[Date & Time] Saturday, November 5, 6:15 pm—8:30 pm
[Spots] Oppama Station‐Dokuonji Temple
[Visitors] 9 participants (2 each from Malaysia, Japan, and Bulgaria, and 1 each from China, Sri Lanka, and Russia)
[Attendants] 3 KSGG members
[Language] English
By the appointed time, the visitors and KSGG members gathered at the exit of Oppama Station. Since the weather was fine from the morning and it was not so cold to walk, twelve people got to the temple at half past six pm, enjoying conversation with each other. Except the two visitors who had experienced zazen meditation twice or three times, this was the first time for the seven visitors to experience zazen meditation. Everyone seemed to be nervous and wrote down their names on a visitor’s register. Zazen meditation experience consists of three fifteen-minute sessions with breaks between each session. All the visitors seriously worked on zazen. Many of them asked the priest to hit them on the shoulder with a keisaku (warning stick) whenever they were disturbed. With the priest’s favor, I was allowed to take a picture of all the participants in the third session when the effect of the zazen meditation appeared. At the end of zazen they seemed to have straightened their back and refreshed with a big smile. At the tea break after zazen, they talked about the impression of zazen and enjoyed lively conversation. On the train coming back I was with several visitors, I asked them their impression. “My legs felt numb, though that’s OK. I felt refreshed. I’d like to try it again.” They answered with a smile.
