Koyasan, Wakayama Prefecture

There are occasions in our life when we go on certain journeys which are life-transforming. Recently I went on such a journey, one that is certain to leave a memorable impact on the rest of my life.

In late November, 2007 a group of us embarked on the Shikoku Pilgrimage, a circuit
linking 88 temples over 1,000 miles, believed to be founded by the great Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi (Kukai-空海),). The 88 temple loop which winds around the entire island of Shikoku covering the 4 prefectures, is a must-do for many Japanese Buddhists. It is usually a journey wherein the pilgrim asks for protection and fulfillment of all wishes. Even for non-Buddhists who travel the loop, it is considered a rare opportunity allowing deep reflection into one’s life. Those of us who went knew all along the pilgrimage was going to comprise much more than temple hopping; it was  no less than a portal for wiping the slate clean, maybe even  an extreme spiritual makeover!

Going on the pilgrimage has been a long-cherished hope. After exhaustive planning and organization by our non-profit center based in Hong Kong, we were finally ready for this spiritual adventure. Our group had one focused intent in mind; it was to pray for the release and completion of all karma personal and collective, and the fulfillment of wishes for our highest good.

On November 26, sixteen of us, accompanied by a tour guide fluent in Japanese, began our trip. Our group consisted of mainly professionals, members from the corporate world who were taking a much needed break from their hectic lifestyle to nourish their soul and spirit. We flew from Hong Kong to Osaka, where we spent the night.  The next morning we set off on our tour bus heading towards the Inland Sea. We made a crossing over the famous suspension bridge Ōnaruto Bridge (大鳴門橋 Ōnaruto-kyō?)  that connects Kobe with Naruto, Tokushima Prefecture, whilst traversing the Akashi Strait and driving pass Awaji Island.  Withinin 2 ½ hours we had arrived in Tokushima, the first of the four prefectures of Shikoku Island.

SHIKOKU: “FOUR LANDS” ISLAND

Sacred Gingko tree, temple #2

Shikoku Island is mired in legend and myth, to put it mildly. Every tree, every stone and cliff breathes and thrives with a magical presence and is attached to some kind of mystical tale. Henceforth for the next two weeks, we embarked upon a magical mystery tour covering the highways and byways of the Island.  We drove through miles and miles of lush countryside, where verdant foothills were dotted with bright orange tangerines and golden heart-shaped persimmons. The wide alluvial areas in the east are especially excellent ground for citrus fruits and rice, wheat and barley. A good part of Shikoku is mountainous, and ranges running east and west divide the island into a narrow northern subregion facing the Inland Sea, as well as a sparsely populated southern section fronting the Pacific Ocean. Rivers abound with clean spring water and fish, and the mountains slopes are richly populated by aspiring fir, pines and cedars, interspersed with batches of flaming red maple serving to tantalize the senses.

Many of Shikoku’s natural landmarks revolve around her  most famous son, the monk Kukai who was given the posthumous title by the king--Kobo Daishi, (弘法大師), or “Great Teacher who Spreads Widely the Buddha’s Teaching.”

KOBO DAISHI’S AMAZING LIFE

Gold Canopy, Daishi’s Altar

Kobo Daishi, the most revered Grand Master of Japanese Buddhism, is credited to having established the 88 temple pilgrimage route.  Many of these temples were founded by him, while others are associated with him due to strong spiritual connection. Considered a great spiritual teacher, saint and father of Japanese culture, Kobo Daishi brought back the tantric teachings of Esoteric Buddhism from China in the 8th century, developed it into the uniquely Japanese Shingon sect, and founded Shingon's headquarters on Mount Koya near Osaka. Amongst his many inventions, he also created the kana syllabary derived from abbreviated Chinese characters to indicate the correct pronunciations of Chinese texts.

Kobo Daishi (Kukai) was born in 774 in the province of Sanuki (Kagawa Prefecture) on Shikoku Island, during the Heian era. As a youth, he studied Chinese classics and Confucianism under the guidance of his uncle, and at eighteen he became ordained as a Buddhist monk.

When he was thirty-one years old, Daishi  chanced upon a sutra of Esoteric Buddhism called “Dainichi-kyo” (Mahavairocana Sutra), which stirred up in him a passionate desire to study Esoteric Buddhism in depth. Since Esoteric Buddhism was relatively unknown in Japan at that time, Kobo Daishi resolved to travel to China to further explore the teachings. In 804 Daishi joined a Japanese envoy that was traveling by boat to Xian (the flamboyant capital of China of the flouirsihing Tang Dynasty). Within a very short time he mastered the essence of the esoteric teachings under the tutelage of the Master Huiguo, the 7th patriarch of the Esoteric School. Kobo Daishi received the full initation from Master Huiguo who selected him as the 8th patriarch of Esoteric Buddhism. All this happened within a matter of two years. From this series of events we get a sense of the genius of the man, his determination, tenacity and suprahuman thirst for knowledge. In spite of Kobo Daishi's initial directive which was to study Buddhism for 20 years in China, in less than three years he set out for home, with the instruction  from Master Huiguo to spread the teachings of Esoteric Buddhism throughout Japan.

