Download or read book Running the Shikoku Pilgrimage written by Amy Chavez and published by . This book was released on 2012-07 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Making Pilgrimages written by Ian Reader and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2005-01-01 with total page 378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study involves a fourteen-hundred-kilometer-long pilgrimage around Japan's fourth largest island, Shikoku. In traveling the circuit of the eighty-eight Buddhist temples that make up the route, pilgrims make their journey together with Kobo Daishi (774-835), the holy miracle-working figure who is at the heart of the pilgrimage. Once seen as a marginal practice, recent media portrayal of the pilgrimage as a symbol of Japanese cultural heritage has greatly increased the number of participants, both Japanese and foreign. In this absorbing look at the nature of the pilgrimage, Ian Reader examines contemporary practices and beliefs in the context of historical development, taking into account theoretical considerations of pilgrimage as a mode of activity and revealing how pilgrimages such as Shikoku may change in nature over the centuries. This rich ethnographic work covers a wide range of pilgrimage activity and behavior, drawing on accounts of pilgrims traveling by traditional means on foot as well as those taking advantage of the new package bus tours, and exploring the pilgrimage's role in the everyday lives of participants and the people of Shikoku alike. that have shaped it in the past and in the present, including history and legend; the island's landscape and residents; the narratives and actions of the pilgrims and the priests who run the temples; regional authorities; and commercial tour operators and bus companies.

Download or read book Japanese Pilgrimage written by Oliver Statler and published by William Morrow. This book was released on 1983 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Shikoku Pilgrimage written by John Lander and published by . This book was released on 2021-09-29 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: - Evocative photographs of one of the world's most famous pilgimages - All 88 temples illustrated and discussed - Includes accounts by former pilgrims The Shikoku Pilgrimage on the island of the same name is one of the few circular pilgrimages in the world. At 1,200 kilometers in length, the trail includes 88 temples and passes through diverse countryside such as idyllic bamboo groves, deserted beaches and ordinary Japanese neighborhoods. There is a long tradition of pilgrimage in Japan, dating back at least to the time of the renowned monk, poet and philosopher Kobo Daishi (774-825) who is particularly associated with this trail. John Lander, long-time resident of Japan, author and photographer, has visited and recorded every temple in evocative images, as well as providing fascinating details about the origin of the trail and what the pilgrimage means to the thousands who undertake it every year. The pilgrimage is undertaken for many reasons - to have a time of reflection away from everyday life, as a spiritual journey or as a healing period after a traumatic life experience. Along the way, pilgrims will encounter ordinary Japanese people and learn to understand the custom of o-settai, or charitable giving.

Download or read book The Hardest Path written by Matt Jardine and published by Balboa Press. This book was released on 2016-12-22 with total page 117 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On the Japanese island of Shikoku, amidst mountains, coasts, and bamboo forests, lies one of the worlds most sacred trailsthe eighty-eight-temple pilgrimage. Inspired by Paulo Coelho (author of the Alchemist) and driven by dissatisfaction with the day-to-day grind, Matt Jardine embarks on a journey in search of answers to lifes great questions, mysteries that confound us all. Heartfelt, accessible, humorous, and profound, what he discovers is that the hardest path is rarely the one we walk outside, but the one we walk within.

Download or read book The Way of the 88 Temples written by Robert C. Sibley and published by University of Virginia Press. This book was released on 2013-09-24 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Compelled to seek something more than what modern society has to offer, Robert Sibley turned to an ancient setting for help in recovering what has been lost. The Henro Michi is one of the oldest and most famous pilgrimage routes in Japan. It consists of a circuit of eighty-eight temples around the perimeter of Shikoku, the smallest of Japan's four main islands. Every henro, or pilgrim, is said to follow in the footsteps of Kōbō Daishi, the ninth-century ascetic who founded the Shingon sect of Buddhism. Over the course of two months, the author walked this 1,400-kilometer route (roughly 870 miles), visiting the sacred sites and performing their prescribed rituals.Although himself a gaijin, or foreigner, Sibley saw no other pilgrim on the trail who was not Japanese. Some of the people he met became not only close companions but also ardent teachers of the language and culture. These fellow pilgrims’ own stories add to the author’s narrative in unexpected and powerful ways. Sibley’s descriptions of the natural surroundings, the customs and etiquette, the temples and guesthouses will inspire any reader who has longed to escape the confines of everyday life and to embrace the emotional, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of a pilgrimage.

