Shikoku Pilgrimage, Temple 38

Kongōfukuji and Cape Ashizuri-Misaki

 

It was a gorgeous day when I arrived in Kongōfukuji, the temple of eternal bliss, at the most southern area of Shikoku. I could have stayed hours in this place.

 

 

With no wind at all, the pond was a perfect mirror to reflect the temple halls, pagodas and the many natural rocks surrounding it.

 

 

Many huge rocks of petrified wood were exhibited on the temple grounds

 

 

Many tiered stone pagoda

 

 

Two story pagoda

 

 

 

 

 

 

Callygraphy and stamps for my nōkyōchō, the pilgrim’s book. Behind the head of the lady, you see a special picture made out of 88 colored paper leaves, one leave for each temple. It is called “Sange” meaning fallen petals. Every temple handed out a leave after doing the calligraphy.  2016 was a special year   – it was not only a leap year but also the year of Hinoe-saru (Chinese Zodiak of a 60 years  cycle) dedicated to the monkey. By walking counterclockwise, the pilgrimage earns more benefits.

 

 

Sange-Jiku, the 88 temple leaves

 

 

The location of the temple is close to Cape Ashizuri, a place of high cliffs and a far view out to the Pacific Ocean.  People in the past believed that south of the Cape is the blessed realm of the goddess Kannon , an area called Fudaraku. They sailed from Ashizuri to reach this Pure Land.  In the past, people believed that Fuderaku was a real place instead of a mental one.

 

 

 

My friend Kato-san was visiting me this day and we drove to Minokoshi Cape with unique rock formations at the southern tip of the island

 

 

From Tatsukushi Bay, we took a boat to go to a little island nearby to see fantastic rock formations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunset with view to the Kashiwajima Island. Kashiwajima Island is located at the southwest end of Ootsuki Peninsula, the other end of Ashizuri Peninsula.  It is an island with the clearest water and a paradise for scuba divers.

 

gwwien
gwwienhttps://simplyjustwalking.com
Born and raised in a village along the Danube in Austria, Traude Wild soon ventured out into the world. After a two-year program for tourism in Klesheim/Salzburg, she spent nearly a year in South Africa and Namibia. By returning back to Austria, she acquired a Master of Economics at the University of Vienna. After moving to the United States with her four children, she studied Art History at Arizona State University and stayed in the United States for fourteen years. Here, she was teaching Art History in several Universities like Webster University and University of Missouri-St. Louis. Now, she lives partially in Arizona and Vienna and works together with her husband for the University of South-Carolina, Moore School of business as Adjunct Professor organising and leading Study tours in Central Europe. She also teaches at the Sigmund Freud University in Vienna. Since 1999, she is practicing Zen meditation in the lineage of Katagiri Roshi. She loves to hike and to write and is a student of Natalie Goldberg. During her often many weeks long hikes she brings her awareness into the Here and Now, describing her experiences in an authentic way. She loves to walk pilgrimages. The longest hike so far was the 1,400 km long 88 Temple pilgrimage in Shikoku, Japan in 2016.

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