Recently I had a moment that touched me deeply. While traveling I came upon this beautiful Japanese temple purely by chance. At first glance I thought it might be a novelty tourist stop but soon after arriving I felt something different about this place. After crossing a long walking bridge that brought me into this park-like setting was a giant bell with a large swinging log or striker. I approached and pulled back on the rope allowing the log to swing and strike the bell with a thud. The deep musical tone that rang out from this bell resonated through my chest. I could hear the harmonic bass tone echo across the small valley surrounding the temple grounds. I stood there in awe just wanting to continue feeling that resonance vibrate through me until the tone became undetectable.
Further up the path there was a plaque almost hidden off to the side that spoke of a meditation pavilion, and sure enough looking up the hill hidden in the lush green trees there was this small red Japanese style pavilion. Out of curiosity I hiked up the hill along a narrow moss covered stone stairway to get a better look. Under the gazebo or pavilion was an octagon shaped bench so I took a seat. With no one around this became the perfect opportunity to take in a peaceful meditative moment. The only sound was of a small waterfall trickling down the hill behind me which seemed to block out anything else. In that moment I have never felt more at peace. As I continued sitting I looked around my surroundings and a wave of emotion washed over me.
After about 15 minutes I returned to the gardens and paths below to continue the walk up to the temple. At the temple I stepped just within the open doors up to a small alter of offerings. A giant statue of Buddha in a seated serenity pose filled the large space before me. I lit an incense and took in the beauty of the room’s inner architecture and care that must have gone into creating such a place. Everything about the moment felt like a welcoming hug around me.
Surrounding the temple were several large ponds filled with koi fish. The more I looked at the surroundings around me the more breathtaking everything became. Though there were other people around enjoying the grounds I felt as if this place had been created for me alone. This place seemed almost unreal like an oil painting of a Japanese landscape. After strolling around the park I sat for some time looking out across the water back toward the temple. A dark green mountain towered from behind as a picturesque backdrop. I took the pictures below but it doesn’t begin to capture the beauty.
Soon after my return home I couldn’t stop thinking about the temple and how the experience there touched me so deeply inside. I began to search for anything similar locally to find similar peacefulness. So far I have not found a place where I can go to meditate or carry on those feelings that I felt at the temple. But I’m determined to find at least a little piece of that somewhere nearby.
Certainly the peace I felt is not about the place but rather something that already exists within me. The temple and the experience only helped me find this within me.
