POSTSCRIPT
I was wondering whether it was necessary to really say anything as a postscript to my second pilgrimage. I don't feel I have anything particularly significant to share but I think adding something would be a useful snapshot of my life as it was during these 7 wonderful weeks walking around Shikoku.
Special thanks to James for not only re-reading all my journal entries from my first pilgrimage but also for reading all the entries I posted for this, my second pilgrimage. In between my updates we exchanged messages about many things related to ohenro and life generally. These exchanges helped give me a different perspective on my own journey and actually helped to reinforce the feeling that ohenro really is everyone's journey.
Special thanks to James for not only re-reading all my journal entries from my first pilgrimage but also for reading all the entries I posted for this, my second pilgrimage. In between my updates we exchanged messages about many things related to ohenro and life generally. These exchanges helped give me a different perspective on my own journey and actually helped to reinforce the feeling that ohenro really is everyone's journey.
Why did I do ohenro again ?
My first pilgrimage was one of the most uplifting experiences of my life and the truth is I never really imagined I would be doing it again less than 4 years later. I returned from Shikoku in November 2011 with the intention of making concrete changes in my life but following a health scare I ended up on the same old well worn path of least resistance and back to what I had been doing before. This in turn resulted in the same kind of restlessness that had led me to doing the pilgrimage in the first place and without going into all the details, ohenro was the medicine I needed. Medicine that would help to restore the sense of calm I wanted. Ohenro however is much more because it humbles you, it restores your faith in humanity and it nourishes you in so many different ways. If the journey was anything like the first, I was confident ohenro would weave it's magic spell and I would emerge from the experience feeling renewed and hopeful again.
My first pilgrimage was one of the most uplifting experiences of my life and the truth is I never really imagined I would be doing it again less than 4 years later. I returned from Shikoku in November 2011 with the intention of making concrete changes in my life but following a health scare I ended up on the same old well worn path of least resistance and back to what I had been doing before. This in turn resulted in the same kind of restlessness that had led me to doing the pilgrimage in the first place and without going into all the details, ohenro was the medicine I needed. Medicine that would help to restore the sense of calm I wanted. Ohenro however is much more because it humbles you, it restores your faith in humanity and it nourishes you in so many different ways. If the journey was anything like the first, I was confident ohenro would weave it's magic spell and I would emerge from the experience feeling renewed and hopeful again.
What was different about ohenro this time ?
After my first pilgrimage I came up with a small list of things I would do differently if I ever did the pilgrimage again and it included the following -
On the whole I managed to do all of these things. I generally avoided rushing and deliberately slowed down as I entered Kagawa. In the end I took 47 days compared to 38 to return to Ryozenji (#1) and this alone made the journey much more rewarding. I took my time praying at the temples and often spent time enjoying the peace and calm I found at some of the temples. I didn't however stay in shukubo at any of the 88 temples but I did stop in tsuyado at 7 of the 88. My choice of footwear was much better and I experienced few if any problems at all with my feet. I took the same 80 litre pack and stuffed it to about the same weight I carried the first time. The pack felt heavy from the start but as with everything else I just got used to it. If anything, if the quality of my pack had been better the weight would not have mattered so much.
This time there were no real unknowns because I knew exactly what to expect and what to do. During the first pilgrimage I had worried a little too much about things which in hindsight were really not worth worrying about. The primary logistical issue the first time was always, where I am going to stay. This time I had prepared a list of places I knew about and others I had discovered since the first pilgrimage so I knew of many places I could stop at. A slower pace and no real worries about where to stay put the focus on enjoying the more subtle aspects of the pilgrimage
I spent more time walking alone but I also ended up speaking to a lot more people. Being alone was a great way of focusing on and reflecting on the real reasons I was doing ohenro. I experienced many more of those special moments when I would just stop to enjoy the feelings and sensations of being surrounded by something infinitely greater than myself. The sea, the sky, the mountains, the trees and the nature generally were my favourite companions during this journey.
