{Shikoku Hachijūhachikasho Meguri}
--Thoughts during Week Seven--
--Thoughts during Week Seven--
--5/10 Day Forty-Three--
I was up at six for breakfast at about a quarter after. It was the standard breakfast but, like she did at dinner last night, the owner sat there next to me and talked and talked and talked, on and on and on, incessantly, without end, about this and that, about nothing in particular, about everything in general, but she talked and talked and talked and talked, on and on and on and on and on, like she never had any intention of stopping or taking anything more than the minimal number of breaths, and it kept going seemingly forever until i was going crazy and felt like i was going to burst...
After a while i just couldn't deal with it so i simply told her is was delicious but that i wasn't all that hungry. I left by a quarter to seven with the onigiri bento that she had given all of us as settai. Luckily i ran into a convenience store within an hour and bought some OJ and a bag of donuts.
I left my backpack at the minshuku when i left and headed to Bangai 15 (Hashikuraji) with just the bare essentials. I walked along the highway for the first few hours before heading up along the side of the mountain on a small one and a half lane road. It, too, was busy, but not nearly as much as the highway - obviously.
By ten i had gotten to the bottom of the mountain where i had to start climbing and it took me the next hour and a half to get to the top. Bangai 15 is a huge temple complex built on two levels. To make it easier for the bus henro and others to get to the temple they have built a ropeway from the bottom of the mountain right to the front gate of the compound.
As i climbed there was no one else on the trail. To get to the compound, the last several hundred meters are climbed by walking up well over 700 stairs. When i arrived, the compound only had a few people in it. It was calm and relaxing and i enjoyed it while i bought an ice cream bar to eat. Then, as soon as i sat down and opened the ice cream, the ropeway arrived and off came a bus load of visitors, their bus guide, and the driver. :-)
When most of the crowd had disappeared from the Nôkyô window, i went and got my book stamped and then found that there were another set of over 250 steps to get to the main temple and Daishi temple up on the second level. I was pooped by the time i got up there. I didn't have the time to stay long since i still had to walk back 17.5 km (11 mi) to the minshuku. Today's total walk was going to be 35 km (22 mi) so i headed back down the mountain at noon.
Boy was i tempted to take the ropeway down the mountain. But, being the good person that i am, i didn't give in and made the walk back down the same way i came up. At the bottom of all those steps there is a restaurant called Ôsakaya. Back before the ropeway, cars used to (i'm speculating about all of this) drive up the road that i had walked up. You could still see the remains of what appeared to have been the parking lot under the new ropeway cables and towers.
Back then, business was probably good as people relaxed and ate or got something to drink after battling all those stairs and the heat. Now, however, since everyone takes the ropeway and no one drives, the restaurant gets no business. On my way up, the lights were off but the doors were open a crack. On my way down, the doors were wide open, but the lights were still off and a man i assume was the proprietor was sitting in a chair against the back wall just staring into space. When i said hello, he jumped, and then noticeable settled back down when it was obvious that i wasn't stopping. I feel sorry for him and his loss of business. But, you can't stand in the way of progress - a temple that wants to earn more money.
I walked along the same river that i saw the other day at Bangai 13. It was still beautiful, but the highway and cities along the banks detracted from what it was up in the mountains. I did, though, pass the dam and saw that it wasn't terribly big.
When i got back to the minshuku i found that i was lucky to have gotten the room again tonight. While there were only three of us last night, it is packed tonight. From what i gathered over dinner, all seven of us are going up to Unpenji (Temple 66) in the morning. Two women are leaving before six but the rest of us will leave after breakfast around six-thirty.
They still say i will be at the top within three hours. We'll see, but i hope so as i have 28 km (17 mi) to go by the end of the day. I still haven't reserved a room for tomorrow so must do that first thing in the morning - maybe from the compound of Unpenji. I was just too tired to stop and do it this afternoon. Even though i knew i was supposed to.
My feet are just sooooo tired. It takes all my energy to stand up after sitting down for a while and they hurt like the dickens for the first few minutes that i stand on them. After i walk for few minutes, i forget it and can walk with no problem, but if i stop to take a break i have to go through the same process over again. And today, they were just so tired that for the last 5 km (3 mi) i barely kept up a 4 km per hour (2.5 mi) pace. I felt like a turtle poking along.
By this time tomorrow, i will be in Kagawa Prefecture and at the outskirts of Takamatsu. Time is now getting short. Tomorrow i will stop just short of Temple 68, if possible. Then on Wednesday it is off towards Temple 73.
Akebono lost his second straight match tonight. When is this fat guy going to give up a lost cause and finally retire? I think that Takanohana is intentionally taking this tournament off so that his brother, Wakanohana, can get his first championship as Yokuzuna. They both know that Akebono will be no competition. Maybe we can count on Chiyotaikai or someone else to spoil it again?
More tomorrow.
--5/11 Day Forty-Four--
Today started off like any other day but, as you'll see later, ended unlike any day i've ever seen.
Was up for the standard breakfast, with an owner that talks more than anyone i have ever met, and out the door at six forty-five for the trip up to Temple 66. They told me this morning that the average time is usually two and a half hours but it can be done in less.
I passed another of the guests from Minshuku Okada after about thirty minutes and continued a slow, but deliberate pace. I surprised even myself when i got to the temple in just under two hours. I hadn't expected to get there so soon. But, i proceeded to goof off and relax there for the next hour and fifteen minutes.
While getting my Nôkyô book stamped i asked about the trail to take me to Bangai 16. I knew that the American i had met somewhere back around Temple 49 had told me that i shouldn't use it, but i saw no other way there without going a long way out of my way. In fact the American's words had been that he had heard that the trail was overgrown and full of lacquer trees and these can/will cause a very sever rash. He also said that he knew someone who had managed the trail and survived (his word, not mine), but in general he heard that it was a very bad trail.
Now, given that almost everything the American had told me was preceded by "I heard that..." i admit that i was going to try the trail anyway. If i went the only other way shown on the map i would more than double the trip - and i didn't have the time for that.
But, having heard all of that weeks ago, i wasn't taken by surprise when the Nôkyô man today immediately said "you can't use that trail." I never did understand more than 10-20% of what he said but i knew he was telling me no. He told me that i should take the ropeway down the mountain and then walk on the road over to Bangai 16.
I hemmed and hawed and said that i couldn't do that because i needed to walk, to which he replied that the trail was very bad and i couldn't use it. Of course, he said, it could be walked, but it was so bad that i should take the ropeway down and walk from there.
At that point i just didn't know what to do. I didn't want to take the ropeway and not walk. On the other hand, i didn't want to give up Bangai 16, and if i didn't take the ropeway there just wasn't enough time to walk the long way around. So, i just stood there and shuffled my feet, scratched my head, stared at the map, and said a few "Hmmm, what should i do?" "I just don't know." Hmmm, what should i do?" I was really frozen - i just didn't know what to do.
I guess that agonized the man enough because he finally said something like, "Well, there just might be one other trail you could use. It is rarely used and very few people know about it. And, there are no markers to tell you where it is." (Remember that i was only imagining 80% of what he was saying. I got 20% and filled in the rest with what i though made sense - to me)
I jumped on the new possibility and asked him about it. He said there is one other trail that leads down to the service road for the ropeway and if i could find that i could still walk down the mountain.
When i asked where the trailhead was, he drew a rough map that made absolutely no sense to me and i understood none of the explanation. But, i pointed to the road at the bottom of his map where he had told me to turn right and asked if that was the same as one in my guide book (where i was supposed to turn left).
He looked at my map and told me that the map i have been using is old, so it wouldn't show any of what he was telling me, so he drew the trails in on my map where he thought they would be. I thanked him several times and went off to take pictures.
While goofing off down by the vending machines, up walks the man that i had met at Temple 8 (i think) who had vowed to walk the henro trail for 1000 days. He gave me something he has written but i haven't yet looked at it. I assuming it is his story and why he is walking for so long. After talking for a little while i decided it was time to head out.
For the first time i think i knew what the original henro felt like. I had been given directions i barely understood, to a trail that is supposed to be hard to find and not well defined, and with no markings at all. I wasn't sure if i could find it, if it really went where i thought he said it would go, or what i was getting into. But, armed with a few new dotted lines on my map, and new found hope, i headed out.
From what he had drawn, i figured the trailhead had to be no more than 15 minutes down the bad trail towards Bangai 16. And, sure enough, right at 10 minutes i stumbled across a very small and obviously little used trailhead heading off to the side. I had no idea if this was it or not, but it seemed to be in the right place and it was going down - so i said that would have to be good enough for today. I followed it and after a few stumbling misstarts figured out the way to go.
This trail matched what Miyata-san's guide book described for the trail to Temple 65. It was steep and perilous. There were no trail markers what-so-ever, there were times that it went directly down the fall line of the mountain, the rest of the time it wasn't off the fall line by more than a few degrees, the there were many places where it was no more than 15 cm (6 in) wide, there were a few places where, when i stepped too far to the side, the edge of the trail gave way and rolled down the mountain, and there were a few times where i couldn't see the trail at all.
But, just as he had said, after about a half hour, or so, it took me to a road that could have been a service road for the ropeway. Assuming that is what it was, i headed in the downhill direction. When i got to the main road finally, where he had told me to turn right, i had to make a decision. He had been right on the money so far, so do i turn right like he said? Or follow my map and go left?
