INDIA, APPROXIMATELY 2500 YEARS AGO.

S CHINA.

ZEN ARRIVED IN JAPAN AROUND 800 YEARS AGO.

ZAZEN IS A KEY PART OF ZEN TRAINING.

IT IS BELIEVED THAT CALMING THE MIND, LETTING GO OF EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT, AND PERCEIVING THE WORLD AS IT IS, LEADS TO A MORE DIRECT AWARENESS, FREE FROM THE CONSTRAINTS OF WORDS AND LOGIC.

AFTER ARRIVING IN JAPAN, ZEN SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE ANCIENT CAPITAL, PROFOUNDLY INFLUENCING A WIDE RANGE OF CULTURAL PURSUITS.

TODAY, THE SPIRIT OF ZEN IS PALPABLE IN VARIOUS ASPECTS OF KYOTO LIFE.

>> BUT THEN REQUIRES INNOVATION ALL THE TIME.

ZEN AND CONTEMPORARY ART IS >> CONTINUES TO INSPIRE ARTISTIC EXPRESSION.

CORE KYOTO EXPLORES THE ZEN CULTURE CULTIVATED IN THE ANCIENT CAPITAL AND ITS CUTTING EDGE DEVELOPMENTS.

HELLO, I’M GARY TEGLER, THE NARRATOR FOR CORE KYOTO.

I’M SURE MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE WORD ZEN, AND MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT ZAZEN MEDITATION.

IN THIS SPECIAL EDITION, WE’LL DELVE INTO THE WORLD OF ZEN, LOOKING INTO ITS HISTORY AND THE CULTURE IT ENGENDERED.

IN ORDER TO GET A BETTER GRASP OF ZEN BUDDHIST THOUGHT.

MYOSHIN-JI, ONE OF KYOTO’S LEADING ZEN TEMPLES, WAS FOUNDED IN 1337.

IT IS AFFILIATED WITH THE RINZAI SCHOOL OF BUDDHISM AND HAS 46 SUBTEMPLES IN AND AROUND ITS PRECINCTS.

ONE SUBTEMPLE IS TAIZO-IN.

MEETING WITH US TODAY.

>> WELCOME.

>> THE DEPUTY HEAD PRIEST, MATSUYAMA DAIKO, HAS MET WITH THE 14th DALAI LAMA, POPE BENEDICT XVI, AND NUMEROUS OTHER LEADERS AND RELIGIOUS FIGURES FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

YES, YES, I REMEMBER THIS GARDEN CAME IN MANY YEARS AGO.

>> RIGHT.

>> THE YIN GARDEN IS BLACK AND THE YANG GARDEN IS WHITE.

BOTH ARE CONNECTED TO THE SPIRIT OF ZEN.

>> THE BLACK SAND EXPRESS THE WAVES ON THE SEA AND THE WALLS AND THE ROCKS EXPRESS THE LAND AND MOUNTAINS.

AND WHITES.

AND EXPRESS CLOUDS IN THE SKY.

THERE IS A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL, IMPORTANT TEACHINGS I BELIEVE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TEACHINGS IN THIS ERA IS AVOID DUALISM.

SO DUALISM IS, FOR EXAMPLE, WE TEND TO JUDGE PEOPLE.

HE’S A GOOD PERSON.

HE’S BAD PERSON.

BUT FOR EXAMPLE, WE SAY, MYSELF, I HAVE GOOD ASPECTS.

ALSO, I HAVE BAD ASPECTS.

AND IT’S ALWAYS CHANGING.

SO THAT’S WHY IN BUDDHISM, THERE ARE TEACHINGS THAT WE HAVE TO ACCEPT ALL THE ASPECTS AS THEY ARE, AS ONE.

>> IT IS MATSUYAMA TASK TO CREATE THESE SAND PATTERNS EVERY MORNING.

IT TAKES ABOUT TWO HOURS.

>> SO THIS IS A KIND OF A MOVING MEDITATION.

SO IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO REACT, YOU WILL FIND IT’S NOT SO DIFFICULT TO MAKE ROUND TRIP AROUND THE ROCK.

BUT MOST DIFFICULT THING IS TO MAKE STRAIGHT LINES.

SO IF YOU THINK WRONG, THE LINE LINES, IF YOU TRY TO MAKE A STRAIGHT LINE LINES., >> ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR TRICKS THAT YOU USE?

