My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 14 - Okubo-ji, Temple 88

At the start of the Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage,  the henro does kechigan, a promise to 

fullfil a vow.   In this case, the vow is to finish the entire pilgrimage, whether it is by walking,  

or by using any kind of transportation. 

Jay and I were not able to visit all 88 temples as we just had a week in Shikoku.  But we
wanted to and did visit temple 88, Okubo-ji.
We had been told by monks and people we met along the way that there was no rule on
how many temples a henro should visit.  There was no rule on which temple the henro should
visit first or last.  The only rule was to view and treat the pilgrimage with respect.  

Okubo-ji located in Sanuki, is 40 kilometres away from Takamatsu where we were staying.  

There are a few options on how to get there,  one is via the JR Kotoku line.  Get off at 

Shido station, just thirty minutes away.

The temple is situated in the mountains and if you're not walking, driving a car or taking a tour 

bus, the only way to get there is via the Sanuki Community Bus which runs just 4 times a day 

from Shido station : 8:05, 10:56, 12:49 and 17:10.  

We were so worried about missing the bus that we arrived more than an hour before the scheduled time and had to wait.   Patience is a henro virtue. 

The Sanuki Community Bus was empty that Sunday morning.  It made several stops along the 

way and picked up a few passengers, mostly elderly local residents for whom this bus is a means 

of getting around.  

The bus ride from Shido station to Okubo-ji took an hour and ten minutes.  Along the way we 

passed rice fields,  rural communities and the odd commercial centre.  Shikoku's omnipresent mountains lent a truly bucolic feel. 

The bus let us off right across the steps to the temple.  To go back to Shido station, there are 

only three schedules:  9:58, 13:28 and 15:49.   If you miss the last bus, you'll have to sleep on 

the mountain.

This is not the main gate of the temple.  As this gate is right across the bus stop, I decided 

to call  it the "commuter's gate".

Instead of Nio, there is a giant straw sandal on each side of the gate.   This is called owaraji  
and are the traditional sandals that were worn in the early days, by henro and non-henro alike. 

If you have been to Senso-ji in Asakusa, Tokyo you might remember seeing owaraji at the 

temple's gate, though much bigger than this. 

From this entrance, the henro catches his first glimpse of the Hondo or main hall.  There is a 

pagoda behind it and the craggy face of Mt Nyotai stands imposingly behind -- immutable 

guardian of the temple.  

Okubo-ji dates back to the early 700s and was established by the monk Gyoki.  Much later on, 

Kobo Daishi visited the temple and rebuilt some of the structures. 

A pair of Japanese komainu or lion dogs flank the path to the Hondo.  If you're wondering about 

the steel bleachers in the background,  these are used by the tour bus henro for group pictures, to commemorate the culmination of their pilgrimage.  

The temple's  temizuya is a large urn in the shape of a lotus flower.  The water flows into the urn
from the dragon's mouth.

Of all the 12 temples we had visited, we saw the most number of people at Okubo-ji.  

Some were in henro attire but most seemed to be visiting the temple just for the day.  

Still there were those who were there for a specific reason.  One man that we would meet later 

on, was having his hakui (henro vest) inscribed with the temple seal at the nokyocho office.   

This privilege is available only to those who have completed the entire pilgrimage.  

The man had done it three times and even brought his completed nokyocho as proof.

A cardboard cut-out of a cheerful henro stood by the steps of the  Hondo.  He seemed  extremely pleased to have reached the 88th temple. 

I spy my friend Fudo Myoo  and pause to remind him to clear all evil from the path to heaven for me. 

There is something about mountain temples that is strongly appealing.  They are austere and

feel like truly sacred spaces.  Okubo-ji was exactly how I had pictured it to be --  a restful and tranquil spot where the henro, upon finishing his pilgrimage, is met with quiet grace.  

After saying the sutras at the Hondo and having our nokyocho stamped we headed to the Daishido,   trailing after these monks on this inclined path.

Beside the Daishido is a giant bronze shakujou or monk's staff.  It stands over the Hojo-do, 

a  hall that contains perhaps thousands of kongozue or the wooden staff that henro carry. 

If you wish, you can leave your kongozue at the temple as a symbol that you have completed
your pilgrimage. 

Since I believe that a pilgrimage is never really "completed" I decided to keep my kongozue and
take it back home with me. 

The flame that burns in the foreground has a sign  "Fire of the Atomic Bomb".

It is an appropriate reminder, particularly for these times that we live in.

There were people praying at the Daishido including one white haired henro who later told me 

he  came by car.   Do you see the white cloth hanging on top of their heads?   One end is tied 

to the deity enshrined inside that is hidden from view.  As I was watching, one of the  temple
staff came forward and motioned me to put my hand on the cloth. 

It is a blessing he said,  to touch the cloth is like touching the deity himself. 

This large gate is the main entrance of Okubo-ji.  The bell tower is on one side.   

If you enter through this way, you will see the Daishido first before you reach the Hondo. 

Some of the trees around the temple have started to change colour -- Okubo-ji, with mountainous forests surrounding it, is a famous koyo (autumn leaves) viewing spot.   

We take our time at Okubo-ji and still have some minutes to spare before the bus arrives to take us back to Shido station.  Just a few minutes though, Jay reminds me.  Not enough time to browse around the souvenir shops and restaurants that are now full of people.

At the bus stop, we met the incredible 86 year old Eizi Umemoto san and his wife, Kizuko san.  

They were directly in front of me at the line at the nokyocho office where he was having his 

hakui (henro vest) inscribed with the temple seal.  The two of them have completed the pilgrimage 

three times!  

Umemoto san spoke excellent english which he said he learned from American soldiers when 

he was a young boy in Kochi City.  A Shikoku native, he now lives with his wife in Kobe.
We continued to talk even while on the bus.  At one point,  he apologised very sincerely for the war and "the bad things the Japanese did to your people".   I was truly moved by that and felt genuine sadness when it came time to say good-bye. 

When you travel, you receive these unexpected gifts  -- most of them are incidences of kindness, transformative moments that make indelible marks on your soul. 

Thank you Kobo Daishi for this touching encounter.

P.S.

I will not say "owarimashita" (I am finished) since I believe that when you come to the end 

of a pilgrimage (or anything in life for that matter)  you will find that it is just another beginning.   

Here is Okubo-ji's seal in my nokyocho along with my photo of the Hondo.