Benten Among the Leaves

 --Susan, every other Sunday

While sorting photos last week, I came across an image I'd forgotten taking, but which instantly returned me to a very special time and place:

Koi on Koyasan

I shot the image at the entrance to a Shintō shrine on Koyasan--specifically, a shrine dedicated to Benten (also known as Benzaiten), the Buddhist deity "of all that flows" - from water to money, music, and even words. She's one of the "seven lucky gods" (shichifukujin), and curiously the only one who has a dedicated temple on Koyasan (the heart of Shingon Buddhist worship in Japan). 

Seeing a Shintō shrine dedicated to her is not as unusual as it might seem. Like many Buddhist divinities, Benzaiten is worshipped as part of the Shintō pantheon, as a syncretic deity.

What is a bit unusual, however, is the location of this Shintō shrine--just down the street from the Great Gate that marks the official entrance to the Danjo Garan temple complex, and thus officially within the temple precincts.

Entrance to the Benten Shrine

(The koi ponds (there are two) sit directly to the left and right of the torii shown above, and are filled with koi of all sizes and colors.) 

Technically, this shrine is a subshrine--the primary site for worship of Benzaiten on Koyasan, and the site where the deity is actually "installed" is atop the small mountain behind the shrine (the worship site at this shrine sits on the hillside at the base of the mountain)--a mountain known as Bentendake (Mt. Benten) in her honor.

The shrine atop Bentendake

That shrine is reached by means of a trail--known as the nyoninmichi, or "women's route" that crosses over all of the peaks encircling the sacred mountaintop plateau of Koyasan. Before the 20th century, when women were barred from entering the sacred precincts, female pilgrims hiked along the route as a form of prayer--but it wasn't only a women's route. Travelers of all genders, holy and secular, used the trail for a variety of purposes, including stopping to pay respects to the deities enshrined on the holy peaks.

The entrance to the trail up Bentendake

However, since Benzaiten/Benten was considered a special protector and guardian of Koyasan, it was important to have an easily accessible shrine--something less distant from the primary worship areas than the little shrine atop the wooded peak.

This small shrine at the base of the mountain serves that purpose.

The entrance to the stairs.

Through the entrance torii and across a small, open yard, a flight of stairs curls up the side of the mountain about 100 yards, to a recessed area where the worship hall sits. Like many Shinto subshrines, the worship "hall" is small, but very well-maintained. 

Torii (shinto gates) along the way designate the visitor's progression into increasingly sacred spaces.

The shrine is small and quiet. Few of the many visitors who come to Koyasan know Benten's story, or that Kobo Daishi, the priest who brought Shingon Buddhism to Japan and founded Koyasan as a center of Shingon study and worship, traveled to nearby Nara to petition Benzaiten to "come" to Koyasan and protect his newly founded holy site. According to Koyasan's historical records, Kobo Daishi carried Benzaiten (in spirit) back to the holy mountain and installed her at her temple, where he asked her to watch over the entire mountaintop complex.

In return, the priests of Koyasan honor Benzaiten, both on the mountaintop and at this secondary temple.

The view from the worship site.

The view from the worship site makes it easy to imagine the deity watching over the people who pass below--both in ancient days and now, although it seems few people make the climb to visit her these days.

Which is too bad.

Subshrines near the worship site.

Standing on the mountain, looking down, time seems to flow a little slower, and life feels a little less frantic. The wind flows through the leaves, and their rustling sounds like music.

It's a peaceful, holy place, no matter what your faith (or lack thereof) believes.

So, if you find yourself on Koyasan, and if you visit the Great Gate, keep an eye out for Benten's little shrine. Head up the path, and let time cease to flow for just a minute.

Or just stop and let the world go by for a moment now. 

That works too.

Remembering the Great Gyonin-zaka Fire

 --Susan, every other Sunday

Hello again from Tokyo! This week, I'd like to share a hidden historical gem that's close to home (for me at least): Daienji, a Tendai Buddhist temple not far from my home in Tokyo's Meguro Ward.

