Zazen with a Monk in a Kyoto Temple That Is Closed to the Public

Zen came to Japan from China in the twelfth century and Kyoto is where it took root, but the temples that practise it seriously are mostly closed to visitors — which is the frustrating part of trying to encounter Zen in the city most associated with it.

This session takes place inside one of those temples. It is not on the public circuit, you enter with a guide, and the room is not being shared with a tour queue.

A monk leads it. There is a short introduction to Zen and where it sits in Japanese culture, then a proper lecture on zazen — the seated meditation that is the whole of Soto Zen practice — covering posture, breathing, what to do with your eyes, and what the practice is actually for. Then you sit. It is harder than it sounds and the difficulty is the point: the instruction is to stop managing your thoughts and simply let them pass, which almost nobody manages on a first attempt, and the monk will say so plainly.

Afterwards there is tea, looking out at the temple gardens, and time to ask the kind of questions that only occur to you once you have tried it. Photographs with the monk and inside the temple are permitted, which is unusual and worth having.

Groups cap at nine, and a private session is available if you would rather have the monk's attention to yourself. Entry to the temple is included. Meeting is at Kodaiji Park in Higashiyama — the guide waits on the northern side — and the temple is a short walk from there. The route is wheelchair accessible.