Pilgrimages of Japan

7/27/2019 Pilgrimages of Japan

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PILGRIMAGES

OFJAPAN


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A pilgrimage is a journey or search of moral or spiritual significance.

Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a

person's beliefs and faith, although sometimes it can be a metaphoricaljourney in to someone's own beliefs.

Many religions attach spiritual importance to particular places: the place of

birth or death of founders or saints, or to the place of their "calling" or

spiritual awakening, or of their connection (visual or verbal) with the divine,or to locations where miracles were performed or witnessed, or locations

where a deity is said to live or be "housed," or any site that is seen to have

special spiritual powers.

Such sites may be commemorated with shrines or temples that devotees areencouraged to visit for their own spiritual benefit: to be healed or have

questions answered or to achieve some other spiritual benefit.

A person who makes such a journey is called a pilgrim.


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In Japan, pilgrimages can be divided into two general types.

The first type is exemplified by the pilgrimage to 33 Sites Sacred toKannon in Western Japan and the pilgrimage to 88 Holy Sites of

Shikoku.

In both these pilgrimages one makes a circuit of a series of temples or

holy places, sometimes separated by great distances, in a set order.

The order of visitation is an important feature of this type of pilgrimage.

The second type is a journey to one particular holy place.

Pilgrimages in this latter group include the famous Kumano Sanzan , Mt.

Koya, Mt. Fuji and other holy mountains in Japan.


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"Henro" is the Japanese word for pilgrim, and the pilgrims are

known as the o-henro-san, the o being an honorific and thesan is a

title similar to "Mr." or "Mrs.".

Attire of a pilgrime:

byakuethe white coat of a pilgrim

wagesascarf worn around the neck,

usually purple, to indicate that you are on a

religious pilgrimage

sugegasaconical straw hat

kongtsuewalking stick, and the one

indispensable sign that identifies you as a

pilgrim

In addition, most pilgrims carry a book

called nkych orshuincho, to collect red

ink stamp (shu-in) by each temple that

they visit.


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FIRST TYPE OF PILGRIMAGE:

33 SITES OF KANNON88 SITES OF SHIKOKU


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The BandSanjsankasho ("The 33 Band Temples") is a series of

33 Buddhist temples in Eastern Japan sacred to Goddess Kannon.

Band is the old name for what is now the Kant region,used in this case

because the temples are all in the Prefectures

of Kanagawa, Saitama, Tokyo, Gunma, Ibaraki, and Chiba.

As is the case with all such circuits, each location has a rank, and pilgrims

believe that visiting them all in order is an act of great religious merit.

Started by Minamoto no Yoritomo and his son Sanetomo, the Band

Sanjsankasho is just one of 70 different Kannon pilgrimage circuits

existing in Japan, each including 33 temples because the Goddess is

believed to have 33 different manifestations.

From its beginning at Sugimotodera to its end in Chiba's Nagodera, the

circuit is over 1300 km long.


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Even though women were allowed to pray at individual temples, the

circuit was originally reserved to male pilgrims.

Now however most of the pilgrims are women.

Pilgrims leave behind a slip of paper or a sticker as a proof of their

visit, and many of these can be seen plastered on temple walls and

pillars


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The Shikoku Pilgrimage is a multi-site pilgrimage of

88 temples associated with the Buddhist monkKkai (Kb Daishi)

on the island of Shikoku, Japan.

In addition to the 88 "official" temples of the pilgrimage, there are over

200 bangaitemples not considered part of the official 88.

To complete the pilgrimage, it is not necessary to visit the temples in

order; in some cases it is even considered lucky to travel in reverseorder.

The pilgrimage is traditionally completed on foot, but modern pilgrims

use cars, taxis, buses, bicycles, or motorcycles.

The walking course is approximately 1,200 km long and can take

anywhere from 30 to 60 days to complete.

Collectively, the 88 temples are known as ShikokuHachijhakkasho


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Attesting to the popularity of the Shikoku pilgrimage, from

the eighteenth century a number of smaller imitative versions

have been established.

These include a 150km circuit on the island ofShdoshima,northeast of Takamatsu; a 3km course on the grounds

ofNinna-ji in Kyoto, a route on the Chita Peninsula

near Nagoya and circuits in Edo and Chiba Prefecture

Rites:

Upon arrival at each temple the henro washes before proceeding to

the Hond.

After offering coins, incense, the Heart Sutra is chanted along withrepetition of the Mantra of the main image.

After the prayers, the henro proceeds to the Daishid. Coins are

similarly offered, and again the Heart Sutra is chanted, along with

repetition of the Gohg Mantra.


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SECOND TYPE OF PILGRIMAGE:

KUMANO SHRINE

MOUNT FUJI


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A Kumano shrine is a type of Shinto

shrine which enshrines the three Kumano

mountains: Hong, Shing, and Nachi.

There are more than 3000 Kumano shrines in

Japan, and each has received its kami\ from

another Kumano shrine through a process of

propagation called bunrei.

The point of origin of the Kumano cult is the

Kumano Sanzan shrine complex.


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Mount Fuji (Fuji-san) is the highest mountain in Japan,

rising to 12,388 feet.

Unlike some sacred mountains, it is not

considered sacrilegious to climb Mt.

Fuji - in fact, to ascend to the

summit is an important pilgrimage.

The mountain is home to many Shinto

shrines, Buddhist temples.

The official climbing season is only

two months long (July and August),during which time most of the snow has

melted and thousands of pilgrims and

hikers make the climb to the top.

Documents

Pilgrimages of Japan