During my winter
vacation, I was lucky enough to stay at a Buddhist temple high in the mountains
in Fukui. The temple is called Eiheiji temple and there are one hundred and
fifty monks practicing Buddhism in the temple. The temple is over eight hundred
years old and surrounded by a stunning waterfall and picturesque bridge. Tall
five-hundred year old cedar trees keep watch over the temple and the moss
covered landscape.
I
stayed for one night and trained in the zazen meditation technique which
involved a number of forty minute meditation sessions. This was difficult as my
legs became numb from being folded and I found myself drifting off in my own
thoughts. The monk informed me that if we lacked concentration during zazen, we
would receive a hit with a stick to the shoulder, not as punishment but as
encouragement. I found myself with pursed lips and a concentrated face staring at
the wall, terrified of the monk with the stick! But luckily, I made it through
without being hit and found that the more zazen sessions I
