TEMPLE TIME

Today I took a lot of pictures so I barely know where to begin. After spending my morning hours online (thank you LinkedIn for making the people on my computer screen look the same as the people that are walking outside. How considerate.), I decided to go out and visit a temple.




I went to the Sensoji temple, one of the oldest temples in Tokyo, which was a 20-30 minutes walk from my hotel. I didn't know what to expect but it was very beautiful and turned out to be a great place for some Buddhist recreation.

You can do plenty of activities like drinking, playing or washing yourself at the little dragon water fountain.

Burning your own incense sticks above a small charcoal fire.

Waving the smoke from dozens of burning incense sticks in your own face.

And having your future predicted. What is called an Omikuji. Something like a fortune cookie but from a drawer.

It goes like this:


1. Take one of the metal boxes from the counter, shake it a couple of times politely (of course) and think about your wish.

2. A stick marked with a fortune number will come out of the box.

3. Memorise the number and put the stick back in the box.

4. Open the drawer with your number and take out the sheet. It will tell you if you'll have good luck or bad luck regarding your wish.

5. It also states clearly that no matter if it's good or bad news, you should always do your best and never be careless or arrogant.

 

 6. Don't forget to pray before you leave the temple!