In 835, Daishi entered into the stillness and in 921 he was granted the posthumous name of Kobo Daishi (弘法大師) by Emperor Daigo. Although both names—Kukai and Kobo Daishi--are used interchangeably, Kobo Daishi is the name most commonly used by the followers of Shingon Buddhism.

FOUR STAGES OF THE PATH OF ENLIGHTENMENT

The four prefectures are conveniently arranged around the compass points, and essentially this is how the 88 temple route evolved--advancing in clockwise direction covering the four distinctly different parts of the island.

As the pilgrimage route became more and more popular, legends of miraculous deeds and examples of Daishi’s transformations were tagged on to each temple. Eventually, each one of the four prefectures was attributed with one aspect of the Buddha path. They are, in successive progression:

• Tokushima Prefecture (formerly Awa Province): The Dojo (Way Place) of Awakening Faith
• Kochi Prefecture (formerly Tosa Province): The Dojo of Spiritual Cultivation
• Ehime Prefecture (formerly Iyo Province): The Dojo of Bodhi, Enlightenment
• Kagawa Prefecture (formerly Sanuki Province): The Dojo of Nirvana

A dojo (道場) literally means "place of the Way". The four stations represent the progresive stages on the Buddhist path to total awakening.

YOU NEVER TRAVEL ALONE

Transference of Merit at day’s end

Ocean Cave where Daishi cultivated

So what exactly is this famous loop? The 88 Temple Pilgrimage (八十八ヶ所巡り hachijūhakkasho-meguri) is a 1,647-kilometer (about 1,000 miles) circuit that loops around the entire island of Shikoku from temple #1 to #88. Nowadays pilgrims cover the route by bus or automobile, but there are those who walk the trail on foot, doing it the time-honored way from a bygone era. The entire journey on foot takes about 60 days, but many Japanese pilgrims we encountered tell us that they break up the route into several parts. They would cover only those temples in a certain prefecture, drop off and go home, and pick up where they left off when they come back on the next round. Throughout our trip we ran into pilgrims--known as o-henro-san (お遍路さん) or henro in Japanese--climbing up a steep mountain trail, or walking alone on the shoulder of the narrow coastal highway. They are easily recognizable since they are all clad in a white jacket emblazoned with the characters Dōgyō Ninin (同行二人), meaning "two traveling together" — the other being the spirit of Kobo Daishi.

Often these lone walking pilgrims would take a rest stop after a couple hours of walking from one temple to another, or sit by the ocean eating their bento lunches. They all had a radiant smile on their faces. Although they were traveling alone, none of them looked lonely or haggard. We managed to talk with a few of them. They told us that traversing the henro was a precious opportunity for them to figure out the purpose of their life path. Some of them might be processing their middle-age crisis, or seeking a regeneration of their tired spirit.  Nonetheless, they unanimously profess that the spiritual and physical benefits they glean from walking the pilgrim’s path far outweigh any difficulty they might encounter braving the sun, wind, or rain.

“Two traveling together”—indeed, such is the commitment of Kobo Daishi, a promise that serves as guiding light for all pilgrims as well as our group. No matter where we are—deep in the valleys or high in the mountains, each of us know we are not traveling alone. In fact, in the pilgrimage of life itself, we are never alone.

AHH….HOTSPRINGS

Legends of Kobo Daishi’s miracles abound everywhere he went. During his youth and prime he lived and traveled extensively throughout the four prefectures, cultivating vigilantly up in the highest and bleakest mountain caves, also along the coast by the pounding ocean. An unmistakable, magical ambience shrouds the entire loop. We engaged this sacred hologram with body, mind and soul.
 
You could imagine that by bounding up and down mountain trails, often walking hundreds of steps and braving the blustery winds and rain in mid-winter, we might end up with sore and tired muscles. Nothing assuages the physical fatigue than a hearty soak in the onsen—hotsprings.  Through the ingenious planning of our tour organizer, we stayed in a couple of hotels with natural thermal spring water piped into their public bathing pool, and also managed to drop by some local public onzen in the evenings.

