My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 3 - Ryozen-ji, temple 1 Tokushima Prefecture

A walk of 10 or 100 or 1,000 kilometres starts with one step.  Bright and early on a hot day in September,  we took our first step towards our Shikoku pilgrimage.
As we had just 8 days in Shikoku, we would not be able to cover all 88 temples nor would we get
to travel all 1,400 kilometres around the island but we would try to visit as many as we could.
We also made it a goal to visit at least one temple in each of the four prefectures of Shikoku --
in our own way, we would be "circumnavigating" the entire island.

The JR Kotoku Line from Tokushima Station was our first ride of the day.  We took it to Bando Station, and from there we walked to as many of the temples in the area that we could visit.  

On our first day, we would visit temples one to five and would walk a total of twelve kilometres. 

Bando is just twenty minutes away from Tokushima -- we got off at an unmanned wooden station.

where the driver had to get off  the train to collect everyone's tickets as they disembarked.

Ryozenji or temple number one was just a kilometre away from the station.  We walked through the back roads until we reached the highway from where we could easily see the top of the pagoda of Ryozenji.  

I felt a ripple of excitement -- my long dreamed of pilgrimage was well and truly underway!  However, pragmatist that I am, I also knew I while I was walking to temple number one, I was also walking towards the end of my pilgrimage.  I wanted to appreciate and delight in each and every moment of this experience. 

Walking by asphalt roads is not my idea of a relaxing walk.  However, we did enjoy the roadside views of brilliantly green rice paddies with stalks ready to be harvested.  Most of the available land that we passed by was planted with rice and it seemed that every household has its own rice field to take care of. 

It's impossible to miss the gate of Ryozenji as it is right in front of a pedestrian crossing.  You can 

also take a bus from Tokushima Station which will is double the length of time of the train ride but will drop you right by the temple gates. 

As we walked through the wooden gate, we first saw this koi filled pond.  Behind it  is the Daishido or Daishi Hall. 

Ryozenji was established in the 7th century by the monk Gyoki more than a hundred years before Kobo Daishi,  founder of Shingon Buddhism was born.  

Kobo Daishi visited this temple in the 9th century.  All of the temples on the 88 temple pilgrimage are associated with him.  He is said to have visited each and every one of them and the pilgrimage is done in his honour.   

This is the Hondo or the main hall.  This is where you leave your ofuda slips and recite the sutras.

The statue of the main deity  is said to have been carved by Kobo Daishi. 

After reciting the sutras at the Hondo, the next stop is the Daishido or Daishi Hall, dedicated to 

Kobo Daishi. There is a statue of him sitting patiently by the steps, waiting in silence for all the pilgrims who come by.  

The henro believes that Kobo Daishi walks with him during the pilgrimage.  The pilgrim's belief is in "Dogyo Ninin" or "two walking as one".  I am sure he was with us, every step of this journey. 

There are many things to see around the temple.  We spent some time walking around and enjoying the peace and quiet.  Although it was mid morning, we did not feel any rush to walk to the next temple. 

While September is not exactly the best time to do the pilgrimage as the temperature is hot and humid, it was also not peak pilgrimage season so we were spared the bus loads of henro who would normally be crowding the temples. 

This little marker would be something that we would see in the temples we visited.  It says 

"May peace prevail on earth".  It was a nice thing to think of -- perhaps by walking on this pilgrimage, we would be adding our own prayer for peace. 

P.S

For each of the posts on the temples we visited, I will end with a photo of the temple seal inscribed in my nokyocho. I will also include a photo that I took of the temple which may not always resemble the sketch in the nokyocho, sumimasen. 

This is a photo of the page in my nokyocho showing the seal of  Ryozenji.  On the page across it  

is a sketch of Ryozenji's wooden pagoda.   And above it is my (not so faithful) re-creation of the 

same scene. 

My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 2 - The Henro to-do List

In the middle of doing my (mini) version of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage, a friend asked me
on Facebook "So what do you do when you visit the temples? What do you see?"
While everyone goes on a pilgrimage for their own intentions and reasons, there are still some guidelines that the henro or pilgrim is encouraged to follow.
If you would like to walk a portion of the pilgrimage, here is what I learned about temple and pilgrim etiquette 101. 

