Standing in front of a temple shrine in Kyoto I noticed people walking along a
path, picking up tea mugs, filling them with liquid and then placing them at
the front of the shrine. They bowed for a short prayer and strolled away.
I walked along the path and discovered two plastic baskets of tea cups, rinsed
and waiting to accompany a person's prayers as a small offering to a deity who's
name I never did find out.
The shrine was small by Kyoto standards, intimate, on a hill surrounded by
trees and large shrubs. Steep steps lead up to the front of the shrine.
The under side of the roof's eaves were elegantly decorated.
This temple is probably a sessha, an
auxiliary shrine dedicated to another
deity closely related to the deity of the
main temple.
Since the entrance was protected I thought
this might be a shinto shrine, a deity store-
house, a place for the kami to visit while
on earth.
Standing what I hoped was an appropriate
distance from the entrance I tried seeing into the dark interior. I saw nothing. I hope my curiosity (and some lack of faith) didn't offend. I ask the kami to find compassion for this western barbarian