Download or read book Neon Pilgrim written by Lisa Dempster and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-08-01 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During a culture-shocked exchange year in Japan, fifteen-year-old Lisa Dempster’s imagination is ignited by the story of the henro michi, an arduous 1200 kilometre Buddhist pilgrimage through the mountains of Japan. Perfectly suiting the romantic view of herself as a dusty, travel-worn explorer (well, one day), she promises to return to Japan and walk the henro michi, one way or another, as soon as humanely possible. Fast-forward thirteen years, and Lisa’s life is vastly different to what she pictured it would be. Severely depressed, socially withdrawn, overweight, on the dole and living with her mum, she is 28 and miserable. And then, completely by chance, the henro michi comes back into her life, through a book at her local library. It’s a sign. She decides then and there to go back to Japan almost immediately: to walk the henro michi, and walk herself back to health. Brushing aside the barriers that other people might find daunting – the 1200km of mountainous terrain, the sweltering Japanese summer, the fact she has no money and has never done a multi-day hike before – Lisa is determined to walk the pilgrimage, or die trying.

Download or read book Kyoto written by John H. Martin and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 2014-06-17 with total page 876 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kyoto, Japan's ancient capital and modern-day center of tourism and traditional culture, is one of the world's most beautiful and historic cities. Founded nearly 1,300 years ago and undamaged by the war, Kyoto today is the home of over 1,600 Buddhist temples, 400 Shinto shrines, countless national treasures and 17 World Heritage sites, including the famed Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle and Kiyomizu Temple. This book presents 29 easy-to-follow walking tours through Kyoto's history, its many unique districts and scenic areas full of charm and character. You'll discover not only the most renowned sites, such as the Silver Pavilion, the rock garden at Ryoan-ji Temple and the garden of the Heian Shrine, but also little-known areas off the beaten track. Much more than a guidebook, this volume tells the historical and cultural story of Kyoto's great monuments. The colorful tales, fascinating facts, larger-than-life characters and grand events that shaped the city and Japan at large will enthrall every reader. This updated and greatly expanded guide features over 100 color photos, full-color maps that trace each route and detailed diagrams of many individual sites.

Download or read book A Journey of the Soul written by Tatsuro Muro and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Hidden Buddhas Large Print 16pt written by Liza Dalby and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2010-06 with total page 474 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hidden Buddhas may well be Liza Dalby's best work yet; with its fascinating story of characters caught up in a world they themselves don't understand. Besides taking us on a journey through little-known corners of Japan, it offers us an engaging and believable portrait of people driven to do things they may not have imagined.'' - Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha According to Buddhist theology, the world is suffering through a final corrupt era called mapp. As mapp continues, chaos will increase until the center can no longer hold. Then the world will end. In Japan, many believe that Miroku, Buddha of the Future, will appear and bring about a new age of enlightenment. From this ancient notion of doom and rebirth comes a startling new novel by the acclaimed author of Geisha and The Tale of Murasaki. Hundreds of temples in Japan are known to keep mysterious ''hidden buddhas'' secreted away except on rare designated viewing days. These statues are not hidden because they are powerful - their power lies in their being hidden. Are they being protected, or are they protecting the world? In this novel, one Buddhist priest struggles with the dictates of his inherited orthodoxy, while another rebels. An American graduate student begins to suspect the mysterious purpose of the hidden buddhas, just as he falls in love with a beautiful Japanese artist who is haunted by an aborted child. The weaving of karma that brings these two together results in a tech-savvy half-Western, half-Japanese child who text-messages her way through the profane world to enlightenment. Tracing the lives of its characters through the late twentieth century to the present, from Paris to Kyoto to California, Hidden Buddhas turns a cosmopolitan eye on discipline and decadence in religion, fashion, politics, and modern life. Liza Dalby is an anthropologist and writer specializing in Japan. She lives in Berkeley, California.

Download or read book Strangers on the Camino written by Sanjiva Wijesinha and published by Local ISBN Agency in Sri Lanka. This book was released on 2014 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On pilgrimage to Camino de Santiago de Compostela, also known in English as The Way of St. James,in Spain.

Download or read book Japan s Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage written by Kat Davis and published by Cicerone Press. This book was released on 2019-04-15 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Guidebook to Japan's Kumano Kodo, a series of UNESCO-listed pilgrimage routes that crisscross the mountainous Kii peninsula, south of Osaka. Centred on three Shinto-Buddhist shrines known as the Kumano Sanzan, the ancient trails blend great hiking and exceptional natural beauty with a unique insight into Japan's rich history, culture and spirituality. The guide covers the 64km Nakahechi and 63km Kohechi trails in full, as well as the Choishimichi route to Koyasan (20km), the Hongu loop (17km) and highlights of the Iseji trail. It can be used to plan and undertake an independent trek or to enrich an organised tour. Clear route description and mapping is accompanied by comprehensive details of accommodation and facilities, as well as notes on local points of interest and inspirational colour photography. You'll find a wealth of practical information to help with planning, covering transport, climate, accommodation, budgeting, equipment and safety, as well as fascinating background information on history, religion and wildlife. There is also a Japanese glossary and helpful advice on Japanese customs and etiquette. The Kumano Kodo offers a different view of Japan: far removed from the modern cities, this is a world of forested slopes, hidden valleys, waterfalls, traditional villages, moss-covered stone deities and tranquil oji shrines. There are opportunities to experience hot-spring bathing and to sample local cuisine as you follow in the footsteps of emperors, samurai, priests and ascetics traversing traditional flagstone paths and forest trails.

