We gather as a Sangha or community of practitioners in the tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh to provide an opportunity to those that wish to deepen their mindfulness Practice and share the Dharma. We offer to open many Doors to Dharma. Join us!
(Ref: https://www.localprayers.com/US/Davie/181100610971/BROWARD-LOTUS-SANGHA)
This was a beautiful place and in the local south Florida area. Very nice place and wortha visit if you’re in the area.
This was a spontaneous getaway with the family. Beautiful family friendly resort with several amenities inside the resort and nearby.Island Fish Company is a great nearby restaurant with delicious affordable food and right on the water. Right across the way, on Key Colony Beach, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset on Sunset Beach, a tiny public beach in a quiet and peaceful community.
The last day we went out on a charter boat and went to the sandbar and snorkeling. We enjoyed some delicious food at a local restaurant and drove home. A great adventure!
Flamingo Gardens is a 60 acre Botanical Garden and Everglades Wildlife Sanctuary. The Flamingo Gardens botanical gardens in Fort Lauderdale, (Davie) Florida, features over 3000 species of rare & exotic, tropical, subtropical, and native plants and trees. Flamingo Gardens wildlife sanctuary is home to the largest collection of Florida native wildlife including alligators, bobcats, eagles, otters, panthers, peacock, and of course, flamingos!
Established in 1927, Flamingo Gardens is one of the oldest botanical gardens and attractions in South Florida. Originally founded by Floyd L. and Jane Wray as an orange grove, the nonprofit botanical gardens is home to 18 “Champion” trees, the largest trees of their species, including the largest tree in Florida. Specialized botanical gardens, including a Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden, Croton Garden, and Bromeliad Garden dot the main Arboretum.
The centerpiece of the gardens is a natural hammock of 200 year-old Live Oaks dripping with species orchids and epiphytes. Here sits the historic Wray Home Museum, built in 1933 by Floyd L. and Jane Wray as a weekend retreat. It is the oldest residence in Broward County west of University Drive. The building was restored in 1991 to depict a typical South Florida country home of the 1930s.
Nestled in and around the gardens, the Everglades Wildlife Sanctuary is home to over 90 species of Florida native birds and animals, most of whom are permanently injured or non-releasable.The half-acre Free-flight Aviary boasts over 250 wading birds representing over 45 species, and the Bird of Prey Center houses one of the largest raptor collections in the United States.
Flamingo Gardens is owned and operated by the Flamingo Gardens, Inc, a non profit organization. The land is owned by Floyd L. Wray Memorial Foundation, Inc. which was established in 1969 by Mrs. Jane Wray in honor of her late husband. Her wish to preserve the core property for future generations and emphasize the flora, fauna, and history of the Florida Everglades is the core of Flamingo Gardens’ mission still today.
(Ref: https://www.flamingogardens.org/history.html)
(Ref: https://www.flamingogardens.org/history.html)
This is a really nice park with a lot of local animals all over. Great place! Highly recommended if you’r in the area.
This is a nice park in my local neighborhood. Enjoy the trails, outdoor exercise equipment and three story observatory overlooking the tree tops. The business office there has some old pictures and historical information about the Native American population. Enjoy:
“Located in Davie, Florida Tree Tops Park is a natural park that was created in 1980. The park sits on a 243.3 acres piece of land that was originally earmarked to be a golf course before Broward County intervened. The park is the gateway to the Pine Island Ridge Natural Area. Pine Island Ridge Park is the highest natural elevation at 29 feet above sea level and is an archealogical site characterized by equestrian and nature trails. This former dairy farm is characterized by oak trees and walking trails. In addition to walking trails, this park also boasts equestrian and canoe trails. The equestrian trails in the park are known for an extensive network of horse trails. The designated trails are seven miles. Also, the park has walking trails and nature trails the most known being the Live Oak Trail and the Seminole Trail.
The park is always a beehive of activities courtesy of its picnic areas, campfire ring, and playgrounds. In total, the park boasts of two large picnic shelters and three medium-sized picnic shelters. The two large picnic shelters have a capacity of between 61 and 90 persons while the medium shelters have a capacity of 41 to 60. The picnic shelters have electricity, grills and picnic tables. In addition to the picnic shelters, the park is also home to a multipurpose natural wood building called the Oak Ridge Hall. The hall has a capacity of 180 persons. The hall also includes meeting rooms, meeting pavilion.
For water sports, the park features a designated area for fishing and boating. This waterway is 15 acres in size and tourists and locals can rent pedal boats. In addition to the 15 acres of boating and fishing area, the park has an extra 23 acres of restored freshwater. This freshwater area has boardwalks over the water and fishing is restricted in this area. To crown it all the park has a 28-foot high observation tower to climb. The park is also listed on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail.
