大原

大原(Ohara) is in northern Kyoto. It would take one hour or so to go to Ohara from centre of Kyoto by trains. Then you need to get in a bus to go the temple I recommend. There are buddhist temples of Tendai sect. The name of temples is Gyo-san. Gyo means a fish. San means a mountain. Those temples are imperial family ones. We call imperial ones as "Monzeki Jiin". Monzeki means imperial family. Jiin means temples. I've introduce the temple on this blog site before.



If you enjoy to see buddhist statues, you must visit Gyosan. Tendai's buddhist statue collections are most excellent in Japan. Also in Ohara, There are many statues in the temples.



If you want to enjoy snowscape of Japanese garden. You must visit Gyosan. Gyosan is in northern mountain side. Often it snows at Ohara.



If you couldn't see cherry blossoms in Japan, you must visit Ohara. You can enjoy to see cherry blossoms at Ohara in winter. The contrast between white snow and cherry blossoms are really beautiful. You can see them, drinking Japanese green powdered tea　and Japanese cakes.



Sanzen-in is most famous temple among temples in Ohara. People in Kinki region know a commercial song "Kyoto Ohara Sanzenin" with melody. But in weekdays, there are not many people in Ohara. Very calm atmosphere enwraps you in Ohara.



Ohara is place where is said "We can hear even sounds of a chestnut falls" You can sit down with many buddhist statues at a temple in calm air in winter. When I visit last time, I spent one hour alone, with buddhas. Those statues are so excellent and you would feel existence of Buddhas. You can speak of them. Might be they replay. Whatever religion you believe, Buddhas would replay you.



There is a fall called as Otonashi-no-taki. Otonashi means "no sounds", no means "of" Taki means a fall. Namely the name means "The waterfall without any sound". A monk, Ryonin, was in Gyosan. One day Ryonin sang a sutra. Then the sounds of falling water synchronize with the sutra song and vanished. It would mean the waterfall also sang the sutra. The waterfall is in a little back in the mountain. You can enjoy climbing.



A famous poet, Saigyo compose a poem.



音なしの　滝とは聞けども　昔より　世に声高き　大原の滝



He admired the fall with the poem. It means "The fall is called as the waterfall with no sounds but the fall become far more famous than what it used to be." This poem has very good sound. Ohara is also a place of literature. What a enjoyable place!



Women in Ohara are also famous. They are called Oharame. "me" means women.　You want to enjoy the women? But the women I saw were not young. I think many gentlemen were disappointed now. Sorry.



Haiku poet also composed poems.



しぐれつつ大原女言葉かわしゆく。



Drizzling, Oharame, chatting, walking. By Takahama Kyoshi.



I like this poem in the sense that he used perfect ordinary words. I think the ordinary but a little stimulating sight he described contrasts favorably with the world of poem which tend to be dramatic. Although I don't know what Kyoshi felt at Ohara.



Also there are many other poems of Ohara.



To be continue,,,



I took the photo today. The flowers are hydrangea. I think many hydrangea bloom at many temples and shrines all over Japan now. In this season, I used to go through a alley where so many hydrangea bloom out to go to university.



Have a nice week.