Seiryōji (Saga Shakadō) Temple

This guide to Seiryoji, also known as Saga Shakado, in Kyoto follows the monk Chonen, who sailed from Japan to Song-dynasty China in the tenth century chasing a legend of the very first Buddha statue ever carved, commissioned by an Indian king while the Buddha still walked the earth. It traces how Chonen found what was said to be that original, had a twin carved around 985, and sailed home two years later to build this temple around it. You'll hear about the set of silk organs sealed inside the statue's wooden body along with scrolls and coins. Ask about the temple's rule on this hibutsu, a hidden Buddha considered too sacred to look at.