Pilgrimage and Hydrangeas

    The above photo was taken in Mimuroto-ji temple, 三室戸寺 in Kyoto more

                than two weeks ago. Now, more flowers must be blooming.

What is the most nostalgic scenery in June for me? It is ・・・・・

Hydrangeas are in full bloom in gentle rain and a snail is restring on its leave. Now we are in the middle of one-month long rainy season. Gracious shower for flowers, plants and all beings.

 I visited three temples with hydrangeas in bloom. I will take you to one of them.

Hase-dera Temple, 長谷寺 in Nara is Kannon Temple. Kannon is the Buddhist deity of mercy and compassion. As Kannon  resides in Mt. Fudaraku ( 補陀落） in Japanese or Mt.Potalaka in Sanskrit, many Kannon temples are built on hillsides or mountainsides. 

The staircases appear one after another.

More steps we climb up, closer we get to Kannon.

I love the tunnel with the lovely columns. I feel 

as if I were being absorbed to a mysterious dimension.

Along the stone steps,  hydrangeas welcome us quietly.

so many staircases・・・・・

33 is a symbolic number in Buddhism.
Because, Kannon transforms himself into 33 different forms to save people. He chooses one specific form to each person who prays for his help. I was wondering whether it is negative or positive or neutral to change colors like hydrangeas as it associates with changing mind.
But, when I think about 33 manifestations of Kannon, changing colors of the flowers seem to symbolize his benevolence. This temple is the 8th of the 33 Kannon pilgrimage temples in the western Japan. A pilgrim carries a notebook to collect 33 stamps in 33 temples. The notebook with 33 stamps will be put in a coffin as the passport to the heaven. Someday I will go on a pilgrimage to collect 33 stamps with my husband, following the flowers and being led by Kannon.

At last, I arrived at the main hall where Eleven-faced Kannon is enshrined. Does Mt. Potalaka, where Kannon resides, look like this?

The Kannon of Hase-dera Temple is very unique, because he has both virtues as Kannon who is the deity of mercy and compassion as well as Jizo who is the guardian deity of people, especially children and travelers.

This is a place for sincere prayers.

Heart to heart talk with Kannon. He sees and listens to people in suffering with his heart.

A heavy bronze incense burner is supported by three demons. I remember Atlas who is holding the earth on his shoulders as punishment.  For me, the burden seems to be not burden anymore for the demons here. Because the precincts are embraced with mercy and compassion of Kannon.

 

Dragon water basin

The pilgrimage to Kannon temples has been very popular since ancient time, and the temple is mentioned in "The Tale of Genji"written by Murasaki Shikibu around 11th century and "The Pillow Book" written by Sei Shonagon around 11th  century.
 Nowadays  especially among elderly people. Whenever I see them climbing up staircases with steady steps, I hope I will be healthy enough to climb up to a mountainside like them when I reach their age.

Whispering bamboo grove near the temple

My related blogs:
 Nostalgic Scenerry in Rainy Day
Farewel Sakura 
( Last year, When I visited "Matabe" cherry tree, for me the sakura tree looked like the one- thousand-handed Kannon Bodhisattva and people were pilgrims.)


For reference:
This is the stamp of the 9th Kannon pilgrimage temple, South Octagonal Hall 南円堂 of Kofuku-ji Temple　興福寺 in Nara Park. They write a temple name in calligraphy and stamp a red seal on the notebook.

White uniforms of pilgrims

                    South Octagonal Hall, 南円堂 of Kofuku-ji temple and pilgrims