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 would not finish the pilgrimage as we just had a week in Shikoku, definitely not enough time to visit all 88 temples (unless perhaps we used a helicopter!) but we wanted to go and
visit temple 88, Okubo-ji. It would be the last temple that we would visit and therefore the last temple of our very own Shikoku pilgrimage.
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 all 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".
There are no Nio at this gate, instead you'll find a giant straw sandal on each side.
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 sandals at the
temple's gate, 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 a monk named 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. There is a dragon from whose mouth the water flows.
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 pilgrim is met with quiet grace.
After saying the sutras at the Hondo and having our nokyocho stamped we headed to the Daishido. We followed 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.
your pilgrimage.
Since I felt that I had not really "completed" my pilgrimage, I decided to keep my
kongozue 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 from the side, one
of the temple staff came forward and motioned me to put my hand on the cloth.
It is a blessing, 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, not enough 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. 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.