Thrilling Tojinbo

Tojinbo is good for a change after visiting Eiheiji, a Zen temple and dogo embraced by the mountain green. These two places are close enough to each other and make a good combination for a day tour.

Tojinbo, a group of rugged cliffs, faces Japan Sea. Most of the visitors love to feel scared, looking down on the water 25 meters below from the edge of the cliff.

However, there might be a small number of visitors who are interested in rocks themselves. About 12 to 13 million years ago, volcanic activities were rampant and lava spewed out to flow into the strata of sedimentary rocks, where it cooled down and became solid. Over time raging waves of Japan Sea eroded the cliffs and the volcanic rocks reappeared on the surface. These rocks show pentagon or hexagon shaped columnar joints of pyroxene andesite which were formed as the lava cooled down. Tojinbo is said to be one of the few places where this kind of rocks are observed in such a large scale.

Local legend has it that Tojinbo, a very violet and mean Buddhist monk loathed by his fellows, was pushed out of the cliff to death. His angry spirit didn’t leave the sea and it was always incredibly stormy on the day of his death, April 5th, every year until finally his spirit was soothed by a prayer of a master monk.

Eiheiji, away from clamor

From the “Shoji” chapter of the Shobogenzo by Dogen zenji,
 translated by Norman Waddell & Masao Abe

This present birth-and-death itself is the life of Buddha. If you attempt to reject it with distaste, you are losing thereby the life of Buddha. If you abide in it, attaching to birth and death, you also lose the life of Buddha and leave yourself with only the appearance of Buddha. You only attain the mind of Buddha when there is no hating of birth and death and no desiring of nirvana. But do not try to gauge it with your mind or speak it with words. When you simply release and forget both your body and your mind and throw yourself into the house of Buddha, and when functioning comes from the direction of Buddha and you go in accord with it, then with no strength needed and no thought expected, freed from birth and death, you become Buddha. Then there can be no obstacle in any man’s mind. There is an extremely easy way to become Buddha. Refraining from all evils, not clinging to birth and death, working in deep compassion for all sentient beings, respecting those over you and pitying those under you, without detesting or desiring, worrying, or lamentation ----- this is what is called Buddha. Do not search beyond it.

Eiheiji is by far the most famous Zen dojo (monastery) in Japan. It’s a place of decency where you witness young disciples follow the rules as pursuers of the Zen principles.

Once you are there to visit the temple, go into a rather modern building, take off your shoes, proceed to pay the admission fee, and then you are kindly ushered into a large Tamami-matted room, where a young monk speaks to you about the temple before he lets you go. He says talking to you is part of his disciplines. After this, you are free to see around by yourself. A part of the precincts can be temporarily blocked from approach, when a daily chanting or some other sorts of ceremonies are being conducted.

Take time. This is not a place for you to rush. Sit down; take a deep breath; and be satisfied with your visit.