My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 12 - Zentsu-ji, temple 75, Kagawa Prefecture

The final segment of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage is in Kagawa Prefecture where temples 66
to 88 can be found.  Two of the temples in Kagawa are very significant --  temple 75 which is where Kobo Daishi was born and of course temple 88, the final stop of the pilgrimage.

We were based in Takamatsu City in Kagawa for this leg of our trip.  The friendly looking Takamatsu station (notice the smiling face?) was our jump off point as we headed out to visit Zentsu-ji.

We saw the Anpanman Train, very popular and available only in Shikoku, parked at the tracks
waiting for its lucky passengers.   It travels across the island but reservations are hard to come by 

as it's always fully booked.  The interiors are fully decorated with Anpanman stuff and even includes toys and special bento boxes -- a dream come true for fans of all ages. 

Jay and I took the Marine Liner to Sakaide where we had a 15 minute wait to catch the connecting train that would take us to Zentsuji.  When taking trains in Japan, we try as much as possible to 

travel during off peak times,  to avoid the rush hour crowds.

The whole train ride is less than an hour, Zentsuji is only 40 kilometres away from Takamatsu.

From the station, cross the road and just keep going.  The temple is a pleasant 1.5 kilometre 

walk away.

Zentsuji the town evolved from Zentsu-ji, the temple.   Through the centuries, so many pilgrims would visit the temple who required lodging, provisions and other services. All these pilgrim establishments gave birth to the town.  

This building with a photo studio looks like it's straight out of the 1950s.  Even the photos displayed in their windows were so dated. 

There is a top ranked university in Zentsuji -- Shikoku Gakuin.  I saw the entrance to the campus along the way to the temple.  Aside from being a temple town, Zentsuji is also then a university town.  It must have been off term since I did not see any students around.

This is the Daimon gate, the main entrance to Zentsu-ji.  As the birthplace of Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism and "patron" of the pilgrimage,  Zentsu-ji is one of the three most important places directly associated with him.  

The other two are To-ji in Kyoto and Mt Koya or Koyasan in Wakayama Prefecture in Kansai. 

The 5 story, thousand year old wooden pagoda of Zentsu-ji is the first thing you'll see from afar and also the first major structure that greets you when you enter the temple grounds. It's grand and imposing -- very appropriate for such an important temple as this.

A sprawling camphor tree stands across the pagoda and it is said that the tree was planted by the Daishi himself.  Beside it is a marker that reads "May peace prevail on earth" written in english, Japanese and other languages.  This marker is present not  just along the pilgrimage but is a common feature in temples all over Japan. 

There is a vast expanse of space between the entrance gate and the Hondo or main hall.  

Zentsu-ji is the largest among all the temples in the pilgrimage. There are numerous buildings
spread out over nearly 5 hectares of land.

It is so big that the grounds have been divided into two areas -- the East Academy (To-in) and the West Academy (Sai-in).  The older portion is Sai-in and Kobo Daishi himself established the temple in the To-in.   The Hondo, the pagoda and the centuries-old camphor tree are located in the To-in.

Outside the Hondo are the temizuya,  a stone urn for burning incense and a statue of Kobo Daishi 

with a child in his arms. 

Inside the Hondo is a statue of the Amida Buddha, the Buddha of Light and Life.  I think the  the Hondo's holy and serene atmosphere makes pilgrims stay just a bit longer at their prayers. 

To the left of the Hondo is a path that leads you out of the To-in and towards the Sai-in. 

 The low mountains in the background provide a spectacular backdrop to Zentsu-ji.

As we exited the gate, I got a closer look at these stone statues, standing three deep, lining the inner walls from end to end.  I looked closely and it seemed that each one had a unique and distinctive facial expression. 

There are many sub-temples within Zentsu-ji.  One is Kanchi-in, built by Kobo Daishi himself.  

In Kanchi-in's grounds is a statue of the Daishi atop a flight of stone steps.  

Around the Daishi's statue are stone figures of  the deities from each of the 88 temples of the pilgrimage.  Underneath each stone statue is some sand from the actual temple.  

By going around the base of the structure, you will have "symbolically" completed the pilgrimage.

If you do not have the time or the energy to do the entire pilgrimage, this would be an acceptable  "shortcut",  a mini meguri. 

Many versions of the mini meguri can be found in different places in Japan.  They vary in 

length from a few steps to  several kilometres. 

Underneath is a crypt where anyone's ashes, regardless of race or religion can be interred.

Cross a small public road to reach the Niomon gate that officially marks the entrance to the Sai-in 

or West Academy.  

A long wooden corridor with intricate carvings and paintings leads to the Mieido, the building that now stands on the location of the house where Kobo Daishi was born in 774. 

This is a view of the Mieido with the temple bell in the foreground.  There were just a few tourists 

and henro -- there were no crowds to mar the serenity of the place.

 

Underneath the Mieido is a 100 meter pitch black tunnel.  Pilgrims are encouraged to walk
through the tunnel in total darkness.  This is a Buddhist practice called the Kaidan Meguri. 
As you walk blind through the narrow passageway you guide yourself by running your hand
only along the left side of the walls.

Somewhere in the middle of the tunnel, we emerged onto a small room where there was an altar. 

This is the exact spot where the Daishi was born.

When we emerged from the tunnel, the attendant directed us to the Treasure House and Museum 

where the temple's most important properties are kept, including calligraphy done by the Daishi himself.

Jay and I had done the Kaidan Meguri before at Tocho-ji in Fukuoka.  Coincidentally, Tocho-ji 

also belongs to the Shingon Buddhism sect and was established by Kobo Daishi in 806.

If you have a chance to do the Kaidan Meguri, don't hesitate to do it as it is a unique sensory experience.

Back outside, there are so many things to see in the grounds such as this small temple with
life-sized jizo surrounding it. 

There is another hall at the end of this gravel driveway.  Statues of various deities line the path.

A golden stuppa looks very much Indian inspired.  It is a reminder that Buddhism started in 

India before it moved to the east.

There is an arched stone bridge -- does it lead to the mountains in the background?

Well, yes and no.  The bridge crosses to the temple's massive parking lot.  But beyond it is a red
torii that marks the entrance to a Shinto shrine at the foothills of the mountain. 

This is the view of the back portion of the Sai-in as taken from the top of the stone bridge. 

There is a small graveyard on the right side, just inside the walls. 

Here is a map to show you just how big Zentsu-ji is.  I have marked with green circles the important structures in the East or To-in area : B. the thousand year old 5 story wooden pagoda; C. the camphor tree that Kobo Daishi is said to have planted; D. the Hondo or Main Hall and E. a small shop selling souvenirs and Buddhist items

The yellow circles show the key places in the Sai-in or the West area : B. the Mieido which stands
on the spot where Kobo Daishi was born; C. the Museum and Treasure House D. the back gate; 

E. the bell tower and F. the nokyocho office.

P.S.

I cannot put into words just how much this visit to Zentsu-ji meant to me.  I have been a huge fan 

 (irreverent as that sounds) of Kobo Daishi since I first read his teachings many many years ago.  

I feel that I have come full circle ...  I have visited To-ji where he was an abbot, and the Okunoin where he sits in eternal meditation.  To visit his birthplace and have the seal of the temple in my 

nokyocho is priceless beyond measure.