Oct 21, 2010

Dou'unji - Cave Cloud Temple 17


On my left as I walked along the road, I could see a row of gravestones half hidden in the trees.On my right was a little valley with a drainage ditch running through the lowest part.
As I emerged into the large flat center of the temple grounds, the meditation caves were now straight ahead of me, I found a small collection of gravestones, statues, and stelae. These were obviously meaningful to someone since there were fresh flowers and some sake.
What looked like a phallic symbol turned out to be a headless statue on closer inspection. You can see the hands together in a prayer-like pose and the edge of a robe. The two cups on the right hand grave contained what looked like tea. One thing to remember is that people are cremated in Japan so all you need is an engraved stone to have a grave.

No comments: