A Shaka-nyorai statue in Tokei-ji

The statue of Shaka-nyorai is completely covered with green under the blistering sun in the height of summer.

The sun of this season generously brings vast blessed light to all living things for their vigorous growth and flourishing.

This Shaka-nyorai seems to rest for a moment in peace, putting his duty of relieving all living things in the hands of the brilliant and confident sun of midsummer.

A Jizo-Bosatsu statue in Tokei-ji

The violet Iwatabako flowers, which are clustering around this little stone image of Jizo-bosatsu, have just passed their best and have begun to fall one by one as if to realize the end of their prime season.

A bunch of pale blue flowers of Ajisai is offered to this guardian deity to silently pray him for his perpetual and infinite mercy to us.

In this quiet and beautiful scene, I find one of the most unforgettable moments of wonder, which is brought by the exquisite harmony of the four elements of this garden in this passing season of rain.

A Nyoirinkannon-Bosatsu statue in the garden of Engaku-ji

The temple-bell-shaped flowers of Hotaru-bukuro (Campanula punctata) are blooming modestly by the side of the aged stone image of Nyoirinkannon-bosatsu in the quiet green garden.

Hotaru-bukuro means "a firefly bag" and its flower is one of the typical flowers of this rainy season when fireflies glow in the night.

The characteristic posture of Nyoirinkannon-bosatsu, in which he rests a cheek on a hand, represents his infinite merciful thinking for the ultimate salvation of all living things.

A Jizo-bosatsu statue in Tokei-ji temple

The moss which thickly covers the rock surface begins to awake from its long sleep of winter and to grow steadily in the soft spring sun.

The little stone image of Jizo-bosatsu is fondly watching over the living things which are revived one after another by that tender sun.

A Bodhidharma statue in Kencho-ji

Bodhidharma is the legendary Zen master who is believed to be the founder of the Zen sect.

This statue was previously placed in front of the Zen lecture hall (Hatto) and was moved to this location.

The green bamboo grove and the clear blue sky of summer remarkably suited this radiant image of Bodhidharma.

A Bodhidharma statue in Kencho-ji temple

Bodhidharma is the legendary Zen master who is believed to be the founder of the Zen sect. It has been said that he was born as the prince of a kingdom of south india and spreaded the teaching of Zen Buddhism in China in the 6th century.

This newly elected statue of Bodhidharma is a gift sent to Kencho-ji temple as a token of friendship by Shaolin Monastery of China. In this Shaolin Monastery, Bodhidharma continued to sit and meditate (Zazen) before a stone wall for nine years to achieve spiritual enlightenment.

The stern and fiery expression of this Bodhidharma image appears just about to shout angrily at us ("Katsu" in Zen) so as to awaken us from spiritual darkness.