2009 Archive

IMG_0450.JPG     

2009年度香川海外技术研修员  丽琼

20091128日(星期六)

盼望已久的遍路体验终于到来了。以前看过遍路的介绍后,便非常向往,总想着自己什么时候也能亲身体验一下,今天可谓如愿以偿。

天气有点冷,不过是个晴天。参加今天遍路体验的人大部分是外国人,欧美人更是占其中的多数。虽然语言、外形都不尽相同,但是一换上遍路的修行白衣,戴上斗笠,大家都摇身一变,俨然成为了一名遍路修行者,虽然仍有说有笑,但多少增添了一丝庄严肃穆的气氛。

今天的路线是从屋岛步行至八栗寺,全程大约14公里。首先向屋岛寺进发。平时不太运动,所以登山时有点吃力。不过沿途的路人看见我们遍路的装束,都主动地跟我们打招呼或打气。"辛苦了!""加油!"听着这些亲切的话语,脚步也似乎变得轻松起来。遍路可以说是四国特有的一种文化,以前就听说四国的人们对遍路者都有一种特殊的感情,从今天的体验看来的确如此。沿途的景色也非常迷人。正值红叶的季节,层林尽染,为旅途增添了不少乐趣。

大家三三两两地陆续到达屋岛寺。在这里工作人员给我们详尽地介绍了寺庙的朝拜方式。在寺内参观了一番之后,大家到外边的屋岛眺望台体验掷瓦片的乐趣。据说掷瓦片来源于源氏在屋岛之战胜利后在屋岛山顶投掷自己的斗笠以示庆祝的典故。后人将斗笠换成了小小的圆形薄瓦片,模仿其在屋岛山上投掷,并祈望自己能有好运或愿望成真。大家纷纷买来小瓦片,争相投掷,小小的瓦片顿时在空中此起彼伏。要是扔得好,瓦片便能乘着风在空中久久回旋,划出漂亮的弧度。许愿说不上,但是扔了几次后,仿佛自己的疲惫和烦恼都随着那小小的瓦片随风远走了,倒也觉得神清气爽。

掷瓦片及休息后便开始下山。屋岛下山的路和上山时完全不一样。上山时走的都是修的比较好的路,下山时就是一般的泥土山路了,不仅陡峭,还比较湿滑。途中还滑倒了一次,不过总算安全到达山脚。想想空海还有以前的修行者所走的路应该比这还要艰苦上百倍,心中不由得又多了一份敬意。

中午在有名的山田家乌东店吃了美味的乌东面后,大家又精神抖擞地上路了。下一个目的地是八栗寺。进八栗寺时把在屋岛学的朝拜方式都用上了。先在山门施一礼,进门后洗手、漱口,然后朝拜本堂,之后是大师堂......虽说若心中有神佛,不一定要拘于形式,但是通过这些方式也似乎更能融入到整个寺院的气氛当中。

八栗寺的住持还特意为我们诵读经文。之后我们喝着寺院为我们特意准备的甜米酒,听住持给我们介绍八栗寺的来历。据说空海当年祈愿自己入唐求学成功,竟在院中埋下了八颗炒过的栗子,历经艰辛归来后,这八颗炒板栗竟然真的长成了茂盛的大树,八栗寺也由此得名。在当时的条件下,能否安全到达中国,能否学有所成,之后能否回到日本,这一切对空海来说都是未知之数,按主持的话来说,那就和炒板栗长成大树一样,就像是一种"空想(fantasy)"。但我却不由地为空海这种实现自己"空想"的精神所感动。空海并不是预先知道自己会成为"弘法大师",知道自己会取得这么大的成就才去做这些事情的。抛开弘法大师这个头衔,为了自己的目标或梦想一步一步地努力向前迈进的精神不正是每个普通人都能做到的"修行"吗?现在很多人总是抱怨条件不行,没有这没有那的,最终原地不动沦为没有梦想的人。虽然不是每个目标或梦想都能实现,但是拥有实现梦想的激情并付诸行动却是实现目标的前提。这八个炒栗子的故事给了我不少的启示,

从八栗寺所在的五剑山下来,今天的遍路体验也接近尾声了。今天接受了一次身心洗礼,可谓相当有意义的一天。也希望这样的遍路文化能让更多的人参与,并一直在四国延续下去。

2009年11月28日:张锐

IMG_0391.JPG20091128日:4次外国人四国88遍路体

 

