2019-03-28: Day 14 – Temples 34, 35 & 36

After a nice stay in a hotel overlooking the ocean, I headed off for Temple 34. I enjoyed my evening at the Kokumin-shukusha Katsurahama-so. The dinner was excellent. I had katsudon. I am thankful my ohenro friend from Koichi was able to call and make the booking.

Today was another day with lots of cherry blossoms. As well, it was a day of bridges and a tunnel. Here is a close up of the cherry blossoms that just filled up the tree.

I arrived early at Temple 34. Here are a few pictures of the temple and statues.

It was a cloudy day in the morning, but a nice temperature for walking.

On the way to Temple 35, I passed a rice seedling distribution centre, where the rice farmers were loading up there white trucks with the flats of rice seedlings ready to do their planting.

I am always amazed at how Japan has embraced solar energy, as there are solar panels everywhere, on house roof tops, on factories, on vacant land. I think Canada could learn allot from Japan, and support more solar or wind green energy, instead of the Ontario government stopping the development of wind power, only because the previous government was developing it. Sorry for the ranting, but sometimes I wish Canada had the same vision as Japan. Here is a solar array designed to move with the sun to get maximum output of power.

The sakura on the way to Temple 35 was amazing.

Along with the view from Temple 35.

On the trail up to Temple 35 there were more interesting statues.

As I mentioned earlier, today was the day of crossing long bridges and a tunnel.

On the way to Temple 36 there were more statues and sakura to admire.

The highlight of my day was meeting a 87 year old ohenro. When I got to Temple 36, I was tired and had to climb so many stairs to get to the temple to do the temple routine and make my prayers. There was this 87 year old ohenro who was very slow at lighting his candle at the main temple. His daughter was helping him but it still took awhile. Instead of waiting I got agitated and went to Kobo Daishi temple and did it in the reverse order as I was too impatient to wait. When I was at the main temple, I saw him at the Kobo Daishi temple, and he reminded me of my dad. I thought “oh my God” why did I let my ego and impatence get the better of me. I thought I could give him a Canadian pins and ohenro badge I made as osettai to make up for my impatience. As I was getting the stuff from my bag, before I knew it, he was on his way down the stairs and he could maneavor them better that me. I had a hard time to catch up to him at the bottom.

I gave him my osettai gifts and he was so happy. After getting my book stamped he was sitting with his wife and he wanted his daughter to thank me. I asked their age and was told he was 87 and his wife was 84. I said I was impressed how well he did at climbing the stairs. I thought of my dad, how he would have rather been out in nature instead of being bed ridden with Parkinson’s. He would have loved to be climbing the stairs.

In reflection, I am truly thankful that this aquaintance, how short it was, made me understand the importance to be humble and not let one’s ego take over and be impatient.

A wonderful way to end the day as I walked to the hotel I admired the sakura and thought how thankful I was to be able to walk today. When they drove by I waved as they disappeared.

On last picture of some statues in front of the hotel.