The main gate at Daienji

I visited the temple last weekend, as part of a walking pilgrimage to visit the shichifukujin, or "Seven Gods of Good Fortune"--a New Year tradition in Japan. The Seven Lucky Gods pilgrimage near my home in Meguro is the oldest one in Tokyo, and unusual in that each of the lucky gods is enshrined in a Buddhist Temple, rather than a Shinto shrine. 

Daienji, which sits about a five minute walk from Meguro station on a steep hill called Gyonin-Zaka, is the fourth of six temples on the pilgrimage (the previous temple, Myoenji, enshrines two of the gods of god fortune). The temple was founded in 1624 as a center of Tendai teaching and worship. The principal image is that of Dainichi Nyorai, the central deity of esoteric Buddhism.

An obelisk outside the temple gate

A secondary shrine within the temple grounds enshrines the deity Daikoku--the patron of wealth, farmers, and the kitchen. This is where people pray on the seven lucky gods pilgrimage, although most visitors pay respects to Dainichi Nyorai also.

 

One of the few purification fountains still running---but please don't use it at the moment.

The dragon-headed purification fountain pictured above sits just to the left of the main gate, at the temple entrance. Most of Japan's purification fountains currently are not in operation (many are dry for the first time in memory), and even those still running, like this one, have signs nearby asking people to forego the customary ritual cleansing of hands and mouths, to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Main worship hall (hondo) of Daienji

The main temple yard contains not only the hondo (worship hall) but also the secondary shrine dedicated to the god of good fortune. To the right of the worship hall, you can see a seated Buddha partially covered in gold leaf. The statue represents Yakushi Nyorai, the god of healing, and for 500 yen (about $5 USD) you can purchase sheets of gold leaf to place on the Buddha's body. Apparently, if you lay the gold on the place that hurts, the Buddha will take your pain away. I wasn't hurting last weekend, so I can't tell you whether or not this works, but I'll keep it in mind the next time my ankle acts up.

The Seven Lucky Gods

Statues on the temple grounds represent the seven gods of good fortune.

Shaka Nyorai and the Arhats (also a surprisingly good band name)

In 1772, a massive fire swept through Edo (now Tokyo), destroying much of the city. The fire, now known as the Great Gyonin-Zaka Fire, is believed to have begun on the grounds of Daienji (although the precise cause is unknown). After the fire, the statues in the next few pictures were constructed and placed on the temple grounds as a memorial to the people who perished in the fire. 

The large seated figure above is Shaka Nyorai, the historical Buddha (Prince Siddhartha, Gautama Buddha). The small statues in the background are 491 arhats, or disciples of the Buddha, each of which has a different face, position, and expression.

More of the Arhats

Collections of 500 arhats can be seen across Japan; they represent various disciples of the Buddha and have been installed on mountainsides, and at various Buddhist temples. These were created as an act of worship, over a period of years. The oldest arhats bear inscriptions stating they were created in 1763, but most of the figures were made and installed after 1781. The Buddhas in the foreground were added after the temple was rebuilt in 1848.

As a native Californian transplanted to and living in Japan, it's a humbling experience to visit a local temple--just a 40-minute walk from my apartment--and to realize that it has stood here longer than the country of my birth (to say nothing of my native state) has even existed. 

It's also a good reminder that history isn't only something we read about in books. It lives, and breathes, down every street and in every paving stone. Sometimes you have to look for it, but the search is well worthwhile when it unearths a hidden treasure like Daienji. 

Stepping Back a Thousand Years: A Night at Ekoin

-- Susan, every other Sunday

While researching my upcoming mystery Trial on Mount Koya, I spent some time on sacred Mount Kōya, the mountain that lies at the heart of Shingon Buddhism in Japan. While I've posted about other aspects of Mount Kōya in the past, I thought today I'd take you along for a virtual night at Ekoin, a thousand year-old temple where I've had the privilege to stay on two separate trips to Kōya-san.

The front gates of Ekoin

I arrived on a crisp autumn afternoon at 3pm--the temple's check-in time--and passed through the wooden gates to discover a lovely, inviting yard.

An island of peace in a troubled world.

The building on the right is the residence hall.

In the entry, I paused to remove my shoes and leave them on wooden racks designed for that purpose--and to slip on a pair of sandals, placed in the entry for use inside the temple. The resident priests wear these as well (or walk in socks), to preserve the wooden floors.