Rule number one - identify yourself as a henro by wearing the proper attire.  We saw bicycle and motorcycle henros wearing cycling gear but when they entered the temple, they hastily put on the hakui before reciting the sutras at the main hall.
I wore the hakui or white jacket, a sedge hat or sugegasa and carried the most important piece
(to my mind) of henro gear -- the kongozue or the wooden staff.
Thus attired, the locals recognised us and knew what we were doing, as we trudged through their backroads and backyards.  We were treated  kindly by everyone we met. 

While I had a backpack for my wallet, passport, bottled water,  etc,  I found that a small sling bag or zudabukuro was most useful for keeping candles,  ofuda slips, coins and my nokyocho within easy reach.

Rule number two - all temples are marked by gates called "mon".  As you approach the temple, 

enter the gate on the left side, clasp your hands and bow before you cross the threshold.

Rule number three - once inside the temple grounds, you will see the temizuya, a water facility where you symbolically purify yourself.  

To do this, get one of the ladles, dip it into the water and then holding the ladle in your right hand,

 use a little water to wash your left hand.  Then, using the left hand, pour some water and wash your right hand.  Then, take the ladle into your right hand again and pour some water in your left hand and hold it to your lips to rinse your mouth. 

Finally, clean the ladle by holding it upright and allowing the remaining water to "wash" over the handle.

Rule number four - if there is a temple bell on the premises, ring the bell once.  If there is no bell available, there is always one hung over the entrance of the main hall, which you can ring instead.

Rule number five - light candles and incense at the hondo or main hall.  If you did not bring any, there are candles and incense sticks available for sale,   honour system is strictly followed.  

Rule number six - drop your ofuda slips in the proper receptacle. See the rope hanging on the right side?  That is attached to the bell which you can also ring -- just once, when you arrive.

Rule number seven - at the hondo or main hall and also at the daishido or Daishi hall,   bow once, clasp your hands in prayer and recite the sutras.  After reciting the sutras, you may also drop a
few coins as donation in the large wooden donation box. 

There are various sutras to be recited, in Japanese of course but if you are uncomfortable with chanting them aloud (as I was, since I could only read the words slowly and could not get the right rhythm) you may stand to one side and read them silently. 

In the course of the pilgrimage, I stood beside many Japanese henro and eavesdropped in rapt attention as they chanted the sutras -- some of them read from booklets but more often than not, they knew the words by heart.

Rule number eight - finally after going through these actions,  find the temple office and have your nokyocho stamped with the temple seal.   It costs just 300 yen,  a small amount to pay for a priceless memory of your visit to the temple. 

P.S

It took me years of dreaming and a year of planning to embark on this pilgrimage.  

I read blogs, articles and all the books I could find about the subject.
A most useful and important resource was this english guidebook that I ordered (after much difficulty) from amazon.jp   The Shikoku Japan 88 Route Guide contains detailed maps on the all the roads leading to all 88 temples around Shikoku Island.
The maps include locations of bus stops, train stations, convenience stores, hotels, temple lodgings -- it's a valuable and informative companion.
The book is also available at the well stocked shop at Ryozenji, Temple number 1. 

The website http://wwwtb.mlit.go.jp/shikoku/88navi/en/ was also very helpful 

particularly for us who were more "train and public bus" henros than pure walking henros.

Domo arigato gozaimashita!

My Shikoku Henro Tales Part 1 - What does it take to be a Henro?

The immigration officer at Narita Airport looked at my arrival card and asked me why I was going to Tokushima in Shikoku.   And for two weeks at that.

I said I was going to do part of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage.  He didn't quite understand and asked me to speak slowly.  So I said that I was going to be a henro and walk with Kobo Daishi.

"Hai, so desu!" he beamed and repeated "Kobo Daishi",  stamped my passport and waved me through.

