Kuan Yin
A Journey to The Heart of Japanese Buddhism - PDF HERE

September 18
Depart San Francisco for Osaka Japan

September 19 - Arrive Osaka
Transfer to the New Hankyu Hotel for a one night stay in Osaka. The group will meet in the evening in the conference room for prayer and meditation with Rev. Kim and Joyce.

September 20 - Mt Koya
After meditation and our first morning seminar, we leave the busy city life behind as we travel to Mt. Koya where we will experience life very much as a monk would in Japan. Mount Koya is a temple complex located on a mountain top, surrounded by cedar trees and mountain peaks. It is the center of Shingon Buddhism and one of the most important spiritual centers in Japan with over one hundred temples.

One of the highlights of visiting Mount Koya is walking through the Okunoin Cemetery. This cemetery lies in the middle of a forest of majestic cedar trees, and the roughly 200,000 graves contain some of the most famous figures in Japanese history. At night the 1 mile path through the cemetery is lit by stone lanterns and is wonderful to stroll through in the evenings.

We will be accommodated in a temple lodging surrounded by magnificent trees and nature. The Sekisho-In is the temple’s newest building and the facilities are very similar to Japanese style lodging .We will receive shojin-ryori, a delicious vegetarian meal for dinner. In the morning we’ll be invited to join the dawn meditation and prayers followed by traditional Japanese breakfast.

September 21 - Mt. Koya
After morning meditation and services at the temple on Mt. Koya, we will travel to Kyoto, the capital of Japan for more than a thousand years. Kyoto is endowed with a legacy of ancient Buddhist temples, majestic palaces and gardens of every size and description. This is the city in which the traditional Japanese 'high arts' flourished: tea ceremony, calligraphy, poetry, philosophy and religion.

Numerous temples and shrines are located throughout the city and as one walks along canals next to traditional wooden houses and through the small streets you feel the richness of ancient Japanese imperial culture. We will stay at the Palaceside Hotel, situated in the heart of Kyoto next to the Imperial palace and across the street from the spacious Imperial Gardens which are open at all times for relaxation and enjoyment. A favorite of foreign scholars studying in Japan, the Palaceside hotel is a typical western style hotel frequented by Japanese people on their visits to Kyoto.

September 22 - Kyoto
We will stay in Kyoto for the next six days. Every morning we will have prayer and meditation and seminars on the sites we will see and their significance in Japanese spiritual life. Today we will begin our visits to the famous pilgrimage sites that most Japanese people visit when they come to Kyoto. This day will be devoted to a walking tour of the Higashiyama district, where we will first visit the famous Kiyomizu-dera, with its 11 headed figure of Kannon (Japanese for Kuan Yin). Here, at this temple which is designated a World Heritage site, we will witness and participate in the fascinating world of Japanese temple life.

After lunch in the many restaurants that surround the temple, we will visit Sanjusangendo, the temple that houses 1001 statues of Kannon, each with 40 arms. We will then have the opportunity to visit other important temples and museums as time permits.

Our evenings in Kyoto will be free to explore the city’s many facets, including walks through the famous “floating world” of Kyoto’s nightlife districts.

September 23 - Kyoto
Today we will take a modern day pilgrimage, very popular with the Japanese people, to the northeastern hills. Called the Philoshophers’ Walk, this journey will begin from Nanzenji temple, a former Emperor's villa now turned into a complex of temples and beautiful gardens. From there we will continue on the walk to the Silver Pavillion, one of Kyoto's most breath-taking temples. In the afternoon we will go by bus to contemplate the superb Zen temples of Daitoku-ji and Ryoan-ji, the site of the famous Zen garden composed only of rocks and sand.

September 24 - Kyoto
After prayer and meditation we will take a day trip to Nara located in the Kinai plain, less than one hour from Kyoto. Nara was the first permanent capital of Japan , it remains full of historic treasures, including some of Japan's oldest Buddhist temples. It is also a World Heritage site.

Nara of the past was blessed with many magnificent and breathtaking temples and palaces. Nara is an essential visit for anyone wanting to experience the power of Japanese Buddhism. The prime attraction in Nara, the Todai-ji Temple is the largest wooden building in the world. It houses the Great Buddha (Daibutsu), which is also one of the largest bronze images in the world.

September 25 - Kyoto
Today we will move to the Tozankaku Ryokan, or Japanese style hotel. Right next to the National Musuem and a short walk from San-ju-san Gendo and Kiyomizu Temple. Comfortable rooms in Japanese style give you the chance to experience Japanese culture This modern Ryokan looks like a small hotel and indeed it has all the modern conveniences of a hotel with touches of traditional Japanese culture. There are an indoor baths for women and men (same gender only).

September 26 - Kyoto
Today we will travel by train to the mountain village of Kurama which is tucked away among the cedar forest of Kyoto’s northern hills. From Kyoto's Demachi-Yanagi Station, the two-carriage mountain train takes just 30 minutes to wind up through the forested hills to its Kurama terminus.

We will visit the Kuramadera Temple built to battle the powers of darkness. This temple is known for its national treasure, a statue of Bishamon whose responsibility it is to guard Kyoto.

Shortly thereafter we will learn that a onsen(hot spring) is one of Japan’s great pleasures, as we will then have the option of indulging in a luxurious soak in the gorgeous rotemburo outdoor baths. While clothing is not allowed in these beautiful cypress wood baths, the experience of bathing while gazing at the surrounding mountains and breathing in the fresh mountain air is truly a delightful experience of the best Japan has to offer. We will return to Kyoto for our farewell dinner.

September 27 - Kyoto
Our last day in Japan! We will have farewell meeting and have time to take one last soak in the baths before returning to Osaka by bus where we will take our flight home.

$4375 per person

Includes:
Daily Prayer, Meditation and group process with Reverends Kim Kaiser and Joyce Duffala
All Tours Transfers and Ground Transportation
Temple Entrance Fees
English speaking local guides and assistants
8 Nights hotel with daily breakfast (one night in flight)
Welcome Dinner in Osaka
Japanese Dinner Mt. Koya
Lunch Kurama Osen
Farewell Dinner in Kyoto

Additional Costs Not Included:
Meals or beverages not specified above
Additional activities, excursions, transfers or tours not mentioned above
Travel Insurance (strongly recommended)
Passport and Visa Related Costs
Accommodation based upon twin share
Single occupancy additional cost incurred
Gratuities

 

 

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Genuine compassion is based on the rationale that all human beings have an innate desire to be happy and overcome suffering…just like myself, they have the natural right to fulfill this fundamental aspiration. On the basis of the recognition of this equality and commonality, you develop a sense of affinity and closeness with others…whether you view the other person as a friend or an enemy… Upon this basis, then, you will generate love and compassion. That's genuine compassion…The Dalai Lama In the Buddhist teachings, the symbol for compassion…is one moon shining in the sky, while its image is reflected in 100 bowls of water. The moon does not demand, "If you open to me, I will do you a favor and shine on you." The moon just shines…It is a matter of an open gift, complete generosity without the relative notions of giving and receiving. That is the basic openness of compassion: opening without demand… Chogyam Trungpa Rimpoche Compassion and caring are the ties that bind us together in mutual understanding and in the unified attempt to uncover the Divinity in each other… Ernest Holmes If you’re not a Buddhist, you think there are Buddhists and non-Buddhists. If you’re a Buddhist, you realize everybody’s a Buddhist – even the bugs. Suzuki Roshi

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