Exotic Beauty of Kin-gyu-in

Myoshin-ji Temple complex is one of my favorite places to visit in Kyoto, simply because I don't know what delights I am going to find each time I go there. At Kin-gyu-in, the outer gate was open, so I stepped in. Nobody was there, and the inner gate was closed. I turned back to leave when something caught my eye. And then something else. And something else again. First was a stone that was being used to weigh down the branch of a gorgeous pine tree. Second were some unique wooden statues. Third was a peak into the inner garden, where a bare-chested monk was working on the sand design. All of this in the space of five minutes, and just as I was about to leave!