Zen Buddhist Priest Playing with Children

On new years day Emily and I visited our local Buddhist temple where we met the head priest playing with his grandchildren. Emily's Japanese ancestors' ashes are interred here so our family has many chances to visit this particular temple. I walk through the temple grounds each day on my way to work and the setting is especially tranquil at dawn when only the birds are awake and the sun has not yet risen above the hills. The priest is a very kind and gentle man with a great respect and fondness for Daruma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism. Images of Daruma are everywhere within the grounds of his temple which has stood for over 400 years along a stretch of the famous Tokaido highway.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Japan
• Zen
• Buddhism
• Buddhist
• temple
• new
• year
• shogatsu
• games
• priest
• children
• tokaido
• softypapa

[welwisher]

How did you come to live in Japan? I hope I'm not being rude or anything but I am curious.

I have also heard from my Chinese friends that to learn Chinese you have to eat, sleep, breathe and dream in the language if it's not your mother tongue, and I was thinking that it might be the same with Japanese. Is that true?

I really want to go and visit Japan sometime, but I think that for now I'll just visit Little Tokyo in LA, since that's much closer to where I live and a lot more affordable. :-)

[softypapa]

Hello welwisher, I came to Japan with my wife (Japanese) after our daughter was born in order to raise her here. I think that you do indeed need to live a language in order to learn it well. I hope that you have a chance to come to Japan in the future. -Kurt :-)

[soul0luos]

Thanks for the video, it was touching. If I may ask, how long have you been living in Japan? I am considering undertaking Soto Zen training there. Arigato.

[softypapa]

Hello soul0lous, Thank you for your nice comment. I have been in Japan for a total of eight years. I hope that you are able to realize your dream of attending Soto Zen training here. Good luck and best wishes! -Kurt :-)

[darkwolflord]

So he lives in the temple and maintance it?

[softypapa]

Yes, the house is attached to one side of the temple. The priest you saw in the video lives here with his wife, as well as his grown son and his family. The family has operated this temple for over 10 generations.

[murphey48]

Thank you for sharing a beautiful day. The priest is a lovely man. How kind and caring. I enjoyed the peace your short film offered. Thanks.

[fuzzypaws17]

My wife and I were married in Nikko in a beautiful Temple. The priest was so so gentle and I was very lucky that he was also very tolerant of my nervousness in our ceremony. They are great men and to this day I remember his kind words to me on that day...

[TheBuddhaLight]

"It doesn't get much more Japanese than this" Haha I love that. xD

great video, I love the culture of Japan, you are so lucky to be able to experience it.

Have a peaceful weekend,

TheBuddhaLight.

[cdphatty]

@Max0Inq no they can. the monks dont stay monks for their entire lives either

[Max0Inq]

Wow, I didn't know buddhist monks are permited to have children.

(but he could have children before turning to a monk)

[darkyoda]

There's something very touching and very peaceful about the idea of the priest playing with the children. He rather seems to be enjoying himself, and given my few scant experiences with Buddhist priests, they all seem to have that wonderful childlike sense about them. Almost a true love of life and everything in it.

[ExmoorMist]

Hi, what a wonderful scene they made playing alongside the priest. That put a smile on my face for the day :)

great video,s by the way,fascinating.

regards bob.

[soul0luos]

Thanks for your prompt reply, Kurt, and for your kind wishes. I hope you are happy and well. -David