Another special experience OAT provides is an opportunity to participate in a piece of the daily life of the people in the country we visit. Today, just when I thought I was all "templed out" we were driven to the countryside near the mountains, put on a covered wooden boat with a monk, and pushed by two gondoliers down river to the hidden Senkoji Zen Buddhist temple, 233 steep rocky steps up the mountain. This was a small temple, founded 700 years ago, damaged over the years by a typhoon and civil wars, and rebuilt. Our Grand Circle Foundation is now supporting its regeneration. We had a lovely tea ceremony, whisking our own green tea from powder with bamboo whisk, and participating in a discussion about Zen Buddhism.
This afternoon we visited a former samari house, turned community center, where two housewives working with OAT outfitted us with aprons and taught us how to make rice balls, then accompanied them with a full delicious lunch! We even got certificates stating that we'd mastered the art of sushi making :-) It was wonderful comradery visiting with them and asking about their lives and families. So many similarities in lifestyle!
The April showers are here and the blossoms are weeping!
Pic 1: rolling down the river... Pic 2: ringing the gong before entering the temple Pic 3: thr rice balls are on the first plate! (salmon,shrimp, radish, egg)
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