Tatsueji
"Temple of Arising a Bay"
When Allison and I arrived here, all really I wanted to do was take a nap. I didn't get my wish, but what we did find out is that Tatsueji used to mark a barrier for the Awa Province, and so it is customary for pilgrims to do a mental self-evaluation while here. They are asked to reflect on their journey thus far-- has it been worth it? What have they gained from it? Have they held true to the values expected of all henro (pilgrims) while on the pilgrimage? If a pilgrim were to ask themself these questions and answer negatively to them, according to tradition, they must return to temple 1 and start the trek all over again.
Something else we found while at Tatsueji is the small, red statue of Binzuru, one of the original 16 disciples of the Buddha. According to the legends, Binzuru came from a family of doctors (he was one himself), but had a penchant for drinking too much, which frequently caused him problems. One day, a wealthy man came to see the Buddha to ask for his help; there was an evil spirit inhabiting his house that he could not get rid of himself. Since the Buddha could not go himself, he sent Binzuru in his place, but warned him not to drink. When Binzuru arrived at the man's house, he succeeded in dispelling the spirit, and in his honor, the rich man held a banquet, at which Binzuru drank. He ended up drinking so much that he lost his power over the evil spirit and it resumed inflicting ill upon the household. When the Buddha heard of what Binzuru had done, he was very angry and expelled him from his community. Eventually, however, the Buddha grew older, and when he was about to die he called Binzuru to him. He told him that he forgave him for his actions, but that Binzuru would never be able to reach Nirvana. Instead, Binzuru must stay in this world to take care of the people here. That's why there's a statue of him here. Since Binzuru was a doctor, people come to visit his statue, rub his statue with one hand, then place that hand over a part of their body that has been ailing them. Neat, huh?
Even though we've only been at this for about two weeks, my feet are starting to regret embarking on this pilgrimage at all. Fortunately for me, we packed supplies to handle blisters, so with a little will power and a couple Advil, we should be good to go. This is one of those moments when I'm glad Allison and I aren't walking the entire way. I feel bad for the folks who made that choice. Their feet must be about ready to fall off.
Anyway, we've got to get some sleep, so I'm going to sign off now. We'll write again soon!