I had to go with him since his dotted line had gotten me this far, but i stopped a car and asked their advice just to make sure. They told me to go right as well. I went right. And again, sure enough, right where he had drawn it on my map was the road headed (and marked) to Bangai 16.
I arrived at Hagiwaraji (Bangai 16) a little after noon. It was a sleepy, quiet temple and there was no one other than me and the women running the concession stand there. I got my book stamped, took some pictures, and sat down to eat my onigiri bento that had been given to me at Minshuku Okada. The concession stand lady gave me free tea to drink while i ate and i had a quiet and pleasant lunch sitting under a little awning in the shade listening to Enka music playing over the loudspeakers in the compound.
After eating, i left and walked first to Temple 67 (Daikôji) and then my minshuku for the night (Wakamatsu Bekkan). Because i had goofed off so long at Umpenji i didn't get to my minshuku until a quarter to five. After checking in, i had a bath, and then it was soon dinnertime.
I called and made reservations for tomorrow night just outside Temple 73 and then called the people that are putting me up and throwing the fete for me on Thursday. I hope it isn't as much as i have been led to believe it will be. I hope it is a small affair. Well see....
At dinner, the only other customer eating while i was asked me if i was walking. When i said yes, he asked me if i believed in the power. I had no idea where this was going so simply told him no, i didn't believe. Now, if i knew he was a Star Wars fan, i might have been willing to say yes, but we were talking about the pilgrimage so i assumed he meant Kôbô Daishi's power.
He didn't say anything for a long time as we watched the news, but after a while he told me that he was a healer (he used the English word 'healer.'). And then he switched to a mixture of 70% broken English and 30% Japanese - i'm assuming to make sure i understood what he was telling me. I stuck with Japanese to make sure that he was answering the questions i was really asking.
He says that when he was eleven, he almost died in an accident (he's about my age now, i would guess). After that, he started getting powers, but his ability to cure other people didn't come until eight years ago. And it came on suddenly and all at once. Now, his full-time job is healing other people. He lives and practices in Shizuoka Prefecture on the main island of Honshu.
He says that he has come to Shikoku every year since finding that he has the power (this is the 8th time) and rides the pilgrimage on his bicycle in thanks for having been given these miraculous powers.
He then told me that, if it was convenient and i was interested, i should come to his room at a little after seven and i could watch him work since more customers would be coming then. I readily agreed and told him i would be there.
Sure enough an elderly lady and her daughter came by as expected and we all headed up to his room. I was worried that they would say "Hey, who is this Bozo," but they never said a word and just seemed to accept me sitting there in the room with them like it was no big deal. (As it turns out, the reason is that people came and went for the next few hours.)
Like any good doctor, he started off with several minutes of chitchat to put everyone at ease. He then told us all to sit with our palms facing up in front of us and lightly resting on our knees. He told us that, because of the power he gives off, our hands may feel warm and we may feel a tingling sensation in our fingers, but that we weren't supposed to worry as there is no harm at all. It is just his power trying to cure what hurts in our bodies. He then asked who was first. The daughter said she was OK, but it was her mother that needed help.
The mother was then asked to sit in the middle of the room in front of him and he asked her what was wrong. She complained of terrible pains in her left knee that made it hard to sit in seiza and walk (To sit in seiza, kneel on the floor and then sit back on your heals with the top of the toes flat on the floor). After a little more chitchat directed solely at the mother, he offered more reassurances that whatever she feels is just his power pulling the pain and disease from her body. She was not to worry.
He then seemed to meditate for a few minutes and then got on his knees directly in front of her and asked her to hold her hands in front of her, chest high, with the palms facing down. He held his hands above and below her's with his palms facing her hands.
He then brought his hands in towards hers and then back out again, repeating this process several times. It looked like he was practicing on an accordion. Once he finished the hands, he ran his hands around her body at just a few inches away from her clothes as if he was trying to feel her aura.
After all of that, he announced that he had isolated her problems as mainly in her left knee but also wondered about the right elbow and her lower back. When the woman confirmed the left knee and the lower back, he then set to work and started taking out the pain.
He once again, then put his hands side by side with the palms facing her body and went around her body again, this time very slowly and looking for the points in her body where the pain and/or disease was actually located (i guess it doesn't always reside where the pain manifests itself).
One he found a spot, he had to extract the pain and the disease, or whatever the cause may be. To do this, he put his hands together as if in a prayer and pointed them directly at the offending spot. He would be smiling and sometimes talking in a very reassuring manner all the while. All of the sudden, though, his hands would start to shake as they started to draw the pain out of her body. The more pain that he pulls out, the more violently his hands would shake.
