Japan's oldest and most popular pilgrimage, the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage in honour of
Kobo Daishi, winds its way through 1,400 kilometres and the four prefectures of Shikoku Island.
Even if we would not be able to go to all 88 temples, I promised Kobo Daishi that we would
visit at least one in each prefecture.
the third prefecture, Ehime. It has the most number of temples, 25 out of the 88. This is the map
of Shikoku island showing the four prefectures and the location of the 88 temples.
I got this map from http://www.shikokuhenrotrail.com/shikoku/pilgrimageoverview.html.
I used this website often when I was planning our trip.
For our single foray into Ehime, we would visit Ishite-ji, temple 51 in Matsuyama City. This is a very important temple in the pilgrimage and perhaps you could say, this is also where it all began.
After staying in Tokushima City for four days, our next base was the city of Takamatsu in Kagawa prefecture. To get to Matsuyama City in Ehime, we took the Limited Express Ishizuchi, unfortunately not the fancy one in the picture above.
What you see in this photo is a reservations only, sightseeing train called the Shikoku Mannaka Sennen Monogatari.
The seats are all facing panoramic windows and it travels through scenic areas in Shikoku.
A man who was also taking photos of the train told me that reservations are sold out months in advance.
While we were not on the sightseeing train, I did catch glimpses of beautiful vistas of Japan's
Inland Sea, not from my window though as we were seated on the wrong side.
After a two and a half hour train journey, we arrived at Matsuyama and from there took a tram
to the famous Dogo Onsen. Ishite-ji is just a 2 kilometre walk from the tram terminal.
It was almost noon when we started our walk. I now fully understand why September is off
season for pilgrims -- the weather is almost summer-hot! If you've experienced a Japanese
summer, you know what I am talking about.
The sun above was punishingly brutal and where was a breeze when you needed it?
The clean flowing stream looked so inviting -- I wanted to stop and lie down in the water.
The road was lined with houses, more houses and commercial buildings. I missed the
green rice fields and forested mountains seen along Tokushima's back roads.
This pretty manhole cover made for a pleasant distraction. Japan has raised manhole covers
to an art form so don't forget to look down when you're walking in the streets as you might
miss seeing a work of art.
Along the way we passed by a statue of Kobo Daishi. Can you see the small red turtle near
his staff? I took it as a sign -- while I can walk on and on for long distances, I normally
walk at a slower pace, almost like a turtle. That's me right there -- at the foot of the Daishi.
Ishite-ji is one of the temples that are inside the city so it's not a surprise that it suddenly popped up by the side of the road. There is a giant statue of Kobo Daishi on the hillside, his gaze on the distant horizon ahead. I think he's trying to avoid seeing the car park right down below.
The temple's entrance is right in front of a crosswalk. Matsuyama is the largest city in the entire island of Shikoku and for the first time on this trip, I saw a constant stream of vehicles on the road.
Even before you enter the temple grounds, you can see all these statues and markers by the
sidewalk. I find it all a bit cluttered -- there are figures of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas along with
fish and animal heads.
This is the main entrance to the temple. The temizuya is right in front and there is a painting hung
on the small pavilion beside it. There is also a wooden outpost on the left side.
On the middle, there is a small statue of a man, kneeling on the rock.
This is Emon Saburo, the person who you can say started the 88 Temple Pilgrimage and who is central to the story of Ishite-ji.
Emon Saburo was a rich man who the story says, repeatedly turned away a beggar from his door. After this unkind act, his fortunes fell and his eight sons died one by one.
Too late, Emon Saburo realized that the beggar was Kobo Daishi. He then went after the Daishi, looking for him in temples around the island. As he arrived at each one, people would say
"Oh, you just missed him, he left for the next temple".
Emon Saburo did this for years and years but he never caught up with the Daishi.
Finally, when he was old and near death, the Daishi appeared to him. Because of Emon Saburo's persistence and repentance, he was forgiven and Kobo Daishi asked him to make one request that
he would grant.
Emon Saburo asked that he be reborn as a rich man so that he could use his fortunes to help everyone in need. Kobo Daishi then gave him a stone, which Emon Saburo was holding when he died.
Many many years later, a son was born to a noble family. The boy's hand was closed and would not
open until one day, a priest came and prayed over the boy.
When they opened his hand, they found a stone and on it was written the words
"I am Emon Saburo"
Ishite-ji was supposedly built by the young boy who grew up to be a wealthy nobleman and presumably did all the good things he promised that he would do.
The temple's name literally means "stone hand" -- ishi is the Japanese word for stone and the
word for hand is pronounced like "te".
Without Emon Saburo and his reincarnation, we would not have the pilgrimage as we know it today.
This is why Ishite-ji is such an important temple for the henro.
Ishite-ji's Niomon gate (you can see the faint outline of the fierce Nio on each side) is a designated
National Treasure. It follows the Kamakura style of architecture which would date it between
the twelfth and fourteenth centuries.
This priceless structure is made totally of wood and while I appreciate that it has stood there at the entrance for hundreds of years, I also cannot help but think of the many possible catastrophes that could damage it.
Giant sandals made of hemp stand on each side of the Niomon. Are they the Daishi's sandals or
are they Emon Saburo's?
The three story wooden pagoda is an Important Cultural Property. You can see that there
are strings of origami cranes or senbazuru hung in front of it. It is said that when you hang
senbazuru and make a wish, your wish will be granted.
The shoro holds a bell tower and is also an Important Cultural Property. Ishite-ji is cluttered
indeed, cluttered with all these valuable and historic treasures.
Another Important Cultural Property is the Hondo or the Main Hall. Like the Niomon gate and the pagoda, it is done in the Kamakura style and is hundreds of years old.
Along with the rest of Ishite-ji, the Hondo seems to be crowded and full of images and statues.
My eye is drawn to a shining gold statue of what seems to be Fudo Myoo although the principal deity of Ishite-ji is the Yakushi Nyorai or the Healing Buddha.
We walk around and see more small buildings and even more figures and statues.
The temple's collection is quite eclectic and extensive . I spotted figures that look like Korean
stone statues. And even one that looks like a European friar. Can you spot them in the photo?
Since a stone plays a key role in the history of the temple, there is an area where you can pick up
a stone and write your wish on it. I did pick one up but instead of writing on it, I took it home,
to remind me of Ishite-ji, Emon Saburo and my visit to this curious but enthralling place.
No matter how strange or different I thought Ishite-ji was, I reminded myself that it is not an
object of curiosity -- it is an active and working temple. It serves not just the passing henro
or the inquisitive tourist but it is there for the people who live in the community who come
here to pray and pay homage to the Buddha.
P.S.
This is Ishite-ji's temple seal as inscribed on my nokyocho. And here is my photo of the pagoda,
an Important Cultural Property.
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