On site is Safety Town which is a program of Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital featuring an early-childhood education course that is designed especially for kindergartners and first graders with the goal of reducing accidental injuries and deaths. The child-size town features working traffic signals, street signs, crosswalks, miniature houses, and small tricycles, along with a variety of interactive stations. Safety Town is open year round by appointment only during the week for public and private schools, charter schools, and children’s groups of 15 to 60 students.”
(Ref: https://www.southfloridafinds.com//park/fl/broward/davie/tree-tops-park.html)
This is a beautiful park. Very scenic and a decent size. Well recommended if you’re in the area.
A wall through the shared golf grounds in my local neighborhood. Pretty large and beautiful area, with it’s own ecosystem and flourishing with life.
TANGO KINGDOM:
Tango Province (丹後国 Tango no Kuni) was an old province in the area that is today northern Kyoto Prefecture facing the Sea of Japan.[1] Together with Tanba Province, Tango was sometimes called Tanshū (丹州). Tango bordered on Tajima, Tanba, and Wakasa provinces.
At various times both Maizuru and Miyazu were the capital and chief town of the province.
In the 3rd month of the 6th year of the Wadō era(713), the land of Tango Province was administratively separated from Tanba Province. In that same year, Empress Genmei‘s Daijō-kancontinued to organize other cadastral changes in the provincial map of the Nara period.
In Wadō 6, Mimasaka Province was sundered from Bizen Province, and Hyūga Province was divided from Ōsumi Province.[2] In Wadō 5 (712), Mutsu Provincehad been severed from Dewa Province.[2]
Maps of Japan and Tango Province were reformed in the 1870s when the prefecture system was introduced.[3] At the same time, the province continued to exist for some purposes. For example, Tango is explicitly recognized in treaties in 1894 (a) between Japan and the United States and (b) between Japan and the United Kingdom.[4]
The 1927 Kita Tango earthquake caused major damage in the region and killed around 3,000 people.
This area is still known as Tango Peninsula, some parts of it are in Tango Quasi-National Park. A town in this region was likewise named Tango. It is now defunct and part of Kyōtango (Kyō + Tango) since 2004.
(Ref: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tango_Province)
A nice local shrine and two Buddhist Temples, out in a couple of small, country towns.
I only have a couple of days before departing Japan, so I drove around for a little while in the back-country roads. The weather was great, especially on the coastline.
Up towards the top of the mountain was a small town, and a small shrine.
I was driving through the mountains to get to a scenic spot and waterfall, but the road was under construction.
The following last 3 pictures are of Little Flower Hotel, in Kyotango. It’s a nice, small hotel on a small lake, with a good restaurant. Unfortunately the restaurant was closer today.
There isn’t much to do in this small town, and it rains here for about 9 months per year, but during those good weather months (late spring, summer and early fall) you can really enjoy the scenic views.
This is a very nice park in a small country town. In the spring and summer time, there are numerous birds chirping and beautiful flowers blooming all over. This was a literal nice wall in the park, after having breakfast and nowhere to go. A nice walk here is much enjoyed, as well as sitting for a while on one of the many benches and soaking in the beautiful day.
Sala is a Thai restaurant on the beach. The spring rolls and icea tea was good, but the chicken was fried in the same oil as seafood; which I know because I am allergic to shrimp. The scenery was nice. Beautiful beach and nice breeze.
The hike to the summit of 233m Mt. Inari-san and the pilgrimage circle around the shrines near the top is one of the most interesting short walks around Kyoto. It’s also the best way to see all of Fushima-Inari Taisha Shrine.
Hike Data
Time: about 3 hours
Distance: about 5km
Difficulty: moderate
If you’re looking for an easy hike in the hills around Kyoto, and don’t want to spend too much energy or time getting there, then this Fushimi-Inari pilgrimage hike is a great choice. It starts at Keihan Fushimi-Inari Station or JR Inari Station, both of which are only a few minutes south of central Kyoto by train. The hike involves a bit of stair climbing, but if you take it slow, it’s not too strenuous. For much of the hike, you’ll be passing through hypnotic arcades of vermillion torii (Shinto shrine gates). And you’ll pass various shrines and subshrines along the route. And, at one point, you’ll be treated to an incredible view across all of southern Kyoto.
Just be warned: Fushimi-Inari-Taisha is one of the most popular sights in Kyoto. It’s especially popular with large groups of mainland Chinese tourists. This means that the area around the main hall and the lower trails can be very crowded. If you’re averse to crowds, go early on a weekday morning. But, whenever you go, rest assured that you’ll leave most of the crowds behind as you ascend the mountain.
First, before describing the hike, here’s some information on the torii (Shinto shrine gates) that you’ll be seeing so much of on the mountain:
On the front of the torii, on the left side, you will see the name of the person or company who donated the torii (given using the Japanese imperial year). On the right side, you will see the date that it was donated. This one was donated by Kansai Television (関西テレビ放送 ) in March of 2012 (平成二十四年三月).
On the reverse side of the torii, you will see two kanji: 奉納. These mean “donated” or “offered” and are pronounced “hounou.” They’re read right to left.
Oh, and one more thing: Fushimi-Inari-Taisha enshrines the god Inari, which is the god of the rice harvest, commerce and business. The messenger of the god Inari is the fox. You will see fox images all over the shrine. They sometimes have a key in their mouth, which represents the key to the rice storehouse in ancient times.
(Ref: https://www.insidekyoto.com/fushimi-inari-hike-kyoto)
This was a good hike with a ton of torri gates theoughout the path. It took a whilw to wall the whole trail but it was nice and peaceful. There are numerous shrines throughout the trail and a couple of beautiful scenic views of Kyoto.
Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社) is the head shrineof the kami Inari, located in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. The shrine sits at the base of a mountain also named Inari which is 233 metres (764 ft) above sea level, and includes trails up the mountain to many smaller shrines which span 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) and take approximately 2 hours to walk up.
First and foremost, Inari is the kami of rice, but merchants and manufacturers have traditionally worshiped Inari as the patron of business. Each of the torii at Fushimi Inari Taisha has been donated by a Japanese business.
This popular shrine is said to have as many as 32,000 sub-shrines (bunsha (分社)) throughout Japan.
The shrine became the object of imperial patronage during the early Heian period. In 965, Emperor Murakami decreed that messengers carry written accounts of important events to the guardian kami of Japan. These heihaku were initially presented to 16 shrines, including the Inari Shrine.
From 1871 through 1946, Fushimi Inari-taisha was officially designated one of the Kanpei-taisha (官幣大社), meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines.
The earliest structures were built in 711 on the Inariyama hill in southwestern Kyoto, but the shrine was re-located in 816 on the request of the monk Kūkai. The main shrine structure was built in 1499.[6]At the bottom of the hill are the main gate (楼門, rōmon, “tower gate”) and the main shrine (御本殿, go-honden). Behind them, in the middle of the mountain, the inner shrine (奥宮, okumiya) is reachable by a path lined with thousands of torii. To the top of the mountain are tens of thousands of mounds (塚, tsuka) for private worship.
The highlight of the shrine is the rows of torii gates, known as Senbon torii. The custom to donate a torii started to spread since the Edo period (1603 – 1868) to get a wish to become true or to thank for a wish that became true. Along the main path there are around 1,000 torii gates.
Foxes (kitsune), regarded as the messengers, are often found in Inari shrines. One attribute is a key (for the rice granary) in their mouths.
Unlike most Shinto shrines, Fushimi Inari Taisha, in keeping with typical Inari shrines, has an open view of the main object of worship (a mirror).
A drawing in Kiyoshi Nozaki’s Kitsune: Japan’s Fox of Mystery, Romance and Humor in 1786 depicting the shrine says that its two-story entry gate was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
The shrine draws several million worshipers over the Japanese New Year, 2.69 million for 3 days in 2006 reported by the police, the most in western Japan.
(Ref: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fushimi_Inari-taisha)
Beautiful shrine and one of the most famous to visit in Kyoto. Alot.of tourists but well worth the time to see.
Jojakko-ji Temple is a quaint temple on the main Arashiyama tourist route that offers a chance to escape the crowds that plague the rest of the area.
Usually deserted, except in the fall foliage season, Jojakko-ji Temple is a fine spot to sit and gather your thoughts while exploring Arashiyama. It’s got a fine little pagoda and is surrounded by soothing greenery. Like nearby Nison-in Temple, it’s not a must-see, but it’s good for those of a solitary mindset.
Near To Here:
Jojakko-ji Temple is located in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district. See our complete list of things to do in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.
(Ref: https://www.insidekyoto.com/jojakko-ji-temple-arashiyama)
Okochi Sansō (大河内山荘 Ōkōchi Sansō, literally “Okochi Mountain Villa”) is the former home and garden of the Japanese jidaigeki (period film) actor Denjirō Ōkōchi in Arashiyama, Kyoto. The villa is open to the public for an admission fee and is known for its gardens and views of the Kyoto area. Several of the buildings are recorded as cultural properties by the national government.