He later said that it feels like needles being driven into his finger tips when the pain is entering his body. For that reason, as he is drawing the pain/disease out of her body and taking it into his, he will start to hiss and suck his breath through his teeth, and quietly cry, Owww, Ohhhh, Eeeee, Aaaaa.. etc. as if it were killing him. All this with the most contorted face imaginable. He looked like he was in very severe pain.
When he had taken all he could, he would break away and shake his hands violently to the side as he threw the pain out of his body as well. He would then repeat the process as often as necessary from where ever he found it necessary until he said she was now cured. The whole procedure took about 15 minutes.
Having announced that she was now cured, he asked her how she felt. She admitted she felt no more pain. He asked her to stand up and sit down a few times and she announced that it hadn't felt this good in a long time. She said the same thing when he asked her to walk in little circles a few times and said it would feel good then too. When she did that she had to confirm that she felt great.
He told her that, while he had now cured her, it might take a little while to get the body back to 100%. So, in the future if she thinks it will hurt, it will. But, if she thinks good thoughts and reminds herself that she has been cured so it shouldn't hurt, then it won't. He also told her that if it might hurt at sometime, a soak in a hot bath will also help it. She just had to keep in mind that it may take time to return to full health.
At this point everyone marveled at how wonderful he was and was obviously very happy. At that point the elder women moved to the side of the room with her daughter, and sat in a very peaceful seiza as if her knee was fine. At this point he started the exact same process over with a second woman.
After about five minutes the first woman (now cured) had to shift her left leg as the pain in her knee had come back and she couldn't continue to sit in seiza. She mentioned it to him but he just kept working on the other woman while turning to her, smiling, and saying that it was OK, she was cured and the pain would go away.
The mother and daughter apologized but said that they had to leave. They gave him an envelope with i don't know how much money in it. He refused one time saying that it wasn't necessary, but never tried to give it back to them. They thanked him and said that they would see him again next year. He said that that wouldn't be necessary since she was now cured but they laughed and said no, not for the mother, but probably for the daughter.
I also left after a few more minutes since it was obvious that he was going to do the exact same procedure with the next woman. She was complaining of pains around the left breast, but said that when she had x-rays (to which i wondered if that meant a mammogram?) the results were all negative and that they had found nothing. He reassured her and said that was good but he would take care of it.
A few other people (all women) came as i was leaving. He is very popular, it seems. So, what thinks you?
--5/12 Day Forty-Five-- I was awake a little before six, and after packing and the standard breakfast (Give my my cereal!) left just after seven o'clock.
Temples 68 and 69 (Kanonji) are both in the same compound and were literally just down the street from where i stayed, so i was there in about a half hour. I took a few pictures and got my book stamped for both temples before heading down the road to the next temple.
It was already getting hot and it was still early in the morning so i knew we were in for another very hot and tiring day. I got to Temple 70 (Motoyamaji) by eight thirty and met a man i have been playing leap frog with for two days. I had passed him on the trail up to Temple 66, and then met him as i was arriving at, and he was leaving, Temple 67 (Daikôji) late yesterday afternoon. After finishing at Motoyamaji, i took a break and had a can of OJ and a donut before heading out to find Temple 71 (Iyadaniji).
Since it was over 12 km (7.5 mi) i knew it would take several hours, but boy was i tired when i got to there (Iwadaniji) at noon. I was hot, tired, sweaty, and hungry.
While getting my Nôkyô book stamped, i asked where i would find the trail head that goes to Bangai 18 (Kaiganji). They gave me really odd directions that just didn't seem to coincide with my map book at all, but just like at Umpenji yesterday i couldn't really understand what the guy was saying. But there was a map out in front of the building so i took what i had understood and went out to look at the map.
While looking at the map, it dawned on me that he had given me the directions to drive there but not for the trail that goes directly there. So, i took off my boots again, went back in, and approached it in a different manner. I told him that i had understood his previous directions, but wanted the trail that went to the temple's okunoin, all the while pointing to it on my map. (I knew the Okunoin was on the trail i really wanted, so if i could find this, i was on my way) At that point someone else came out (who i could understand easily) and told me that the Okunoin doesn't exist. He said my map is wrong because neither does that trail. If i wanted to go to Kaiganji, i had to walk the long way that cars go.
That meant that my 4.6 km (3 mi) trip to Bangai 18 had now jumped to i didn't know what! I had no idea. But, i was already scheduled to walk 29 km (18 mi) today and this wasn't good news. But, i figured that since tomorrow was a goof off day, there was no reason to get too frustrated, so i decided to start this long walk into i didn't know what with a full stomach.
I stopped and ate at an old tea house just below the temple. I had a full lunch and several cups of water all the while talking to the owners brother, who also works there. It was actually very interesting. I couldn't understand more than 50% of what the older sister said to me, but could understand 100% of everything the brother said. That is very interesting because it is diametrically opposed to my normal situation.
