CULTURE & TRAVEL - Great Buddha of Kamakura Japan
The Great Buddha of Kamakura Japan
Experienced by Kimatni D. Rawlins
Japan is revitalizing for my soul and is why I escape to the Land of the Rising Sun as often as heavenly possible. Once I touch down in any of the country's major cities, my goal is to venture outside the hustle for Zen wisdom and peace.
On my last visit Far East, I took a solo nomadic day trip to Kamakura Daibutsu on the grounds of Kotokuin Temple to visit the Great Buddha for the third time in so many years. Commenced in 1252, The Great Buddha is made of bronze to represent Amida Buddha and is one of the tallest bronze Buddha statues in Japan at 36 feet. During my time here, I meditated, went on a hike from temple to temple, and gave thanks for daily blessings. A few locals thought I was a countryman from Okinawa due to my minimal Japanese vocab thanks to wife Misa, who is from Fukuoka and speaks fluently. That made me smile.
The Great Buddha is a 10-minute walk from Hase Station, the third station from Kamakura along the Enoden railway line. Live the life you love!
Knowing the Better Way to Live Alone
Do not pursue the past.
Do not lose yourself in the future.
The past no longer is.
The future has not yet come.
Looking deeply at life as it is in the very here and now,
the practitioner dwells in freedom and stability.
We must be diligent today.
To wait until tomorrow is too late.
Death comes unexpectedly.
How can we bargain with it?
The sage calls a person who dwells in mindfulness night and day
the one who knows the better way to live alone.
The Buddha
