Waking up prepared and went for breakfast which was pretty good except for egg that was supposed to be cooked on the tool on table but no matter how long the candle burned seemed best I could get was half raw. Nope. Not for me. So I left that as it was. Sorry but I really don't like raw or even half raw eggs.
From there I then went to the train station and headed back toward the Mino station I had left before abandoning Iyadaniji(temple 71). As it was early morning unsurprisingly the school kids were in force...though I thought it was already summer vacation by now. Maybe these are the ones who take training schools even in summer vacation. Poor kids. They have it hard on Japan.
Arriving to Mino station I started walking toward the temple across the
already quite warm weather. From here it was straight road until I
joined the pilgrim road. Didn't return to the point I had called it off
as I didn't remember route through tiny side paths but it's just
slightly different angle. Compared to using trains slight break from
following the official pilgrim path ;-)
Arriving to the foothills of the mountain with the temple I was rewarded with some shade from the trees!
Already my decision to abandon this temple 2 days ago was vindicated. On the heat, even at around 8:30 in morning, made
the climb very hard. I was exhausted by the time I got to this parking lot of
the temple. Here I was saved by bus staff who noticed I was about to
take car road rather than pilgrim route. I could get by that to temple
but just a long detour by zig zagging car road.
Not
that pilgrim road was much better. Over 500 steps of stairs would be climbed before reaching the main hall! Not quite
as bad as Konpirasan but then again I was carrying backbag with me this time...
Getting
to point where I saw daishi hall on front with small stairs and sign
saying hondo on right I took a rest using a bag of ice cubes onsen staff
had given me to cool myself down. Then went toward main hall. And found
out the road still had looooots of stairs. I had thought worst was over but it wasn't over yet...Not by a longshot.
So this temple, called Iyadaniji(Eight valley temple) though originally Yakunidera(Eight counties temple from the time it overlooked eight provinces from the mountains elevated viewpoint) has 1000 armed Kannon as Honzon. Some sources claim Kobo Daishi carved it, others Gyogi Bosatu who is the one credited as founder of the temple after Emperor Shomu ordered one be built.
It's ALSO called 5 swords temple from the legend of Kukai studying Gumonjiho ritual here during which sword with 5 blades(?) fell from the sky. Quite a sword!
Seems there are more than 1500 carvings of Amiba Buddha and his attendants on the rock wall behind the temple. Seems they are dated somewhere between the 13th and the 15th centuries.
Kōbō Daishi is said to have come here frequently from the time he was
seven until he was thirteen, at which time he started to wander farther
from home. There is a cave above the hondō called the Shishi no Gankutsu
(Lion's Cave) where he came to meditate.
This temple is probably attributed with more miraculous cures that any
other on the pilgrimage.
Before this pilgrimage came into existence as a whole, Temples 71
through 77 constituted a short pilgrimage of their own. Apparently many
people wanted to inter the ashes of their loved ones here on this
mountain. On their way here they would stop at each of the temples from
what are now called 71 through 76. As this whole pilgrimage began to
take shape, though, this 7 temple pilgrimage, like the 10 temple
pilgrimage from Temples 1 to 10, was incorporated into the (now) 88
temple route.
Getting
FINALLY to the main hall I was pooped up. This heat is murder. At least
views from the hall were great. After doing my prayers I left back
down(sigh. What I would give for teleporters that would take you down...I HATE going down!) and went to the Daishi hall that was inside big building
which also housed the stamp office. I was able to leave the used up ice bag (whose contents I had poured over my head)
here. Sorry about extra trash. After this I headed back toward the bus
stop but rather than turn there I needed continue forward to the mountain path
that leads toward Mandalaji.
This route was rather
narrow at times which was bit scary. Then once down at times it was
completely overgrown with only barely shape of a path to lead you forward.
Hoping no poisonous snakes on way as visibility was almost literally zero(and literally zero for ground...) I pushed forward.