One of the things he told me was that his sister is the third owner of this restaurant and has been here for over thirty years. The restaurant itself is a hundred years old and started as a Haiku Tea House. My imagination went wild with those images.
Since we were getting along so well, they gave me settai of a slice of cake and a cup of coffee. The sister was a little grumpy with me, but i attributed that to my not being able to understand what she was saying. At one point the brother said to her, "Listen, if you speak slowly and use standard Japanese, he'll understand." To which she spate back almost before he could close his mouth, "This is a form of Japanese study for him as well." I almost started laughing but had to take her side and told him that she was correct, it is a form of study for me. She said "see," and stomped off to the back. But, after that, i noticed that she was speaking a little slower and using more (but not all) standard Japanese. She seemed very happy after i took her side.
They gave me directions to Kaiganji that i could understand and i left for the trip down the hill. This is now day two in my attempt to feel like the original henro. I had no clear idea of where i was going other than a direction and didn't know what to expect.
As i got closer, i was told to ignore the tea house directions, and to turn at the next stop light. I asked several people along the road and they all confirmed that i was now on the right road. After walking about 30 more minutes, a woman pulled her car over and gave me settai of a chocolate fudgesicle with beans in it. We talked for a few minutes and then i went on my way.
I asked someone a little later if i was on the right road and they confirmed that i was and told me that it was about 10 more minutes. To make a long story short, i asked four people along the way the same question and they all told me go straight and it is about 10 minutes. As you can deduce, all those "just 10 minutes" added up to a lot more. It took me two hours and twenty minutes to get there. Take out the two breaks and i say that it is 10 km (6.2 mi) to the temple instead of the 4.6 km (3 mi) that the map said and i had built into my schedule. I was now seriously behind schedule.
I arrived at Kaiganji after four o'clock and wanted to take pictures and run, but found that the only person there was an old man in the Nôkyô room. He was reading a book and as he signed and stamped my book i asked and found out that he was reading about WWII. He had served for six years in the army in Manchukuo and Taiwan until the end of the war. He says that immediately after the war he came to this temple and has been here since. I didn't ask, but don't think he is the priest. He says that he still has vivid memories of his experiences as he reads the books. I wish i had had more time to sit and talk to him. If i ever come back to Shikoku, this is one person i will look for. I love it when i meet people that read about history and are willing to talk about it.
I ended up leaving a little past four-thirty, so called my minshuku from a nearby telephone and said i would be very late. It was now four-thirty, so i may not arrive until six-thirty. Given that, should i eat at a restaurant on the way or should i plan on eating at the minshuku. They told me not to go to a restaurant and that i should eat at the minshuku. I apologized, thanked them, and hit the road.
No one i met knew how to get to where i wanted to go. I was amazed. So, i just tried to find the road myself, using a landmark on the map. I ran across the post office and when i asked there, they pointed out the road i was looking for. I followed that but when the map book told me to turn, i ignored it and went straight. I ended up only following the map halfway to the minshuku and went my own way (with help of course) the rest of the way. Doing that, i was at the minshuku at six o'clock instead of six-thirty.
Nothing new to say after that. I took a bath, ate supper, and washed today's clothes.
Tomorrow i will visit Temples 72, 73, 74, and 75 - and be done before noon. At Temple 75 (Zentsuji) i will meet a man from Ôsaka who told me before leaving that he'd like to meet when i get here. We have made arrangements to meet at noon at the Nôkyô office. Then at four o'clock, i meet the friend of my Japanese teacher at a train station. They'll take me to their house for the night for dinner and a fête.
On Friday i will start by having them drop me off back at the station so i can walk from where they picked me up (and to where i had walked on Thursday afternoon). I will then head off to Bangai 17 at Mannô Pond (the one where Kôbô Daishi supervised the construction and it is still being used today). From there i will continue the trip around the circuit.
It feels weird to be telling people that ask that i will finish next Friday. It is hard to believe that all these steps, one after the other, have all added up to a thousand miles already. Today, for the first time since leaving, i saw a road sign that lists Tokushima (from where i started) as the next big town.
--5/13 Day Forty-Six-- Today was a quiet day and i was finished with all but an hour and a half of the walking part of the day by eleven o'clock.
After a leisurely breakfast, i started by visiting Temple 73 (Shushakaji) which was only a few blocks from the minshuku where i had spent the night. Since i had time to spare today, i decided to go up the mountain to the temple's okunoin. In Shushakaji's case, this okunoin has a special significance.
Legend says that when Kûkai was still a boy he climbed the mountain here and then threw himself off one of the cliffs. If he was supposed to live then the Buddha would certainly save him. If he wasn't meant to live then that would be that. (As a disclaimer, let me say outright that no readers of this should go out and try to duplicate that experiment!)
