Tag: shrine

Weathered

Learning, Poetic
This life’s well weathered
‘Tween hot and cold, calm and rushed.
There’s home to shelter.

——

Indonesia Mosque in Bangkok — joining a short prayer

i went to a mosque then to a small shrine today before flight — feeling the humbleness of human beings begging for help from the One indescribable unseen unexplainable, the hope tiptoeing behind fear, the weakness of human beings facing our own nature

these folded lotus flowers are floating to weather after their duty as envelopes with which prayers are sent up above through billowing smoke of incense

now i have to pack to fly back home soon to see my mother hospitalised — certain days are just under the weather

wishing all my silent chants can be medicine for the woman who loves me to the moon and back

see very soon, Ibu

may all beings be happy

💕

Bubble

Learning, Map It!, Poetic
A bubble’s bursting,
United with the free air.
Would you please join me?

—

Although Kyoto has a lot of impressive shrines, my favourite is not there. Mine is Izumo Taisha in Shimane prefecture about 343 km from Kyoto.

When visiting other shrines in Japan, I was so aware of being in Japan. In Izumo Taisha I got home: sunny, green, serene and unexplainably blissful. There were many visitors but my senses didn’t absorb their presence as if the hot air and bright light muffled their noise and wrapped me in a safe bubble bursting when my last step left the shrine front gate.

Romantic!

a long walk from the gate to the shrine — i remember it was a scorching hot day in August 2018 and i was humming while walking 😇

ablution, my daily ritual that i find also so soothing in Japan shrine especially in Izumo Taisha

torii 💝 a gate to the shrine yard

this is Izumo Taisha! 💝

shimenawa (sacred straw rope)

i only go to this coffee shop with my colleagues, but i wholeheartedly believed drinking Starbucks coffee was a nice thing; only in Izumo! right outside the shrine complex

Izumo Taisha, Shimane

Praying

Learning, Map It!, Poetic
Swinging steps to gates.
Washing hands and mouth. Flying.
Whispering. Amen.

—

🙏🏼 thank you
🙏🏼 thank you
🙏🏼 thank you
🙏🏼 thank you
🙏🏼 thank you
a shrine on a small hill, a true luxury to visit for a short while 💕 thank you

Shrines in Kyoto

Learning, love, Map It!

Temples are scattered around Kyoto, Japan. I visited three of them…. Many remaining to visit in my next trip to Kyoto.

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Bell

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Mr. Stork…. perching on the roof of the shrine gate

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The sky, blue….

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Green and tidy….

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Water from dragon mouth….

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Lamp post, giant

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And summer flowers are just decorating Kyoto street…. Sweetly greeting me.

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Singapore – September 14, 2014 – 11:13pm