We were supposed
to visit the Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple but we got lost again. Otagi
Nenbutsuji temple lies at the top of Arashiyama, at the last stop of the bus,
while Adashino Nenbutsuji temple lies before Otagidera. Well there’s no one to
ask because there were no other crowd – just us.
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| Adashino Nenbutsuji |
Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple is nothing like the other temples
we visited. It was a burial ground during the ancient times, Heaian (793-1183)
to the Edo (1615-1868) period. Although it’s literally a cemetery, it had the
beauty and serenity of a Zen garden. The Buddha stones laid in the temple were
neatly arranged and it looks more of a garden with a lot of statues and not a
burial ground.
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| Main entrance. |
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| Burial stones at the entrance of the temple. |
The temple was said to have been founded by Kukai (774-835)
who placed memorial stones for the dead buried in the area during the 9th
century. Later in the 12th
century it was called Nenbutsuji where the teaching of Amida Buddha is
practiced.
The main building of the temple was built in 1712 which
houses the statue of Amida Buddha by Tankei (1183-1392). About eight thousand Buddha stones are laid in the temple. During the ancient times gravestones are only made for the
upper class of the society and only a few commoners.
At the temple is another bamboo path, smaller compared to the bamboo forest but nonetheless charming.
The bamboo path is connected to another burial ground.
On the evenings of August 23 and 24 around 1000 candles are
lighted in honor of the souls of the ancestors.
How to get there:
For Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
-Take City Bus C6 at the bus terminal outside Kyoto Station.
-Tell the bus driver you're getting off at "Otagidera Mae". Kyoto bus drivers are polite so I guess you won't have a problem. It'll take around one hour to get there.
-Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple is just a couple of steps away from the last bus stop.
-Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple is a 5-minute walk from Otagi.
-Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple is a 5-minute walk from Otagi.
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| Bus schedules as of February 2015. |
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| The gate of the Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple. |
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| I told you, there were no other people around. Just cars. |
To help you with here's a map we got from a store owner near Otagi Nenbutsuji.
Opening hours and fees:
Opening hours: 0900H-1630H (March to November)
0900H-1530H (December to February)
Fees: 500 Yen
**No photographing of the stones of Buddha.
Goodnight! - donna
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