Erina Yagi

Look around the space and open your whole body to observation and harmony.

Thank you very much for your help for 5 nights and 6 days.
Returning to everyday life, I am confused by the sheer volume of information.
Along with a sense of loneliness as my senses close, I remember the brilliance of the time I spent at Temple Stay.
All the meals I had at the temple were delicious, but when I returned here, I was surprised by the richness of the flavors, leaving my tongue numb for a long time. After eating store-bought green curry and getting an upset stomach, I had time to just go to bed. After returning, I thought I would be able to get up early and move around just like I did at the temple, but that didn’t happen. At the tea party after the breakup, I was really happy to hear someone say, “Please don’t blame yourself for not being able to do it.” Thank you for the delicious meal.

The day after I did my first job at Temple Stay, I had severe muscle pain all over my body. I remember well that during a small meal, in a quiet environment that required concentration, I burst into tears due to the pain all over my body, the confusion of not having anything to mask it, and the surprise of focusing on my body. I am. I have never been in a situation where I had to focus so much on the pain in my body. I think that up until now, I had been using various stimuli to disguise the fact that my body was in pain.

I feel like I have returned to my daily routine and have gained more strength. I feel like I can move quickly in the beginning, and I want to maintain this physical strength. On my way back to Kanto, I had dinner with my partner, who was currently being transferred, and he told me in a shocking way that even though he ate like a dog, he had turned into a human being.

I will talk about what I am currently incorporating and what I would like to make use of during the 6 days I spent at Temple Stay.

・Morning sutra reading: While reading sutras, you feel refreshed and have a more focused day. It also makes me want to live my life centered on nature and Buddhism. It also feels good to speak out loud.

・Meals…When I’m alone, I recite the Gokan verse and eat as quietly as possible. Although it’s not as quiet as Temple Stay, I still want to focus on my body, the sounds, and the sensations of the food I’m eating. I would also like to try some of the menu items listed at Jiko.

・Work…No matter how busy I am, I want to clean the toilet. I try to make time for cleaning as much as possible so that I don’t lose the physical strength and nerves I’ve built up. I also try to use the stairs at stations. I thought it would be great if I could organize my schedule and make a day to go pick up trash.

・Cleaning up…When I got home, I was surprised at how much waste I had. People often own things carelessly and don’t take good care of them, and they don’t even have a clear place to put things. I think it’s just the strength of the habits I’ve developed. I wanted to take care of things and organize them like a temple. It’s going to take some time because everything is in such a state of confusion, but I’d like to remember the 6 action points and work on it.

What I felt while staying at Temple Stay was the importance of working hard every day. At Kazushin, I was told that people forget. You’re supposed to be brushing it every day, but it gets dirty, you think you’ve memorized it, but you forget it, and your mind quickly becomes distracted. I think if you don’t clean it, chant it, or take a breather each time, it will quickly become a mess.
The same goes for my heart. When I’m feeling well, I can say, “I wish all living things be happy,” but I find myself quickly judging others, expressing my likes and dislikes, and getting angry. I wish I could stay relaxed.

Also, until now, when I was told to concentrate, I had a habit of unconsciously staring at the object. However, I think I got a good concentration from Temple Stay. It may be similar to the feeling of looking around the entire space and opening your whole body to observation and harmony. I made many mistakes, both big and small, during my stay at Temple, but it gave me an opportunity to learn about my own habits, and I started to think that maybe it was this part of me that had caused me to get scolded or not go well when I went out into society. I did.

I also learned how to handle things. I don’t think I was concentrating on putting it down, folding it up, or doing the various other actions, and I also felt like this was enough.
“You wouldn’t want it to happen to you, right?” “It would hurt if you left it there.” As I heard these words, I realized that I wanted to cherish things as well.
I learned that I can deal with things that I think are too troublesome and can be done by moving quickly. However, I would be lying if I said that it doesn’t cause me some trouble, so I will continue to struggle with it every day.

At first, I was worried whether I would be able to finish the event safely, but with the support of my disciples, everyone at Fukugonji Temple, and each and every participant, I was able to overcome it and it was a wonderful experience.
On the last day, I couldn’t stop crying when Mr. Eiko told me, “This is your home.” Above all, the softness of her face brings tears to my eyes. I thought I wanted to look like this. The more I look back on what the disciples talked about and the conversations I had with the participants, the warmer I feel. I wonder how you are spending your time these days.

There was a festival on Saturday. I listened to a sermon with the Zen worshipers and learned that service businesses are also donations, and that business management involves knitting the warp of Buddhism and the weft of ingenuity into a cloth. I also wanted to work like that. I have a private business in photography. My current job is going well and I don’t have any problems, but I have started to feel a little unsure. I continue to think that I want to work with Buddhism as my core, and while I am grateful for the work I have been given, I will continue to pursue my path.

I would like to come back again and again.
Thank you to everyone at Fukugonji Temple, Osho Daigu, his disciples, and everyone who participated.

palms together