What is Temple Stay?
Experiencing the Power of Environment and Buddhist Thought
Experience the same daily routines as the disciples of Fukugonji temple, and experience the power of space and Buddhist philosophy that the temple has to offer.
In an environment where the mind can be calm and tranquil, you can live a regimented life, eat food that satisfies your needs, and then go to bed at night as if you were entering a deep death-like sleep after exerting your mind, body and soul to the best of your ability for the day.
This is the ideal everyday routine.
When you continue to live in this way, your body and mind are filled with energy and vitality, and your innate ability to feel is restored.
When you finish your temple stay, you will feel changes in your five senses (taste, hearing, smell, sight, touch), body and mind.
A Place to Nurture People
Building is not a matter of effort, but of habit
In Buddhism, those who are skillful in accumulating good habits are interpreted as 'good' and those who are not skillful as 'bad'.
Accumulating good habits not only helps you develop as a person, but also nurtures a healthy body that does not cause lifestyle-related diseases.
Correcting bad habits and realising what good habits are is another attraction of Temple Stay.
Just by practising the customs based on Buddhist philosophy through Temple Stay, you will unconsciously develop good habits, and many realisations will nurture your personality and change the world you see.
Both Body and Mental Wellness are Important
People with physical and mental health problems may have built up habits
that undermine their physical and mental health.
People with relationship problems may have accumulated habits that have damaged their relationships.
If you repeat bad behaviour, these will become bad seeds and bear bad fruit.
If you build up good habits, they will become good seeds and bear good fruit.
Developing healthy habits with dedicated peers
The Buddha instructed his disciples to organise and practise in gatherings of four or more. These gatherings are called sanghas.
The reason why there should be more than four sanghas is that with one, people get bored, lazy or give up; with two, if they fight and fall out, their practise will cease; and with three, if there is a division of two against one for some trivial reason, their practise will cease and fail to achieve their purpose.
Purpose refers to enlightenment (a life of relief). Practice refers to 'habit-forming'. Sangha practice means eliminating bad habits and developing good habits. Lifestyle itself is a practice. In the sangha expose yourself to good friends and develop good habits.
Passing on goodwill to the next person
Compassion is to give something for someone else that you do not know (and have no connection with) as often as possible.
There are many duties that we perform at Temple Stay that are not for ourselves. For example, if we chop wood, it takes one to two years to dry the wood.
The wood you chop is not for use today, but for someone who will come in the future.
The concept behind donations is similar to this.
Rather than a compensation or reward, the act of someone giving something to someone else is an offering, and any goodwill received is used to pass on to the next person.
previous Zen Practitioners
Apply for Temple Stay Here
Reception Dates
Applications will be accepted on a first-come,
first-served basis and will be closed once capacity is reached.
- Mar 4th（Monday）- Mar9th（Saturday） 5 nights, 6 days
- Mar 25th（Monday）- Mar 30th（Saturday） 5 nights, 6 days
- Apr 9th（Tuesday）- Apr 14th（Sanday） 5 nights, 6 days
All other dates have been closed due to capacity being reached.