Moss is the stuff of the Gods. It keeps the tree roots moist in dry weather. It looks nice. It feels so soft. And it's green, so as to do us a favor and make some oxygen. I found this VIP moss at Ginkakuji, the Silver Pavilion in Kyoto.

I had been peddling around the city trying to fill up a book for Buddhist Pilgrims, a passport to enlightenment of sorts. But, I won't pretend, it's all about the stamps. I even get the stamps, which include some wicked calligraphy which I can barely read, artfully filling up the page around a particular temple or shrine's inked seal. Cool stuff.

This pilgrimage record is supposed to be for Japanese going to various Buddhist temples to work off some bad Karma and get a little closer to a Zen-based lifestyle. Its one of those do-it-yourself souvenirs that you won't find at the airport.

You just go to a certain counter (Signed in Japanese) and pay 300 yen for the monk's or nun's talents with a horsehair calligraphy brush. And all of the seals/stamps are different. I am about halfway to filling it up. Expect some stamp images here soon.

Happy pilgrimage!