MZC HERE-NOW

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Zen Is Zero State

 

Meditation (of Ātman: Self) has been identified in the old Upanishads as the Fourth (Catrīya/trīya) State beyond the states of awake, dreaming, and dreamless. Zen meditation, however, is Zero State, beyond these four states that are bound by karma, by stilling karma (the Triple Poisons of desire, divisiveness, and delusion, and the Two Roots of craving and nescience: no witness of nirvana).

 

Zen meditation stills the triple actions of the body, mouth, and mind bound by karma setting them in the best states. One settles in nirvana, sees the Dharma of all dharmas (Dependent Co-origination, i.e., all phenomena are dependently co-originated on limitless causes and conditions), and serves and saves all with the prognosis of the Four Holy Truths and the Eight Holy Ways.

 

It facilitates freedom from karmic bondages and freedom of the triple actions of body, mouth, and mind in calm, clear, careful condition. It is full function with all dharmas (forms/phenomena), in the Dharma (norm/ law/ truth) world in Dependent Co-origination. It is the fair and friendly function with all in holy (wholly wholesome) harmony, health, and happiness.

 

It endows limitless life, light, liberation, and love for anyone, in any area, and in any era, regardless of age, gender, position, possession, etc., by constant cultivation and verification to attain nirvana/awakening. It frees karma since life started, and the complex causes and conditions beset anyone, in any place, at any time. We’d better work together to attain these.

 

March 15, 2024 C.E.

 

Note:

1. The fourth state is also called Tulya (Balanced).

Cf. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turiya

 

2. Zen is to attain freedom from karma and freedom of dharma/Dharma in full function, returning to zero (suñña/śūnya), more awakened and wakeful than the wakeful state in karma, to  and reuniting with holiness (wholly wholesomeness) and limitlessness (cf. four limitlessnesses: friendship, compassion, joy, equanimity).

 

３．“The Dharma (Norm/Law/Truth/Ethic) of all dharmas (forms/phenomena/ truths/ethics)” is Dependent Co-origination, i.e., all phenomena are interdependently co-originated on limitless causes and conditions (similar to the Law of Causality, but deeper and wider – beyond conventions, conceptions, objects, etc.). This means that we are interrelated with other beings (other species, elements, stars, etc.), and relatives to each other, and that we must therefore live together harmoniously and strive to make a wholly wholesome world to become harmonious, health, and happy.

 

 

禅はゼロ状態

 

古いウパニシャッドでは(アートマン：自我)の瞑想は覚醒、夢眠・熟眠状態を超えた第四状態とされた。禅の瞑想はしかし業に束縛されたこれら四状態を超えて、業（貪・瞋・痴三毒、貪欲・無明：涅槃無確証の二根）を静めたゼロ状態である。

 

禅瞑想は業に束縛された身口意の三業を静めてそれを最善状態にする。人は涅槃に安住し、諸法の法（一切現象は無量の因縁に依り生起するという縁起）を見、四聖諦と八聖道の般若（知恵：処方）で一切に奉仕し救済する。

 

それは業縛から自由にし、静寂・明澄・注意状態にした身口意の三業を自由になるように資する。それは縁起の法（規範・法則・真理）界において諸法と共にある十全な機能である。それは聖（全体健全）なる調和・健康・幸福の中に一切と共なる公正で友愛の機能である。

 

それは常時の修証により涅槃・覚醒を得させて、年齢、性別、地位、所有などに関わりなく誰にもどの地域でもどの時代でも無量寿・光・自由・愛を恵む。それは誰にも時空に拘わらず複雑な因縁に置かれている生命が始まって以来の業から解放する。これらを達成するには共に働く方がより良い。

 

2024共通年3月15日

 

註：

１．第四状態はトゥリヤ（均衡）とも呼ばれる。

参考： https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turiya

２．禅はゼロ（suñña/śūnya：空）に帰り、業にある覚醒状態より更に目覚め覚醒しており、聖（全体健全）と無量（慈悲喜捨の四無量参照）と再結合する十全な活動である。

３．諸法（形態・現象）の法（規則・法則・真理・倫理）は縁起（因縁生起）、即ち、一切現象は無量の直接原因と間接条件により相依生起するということである（因果則に似ているがさらに深く広い－世俗、観念、対象などを超える）。これは私達が他者（多種、要素、星宿など）と相依関係にあることを意味し、相互に相対的であり、私達が調和、健康、幸福になる為には共に調和して生き、全体健全な世界を作る努力をしなければならないことを意味する。

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Flowers Blooming, the World Arisen!

 

Jimyo offered beautiful fresh flowers to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at our center; suddenly spring has arisen! We sat sittings, the Buddha world opened! Daffodils blooming, spring arrived.

 

Dependent Co-origination is the Dharma of all dharmas. When any change happening, the world changed. A clear crystal ball shining, the Indranet illumed as a ripple reaches a lake end.

 

One sitting, nirvana/awakening arisen. Six senses settling, the world settled, inward and outward, individually, socially, and ecologically, as the history of the world’s been changed in space and time.

 

One aspiring, life changed, one’s and others lives changed limitlessly. One continuing, effects settled, permeating, and perfecting peace and prognosis in holy (wholly wholesome) harmony, health, and happiness.

 

March 2, 2024 C.E.

