🌸 Noire Henro-San: Fragrant Sunshine

N

o rain today! I got out of bed and looked out the window to see if I could catch a hint. A hint of what? Of the rain letting up. It is letting up. I see something else. A little sunshine. The sun is breaking through!

Don’t waste the sunshine

I won’t.

I am not wasting this opportunity to get outside to visit the next temple.

Let’s walk in the sunshine. Did I say sunshine? Yes I did.

Beautiful views of Sakaide and Kagamatsu make the trek up the mountain bearable.

The mountain, the forests, and the sea are symbols of eternity. I am one with it all.

Sunshine peeks through the leaves in the forest leading to the temple

82 Negoro-ji

Temple of the Fragrant Roots

Negoro-ji is a temple meant to be in the depths of the mountain. It is away from towns and people. The temple was established as a place for ascetic Buddhist practices.

Kukai enshrined the Five Great Kings including Fudo Myoo at the temple.

Sacred fragrance

A spring flows from an old tree in the courtyard. It is called the “fragrant river”. That is where Kagawa got its name.

Besting the beast

Ushioni was a terrifying people-eating beast. Long-suffering villagers hired a master archer to slay this “ox demon”. He prayed for guidance, finally slaying the beast and cutting off his head.

Ox Demon: image by Dokudami

The beast’s horns were left as an offering at the temple. It is a symbol of bravery whose power the local people call upon to combat evil.

The Niomon gate houses Nio guardians and giant straw sandals.

The dead tree covered by a roof is a zelkova tree that is said to be 1600 years old.

Across the walkway is the sphere-shaped fountain.

Stone stairway to the main temple hall, Negoro-ji.

The main hall

In the corridors of the main hall are 33,000 Kannon statues. They line the walls. The little Kannon were dedicated by believers from all over Japan.

Bell tower.

Godaido hall.

Sunshine makes the temple a happy place even if there are “hundreds” of steps to climb.

If you noticed, some of the trail looks similar to temple 83 but with a whole lot of sunshine! Some of the path is the same. My plans changed due to yesterday’s “baby” typhoon.

My accommodation was close by, so I visited temple 83 first. After that, I walked to the guesthouse.

I awakened to sunshine! And resumed my walk up the mountain to temple 82.

See you next time.

Baadaye and Mata Ne (またね)

Shirley J ♥️

This and several posts this summer chronicle my pilgrimage in Japan where I am walking the 1200 kilometer-long Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage. Read my announcement here.

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