Our stay at Tenri was like something from a movie, like nothing either of us had ever experienced. At the epicentre of this town lays the Sanctuary, an enormous and beautiful temple which houses the Jiba, which is the exact spot where it is believed that God created man kind. Every morning just before sun rise at about 5am, the majority of the town would flock to morning prayer, draped in their black robes and full of smiles and bows. Prayer consisted on about 45 minutes on your knees bowing, humming songs you cant sing and learning 200 year old hand dances with more meaning than we could have fathomed. Afterward at 6.30 its back to our dormitory kitchen for dried fish, rice and seaweed mmm. In the evening right on sunset at 7pm we do the same thing again.
It was so peaceful at Tenri we really got to sit back and absorb our experiences not only at the temple but over the past 3 weeks, whether we were sitting in our room listening to the Bamboo sway outside or skipping prayer to have beers on the roof and what ch the sunset. We learnt some invaluable lessons in Tenri and met some inspiring new friends who will not be forgotten.