 

華開世界起！

 

慈明が美しい新鮮な花をセンターの仏菩薩に備えたら突然春が現われた！私達が坐ったら仏世界が開けた！推薦が開いたら、春が来た。

 

縁起は諸法の法である。どんな変化が起きても、世界は変わる。透明な水晶珠が輝けば帝釈網は光る、一波が湖岸に届く様に。

 

一人が坐れば、涅槃・覚醒が起きる。六感が安定すれば世界が安定する、内的・外的、個人的・社会的・生態的に、時空の世界を歴史が変えた様に。

 

一人が志せば、自他の命を無限に変える。人が継続すれば、諸結果は聖（全体健全）な調和・健康・幸福の中に平和と智慧を浸透し完成する。

 

2024共通年3月2日

 

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All Must Avoid Annihilation!

 

The Doomsday Clock is ticking, at 90 seconds away from Doomsday. The global problematique of global warming, mass extinction, etc. is causing it. The most urgent problems among many are war and nuclear holocaust due to it. All who wage war and use nukes, or support them, are criminals against all beings.

 

The cause of doom are the Triple Poisons of desire, divisiveness, and delusion, and the Triple Only of only money, me, and now. The delusion of ego (individual, national, etc.), a short-sighted attachment to money, might, and matter, and an aversion to competitors are the culprits that will bring about destruction and doom.

 

“There is no way to peace. Peace is the way,” Gandhi said. “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies of the world would also change,” and “I try to make myself zero.” Waiting for the world or others to change won’t change the world. The Buddha said, “Rely on yourself, not others. Rely on the Dharma, not people.”

 

Dharma is beyond the karma that causes the Triple Poisons or Triple Only. The Dharma of all dharmas is Dependent Co-origination, which deems us to live together in peace, equality, and freedom. All must change to observe this universal truth and ethic shown in the Four Holy Truths, Eight Holy Ways, Global Ethic, etc.

 

February 22, 2024 C.E.

 

Note:

1. The solution of the global problematique, interrelated global problems such as global warming, mass extinction, nationalism, war, nuke, dictatorship, dogma, discrimination, prolusion, poverty, requires the global ethic (issued by the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1993 with more than seven thousand people from all religions and from all over the world attending), which is based on the Five Precepts (and the fundamental common elements in the Ten Precepts, the Ten Commandments, etc.).
2. The Triple Poisons are desire, divisiveness, and delusion (of a self-same, self-sovereign self). The “Triple Only” are only me, only now, and only money (short-sighted views and actions, which make the wider world worse) , which can be cured by the Triple Learnings of morality, concentration, and prognosis.
3. When asked by a reporter “what your secret was” to gain such power over the ruling British empire, Gandhi responded: “I try to make myself zero.” He was referring to his efforts to develop such a selfless love that each thought, word, and deed became the motivation improve the welfare and well-being of others, and not for his own gratification. ｎ
4. Dharma means 1. form (from d-harm: phenomenon) and 2. norm (from d-h-arm: norm: law operating through phenomena: ethic), and 3. the teaching of the law of all phenomena, that is, Dependent Co-origination (originally awakened on the origination of perception/consciousness depending on the sense organs and objects, but later applied to all phenomena, cf. note 5). This law is similar to the law of causality, now used by sciences, but deeper and wider, applied beyond objects – more on subjects and symbols – ideas, etc.).
5. “The Dharma (Norm/Law/Truth/Ethic) of all dharmas (forms/phenomena/ truths/ethics)” is Dependent Co-origination, i.e., all phenomena are interdependently co-originated on limitless causes and conditions (similar to the Law of Causality, but deeper and wider – beyond conventions, conceptions, objects, etc.). This means that we are interrelated with other beings (other species, elements, stars, etc.), and relatives to each other, and that we must therefore live together harmoniously and strive to make a wholly wholesome world to become harmonious, health, and happy.
6. Karma is instilled with the triple poisons of desire, divisiveness, and delusion (of ego/mei: I/my). The Buddha said that all living beings are karma-birthed, -heirs, -owners, -machines, and -refuged. He clarified that there is no self-substance with self-sameness (permanent) and self-sovereignty (wishful) entities due to the Dharma (Truth/Law) of all dharmas (phenomena), Dependent Co-origination. We as karma-machines must change to the Dharma-refuged in order to change the world in suffering to one in holiness (wholly wholesome: harmonious, healthy, and happy).
7. The four holy truths （catur-ārya-satya/cattāri ariya-saccāni）are that of suffering (duk-kha, wrong-going, going against wishes), cause of it (identified as craving: taṅhā/tṛṣṇā, lit. thirst, as drinking seawater), cessation of it (identified as nirvana: no-wind, cf. nivāte padīpa: lamplight in no-wind), and way for it (identified as the eight holy ways).
8. The eight holy (ariya/ārya) ways (ariya-aṭṭhaṅgika-magga/ ārya-aṣṭāṅga-mārga) are right view (sammā‑diṭṭhi/ samyag-dṛṣṭi), right thinking (sammā-saṅkappa/ samyak-saṃkalpa), right speech (sammā-vācā/ samyag-vāc), right action (sammā-kammanta/ samyak-karmānta), right livelihood (sammā-ājīva/ samyag-ājīva), right striving (sammā-vāyāma/ samyag-vyāyāma), right mindfulness (sammā-sati/ samyak-smṛti), right concentration (sammā-samādhi/ samyak-samādhi)

