EXPERIENCE

Zen Meditation

妙心寺 春光院 妙心寺 春光院

Learn the authentic and modern approaches
to Zen
meditation and philosophy for your
daily life.

妙心寺 春光院 妙心寺 春光院

There are three important elements in Zen meditation: calmness of mind, awareness of physical sensations, and observation of interactions between your physical body and social and physical environments. In our programs, you can learn not only how to meditate but also about Buddhist philosophy and history. Our programs focus on how you can incorporate Zen philosophy and meditation into your daily life as a self-cultivation practice.

The Way of Zen Special Zen Temple
Experience

[ Japanese and English available. Private group
reservations only.]

妙心寺 春光院 妙心寺 春光院

妙心寺 春光院 妙心寺 春光院

妙心寺 春光院 妙心寺 春光院

妙心寺 春光院 妙心寺 春光院

妙心寺 春光院 妙心寺 春光院

妙心寺 春光院 妙心寺 春光院

Experience and Learn About Zen in a Private Space
An Exclusive Zen Experience at Shunkoin Temple

Guests enter the temple from the ceremonial Chinese-style gate (karamon), traditionally used only for ceremonies. They proceed into the prayer hall (hōjō), a designated Important Cultural Property. This building becomes the setting for guests’ individual, private Zen experience.

Rev. Takafumi Zenryu Kawakami begins with a philosophy lecture in English, and continues into a guided meditation session followed by zazen, a form of independent Zen meditation. The session with nanso meditation, which is a combination of body scanning and self-compassion meditation. This was practiced by Hakuin Eikaku (1686-1769), the patriarch instrumental in reviving the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism in the eighteenth century.

Guests will see artworks and artifacts from the late-Edo period in the prayer hall. The building looks out over a dry-landscape garden that was modeled after the Grand Shrine of Ise and its surrounding environs. Nineteenth-century gold-leaf paintings by Kanō Eigaku, of the famed Kanō school of painters active in Kyoto, grace the sliding screens in the building. Guests find pleasure in the works of Kyoto traditional crafts (Asahiyaki ceramics, metalworks from Kaikado and Kanaami Tsuji, Karacho paperworks, etc.), all of which were exclusively customized for this experience at Shunkoin. Using these handmade utensils, guests will enjoy the experience of making tea in a traditional way with specially blended tea leaves from EN TEA. Afterwards, guests are served matcha from Asahiyaki teabowls made by Yūgensai Matsubayashi, the 16th generation head of this famed ceramic tradition.

Zen is culture. With this experience, available only in Kyoto and only at Shunkoin, our hope is that guests will learn about the past, present and future of this cultural phenomenon and carry it forward to enrich their daily lives.

The program is also available in the evening, when the garden is lit up. The interior of the hōjō will also be softly illuminated with lamps that mimic candle light, making the golden screen paintings glow.

Since this is private program, guests can customize their experience based on the season or with any special requests. Tea ceremony, Japanese calligraphy classes, koto (Japanese string instrument) performance and shōjin (Buddhist vegan) cuisine are customizable options with additional fees.

The Way of Zen Special Zen Temple Experience

  • Private experiences are a minimum of two hours.
  • Participants are limited to five per group (one group per day, day or night session)
  • Fees available upon request.
  • For further information, please contact Shunkoin.

RESERVATIONS 妙心寺 春光院

Kissako Zen and Tea Experience

妙心寺 春光院 妙心寺 春光院

妙心寺 春光院 妙心寺 春光院

● Program contents

  • Cold infused tea preparation using utensils from Asahiyaki, Kaikado, and Kannami Tsuji.
  • 20 minutes of zazen meditation
  • Five-sense tea drinking
  • 20 minutes of nanso meditation (a technique used by the Priest Hakuin Ekaku that incorporates body scanning and self-compassion).
  • Dharma talk
  • Guided tour of garden and prayer hall.
  • Number of participants: from 8-10 (depending on the season)
  • Fee: 15,000 yen per person (does not include tax).
  • For other inquiries, please contact Shunkoin.
  • Please confirm available dates on the schedule calendar.
  • Private Kissako experiences are also available for groups of 8-10 people. Please inquire.

[ Japanese and English available, reservations required ] 120 minutes
*For available dates, please refer to the schedule calendar.

RESERVATIONS 妙心寺 春光院

Schedule

Koji kyūmei : A Workshop Using Zen and the Way of Tea

[ Japanese and English available, reservations required ]

妙心寺 春光院 妙心寺 春光院

妙心寺 春光院 妙心寺 春光院

Koji kyūmei refers to the revelation of one’s true self, and our confrontation with that self. However, this "self" that we perceive on a daily basis is a construct of our own individual biases. We now live in a vague and highly uncertain time, so it is becoming increasingly important to broaden the concept of "self" and accept its ever-changing nature. The goal of this koji kyūmei workshop is to expand the meaning of "self" through Zen and tea.

  • Limited to one group per day. Three hours per session.
  • Shōjin (Buddhist vegan) cuisine option available.
  • For corporate and academic groups.

RESERVATIONS 妙心寺 春光院