AND WHILE YOU’RE RAKING.

>> OH.

SO, UM, IF I LOOK QUITE NEAR, IT’S VERY HARD TO MAKE STRAIGHT LINES.

SO I HAVE TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT FAR.

AND IT IS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE LIFE.

THAT’S TRUE.

YES.

SO LET ME INTRODUCE THIS PAINTING.

>> OKAY THE RINZAI SCHOOL OF BUDDHISM REVOLVES AROUND MORE THAN SUTRAS THIS PICTURE, TITLED CATCHING A CATFISH WITH A GOURD, IS THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN PAINTED IN AROUND 1400.

IT POSES A KOAN, OR ZEN PARADOX >> SO THIS PICTURE IS A QUESTION.

RIGHT.

HARD TO RECOGNIZE, BUT HE’S HOLDING A SMALL GOURD.

AND YOU CAN SEE A BIG CATFISH SWIMMING IN THE RIVER.

SO THE QUESTION IS, HOW DO YOU CATCH THIS HUGE CATFISH WITH THIS TINY BOTTLE?

MHM MHM.

HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER THIS?

>> AH.

I THINK I WOULD TALK TO THE CATFISH GENTLY.

YEAH.

TRY TO ENCOURAGE IT TO GO FURTHER UPSTREAM SO THAT I WOULDN’T HAVE TO CATCH IT OR EAT IT OR KILL IT.

AND IT COULD GO ON ITS PATH ON ITS OWN WAY.

THAT’S HOW I WOULD ANSWER THAT.

NOT TO CATCH HIM AT ALL.

>> RIGHT, RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

SO THIS QUESTION WAS CREATED AROUND 600 YEARS AGO.

AND AT THAT TIME, THERE WERE 31 VERY FAMOUS NOVEL, ZEN.

KYOTO CITY AREA AND SHOGUN ORDERED ALL OF THEM TO SOLVE THIS QUESTION.

AND THESE ARE THE 31 DIFFERENT ANSWERS BY THIS PRINCIPLE.

THIS QUESTION SO I CAN GIVE YOU SOME EXAMPLES, PLEASE.

SO THE CATFISH IS VERY SLIPPERY.

SO WHY OF THE BOTTLE.

AND IT MAY SUGGEST IF IT’S A BOTTLE, IT’S IMPOSSIBLE.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS IF WE COULD GET A CATFISH.

LET’S MAKE A CLEAR SOUP WITH CATFISH.

BUT HOW TO COOK RICE?

SO LET’S COOK RICE WITH THE SAND ON THE RIVERBANK.

SO IT’S ALSO INCOMPREHENSIBLE.

THE ANSWER.

LOGICAL ANSWER.

SCIENTIFIC ANSWER RIGHT.

SO THE PROCEDURE BY THE WAY, THE PATH IS VERY IMPORTANT >> AS TOOLS TO TRANSCEND WORDS AND LOGIC AND ACHIEVE ENLIGHTENMENT ZAZEN, OR LITERALLY SEATED.

ZEN INVOLVES MEDITATION.

FREEING YOURSELF OF THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS, LETTING GO OF JUDGMENT, AND OBSERVING THE TRUE NATURE OF THE SELF AND THE WORLD AS THEY ARE.

IT IS BELIEVED THAT PRACTICING ZAZEN GUIDES PEOPLE TOWARD ENLIGHTENMENT.

>> DID YOU LIKE.

>> IT?

VERY DIFFERENT.

UNUSUAL EXPERIENCE.

MUSCLES RELAXED GRADUALLY AS I WENT DEEPER.

>> RIGHT.

>> GOOD.

>> ENJOYED IT.

YEAH.

THANK YOU.

>> SO, AT FIRST, IT’S VERY DIFFICULT TO.

CONCENTRATE WHEN I WAS A TRAINEE.

SO FOR ME, IT TOOK TWO AND A HALF YEARS TO HAVE ANYTHING.

JUST ACCEPTING SURROUNDING THINGS LIKE FORCE VISION, SOUND, TOUCH OF THE FLAVOR.

SO THESE KIND OF THINGS.

>> AND.

>> YEAH, THE ONENESS IS VERY IMPORTANT >> SO I DIDN’T REALLY FOCUS ON ANYTHING.

>> RIGHT.

>> IT WAS THERE.

WHAT WAS THERE?

>> WAS THERE.

>> MHM.

>> AND EVERYONE.

GOOD MORNING.

>> HOW ARE YOU?

GOOD.

GOOD.

>> IN RECENT YEARS, MATSUYAMA HAS BEEN WELCOMING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE, WANTING TO EXPERIENCE ZEN.

ON THIS DAY, HE HOSTS STUDENTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA.

>> THEY ARE, AS ONE.

>> STUDENTS VISIT JAPAN FROM THE UNIVERSITY ANNUALLY TO LEARN ABOUT JAPANESE CULTURE AS PART OF THEIR CURRICULUM, WITH THE AIM OF BROADENING THEIR OUTLOOK IN KYOTO, THEY LEARN ABOUT ZEN.

>> IT WAS REALLY RELAXING, AND IT FELT GOOD TO ACTUALLY HAVE A QUIET MIND.

>> IT SEEMS LIKE IT HELPS ME CLEAR AND FOCUS MYSELF A LITTLE BIT MORE.

CLEAN WHAT OUT?

CLEAN WHAT I CAN AND STRENGTHEN MY MIND >> NOT ONLY STUDENTS, BUT TOURISTS AND BUSINESS PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD CONVERGE ON KYOTO TO DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF ZEN BY VISITING TEMPLES, GARDENS, AND OTHER CULTURAL LOCATIONS.

HAPPENS WHEN PRACTICING ZAZEN?

SOME TAKE A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH AND MEASURE THE CHANGES IN THE MIND DURING MEDITATION.

AT RITSUMEIKAN, TAKAHASHI KOHSKE, AND FUJINO MASAHIRO ARE RESEARCHING MINDFULNESS MEDITATION, WHICH ORIGINATED IN BUDDHISM.

ON THIS DAY, A COLLABORATIVE STUDY IS BEING CONDUCTED INTO HOW THESE STUDENTS.

PERCEPTIONS AND FEELINGS CHANGED BEFORE AND AFTER MEDITATING UNLIKE ZAZEN, MINDFULNESS MEDITATION IS A LAY PRACTICE.

AMERICAN RESEARCH HAS FOUND THAT IT IMPROVES CONCENTRATION AND REDUCES STRESS AND ANXIETY.

MEDITATION WAS DEVELOPED WITHOUT RELIGIOUS OVERTONES AND HAS BEEN APPLIED IN BUSINESS, HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, AND OTHER FIELDS AROUND THE WORLD.

FUJINO WAS FIRST DRAWN TO THE PRACTICE OF MEDITATION IN HIS 30s, WHILE WORKING AT A COMPANY THAT MANUFACTURES MEDICAL EQUIPMENT.

FUJINO WANTED TO SHARE THIS EXPERIENCE, SO HE QUIT HIS JOB IN 2012 TO ENROLL AT UNIVERSITY AND RESEARCHED THE SCIENCE OF MEDITATION.

AND HE WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED WITH THE RESULTS.

HE ANALYZED THE HEART RATES AND SALIVA OF HIS SUBJECTS HE FOUND THAT THE STRESS HORMONE CORTISOL DECREASED DURING MEDITATION.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATED, AND THE SENSES AND ATTENTION WERE HEIGHTENED.

>> MINDFULNESS >> FUJINO IS LOOKING TO APPLY HIS FINDINGS TO HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, BUSINESS, AND OTHER FIELDS TO CONTRIBUTE TO PEOPLE’S PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING.

ZEN’S ORIGINS HARK BACK TO INDIA IN THE FIFTH CENTURY B.C., WHEN SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA ATTAINED ENLIGHTENMENT AFTER MEDITATING UNDER A BODHI TREE, THUS FOUNDING BUDDHISM THIS IS CONSIDERED THE ORIGINS OF ZAZEN, AROUND WHICH THE ZEN SCHOOL LATER DEVELOPED IN THE EARLY SIXTH CENTURY, A FIGURE KNOWN AS BODHIDHARMA INTRODUCED THE IMPORTANCE OF ZAZEN AS ONE FORM OF ASCETIC TRAINING TO CHINA.

THIS LATER BECAME ZEN, WHICH BRANCHED INTO SEVERAL SCHOOLS.

IN THE LATE 12th CENTURY.

A MONK FROM KYOTO NAMED EISAI BROUGHT THE IDEAS OF THE RINZAI SCHOOL OF ZEN BUDDHISM BACK TO JAPAN FROM CHINA, AND SPREAD TEACHINGS.

THIS WAS AT A TIME WHEN SAMURAI WERE USURPING MORE POLITICAL POWER FROM THE NOBILITY.

WARRIORS LIVED CONSTANTLY UNDER THE SHADOW OF DEATH, SO THEY SOUGHT SPIRITUAL COACHING AND PRACTICAL TEACHINGS THE RINZAI SCHOOL MET THEIR NEEDS WITH THE PATRONAGE OF THE SHOGUNATE.

THE SCHOOL GRADUALLY EXPANDED ITS INFLUENCE IN KYOTO AND BEYOND ZEN BUDDHISM ARRIVED IN KYOTO.

>> OVER EIGHT CENTURIES AGO.

IT RECEIVED THE PATRONAGE OF THE NOBILITY AND SAMURAI, AND ITS PRINCIPLES SPREAD THROUGHOUT SOCIETY.

THE SPIRIT OF ZEN CONTINUES TO PULSE THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF KYOTO CULTURE.

ONE OF THEM IS IKEBANA >> TOFUKU-JI WAS FOUNDED IN THE EARLY 13th CENTURY BY ARISTOCRAT KUJO MICHIIE, WHO HELD A MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT POSITION.

THE TEMPLE TOOK 19 YEARS TO BUILD.

SINCE THEN, IT HAS BEEN RENOWNED AS A PLACE OF STRICT ZEN ASCETIC TRAINING THE TEMPLE IS HOME TO THE EPONYMOUS TOFUKU-JI MISHORYU SCHOOL OF IKEBANA, WHICH INTEGRATES ARISTOCRATIC ELEGANCE WITH ZEN SPIRITUALITY.

THE SCHOOL BEGAN WHEN MICHIIE, WHO HAD PLANTED A TRIDENT MAPLE ON THE TEMPLE GROUNDS, ARRANGED SOME BRANCHES IN MEMORY OF HIS FATHER.

UNO HARUHO HAS PRACTICED IKEBANA FOR SIX DECADES.

AS ONE OF THE HEAD TEACHERS OF THE TOFUKU-JI MISHORYU SCHOOL.

SHE TEACHES AT THE TEMPLE AND OTHER AFFILIATED TEMPLES.

>> DID YOU FIRST ENCOUNTER IKEBANA.

>> THE SCHOOL HOLDS CLASSES AT TOFUKU-JI EVERY SUMMER.

FOLLOWERS FROM ACROSS JAPAN GATHER TO BRUSH UP THEIR SKILLS THE 2025 WORKSHOP THEME IS ABOUT PUTTING MONSTERA FRONDS THAT USUALLY PLAY A SUPPORTING ROLE IN THE SPOTLIGHT.

UNO IS CHALLENGING THE PARTICIPANTS TO MAKE AN ARRANGEMENT THAT DEFIES CONVENTION AND INSTILL IN THEM THE ABILITY TO BE FLEXIBLE ACROSS RIGID BOUNDARIES.

UNO ARRANGED THIS AS AN EXAMPLE.

UNO DEMONSTRATES THE FUNDAMENTAL FORM PROPOUNDED BY THE TOFUKU-JI MISHORYU SCHOOL.

SHE BENDS THE BRANCHES AS SHE PLACES THEM TO GIVE THE PEACE BALANCE.

SHE EXPLAINS THE ARRANGEMENT DEPICTS HUMANITY BASED ON THE BALANCE BETWEEN THE HEAVENS AND EARTH HOW DOES.

>> ZEN INFLUENCE YOUR ARRANGING?

>> HANA >> ZEN HAS INFLUENCED OTHER PARTS OF LIFE AND CULTURE IN KYOTO, SUCH AS GARDENS.

ZEN MUSO SOSEKI WAS A PROLIFIC LANDSCAPER OF GARDENS FOR THE USE OF ASCETIC TRAINING.

AROUND 700 YEARS AGO.

HE DESIGNED THE SOGENCHI GARDEN AT TENRYU-JI THE ROCK FORMATION AT THE POND REPRESENTS A CASCADING WATERFALL BASED ON THE CHINESE MYTH OF A CARP DETERMINEDLY SWIMMING UPSTREAM AND TRANSFORMING INTO A DRAGON.

