Kennin-ji Temple is the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto and one of the most beautiful. It belongs to the Rinzai tradition and was founded in 1202 by Yousai, who is also recognized as the founder of the Tea Ceremony.
There are several options for meditation in Kennin-ji:
1. Go during the week right when they open or even better at lunch time and find a quiet spot over looking the Square/Circle/Triangle Garden or the Kare Sansui, slip on your sunglasses and enjoy the extraordinary energy of the place.
2. Show up on the second Sunday of any month at 8am for a group meditation. Anyone "with will" can participate and there is no charge and no reservation required. The schedule is they do Zazen twice from 8 am. (20 minutes × 2 times), then the songs, and finally a story from the head of the temple. The session ends around 10:00am.
3. Schedule a group meditation in advance. Information is here.
