Thoughts on the walk

I'm in a real good place right now. I've been walking following this route called the Shikoku Henro- a visit to 88 temples around Shikoku in Japan. This route is the oldest pilgrimage route in Japan; it has been walked for over a thousand years. It was founded by Kobo-Dasishi, a Japanese monk and also founder of Shingon Buddhism, a Japanese branch (best way to describe it) of Buddhism. This is a very well known route and is most often followed in the spring time, when the weather is beautfiul (unlike say now, typhoon season!). Still, though, there are many people walking and visiting the temples. The route is about 900 miles in total and it takes about 6 weeks to complete it walking. It is a very difficult emotional, mental and physical challenge, and oh so good. I will only be walking for two weeks, it's about as much as my body and budget can take at this point. I learned about this route from a friend after sharing my interests of nature and spirituality in the different places I'd be visiting. At first I hesitated doing only part of it- I thought, would it be authentic? Would I be cheating since I'm not doing the whole thing- and continuosly? Ah, but as I read and as I learn, everybody's route is different and unique. There is no wrong or right way to follow this route. There are several groups that arrive to the temples on charter buses, all geared up to hike up the last steps of the temple. I almost feel a little bitter watching them get off the bus as I'm huffing and puffing away, but no, this is their walk. They recite the hymns at the temples, I don't, so who is to say what is right and wrong? Not me. Everyone has a different reason for going on this route and I went for the experience of feeling in isolation with temples and nature. Oh, but it is just as much about this as the process of walking for so long! So far I'm at about 78 kilometers covered (about 48 mi).

Everday I have a goal set of how long I walk (thanks to Rob and Satomi for helping map this out) with an ending destination of a place to sleep (sometimes its a hotel, sometimes its a temple). Everyday is different with its own challenges. The day before yesterday, getting to Temple 12- Shosanji temple was arduous. It's on a mountain as my dad would say, para la chingada (really far, far away). The weather forecast the night before said it would be raining all day and other pilgrims that were staying at the same hotel I was had cancelled the hike. The people at the hotel were really nice and helped me map out a bus route to get me to as close as I could. What was supposed to be a 7 km hike ended up being 15 km one. I got lost on the trail, and had to backtrack. It was getting late, I hadn't reached the top, I felt like I was the only living soul on the mountain (at least on that trail) that day, and it was raining. What a masochist! I later realized I was on the driving road, which explained why I didn't see any pedestrian signs or encourgament ribbons tied to trees. I started crying at one point feeling frustrated and wanting to turn around and try tomorrow, oh I was so tired! Then, a car passes by and I asked the lady driver how much longer "about 0.2 km" she said. It was more like 1.2 km. Once I got to the top, to the temple, it's like all my frustration went away. I was still tired, and exhausted, but I felt so accomplished. It was funny finally reaching the top and seeing two charter buses filled with pilgrims get there at the same time. I kept telling myself- to each their own. I sat at the temple for a while, then thanked all the spirits for guiding me and getting me to this point. That mountain felt very alive, very spiritual. There are small burial places and shrines along the way; I never felt alone or afraid. If anything, I felt protected. I got my stamp (every temple stamps visitor's books/journals with a calligraphy signature) on a blank sheet (the man said he could not write on my lined journal) and I got a free cab ride to my hotel that night. The walk down the next morning was beautiful, seeing the mountains with the clouds! It was so incredible. Once in a while I would look back to see how much I had climbed, after a while, I couldn't even see the top anymore.

People are so nice to walking pilgrims! People have pulled over and given me drinks, candy and this lady gave me a real pretty charm yesterday. Oh my gosh and on the first day I forgot my wallet at a temple and I didn't even notice! I was walking and this lady pulls up slowly in her car and says something and is holding up my wallet! She followed the route for about 2 km to find the owner (me), and she did. I am so, so thankful for that woman.

I don't know if this entry is sounding all choppy or scattered but there are so many things to say about this experience. It's been so good to clear my mind! As this other man said in a book about this route- it really takes you to a pure state of mind. When you are walking that much for that long, the only things that are really of importance are water, food, your feet (keeping them dry!) and where you will rest for that night. Everything else, any other worry that preoccupies you too much, literally weighs me down so I really don't think all that much about too many things for long.

Now I am resting. Today I am at a nice hotel back in the city. Civilization! Yesterday I combined two days in one. I was so dead tired, but I wanted to get to my destination- a rest in a nice hotel back by the train station. So here I am, I checked myself in for two nights at this hotel that gives you all sorts of nice free stuff (free facial masks, hair bands, manicure creams!) and letting my body rest. "What a priviledge," I thought as I walked into the marble and glass hotel lobby; to have the resources to decide to take a break and rest at a place like this. So yeah, it's a tough long walk, but I remind myself that this entire experience is a priviledge and a choice. It's been great ;). This man's quote reminds me of this experience:

"When I have climbed the mountain in front of me, an even higher peak appears on the other side. When I get over the peak an even higher one rises, and I wonder if I can conquer that one as well. In this way, I continually see new challenges. It is only when I look back that I realized that I have reached a great height."- Norimasa Nishida.