 

皆が破滅を避けなければならない！

 

世界終末時計が終末から90秒前でカチカチ鳴っています。地球温暖化、大量絶滅等の地球問題群がそれを起こしています。多くのものの中で最も緊急な問題は戦争とそれにより起こされる核ホロコーストです。戦争を仕掛け核を用いる者は皆一切存在に対する犯罪者です。

 

終末の原因は貪瞋痴の三毒、金だけ、今だけ、自分だけの三だけです。エゴ（個人、国家などの）の愚痴、金、力、物の短見の執着、競争相手に対する嫌悪が破戒と終末をもたらす犯人です。

 

「平和への道は無い、平和が道だ」とガンジーは言いました、そして「私達が自らを変えることができれば、世界の趨勢も変わる」「私は自分をゼロにしようとする」と。世界や他者が変わるのを待っても世界は変わりません。ブッダは「自らに依り、他に依るな。法に依り、人に依るな」と言いました。

 

法は三毒や三だけを起こす業を超えています。諸法の法は縁起ですが、それは私達が平和、平等、自由にトモ生きしなければならないということです。皆がこの四聖諦、八聖道、地球倫理などで示された普遍的真理と倫理を生きなければなりません。

 

2024共通年2月22日

 

註：

１．地球問題群、地球温暖化、大量絶滅、国家主義、戦争、核、ドクサイ、独断、差別、汚染、貧困の様な相互関連した地球諸問題、は（1993年シカゴで世界中から諸宗教の七千人を超える人々が集まった世界宗教会議により発出された宣言）地球倫理を必要とするが、これは（不殺、不盗、不偽、不淫、不飲酒の）五戒（と仏教他の十戒の基本的共通要素）に基づいている。インターアクション協議会は世界人務宣言の草案を作り国連が発出するように提出したが今に至るも棚上げされたままである。

２．三毒は貪瞋痴（自己同一、自己主宰の我という愚痴）である。三だけは今だけ、金だけで自分だけということであり（短見・短絡行動で、より広い世界を悪化させる）が、戒定慧の三学はこれらを治癒できる。

３．支配している大英帝国を超える程の力を得る「あなたの秘密は何か」と記者に聞かれ、ガンジーは「私はゼロになろうとしている」と答えました。彼は、無私の愛がどの思考、言語、行動もの動機と成り、自分自身の満足ではなく他者の福祉を改善しようとする諸努力を指していたのです。(https://josephranseth.com/gandhi-didnt-say-be-the-change-you-want-to-see-in-the-world/)

４．法（dharma）は 形態（form： d-harmより: 現象：真理)、２．規則（norm： d-h-armより:現象中の規則：倫理)、３．諸法の法、縁起（元来は感覚器官と感覚対象に依る知覚・意識の発生に覚醒したが後に一切現象に適用されたもの。註5参照）。この法則は、現今諸科学に用いられる、因果律と同様であるが、もっと深く広い－客体を越えて主体と観念などの象徴に適用される。

５．諸法（形態・現象）の法（規則・法則・真理・倫理）は縁起（因縁生起）、即ち、一切現象は無量の直接原因と間接条件により相依生起するということである（因果則に似ているがさらに深く広い－世俗、観念、対象などを超える）。これは私達が他者（多種、要素、星宿など）と相依関係にあることを意味し、相互に相対的であり、私達が調和、健康、幸福になる為には共に調和して生き、全体健全な世界を作る努力をしなければならないことを意味する。

６．業は貪瞋（エゴ/メイ：我/我所の）痴の三毒が植え込まれている。ブッダ（覚者）は一切衆生は業—誕生者、—相続者、—所有者、—機械、—依拠者であると言った。彼は、諸法（現象）の法（真理/倫理）である縁起の故に自己同一（永住）と自己主宰（意欲通り）の実態をもった自己物質は存在しないことを明らかにした。業—機械である私達は、苦しむ世界を聖（全体健全：調和、健康、幸福）なる世界に変える為には、法₋依拠者にならなければならない。

７．四聖諦（catur-ārya-satya/cattāri ariya-saccāni）は苦 (duk-kha, 上手く行かない：不満), その原因 (欲：taṅhā/tṛṣṇā, 字義：海水でも飲む渇愛), その滅 (涅槃: 無風、業の, cf. nivāte padīpa: 無風の灯明), とその道程 (八聖道).　聖（ariya/ārya) は全体健全（全体が健全：調和、健康、幸福）であること。

８．八聖 道 (ariya-aṭṭhaṅgika-magga/ ārya-aṣṭāṅga-mārga) は正見 (sammā‑diṭṭhi/ samyag-dṛṣṭi), 正思 (sammā-saṅkappa/ samyak-saṃkalpa), 正語 (sammā-vācā/ samyag-vāc), 正行 (sammā-kammanta/ samyak-karmānta), 正業 (sammā-ājīva/ samyag-ājīva), 正精進 (sammā-vāyāma/ samyag-vyāyāma), 正念 (sammā-sati/ samyak-smṛti), 正定 (sammā-samādhi/ samyak-samādhi)

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https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/23/world/doomsday-clock-2024-climate-scn/index.html

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The purpose of my travel to Ecuador was to visit my family and spend time with Rio Amadeo, with whom I connected before mainly on a screen via What’s app. I was a stranger when I arrived and slowly, we became friends. Two days ago, we had a family celebration, a ritual of welcoming Rio Amadeo into the family and the world. Ecuador is a very Catholic country and the baptism is done in a traditional way. However, we changed it a bit and brought water from a “sacred” well in Austria.

