Staying in a Buddhist monasterySounds weird is true, but in Japan it is not so. In fact, in the small town of Koyasan it is very typical to spend the night in one of the many Buddhist monasteries that are spread throughout its territory and which are active. They are called Shukubos.
The meaning of the word or says it all: "stay in a monastery". It is nothing new in Japan, this tradition goes back many centuries in time and its function was to give shelter to the pilgrims who, for some reason or another, had embarked on a journey, both to visit the sacred sites, as a spiritual journey. In the Koyasan area they were followers of Kobo Daishi who came to practice their teachings.
Today, these monasteries are still active, but the people who come have changed the profile ... instead of carrying a duffel bag they now carry suitcases and instead of spiritual peace they are looking for new experiences. That is our case (changing the suitcase for a backpack).
They are private rooms separated from the other departments by paper panels, in the purest traditional Japanese style. They are usually spacious, with beautiful decorations and tatami floors. In many shukubos you will have a low table where you can have tea (and if you are lucky like us you can light a stove under the table).
You can also feel at home putting on a traditional Japanese pajamas (yukata), or the bathrobe typical of this country, with which to walk through the corridors on the way to the bathroom.
In most shukubos they include food with the reservation. In some it is served in the common room dedicated to this need and in others, like ours, it is served in your own room. The menu is vegetarian, shojin ryori type and consists of many different dishes, in tapas. The flavors are quite special, we are not going to find hamburgers or pizzas. All very well presented.
They usually include dinner, which is served around 17:30 and breakfast the next day, at 08:00.
It will depend on the price and quality of the monastery, of course, but as a general rule all have common elements:
- A playground with a pond and the occasional sanctuary
- Bathrooms shared with a seat (hyper hot water bath)
- The zone of the rooms, the room for prayers Y departments for the exclusive use of the monks. Do not forget that they live here, you have to be respectful, do not make much trouble and follow the rules.
Here we leave you some pictures of the shukubo where we stayed, the Muryokoin:
If you want you can attend the morning prayer, which takes place in the prayer hall at 06.00. It lasts about an hour and you are sure to be welcome. Just get in the back and make no noise, you can take pictures, but in moderation and remember to remove the flash!