His question did give me pause -- what was I really doing?  I was on my way to visit Shikoku, the smallest of Japan's four major islands and site of one of the country's most famous and important pilgrimages, the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage.
While I did not have the time  to complete the entire pilgrimage, a trek of 1,400 kilometres around the entire island, I did plan to visit at least ten of the 88 temples. 

Perhaps I could not and should not call myself a henro (pilgrim, in Japanese) then. Was I a semi-henro perhaps?  I knew I was not a pseudo-henro since there was nothing false about my feelings or intentions. 

Doing a portion of the 88 Temple Pilgrimage had always been a long held dream, now it was about
to be fulfilled. 

I came to Shikoku armed with my walking plan, a detailed itinerary, confirmed bookings for our accommodations but there were a few things that I could only do once I arrived in the city of Tokushima in Tokushima prefecture where we would spend the first half of our stay in the island.
If I was going to be a henro -- I would have to look and act like one. To do this, I had to visit a
store specialising in the requisite items that I needed for the pilgrimage.
A henro is normally decked out in pilgrim's attire.  This includes but is not limited to the wide brimmed hat called the sugegasa which also has the sanskrit symbol for Kobo Daishi 

written in front.

A pilgrim  wears a white jacket called a hakui and carries a wooden staff called the kongozue which they say is the symbol of Kobo Daishi who walks with all pilgrims.

One also carries a nokyocho, a book  stamped with the seal of the temples that one visits, plus 

osame-fuda slips which serve as name cards. 

These are the essential items of the henro's kit -- I bought all these at Ryozenji  which is Temple 1.

The kind lady spoke some english so when I mentioned that I was embarrassed that I was only doing a small portion of the pilgrimage, she assured me that it was perfectly all right -- this was to be my pilgrimage and there were no rules to follow.  

Kobo Daishi is very understanding, she smilingly said. 

The lady asked me to write my name inside my hat -- and was surprised and pleased when I wrote my name in katakana.

This is my filled up osame-fuda slip.  They come in various colors signifying how many times one has done the pilgrimage.  White is for those who are walking it for the first up to the fourth time.  On one side you write your name and address and on the other side, you put the date of your visit.

Now I am all set to start my very own journey as a henro.  

Dogyo Ninin

Cordova's sa Naga City. Sa wakas, kinalas!

Dahil  Agosto ay buwan ng wika, susubukan kong gawin (at tapusin) ang sanaysay na ito sa
wikang Filipino. 

Akmang-akma naman kasi ang aking salaysay ay tungkol sa isang lokal na pagkaing tumubo
mula sa panlasa ng mga taga-Naga sa rehiyon ng Bicol.
Maaaring alam ninyo ang mga lutong Bicol tulad ng laing, bicol express, pinangat at iba pa
ngunit ilan sa inyo ang nakaka-alam sa pagkaing kinalas?
Tulad ng marami sa inyo, hindi ko kilala ang kinalas kahit ilang beses na akong nakadalaw sa Naga.
Naririnig kong binabanggit ito ng aking anak na si Gani (na nag aral sa Naga)  pag siya ay nananabik makatikim uli ng kinalas kaya nga lang ay walang nagtitinda nito sa Maynila.

Kamakailan (salamat sa isang proyektong aking ginagawa) mapalad akong nakabisita muli sa Naga  at kahit kulang sa labindalawang oras lang ang tinigil namin dito,  sinigurado kong makakakain ako ng kinalas --  matikman nga kung talagang masarap ito!
Kung pagkaing lokal ang hanap,  kailangan ipagtanong ito sa mga lokal din.
Sumakay kami sa traysikel at sinabing dalhin kami sa pinakamasarap na kainan ng kinalas sa buong Naga.
Walang pag-aatubiling dinala niya kami sa Barangay Dayangdayang kung saan daw mahahanap ang mga paboritong kinalasan ng mga taga-Naga.
Lumiko kami sa Kalye Corregidor at totoo nga ...  maraming kinalasan na makikita doon.
Para na po, bababa na po kami!

Nguni't di kami huminto ... hindi pala Nonoy's ang suki ni Mamang Traysikel kundi ito -- 

Cordova's Kinalas na nasa dulo na ng Kalye Corregidor.  