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Church in Puembo

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Water from Mariazell, the most important pilgrimage site in Austria. My daughter and daughter in law were pregnant at the same time. Together, we did a welcoming ritual for the then unborn babies and collected water from the sacred well in Austria. This water was now used for the ceremony in Ecuador.

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The desserts for the family party were brought by both grandmothers of Rio Amadeo. This beautiful and also delicious cake with the two hummingbirds was provided by the Ecuadorian “abuela”. I made a typical Austrian Apfelstrudel.

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Grossmutti and Abuela in black and white outfits. I could not help but smile about this coincidence. It was a small family gathering. When we were all standing around with a glass of champagne, each of us said different wishes and blessings for Rio Amadeo. Most of it I did not understand (by not speaking Spanish), but I know that they were wishes for love, compassion, wisdom and joy in life.

 

Lorenz took one day off to hike with me on the 4,788-meter Corazón mountain, about 30 km southwest of Quito. It is an inactive volcano and a nature preserve. The access road to the entrance of the preserve is in terrible shape, but we managed it. We would have needed a permit in advance to enter, but Lorenz convinced the guard to register us directly at the gate. We paid the entrance fee there ($5, Ecuador has the same currency as the US). When we were waiting to get in, several “llamas” came and looked at us.

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Beside the guardian house there is a field with sheep. In the background, covered by fog, you see the twin mountains Los Ilinizas.

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Three little cute puppies constantly ran to their mother and wanted to drink.

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The small path up the mountain was leading us through high grass with sometimes small areas of moss and other ground covering plants.

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Very typical ground coverings

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At about 4,500 meters, there was just plain, open space with no high grass anymore. We were lucky that we could see the mountain top of Corazón for a short time. Unfortunately, the gate closed at 3pm and we could not walk up to the top. Maybe it was better anyway because I had to breath heavily on this altitude.

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Lorenz and I had picnic at the saddle. Suddenly, a gorgeous eagle landed beside us and wanted to have food too. This bird was not shy at all and surrounded us all the time. We were feeding it some bread.

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The sun peeked through the clouds for a short time.

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Like always, the colors of flowers blooming in high altitude are brilliant.

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On this altitude, we had to wear warm clothing.

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A clay wall farther down

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Heavy clouds and thunder announced the arrival of rain.

 

 

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When we were pretty much down in the valley, many herds of cows were driven either up or down the street to the next milking station which was being pulled by a tractor. Each cow carried a heavy udder. At one place we saw that the cows were standing in line, waiting to be freed of the heavy weight.

 

 

I know there are many mountains to climb and beautiful places and things to see, but this has to wait for a visit the next time. Thank you so much, my dear friends, for visiting with me this beautiful country.

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The indigenous people in Ecuador believe that the Earth (Mama Pacha) is a living being. Mountains and volcanos are living beings too, expressing emotions such as love, fury, pain and desire. Love affairs between the volcanos are told in legends, explaining eruptions, the creation of mountains and lakes. When I visited an art shop selling indigenous arts and crafts, two paintings were catching my attention. Both are telling stories of love and the intimate relationship between the human being and nature. The painter is a native from Tigua close to Quilotoa called Edison Ugsha.

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This painting expresses the best-known love story in Ecuador – the battle between Cotopaxi and the volcano Chimborazo over Mama Tungurahua, a female volcano. Cotopaxi to the right was the loser and Chimborazo married Tungurahua, who gave birth to the mountain Guagua Pichincha (you can see their union above).

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This is a story of a condor falling in love with a human being. He takes on some human features like arms and hands. His feet are like tree trunks. The woman loves the bird  deeply and transforms into a condor to celebrate their unity.

There is another love story about a lake on the mountain Quilotoa (4000m). The parents of the volcano Quilotoa (mountains Illiniza) were forbidding her to marry Cotopaxi.  Qilotoa  became so furious that she erupted. Out of her tears, the turquoise-colored lake was formed, the most beautiful lake in Ecuador. I visited this lake 10 years ago. Beauty formed out of pain – what a story of healing!

 

Friendship and love is important in the Ecuadorian culture. I was invited to join a group of about 15 local people to hike to the top of the mountain Ilaló (8136 feet). The group were mostly ladies who did more than 50 hikes together. When I first visited Ecuador ten years ago, hiking was not popular at all. This changed in the last few years. We saw many hikers and runners on the mountain. Somebody sold even refreshments and food on the top of the mountain.

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This cross is placed not on the top but near the parking lot where we left our cars.

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On the way up to the top

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Mais is the most popular crop here. Even high up on the mountain, there are sometimes tiny fields of corn.

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Abundance of blooming flowers

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I was feeding this goat with grass, which was all around. It still liked to eat out of my hand.

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Up this steep slope, my son carried Rio Amadeo on his back. It would have been dangerous and not even possible to hike when wet. It is slippery even when dry.

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My family with darling Rio Amadeo

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A bit farther down we all had lunch beside a tiny hut built by a friend of my son. Everybody brought home made food like ceviche, empanadas, chochos and tostado. Unfortunately, I took the photo pretty much at the end of the feast.