    在秋高气爽的深秋,我穿上白色的遍路服,手持雕刻着"同行二人"字样的手杖,并在手杖的上边绑着一个铜制的小铃铛,开始了我期待已久的初次遍路体验。

    自从今年6月份从中国西安来到香川,我就已经知道遍路了。遍路来源于一个关于空海的美丽传说。空海出生于香川。大约在1200年以前,空海历经千辛万苦,从日本来到中国的长安城(现在的西安市),师从青龙寺惠果大师,苦心研习佛教密宗真谛。经过多年修学后,空海学成回日本,用其余生撰写了许多关于真言宗的大量的有深远影响力的著作,并在和歌山县的高野山建立了一个真言宗的法坛寺庙,大力弘扬真言佛法。

    但是,空海自从中国学成回日本后,却从未在其的出生地四国岛上传讲过佛教,这块生于斯长于斯的土地无时不刻地不在深深地吸引着空海。后来,空海重新走遍这个美丽的四国岛,徒步拜访已有的寺庙、并新建了许多寺庙共计88座,以宣扬真言宗。对于现在沿着这条相同的路进行修行的人们,据说空海的精神依然还留在这条路上,所以每一位修行者都不是孤单的,因为空海与他们同行。这就是遍路!

    无论这个传说是否真实,但我现在已经走在了这条遍路上。沿着空海的足迹,从中国西安的青龙寺来到香川,然后再走上这条空海的修行之路。这是多么的神奇啊!。

    深秋的香川如此美丽。清晨,藏在红叶中的屋岛寺显的格外神圣。走在通往屋岛寺蜿蜒的山路上,我仿佛听到了空海禅杖上悬挂的金属环叮当作响,并回荡在整个山谷。我知道那一定是空海在陪伴着我。来到屋岛山顶,极目远望,整个香川尽收眼底,不由地在心间徒生诗情画意,于是急笔写下中文诗一首,以抒情怀。

同行二人

屋岛洲崎八栗寺,

清晨红叶二人行。

凭倚石栏忆今昔,

空海弘法遍路情。

    离开屋岛寺,拍去身上的风尘,扶正遍路斗笠帽,手中的手杖握地更紧,我迈出坚定的步伐再次向八栗寺出发了。深秋的阳光是暖暖的,微风是柔柔的。五剑山就在不远的前方,她好像伸出五个手指正在欢迎着我。面前的道路指引我继续、继续、再继续......

 

 

                                            张锐

 

 

28Nov09: Richard Kinsella

Living the Past: Thoughts on the Summit of Yashima

 

My six o'clock alarm sounded. I smacked it with the daily contempt of getting up to a freezing cold apartment. As my thoughts began to form I remembered what I had in store. I was climbing Yashima today. I grabbed my Henro stick and set out on what I hope to be the start of my eighty-eighty temple experience. 

              So here I am, sitting on the top of Yashima. Fresh with the retelling of the battle between the Heike and Genji clans. I sit on the edge of a wall watching friends from America, Canada, China and the UK. They are wearing Henro clothing and accessories. They throw clay disks off the side of Yashima, each trying to perform the perfect throw. Like many important moments in time, the actions of the past have been frozen in time by traditions such as the clay disk throwing. It makes me think of traditions, back home in Scotland. It makes me think of the Address to the Haggis, where the speaker takes his knife and with a great flourish, cuts the length of the haggis. The actions reflects the brutality of Scotland's history. It makes me think of Guy Fawkes Night, where hundreds of people gather round a bonfire to mark the failed attempt to blowup the Houses of Parliament. The physical Nature of these events brings both enjoyment and contemplation. They are both important dates in the Scottish calendar. 

              I have now traveled over five thousand miles and find that the battle of Yashima has found a way to exist in the present. Much like the Address to the Haggis and Guy Fawkes Night, people remember the events of the past through a simple action. So as the Genji warriors triumphantly threw their headpieces off Yashima after defeating the Heike Clan, I too will take disk in hand and hope that the Eighty-eighty Temple Circuit and the stories of Yashima's past might gain increased cultural prominence throughout all of Japan.

 

Haiku

A winter mountain

Shapes of brown fall to the sea

Clay disks fly for luck

 

Ascending pilgrims

The sound of bells echoing

English voices cry

 

 

IMG_0465.jpg 

Richard Kinsella

28Nov09: Nick Josten

Atop Yashima
throwing kawaranage
aiming for the past

At chi no ike
swords once cleansed long since sheathed
water blue again

Offering a life
Nasu no Yoiichi
strings his bow with fate

Jirei jingles
同行二人
alone not lonely

My sugegasa
bobs down streets past rice paddies
and over mountains

 

IMG_0418.JPG

28Nov09: Zhang Rui

28November2009:The 4th Shikoku 88-Temple Circuit Experience

 

Under an invigorating autumn climate, donned our pilgrim white jackets and with walking sticks in hands on which was engraved " walking with Kukai"and at upper end of which was tied a small bronze bell, I started my first Henro experience which I have expected for long time.

