Pilgrimages are so much more than visiting temples and churches. What happens in-between temple visits or chats with your fellow pilgrims are just as important.
Today’s walk from Tokushima City to Katsuura Town at the base of the mountain where Temple 20 is located is a wonderful case study.
The walk from Tokushima City went from the mundane (the heavily trafficked boulevard with strip malls) to off the beaten tracks like paths in a bamboo forest and in-between farms.
I also came upon this stylized Japanese lantern on an intersection in a small village. How about an art object on the corner of Washington and Linden, for example. Just pick the intersection.
I took this image of Hina dolls that sat on the top of the mailbox in front of the post office in Katsuura Town. How long would they last untouched in our communities?
One final surprise moment. While I was walking to Katsuura Town, a woman came out of a building and handed me two oranges. Dozo, she said. I thanked her and now I have my lunch for tomorrow’s climb.
The pilgrimage is more than just temples. The spirit of Buddhism seems in-grained in the fabric of Shikoku.
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