Standing Into Danger: Byodo-In Temple in O'ahu

Friday, March 21, 2025

An Unusual Place

Oʻahu⁩ continues to surprise me, and I was really surprised

when our friends Kathy and Bruce took Terry and me to an unusual place

nestled at the bottom of Oahu's lovely Ko'olau Mountains.

Pali of the Ko'olau Mountains

Valley of the Temples Memorial Park

⁨Kāneʻohe, ⁨Oʻahu⁩, Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

March 14, 2025

I first knew Kathy when we attended high school,

and we reconnected a couple of years ago in Honolulu.

Since then, Kathy and her husband Bruce have been generous

with their friendship, hospitality, and time,

and they have introduced us to special places in O'ahu.

So when Kathy turned into an expansive cemetery

in Kāneʻohe on the windward side of the island,

I knew it was for a good reason.

Bruce and Kathy

Byodo-In Temple Grounds

March 14, 2025

The cemetery, Valley of the Temples Memorial Park, is the final resting place

for thousands of Buddhist, Shinto, Protestant, and Catholic residents of Hawaiʻi.

And its most beautiful area contains the magnificent Byodo-In Temple.

The Byodo-In Temple at the Base of the Ko'olau Mountains

March 24, 2016

The Byodo-In Temple

The temple is a non-practicing Buddhist shrine,

a scaled-down replica of the almost 1,000-year-old Byodo-in temple in Uji, Japan.

Byodo-in Temple means “Temple of Equality – not to discriminate,"

and it welcomes all people, regardless of their religious beliefs.

The main building of the temple is the Phoenix Hall or Hoo-do.

It contains a central hall, twin wing corridors,

and a tail hallway, resembling a phoenix in flight.

Surrounding the temple are koi-filled ponds, colorful flowers,

lush greenery, and stately trees where you can wander freely.

The Tail and Right Wing of the Phoenix

An Inviting Forest Floor

Trimezia (Apostle Plant, Apostle's Iris, Fan Iris, Poor Man's Orchid, Walking Iris)

After crossing the bridge to the temple's grounds, we did what most visitors do first,

stop at the Bell House and ring its sacred bell, or bon-sho.

Doing so is said to bring you a happy, blessed, and long life.

The bell, cast from bronze and tin in Osaka, Japan,

is five feet high, weighs three tons, and rings with a calming resonance.

We each struck the bell with a soft wooden log, or shu-moku.

During our visit we continued to hear the voice of the bell rung by other hopeful people.

The Bell House and bon-sho

A good Strike!

After ringing the bon-sho, we walked to the Meditation Pavilion,

passing by koi ponds, a waterfall, and flowers running among the trees.

Terry really enjoyed relaxing in this peaceful space.

Serenity

Azaleas

Tranquility

For me, the best part of our visit, was stepping inside Phoenix Hall

and standing before the stunning Amida Buddha hovering above lotus leaves.

The nine-foot wooden statue of the Buddha is covered with gold lacquer

and finished by gold leaf, giving it a lustrous sheen.

Directly behind the Buddha are smaller sculptures of bodhisattvas, or enlightened beings.

The Amida Buddha represents the teachings of Buddhism about life and death.

I am not a Buddhist, but I felt a profound calmness looking at the serene Buddha.

The Amida Buddha Surrounded by Bodhisattvas

After leaving this deeply spiritual space, we wandered around the beautiful grounds

spending time with our good friends Kathy and Bruce.

Terry and Bruce Exploring

Kathy and the Byodo-in Temple

It's hard to beat a special day in a special place with special friends.

I'm linking to Tom's Aloha Friday, Nicole's Friday Face Off, and Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date,

For Tom: Aloha ~ Big thrills in the beautiful land of Aloha!

Catching a Wave

Sunset Point Beach Park

Pūpūkea⁩, ⁨Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

March 14, 2025

For Nicole: Koi Faces! ~ Koi fish were swimming in ponds throughout the Byodo-In Temple grounds. In Japanese culture, koi symbolize perseverance, good fortune, and courage. They are seen as a metaphor for overcoming obstacles, and are prized for their beauty and longevity.

Hungry, Hopeful Koi Looking for a Handout

Byodo-In Temple Grounds

Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

March 14, 2025

A Favorite Face ~ Little Laki

Ignoring the Treats I Have for Him

International, Market Place, Waikiki, Hawaiʻi⁩, ⁨United States⁩

March 15, 2025

For Rain: Microphone ~ I always enjoy seeing Rich Embry of Alter Ego LV when I'm in Las Vegas. Alter Ego performs downtown on Fremont Street along with other talented bands.

Rich Embry

Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

July 18, 2023

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be

Friday, March 28, 2025 🤞

Books Read in 2026

"18 Days in Heaven" by Gale Poirot
"A Serial Killer's Daughter: My Story of Hope, Love, and Overcoming" by Kerrie Rawson
"Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life" by Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD.
"Is Math Real? How Simple Questions Lead Us to Mathematics Deepest Truths" by Eugenia Cheng
"Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir
"Tell Me Everything" by Elizabeth Strout
"The Covenant of Water" by Abraham Verghese
"The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity" by David Graeber and David Wengrow
"The Life Impossible" by Matthew Haig
"The Lord go the Rings" by JRR Tolkien
"The Match" by Harlan Corben
"The Night the Path Disappeared" by Terri Bergen
"The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper" by Roland Allen
"Theo of Golden" by Allen Levi
"Think Twice" by Harlan Corben
"Why Christianity Must Change Or Die" by John Shelby Spong

Standing Into Danger

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Friday, March 21, 2025

An Unusual Place

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