Bukkokuji main hall

Bukkokuji door knocker

Bukkokuji meal time

Bukkokuji monks leaving the temple 

Monks begging from door to door.

Monk's straw sandals.

A bonsai in Bukkokuji

Tangen roshi.