Autumn has advanced, and it is the season of frosting of 24 sekki. It is said that it is the time when dew is cooled by cold air and falls as frost, but today’s Chigasaki is blessed with good weather and many fishing boats are out. The air was becoming clearer and the sunset more vivid. The sunset is beautiful.
That is the 17th temple of Shikoku exceptional Sacred Sites.Its principal image is Yakushi Nyorai and its founder was Kobo Daishi. It is said to have been built by Kobo Daishi with the reward he received when he renovated the Manno-ike pond on the order of Emperor Saga. It is about 25 kilometers from Hagiwara-ji Temple, which is the 16 temple of the special sacred ground. Although it is a small temple, it is surrounded by greenery and has a charm. A statue of this temple Kobo Daishi on a small hill watched over the Manno-ike Pond in the rain. The Manno-ike, which I visited after a long time, was still beautiful and large. It is surprising that the flood control system that Kobo Daishi devised 1,200 years ago still exists today. I ate udon with healthy vegetables while looking at the pond at ‘Karintei’ near Mannoike. From the bank of the pond you can see the streets of Tadotsu and the Seto Inland Sea.
Today is the day of the harvest moon in 2020. According to the lunar calendar, the sky is the clearest and the moon is bright and beautiful in this period of the year. As the name suggests, the beautiful moon rose on the Chigasaki Beach, entertaining the visitors.
That is the 75 th temple of Shikoku 88temple pilgrimage.After Kobo Daishi returned to Japan from Tang, he built the temple on the land donated by his father, SAEKI no Yoshimichi, imitating the Qinglong Temple in Changan, China, where his master, Keika Osho, lived. The head temple of the Zentsuji School of the Shingon Sect is said to be the birthplace of Kobo Daishi and the principal image is Yakushi Nyorai. The monastery is huge with majestic buildings and trees such as the Kondo, the five-storied pagoda, and the Nandaimon gate, and is about 1.5 kilometers away from Kozan-ji Temple. I stayed at this temple’s temple lodgings for two nights and attended the morning service every day. The view of the sunset from the shukubo(temple lodgings) is wonderful. It is quite different from other fudasho temples.
A huge cumulonimbus appeared over Yamanashi on the evening of August 30. The top of the cloud is wide and flat, and it is called ‘Kanatoko (gold floor) Clouds’ because of its shape. They were seen in a wide range of areas, including Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture, and made the news. At about the same time, anti-twilight rays also appeared in Sagami Bay. From the sky above Miura Peninsula, which is opposite to the direction of the sun, light pillars radiantly extended toward Izu Peninsula. The moon appears and the scene is fantastic. I was lucky to be able to take pictures on the same day, because I rarely see these clouds and anti-twilight rays.
That is the 74 th temple of Shikoku 88temple pilgrimage.This temple was founded by Kobo Daishi. The principal image is the Yakushi Nyorai.I walked about two kilometers through the countryside from Shusshakaji.Located at the foot of Mount Kabutoyama, which is covered with thick forest of trees, this temple has a clean and neat impression. The next temple is Zentsuji.
That is the 73 th temple of Shikoku 88temple pilgrimage.This temple was founded by Kobo Daishi. The principal image is the Syaka Nyorai.This temple is close to Mandaraji. I worshipped from afar Syashingadake, where Shaka Nyorai hugged seven-year-old Kobo Daishi who had thrown himself. I wanted to visit Okunoin of this temple on the mountain and enjoy the view, but I gave up because I was tired. I was healed by the scenery of the Seto Inland Sea and the Seto Ohashi Bridge that I could see from the precincts, and for a while I was filled with deep emotion as if I had come this far.
Risshu is the day when summer reaches its peak and the signs of autumn begin to appear. In the 24 divisions of the old calendar, Risshu is between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox, and from then until the first day of winter falls. This year, the rainy season has finally ended for a very long time, but is it already the beginning of autumn? The days of intense heat continued, but today’s sunset at Chigasaki Beach was somewhat autumn.
That is the 72 th temple of Shikoku 88temple pilgrimage.This temple was founded by Gyoki. The principal image is the Dainichi Nyorai.I walked the Mandaraji-michi Road from Iyadaniji to this temple. Mandaraji-michi is one of the Sanuki-henromichi pilgrimage routes designated as a national historic site, and it is said to have been preserved since ancient times. As I walked along the bamboo grove, a big wild boar seemed surprised at me and ran away shouting beside me. I almost ran into him. The statue of Dainichi Nyorai is beautifully presented in this temple precinct.
That is the 71 th temple of Shikoku 88temple pilgrimage.The temple was founded by Gyoki under the order of Emperor Shoumu. The principal image is the Senjyu Kanzeon Bosatsu, It is located in the middle of Mt.Iyadani at an altitude of 382 meters, and there were steep stairs even after entering the temple gate. The grounds of this temple are surrounded by rocky mountains and have a strong mountain atmosphere. It is said that Kobo Daishi trained himself in a cave in this temple when he was a child. From the main hall you can enjoy a peaceful view typical of Sanuki.
