Japanese Pilgrimage
Pilgrimage Routes in Japan
In Japan, pilgrimages are based off the idea that there must be a personal journey for one to be spiritually fulfilled. Pilgrimage journeys take a pilgrim to many specific locations along what is considered to be a Buddhist circulatory pilgrimage route. There are two main types of pilgrimage models within Japan. The first is the Saikoku Pilgrimage model. This is a route that takes a pilgrim to 33 different temples dedicated to the Bodhisattva, Kannon. This route take a pilgrim to landscapes that range from urban environments to rural mountain regions. The second model is the Shinkoku Pilgrimage. In this model, a pilgrim’s journey takes them to 88 temples. On this circulatory route, the pilgrim will be associated with Kukai, the founder of Japanese Shingon Buddhism. This route is very rural and was considered to be very difficult to traverse. Most other pilgrimage routes in Japan are modeled after these two styles. In the Tokyo region, they have devised their own version however. The Bando Pilgrimage, styled after the Saikoku Pilgrimage has 33 temple stops along the way but also, a pilgrimage route near Chichibu was created and includes 34 temples. Once the Chichibu, the Bando and the Saikoku pilgrimages have been completed, the pilgrim will have completed 100 stops along their spiritual journey.
Actions Performed on the Journey
Going on a pilgrimage is not similar to going for a long hike. Certain actions are taken by the pilgrim at each stop which keeps the pilgrimage a spiritual ceremony. The first thing a pilgrim will do while traveling along one of these routes is deposit evidence of his visit. Usually this item is a small paper known as a fuda. This piece of paper usually has the name of the pilgrimage on it with personal information about the pilgrim on it. A pilgrim may also leave a tablet called an ema. An ema is a like a prayer that is bought at the temple and is specific to the pilgrim’s devotions. The second thing a pilgrim will do at a temple is an act of devotion. This includes a reciting of a prayer or a reading of a sutra the will help with the pilgrim’s prayers being answered. Finally, the last thing a pilgrim will do is gather proof of their being at the temple. They gather this proof in a stamp book. Each pilgrimage has its own unique stamp book and each site along the pilgrimage route will stamp their particular page. These signatures are referred to as seals and they are often very decorative and ornate.
Pilgrimage Slips
What is fascinating about pilgrimage in Japan is the use of artifacts along the way. It is important to look at the artifacts such as the temple stamps and pilgrimage slips that are left at each temple. As said before, a pilgrimage will collect stamps of each temple visited in a temple stamp book. this book is called a suincho which means "seal booklet". it also may be called a nokyocho which means donating a sutra. this is very important because it makes the pilgrimages unique to each person along the route. The pilgrims often copy the Heart Sutra themselves in order to make the pilgrimage unique to them while also paying the donation to get the sutra copied anyway.
The seals themselves are also very unique. the seals consist of three red imprints and stamped with black calligraphy. Oftentimes the nokyocho will include the origin myth and an object of reverence and pilgrim's song.
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