 

I have known the Henro since I came to Kagawa from Xi'an, China this June. The Henro originates from a beautiful legend of Kukai, who was born in Kagawa. About 1200 years ago, Kukai went through untold hardships to Chang'an City (named Xi'an now), China from Japan and formally acknowledged Keika Daishi of Black Dragon Temple as his master to seek for the knowledge of Buddhism. After Kukai spent many years in China and returned to Japan, he used the rest of his life to write enormously influential works on Shingon Buddhism, establish a monastery community on Mount Koya and gave full play to Shingon Buddhism.

 

But Kukai had never to preach the Shingon Buddhism in his birthplace on the island of Shikoku after he returned to Japan. This place still had a strong appeal to Kukai. So he wandered this beautiful island, spreading Shingon Buddhism by visiting established temples and founding new ones in total of 88 temples. The pilgrim were told that Kukai's spirit could still be found traveling on the circuit. So no pilgrim would be alone because you are walking with Kukai. This is Henro!

 

Whatever this legend is true or not, I was on the Henro now. Along the Kukai's footmark, I had set out from Black Dragon Temple in Xi'an and reached Kagawa. Then I walked on Henro with Kukai. It was so magical!

 

Kagawa in later autumn was so beautiful. In the early morning, Yashima Temple hiding in the red autumnal leaves looked very holy. Wandering along the meandering mountain road which led us to Yashima Temple, I seemed to hear the jingling as pieces of metal dangled from Kukai's staff which resounded in whole valley. I knew it must be Kukai accompanying with me. On the top of Yashima, overlooking the distant place, I had a panoramic view of Kagawa. The poetic and artistic conception couldn't help generating in my mind. So I quickly wrote a Chinese poem at that time to convey my strong feeling about henro:

 

同行二人

Walking with Kukai

 

屋岛洲崎八栗寺,

Yashima, Suzakiji, Yakuriji Temple

清晨红叶二人行。

The earlier morning,the the red leaves,walking two.

凭倚石栏忆今昔,

Leaning on the rock railing and recalling the present and the past,

空海弘法遍路情。

 

 

Kukai, Kobo and the sentiment of Henro

 

Leaving Yashima Temple, patting the white jacket to get the dust off, righting the conical hat on my head, grasping the walking stick more tightly in my hand, I started again to walk toward to Yakuriji Temple with firm strides. The sunshine of later autumn was warmer and the wind was softer. The Mount Gokenzan(Five Swords Mount) lay in not far place ahead. It seemed to spread its five fingers to welcome me. The facing road led me going on and going on...  

 

Zhang Rui

IMG_0391.JPG

28Nov09: Omar Kotondi

Learning about Kōbō Daishi , one of Japan's most famous people, is an integral part of the 88 temple pilgrimage on Shikoku island, a place I now call home. The engrossing stories of his epic voyages across Japan and China reminds us all of the true meaning of courage, what really matters in life (self discovery and salvation) and that sometimes, religious stories have to be taken with a grain of salt.

There is nothing similar in my home country of Niger (West Africa) and I was fortunate to be a Henro for a day. Granted there is some sense of the pilgrimage religious roots in my mind, but I understand that the main reason most henro go to Shikoku nowadays is for sightseeing.

Whether you participate to pray, to thank Kōbō Daishi for success in some undertaking or simply for sightseeing by car or on foot, I would encourage you to visit Shikoku and experience being a Henro.

I simply had a unique and all-around positive experience. It is the kind of excursion embodying the Japanese spirit of endurance, patience and hospitality that I have envisioned long before ever setting foot in Japan. Bring a friend, lots of water and walk at your own pace.

I would definitely repeat this experience in the near future and visit more temples.

 

IMG_0436.JPG

28Nov09: Morgan Elander

An Assortment of Limericks Regarding My Henro Experience

 Between Yashima and Yakuriji

by Morgan Elander

 

I think I shall always remember

My time henro-ing in December,

     I did not tire

     Nor hardly perspire,

But I felt bad for those elder member.

 

 

This thousand year old pilgriming mission

Bears unique testimony to a cultural tradition,

     And in this way might

     Be a world heritage site,

I hope this one day comes to fruition.

 

 

Gotta say Yashima left me awe-struck,

From the top Kawarake we did chuck,

     And what did we see

     But ladies with glee

Rubbing tanuki balls for good luck.

 

 

From Yashima we descended en masse

A steep staircase with mud and slick grass,

     I once almost slipped

     And then almost tripped,

But managed not to fall on my...behind.

 

 

At Yakuriji we had such a big climb,

At the top stood a temple so sublime,

     Saw some Tengu so hairy,

     Even though they were scary,

I wanted to spend a little more time.

