Daimonji – Along the Higashiyama Trail to Kyoto’s Mountain of Light
A quiet hike from the Himukai Shrine to the Daimonji Mountain above Kyoto – through caves, forests, and light to the great fire symbol in the sky.
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Buddhism originated in northern India in the 5th century BCE, founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha. Its purpose is the cessation of suffering caused by ignorance, craving, and attachment. At the heart of Buddhist teaching are the Four Noble Truths: life involves suffering; the cause of suffering is desire; the cessation of suffering is possible; and the path leading to it is the Noble Eightfold Path. This path encompasses right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration — guiding practitioners toward liberation from the cycle of rebirth (Samsara).
A central doctrine is Anatta, the teaching of non-self: the individual is not a permanent entity but a dynamic process composed of body, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. This understanding nurtures compassion and equanimity toward all living beings. Through meditation, awareness is cultivated, enabling insight into impermanence and the nature of mind.
Over time, various schools developed — the Theravada tradition, preserving early teachings; the Mahayana tradition, emphasizing the Bodhisattva ideal of selfless enlightenment; and Zen, focusing on direct, wordless realization.
Today, Buddhism is often seen both as a religion and a philosophy of life. Its mindfulness practices influence psychology, neuroscience, and ethics. Concepts such as emptiness, interdependence, and compassion resonate in modern debates on consciousness and ecology.
Buddhism thus represents a path of insight without dogma — a timeless invitation to awareness, kindness, and inner freedom.
