A Walk Around Shodoshima Day vii Part II The North Coast Sunday, Feb seventh 2016 After leaving the castle stone museum I acquit on along the coast route nether blueish skies. After a span of kilometers I halt inwards at temple lay out 79, Yakushi-an, pocket-size in addition to fairly nondescript. Now I'm at the northern most department of the isle in addition to the route heads east. Coming into Obe, the pocket-size machine ferry from Hinase is arriving. For such a pocket-size island, Shodoshima has a large lay out of different ferries connecting to it. On the hillside looking over Obe is lay out 80, Kannonji, a fairly substantial temple. Visible start higher upward the outer walls is a large silvery statue, a Chigo Daishi, a statue of Kobo Daishi every bit a child. 
Surprisingly the original hall of the temple is laid upward new, all gleaming fresh wood. I saw a photograph of the temple a few years agone in addition to it was a fairly ugly concrete construction then. The broad opened upward infinite inwards front end of the original hall is a raked gravel in addition to stone garden of the sort usually associated alongside Zen, but this is a Shingon temple. The caput priest tells me to exit my backpack in addition to come upward within the original hall where he shows me to a topographic point inwards front end of the altar. Inside is lite in addition to airy in addition to colorful, quite dissimilar most temples. The ceiling is covered inwards pocket-size paintings. The priest heads to the taiko drum in addition to begins beating it piece chanting. He is doing the Hannya Shinkyo, known inwards English linguistic communication every bit the Heart Sutra. I experience quite honored to personally conduct keep the blessing. Afterwards he takes me into some other edifice in addition to sits me at some long tables in addition to I am brought a bowl of noodles in addition to some pickles. For those who are accustomed to visiting temples at places similar Kyoto, where it feels similar the aim is to extract every bit much coin every bit possible from you, my experiences hither on Shodoshima conduct keep been but the opposite. 
It has taken longer to see Kannonji than I expected, hence ane time once to a greater extent than I am behind schedule in addition to stride off along the coast road. At the hamlet of Kobe, a beach resort no less, I am able to exit the route in addition to conduct keep to the pilgrim trail which heads straight inland upward a valley. Soon the path is inwards the woods in addition to passes a span of derelict shrines. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 span of times the path crosses the route that curves dorsum in addition to forth upward the valley. About an hr afterwards I accomplish where the lantern-lined, wide, stone staircase begins to current of air upwards. The path forks. To the left it is shut off alongside a yellowish rope, but it is the route through the Chinese-style gate hence I conduct keep it anyway. Further beyond the gate a pocket-size waterfall surrounded yesteryear statues of Fudo Myo, the house for cold-water austerities. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 footling farther in addition to the side yesteryear side gate appears, in addition to then the strangest affair happened. It began to snow. It is non all that mutual frigidness in addition to some of the heaven is blue, but a dark cloud nearby must endure forced to precipitate every bit it rises to overstep over the oculus of the island. Up the side yesteryear side laid of steps the temple edifice becomes visible, a really broad construction across the base of operations of the cliff. At the top of the steps the end ascent upward is exposed stone alongside the inevitable chain, but I elect to conduct keep the easier path to the correct which switchbacks up. Underneath the overhanging concrete edifice the views are at ane time clear. I climb upward the staircase in addition to emerge into a brilliant long room, carpeted carmine in addition to alongside the cave ceiling covered inwards hanging carmine lanterns. The priest greets me in addition to nosotros chat every bit he shows me some the several altars laid inwards the cave walls. When he finds out I am originally from the U.K. all he wants to verbalize nigh is Led Zeppelin in addition to Deep Purple. He asks my cite in addition to and then writes it onto a pocket-size wooden board. He gives me 4 to a greater extent than boards in addition to asks me to write my cite on each. He in addition to then takes me through a narrow opening into the inner cave, passing several paintings in addition to pocket-size statues of Fudo Myo. At the dorsum of the cave he shows me the cabinet that contains the Honzon of the temple, a statue of Fudo Myo. He points to the lock in addition to explains it is alone opened every thirty years. He claims it is from the eighth century. In front end of the locked cabinet is a big, dark statue of Fudo. He says it is the "in front" statue, though sometimes I've heard them referred to every bit "shadow" statues, in addition to they are a substitute for the surreptitious statue. He in addition to then tells me to sit down inwards front end of a large flat, stone altar on which he in addition to then begins to laid upward a pocket-size pyre alongside pocket-size blocks of wood. He begins chanting in addition to beating the taiko drum. 
With a pocket-size ladle he takes a liquid in addition to spreads it on the wood in addition to and then sets lite to it. More chanting in addition to drumming, in addition to every few minutes he adds to a greater extent than wood, in addition to some constitute material. Gradually the flames accomplish higher in addition to he adds the pieces of wood alongside my cite on them to the fire. It becomes quite mesmerizing, alongside the statues in addition to other paraphernalia some the nighttime cave glinting inwards the flickering firelight. Eventually the flames accomplish to a greater extent than than a meter inwards height. He in addition to then leaves his topographic point in addition to picks upward a long steel pole at the goal of which is a serial of interlinked metallic plates. Its a gohei, a shinto purification wand usually made out of wood in addition to paper. He places it into the flames in addition to and then waves it over me. He in addition to then tells me it's over. I conduct keep had the Goma Ritual performed for me personally. I'm non certain how long it took. Possibly 10 minutes, possible 30. I conduct keep out my wallet in addition to enquire how much I owe in addition to he shakes his head.. Like the previous temple, this ane also practises giving.... I experience energized in addition to exhilarated. I conduct keep seen Goma performed from a distance before, but to conduct keep had a personal ane performed inwards such unusual setting seems actually special. I stride dorsum downward the mount in addition to accomplish the bottom inwards a fraction of the fourth dimension it took to climb up. I depository fiscal establishment represent at the double-decker halt in addition to I conduct keep over one-half an hr till the side yesteryear side double-decker dorsum hence I kicking the bucket some other span of kilometers along the coast route yesteryear a massive quarry that dominates the view. Tomorrow volition endure the end leg. Jake Davies A Walk Around Shodoshima Day vii Part I A Walk Around Shodoshima Day 8 © JapanVisitor.com Sumber https://japanvisitor.blogspot.com/