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Two weeks in Ecuador

 

Traveling is different when you are able to step directly into a culture by visiting friends or family. It is a privilege to be part of everyday life and see things from the inside. Right now, I am visiting my son Lorenz and his family in Puembo, a small town between Quito and the International Airport.

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The family of my son lives in a gated area in a park like setting with six charming houses. This photo is taken from his terrace showing the houses of two neighbors.

 

The guest room, where I am staying, has a direct view to the center of Quito (about 3500 meter). However, the city is spread over a wide, irregular terrain of valleys and mountains with deep gorges in between. A former railroad track called Chaquiñán runs through Puembo, now transformed into a bike and hiking trail. When I hiked just a little part of this trail, I saw an incredible social and material inequity.

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Whoever can afford it builds the houses in a gated area behind high walls. The wall in the photo above is unusual because it is overgrown by lush vegetation. The high end gated areas even have two gates, fortified like a medieval castle in Europe. The high walls are often  topped by a barbed wire or pieces of glass.

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A high wall of a less wealthy area with a barbed wire on the top and one of the many water canals beside it. These small water canals are everywhere, even in the garden of my son’s neighborhood. Right now, it is rainy season in Ecuador, however, I did not see or feel a single rain drop since I am here.

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These three boys were part of a big group playing beside a water channel. They had a lot of fun by throwing friends into the fast-flowing water. All three are soaking wet.

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Along the Chaquiñán, there are also long stretches of nature. I was impressed by this blue agave plant growing out of a vertical clay wall beside a powerful waterfall of roots.

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Housing shows the different income levels directly. Sometimes, there are only wooden, deteriorating huts standing beside new, unfinished cinderblock houses and everything looks chaotic. However, the beauty and abundance of nature is everywhere.

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A blooming shrub beside a wall

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Blooming hibiscus

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The income level and social status shows huge differences. However, nobody is hungry in Ecuador. The country is located at the equator and everything grows all year round. To my surprise, I saw lots of elderberry shrubs, some blossoming and some already bearing fruit. Elderberry grows also in Austria.

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Blooming Elderberry

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Bananas, granadillas and pine apples are delicious here.

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Beside abundant vegetation, the area is a paradise for animals. Beautiful, colorful birds live in trees and shrubs and sometimes, I see a gorgeous butterfly. This moth got lost in the house. I tried to rescue it, but it did not want to leave my hand.  I had to shake it to make it fly away into the night. The villages are full of cats and dogs. At least five dogs were running towards me when I passed several houses on the trail, barking and obviously disturbed by a stranger. The dogs are not aggressive and did not attack me.

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Today, Lorenz, Rio Amadeo and I went on a bike ride on the trail.

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A little cow grazing beside the path

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The rope was not attached to anything

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Six beautiful cocks in this little caged area. They are obviously raised for cock fights. Neither bullfights nor cockfights are illegal in Ecuador.

 

We biked to the center of Puembo, built in the colonial style. This plaza is very typical for South America. In the center is always a water fountain with walkways radiating to the street.

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The water fountain without water

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One of the radiating walkways leading to a church

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A charming balcony at the plaza

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There is no zoning in Ecuador. Drinks, vegetables, fruit other things for everyday life can be bought in many little shops. Many little restaurants are located at the plaza.

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Facade of the restaurant “El Floral”

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It is owned by a Swiss family and offers also European cookies and sweets, delicious bread and more. It is a treasure house for my family.

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.The Outer Shrine (Geku) in Ise City is also closely connected to the Imperial family. 500 years after the establishment of the Inner Shrine, emperor Yuryaku had a dream, where the goddess Amaterasu was asking him for food. He followed her request and built a shrine for the deity, Toyo’uke-no-Okami, who presides over the meals of the goddess Amaterasu and is the guardian of food, clothing, housing and industry.

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Purification basin before entering the sacred area of the shrine with our guide Hisako-san

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It is the harmony with nature which fascinated me most in the Inner and Outer shrines. Like this Torii you see in the photo, the construction is humble and in harmony with the natural environment. There is nothing much to see in these shrines except connectedness and deep reverence for life – isn’t that all we need?

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Even the brooms used to clean the gravel walkways from fallen leaves are made in the ancient way.

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This shrine is the dwelling place of the god of wind, Tsuchinomiya. The empty place beside the shrine is the location where the shrine will be rebuild in 2033.

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Shinto priests are all dressed in white. White stands for purity.

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Ancient, powerful Cedar Trees are growing in the shrine area.

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.Hisako-san and I in front of the empty space where the main sanctuary will be rebuilt.

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This is the entrance to the main sanctuary of Geku. Twice a day, priests offer food to Amaterasu and other kamis of the Jingu and pray for the well being of the Imperial family and the happiness of the entire world. For 1500 years, the ceremony of food offering is linked to strict rules and rituals and has not changed.

I was not allowed to take photos from inside the gate.

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In the early morning, I got up and rushed to the place our guide was pointing to where the food procession would enter the main sanctuary. First, two men dressed in a blue uniform walked with great dignity to the place where the Shinto priest above closed an area with a rope.

 

The preparation of sacred food (Shinsen) for Amaterasu and all the kamis residing in Naiku and Geku requires a strict ritual. Before preparing the food, the priest has to take a ritual bath and stay for one night in seclusion. In the early morning, the priest makes a fire with an ancient wooden device just as they did in old times. The fire is called “pure fire”.