After this I arrived quickly to normal road again. From here it became
walking in the hot weather again. I opted to wrap towel over my head hoping
it would help, which it did, albeit I looked rather silly in it :D. But health first.
Before reaching temple break on konbini called in though. I needed my
lunch. Eating, drinking, resting feet and getting towel watered down I
continued toward 72.
Arriving to the temple 72 Mandaraji(Mandala temple) that was originally built in 596. It's the ancestral temple of the Saeko clan(to which Kukai belonged). After returning from China in 805 he dedicated Kongokai(diamon realm) and Taizokai(Womb realm) mandala's that signify the worlds of the cosmic Buddha and enshrined statue of Dainichi Nyorai(Mahavairocana, the Cosmic buddha) as the Honzon.
The temple is modeled after the Ch'ing-lung-si Temple in China taking whopping 3 years to build(no 1 night building here!).
i ran into
the pilgrim i had delayed from his train yesterday. He asked if I
remembered him and there's not many young pilgrims with voice I felt I
recognized so took me only brief thinking before remembering the train
station case. He had now borrowed a bike and was going around with it.
Mandala
temple was fair sized complex. As I was there couple car
pilgrims(likely) appeared up. Prayers, stamp, rest, re-wet towel that was
again fairly dry. Damn it was hot.
Small lizard that ran away from me fast as he/she could!
This temple was burned down both in 1560 and 1596.
From here quick
trip to temple 73 Shussakaji. Slight climb but not too bad but I opted
already not to go to the okunoin. Over 200m height and on this heat...also
ankles were giving early warnings which was starting to worry me. Dejavu from last year.
Gate to temple 73 Shusshakaji(Temple of Buddha's appearance). The honzon as such is the historical Buddha.
The temple legend states that when Kōbō Daishi was seven years old, he climbed to the cliffs above the
temple here and, after vowing to save all sentient beings, threw
himself over the edge saying "If my desire to save all beings will be
achieved the Buddha will save me. If not, let me die."
Well either Buddha saved him, he was saved by sheer dumb luck or he didn't jump and the story is just a story. Since I'm highly suspicious of supernatural beings I'm leaning toward either surviving on more mundane means(people HAVE fallen from high flying airplane and survived so why not here? Much shorter drop...) or legend just being legend.
Because of this legend, this site is popularly called Shashingatake (the Jumping Cliff). At a later date, Kōbō Daishi returned here to study and perform the
Gumonjihō. He also carved an image of Kokūzō Bosatsu and dedicated it in
the Okunoin.
It used to be that the Oku no in was proper temple and this was for receiving stamp but in 1920 temple was relocated here for ease of access.
On the temple the car
pilgrims from previous temple were about to leave. Prayers, stamp, rest,
rewatering...familiar pattern.
Then I started walking toward the temple 74 Kouyamaji.
2km or so so wouldn't normally be too bad even this heat but by now my
right ankle was giving me serious pain. This was very similar to last
year which stopped me then. Hopefully doesn't go quite as bad as that.
I hopped along taking periodic rests and eventually got to 74. Here first I needed a break to rest my ankle. Then I did my prayers but due to heat and pain accidentally did the daishi hall first(didn't pay around to markings). Noticed the error after lighting up candle and incent so bit too late. Well to my defence daishi hall is first right after bell so seemed logical order...
The Kōyamaji(armour mountain temple) houses a Yakushi nyorai statue as the Honzon. Odd name comes because the mountain(presumably the one in whose footsteps temple is located) is shaped like a helmet, or the armor of Bishamonten. Kobo daishi set up the temple and carved the Honzon for appreciation of completion of Mannoike reservoir that he supervised(as mentioned in previous blog entry). According to another legend, Kōbō Daishi met an aged man here while searching for a good site on which to build this temple here where he had often played as a child. A sage came out of a cave and said, "I am a sage who gives meritorious power and propagates good teaching. If you build your temple here, I will protect it throughout the ages." Kōbō Daishi immediately cut out a piece of the rock and carved the image of Bishamonten.