Download or read book Japanese Buddhist Pilgrimage written by Michael Pye and published by Equinox Publishing (UK). This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first comprehensive study of all the major and many of the minor routes, The book also examines how the practice of circulatory pilgrimage developed among the shrines and temples for the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, and beyond them to the rather different world of Shintō.

Download or read book Walking in Circles written by Todd Wassel and published by . This book was released on 2020-07-20 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How far would you walk for happiness?After living in Japan for over half a decade Todd Wassel finds himself at a crossroads in life and caught between worlds. Out of work, out of love, and drowning in debt, Todd is convinced that there should be a purpose to life, but nothing has worked out up to now. Desperate, he launches a last-ditch effort to understanding what a meaningful life really is by walking the grueling 750-mile, 88-temple Buddhist pilgrimage on Japan's remote island of Shikoku, again. In search of himself and a Japan he thought was lost, Walking in Circles, lovingly retells Todd's sometimes outrageous, painful, and suspense filled journey. Todd is joined on the path by an eccentric group of characters, naked Yakuza trying to shake him down, a wandering ascetic searching for enlightenment while hiding from the Freemasons, and a Buddhist Monk who hates America but loves beef jerky.Walking in Circles is more than a humorous travel memoir of personal transformation. Todd crafts an intimate portrait of a changing Japan and a nation in search of meaning. What he finds changes his life forever.Are you prepared to find enlightenment on the backroads of Japan?

Download or read book Koya Bound written by and published by . This book was released on 2016-09 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains written by Paul Barach and published by . This book was released on 2014-11-15 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Age twenty-eight and fed up with the office job he settled for, Paul Barach decided to travel to Japan to follow a vision he had in college: to walk the ancient 750-mile Shikoku pilgrimage trail. Here are some things he did not decide to do: learn Japanese, do any research, road test his hiking shoes, or check if it's the hottest summer in history. And he went anyway, hoping to change his life. Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains is the absurd and dramatic journey of one impulsive American's search for answers on a holy path in an exotic land. Along the pathway connecting 88 Buddhist temples, he'll face arduous mountain climbs, hide from guards in a toilet stall, challenge a priest to a mountaintop karate battle, and other misadventures. He'll also delve into the fascinating legends of this ancient land, including a dragon-fighting holy man, a berserker warrior-priest, haunted temples, and a vendetta-driven ghost that overthrew a dynasty. Told with humor and humility, Fighting Monks and Burning Mountains is a funny, engaging memoir about the consequences of impulsive decisions, and the things you can discover while you're looking for something else. Also that boars are terrifying in person.

Download or read book Shikoku Pilgrimage Japan written by Roman Reynolds and published by . This book was released on 2019-12-04 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shikoku Pilgrimage, Japan. Travel Guide. This is a Buddhist pilgrimage around the circumference of the Japanese island of Shikoku. Of the several hundred thousand people who do it each year, only a few thousand walk; the vast majority travel in organized bus tours. If you only walk to the main 88 temples, the trail is about 1,100 km ( 670 mi.). If you also walk to the 20 bangai temples (of secondary importance, but still visited by some), the distance increases to about 1,400 km ( 860 mi.). Visiting all 108 temples takes about 50-55 days. Visiting only the main 88 temples takes about 40-45 days. How long it takes for each henro (pilgrim) depends on their fitness level and their seeming need to hurry. There are several legends related to the beginnings of the pilgrimage on Shikoku Island. The most popular legend, of course, is that Kūkai walked to all of the sacred places on the island, founded many of the temples, and established the pilgrimage itself. While we don't know everything about his early life, we do know enough about what he did, where he lived, and where he traveled, that it is fairly easy to refute this and say that it can't be true. Documents do show that Kūkai did travel to several of the mountains where temples are currently located. He did not, however walk around the island or perform the first pilgrimage. As will be described below, those first pilgrims were the hijiri, or wandering ascetics, that came from Mt. Kōya to visit the religious centers on the island.