Ayon sa kaniya ito daw ang pinaka masarap na kinalas sa buong Naga.  Totoo nga kaya, pero bakit 

parang walang katao-tao nung kami'y dumating?

Sumilip kami sa loob at nagtanong.  Bukas naman daw sila at kakaalis lang ng mga nananghalian.   Dalawa lang ang putahe na maaari mong makain sa Cordova's -- kinalas at loglog. Nagulat ako at napaka-mura ng halaga ng mga ito.
Abot kaya palang kumain ng kinalas, kahit araw-arawin mo pa!

Ano ba ang sangkap ng kinalas at paano itong niluluto?  

Sariwang miki ang gamit sa kinalas.  Isang dakot ang nilalagay sa bawat mangkok.
Sasamahan ito ng tinadtad na murang sibuyas at isang buong nilagang itlog.
Para bang mami lang ba ang dating?

Higit pa sa mami ang kinalas -- at ito ang dahilan.
May mala-palabok na sarsa, bagama't magkaiba sila ng kulay,  na siyang nagbibigay ng katangi-tanging panlasa at sarap sa kinalas.  

Sabi ng kusinera sa Cordova's na sabaw ng hipon at dinurog na hibe ang dalawang sangkap ng 

sarsa ... at ano pa ang iba?  Hmmm, sikret na 'daw yon!

Tatlo kami kaya tig-iisa kami ng kinalas jumbo. Dahil lampas ala-una na ng hapon, naririnig ko na ang malakas na kulog na galing sa aking sikmura.   Bilisan na 'yan!  Gutom na kami!

Huwag kang maingay, tiyan!  Baka buhusan kita ng kumukulong sabaw!  

Ano ang sinabi ng ramen tonkotsu o shio ng mga Hapon sa sabaw ng kinalas, aber?  

Wala!  

Tulad din ng ramen, ang sabaw ang pinaka-mahalaga sa kinalas.  

Sa Cordova's, walang tigil at maghapong pinapakuluan ang sabaw na gawa sa buto mula sa ulo
at iba pang bahagi ng baka.  

Di mahal ang ulo ng baka subalit siksik ito sa malinamnam na laman.  

Dahil medyo mainit ang panahon (at kumukulong sabaw ang aming hihigupin) sa mesa sa labas 

kami umupo.  Kinalas al fresco!

May  sili, suka, paminta at asin sa lamesa -- ito ang karaniwang dinadagdag sa kinalas. 

Ang mga Bicolano ay kilalang mahilig sa maaanghang kaya sandamakmak na sili ang nasa 

lalagyan.  

Para sa akin,  tamang tama ang lasa at sarap ng sabaw, di na kailangan dagdagan pa 

ng asin o paminta. 

Kaanya-anyaya ang itsura at nakakagutom ang amoy ng mainit na kinalas.  

May tumpok ng hinimay na karne sa ibabaw -- ito ay galing sa ulo ng baka at iba pang 

butong pinakuluan  para  sa sabaw.
Ang mga sari saring parte ng baka ay pinakuluan hanggang magkalas-kalas ang laman sa buto.
Iyan ang pinagmulan ng salitang "kinalas".  

Tinikman ko ang sabaw -- malinis at masarap, walang amoy o anggo na paminsan ay nauugnay 

sa mga pagkaing gawa sa karne ng baka.  Wala ding lumulutang na mantika o sebo. 

Pag hinalo ang sabaw at sarsa, bahagyang lalapot ito.  Malalasap mo din ang hipon na nagdaragdag ng lalim at lasa sa sabaw.

Kahit naubos na ang kinalas, walang sebo o taba na natira sa mangkok.  Wala ding mala-sebong lasa na naiiiwan sa bibig. 

Dahil matagal ang pagpapakulo, natunaw na siguro ang lahat ng taba at litid -- natira na lamang 

ang nangingibabaw na umami at sarap.

Kung sapat na sa inyo ang sabaw at miki, subukan din ang loglog --  ang kapatid ng kinalas na
sibuyas, sarsa at itlog lamang ang lahok.  

