Kotokuji

I am sitting here surrounded by the tombs of Buddhist ancestors at Kotokuji Soto zen temple high above Matsumoto city. It is wonderfully peaceful here though I can hear the shouts and sounds of the city below. There is no one here but me.

Kotokuji is an old place, established in 1441. The temple buildings and grounds are lovely and spacious. I had to hail a taxi to get up here but the driver had no idea where it was, as if no one comes here anymore. After a minute or two fumbling around with his GPS he managed to believe that the place was not a figment of my imagination.

Sitting here surrounded by the tombs of Buddhist ancestors I began to consider who my spiritual ancestors are. There are, of course, my Christian ancestors, many of whom still inform my religious imagination. But are these who are memorialized here, from another land, another time, and another spiritual tradition, mine as well?

I believe they are. I believe that the life of the Spirit is one great stream flowing into one great ocean. We merge our lives together at many places and times along the way.

However, it is odd to feel at home here and not only because it is calm and beautiful. I get the sense that they, should they rise up from these sacred grounds, would bow and welcome me.

Postscript:

After writing the above, I walked back down into Matsumoto City and came to this street (pictured) where I now sit having a cool beer on this warm day. I happened on this sign. Note that this street where I sit was on the Zenkoji Kaido, a route that connected Zenkoji Temple in Nagano and Kyoto. The monks of Kotokoji, though situated up the hill from this old street, could as easily have walked down to this street as I did just a short time ago.