A priest took my luggage and led me down the interior hall--in the photo below, you can see the way the hall (on the left side of the photo) lies between two sets of sliding panels.

On one side (center frame), they separate the passage from the veranda and yard, and on the other (visible on the upper left side of the photo) from large, group guest rooms and rooms that hold the temple's art and treasures.

My guest room was on the second floor, down a hall with windows that offered a lovely view of the surrounding koya--a saddle on the peak from which the mountain derives its name.

The view from the upper hallway at Ekoin

The guest rooms haven't changed too much in the thousand-plus years since Ekoin's founding--with the exception of televisions (a convenience for modern guests, though I prefer to leave them off and experience the temple without electronic interference), telephones, propane heaters, and electric lights.

My guest room in the evening--after dinner--with the futon laid out for sleep

Although guest rooms are private, toilets are shared, and located at the end of the hall. Shower and bath facilities are also shared (but segregated by gender) and located on the ground floor, near the entry.

A traditional welcome awaited me in the room: a pot of hot water (for making tea) and a traditional pastry filled with sweet bean paste. A delicious, peaceful way to relax and unwind after a morning of hiking and research.

Temples serve delicious tea.

When I finished my tea, I explored the temple and its grounds, and took a walk through nearby Okunoin, Japan's largest cemetery. I returned to my room around 5pm and relaxed until 6, when a priest brought my dinner tray.

Dinner for one - two trays, plus rice and tea. Details two weeks from today.

Shojin ryori, or temple cuisine, is my favorite type of Japanese food. It's entirely vegetarian, and although I'll post in the future about the specific rules that apply, you can trust me when I say it isn't boring (and the photos prove it, too).

After dinner, I spent some quiet time in my room and went to bed early, because nobody sleeps late at a Buddhist temple--including the guests!

The temple bell rang at 5am, waking me from a delightful sleep and warning me that I only had 30 minutes to dress and get to the temple's worship hall for the morning service.

Morning services at Ekoin. The priests invited photos (but I took only this one, beforehand).

After the service, we walked across the yard to the goma hall for the fire ritual (something I've blogged about before).

The goma at Ekoin.

The ritual concluded around 6:45, whereupon I returned to my room to find a delicious breakfast waiting. (More on its contents in two weeks, when I'll post about temple cuisine.)

Unusual to Western eyes, perhaps, but delicious all the same.

Checkout time is 9am (I told you, nobody sleeps early in a temple!) so visitors staying only one night have time for a leisurely breakfast before checking out at the temple office. I left a little early, and headed out to see Danjo Garan, one of the first temple complexes established on Mount Koya.

One of the pagodas at Danjo Garan

Many Japanese temples offer overnight lodging, and although the experience doesn't equate to life in a temple, or even precisely to what a visitor might have experienced hundreds of years ago, it definitely gives at least a hint of what such an evening would have been like--and it also allows us to spend the night in a beautiful, peaceful place where years and the worries of the world can slip away like leaves in a flowing stream.

Walking With Kobo Daishi - A Visit To Okunoin

--Susan, every other Sunday

On both of my last two trips to Japan, I spent significant time beneath the towering ancient cedars of Okunoin - Japan's largest cemetery.

A map of Okunoin. Kobo Daishi's mausoleum is at the top, and the entrance at the bottom left.

The cemetery stretches over a mile from end to end, and has over 200,000 graves--some of which serve as the spiritual grave sites for multiple people rather than just one.

The Nissan Corporation tomb - erected on behalf of all employees, past and present.

The cemetery begins at Ichi-no-hashi (the first bridge), where a paved path leads visitors into the cedar-lined path that runs through Okunoin from end to end.

Visitors bow before crossing Ichi-no-hashi into Okunoin.

Lanterns along the side of the path illuminate the way on cloudy days and after dark. (The cemetery is open year round, 24 hours a day - and it is haunted, but not in a menacing way, as I've written about here before.)

Illuminating the way.

According to Shingon doctrine, anyone buried--in part or entirely--at Okunoin will return to life first at the time Miroku (the Buddha of the Future) returns to earth at the end of days. For that and other reasons, since the cemetery's founding in the 9th century, many adherents of the Shingon faith (and others -- anyone can be buried at Okunoin, if (s)he believes in the teachings of Kobo Daishi, Buddhist or not) have wanted to be buried on the mountain.