The other thing that was different this time was that I did ohenro my own way. I didn't regard myself as special, I didn't regard myself as important and I didn't believe wearing the outer garb of a walking pilgrim necessarily bestowed any of these qualities on me. I had prepared lots of photographs which I wanted to give to people along the way, especially to those who helped me or were kind to me. I ending up giving away easily 250 to 300 photographs to practically everyone I met along the way and this kind of "reverse osettai" turned out to be one of the best things I could have done. It helped me experience the pilgrimage in a very different way and this too helped to reinforce the feeling that it is a shared journey that is everyone's journey.
After my first pilgrimage I came up with a small list of things I would do differently if I ever did the pilgrimage again and it included the following -
- I will walk much more slowly
- I will spend more time at the temples
- I will stay at many more temples
- I will talk to more people but spend more time alone
- I will wear better shoes and carry much less
On the whole I managed to do all of these things. I generally avoided rushing and deliberately slowed down as I entered Kagawa. In the end I took 47 days compared to 38 to return to Ryozenji (#1) and this alone made the journey much more rewarding. I took my time praying at the temples and often spent time enjoying the peace and calm I found at some of the temples. I didn't however stay in shukubo at any of the 88 temples but I did stop in tsuyado at 7 of the 88. My choice of footwear was much better and I experienced few if any problems at all with my feet. I took the same 80 litre pack and stuffed it to about the same weight I carried the first time. The pack felt heavy from the start but as with everything else I just got used to it. If anything, if the quality of my pack had been better the weight would not have mattered so much.
This time there were no real unknowns because I knew exactly what to expect and what to do. During the first pilgrimage I had worried a little too much about things which in hindsight were really not worth worrying about. The primary logistical issue the first time was always, where I am going to stay. This time I had prepared a list of places I knew about and others I had discovered since the first pilgrimage so I knew of many places I could stop at. A slower pace and no real worries about where to stay put the focus on enjoying the more subtle aspects of the pilgrimage
I spent more time walking alone but I also ended up speaking to a lot more people. Being alone was a great way of focusing on and reflecting on the real reasons I was doing ohenro. I experienced many more of those special moments when I would just stop to enjoy the feelings and sensations of being surrounded by something infinitely greater than myself. The sea, the sky, the mountains, the trees and the nature generally were my favourite companions during this journey.
The other thing that was different this time was that I did ohenro my own way. I didn't regard myself as special, I didn't regard myself as important and I didn't believe wearing the outer garb of a walking pilgrim necessarily bestowed any of these qualities on me. I had prepared lots of photographs which I wanted to give to people along the way, especially to those who helped me or were kind to me. I ending up giving away easily 250 to 300 photographs to practically everyone I met along the way and this kind of "reverse osettai" turned out to be one of the best things I could have done. It helped me experience the pilgrimage in a very different way and this too helped to reinforce the feeling that it is a shared journey that is everyone's journey.
Was doing ohenro again really an indulgence ?
Even before I left for Shikoku I felt that doing it again was an indulgence because in some respects it was an escape from the circumstances I found myself in. As I walked around Shikoku I witnessed ordinary people going about their ordinary lives. The farmers in their fields, the fisherman readying to go out to sea and ordinary people getting on with their lives. Time and again, people praised me for no other reason than the fact that I was a walking pilgrim. One reason I was doing ohenro again and had done it the first time was simply because I seemed to have no clear focus. I don't know if it served any real purpose but for the smiles that I shared and the insights that I got, it was maybe a necessary indulgence.
Even before I left for Shikoku I felt that doing it again was an indulgence because in some respects it was an escape from the circumstances I found myself in. As I walked around Shikoku I witnessed ordinary people going about their ordinary lives. The farmers in their fields, the fisherman readying to go out to sea and ordinary people getting on with their lives. Time and again, people praised me for no other reason than the fact that I was a walking pilgrim. One reason I was doing ohenro again and had done it the first time was simply because I seemed to have no clear focus. I don't know if it served any real purpose but for the smiles that I shared and the insights that I got, it was maybe a necessary indulgence.
