ABOUT ZENSŌ
About the name ZENSŌ, and its mark.
THE NAME
Zen, and the Ensō window.
THE MARK
□A mind caught up
in daily things
△A mind with
one corner gone
◯A mind with no corners,
now round
Take one corner from a □ and it becomes a △; take them all, and it becomes a ◯. Born from the Ensō window at the entrance, this mark carries a wish: that in the time you spend here, the corners of your mind may wear away, even a little.
THREE VALUABLE WORDS
When we built this lodge, we asked ourselves which values should guide us. From the many words we have met over the years, we chose three that we hope our guests will come to know and feel.
A word that means “the knack of finding good fortune by happy accident.” When a guest and someone from the town happen to meet, the small story that begins there becomes the finest spice of a journey. We create the occasion for it.
A state in which every detail is attended to. They say God dwells in the details. We put our heart into every corner of the lodge, to create time you can taste nowhere else.
To repay a kindness, and to pay it forward. Everything is connected, link after link. The gratitude we receive from one guest passes on to the next; from the town to our guests, and from our guests back to the town. That cycle gives rise to new encounters.
HOST
When you hear “shukubo,” many people may picture early mornings and vegetarian temple meals. Some may feel it is hard to reach for, with little freedom.
At ZENSŌ, we see life at a temple as a gradient, and let you choose how deeply you take part in your stay. We do not lower the temple’s threshold too far, and we treasure the atmosphere that should remain. If you are curious about temples but still need a little courage, this lodge is made for you.
Host: Shunko, Vice Abbot of Horinji Temple
HORINJI TEMPLE
ZENSŌ is inside Horinji Temple in Chiyoda, Gunma. We renovated the detached house where the vice abbot lived as a child into a lodge.
The main hall enshrines a Shaka Triad made by a Buddhist sculptor of the Shichijo Bussho workshop in Kyoto. Guests may also join the morning service.
