A.A.

With the learnings gained from this experience, I hope to grow into a better version of myself.

Lessons and Insights from the Temple Stay

In July 2024, I experienced a 5-night, 6-day temple stay at Fukugenji, which brought about a significant change in my life.

1. Disciplined Life and Change of Heart

I was reminded of the importance of living a disciplined life. Starting with waking up early in the morning, followed by daily temple duties and meditation, living according to a fixed schedule was initially confusing, but gradually led to inner stability.

In particular, the chanting during the morning service calmed the restlessness in my heart, allowing me to start the day with a sense of freshness. The agitation caused by desires gradually subsided, and I was able to face myself.

2. Comparison with Daily Life and Insights

The life at the temple was completely different from my usual busy days. Living without a mobile phone, and having time to face only myself, without comparing myself to others. Through these experiences, I realized how convenient and information-saturated modern society is, and how much I had been swept away by external information.

Additionally, through temple duties, I learned the importance of being grateful for everything. Preparing meals, cleaning—by having gratitude for each of these ordinary tasks, I realized that daily life becomes much richer.

3. Through Shojin Ryori (Vegetarian Buddhist Cuisine), Learning “Knowing Contentment”

Shojin ryori was very delicious at every meal. Before eating, I thought the portions were small, but afterward, I gained the insight of “knowing contentment.” Meals were slowly and carefully conducted like a ceremony, and perhaps it was because of this that I was able to feel full even with only eating until 80% of my capacity. After each meal, my health improved, and my body felt lighter. Usually, I cannot control my appetite and tend to eat too much while distracted. Because of this, my stomach was often in discomfort. However, when I ate Shojin ryori, it felt as though my stomach was rejoicing. The vegetable-based menu had depth of flavor, and I could feel the sincerity of the person who prepared the meal. Without using meat, fish, or eggs, the simple meals brought immense satisfaction. The taste was of course good, but I felt that I had never experienced such a soul-satisfying meal.

4. Realizing the Importance of Good Friends

Due to the extreme heat and physical discomfort, I honestly wanted to leave halfway through, but thanks to the compassion, kindness, and encouraging words of my good friends, I was able to complete the stay. Life is the same—I realized that I am able to live because of the support of others, and a sense of gratitude welled up within me.

5. Applying the Learnings to Future Life

In the future, I would like to gradually apply the teachings I gained from the temple stay in my daily life.

(1) Early to bed, early to rise: I plan to continue the habit of waking up early and going to bed early, which I developed during my stay, to refresh my body and mind.

(2) Gratitude: I will try to approach everything with a sense of gratitude, treating others and things with kindness.

(3) Acting 10 minutes ahead of time: This shows gratitude to those who make time for me, and it also creates room in my heart, so I will continue to practice it.

(4) Dialogue with myself: Even in the busy days, I will make time to face myself and listen to the voices of my body and mind.

(5) Simple living: I want to live a simple life surrounded only by the things I truly need, without attachment to material things.

6. Conclusion

The temple stay was an irreplaceable experience for me. With the learnings gained from this experience, I hope to grow into a better version of myself.

To Reverend Taigu,  everyone at Fukugonji, I would like to sincerely thank you for all your support. I was confused by the unfamiliar environment, was repeatedly scolded for making the same mistakes, and was a poor meditator, often arriving late. I am sorry for this and reflect on my actions. Despite this, you spoke to me kindly, admonished me, and gave me words of encouragement, facing me seriously and sincerely. I was very happy and grateful for that. As I have grown older, I rarely get scolded anymore, and tend to be lenient with myself, but thanks to your words of admonishment, I felt my spirit tighten. I would like to express my gratitude once again. When I visit Fukugenji in the future, I hope for your continued guidance.