Today I took the train from Kyoto (the capital for a thousand years up until about 1868), to Nara, which was the capital for a while before that. I’ll be checking out some very old temples here tomorrow and then heading to Koyasan the next morning to stay at Shingon Buddhist temples there for two nights. It sounds like they have very traditional lodgings and food, and it’s a beautiful place to wander around. I’ll be returning to Kyoto this weekend before finally going to the Tekishinjuku International Zendo for four days next week. After that I’ll have one day in Tokyo before flying home for Christmas. I’ve heard from a few of you, and I hope everyone is doing well.