Introduction
My friend Delio and I were looking for our next extended, challenging hike. Together we had completed two pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, known as “Camino de Santiago” or the “Way of St. James.” One from Roncesvalles, following the "French Way" and the other along the Caminho Portuques (the "Portuguese Way") starting in Oporto in Portugal. While researching our next adventure, Delio discovered Japan’s “Camino”, the Shikoku Pilgrimage. We we were hooked.
The Shikoku Pilgrimage follows an 800 mile route linking 88 Buddhist temples associated with the monk Kukai He lived between 735 and 835 and was also called Kobo Daishi after his death. A Shikoku Island native, he disseminated and popularized Buddhism in Japan and is a much revered figure. The tradition of this walking pilgrimage began more than a thousand years ago, but nowadays hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, called “henro” in Japanese, perform the pilgrimage visit the 88 temples each year mostly by train, bus or automobile. Many doing the loop several times. A few hardy henros are old fashioned and walk the route. The vast majority of pilgrims are elderly Japanese who are at the stage when one begins to contemplate the afterlife. Only recently westerners started to trickle in, with just a handful doing the whole circuit on foot.
Contrary to Santiago de Compostela’s pilgrimage that has several trails and starting points all leading to Santiago de Compostela, Shikoku’s pilgrimage follows a circular route, starting at the called Temple 1, proceeding in order to Temple 88 and closing the loop back at Temple 1.
Our research uncovered quite a bit of information in English about the pilgrimage, but not as much as is available for the Camino de Santiago, for which there is an enormous volume of information on the internet and dozens of guides and narrative books. The site www.shikokuhenrotrail.com contains a wealth of information and should be a go to site for anyone interested in this pilgrimage. It was our primary reference
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Two problems became apparent: Firstly, we do not speak Japanese and English is hardly spoken in Shikoku. It would be a challenge, if not impossible, to book accommodations. Secondly, although neither of is pondering the afterlife just yet, we did not have the time or stamina to walk the 800 mile loop. We had to select segments. A friend from the Camino di Santiago came to our rescue. Linda Lou suggested the “Shikoku Temple Trek, a nine day guided tour organized by Mountain Hiking Holidays of Seattle. The guided hike would lead us along some of the most important and beautiful temples and hiking paths. We were ready to leave tomorrow!
A pilgrim must be appropriately clothed and have the right gear. One can go “full henro” and dress as traditionaly as a traditional Japanese pilgrim can get, wearing the full symbolic clothing of a henro. Or you can be as informal as you want. But, be forewarned that the Japanese people frown upon shorts for men. Every component of the accoutrements has meaning and importance. Here is a picture of a museum exhibit showing the complete set:
And here is the picture of one of the most traditionally dressed henro I met on my pilgrimage:
However, not all henros dressed like this. However most, if not all, used the white vest or jacket (called “hakue”) and the wooden staff (Kongozue) with a bell attached. Other items are a conical straw hat (Sugegasa), a Buddhist stole (Wagesa); and Buddhist rosary;. A small side bag is used to carry the henro’s Noukyouchou), incense sticks, candle, and white strips of paper that are the henro’s “calling card” (Samefuda). The notebook is stamped at each temple visited. It and will be the record of your pilgrimage. On the Samefuda you write your last name, the city and country you came from. It’s deposited in a box in front of the temple’s main hall or given to fellow pilgrims or people you encounter in your pilgrimage.
The staff and the white jacket are important symbols. Almost all the Japanese henros carry them. The staff has Sanskrit writings for the basic elements Earth, Water, Fire, Air/Wind, plus Void/Sky and it represents Kobo Daishi accompanying you in your pilgrimage.