Ōkōchi Sansō is on the slopes of Mt. Ogura behind Tenryūji Temple and next to Arashiyama Park and the Sagano bamboo grove in Ukyō-ku, Kyoto.
The closest regular train station (about a 15-minute walk) is Arashiyama on the Keifuku Electric RailroadArashiyama Main Line. Torokko Arashiyama Stationon the special Sagano Scenic Railway is even closer.
The grounds of the villa encompass approximately 2 hectares and feature multiple buildings, including a Japanese-style home, tea houses, and shrines, amidst carefully maintained Japanese gardens.[1]They were built up over a period of 30 years by Ōkōchi to function as one of his residences. They were opened to the public after his death in 1962. The main structures were built in the 1930s and 1940s except for the Jibutsudō, which is a Meiji Erabuilding that was moved to this site.[2]
The gardens were designed to show off each of the four seasons.[1] Since the villa is on top of a hill, the city of Kyoto, Mt. Hiei, and the Hozu River gorge are well visible from points on the grounds.
Four of the structures on the grounds were recorded as tangible cultural properties (tōroku yūkei bunkazai) by the national government in 2003:
There is an open-air museum dedicated to Denjirō Ōkōchi and an observation platform. Matcha tea and a sweet are included in the price of admission and are available at the main tea house.
(Ref: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Ck%C5%8Dchi_Sans%C5%8D)
Beautiful views from the garden and the temple, located at the heart of Arashiyama.
Tenryū-ji (天龍寺), formally known as Tenryū Shiseizen-ji (天龍資聖禅寺), is the head temple of the Tenryū-ji branch of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, located in Susukinobaba-chō, Ukyō Ward, Kyoto, Japan. The temple was founded by Ashikaga Takaujiin 1339, primarily to venerate Gautama Buddha, and its first chief priest was Musō Soseki. Construction was completed in 1345. As a temple related to both the Ashikaga family and Emperor Go-Daigo, the temple is held in high esteem, and is ranked number one among Kyoto’s so-called Five Mountains. In 1994, it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto“.
( Ref: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenry%C5%AB-ji)
In the early Heian period, Empress Tachibana no Kachiko, wife of Emperor Saga, founded a temple called Danrin-ji on the site of present-day Tenryū-ji. The temple fell into disrepair over the next four hundred years.
In the mid-thirteenth century, Emperor Go-Saga and his son Emperor Kameyama turned the area into an imperial villa which they called “Kameyama Detached Palace” (亀山殿 Kameyama-dono). The name “Kameyama”, which literally means “turtle mountain”, was selected due to the shape of Mt. Ogura, which lies to the west of Tenryū-ji—it is said to be similar to the shape of a turtle’s shell. All Japanese temples constructed after the Nara period have a sangō, a mountain name used as an honorary prefix. Tenryū-ji’s sangō, Reigizan (霊亀山, “mountain of the spirit turtle”), was also selected due to the shape of Mt. Ogura.
(Ref: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenry%C5%AB-ji
The palace was converted into a temple in the middle of the Muromachi period[1] at the behest of Ashikaga Takauji, who wished to use the temple to hold a memorial service for Emperor Go-Daigo. Ashikaga became the shōgun in 1338, and Go-Daigo died in Yoshino the following year. Ashikaga opposed the failed Kenmu Restoration, which was started by Emperor Go-Daigo, and the emperor decreed that Ashikaga be hunted down and executed. When his former-friend-turned-enemy died, Ashikaga recommended that Zen monk Musō Soseki construct a temple for his memorial service. It is said that the temple was originally going to be named Ryakuō Shiseizen-ji (暦応資聖禅寺), Ryakuō being the name of the reign of the emperor of the northern court at that time. However, Ashikaga Takauji’s younger brother, Tadayoshi supposedly had a dream about a golden dragon flitting about the Ōi River (also known as the Hozu River), which lies south of the temple, and the temple was instead named Tenryū Shiseizen-ji—the term “Tenryū” literally means “dragon of the sky”. In order to raise the funds to build the temple, two trading vessels called Tenryūji-bune were launched in 1342. A ceremony was held on the seventh anniversary of Emperor Daigo II’s death in 1345, which functioned as both a celebration of the completion of the temple, and as Daigo’s memorial.
