承福寺の滞在

I can`t believe it either but I am actually making a new post! About 2 weeks left. Less than 2 weeks. So what do I have to say after such a long `hiatus`? Well, honestly I am only willing to expose one quite recent experience that I have gone through. What about everything else you may ask. Wait. About 2 weeks. Don`t worry you`ll see me. No matter where you live.

Anyways. What does the title of this blog say? `(My) Stay at Jyofukuji (Temple)` roughly. Temple? Yes, I stayed for three days in a Zen Buddhist Temple from Monday till Wednesday. And it was great - to sum it up in a word. Unfortunatly, I didn`t get to experience the full weight of `Zen Buddhist Training` because I had to go see some of my fellow exchange students off to their respective countries in the middle of it all. The cool part is that the temple`s only monk/priest runs a surprisingly well-maintained website at: http://www.jyofukuji.com . He even put stuff about me on the site.

Here, let me guide those who cannot read Japanese. I`m in his picture posting section here: http://www.jyofukuji.com/sh/picbbs/picbbs.cgi. (Posts: 2005/07/06(Wed) 21:53 No.1911,2005/07/05(Tue) 06:15 No.1908)

The first post (with my meditation picture) reads:
Title: Exchange student Rahul`s Entrance/Introduction (to Jyofukuji)
Post: Rahul Syamlal, an American exchange student, has come to stay for three days at Jyofukuji temple in order to experience a Zen Buddhist temple one more time before he goes back to America. In the afternoon, he did some sweeping and cleaning outside and in the evening he participated in the Buddhist religious service and Zen meditation.

The second post reads:
Title: Rahul...Gokorosama(I can`t translate this word very well but I can translate with a humorous tone like `You did good, kid`)
Post: You did very well on this short 3 day introduction to a Zen temple. Today, you put your efforts into Shakyou (hand-copying sutras, Buddhist scriptures). Please find something meaningful in your last days of your high school life in Japan. (Refering to the picture below) In darkness of the evening, Rahul on his way back to his host family.

If you click the link on either post, you are taken to the `From the Priest`s Room` page where there is an entry of me (2005年07月06日(水) 21時40分) which reads:
Title: Exchange student, Rahul`s Shakyou
Post: Third day of his stay. Today was Shakyou and Zen Meditation. I was surpised when just as I showed him the Japanese translation of `般若心経` (Hannyashingyou, a Buddhist scripture: `Perfection of Wisdom`) he immediatly started using his electronic dictionary and started translating it into English. I have great admiration for his vigorous thirst for knowledge.

I guess I posted this because I have a low self-esteem and need to post other people`s praise for me in order to feel better. (j/k) or (just kidding, for you non-tech folk) But I do highly respect the priest`s words because I highly respect Zen Buddhist priests.

Less than 2 weeks.