Myoe’s Meditation Spots
Myoe (1173–1232), the founder of Kosanji, was known for his love of nature. He often meditated outside, rather than in a temple building. After Myoe’s death, some of his favorite meditation spots were marked with stone monuments that can still be seen today.
Myoe particularly liked a forked pine tree and a rock beside it, located up the mountain from the temple. He called the pair Joshu-ju (“Rope-seat Tree”) and Joshin-seki (“Calm-mind Rock”). A famous portrait of Myoe on display in the temple’s Sekisuiin hall shows him meditating in the pine tree surrounded by wildlife. Stone monuments also stand at the former location of Keguden—a simple hermitage and common retreat for Myoe—and the original location of Sekisuiin.
Myoe’s outdoor meditation spots and practices are mentioned in his dream journal, which he kept for about 40 years. This record, an object of academic interest, is said to have made a significant impact on Myoe’s core beliefs.