 

 

That time on the mountain, it changed me,

All of these holy temples, you should see,
     But it's a long walk,

     So if you like to talk,

I'll happily go along with thee.

 

DSCF1046.jpg 

28Nov09: Derek Jones

Derek Jones Ginko photo.JPG


A yellow carpet.

Ginko leaves rest silently

on a bed of grey stone.

 

DSCF1034.JPG

28Nov09: Chris McCabe

The Autumn Road Connecting Yashima and Yakuri
by Chris McCabe


Yashima Maple.jpg

On the cloudy morning of November 28, 2009, 17 pilgrims assembled from seven different countries at Kotoden Yashima Station before setting out for the slopes of Yashima Mountain, covered in its autumn red.  When we reached Yashimaji Temple at the top of the mountain, we prayed at the Main Hall and at the Daishi Hall.  Then, as we enjoyed the surrounding nature, we tried a hand at kawaranage.*


北風の 谷に向かいて かわら投げ

 

facing the valley,

throwing clay kawarake**

into the north wind


*kawaranage: a custom of making a wish as you throw small clay disks from a mountain or tall place

** kawarake: the clay disks thrown in kawaranage.

 

At the lookout point called "Shi-shi no Reigan," we felt the cool wind on our skin, and we quietly composed haiku poems as we looked out at the calm Seto Inland Sea. 

 

紅葉や 屋島の上で  詩よみけり

 

autumn's red colors -

writing poetry at the

top of Yashima


Right before leaving Yashima, we discovered a solitary maple tree, whose red leaves were flowing altogether in the gently blowing wind.  Those leaves were like a flame dancing atop a candlewick.

           

一もとの 燃える紅葉や 屋島道

 

road to Yashima

a solitary maple's

burning autumn leaves


We trekked from the top of Yashima to the middle slopes of Gokenzan Mountain, and then we arrived at the Main Hall of Yakuriji Temple.  The Assistant Head Priest of the temple then treated us to warm amazake# and friendly conversation.

      

甘酒の もてなし受ける 秋遍路

 

autumn pilgrims and

a welcome helping of some

sweet amazake


#amazake: sweet, lightly alcoholic drink made from fermented rice

 

Right as we were about to climb down from Yakuriji Temple, we looked up to see the clean rock face of Gokenzan Mountain clearly above us.

  

ふ 空に聳える 五剣山

 

slopes all decked in red,

towering into the sky:

Gokenzan Mountain
 
 

DSCF1029.JPG 

 

28Nov09: Jeremy Lanig

The Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage Experience, #84 Yashima and #85 Yakuri by Jeremy Lanig


In the early morning of Nov. 28, the third secretary from the Kenya embassy, Ms. Dorothy Nthiwa and 16 foreign residents of Kagawa journeyed to two temples on the Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage.  We went to Yashima Temple and Yakuri Temple.  The weather was perfect for the 14 km hike up Yashima plateau and the Gokenzan Mountain.  We were in nature surrounded by beautiful fall colors of red, orange, and yellow as the leaves were changing.

The Mitoyo International Exchange Association planned a fun-filled, action-packed Christmas party and I was able to attend as a CIR. I have helped with many Mitoyo events, but this was definitely the biggest and best so far. It was also a great opportunity to return to my old home, Mitoyo, and see lots of old friends.
As part of a PTA event for students and their parents, I visited Kagahigashi elementary school and made soft tacos with everyone. Everyone had a lot of fun, and after making 48 soft tacos, we all ate until we were stuffed.

交流会

「香川友好之翼」访问团的成员和陕西省的各方代表参加了交流会。中国小学生们的书法・绘画表演、香川县日本民谣民舞东尾会的舞蹈让会场沸腾了起来。

tsubasa5.jpg

正在植树的真锅知事。


tsubasa6.JPG

在植树纪念牌匾前紧紧握手的3人。(从左往右镰田议长、袁省长、真锅知事)

纪念碑揭幕


tsubasa7.JPG

「中日友谊林」纪念碑的揭幕仪式(左边:镰田议长和真锅知事、右边:袁省长)

视察青龙寺


tsubasa8.JPG

访问香川县和陕西省友好交流的原点「青龙寺」。参观了空海纪念碑、惠果空海纪念堂、青龙寺遗址庭院及钟楼等。与青龙寺的主持宽旭(前列右)在惠果空海纪念堂前拍照留念。


1994年4月,本县和中国・陕西省之间签订了友好县省协定。今年是签订协定的15周年纪念,为此,提携15周年纪念「香川友好之翼」访问团(总共146人)于10月14日(周三)至10月20 日(周二)出访中国,以陕西省为主要访问地,共历时7天。 在陕西省参加了纪念植树仪式及交流会等纪念活动,进一步加深了两县省的相互理解和友好交流。