Eikandō Zenrinji

This guide to Eikandō Zenrinji in Kyoto tells the story of the monk Yokan, circling a golden statue of Amida Buddha at dawn in February 1182, and the moment tradition says the statue moved. It follows Yokan's life beyond that morning, from the vow that shaped the statue's unusual pose to the free hospital he built for the poor and the temple's decision to take his name. Stand close to the small wooden Amida and notice which way its head is turned.