2nd Japan Report: Kyoto and Eihei-ji

I finally found a bit of traditional Japan in Kyoto and the Kyoto I remember from my 1983 visit with Trungpa Rinpoche.  On day our group was making a day trip to Nara to see the huge Buddha statue at Todai-ji and the Deer Park; I decided to remain in Kyoto and wander on my own since I'd visited these sights in Nara back in 1983.   I took a taxi to the Zen temple known as the Silver Pavilion in northeast Kyoto intending to follow the so called Philosophers' Walk from there back toward central Kyoto.   I went into the Silver Pavilion temple briefly.  It was immense and beautiful but crowded with tourist on our first hot and sunny day, so I left after only a few minutes to search for the walking path known as the Philosophers' Path.  
I found it much to my delight.   This foot path runds alongside a canal with crystal clear water that follows the curves of the foothills of the mountains on the east side of Kyoto, winding among residential streets and temples.  Every few blocks there was a small coffee shop, crafts shop or art gallerly.   There were temples both to the left and right.   To the left I would walk about two blocks to a temple gate and then entering the temple begin to climb into the foothills, as these amazing temples from various Buddhist sects were built into the foothills with steep climbs up to some of the temple buildings.   There were very few tourists, quiet walking paths, beautiful Zen gardens and lily ponds, all perfect for contemplation and meditation.   It took me about five hours to walk the lenght of the Philosphers' Path, visiting a number of temples and a few coffee shops along the way.  What a wondeful day.  The artwork in these temples was breathtaking. 
Yesterday was one of the most important days of our journey.  We visited Eihei-ji, the Zen monastery founded by Dogen Zen-ji, the founder of the Japanese Soto sect, in the 12th century.  Eihei-ji is one of two headquarter or motherhouse monasteries of the Japanese Zen Soto Sect, the largest Buddhist sect in Japan with over 15,000 temples.   The other is Sojo-ji near Tokyo, which we will visit  before leaving Japan.  
Eihei-ji is in the mountains above Fukuido.   It is built into a narrow , steep valley with a fast running mountain stream and nestled amonst 700 year old pine trees.   We stayed in the monastery overnight hosted by the son of the famous Suzuki Roshi, author of Zen Mind Beginner's Mind and founder of the S.F. Zen Center and Tassajara in California.   Suzuki Roshi's son, also called Suzuki Roshi is 67 years old (same age as Bernie) and is in charge of meditation practice and Zendo training at Eihei-ji.  For me, he was by far the most impressive of the Zen Roshi's we have met on the trip thus far.   He was delightful, smiling and laughing all the time, and spent considerable time with us the first evening answering questions about Eihei-ji, Zen in Japan, Zen practice and telling anectdotes about his father.  He was just really solid, deep and authentic and completely at ease.  I felt a strong connection to him.  Bernie has know him for more than 30 year.  
We slept on futons (Ryokan style) in the monasteries guest quarters, listening to the rushing river and the wind in the leaves of the ancient trees just outside our windows, and were awakened at 3:20 am in order to get to morning zazen (meditation) at 3:40 am.   We were then invited to the main Dharma hall to witness the morning services with all the monks of the monastery, including the senior priests and the young priests in training, about 250 in all.   Another senior priest gave us a tour of Eihie-ji and then after a traditional monastic breakfast, oryoki style, Suzuki Roshi came to bid us farewell.   We are now in Kanazawa where we will visit another important Soto Zen monastery tomorrow.  Then the following day we head for Tokyo.  So we are nearing the end of this amazing journey.