One notable visit was to Dōgo Onsen (道後温泉) possibly the oldest and certainly most famous hot spring, located only a few kilometers from the centre of Matsuyama, main city of Ehime prefecture on the west coast of the island. After a long day of hiking and praying, our bus made a beeline towards Dogo Onsen. The bathing facility is a traditional wooden house, modest yet dignified. Once we stepped inside we felt as if we were zipped back in time into the Edo Period. There are two huge public bathing pools, one for women and the other for men, replete with private lockers next to the pool and kept extremely tidy and orderly. I am always impressed with the public demeanor and discipline of traditional Japanese people. It comes from generations of civil education,  also from a delightful Zen awareness that is steeped and ingrained into their cultural fiber.

Soaking in the warm thermal water generously frees up knotted muscles, allowing the fatigue and soreness to seep away almost instantaneously. Having been an onsen aficionado ever since I was a little girl, I always manage to enter an altered state when I soak in the hotsprings. It is akin to going through a death-and-regeneration ritual albeit within just half an hour! All of us emerged renewed and rejuvenated. Soaking in the thermal hotsprings is the perfect accompaniment to our day time activities. This time- honored tradition of detoxing and rejuvenating mind, body and soul enhances our spiritual practices.

GENTLE BEAUTY OF A REMOTE ISLAND

Considered the most remote of the four major islands of Japan, Shikoku is known for its mountainous regions which render it a rural backwater. It also endows her with a unique rustic charm that is most endearing.

Our journey took us through some splendid scenery, such as Cape Ashizuri, a scenic cape at the southernmost point of Shikoku. We traversed some hauntingly beautiful hills and dales tucked away in the mist, with gurgling brook and white smoke arising from thatch-roof cabins--the very picture of rural mystique. We also traveled up to Mount Ishizuchi (Stone Hammer) —the tallest peak in Shikoku.

Our 88 temple henro was spiced up with scenarios that shed light on our human nature, as well as our own potential for profound awakening. The journey included tears, laughter, despair, and profound gratitude. The prevailing mood was buoyant and joyous. Every temple we visited, in every zendo and Daishi hall where we prayed, our hearts blossomed with the awakening of faith and an outpouring of love that is anchored in the matrix of Golden Light. Throughout our journey, and even now as I write this, the mantra of Daishi’s namesake turns like a prayer wheel in my heart center.

PERVASIVELY SHINING VAJRA

 “Homage to Daishi, Pervasively Shining Vajra!”(南無大師遍照金剛)

Gold Light Mantra

Kobo Daishi’s Shrine Room

This is the short mantra of Daishi’s namesake that we invoked thousands of times each day as we entered deeper and deeper into the Golden Matrix. Vajra is the indestructible substance of pure, condensed golden light: radiant, adamantine and invincible. It is also the substance of Prime Source, the Central Sun Dharma Body of all Buddhas. The mantra evokes the spirit essence of Daishi—as emanation of Great Sun Buddha, or Source Light of the Cosmos. This short invocation set the tone for the entire pilgrimage. As we journeyed deeper and deeper into this Matrix of Invincible Gold Light, we came face to face with our own demons and hang-ups. Each of us had to confront our worst fears and bulldoze through the mire of the ego. We came to own that our fears and limiting notions are our only obstacles to complete freedom and peace.

The entire pilgrimage was characterized by free-flow sharing and open communication amongst all group members. Also, at the end of every day, at the last temple of our visit, we would conduct a short ceremony of dedicating the prayers and merit to our group intent: completion and release of all karma personal and collective karma; regeneration and global enlightenment. The battles we encountered were internal battles. We put up a good fight, and in the end, the Golden Light triumphed.

SACRED MOUNTAIN OF SHINGON BUDDHISM

Kobo Daishi’s Calligraphy: Heart Sutra

”AH” Seed Syllable

After completion of the entire 88 temples, we traveled back towards Osaka and headed for Koyasan, the official end point of our henro. Mount Koya(高野山) in Wakayama Prefecture is considered the most sacred Buddhist Mountain in Japan.

Perhaps in no other place is the achievement and impact of Daishi’s energy as potently felt as on this mountain. In 816, after receiving Emperor Saga’s permission, Kobo Daishi officially founded the seminary community of Koyasan. He lived here from 816 till his nirvana in 835, tirelessly developing it into the thriving center of Esoteric Buddhism of the Shingon Sect.  One could say that Koyasan is Daishi’s signature piece.

On March 21, 835, surrounded by his devoted disciples, the Master entered into the stillness.  However, devotees believe his spirit is alive and well. Daishi sits in eternal meditation, lending an attentive ear and loving heart to millions who come to ask for relief and his protection.

The various portraits and statues of Kobo Daishi reveal a man of extraordinary presence and charisma. His poised composure speaks volumes. The wide and smooth forehead, high cheekbones and intense eyes betray someone possessed of prodigious memory, wisdom and skill in means. His literary and inventive genius has left its imprint throughout Japanese culture, and to this day his merits continue to uplift and feed a spiritual and cultural tradition that is very much alive.

