After months of terribly hot weather - and constant AC, day AND night - it's
finally started to cool down here. Temperatures were typically 10℃ higher or more than the yearly average making for a pretty unbearable summer. As much as I like Japan, I'm going to have to give serious thought to spending the summer back in the UK to escape the heat. Indeed, some of my retired ex-pat friends do just this, having the best of both worlds by avoiding the Japanese summer and also avoiding the long, dark, miserable UK winter (Japanese winter is pleasant - and sunny!). But that's one for the future - for now, I'm just enjoying the cooler temperatures and the signs of autumn, one of which are the gorgeous
red spider lilies (higan-bana =
彼岸花) which are popping up all over the place.
Last month's post focused on the film
Perfect Days and as I wrote there, the film caused me to reflect on the idea of mindfulness, with its emphasis
on slowing down, analogue over digital, simplifying life, paying
attention to the here and now, taking in your surroundings one thought
at a time, and the cultivation of curiosity, wonder, and awe. Thinking about it, mindfulness has much in common with zen, the Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, originally from China, which emphasises the value of intuition through silent meditation - giving attention to only one thing - rather than enlightenment through ritual worship or the study of scriptures. The term zazen (座禅）literally means seated meditation - usually cross-legged, in the lotus position.
Here I'm going to introduce one zazen experience available for English speakers, a temple in the mountains of Saitama called Shokakuji (正覚寺). The
Japanese web site promotes its overnight and one-day zazen experience, noting how the peaceful, natural environment provides a space for self-reflection in both body and mind through zazen, Buddhist talks by the priest, vegetarian cuisine, sutra copying - and even life counseling!
The English website invites enquiries in English and also contains the schedule for the overnight programme (pictured). Here Shojin Ryori (
精進料理) refers to a special kind of vegetarian cuisine derived from the dietary restrictions of Buddhist monks (no fish or meat).
As advertised, there are two zazen sessions which involve sitting cross-legged on a cushion, staring at a point in front of you while focusing on one's breathing for around 30 minutes. It seemed very long and - by the end - very uncomfortable (especially the legs) though there was no being hit by a bamboo stick if you move or slump like I heard happens in some other places. In the (very early) morning session, zazen is followed by a sermon where the priest talks about Buddhism and the key concepts, including live lessons. Meals are eaten in complete silence and are very simple, just plain rice, miso soup, and lightly seasoned vegetables. Finally, there is the copying by hand of (fairly long) Buddhist sutra known as
shakyō (
写経) - this is all in kanji so probably not for the Japanese beginner. Surprisingly, the 9pm lights out is not strictly enforced - after the priest goes to sleep, you're pretty much free to do as you like!
Interested? There are many places that offer foreigner-friendly retreats throughout Japan, some more expensive than others. There's a list of eight of the most interesting here; the Japanese National Tourist Organization (JNTO) site also has a good overview. For those of you who want more of a challenge, you could try the women-only five-day yamabushi mountain priest training at Mount Haguro in Yamagata which includes meditating under waterfalls! But wherever you are, mindfulness is something that could help simplify life and give you more space - check out the fantastic MSBR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) free online 8-week course here. Share your (simple) thoughts in the COMMENTS!
