Minobu san

One of my favorite places i teach is in a city known as Minobu. The city is named after the mountain of minobu, which is really famous because there are tons of old buddhist temples clustered at the top of it. The school i teach at is also at the top of the mountain, near the temples. It is a highschool whose students, primarily, plan to become buddhist monks when they graduate. They learn chanting, drumming, and meditation, in addition to reg subjects like english (which I teach them). The first day I attended the school I got the chance to witness a monthly ceremony they do in one of the temples. All of the students chant from these books printed with sacred text, while drums are beaten at a increasingly rappid speed. Around them incense burns and those watching have the oportunity to approach these little tables and place a bit of ash on their forheads and bow. I got to go up to the front and participate in this part of the ceremony. It was all so beautiful and tranquil.