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After a while, a small group of priests walked up a path, but I could not see them very well. (This photo is taken from the internet). Everything was done in silence. The group entered a wooden house behind a wooden fence.

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The only view I got from the sacred food offering was a short glimpse through an open gate. I saw the priests and the wooden food carriage, which they lifted up. They disappeared again behind the fence.

We left Ise by car and arrived in Tokyo in the evening The contrast could not have been bigger. In the lounge of a Department store in the Ginza district, we were greeted by a robot called Paprika.

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The robot, Paprika, was walking in the Lounge and came to us chirping, with flapping wings and rolling eyes, when we called his name.

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Ginza district in the evening

 

My friend Kato-san (I got to know her 8 years ago) invited me for a foot massage and we all went afterwards to a very special, local sea food restaurant. She also offered to take me to the Narita airport the next day, which is far away from Yuko’s house. We spent the last day together, visiting a special park at the Pacific Ocean, and I got to see the Narita temple again where I witnessed a fire ritual eight years ago. Yuko, Kato-san and a friend I had also met eight years ago brought me to the airport and helped me with my luggage, which was far too heavy. Unfortunately, I had to leave a lot of Sake behind.

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Kato-san, Yuko and I in front of the stupa of the Narita temple. I feel incredible grateful for their love and generosity. It was through their efforts and help that this pilgrimage became such a special experience.

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On the last two days of our stay on the Kii peninsular, we visited the most important shrine of the Shinto tradition – the Ise Grand Shrine called Jingu. With its 2000 year long tradition of continuous worship, it is the oldest pilgrimage place I have ever visited. Jingu consists of two shrines, the Inner Shrine called Naiku and the Outer Shrine with the name of Geku.  They are about 5 km apart from each other. For 2000 years, the shrines and a bridge are reconstructed every 20 years, which ensures the same architectural style and construction method since ancient times. Standing in front of the shrines is like being removed from time.

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Entrance to Naiku (Inner Shrine) over the Uji Bridge crossing the Isuzugawa River. Hisako-san, our Japanese tour guide, dressed in a Kimono, stands beside me.

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On the way to the shrine, we saw a group of joyful men ready to donate rice to the sun goddess Amaterasu.

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Rice offerings carried to the shrine in a ritualistic way

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Purification basin at the entrance of the shrine complex

 

One has to wash hands and mouth as a symbolic act of cleansing body and mind from all unrighteousness, according to the kami-way.

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Our tour guide Hisako-san showed us the more ancient way of purification, washing the hands in the Isuzugawa River.

Naiku is the most sacred place in the Shinto tradition. During the 17th century, 10% of the entire population were pilgrims visiting the Grand shrine. The earthly abode for the sun goddess Amaterasu was chosen by the daughter of the 11th emperor of Japan. She looked for 20 years for a perfect place until the goddess herself, according to the legend, told her that it was beside the river Isuzugawa in Ise where she wanted to live. She placed 50 bells beside the river to mark the area – ever since then, the river is called the 50 bells river.

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Beside the river stands a little shrine dedicated to the secretary of the sun goddess Amaterasu. The secretary is the god of the river.  This simple cabin, surrounded by a wooden fence, standing under a canopy of trees beside the calm, flowing river expresses the atmosphere of the entire, huge place – it is nature itself which is sacred. The faith is expressed by connecting to trees, water, rocks, the shrines where the kamis dwell.

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I was peeking through the fence and saw a little moss patched rock. It is this rock, Hisako-san said, where the kami lives.

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The ground was prepared for the Imperial family to arrive sometime in the near future. The emperor is considered the direct descendent of Amaterasu.

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Peacefully, the Koi are making their rounds in this little pond.

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The shrines are built like ancient rice granaries out of Japanese Cypress.

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On the way up to the inner shrine, we passed three little shrines – one was used to store rice for Amaterasu.

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A simple flight of stairs leads up to the inner shrine. Nobody – except the Imperial family and some Shinto priests –  is allowed to enter the sacred place. The sanctuary is surrounded by several fences and the visitor only can get to the outermost fence. Photography is not allowed. Here, prayers to Amaterasu should be thoughts of gratefulness and not contain any wishes, nor should money be donated (according to our guide).

 

The inner shrine houses three sacred relics, the Imperial Regalia of Japan. The most important relic is the mirror called Yata-no-Kagami, which lured the sun-goddess out of a cave she was hiding in, bringing light back into a dark world. Amaterasu gave the mirror and the other two sacred objects to her grandson, Ninigi-no-mikoto, when he descended to the earth in order to rule Japan. She told him to honor and worship the mirror as her spirit. His great-grandson, Jimmu, became the first human emperor of Japan. This myth  established a simple constitution for Japan and is still of value today.

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Kaguraden Hall, where ritual dances are performed. The first dance, legend says, was performed for the goddess Amaterasu in order to lure her out of her cave. A kagura dance is mostly performed for the pleasure of the kami and always accompanied by traditional music.

 

Very little has been written to help the worshiper understand the nature of the enshrined kami and the meaning of the dances and rituals. Japanese people perform the rituals with a natural ease. The faith has been transmitted from generation to generation and is somehow ingrained in the psyche of Japanese people. One can say that this was a heart to heart transmission. I think that this is the reason that the ancient tradition is still alive in modern Japan.