Buddhas in their kerchiefs and bibs

Kobo Daishi, the priest who brought Shingon Buddhism to Japan from China, is buried there too - though Shingon doctrine states he's actually still alive, in a state of eternal meditation that will continue until Miroku returns.

You can't photograph Kobo Daishi's mausoleum, so here's a buddha for you instead.

Visiting Okunoin, and seeing his mausoleum, is often referred to as "Visiting Kobo Daishi" - and he has many, many visitors. Okunoin is a popular tourist destination for Buddhists and non-Buddhists, Japanese people, and foreign visitors.

It doesn't hurt that the cemetery has glorious foliage displays each autumn, either.

Autumn blazing at Okunoin.

Or that its graves have incredible character:

The best Buddha anywhere.

Some monuments are built on behalf of companies for the benefit of their employees, like the Nissan tomb I posted above. There's even a tomb erected by a termite company--on behalf of the insects it kills in the course of business. (I don't have a picture of that one either, because despite three days of exploring, I haven't found it yet. Stay tuned. I haven't given up.)

Many side paths branch off from the main one.

Many famous Japanese people are buried (or have mausoleums or monuments) there, including several shoguns and numerous daimyō (medieval warlords).

The mausoleum of Uesugi Kenshin, erected during the 16th century.

Their monuments stand directly beside those of ordinary people, men and women whose names and achievements are now mostly lost to history.

Many tombs. Many lives.

In all my travels, I have never been to a place as silently peaceful as Okunoin. The cedars rise to the sky like protective sentinels, guarding the dead who lie beneath.

The graves don't ever seem to end.

The well-tended graves and kerchiefed Buddha statues speak of a place where the dead may not be visible, but remain as loved and remembered as any living person could ever hope to be.

Dead, but not forgotten.

It is a place where even the most troubled, stressed-out heart can find peace, and where anyone with reverence for the spirit and the residents of the place is not only welcome, but invited to walk and think and be.

It is a holy place, where real, lasting peace feels possible, tangible, and close.

These photos don't do justice to its beauty, so I hope, if you ever have the chance, you'll go and visit Kobo Daishi beneath the trees.

I can assure you, it will be a day well spent.

A Visit to Old Edo

--Susan, every other Sunday.

Yesterday I took a research trip to Kawagoe, a town about 90 minutes from central Tokyo that contains a number of well-preserved historical buildings from the Edo period (1603-1868), along with many shrines and temples established centuries earlier.

An Edo-era shop along the preserved shopping street in Kawagoe. The vending machine is new...

Among the most important Buddhist temples in Kawagoe is Kita-in. Originally established in the 9th century, the temple burned in 1202, was rebuilt in 1296, and was patronized by several of the Tokugawa shoguns during the 17th century.

The pagoda at Kita-in

The temple is also home to the Gohyaku Rakan (500 Rakan), a collection of 540 statues of Buddha's disciples. The three-foot statues were carved between 1782 and 1825, and no two of them are alike in either their poses or their facial features.

A portion of the 540 Rakan.

Some seem less than pleased to be there.

Apparently, not all of Buddha's disciples were jolly fellows.

Others reminded me of storytellers.

Have you heard the joke about the statues? It rocks.

And quite a few of them made me laugh.

"I'll make this one pick his nose, and see if anyone notices."

According to legend, if you visit the 500 rakan in the dark of midnight, and feel each statue, you will find one that feels warm (as if alive) to the touch. If you mark its location and return the following morning, you will apparently discover that the statue is the one that looks the most like you.

He has a fish. 

Regrettably, the statues are now surrounded by a wall, making the legend impossible to verify (or disprove...).

A second story about the statues involves the twelve that show disciples holding or watching over the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.

Disciple-Facing Dog.

If you find the one that bears your sign, and rub his head, he will apparently bring you luck.

I found the boar--my zodiac sign, and my son's as well--though personally I think it looks more like a heffalump.

Rumor has it, this animal is a boar.

Hopefully that won't impact my fortune.