
Poetry Stones #1–3
temple
永平寺門前:道元禅師御歌碑の内容①
The street leading to Eiheiji Temple is dotted with nine stone monuments inscribed with poems composed by Zen Master Dōgen (1200–1253), the founder of the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism in Japan.
Nine stone monuments along the approach to Eiheiji Temple carry 31-syllable poems composed by Dogen, founder of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism in Japan in the 13th century. The first three stones are spaced along the road from the parking lot to the temple gate, each paired with an explanation of how the verse connects daily observation to Buddhist practice. A duck gliding without ripples, moonlight in still water, a white heron disappearing into snow: Dogen's imagery turns ordinary scenes into teaching moments. The final six stones continue along the same path toward the temple entrance.
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