An Atheist in the Religious Universe of Kyoto

To start with, I, Mr. Doan, am not a religious person at all. As a matter of fact, I regard the entire concept of religion as blind and absolutely preposterous. I am, however, not here to attempt to convert anyone to my side of the spectrum. This "guide" will serve only as a textual representation of the amazing things I saw at a temple named "Sanjusangen-Do" in Kyoto, Japan.

The name "Sanjusangen-Do" means (roughly) the hall of 33 bays. While it's rather anti-climactic, the temple itself proves as the source of inspiration. It is a rather simple looking building constructed of wood and is of remarkable length. The upkeep is taken care of by the temple priests that watch over the historic site with utmost care.

Where churches and cathedrals are known for their complex and often beautiful architecture, Sanjusangen-Do is quite the opposite. It looks merely like an extremely long building atop gravel. There are sections of garden that somehow add to the simplicity of the setting (a paradox, I'm sure). There are other parts of the complex including a donation/gift site, a well with blessed water, and a fence in which some visitors tie paper fortunes they receive. I personally received a fortune with a headline that read "VERY BAD"...

Quite possibly the most astonishing thing about the temple is what is within it. Inside its un-air conditioned walls, there are rows of "Kannon"s intricately carved and then adorned with gold leaf. In all, there are 1,001 figures standing silently. The pictures hardly incite the feeling of quiet piety that resides throughout the hall. The figures are all unique in some way and were carved by the most prestigious woodworkers of their day. The brochures that were dispensed to the visitors made a mention that many of the Sanjusangen-Do's visitors attempt to find the likeness of loved ones in the faces of the 1,001 Kannons that are on display. I couldn't help myself--I found myself trying to find a statue that wore the expression of each person of my family.