Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion, seems to float on its artificial lake, surrounded by serene gardens and several associated shrines.
T
he paths are crowded the tourists and exuberant groups of schoolchildren.
A teahouse invites calm and meditation. I think that only the most spiritually advanced person could possibly meditate here, amid all the dust and confusion!
Everyone else hurries to buy charms and tokens, souvenirs blessed by monks who probably need the money to keep the place from falling apart.
This steep, narrow staircase is no longer used -- today's pilgrims mount a sturdier, easier, concrete flight around the next corner.
The pious -- which seems to be just about everyone who comes here -- throw coins into the collection boxes, clap their hands, and pray. If there is no collection box, no matter -- the coins pile up on the ground in front of the statue, making a richly-textured pile on the bare ground.
Beside the last shrine, just before the exit bazaar, red machines tell your fortune for 100 yen, with a dust bin nearby so that you can leave the bad fortunes behind without littering.
Racks of votive candles burn brightly, even in the afternoon sun. Incense rises continually. Pray and have faith, but take precautions -- make sure to have buckets of water and sand, neatly coiled hoses, and a line of fire extinguishers ready for any mishap.
Like Siddhartha, pray -- or at least rest -- at every shrine.