Nung kinuwento ko sa isang kaibigang taga-Naga na kumain ako ng kinalas, tinanong niya ako 

kung ano ang tinerno ko dito.
"Baduya" ang sabi ko.  "Para ka ng taga Naga" aniya. 

Ang baduya ay piniritong saging,  maruya sa ating mga taga Maynila.  

Bago ko natikman,  wari ko'y kakaiba -- ang maruya ay merienda,  hindi pang terno sa mainit na sabaw.   Pero bagay nga sila.  Ito ang pares ng Naga -- kinalas at baduya!

Sarap na sarap kami sa aming unang pakikipag-tuos sa kinalas.  Maraming salamat sa mga taga Cordova's sa kagandahang loob at init ng pagtanggap sa amin -- kasing init at sarap ng kanilang kinalas!

Hanggang sa muling paghigop!  Dios mabalos, kinalas! 

A Gentle Wind blew me to the Annual Furin Market in Sojiji Temple, Tokyo

Some people welcome the rains because raindrops on the roof make for a pleasant sound to fall asleep to.

I'm lucky that I need not wait for the rains to fall asleep to soothing, mellifluous tones -- 

I have a neem tree in the front yard laden with wind chimes that melodiously ring through the night. 

All my wind chimes are made of metal -- they are souvenirs of my travels to Japan where wind chimes are much loved summertime symbols -- in the sweltering heat, their light tinkling heralds the

appearance of a much needed cooling breeze. 

I can only surmise that it was a good wind that blew me, one sunny summer day in Tokyo, to the Sojiji Temple in Nishiarai.  Unbeknownst to me, the temple was holding its annual furin or wind chime market.   Someone at the temple told me that this furin market is one of the most popular in Japan.  What a serendipitous moment for me to visit!  

Japanese wind chimes are made of different materials -- from metal to ceramic to glass.  

Sojiji's furin market had hundreds of all of these types on display,  their different tones and tunes jangled merrily and somewhat chaotically each time a breeze blew by.  

These chimes had come from all over Japan, from many different regions and prefectures. 

I stood transfixed under the metal chimes -- these are the ones that I buy and collect.  

There were so many new designs that I had never seen before.  Metal chimes may not look as attractive or colourful as glass or ceramic chimes but I like their durability and the clear and round tones that they make. 

As I stood there enjoying the music they made, I was in a near state of panic -- I couldn't quite choose from among the hundreds just which ones I wanted to buy. 

The hand blown glass chimes gave off sweet, dulcet tones.   They looked like colourful and fragile bubbles swaying in the wind. Glass chimes are usually called Edo chimes since they date back to 

the Edo period when the  Dutch brought advanced techniques of glassmaking to Nagasaki. 

The Japanese quickly embraced the art of glassmaking and soon applied it to their wind chimes. 

Ceramic wind chimes come from areas well known for their pottery traditions.  This very 

kawaii ceramic chime of Kumamon could only have come from Kumamoto where their pottery tradition goes all the way back to the 17th century.  

Kumamon is my favorite Japanese mascot but sadly, I was afraid that this little ceramic bear would 

not survive the trip back home. 

All the chimes at the market were for sale.  Each one on display is tagged with a number and a price.  All I had to do was jot down the numbers of the chimes I had chosen and the ladies at the selling booth retrieved them from the available stocks, boxed, wrapped and ready to go.  

If I had a bigger suitcase I would have bought more but I was more than happy with my small haul -- quite a heavy haul as all the wind chimes were made of metal. 

Before I left, I breathed a silent thank you to the good wind that blew me here to Sojiji Temple to enjoy the symphony of sounds and colours at their once-a-year Furin Market. 

Visiting Kobo Daishi at Sojiji Temple, Tokyo

Adachi City in the northeastern part of Tokyo is a residential, working class neighbourhood.
Apart from a few parks and a kid friendly petting zoo, there is not much to see or do thus keeping
it well off the beaten tourist track.
However,  its relative anonymity is exactly what made it so appealing to me.  That plus the presence of Sojiji, a temple associated with my favourite Buddhist saint, Kobo Daishi in the Nishiarai district made Adachi a must-visit place for me. 

