Shingon Shu Hawaii

A  L  O  H  A   from   Honolulu!

Shingon Shu Temple, Honolulu

click on photos!

Built in 1917-1918 by Nakagawa Katsutaro, 

a master builder of Japanese-style temples.

 Renovated in 1929 by Hego Fuchino,

  first person of Japanese ancestry 

to become a licensed architect 

in Hawaii. 

Note the steep, hipped-gable  

"Irimoya" roof.

Link

Placed on the 

National Register of Historic Places 

 26 April 2002.

Just inside the gate, 

one may relax and prepare

to commune with the eternal verities.

Click on photo to see the taps (right)

where one may wash and make clean.

[yes, that is a lotus pool]

Statue of Kūkai 

 Known posthumously as Kōbō-Daishi

"The Grand Master 

Who Propagated the Buddhist Teaching"

[in Japan] 774–835 B.C.E

Monk, civil servant, scholar, poet, artist

engineer & founder of 

the Shingon or "True Word" 

school of Buddhism. 

Kūkai is famous as a calligrapher  

and inventor of the kana, 

the characters with which, in combination 

with Chinese characters kanji, 

the Japanese language 

is written to this day!

Link

. 

As you climb the stairs,

you must pass Füjin,

 Shintö god of wind 

to your left.

[See his bag of winds?]

On your right,

Raijin, god of thunder.

[Look at all his percussion!]

[ This IS a Buddhist temple,

but it is also very Japanese

to mix faith traditions.

This was a piece of 'Home'

to hardworking immigrants! ]

"The bell of mindfulness

 is the voice of the Buddha 

calling us back

 to ourselves. -

- We have to respect 

each sound of the bell, 

stop our thinking and talking,

 and get in touch 

with ourselves, 

breathing and smiling. 

This is not a Buddha 

from the outside.

 It is our own Buddha 

calling us home."

                            Thich Nhat Hanh

Shall We Enter?

Click Photos!

Ceiling Detail

Like Being in a Jewel Box

Many of These Appointments

Were Brought from Japan

The glittering altar 

 Anthuriums = Hawaii

Imbued With 

Lessons & Meaning

Side View: Altar

Note Tibetan Singing Bowl

Turning to Leave

I feel suffused by light

 View From McDonald's Parking

Oh My!

Linking to

InSpired Sunday

Thank You

for visiting

one of my favorite

Honolulu buildings!

                        Warmly, cloudia