Fotos

I ve taken this photo in Nanzen-ji zen gardens. It was a cloudy day and quiet overcast hour. Unfortunatelly being in a organized tour I couldn't spend many times for the groundwork and then I took several photos from this magnificent gardens as I can as possible. Using a medium wide angle served me to exploit as much as of possible of this panorama. For emphasizing the colors and diminishing overcast day effect I used the shade color balance mood that more effective than cloudy one in these overcast days.

Nanzen-ji (Southern Mountain Temple)situated near the gardens is considered the most famous and important Zen temple in the world. Home of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism the temple consists of 12 sub-temples, which only a few are open to the public. Also within the temple grounds are several gardens, of which only three are available to be viewed. Two of the sub-temples also serve vegetarian lunches.

The history of the Nanzen-ji begins in the year 1290 when the emperor Kameyama invited Fumon the priest to his retirement palace (he abdicated in 1274 due to a poor relationship with the Kamakura shogunate) to exorcise a ghost that was plaguing the palace with problems. Instead of chanting incantations to drive out the malignant spirit, like any other priest, Fumon simply sat down and meditated (zazen) until the ghost apparently left. The emperor was so impressed with the strength of Zen Meditation he graced Fumon with his lower palace on his retirement villa grounds...