The little milk-white flowers of Utsugi were still remaining wet after the morning rain.
These modest flowers bloom as the irreplaceable pearls of May almost everywhere in Kita-kamakura.
May 19, 2011
Utsugi (Deutzia crenata) flowers in Jochi-ji
The little milk-white flowers of Utsugi were still remaining wet after the morning rain.
These modest flowers bloom as the irreplaceable pearls of May almost everywhere in Kita-kamakura.
May 15, 2011
The sacred lights offered to the victims of the 2011 great earthquake and tsunami in Jochi-ji
The sacred lights of candles dedicated to the tragic victims of the great earthquake and tsunami were quietly burning in front of the Buddha hall.
It seemed to me that the numerous silent prayers for divine mercy and salvation had altered themselves into these warm flickering candlelights and were ascending one by one into the deep night sky to reach out for the souls of those misfortuned people.
Spring maple leaves in Jochi-ji
The leaves of maple are gradually deepening greenness as the rainy season approaches inconspicuously.
The stone steps to Jochi-ji
The worn and weathered stone-steps leading up to the bell-tower gate was still wet slightly after the short morning rain.
The flowers of Tsutsuji and Shaga, which were about to be past their prime, lent moderate enchantment to the profound stillness of the passage to the temple in the dim green grove.
May 8, 2011
Fresh green leaves of maple in Tokei-ji
The brilliant sunlight of May is pouring on the fresh green leaves of maple to make them sparkle radiantly in this quiet shady grove.
The lush greenness of new leaves is one of the most appreciated gifts of nature which this bright and pleasant season brings to us.
These leaves will continue to grow vigorously till beyond the summer and then take on lively autumnal tints to delight our eyes in the late autumn.
Seasons keep turning around and presenting us their precious beauties diversely.
The gate to the Zen-do of Engaku-ji
In May, a maple tree bears a great number of tiny red flowers.
In front of the forbidden gate to the Zen-do (the hall for practicing Zen meditation), the vivid color combination of the fresh green leaves and the small red flowers of the maple tree suddenly dazzled my eyes.
Just at that moment, the deep sutra-chanting voices of the trainee monks solemnly sounded through this forbidden gate as if to awaken and guide me to the eternal truth.
Spring Botan (peony) flowers in Kencho-ji
A Haru-Botan (spring-peony) flower is very large (about 15-20 cm in diameter) and have great beauty and splendor in shape and color. Because of its overwhelming grace, this flower is traditionally called the king of flowers in China and Japan.
The royal purple petals of these flowers appeared to be made of brightly-colored silk paper and were trembling peacefully in the light breeze of May.
Botan is said to have been imported into Japan from China in the 8th century as a herbal medicine in connection with the introduction of Buddhism.
The fresh green garden of Tokei-ji
The pathway leading to the image of Buddha is bathed in the clear pleasant sunlight peculiar to this season.
The shining new leaves of trees and grasses are gathering around the image like the young disciples who are eagerly listening to the teachings of Buddha.
The faint signs of early summer can be found in the fragrant air of this tranquil garden.
May 1, 2011
A bamboo grove in Kencho-ji
In the middle of spring, the bright enriching rays of the sun are falling softly into the fresh green grove of bamboo to encourage the young leaves to grow abundantly.
In many Zen temples in Japan, the Zen picture called "the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove" is painted as an allegorical painting of the teaching of Zen on the "Fusuma" screens (sliding partitions) of the practicing rooms of the temples.
These seven sages are the Chinese legendary figures of the third century who are said to have learned the philosophy of Lao zi and Zhuang and held purely intellectual conversations deep in a solitary bamboo grove free away from the earthly human society.
The pure isolation and unworldliness of these sages in a deep bamboo grove symbolically represent the essential attitude of a Zen monk who devotes himself to achieve spiritual enlightenment in remote tranquil solitude far from this human world.
Fresh leaves in Tsurugaoka-hachimangu
The beautiful combination of green colors of fresh leaves made me sense the calm but energetic renewing of life force in spring.
These trees stand beside the "Genpei-ike" pond in this shrine.
The dark quiet surface of water between the trees seems like the secret path toward the far distant bamboo grove where sages live.
Sakura (Prunus × yedoensis) blossoms in Tsurugaoka-hachimangu
Countless white petals of Sakura are quietly falling on the smooth surface of water.
The wooden balcony, which belongs to the peony garden of this shrine, protrudes beyond the edge of this pond.
According to our tradition of tea ceremony, the red felt mats called "Hi-mousen" are laid on the benches for welcoming the guests in this garden.
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