TOKYO, JAPAN, March 6, 2009: An increasing number of famous temples that attract large numbers of visitors have banned smoking throughout their premises, echoing antismoking measures adopted by public facilities in recent years.
Some temples have merely restricted smoking to designated areas inside their grounds; but at the Sotoshu sect’s Koganji temple in central Tokyo–popularly known as Toge-nuki Jizo-son–a total ban has been in place for two years. Everyone, including worshippers, priests and stallkeepers, must comply with the rule.
Meiki Kuruma, the temple’s chief priest since 2005, explains, “Zen’s benefits are ruined if you smoke.” When Kuruma first arrived at the temple, ashtrays were a common feature everywhere except in the building housing the main hall. The temple’s 8 million annual visitors could smoke freely almost everywhere, and some of them would casually discard their cigarette stubs within the temple grounds.
Kuruma, who used to work as a cardiologist, said he could not allow smoking within the temple. He removed all the ashtrays and declared a total ban within the temple’s grounds.
Some people welcome the bans, but others insist they are not in keeping with Buddha’s teachings, pointing out that Buddha never banned the practice. But Kuruma explains, “Buddha lived in an age without tobacco. This is the reason why Buddhism doesn’t prohibit smoking. As a doctor and priest, I’ll continue to urge people to stop smoking.”
“This temple’s main Buddhist deity is Jizo Bosatsu, to whom we pray for long life. Actions that shorten a person’s life span aren’t acceptable here,” he said.