Since we know that Kûkai later went on to accomplish numerous things and scale artistic and religious heights, we know that the Buddhas must have come to his rescue. From the standpoint of Japanese history, we are very lucky that they did.
And, as is appropriate for such a historic place, you would expect a nice temple on the top where he is supposed to have made the leap. After arriving, though, i found a closed and locked (i admit, i tried the doors) temple in the middle of a construction zone. I rang the bell and went back down the mountain telling myself i should have know better than to have expected more.
But, after returning to pick up my pack at the Nôkyô office, the woman who stamped my book gave me a piece of cloth with something written on it as settai and i went back to Temple 72 (Mandaraji) which turned out to be immediately next door to my minshuku. From there i made my way to Temples 74 (Kozanji) and then over to the birthplace of Kûkai at Temple 75 (Zentsuji).
While taking a few pictures, i met Kevin and his family (the man who i was meeting), and after getting my book stamped we went off in search of a house that he knew we could relax in and visit. Both at the house and over lunch at a Chinese restaurant, Kevin and i visited while his wife patiently listened and his daughter bounced from one to the other of us making sure she got her share of the attention. (she was a great kid). We talked about a little of everything, but mainly compared notes on our mutual experiences on this henro trail and our impressions of the pilgrimage in general.
I had to leave at two-thirty because i had an hour and a half walk to Kotohira Station where i was meeting the younger sister of a friend of my Japanese teacher. They are putting me up for the night at their house. I got to the station at four as planned and found her standing in front of the station looking for me.
The rest of the night was one long party. After getting to the house and relaxing, i watched Sumo until six and then took a bath. While talking, it was decided that i would also spend Thursday night here and come back after walking to whatever temples i went to during the day. After that neighbors started to arrive and we had dinner at seven.
There were nine other people there besides myself and there was enough sushi, sashimi, grilled fish, fried chicken, and more to feed five times that many people. In addition, there was enough beer and sake floating around the table to float on of the US aircraft carriers.
Then night went by in a flash as we talked, laughed, ate, and drank until around eleven. I even surprised myself with how long i kept up my side of the conversation in Japanese. But, of course, no one would have pointed out my many blunders anyhow, i guess. I met some wonderful people here and will always remember their generosity. By eleven, though, i was so thoroughly drunk that there was no way i could write anything. I simply went to bed (like everyone else) and slept it off till Thursday morning. This was written later. :-)
--5/14 Day Forty-Seven-- Was up to a clear, cloudless, and hot day - but viewed through a head that didn't feel all that well. After a breakfast of toast, some potato salad, water, and a cup of coffee, i was on my way a little after eight. That is by far the lates i had ever started. But, at least i was able to leave my backpack behind when i left. I walked with only my camera, Nôkyô, walking stick, and some money. It felt like a day off not carrying the pack.
I started by walking to Bangai 17 (Kanoji) at Mannô Pond. This is the largest irrigation pond in Japan and it is said that Kûkai supervised its construction. For that reason, most people (including myself sometimes) attribute Kôbô Daishi with being an engineer.
To be honest, though, i doubt that he was. If you read his involvement with the pond in any detail, you find that the pond had been under construction for a year before Kûkai became involved. However, the government just could not convince the people to contribute the time and the money that was required to complete the project.
By this time Kûkai was famous and admired by almost everyone nationwide. For this reason, and not because of any perceived engineering skills, the emperor asked Kûkai to take over supervision of the project. Immediately after he became involved, people flocked to the site to contribute their time and efforts, and monetary donations flooded in. The project was finished with in a year.
There is no Daishi temple at this temple sitting on the edge of the pond. Instead there is a large statue of Kûkai standing watching over the pond as he probably did when it was under construction.
From there i worked my way to Temples 76 (Konzôji), 77 (Dôfukuji), and 78 (Shochoji) before calling it a night at five o'clock. At Shochoji i ran into the elderly couple that i have been playing leap frog with for what seems like several weeks now. I first met them on the road back when i was given a bunch of oranges and bananas as settai at a restaurant. I passed the oranges and a few of the bananas off to them.
They later stayed at the same minshuku as i did after Temple 62. Ever since then, every other day or so (sometimes every day for a while) we meet at one of the temples. They are walking much slower than i am, but when i take the time to go to one of the bangai temples they catch up to me. It was great to see them again today. They are just such friendly people that we always take the time to chat and compare notes for ten or fifteen minutes when we stumble on each other.
From Shochoji i went back to where i was staying the night and we all sat around the table drinking beer and talking about this and that. About half of the people that were here last night also came by tonight to see what was going on and what i had done. But, even with that i was in bed just before eleven o'clock.
Tomorrow's plan is to visit the temples up through Temple 82 (Negoroji). I also need to make more reservations to get me through the trip.