(Ref:
During the 1430s, the temple entered into a tributaryrelationship with the Imperial Court of Ming-dynastyChina. Chinese imperial policy at the time forbade formal trade outside of the Sinocentric world order, and both the Japanese imperial court and Ashikaga shogunate refused to submit to Chinese suzerainty. This arrangement with the Tenryū-ji allowed for formal trade to be undertaken between the two countries, in exchange for China’s control over the succession of chief abbot of the temple.[2] This arrangement gave the Zen sect, and Tenryū-ji more specifically, a near monopoly on Japan’s legitimate trade with China. In conjunction with the temple of the same name in Okinawa, as well as other Zen temples there, Tenryū-ji priests and monks played major roles in coordinating the China–Okinawa–Japan trade[3] through to the 19th century.
The temple prospered as the most important Rinzai temple in Kyoto, and the temple grounds grew to roughly 330,000 square meters (33 hectares; 82 acres) in size, extending all the way to present-day Katabira-no-Tsuji station on the Keifuku Railway. At one time, the massive grounds were said to contain some 150 sub-temples, however, the temple was plagued with numerous fires, and all of the original buildings have been destroyed. During the Middle Ages, the temple met with fire six times: in 1358, 1367, 1373, 1380, 1447 and 1467. The temple was destroyed again during the Ōnin War and subsequently rebuilt, but in 1815 it was lost to yet another fire. The temple was severely damaged during the Kinmon Incident of 1864, and most of the buildings as they stand today are reconstructions from the latter half of the Meiji period. The garden to the west of the abbey, created by Musō Soseki, shows only traces of its original design.
(Ref: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenry%C5%AB-ji
Arashiyama (嵐山 Storm Mountain) is a district on the western outskirts of Kyoto, Japan. It also refers to the mountain across the Ōi River, which forms a backdrop to the district. Arashiyama is a nationally designated Historic Site and Place of Scenic Beauty.
Bamboo Forest, or Arashiyama Bamboo Grove or Sagano Bamboo Forest, is a natural forest of bambooin Arashiyama, Kyoto, Japan. The forest consists of several pathways for tourists and visitors. The Ministry of the Environment considers it a part of the soundscape of Japan.
Prior to 2015 there was a charge to access the area.
The forest is not far from Tenryū-ji Temple, which is the location of Rinzai School, and the Nonomiya Shrine.
(Ref: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_Forest_(Kyoto,_Japan))
Beautiful forest with a few temples anf shrines within it. The weather was cloudy but it was still an enjoyable visit.
This is a tiny cafe/restaurant in the small town of Kyotango, in Kyoto Prefecture, on the northern coast of Japan, on the Sea of Japan. An elderly couple attend to this restaurant and they take their time to make the food here. The food may take longer than most places, but it is delicious and the ambiance is unique and very enjoyable. The atmosphere is set with antiques decorated all over and dim lighting. The front entrance is covered with beautiful flowers in the spring and summer seasons, going into the fall. I enjoyed my meal here and loved the decor in and out. The cafe/restaurant is located in an office building, but walking into it feels like traveling through time to the past.
(Ref: VoyagerTree.com author and owner)
This is a nice local shrine with the owl theme. The is a beautiful pond and minu zen garden here as well. Very friendly staff that provided me with a temple signature in my Goshuin book.
This was a nice shrine with owl ornaments all over. My spirit animal is the owl so I particularly liked this temple.
A modern park and cemetery located on a hill about 1 km northeast of Himeji Castle.
The symbolic building, a 38 meter high stupa, was a gift from India’s Prime Minister Nehru with a desire for eternal peace and happiness for humans. He consecrates the ashes of Buddha and the statue of Shakasanzon and the ten principal disciples. With a pure and solemn environment, the park is rich in nature and is great for sightseeing. In early April, the cherry blossoms are beautiful and in mid-April, azaleas on the mountain in red, white and pink are stunning. The view from the observation deck simply is breathtaking so don’t miss it when you’re there!
(Ref: http://jpguide.co/japan/2017/08/29/5-treasures-to-find-in-himeji/)
A Cemetery might seem like a strange site to visit for it’s beauty, but this is a beautiful cemetery and park.
The night before I came here I heard my grandmother had passed away in her sleep, so I lit a candle in this temple for her. She was a great woman and she will always live on in my memories and heart. Te quiero abuela.
Koko-en Garden (好古園 Kōko-en) (sometimes called Himeji Kōko-en) is a Japanese garden located next to Himeji Castle in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.[1] It was constructed in 1992 at the site of the lord’s west residence, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Himeji municipality. The garden is about 3.5 hectares and has nine different gardens.[2] In 2017, Koko-en signed a sister garden agreement [3] with Ro Ho En, the Japanese Friendship Garden, in its sister city, Phoenix, Arizona.
(Ref: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koko-en_Garden)
Absolutely beautiful collection of gardens. A must see when in the Himeji area.