There are a number of options to go to Nishiarai Station one of which is the Tobu Line which has themed trains wrapped with colourful characters from the Crayon Shinchan manga series.  I travelled after rush hour so there was hardly anyone on the train when I got on. 

Nishiarai Station is about forty minutes out of downtown Tokyo.  It is the transfer point to the local Tobu Daishi Line which goes all the way to Sojiji. 

A two car local train whisks commuters from  Nishiarai Station to Daishimae station where Sojiji is nearest to.  It was just one stop or 4 minutes away --  if I could read or speak Japanese well, I would have ventured there on foot. 

Daishimae station was a few hundred meters away from one of the side gates of the temple.  On this hot summer day, I tried as hard as I could to stay under the shade of the trees lining the path.

The first thing that greeted me were these kiosks selling cold drinks and yakisoba cooked to order.  While the smell of fried noodles and meat wafted so appetisingly, I could not imagine eating hot food in this warm weather. 

Further in to the temple grounds were stalls selling potted herbs and flowering plants.
Sojiji is a famous for viewing flowers during different seasons -- there are sakura trees, wisteria and peonies.
A Flower Festival is held annually when the temples' hundreds of peony plants are in full bloom.

Amidst the riot of colorful blooms I spied our local gumamela which are also grown and are very popular in Japan. 

The largest structure in the temple grounds is the Dai-hondo or the main hall of Sojiji.  

Sojiji is an important temple of the Shingon sect of Buddhism founded by  Kobo Daishi.  

This temple was established by the saint himself when he visited this area in the ninth century.

Inside the Dai-hondo is this magnificent gold altar where the statue of Kannon Bosatsu is enshrined and venerated. 

Kobo Daishi himself carved this statue which protected the people from a plague at that time.  

Today, Sojiji is regarded as one of  three temples in Tokyo where you can come and pray for protection from evil and bad luck.   All of us can certainly use that kind of protection. 

A wide veranda goes around the Dai-Hondo giving the visitor a bird's eye view of a small pond ringed with trees. Can you see the large lotus plants rising above the water?   Lotus is a flower associated with purity and detachment in Buddhism. 

A stone bridge crosses the pond -- it is an idyllic place for a solitary stroll.

There is a small shrine to the Budhhist Goddess Benzaiten who is associated with music and the arts.  This lovely setting seems like a perfect place for her shrine. 

A little further on is this statue of Kobo Daishi dressed as a henro or pilgrim, complete with walking stick and wide brimmed hat.
I am reminded of  Santiago or St. James who is also depicted in many instances as a peregrino
or itinerant pilgrim.  

Both Santiago and Kobo Daishi have centuries old pilgrimages dedicated to them -- the
Camino de Santiago in Spain and the Hachijuhakkasho-meguri or the 88 Temple pilgrimage in the Japanese island of Shikoku. 

Because of his importance to Sojiji, there is a small replica of Kobo Daishi's eternal resting place
or the Okunoin tucked away in a quiet corner of the temple grounds.  The original Okunoin is in the sacred mountain of Koyasan, in the Kansai region. 

A three story wooden pagoda is called the Sankodo and was built in the 1800s.
Previously one could go in and climb the stairs where small statues of Buddha were on each step.  However, it now seems to be closed to the public.
The stall selling vintage kimonos and accessories is not an everyday thing -- apparently the temple hosts a small flea market on select Sundays. 

Such an important temple like Sojiji definitely comes with its own Shinto shrine.  Buddhism and Shinto co-exist many times, side by side.  This inari shrine with the guardian foxes is in one side of the temple grounds. 

I spent quite a bit of time just sitting quietly in front of this small pond.  Beyond it you can see a part of the main entrance or the Sanmon Gate which was unfortunately under repair when I visited. 

Despite the hot and humid day, I spent all morning enjoying the pleasures of Sojiji, in the company
of (I like to think) Kobo Daishi himself.

While it was hard to say good bye,  I am sure we will meet again.