Kagawa Prefecture: Entering Nirvana

Prologue

Kagawa symbolises the realm of Nirvana, but two days into this fourth and final stage of our Shikoku Pilgrimage, the winds brought grave news of our brother-in-law’s health. As the cherry blossoms faded, we paused our pilgrimage and returned home.

Three weeks later, our ‘loud and vibrant’ brother-in-law Ray died, leaving a sea of sorrow in his wake. We stayed close to home through the Australian winter and into spring. Then as Melbourne’s days were lengthening, we returned to Japan in early November. The weather was cooling and the nights descended early.

We took up where we left off, at Dōryūji (Temple 77), hoping to regain the spirit of the pilgrimage and, if not reach nirvana, at least complete our walking journey around Shikoku.

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Ehime Prefecture: Attaining Enlightenment 

Prologue

Ehime, the third stage of the Shikoku Pilgrimage, is focused on the search for enlightenment. As we cross the Matsu Pass, we question whether it’s possible to be struck by deep peace and great clarity in these turbulent, unsettling times. We have two weeks and a 400-kilometre walk through Ehime to reflect on our uncertainty.

Kochi, the second stage, featured long distances between temples and arduous henro korogashi climbs (‘where pilgrims fall down’). Thanks to the meditative nature of the walking and the fascinating encounters en route, the austerity and discipline of Kochi were not as harsh as we feared. 

While we wish we could speak more than a few words of Japanese, our lack of familiarity with the country makes every day intriguing. To date, we’ve visited 39 temples and walked 615 kilometres. On day 24, we cross into Ehime, following in the footsteps of Kōbō Daishi, the great monk, administrator, poet, and educator who henros believe travels with them on their pilgrimage.

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Kochi Prefecture: Austerity & Discipline

Prologue

The second stage of the Shikoku Pilgrimage demands austerity and discipline. Crossing into Kochi prefecture, we wonder how the journey will test us and mark our lives. 

Tokushima, the first stage, represented the awakening of the spirit. We started our pilgrimage concerned that our scant knowledge of Japanese culture, language and traditions would find us wanting. However, the conversations with fellow henros (pilgrims), the ritual of temple visits and the kindness of local people shed light on the practices of Shingon Buddhism and the rich history of the 88 Temples walk. 

Over eight days and 188 kilometres of walking, we settled into our role as henros. While we wish we could speak more than a few words of Japanese, our lack of familiarity with Japan makes the journey intriguing as we search for meaning in everyday encounters.

On day nine we cross into Kochi, following in the footsteps of Kōbō Daishi, the great monk, administrator, poet and educator who henros believe travels with them on their 1,200-kilometre Shikoku Pilgrimage.

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