Aloha!Welcome to day 6 in Hawaii! Today the group traveled to Chozen-Ji.Here our guide Lily gave us a tour of temple. Everything was extremely beautiful! It was a peaceful ambience throughout the entire property. We learned about Tanouye Tenshin, who studied martial arts and SunβTsu. In 1972, he co-founded Chozen-Ji and he started zen training under Omori Sogen. Omori Sogen began his journey in Japan with studying Jiki Shinkage-ryu Kenjutsu under Master Yamada Jirokichi. He also began his zen training in Japan under Seisetsu Roshi. We practice zen meditation for fifteen minutes, followed by a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony. The tea was matcha tea and it was very healthy and delicious. Then we all tired kendo training for about half of an hour and it was an extremely hard work out! After that we all got our bento boxes. So many new flavors and delicious combinations. We left Chozen-ji and went to the Dole Plantation for some pineapple Dole whip. It was very sweet! Our tour guide Josh decided to take us to some of the best lookouts and beaches around the island. The first beach was called Haleiwa beach. There we saw a beautiful sea turtle who was taking a nap and having a snack. It was an incredible experience. Next, we went to LΔβie Point State Wayside for some more incredible views. Next, we stopped at some local shops for some shopping and shaved ice. Last stop was Eternity beach. This beach was absolutely gorgeous! It was the perfect way to wrap up our stay in Hawaii. That evening, that group wanted to have one last meal together. During the meal, the group gave a token of appreciation to Dr.Vento and Dr.Chen for coming on this trip. The restaurant was also informed about Dr.Chenβs 15 year anniversary in the United States.