In 2004, Koyasan was registered through UNESCO as a World Heritage site, with the  official title of “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range”. Nowadays  its sacred and dignified energy draw visitors from many countries  Ambling along cobblestone streets flanked by aspiring pines and cedars on virtually spotless ground, the tourist and pilgrim alike can appreciate the rich cultural history and drink in the unique charm from this holy environment.

OKUNOIN—A WALK THROUGH ETERNITY

 
Cedar Walkway, Okunoin, Koyasan

We have arrived at Okunoin (奥の院), the most sacred site of Mount Koya. At the end of a 2 km cobblestone walkway we stand before Gobyo (御廟), the mausoleum in which  the body of Kobo Daishi is enshrined and where he is believed to be sitting in eternal meditation. We have entered the heart center of Koyasan. The 2 km cobblestone walkway is flanked on both sides by aspiring ancient cedars that are considered sacred, and all around us spread out in every direction are over 200,000 gravestones. Traversing this walkway through the cedars is a surreal and spell-binding experience, something that I will always remember. It is as if spontaneously one enters an altered time-space continuum, a Golden Matrix Hologram, if you will. Although the walkway is surrounded by gravestones all around, there is not a sense of creepiness. Rather, the very air itself seems to be saturated with a sense of serenity and calmness. We remained silent throughout our walk. Our thoughts ceased, and the mind could not wander off into its idle forays as usual. We are struck by something so riveting and moving about these haloed grounds that the body is compelled to surrender in humble awe and gratitude.

This serene path is lined by mausoleums belonging to the famous personages of Japan, most notably the mausoleum built in 1643 by Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third generation Shogun of the Tokugawa family. Traversing the cedar walkway provides a fleeting glimpse of the dynastic genealogy, political and cultural history of Japan, in a time capsule. The greatest Shoguns, generals, warlords, nobles, scholars, scientists and businessmen are represented here, their tombstones paying tribute to the greatest teacher of all—Kobo Daishi, revered as the father of Japanese spiritual culture.

KOYASAN HIGHLIGHTS

During our time in Koyasan, we had the opportunity to visit other highlights of the sacred mountain. Kongobuji (金剛峰寺--Vajra Summit) is the head temple, located in the center of Koya-town. Viewed from holistic perspective, all the temples on this mountain are one temple. From this larger perspective of Kongobuji, the main hall would actually be Kondo, located in Danjo Garan, since this is the hall where most of the significant rituals are held for the entire Koyasan community. Since all of Koyasan is envisioned as one large temple, all the temples in Koyasan are considered to be one with Kongobuji. It is noteworthy that albeit the 117 temples in Koyasan, in the holistic vision  they are considered one temple.

Danjo Garan ((壇上伽藍)is one of the two most sacred sites in Koyasan. In the 9th century, Kobo Daishi held a groundbreaking ceremony here and founded Koyasan right on this very ground. This sacred area consists of nearly twenty different structures including the magnificent Konpon Daito(Great Stupa). From the grand perspective of the entire complex of Danjo Garan, the blueprint of the area and its buildings are integrated in a symbolic Mandala of the Womb Realm, one of the major mandalas of the Shingon Esoteric School.

I was also delighted and impressed by the Reihokan Museum (霊宝館)where over 200 pieces of Buddhist images, icons, sculptures and ritual artifacts are on display. The museum houses some of the most exquisite certified national treasures of Japan, and the energy emanating from these objects displayed in close proximity absolutely takes your breath away.

THE GOLDEN MATRIX

Our two weeks in Shikoku and Koyasan advanced in lightning speed, and before we knew it, we were approaching the end of our trip. Our journey has been a mixture of exhilaration and deep reflection. Sometimes tears would spontaneously give way to laughter as we move through the darkness and steer ourselves towards Source. And no matter what tangent we took in exploring our life purpose, in the end we all arrived at the same place, a place of forgiveness and acceptance.

As a tumultuous 2007 was winding down, we took time out to regroup, reconfigure, and give thanks. Quite a few of us were graced with spectacular dreams during the journey. This continues even now that I am home.  The dreams often occur in a majestic context of sacred geometry, light codes, stellar and galactic counsels generously sprinkled with delicious gold dust.

And now we have stepped into 2008, a “1” year, a time to celebrate renaissance, rebirth, with a clean slate. Let us take time to ponder. What kind of year do we want this to be? How are we dreaming ourselves into being?

Who are you becoming?

May the Golden Matrix Pervasively Shining always shed light on you. And always remember: You are never alone on this journey.