IT IS SAID TO EXPRESS THE ZEN IDEAL OF ACHIEVING ENLIGHTENMENT THROUGH CONSTANT ASCETIC TRAINING.

MUSSO’S LANDSCAPING STYLE OF HARMONIZING ZEN SPIRITUALITY WITH NATURE’S BEAUTY HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON GARDENS EVER SINCE.

BUDDHIST VEGETARIAN CUISINE FOLLOWS THE BUDDHIST TENETS OF NOT KILLING OR EATING ANIMALS.

ZEN TAKES MEALS A STEP FURTHER AND CONSIDERS THE ACTS OF PREPARING AND EATING FOOD.

PART OF ASCETIC TRAINING.

WHEN DONE SINCERELY, ASCETICS EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE FOR NATURE’S BOUNTY AND HARMONIZE THEIR BODY AND MIND.

THE USE OF SEASONAL INGREDIENTS AND THE MINIMIZING OF WASTE ARE EMPHASIZED, WHICH RESONATES WITH THE ZEN IDEOLOGY OF RESPECTING NATURE’S BLESSINGS.

IS ALSO INTERTWINED WITH ART SHOKOKU-JI JOTENKAKU MUSEUM HOLDS NUMEROUS NATIONAL TREASURES AND CULTURAL ASSETS THAT HAVE CLOSE TIES TO KYOTO’S LEADING ZEN TEMPLES ZEN MONKS THROUGH THE AGES HAVE USED PAINTINGS TO CONVEY THE TENETS OF ZEN.

THE TEN BULL PICTURES WERE CREATED BY MONK SHUBUN AROUND SIX CENTURIES AGO.

THE MONK’S ARTISTIC OUTPUT GREATLY STIMULATED OTHER PAINTERS AS WELL.

HASEGAWA TOHAKU AND ITO JAKUCHU.

PROLIFIC ARTISTS IN KYOTO CREATED WORKS COMMISSIONED BY TEMPLES.

CONSEQUENTLY, ZEN MADE A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD OF JAPANESE ART.

, A KENNIN-JI SUBTEMPLE, WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1358 AND HAS LONG ATTRACTED MANY INTELLECTUAL MONKS AND CULTURAL FIGURES.

THE SUBTEMPLE IS NOW ATTRACTING ATTENTION AS A NEW CENTER FOR ZEN ART.

IN JUNE THROUGH JULY, THE PRECINCTS ARE CARPETED WITH ASIAN LIZARD’S TAIL PLANTS, WHOSE LEAVES PARTIALLY TURN WHITE.

THE PLANT’S BRIGHT WHITE CONTRASTS WITH INDIGO, ALSO KNOWN AS JAPAN BLUE THIS EXHIBIT INCLUDES SCROLLS, NOREN CURTAINS, AND OTHER ITEMS FEATURING ROPE DESIGNS.

THE ANCIENT CRAFT OF INDIGO DYEING IS INFUSED WITH A CONTEMPORARY SENSIBILITY.

BUAISOU, AN INDIGO DYEING COLLECTIVE BASED IN TOKUSHIMA PREFECTURE, COLLABORATES WITH WORLD CLASS BRANDS AND ADVANCES THE AGE OLD HANDICRAFT IN NEW WAYS.

ITO.

TORYO HAS ORGANIZED MANY ART EVENTS TO DATE THESE SLIDING DOORS, TITLED LIGHTNING FIELDS, WERE CREATED IN COLLABORATION WITH CONTEMPORARY ARTIST HIROSHI SUGIMOTO THESE WERE CREATED WITH INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED ARTIST ELIZABETH PEYTON.

THIS INSTALLATION IS A 3-D IMAGE CREATED FROM LASER SCAN DATA OF THE RYOSOKU-IN BUILDINGS AND GARDENS.

THIS ART DIGITALLY EXPRESSES THE ZEN VIEW OF THE WORLD.

>> WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO ORGANIZE AN EXHIBITION LIKE THIS?

AT A ZEN TEMPLE?

MHM.

>> IN HISTORICALLY, WHEN DIDN’T HAVE MUSEUM, SCHOOL, A ROLE OF THAT.

