Kawachi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage Part 3

      COVID-19 has come, and hasn’t left yet.  The world has been closed, Japan has been closed, and we are advised not to cross prefectural borders.  That kept me hesitant about even visiting other cities and towns, let alone visiting Kannon pilgrimages.

     I’ve got vaccinated once.  I made up my mind to restart to visit actual 33 Kannon Pilgrimages.  Following the government’s advice not to cross provincial borders and to reduce the number of routes of infection, I chose to visit local 33 Kannon pilgrimages.  Even before the COVID-19 epidemic, I met few people on my pilgrimages.  If I avoid talking with priests, I can make it.  I should avoid using public transportation and drive myself.

     I first picked up the Kawachi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  Some member temples are in the mountains and hardly had access from nearby stations.

     As I have visited #3 Saiho-in, #20 Nampi-an Kannon-ji, and #21 Eifuku-ji Temples for countless times since my childhood, I skipped them and visited, instead, Koki-ji Temple, a guest temple of the Kawachi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, and 2 others around it.

     I drove east to arrive at Tondabayashi Jinaimachi.  Jinnaimachi is an autonomy, community town organized around a True Pure Land Buddhism temple.  The town in Tondabayashi is preserved well and is a sightseeing spot. The oldest building was built in the 17th century, and some others have been renovated as cafes and inns.  I arrived in front of Jokoku-ji Temple about half an hour past 7 early in the morning, and found nobody around there.

     Jofuku-ji Temple was first founded in 1286 in Ebitani Village, Ishikawa County, Kawachi Province.  In 1574, it was moved to its present place.

     I walked into its precincts to find its main hall and other smaller halls.  As the temple belongs to the Yuzu Nembutsu School of the Pure Land Buddhism, its main deity can’t be an Avalokitesvara statue, and the statue must be in one of the smaller buildings.  I, however, didn’ ask anyone about its whereabout to avoid contagion.  Above all, it was too early to find  someone available in the precincts.  I made bows in front of all the halls, and left the temple.

     I drove northeast.  It took me nearly half an hour to get to Koki-ji Temple, which was located deep in the hills.

     According to a tradition, Koki-ji Temple was named so because Kukai visited the area and saw Brahman or Brahma, whose Japanese name was Koki-Tokuo.

     According to Lotus Sutra Chapter XXV, Avalokitesvara, to save people, manifest herself/himself/itself: #1 into the form of a Buddha, #2 into the form of a pratyekabuddha, #3 into the form of a sravaka, #4 into the form of Brahma, #5 into the form of Sakra, #6 into the form of isvara, #7 into the form of Mahesvara, #8 into the form of the great commander of the devas, #9 into the form of Vaisravana, #10 into the form of a minor king, #11 into the form of a wealthy man, #12 into the form of a householder, #13 into the form of a state official, #14 into the form of a brahman, #15 into the form of a monk, #16 into the form of a nun, #17 into the form of a layman, #18 into the form of a  laywoman, #19 into the form of a wife of a wealthy man, #20 into the form of a wife of a householder, #21 into the form of a wife of a state official, #22 into the form of a wife of a brahman, #23 into the form of a boy, #24 into the form of a girl, #25 into the form of a deva, #26 into the form of naga, #27 into the form of yaksa, #28 into the form of gandharva, #29 into the form of asura, #30 into the form of garuda, #31 into the form of kimnara, #32 into the form of mahoraga, or #33 into the form of Vajrapani.  The number 33 caused the organization of 33 Kannon Pilgrimages in Japan.

     As I climbed the hill in my car, the street became narrower and narrower.  Finally, the street became so narrow that I had to park my car and walk.  It was no more than an animal trail.  Suddenly there appeared an animal, a dog, with a temple gate in its back.  I felt as if I were stepping out of the mundane world and going deep into another world.  The buds which kept biting me proved that I was in this world.  At the end of the precincts, I found the main hall.  Instead of an offertory box, I found a post-like box whose sign told me to compose a haiku poem and post it.  On its left, there still ran a narrower trail, which led to its inner shrine.  To enter the trail, I had to compose another haiku poem.  On the left of the inner shrine, there lay 2 stone boxes.  In the back of the boxes, there stood a rock.  So, the rock must have been the start of the holy place, the rock worship.

     I walked down and the dog licked me as a farewell.  That was the only contact with a living thing on today's pilgrimage.

     After less than half an hour, I arrived at Daikoku-ji Temple, which enshrined Mahakala as its main deity.  Tradition says it was in this area that Mahakala first appeared in Japan.  Mahakala was a nickname of the Hindu deity Shiva, who was adopted to Buddhism.  As “kala” meant both “time" and “black" in Sanskrit, the name was translated Dahei-tinan in Chinese, literally Big Black Heaven.  Dahei was pronounced Daikoku in Japanese.  In Japan, Daikoku was better known as a member of the Seven Lucky Gods, who were originated from the Eight Immortals in China.  When the Eight Immortals crossed the East China Sea, one of them dropped out, and the other seven gods arrived in Japan as the Seven Lucky Gods. 

No wonder that the temple consisted of modern buildings and premises paved with stones and concrete.  In front of the main hall, the 6 other Lucky Gods lined along its approach.  As I told you, the seven gods were in the same boat to share the same fate.

     Wondering which gods were luckier, the one in a rock in Koki-ji Temple or the gods made of concrete, I finished today’s part of the Kawachi 33 Kannon Pilgrimage.  During today’s pilgrimage, I met no one, talked with no one, touched nothing but 2 sheets of paper to compose 2 haiku poems.  I guarantee a touch-less non-interference tour on a half-forgotten local pilgrimage.

Jokoku-ji Temple

Address: 7-12 Tondabayashicho, Tondabayashi, Osaka 584-0033

Phone: 0721-23-4566

Koki-ji Temple

Address: 539 Hiraishi, Kanan, Minamikawachi District, Osaka 585-0013

Phone: 0721-93-2924

Daikoku-ji Temple

Address: 499 Oguro, Habikino, Osaka 583-0847

Phone: 072-956-0953