--5/15 Day Forty-Eight-- When i got up this morning, it was obvious that it was going to be another clear and hot, hot day today. And that is exactly what it turned out to be. I got another late start because i had been stupid and admitted what i like for breakfast the night before. Sometime while we were sitting around the table last night, everyone wanted to know what i usually ate for breakfast and i admitted that i wasn't that fond of rice and miso soup at that time of the day. I admitted that i was aching for my corn flakes and coffee.
And, sure enough, what was given to me for breakfast this morning? That's right, a brand new box of Kellogg's Corn Flakes and a carton of milk. I admit it was a delicious change of pace, but i felt guilty since i wondered who would eat the rest of the box.
I started by going back to Shochoji (Temple 78) where i had finished late yesterday afternoon. It felt different walking today with my pack again. Even though i may walk 30+ km (19+ mi), if i don't have the pack on my back it just feels like a day off. Today, my feet felt much better not having born the weight yesterday.
I worked my way through Temple 79 (Koshoin) and 80 (Kokubunji) by noon and stopped for lunch at an udon shop outside of Kokubunji. Udon is really a delicious noodle and much different than ramen. From what i understand the homemade udon noodles here in Kagawa Prefecture are famous for their taste and i can say that they deserve the fame. I've had several bowls lately and loved everyone of them.
After lunch i made the long, steep climb up to Temple 81 (Shiramineji). What made it harder than it normally would have been was the heat. And, since there was no wind, it was also humid. I had the time to spare so i worked my way to the top very slowly.
When i got to the temple, i met the girl that i met yesterday at Temple 78 with the older couple i frequently meet. We talked for a little while and then both talked with another man who we met that is just starting his pilgrimage (in reverse order).
I left after a while and worked my way the short hour and a half to Negoroji (Temple 82). After getting my book stamped, taking a short break, and taking pictures, i asked for directions to the Zen Training Center where i had been told i could spend the night. It is on the same mountain as Negoroji but up near the summit. I left Negoroji a little before four o'clock and started my way to the top.
When i called yesterday and made a reservation here, i was told that it was a Zen training center but that, yes, i could spend the night if i wanted. If i wanted to eat dinner i had to be there by five o'clock. That was all i knew before getting there. I really didn't know what to expect.
The man who they introduced me is in his upper thirties and is semi in charge of the center. There is a main priest, of course, but he is frequently gone. There is also another priest, but he (i think) is only playing with 50 cards in the deck and seems to provide the moral authority around the center when the head priest is away. The man in charge studied at a university in Washington State for a few years so we spoke a little English, a little Japanese, and a little of that strange mixture that comes up from time to time. He showed me my room and then asked me to be patient until dinner at five as they all had work to do.
The compound is nothing but a few scraggly buildings near the top of the mountain. The kids grow fruit and vegetables that are sold to raise some of the money for the center. They also maintain the buildings and i must say that the insides of the buildings were spotless.
The routine at the center is simple: Up at five for meditation and sutra chanting, breakfast, work around the compound, dinner at five, meditation at seven, in bed at nine. The idea is to get the kids out of the trouble they have been in and give them a different way of looking at life. It isn't free, though, and costs 5,000 yen per day.
The man in charge came here because (as he told me) he lost everything due to drugs so checked in here to straighten himself out. He said that he had a budget for only five months, but after that the head priest asked him to stay on for a while at the temple's expense and help run the place. He agreed and seems to love the place. He also seems to get along very well with the kids and they all seem to like him and respect him. He keeps his head shaved and i asked him if he intends to become a priest to which he only said he was still considering it but hadn't made up his mind.
Dinner was nothing other than gyoza (pot stickers, in US Chinese restaurants). The youngest of the boys (around 14?) helped me through the meal telling me what to do and when to do it. After that, he and the man in charge came to my room and we sat and visited until it was our turn for the bath around six, or so. From then until i left on Sunday morning, this boy was always with me. He had elected himself as my guide for the night - which i admit made the adjustment easier.
As it turns out, tonight was one of the kids last night on the mountain so there was going to be a party for him. I don't remember why, but there was no zazen tonight so they used the time for the party. It was nothing more than one bottle of soda for each of us and a plate of peanuts, rice crackers, and other snacks. But, the kids got to let their hair down a little and goof off while singing karaoke.
The kids had a great time. The all seemed to be well behaved and good kids at heart. They also seemed to accept me in their midst with no qualifications. I would say their ages range from 14 to about 18 but they all got along well. I was told that when they first show up at the center, they are quiet, secluded, and show respect to no one. I saw no signs of any of that as they thanked each other for almost anything and all horsed around merrily on the floor. Since there is only one girl, she spent most of the night participating, but sitting just to the periphery of all the action. I wonder how she handles the seclusion? But, she must do well, she has been here for a year.