SO TEMPLE THE SPACE, LIKE A MUSEUM GALLERY.

SO I TRIED TO BRING BACK THAT TYPE OF ROLES.

WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE TRAINING MONASTERY, MY FIRST ROLE WAS TO ORGANIZE THE WAREHOUSE WERE SO MANY, SO MANY SCROLLS AND FOLDING SCREENS IN IT.

SO EVERY TIME I SEE THEM, I SENSE THE ART WERE FOREFRONT AT THAT TIME.

>> SO PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN SURPRISED BY HIS PAINTINGS IF THEY CAME AND SEE THEM AT THE TEMPLES NOW.

>> I BELIEVE SO.

SO THAT ENCOURAGED ME TO WELCOME ARTISTS.

>> WOULD YOU EVEN GO SO FAR AS TO INCLUDE MODERN TECHNOLOGY?

>> COMPUTER ALSO CAN BE THE BRUSH SO ZEN REQUIRES INNOVATION ALL THE TIME.

>> ITO IS NOW INVOLVED IN A NEW PROJECT TO CONVEY THE SPIRIT OF ZEN THROUGH CONTEMPORARY ART.

ON THIS DAY, HE VISITS A KIMONO MAKER OHNO YAMADA SHINYA CREATES KIMONOS IN VERSATILE WAYS, USING CONTEMPORARY COLORS AND DESIGNS, WHILE EMPLOYING TRADITIONAL DYEING AND WEAVING TECHNIQUES.

HE IS ALSO INVOLVED IN CONTEMPORARY ART YAMADA BEGAN ABSTRACT PAINTING AS A DIARY OF HIS INTERNAL DIALOG.

HE HAD NO INTENTION OF DISPLAYING HIS ART PUBLICLY WHEN ITO FIRST SAW YAMADA’S ARTWORK AT HIS HOME, HE WAS SO MOVED, HE ENCOURAGED YAMADA TO COLLABORATE IN RYOSOKU-IN EXHIBITION YAMADA THEN CONTACTED HIS FRIEND.

MASA, A SPACE DESIGNER, AND THE THREE LAUNCHED THE PULSE OF SILENCE PROJECT IN 2021 CONCEPT IS THE BEAUTY PULSATING IN STILLNESS.

HE TOLLE’S ROLE IS THAT OF MENTOR.

YAMADA HAS BEGUN CREATING PIECES FOR THE NEXT EXHIBITION IN THE PULSE OF SILENCE SERIES.

HE SIMPLY LETS THE BRUSH GLIDE FREELY, ALLOWING WHAT IS INSIDE HIM TO FLOW ONTO THE CANVAS.

HE USES JAPANESE PAINTING PIGMENTS, THEN DRIPS WATER OVER IT FOR A BLURRED EFFECT.

HE ENTRUSTS THE WORK TO THE NATURAL MOVEMENT OF THE WATER.

THE VENUE IS RYOSOKU-IN, WHERE ITO IS DEPUTY HEAD PRIEST.

THE DAY BEFORE THE EXHIBITION OPENS, YAMADA AND MASA ARE MAKING LAST MINUTE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE PAINTINGS AND OTHER INSTALLATIONS.

SAND HAS LONG BEEN USED TO INDICATE THE PASSING OF TIME THE 2025 EXHIBITION THEME IS DRIP AND DWELL ITO EXPECTS VISITORS TO GAIN VARIOUS INSIGHTS FROM THE PIECES AND EXPERIENCE NEW EMOTIONS THE EXHIBITION RUNS FROM DUSK INTO THE EVENING, WHEN THE TEMPLE IS ENVELOPED IN SILENCE.

>> THEN?

>> YES.

>> OH, YES.

I SEE A ROAD LEADING SOMEWHERE.

I MEAN THE SUBTITLE PULSE OF SILENCE IS DRIP AND DWELL.

SO THE DRIP AND THE DWELLING BEING INSIDE THESE PAINTINGS, YOU KNOW.

YES >> COME FRONT OF THE MAIN PART OF THIS >> YOU MEAN BEHIND IN THE PHYSICAL?

BEHIND OR BEHIND?

>> YEAH, PHYSICAL STATUE OF THIS TEMPLE.

>> VERY SUBTLE WONDERFUL.

IT ACTUALLY DOES MAKE ME THINK OF A PULSE AND WHAT IS THIS?

