Stage 1: Tokushima to Temple 6, 17 kms, Sunny, Warm 20 :)

Place Of Spiritual Awakening

It has begun! After the expected very restless night we managed to get up and on the move this morning. We caught the 8:45 train to Bando Station to begin our 88 Temple walk and met a Dutch couple here to walk 4 stages and a French couple who plan to walk the whole route. So there were others to share the excitement with.

 

It was a little funny as we geared up this morning. Everything felt sort of the same, and yet quite different. Pack, boots, hat and poles all had a familiar feel to them, but then there were our front bags, the hakui vests, meditation bells on our poles and pants (not shorts) on our legs. Familiar, but odd. I'm sure we will get use to everything in a few days. The first two weeks has helped considerably in our cultural understandings, but still so much new to learn. Half the fun!

I've had a few thoughts about how to present each stage. There is the obvious, show each and every temple with a bit of its history. That could be tedious and boring, both to write and to read. No, I think I'll enjoy writing more if I mix it up a bit and pick up interesting things from the day. For sure some temple photos. After all, it is called the 88 Temple Walk. However, I'll start with a couple of photos from Temple 1 (T1) where it all begins.  I can assure you that Annemarie is on the right...a good thing to have that sorted out!

 

It was lovely and quiet inside the grounds. I took these two photos when we went out to gear up a couple of days ago.

 

Yesterday David told us to walk an alternate route to T2 that is the original Ohenro path. We didn't expect to see this in Japan! A log house?

 

There is a gate at the front of each temple. The temple process begins when we first bow to the temple at the gate and walk in on the left side of the gate to permit the spirits free access.

 

You then typically announce yourself to the gods by ringing the bell, but just once...very lovely deep sound! I assume Coke was only sponsoring this one bell?

 You then proceed to cleanse yourself to permit movement onwards to the temples to pray. Ken you asked about this earlier. Take a cup of water and wash your left hand, then your right hand, then cleanse your mouth with the water in your left hand and again rinse that hand. Got it? Ok, then you can move onwards through the process. 

Some of these wash stations can be quite beautiful, often with a dragon water spout.

 

Next you light three incense sticks and allow a little smoke to drift over you...now you smell better pilgrim!

 

Then light your candle...we forgot to buy some...oops. 

Still with me? Ok, then walk to the main temple and ring the bell there...just once.

 

Then put your name slip in the box. Your name slip has your name, address, the date and your wish or prayer written on it.

 

Throw some small coins (if short of coins, less is more) into the donation box and then put your hands together and recite the heart sutra or any number of other sutras that you might fancy. Then walk to the secondary temple, the Daishi Hall and repeat the worship that you did at the Main Hall. Once you have completed these processes and are satisfied with your effort you can then proceed to the Temple Office or Nōkyōjo where your book is stamped with the name of the temple and deity with a beautiful calligraphy included which even most Japanese can't read. It's truly a work of art.

 

You pay ¥300 for each stamp or about $4. Ok, now your process is just about over. You can use the toilet facilities which range from very basic to heated toilet seats. Then one heads for the gate and exits on the left side, turns and bows as per when you entered. A complicated process taken generally very seriously by the Japanese Henro. Going forward on my posts I will refer to this as The Process, unless I forget the term and call it something else:). Of course if there are questions I will do my best to answer them.

We had lots of fun today, discovering new things and meeting all sorts of locals who were friendly and very helpful. We even made a few of them laugh with us at our efforts to try speaking Japanese, and sometimes their efforts to speak English. Take this bakery where we bought lunch. Yes Jim, it was open when we arrived. 

The women inside were great fun as we tried to communicate. As we walked away one came running out to show us that she had remembered "see you later". She was so pleased, and this started a discussion about how to say it in Japanese. We all ended up bowing endlessly and saying our thank yous and   goodbyes all over again! So funny...if you were there. But this exchange has been more the norm these past weeks. 

Then there were the four ladies who provided us with osettai, hot tea and a cookie. Same sort of verbal exchange happened together with our passing them a name slip as is the custom when someone presents you with osettai. 

We found our first of many, many, many, many stairs on this route. No picture today. There will be many, many many, many more stairs for sure!

We saw some fun signs. Libby and Glenn and Louise, this was for you.

 

The trails themselves were different and interspersed with mostly road walking. Often we would walk through an ancient cemetery, something strictly Asian in my experience and always interesting.

 

Oh and the flowers! It was really warm today, the first warm short sleeve day of the season here.

 

 

Caitlin for you, because you gave me some of these to grow at Christmas.

 

I'll post more blossoms tomorrow.  I also purchased my first Kit Kat bar from a Japanese vending machine! Yup a hat change. My pack is so small that I needed something that folds small. Sorry Ken and Neil, no Tilly boys! Thanks Bryan for the loaner:) 

A nice story. Our friend Sonomi arranged for us to stay on a farm tonight and gave me instructions written in Japanese for me to give to to someone at T7  to phone on our behalf for a car pickup. As I was getting my stamp done at T6 these two ladies began the game of trying my Japanese on, while they tried on their English. Endless fun of course, but when the topic turned to where we were staying tonight I showed them my phone note and thought I'd told them that we were to be picked up at T7. My counting is pretty good in Japanese, so I figured they got it when they said the word for 7, nana. The lady on the right pulls out her phone and before I know it she kindly calls and then tells me our ride will be here in 15 minutes! Oh well, I was getting tired anyway:) 

 

So we hung out and I chatted with other two ladies, one from Japan hosting a 40 year friend from Thailand who wants us to come and visit. I have her address and phone number...haven't lost it with time! Then I introduced Annemarie and the discussion started all over again. 

Where we are tonight. Lovely couple and I'll try for a photo in the morning. 

 

They prepared a meal for royalty tonight. We each had one of these and we are so full! Felt it rude to not finish everything...  no problem with protein and veggies for tomorrow.

 

We had a great chat using the SayHi app and the router is working really well so far.  We thought they would eat with us, but after we said good night at 6:30 and retired to our room to write, they left to go out for the evening. All alone on a farm, with the cat.

Lastly, the title. The island of Shokuko is divided into four prefectures or provinces. As the Henro walks through the first Tokishima Prefecture, he/she is considered while on this Buddhist journey, to be entering The Place of Spiritual Awakening. It sounds a very interesting place to be indeed, and I'll be looking for it for the next 17 temples or 185 kms, what ever comes first. 

A great and stimulating first stage. But time now for some yoga to stretch out a bit and then a few emails responses. Thanks for all the notes and comments. Really nice.