June 7, 2025

Finding My Zen

By student Lizzie Rosato

This week the group went on a day trip to the city of Kamakura. The first stop on our trip was Hokoku-ji Temple and bamboo forest. I had the opportunity to explore the temple’s beautiful bamboo forest. With the statues in nearby caves and the soft trickling of a flowing stream, I’ve never seen a garden so beautiful.

picture of a large group of bamboo shoots growing high into the sky, a small canopy has been created by their growth. — It felt as if the bamboo stretched up for miles.

A stone basin with moss growths, a shallow pool of water has settled in it. Behind that is a small statue/shrine that is also covered in moss. — The moss had grown over many parts of the forest, but it never felt as if anything had been left abandoned.

After the excursion to the bamboo forest, we had the opportunity to practice Zazen meditation with a Buddhist monk at Engaku-ji temple. This was my first time practicing proper meditation, and it was such an amazing experience! It really helped to quiet my mind in a way I hadn’t experienced before. After the meditation we even had the opportunity to be smacked with one of the instruments that monks use on themselves to improve their form. It felt very soothing, almost like a massage. I am definitely going to be continuing this type of meditation when I return home.

a traditional Zen Buddhist sanmon — Engaku-ji temple’s sanmon