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Before we left, we made another photo in front of the Uji bridge. Like the shrine, the bridge is also rebuild every 20 years. This work is done by lesser skilled craftsmen who are still learning.

 

After our visit of the shrine, we went to the hospitality district nearby, Okage Yokocho. As with many buildings reconstructed in the traditional style, it has the flair of old Japan

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A priest talking with a visitor

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An old street

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We went to a traditional restaurant serving hot tea with a rice pastry

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Delicious tea and sweets

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On our way to Kushimoto (town on the most southern part of the Kii peninsular) we visited Fuderakusan-ji, a small Buddhist temple established more than 1000 years ago by an Indian monk. It is designated as an UNESCO Heritage site.

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Temple nestled in a wooded area

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A Shinto shrine beside the temple

 

The cultural importance of this temple goes back to a peculiar ritual called Fudaraku-tokai, meaning “crossing the sea to Fudaraku (Skt. Potalaka)”. Fudarakusan or Pure Land was believed to be an island south of Japan where Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, was  thought to be living. Between the 9th and 18th century, 20 monks (usually of old age)  tried to reach this land in order to deliver prayers for happiness on behalf of humanity. The boat, built like a shrine, had a little cabin for the monk to sit, meditate and pray. This cabin was sealed. A lamp and food for one month was given to him on his journey to Pure Land. On the internet I have read that some monks tried to escape their suicide mission. One monk was lucky. It happened in the 16th century. The boat was driven by wind and current to a group of Japanese islands and landed there. He believed that it was Fudarakusan. Ever since, the island carry the name of this monk, Konkobu (金光坊)-jima.

During the Edo period, the ritual was changed and only dead monks were sent out into the sea.

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Replica of the boat with the little wooden chamber surrounded by four torii

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The boat with the house – cabin in the center

 

The opening was sealed when the journey started.

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We walked up the hill to the cemetery that had the names of the monks who took the journey to Fudarakusan.

In Kushimoto, Yuko had booked a hotel beside the beach with a fantastic view to a rock formation called Hashigui-iwa, the Bridge Pier Rock.  This line of rocks is, like many places of natural wonders, connected with a legend.

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Rising sun with view out of my hotel window to the lined rock formation caused by volcanic activity

 

The legend is connected with Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Buddhism (8th century) who was also an excellent engineer. One time he visited Kushimoto and was asked by the locals to help them build a bridge to the next island. They had tried many times, but the monster Amonojaku had always destroyed their work. Kobo Daishi told them that he could not do that. However, the monster approached Kobo Daishi with the promise to help him by giving him the strength of 1000 horses – under one condition! He had to finish the work in one day and one night. Kobo Daishi agreed and was very good progress. Amonojaku became very worried and decided to cheat. Just before sunrise, he faked the crow of the rooster and Kobo Daishi stopped his work, believing that he had lost. Ever since, you only can see the unfinished bridge.

There is a similar story about a rock, the devil and the rooster in my home area in Austria. However, the contract was between God and the devil. The devil wanted to build a dam across the Danube and made a deal with God. He had to finish the dam before dawn. The devil nearly finished the dam when the rooster on the top of a church steeple (old churches often had a metal rooster on the top) started to crow and tricked the devil. The rock dam collapsed with only a bit left on the shore.

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In order to reach the shrine connected with the rock formation, I had to walk along a road without a pedestrian path. For a long time, heavy traffic prevented me from crossing the road, until I found a short opening – very dangerous! Unfortunately, the modernization damaged (like in many other places I did pilgrimages) some of the natural beauty.

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Entrance to the shrine from the busy street

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When the dragon back

rises out of the calm sea

the gods ride on him

 

On the way to the Ise shrine, we stopped at another interesting place – the Hana-no-Iwaya shrine. I had no idea that this trip would be a cultural journey into the mythical history of Japan. It was fascinating!

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Entrance gate to the Hana-no-Iwaya shrine

 

 

Hana-no-Iwaya is a giant, 47m high rock formation venerated since Paleolithic times. Many consider it as the oldest place of worship in Japan. It is connected to the creation myth of different kamis and the creation of Japan.

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Many Torii indicating the sacredness of this place

 

 

Brother and sister Izanagi and Izanami are deities responsible for the creation of many deities and the creation of the islands of Japan. When Izanami gave birth to the fire god Kagutsuchi, she was burned and went to Yomi, the World of darkness. Izanagi was full of grief and looked for his wife in the Underworld. He found her and saw her rotten corpse. Terrified, he escaped the World of the death and placed a huge rock across the entrance, sealing the exit and breaking their union. After that, Izanagi took a bath in order to purify himself from the contact with the dead and gave birth to a number of important deities. His left eye was giving birth to Amaterasu (sun goddess), his right eye gave birth to the Goddess of the moon and the storm god Susanoo was born from his nose.  The bathing is the foundation of the very important purification ritual.

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On the top of the giant rock which closes the entrance to the Underworld, you see a shimenawa (mark rope) connecting to a sacred pole on the ground. This rope, consisting of 7 intertwined ropes, is made by locals every 6 months, connected with a rope changing festival followed by a sacred dance to the Gods.