The white jacket has Sanskrit writings to honor Koboi Daishi, and it’s what identifies you as a henro on the trail. The white signifies renunciation. The dead in Japan is buried in white robes and a dead henro is buried in his hakue. The Japanese wear a robe called the yukata for informal wear. The kimono is worn for formal occasions. Both robes are closed left over right, unless one is dead. The robe is worn right over left on that sad occasion. t’s a common “faux pas” for foreigners to wear right-over-left, to the consternation of the Japanese. Henroes wear their white jacket right-over-left, to symbolize spiritual death and rebirth through the pilgrimage.
The hat has four phrases of enlightenment written on it in Sanskrit to provide guidance to the pilgrim: “Being lost is due to the three large worlds of desire”. “With enlightenment, ten thousand skies will appear”. “Originally there was no East and West”. “Why is there a North and South?”
I did not get the white jacket, as I thought was going to be too hot wearing one but I regretted it. Buy one if you go. We didn’t get the staff as we already had hiking poles, or the hat. It would have been too large to carry home.
Another important aspect of the pilgrimage is the protocol to be followed during each temple visit. At the entrance of the temple compound there is always a gate, to separate and denote that you will be leaving the mundane and entering sacred grounds. Some of the gates are plain, basic structures such as this:
Others are ornate and imposing as this gate, inspired by Chinese architecture.
What is important is that you show respect by bowing at the gate’s threshold before entering the compound.
On either side of the gate there are fearsome deities (Nio or Kongorikishi) , guardians of Buddha and protectors against evil:
Beyond the gate you will find a water fountain with long handled ladles for the purification ceremony.
You scoop the water with one of the ladles with one hand and pour water on the other hand to ceremonially clean it, being careful not to spill water back into the fountain.
This is repeated to purify the other hand.
Form a cup with your hand, pour more water into it and “wash” your mouth.
Finally you empty the ladle by letting the water flow down the handle, to “clean” the handle, before putting it back in the fountain, cup side down.
Finished with your symbolic cleansing you can now approach the main hall (Hondo)
This is the typical hondo altar.
But before you step up to the hondo you should light a candle; if you have not brought one, you can buy one from the temple the honor system.
And then light three incense sticks, representing the Past, the Present and the Future.
Take the steps up the the main hall, and use the long rope dangling from the ceiling to ring the bell to announce your presence to the hondo’s main deity.
Bow and say your prayers or sing the Heart Sutra [hyperlink: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_Sutra] a popular Buddhist prayer/chant.
Quite often you see groups of henros that have bused in chanting the Heart Sutra. Stop and listen to their rhythmic chanting, it’s mesmerizing. The group’s guide uses wooden blocks or bells on a stick to establish the rhythm.
Now you drop your paper strip Samefuda in the urn or box in front of the temple and repeat the ceremonies of the candle, incense, bell and prayer at the secondary hall dedicated to Kobo Daishi (Daishido), usually a similar building structure on the side of the main hall. Finally, ring the temple’s main bell. It has a marvelous ring! Stay there for a moment feeling the resonations, the waves going through your body.
You have finished the ceremonial part, but you are not done yet. Go to the temple’s office to have you henro notebook stamped with the temple’s seal (Shuin) and calligraphed (for a fee of 300 yens. It’s your proof that you have been there. The page is stamped with three red stamps indicating the temple number, the name of the main deity in the hondo, and the temple’s popular name, all in kanji. The calligraphy is done in black ink and is the name of the main deity written in Sanskrit. On subsequent visits to the same temple, the page is just stamped with the red seals again. Returning henros have red stamps all over the page!
Stamping:
Calligraphy:
This is what you get.
You are now free to roam the grounds. It takes 15-20 minutes to finish this routine, longer if there is a line for stamps at the office. For groups of henros traveling by bus, the driver takes bags with 20+ books to the office to be stamped while his clients perform their rituals at the temple. Try to avoid being stuck behind such bus driver! I must confess that I did the whole routine for all the temples for the first couple of days, on the third day I did the first and last temple for the day, on the fourth day the first temple of the day, and then none. It’s the thought that counts (I hope). Here are the intrepid henros Erico and Delio:
