Ryoanji Temple

Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto, Japan is famous for its Zen garden, which is considered to be one of the most notable examples of the "dry-landscape" style.  Look  up Ryoanji Temple in any travel website or tour guide and you will find excited ravings about how amazing the Ryoanji Zen garden is.  So, I don’t know if I had my expectations too high but honestly, I was a little disappointed.  Let’s take a look: 

 

Walking up the steps of Kuri, the main building of the temple.  Our exciting Zen experience awaits!

See this picture?  Imagine 15 rocks artistically placed randomly in white gravel and you’ve pretty much summed up the Ryoanji Zen rock garden.  No trees, barely any grass, no trickling water, just rocks and gravel.  Sure, they’ve drawn some nice pretty circles in the white gravel but it’s pretty much just rocks and gravel.  Wow! And apparently this Zen garden has been wowing the masses since 1525! 

 

Speaking of the masses, people come from far and wide to see these rocks (we did after all).  They don’t just look at the rocks, they sit and contemplate the rocks for hours!  During our brief visit to the Zen garden (which we had to pay 500 yen to see by the way) I started looking at the faces of the people sitting and admiring the rocks.  I’ve never seen so many blank-faced-zoned-out people in my life.  It was like an alien spaceship came down to the Ryoanji temple, landed, sucked out the brains on the poor tourists and locals that were there, and left a few rocks as payment.  These people were seriously pondering the meaning of life, the universe, and everything while sitting with their Zen rock spirit guides.  I have nothing against this of course.  I think it’s awesome these people were finding the Zen garden to be filled with so much peace and tranquility.  I just found the whole thing rather surreal.  Surreal but pretty damn peaceful! 

I 

There’s a famous vegetarian restaurant on the temple grounds called the Ryoanji Seven Herb Tofu.  The “O” on the noren curtain above signifies affability and an earnest hope for peace and harmony in the world – one cube of tofu at a time (oh, in case you’re wondering, I added the last little bit)! 

  

The name, Ryoanji Seven Herb Tofu is not only the name of the restaurant but it’s pretty much a spot on description of the menu.  Seven Herb Tofu…that’s pretty much it.  The tofu is boiled in plain water and served to you with a dipping sauce made out of soy sauce and seven herbs (mystery herbs just like KFC).  Some people may find it too simple and too bland tasting but since I’m a fan of tofu I loved it.  It was a nice refreshing lunch.

Especially when I washed it down with great tasting hot sake!