HMM?

AHA THE SANDS OF TIME ARE FROM BOTH.

>> ALWAYS CHANGING AND OPENS FOR EVERYBODY.

EVERY MOMENT YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT VIEW.

>> MHM.

ART IN PROCESS.

>> YES.

>> MM.

>> SO IT WORKS THE QUESTION PUSHING THE BOUNDARY.

SO ZEN.

IT’S NOT STANDING AT THE SAME POINT.

ALWAYS.

SO I TRY TO KEEP PRODUCING OUR EXHIBITION TO GO FORWARD.

>> THESE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS LIVE IN THE TEMPLE’S DORMITORY.

UP UNTIL FIVE DECADES AGO, THERE WERE MANY DORMITORIES RUN BY KYOTO TEMPLES, WHERE STUDENTS COULD LEARN AND INTERACT WITH OTHERS.

HOWEVER, WITH THE CHANGE IN TIMES, MORE AND MORE STUDENTS PREFERRED SMALL STUDIO APARTMENTS AND THE NUMBER OF TEMPLE DORMITORIES FELL.

DEPUTY HAD PRIESTS.

MATSUYAMA DAIKO SET UP A STUDENT DORMITORY WITH FREE RENT AND BREAKFAST.

IN THE SPRING OF 2025.

STUDENTS LIVE IN THE DORMITORY AFTER THE MORNING SUTRA CHANTING, THEY CLEANED THE TEMPLE BUILDINGS AND GARDEN IN ZEN.

CLEANING IS PART OF ASCETIC TRAINING.

EVEN THE MOST MUNDANE CHORES BECOME VALUABLE LESSONS FOR THE STUDENTS.

>> AMMA HIDEO.

>> ANNONDA ASHRU HALDER IS HINDU.

BUT HE CAME TO JAPAN TO STUDY OTHER FAITHS.

HE APPLIED TO LIVE IN THE DORMITORY TO EXPERIENCE THE BUDDHIST WAY OF LIFE >> MAYBE.

UM.

I’M I FEEL LIKE THAT.

I THINK, UH, HERE, LIKE, UH, IN BECAUSE NORMALLY IF YOU LIVE IN AN APARTMENT, A LOT OF WHO LIVES IN YOUR RIGHT OR WHO LIVES IN YOUR LEFT.

THAT’S NORMAL.

BUT HERE, LIKE WE ALL KNOW >> ONCE THE MORNING CHORES ARE DONE, EVERYONE SITS FOR BREAKFAST TOGETHER THIS IS THE ONE SPECIAL TIME OF THE DAY WHEN EVERYONE CAN BOND WHY DO YOU THINK.

>> ZEN APPEALS TO PEOPLE TODAY?

>> UM.

WE ARE LIVING IN TOO MUCH INFORMATION WORLD.

SO THE WORLD IS CHASING EFFICIENCY EFFICIENCY OF TIME, EFFICIENCY OF MONEY.

OF ACTIVITIES ENRICHES OUR LIFE >> NO, I DON’T RIGHT.

>> NOW WE ARE LIVING IN A INFORMATION WORLD.

AND, UH, USING AI, WE CAN GET ANYTHING, ANY ANSWERS.

WE ARE TEND TO SATISFY ONLY BY COLLECTING INFORMATION.

THE REALITY IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE INFORMATION.

IF WE SEEK FOR THE EFFICIENCY OF THE JUST, COLLECTING THE INFORMATION, WE CANNOT HAVE THE REAL ENRICHED LIFE.

>> AS KYUSHU.

>> IS HOME TO SCORES OF ZEN BUDDHIST TEMPLES, THE SPIRIT, ESTHETICS, AND PHILOSOPHY OF ZEN ARE PALPABLE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, IN ITS GARDENS, AND VARIOUS TRADITIONAL ART FORMS, SUCH AS IKEBANA.

INDEED, DAILY LIFE IN THE ANCIENT CAPITAL IS STEEPED IN ITS PRACTICES AND TEACHINGS.

IN THE 2020s, WE ARE OVERWHELMED WITH VOLUMES OF INFORMATION EVERY DAY.

SWITCHING OFF IS HARD.

WE EASILY FORGET TO TAKE THE TIME TO SIMPLY SIT, BREATHE, RELAX, AND BE