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In the photo you can see the shadow on the rock created by a depression called “Hotoana”, meaning hole in the rock. This 6m high formation is considered the sacred body of the deity.

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This is a photo I made of a photo showing the weaving of the rope.

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Rope festival

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The Pacific Ocean is about a 5-minute walk from the shrine

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After embarking on the shore of the Kumano-gawa river, it was just a short walk to the entrance of the Hayatama Taisha. I was surprised that not only the Torii was colored in bright red, but all the other buildings also – a big difference to the Hongu Taisha, where every building was of natural wood.

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                                                             Shigeo and I in front of the Torii

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Hardly any people were at the Jinja when we arrived. It is believed that a matchmaking deity is dwelling here and people come to pray for a good partner.

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800 year old tree planted by a powerful feudal lord when the shrine was reconstructed.

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                                                                          A beautiful little building

 

After getting our stamp at the Grand shrine, we soon left for an interesting site – the Kamikura-jinja. We first walked through a very poor neighborhood (reminding me of some sites I saw on my Shikoku pilgrimage eight years ago) to the foot of Mt. Gongen (Reincarnation). 

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I was not sure if people still live in these houses.

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538 steep, uneven stone stairs lead up to the Kamikura-jinja. Every step needed utmost concentration. The path led us up to a place where the Kumano deities are believed to have descended from the sacred, heavenly country (Takama-ga-hara, High Plain) down to the human world.

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Behind the jinja you can see a huge, powerful rock known as Gotobiki-iwa. It is believed that the three deities from the Kumano Grand shrines first descended on the large rock and the shrine beside it is the dwelling place of a deity. The view down to Shingu City and the Pacific Ocean is spectacular.

 

After bringing Hiroko-san to the train the next day, we continued our trip to the Kumano Nachi Taisha.  It was rainy when we walked up the stairs, passing centuries old cedar trees.

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The Nachi Taisha is built on the side of a mountain at 350m sea level.

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After cleansing hands and mouth, we continued to an area consisting of many bright, red colored wooden buildings.

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Many tourists and pilgrims visit this shrine. The area of the Nachi Taisha shrine is huge and covers several levels and areas with buildings. Nachi Taisha is the head shrine of more than 4000 Kumano shrines all over Japan and not everything is accessible for pilgrims. The shrine you see in the photo is open for pilgrims.

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                                                                     Another beautiful roofline

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We were lighting incense in this enormous holder, the first incense cauldron I saw at a Jinja.

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I was especially intrigued by this enormous 800-year-old Camphor tree standing beside a hall where all kinds of luck symbols and souvenirs are sold. The tree is hollow and one can climb through the hollow area to the other side. By doing this, one is re-born through the womb of nature. Tree worship is very common in Shinto. It is believed that it is a special abode to the kami (deity).

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                                                           Stairs down to the entrance of the tree

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Pilgrims can write a prayer or a wish on one of these wooden tablets, carry the stick through the inside of the tree and place it on a rack on the other side. All the donated sticks will be burned by the priests.

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                                                                      The exit of the tree-womb

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                                                                   View down from the tree

 

The rope to the left with the white zig-zag paper indicates the sacredness of the area.

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It is also possible to ask the oracle what the future will bring. It is written on a piece of paper. After reading it, people attach the paper on this construction.

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In every temple or shrine, I presented my pilgrim’s book (I bought it in Koyasan eight years ago) and a specific calligraphy with date and stamp was gracefully written on a page. I always loved to observe their careful writing with the brush.

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This gate leads to the Seiganto-ji temple built in the 16h century.  Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the 5th and 6th century. After some time, the kamis were seen as manifestations of Buddhas. The sun goddess Amaterasu, for example, was considered by Shingon Buddhism as the embodiment of the Cosmic Buddha. Many temples were built beside shrines and existed peacefully together for over a 1000 years. This changed dramatically with the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The effort to return to “pure” Shinto was not very successful – as seen in Nachi Taisha.

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The temple stands on wooden poles and has a large, inside area. Yuko and I are posing in front of a powerful dragon. The temple is dedicated to Kannon (Bodhisattva of Mercy, lit. Sound-observing or Observation-divinity Bodhisattva) and is the first temple of a 33 temple pilgrimage dedicated to Kannon.

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                                            View from the temple to the shrine with the statue of Kannon

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I got another calligraphy in my pilgrimage book, written by a Buddhist monk.

 

 

The oldest place of worship in this area is the 133m high waterfall, the highest waterfall in Japan. When we walked down, we passed a picturesque three story pagoda. 

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                                                 　　　　　　　Three story pagoda

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Despite being prepared for many visitors, the path to the waterfall kept its charm.

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The Nachi-no-Otaki has been worshipped as a deity called Hiro Gongen since ancient times. The beauty of nature is thought to lead the mind of a human being to the higher and deeper world of the divine, the world of the kami. The most beautiful spots in Japan are generally the sites of shrines.

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The waterfall is used by the Yamabushi (Shugendo religion) as a place of ascetic training. It is one of 48 waterfalls where they practice body-mind endurance and try to achieve enlightenment.

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We witnessed a Shinto ritual in front of the waterfall. To the left of the priest is a wand with a lot of white paper streamers. This wand is used for purification and moved in a special way to purify the believers. The rites are done to ward off misfortune and secure the cooperation with a kami. Rituals in the Shinto tradition are important, the worship always includes all the senses.

 

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