Did you know there was a Buddhist temple in Northern Virginia? I had heard about the Ekoji Buddhist Temple last year, but only recently got around to checking it out. I thought it might be a good idea to learn more about the religion since I had been wanting to do the 88 Temple Pilgrimage for years now. I'm actually not a religious person at all though, and my motives for wanting to do the pilgrimage has more to do with enjoying Japanese food and beautiful hikes for days on end. Finding spirituality and reaching enlightenment is secondary. My mom on the otherhand, seems to take this pretty seriously. She has already completed one circuit (by bus) and has started another one this year (she will do it in 2 trips). I'm not anti-religion though, and I do tend to agree with Buddhist philosophies. Perhaps more meaning would be added to my pilgrimage if I made an effort to learn more about Buddhism. Hence, my interest in Ekoji.
Ekoji temple offers regular Sunday services, Thursday night meditations, taiko (drum) lessons, and various other events through out the year. Next week they will begin Buddhism 101 classes prior to service. This is what I am most interested in. I could use some peace and tranquility in my life so the meditation would be nice, but it conflicts with my BJJ/MMA training. I did check out their service, and it was a bit too church like for me so I doubt I will be a regular there. In any case, if you have any interest in Buddhism, it's worth checking out.
So when am I going to do this pilgrimage? Who knows.... I would actually like to do it the traditional way on foot, but that requires 6-8 weeks of time off of work. A drive through version is about 2 weeks. A hybrid of walking & cheating (hitching rides or rail for the longer stretches between temples) might be doable in about a month. This is what I am leaning towards but still requires a nice chunk of time off. If I could actually stop taking vacations maybe I'll be able to save up enough by next year....
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