What were the best things about ohenro ?
Ohenro is like a warm collective embrace that gently caresses your soul and also like a giant hand that pats your ego. I think this is one reason why ohenro feels so good. There were many many great moments and one I remember particularly well was on the day I left Matsuyama City and headed along the coast road to Asanami Daishido where I stayed. I felt that collective embrace the whole way because encounter after encounter on that day made me realise that the ohenro spirit or maybe the spirit of Kukai was with me, it was guiding me, it was following me and above all it was protecting me. The ohenro spirit was alive in the actions of the ordinary people of Shikoku.
The other thing I absolutely loved about ohenro were those moments which I described as being connected with something unmistakably divine. These moments can better be described by the following verse from a poem by William Wordsworth - Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey. It captures the feeling for me perfectly.
Ohenro is like a warm collective embrace that gently caresses your soul and also like a giant hand that pats your ego. I think this is one reason why ohenro feels so good. There were many many great moments and one I remember particularly well was on the day I left Matsuyama City and headed along the coast road to Asanami Daishido where I stayed. I felt that collective embrace the whole way because encounter after encounter on that day made me realise that the ohenro spirit or maybe the spirit of Kukai was with me, it was guiding me, it was following me and above all it was protecting me. The ohenro spirit was alive in the actions of the ordinary people of Shikoku.
The other thing I absolutely loved about ohenro were those moments which I described as being connected with something unmistakably divine. These moments can better be described by the following verse from a poem by William Wordsworth - Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey. It captures the feeling for me perfectly.
And I have felt
A presence that disturbs me with the joy
Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime
Of something far more deeply interfused,
Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,
And the round ocean, and the living air,
And the blue sky, and in the mind of man,
A motion and a spirit, that impels
All thinking things, all objects of all thought,
And rolls through all things.
- William Wordsworth
A presence that disturbs me with the joy
Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime
Of something far more deeply interfused,
Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,
And the round ocean, and the living air,
And the blue sky, and in the mind of man,
A motion and a spirit, that impels
All thinking things, all objects of all thought,
And rolls through all things.
- William Wordsworth
What does osettai mean for me ?
Osettai is a feeling. The feeling with which you receive something and the feeling with which you give something. The smile, the friendly greeting, the words of praise, the encouragement, the rest huts, the company of my fellow walking pilgrims, food I received, the places I stayed in and above all the genuine kindness from all the many people along the way was osettai. It translated into feelings of gratitude, appreciation, delight, wonderment, kindness and so much more.
Osettai is a feeling. The feeling with which you receive something and the feeling with which you give something. The smile, the friendly greeting, the words of praise, the encouragement, the rest huts, the company of my fellow walking pilgrims, food I received, the places I stayed in and above all the genuine kindness from all the many people along the way was osettai. It translated into feelings of gratitude, appreciation, delight, wonderment, kindness and so much more.
What was the most important lesson ?
Do the right thing.
If this seems too simple then the following verse does a better job -
Do the right thing.
If this seems too simple then the following verse does a better job -
The holy man laughed softly and prayed aloud,
"May God cause you to change your life in the way you know you should."
- Rumi
(translated by Coleman Barks)
"May God cause you to change your life in the way you know you should."
- Rumi
(translated by Coleman Barks)
Some useful advice I found in a copy of The Teaching of Buddha that was in my room at Jofukuin, Koyasan.
Avoid people who are -
Associate with people who are -
Avoid people who are -
- greedy
- clever talkers
- flatterers
- wasters
Associate with people who are -
- helpful
- share in your happiness and misfortune
- give good advice
- have a good heart
Am I a better person having done ohenro ?