As per rules, though, we stopped and cleaned up at nine and were all in bed shortly after. It was a beautiful quiet night on the top of a mountain with lots of stars shining in the sky. I had had another wonderful day in the mountains.
--5/16 Day Forty-Nine and the End of Week Seven--
Since today is Sunday, there was no Zazen this morning (although there was sutra chanting) and everyone was allowed to sleep in until six o'clock, although i was awake by five-thirty. Right at six the one girl started running through the compound ringing a hand bell to get everyone up. By six-fifteen everyone was up, had washed their faces, and was on the way to the temple hall to chant sutras.
Since no one stopped at the door to the room i was staying in, i figured i wasn't going when all of the sudden the youngest of the boys came and told me to follow him as we were all going to the temple. I followed and he kept at my right shoulder through the entire service helping me through each and every step. It was an interesting experience.
The most interesting aspect, though, had was the speed at which they chanted the Heart Sutra. Here at the center, and under the supervision of the head priest, who had arrived sometime last night, the sutra is chanted at a very slow and deliberate pace. Each and every syllable is dragged out and the whole sutra took quite a while to get through.
At the temples on the pilgrimage, however, the sutra is chanted at break-neck speed. In comparison, at the 88 temples you almost need a seat belt to keep you in place as you listen to the henro chant. The difference is amazing. But, i assume (probably incorrectly) that this developed from the bus henro mental attitude of 'get them in and get them out as fast as you can.'
After the sutras, we had breakfast on the first floor. I was shocked when i saw that they were serving oatmeal and the only eating utensil they had given me was chopsticks. But, it was thick enough that i managed with no embarrassment and got through the meal. In addition to the oatmeal, there were a few vegetables, but that was it. It was a sparse breakfast. The boy next to me whispered and gave me hand signals whenever i wasn't doing something correctly and helped me through the formalities of a breakfast at a Zen center.
I was told that there was no charge for the night as it was offered as settai. But, i asked the head priest as i was leaving if i could give 3,000 yen as an offering for the next party. He accepted and we were both happy. The experience was definitely worth the money. They are doing a wonderful thing here at Kappa Dojo.
I left about seven-thirty and made my way back to Negoroji and then off to find Bangai 19 (Kozaiji). I didn't stay there long, and was then off to find Temple 83 (Ichinomiyaji), the last i would visit for the day. While there i ran into the girl from Friday and Saturday again. We talked for a while and then i left for my hotel near Temple 84 (Yashimaji). She is from Sapporo on Hokkaido, the northern most island. She quit her job so decided to walk the pilgrimage before heading back to look for a new one. We will probably meet again tomorrow, but after that she will finish as i head off to Bangai 20 so we shouldn't meet again.
There isn't much to say, otherwise, about today. It was just another long, hot, and hard day of walking on asphalt in the city. My feet hurt most of the day so i walked on any grass that happened to be growing on the side of the street for a little padding.
In late afternoon, a man came up to me while i was waiting for a light to turn green, and told me that he had waked the pilgrimage last year. We traded experiences for a few minutes and then he gave me 1,000 yen as settai before heading off down the street. Sometime after that, i got so thoroughly lost that i had to stop at a local police box to figure out where i was and which direction i had to go.
It rained for about five minutes just before i checked in tonight. It started while i was asking a few neighborhood women if they knew where my hotel was located. They all swore that it had been torn down a few days ago and that the lot was empty. I told them that that was impossible as i had just made the reservation yesterday, but they told me how to get here and told me i would see.
Luckily for me, the hotel was still standing but there was an empty lot right next door. The hotel is old, old, old, and well worn. But, it is fairly clean on the inside and that is all i need for the night.
Tomorrow i head up to Yashimaji (Temple 84) and then back down to Takamatsu City before visiting Temples 85 (Yakuriji), 86 (Shidoji), and 87 (Nagaoji). I'll spend the night near Nagaoji and then head most of the way to Bangai 20 on Tuesday. That should allow me to get to get to Temple 88 on Wednesday after a long 30 km (19 mi) day and a climb up to Bangai 20 at 930 m (3,100 ft) - the highest of all the temples i will visit.
Today was a totally American day at restaurants. I just had to stop and have one Big Mac while here, so when i passed a McD at eleven i stopped and had lunch. Then, for dinner, a few blocks from my hotel is a KFC so i went there after my shower and the sumo broadcast for a chicken filet sandwich. While i don't eat this food at home, i relished the change of pace from what i've had almost every night at the minshuku i stay at.
It is just incredibly hard for me to believe that this ends my last full week on the trail. I will be finished on Wednesday and returning to Temple 1 on Thursday and Friday. Time has just gone by so fast - much faster than i ever anticipated.