Temple 12 - Shosanji

The hike started with me seeing lots of people in white pilgrim clothing. The beginning of the walk was great, as I just watched the countryside pass by. The mountains grew larger, and we soon wound through valleys with a river beside us. The views were great. I walked through small empty villages. Soon I met up with a father and his two sons. They didn’t speak English, so I just let them be. I would pass them, then they would pass me. I would smile,e and they would smile as well. The hike was fairly easy since the flat points were not too bad.

We arrived at the base of the mountain trail. There were a lot of people around. We walked through a small village, then began the climb. I started in front of them. It started on an easy road but soon got really tough. I got to the top of the road and didn’t know where to go. The man and his sons pointed me in the right direction. My mouth dropped. It was a trail looking like it went straight up. Tall, strong trees flanked the hike. It was completely covered, and the ground was very uneven. The man and his boys went way ahead, and I didn’t expect to see them again.

I passed many old Japanese men who said “Konichiwa.” I replied the same way. It was nice. I wasn’t wearing earphones. It was just nice, but it was tough. I was sweating a lot. I had to take off my jacket since I was just too hot. I felt my pulse through my skin. I was breathing hard, but I was still making a good pace. I passed a few older couples. I was wheezing. I would get through the forest and saw the man and his boys waiting for me to point out the way to go. I was floored at this kindness. I never expected it. It was touching. All through the hike, they would go ahead of me, then wait,t then point the way. It was amazing.

The forest broke way to a small farm. Then the farmer smiled and bowed to me, saying “Konichiwa.” Amazing. My muscles were in pain,n but my mind was amazing. The more I walked, the more pain I was in, the more joy I found deep under the pain. The farmland turned into forest, and it felt like I was going up at a 90-degree angle. Again, the man and his boys were waiting to point the way with a smile. They never talked to me; they never made any motion to me, but they waited to make sure they could guide me through the way. I got to a point on the mountain where I looked out and saw I was above the surrounding mountain peaks. I pressed on.

I got out of the trees and saw the temple above me, perched on a stone foundation. I climbed up and went through the gate. I had arrived. There to greet me was the man and his boys. Through the pain and agony, I was in a bit of tears both for making it to the top and also for the gratitude of these people who just made sure I was ok. I bowed deeply and said “Arigato.”

I could have taken a bus or car all the way up. Doing it this way was far more meaningful. I went to the temple and paid my respects by washing my hands in the water beside it. I went to the main temple, threw in a yen, and bowed my head in silent meditation. The others around me were chanting the Heart Sutra while I was just in peaceful meditation. To say it felt good is an understatement. I rang the bell, then turned and went to the office to get a stamp for my journal.

I met this woman who said she studied in Canada. We talked for a bit,t then she asked if I had a place to stay. I said no. She said she stayed at a place the night before. She is going in a different direction than I am. She then whipped out her phone and made a call. They were all booked. She then spent the next 10 minutes calling places until she found one for me. It was back the way I came, but it is on the way to temple 13. I thanked her with a big “Domo Arigato” (Thank you VERY much).

The climb down was easy. Going down took less time but hurt in different areas of my body. It was easier, and I wasn’t sweating as much. The weather was getting colder as the sun was going down. My shirt was dry, but I had to get my jacket back on. I got down the mountain in a few hours, and it felt good.

I got to the place where I was staying and was greeted by an elderly couple who looked like they were in their70ss. They couldn’t speak any English but showed me where I would sleep; a sparse room with tatami mats. I threw my bags in, and I tried to ask about a place to shower and such; they said Onsan. I said Hai (yes).

I threw my bag in my room then grabbed my shower stuff, thinking it was close by. I also took advantage of the free laundry facility. He motioned to the truck. The Onsan is a 15-minute drive away. An Onsan is a natural spring with different pools of water with a common shower area. The best part is the outdoor hot spring. The top of my body was cold, while the bottom, underwater, was hot. It was GREAT!!! I paid nothing.

They picked me up an hour later and then took me for some Japanese BBQ. It was odd since they couldn’t speak any English, yet I was having dinner with them at a restaurant. The BBQ was similar to Korean style. They made sure I ate enough and kept ordering food until I was happy. I paid nothing. People would come in and then look at me with a bit of shock, but it was just odd. They kept talking to me in Japanese, and I just tried to understand,d but there was no way I could. They still had these long conversations, but I just tried to show I wasn’t sure what they were saying. They ordered me a beer. The meat was pork, chicken and Kobe Beef along with lots of vegetables. There was also kimchi, which I had a lot of.

We drove back to their home, where i am staying. They talked amongst themselves. The sky above me was black. No cars were on the road. Just an Amazing Day!