Some talking with another pilgrim. Then departure toward the Zentsuji located 1.6km away where I would be lodging. Very short but that ankle...
On
the way ran up into the mysterious pilgrim attired but not one who is
doing normal pilgrimage I had met around Unpenji who was coming from direction of 75. Again coming from opposite direction? What IS he
doing? Really pickling my curiosity...Didn't ask though but when he heard of my ankle issue wished best and noted temple is real close now.
Funny translation error. Google translator likely. I THINK original sentence is この水は飲めません. where automatic translator mistaked the は particle. Usually you would use が for "this water can be used for X" but with negative sentence it turns into は which is also used for subject and if subject and whoever does something are same shorthanded there so translator software probably confused there. My best theory anyway.
Got ice pack
for my ankles from the temple staff which helped. Bath, laundry, rest, dinner, rest. Aah. Both feets are quite a
blister mess and left feet smallest toe has half the nail missing and is
sorry sight indeed.
Walked 17,85km, total 310,3km.
24.07.2018
Next morning despite a rest day went for the morning prayer so early wake up. Same as last time except for free talk(this time about heat and don't overdo). Also priests positions and who did what changed. Interesting. Also forgot to mention last time but before going to dark tunnel they shaked some sort of buddhist instrument that seems to be one Kukai brought from China(so 1200 or so years old!) For us while we chanted Namu Daishi Henjo kongo.
Less visitors and I got first position so I got the tunnel done on free pace today :D No need to have hand straight ahead.
Btw one quest that was here is young japanese guy in his 20s doing the walk. Seems fairly religious type actually and takes ceremony and all fairly seriously. Usually it's the elder people who follow rituals more rigorously. Younger ones seems to be less heavily into the ceremonies but this one was clear exception.
Rest of the day not much to tell. Rested, on noon went for lunch trying to find udon but ended up in what looked ramen restaurant but set meal was not ramen(confusing? was for me!) but some sort of chicken pieces, salad, rice etc. Still good. Bloody hot day. Also got myself book when made mistake of entering book store...Darn. But wanted something to read for the otherwise empty day.
Rest
of day spent reading. I tried to get 3rd night planning to do tomorrow
backbag-less walk but turns out some sort of event that prevented
it...hmmm...started to make calls for elsewhere. Booked up. Booked up.
Booked up. Booked up until saturday...
Uhhuh. What on
earth is going on? Going to dinner and continuing the calls I called
probably over 20 places in the end and all were full. After mulling over options I gave up and
decided to look for lodgings by trivago on Takamatsu. Found myself there
for few days. Think this is it for the pilgrimage for this year. Guess I
could come back later but leg issues as well...call it quits for now. I
can continue next year as well. All in all this trip ended up about week shorter than I had planned. Walked
less than last year alas but damn it was harder walk than last year.
This heeeeat! Not too unhappy about the distance I covered considering the heat. Does mean finishing it next year is impossibility so STILL 2 years to finish up. Good news is pace doesn't have to be as intense with more time. Though having remaining temples in two parts makes bit inconvenient, takes maybe extra day and costs extra money.
Not sure what to do now. Will look for
it. Few days in Takamatsu so will try to make sure I eat plenty sanuki
udon and will go to visit Ritsurien park. Today while going on lunch there
were old grandmas setting up festival. Turns out on saturday evening here
is beer festival out of all things. Not exactly festival I was hoping
for but might check it out anyway. If legs feel like it maybe do some temples using train to travel between hotel and start/end points for walking.
Later note: After writing above I by pure chance checked my Takamatsu reservation. Somehow I had screwed up BIG TIME. It was actually TOKUSHIMA I had booked up...Well this means I will be eating less Sanuki udon but should have time to visit maybe 2 bekkaku temples I forgot to buy rosary ball last year, see some Awaodori dance maybe and well I like Tokushima and train takes me to Takamatsu to see the Risurien park so no worries there. But darn. How did I manage to make that kind of mistake?
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