8:30 am coffee drunk. Now for a few notes, as I try to situate buddhism within some of the major temples that I have visited in Kyoto.

I began by reviewing a timeline in the back of the "Introducing Kyoto" by Herbert E. Plutschow.

• 710 - 784      Nara period
                           Buddhism from China/Korea popular among the elite
• 794 - 1185   Hieian period
                           Tendai & Shingon schools established near Kyoto
                           A popular form emerged, called the Pure Land cult
• 1185 - 1603  Shogunate eras
                           Tendai & Shingon schools declined
                           Tendai school at Mt. Hiei destroyed
                           Zen buddhism emerged
                           Jodo-shu (Pure Land School) and Jodu Shin-shu (True Pure Land)
                           Honen Shonin [1133-1212] and Shinran Shonin [1173-1262]
                           Shinran buried at Kiyomizu-dera temple (Clear Water Temple)
• 1603 - 1868  Edo period
• 1868             Meiji restoration

This has turned out well. I now have the major eras for Japanese history, have identified the major buddhist sects, and have even placed Kiyomizu-dera within one of the popular sects.

Here is a good web site for information on Shin Buddhism.

It is one thing to learn a few new terms and labels, it is quite another to have a rich understanding of the terms. By "rich", I mean many connections with other ideas and concepts. That is the very nature of understanding - it is a complex web of connections. Anything less is mindless. Suppose I see a bird, and ask what it is. Someone tells me it is a robin. Am I further ahead? A little, but not much. I do have a name, but what do I now know about robins? Do I know how long they live, what they eat, what a typical day is like for them, their habits?

Similarly with Shin Buddhism. How does it relate to buddhism? What distinquishes it from other forms of buddhism? What are the key tenants of the religion? What is its history? Where does it fit in today's societies? What about zen buddhism?

A study of Kyoto is a study in culture, and a study of culture usually includes a study of religion. One begins with a fascination of the structures, the buddhist temples and the shinto shrines. Then one begins to wonder about the ideas that led to the building of such structures. As with ancient Greece, this is a topic that is relatively new to me.

How to proceed? Two alternatives come to mind:

1. Find a good book on the basic tenants of buddhism
2. Continue to read about Kyoto

Although the first alternative appears to make the most sense, I lean toward the second. I want to leave myself open to other topics and ideas before engaging in a more detailed study of buddhism. I will stay in Kyoto for a few days.

My learning path is crooked, to say the least. Very natural.