December 28, 2009

Autumn leaves in Jyuhuku-ji temple



I saw the bright autumnal leaves sparkling over the path leading to the small Buddha hall of this temple.

The clear rays of sunshine falling down through the interlocking branches of trees brought a breathtaking moment of beauty to the stillness of this modest temple.

Fallen leaves in Jyuhuku-ji temple



The fallen leaves are inconspicuously beginning to turn to soil.

Autumn leaves in Genji-yama park



Late autumn leaves in pointillism.

Tsubaki (camellia) flowers in Genji-yama park


Fern in Genji-yama park



The winter sunlight was delightedly playing in the green fern leaves.

Hydrangea flowers in Genji-yama park



The dried flowers of Hydrangea were stealthily displaying a beautiful vestige of last summer.

Tsubaki (camellia) flowers in Genji-yama park



The gold dust of pollen was scattered on the vivid red petals of the flower.

Yatsude (Fatsia japonica) flowers in Genji-yama park



The elaborate flower cluster of Yatsude reminded me of a celestial globe.

Autumn leaves in Genji-yama park




This scene recalled me to the old beautiful ballad entitled "Autumn Leaves."

December 18, 2009

Fallen leaves in Tokei-ji temple



It seemed to me that autumn had just gone away along this quiet passage leaving its graceful traces behind.

Autumn leaves in Tokei-ji temple


The dainty colors and forms of autumnal leaves impressed me indelibly.

December 17, 2009

A Shaka-nyorai statue in Tokei-ji temple



A Shaka-nyorai statue is serenely sitting in the eternal silence of enlightenment. The ground and rock around this statue are beautifully covered over with the vivid yellow fallen leaves of ginkgo trees.

In the small hollow of the mossed rock behind this Buddha statue, the gravestone of Soyen Shaku (1859-1919) is secretly enshrined.

Soyen Shaku was one of the most excellent zen masters of Rinzai school and the chief administrator of the Kencho-ji sect at that time. He was the first zen teacher to introduce Zen Buddhism into the United States.

D.T.Suzuki, who is also buried in the graveyard of Tokei-ji, is one of the prominent disciples of this great mentor of zen.

Autumn leaves in Tokei-ji temple



The bright sunbeam wove through the trees and brilliantly illuminated the autumn leaves for an instant.

Fallen leaves in Tokei-ji temple



The ground around the foundation stone of the lost Buddha hall was thickly blanketed with the fallen leaves of maple.

Fallen leaves in Jochi-ji temple


The bell tower of Jochi-ji temple


The bell tower and the "Byakusin" (Juniper) trees were exposed to the dazzling sunlight of the late afternoon.

A Byakusin tree is symbolic of the zen discipline and is found in every zen garden of Kamakura. This evergreen tree is believed to keep its greenness without withering and grow persistently without stopping.

Fallen leaves in Jochi-ji temple


Autumn leaves in Engaku-ji temple


The garden of Engaku-ji temple


Autumn leaves in Engaku-ji temple


Fallen leaves in Engaku-ji temple


Daffodil flowers in Engaku-ji temple


Autumn leaves in Engaku-ji temple




The autumnal garden of Engaku-ji temple


December 9, 2009

Autumn leaves in Tokei-ji temple



On a cloudy afternoon I visited Tokei-ji temple to see the long-awaited flamboyant colors of autumnal leaves.

The cloudy sky cast a pale sunlight on the transitory colorful leaves and added a feeling of subtle melancholy to the enchanting garden of early winter.

An Ume (Japanese apricot) tree in Tokei-ji temple


The squirming branches of the aged "Ume" tree made me sense the gentle and firm energy of this tree.

The Ume trees in this garden are quietly awaiting the coming of next spring, for blooming vigorously and rapturously again in the season of growth.

Autumn leaves in Tokei-ji temple


Autumn leaves in Tokei-ji temple




Autumn leaves in Tokei-ji temple




Autumn leaves in Tokei-ji temple