Like the first time, the simple honest answer is no. Ohenro this time, like it was the first time was an uplifting experience. My first pilgrimage had been a real spiritual adventure and even though I didn't really know what to expect or how it would affect me when I started, by the end of that first pilgrimage I had come to appreciate everything about it. Much more than that, it had filled me with a deep sense of gratitude for everything that had ever happened in my life, both good and bad.
This time the focus was on self reflection and by getting away from the usual daily routines, within a very short space of time my mind had completely adjusted to a very different reality. My mind was beginning to calm down and it was into this more fertile mind that I was hoping to plant seeds of the kinds of changes I wanted to see in my life. The better person is always there and whether that better person emerges victorious is entirely in my own hands.
Like the first time, the simple honest answer is no. Ohenro this time, like it was the first time was an uplifting experience. My first pilgrimage had been a real spiritual adventure and even though I didn't really know what to expect or how it would affect me when I started, by the end of that first pilgrimage I had come to appreciate everything about it. Much more than that, it had filled me with a deep sense of gratitude for everything that had ever happened in my life, both good and bad.
This time the focus was on self reflection and by getting away from the usual daily routines, within a very short space of time my mind had completely adjusted to a very different reality. My mind was beginning to calm down and it was into this more fertile mind that I was hoping to plant seeds of the kinds of changes I wanted to see in my life. The better person is always there and whether that better person emerges victorious is entirely in my own hands.
Will there be a third ohenro ?
Ohenro is something special and to do again and again without a clear purpose would not be the right thing for me to do. The first time it was an adventure but the second it was a chance to reflect on myself and my life. The real challenges are in the real world and the inner world. Maybe one day in the distant future I will be able to retrace my steps with the sole purpose of expressing my gratitude at each and every temple and with each and every step. That would be a good reason to do ohenro one more time. Although having said that, it would be wonderful to do it just for the fun of it.
Ohenro is something special and to do again and again without a clear purpose would not be the right thing for me to do. The first time it was an adventure but the second it was a chance to reflect on myself and my life. The real challenges are in the real world and the inner world. Maybe one day in the distant future I will be able to retrace my steps with the sole purpose of expressing my gratitude at each and every temple and with each and every step. That would be a good reason to do ohenro one more time. Although having said that, it would be wonderful to do it just for the fun of it.
Why did I create this site ?
I wanted to create a permanent record of something that was important for me. A snapshot of my life witnessed through ohenro eyes. I also wanted to acknowledge the people I met along the way because in many ways they are the real heroes of this little journey. To discover something valuable and keep it all to myself would be the antithesis of what this journey meant for me. I wanted to share all that was positive about ohenro. Some days were good but most days were great. I hope whatever information I have shared here is helpful to all those who are planning or thinking about doing ohenro for themselves.
I wanted to create a permanent record of something that was important for me. A snapshot of my life witnessed through ohenro eyes. I also wanted to acknowledge the people I met along the way because in many ways they are the real heroes of this little journey. To discover something valuable and keep it all to myself would be the antithesis of what this journey meant for me. I wanted to share all that was positive about ohenro. Some days were good but most days were great. I hope whatever information I have shared here is helpful to all those who are planning or thinking about doing ohenro for themselves.
What's next ?
Ohenro lived up to and exceeded my expectations. It served it's primary purpose for me because I did emerge from it feeling renewed. It was a relatively short, relatively easy journey and by stepping into a slower current it helped me think again about that bigger journey, the journey that is life itself. My life journey will now depend as it always did, on how well I look after my mind and what thoughts I allow to predominate. Life in this respect I consider to be entirely fair. Whatever does result, I am grateful that I was able to indulge myself one more time.
Ohenro lived up to and exceeded my expectations. It served it's primary purpose for me because I did emerge from it feeling renewed. It was a relatively short, relatively easy journey and by stepping into a slower current it helped me think again about that bigger journey, the journey that is life itself. My life journey will now depend as it always did, on how well I look after my mind and what thoughts I allow to predominate. Life in this respect I consider to be entirely fair. Whatever does result, I am grateful that I was able to indulge myself one more time.