We uploaded the finished version of the mini-doc/sketch of Tamagawa Daishi that we’ve been working on. It was an amazing experience to be able to film inside the tunnel, to see the goma ritual, and to listen to the abbot speak. The three of us took a photo after the shoot to save as a keepsake, but I was exhausted from operating the gimbal, so my eyes were barely open.

Here’s a brief description of the video for some context:

“A mini-doc/sketch of Tamagawa Daishi, a Shingon Buddhist temple tucked away in the Tokyo suburbs. The temple sits on top of an underground spiritual space in the shape of the womb mandala, which itself is a representation of the final realization of the Primordial Buddha – a kind of spiritual mise en abyme. The abbot elucidates the significance of shadows and the nature of this pure dimension both figuratively and literally beneath the surface.”