Keeping the skill
In Japan, I was invited to Guncan-Gima, where there is a Zen-Buddhist temple.
When I arrived, I was surprised: a fine structure was situated in the middle of a great forest, but had a vast waste land beside it. I asked the reason for this, and the person in charge explained:
– It is the site of the first construction. Every twenty years, we destroy this temple you see before you, and rebuild it next door.
“In this way, the monks, be they carpenters, bricklayers or architects, have the opportunity to exercise their skills, and teach their apprentices in practice. We also show that nothing in life is eternal – and that even temples are in a constant process of refinement.”
