Byodo-In Temple

Today we went to the Byodo-In Temple. It is a replica of a 900 year old temple in Japan. It was so amazing and beautiful. There are streams and it is so peaceful and quiet. Inside the temple is an 18 foot Buddha covered in gold laquer. Before you go in to see him you have to remove your shoes.

Outside the temple is the Bon-Sho or Sacred Bell. It weighs 3 tons and is 6 foot 8 inches. Ringing the bell is said to cleanse the mind of all evil temptations through its lingering tones. It was so heavy Micah could not do it alone. When it rang you could hear it through out the entire area.

In the ponds surrounding the temple are over 1000 Koi. They represent order and longevity. We learned a new fact that Koi fish are known to live for up to 100 years, so think twice if you are thinking of getting one.

In the afternoon we played outside and watered the lawn. We played baseball, soccer and frisbee.

Tomorrow is Jeff's last full day here-so one more adventure to be had!