Dear pilgrim,
Hello from Sukumo!
I'm writing from my guesthouse in Sukumo, on the last day of the dōjō of ascetic practice, shugyō. Tomorrow the path crosses into Ehime, the dōjō of enlightenment, bodai (菩提).
It's interesting to feel how different this stage has been. Awakening was full of excitement: the joy of beginning, getting used to so many new things. Discipline feels like coming home. I feel so comfortable here. I'm more settled, much more present, and comforted by discipline. I love the simplicity of the days: organizing the basic things and putting it all into action. Not complicating. Just staying simple and minimal. Discipline gives so much to my life. It gives me space to see, to feel, to receive.
And there has been so much to receive! This week has been incredible. So many beautiful places, so many temples that touched me deeply. A wonderful acupuncture session! So many pilgrims I've loved getting to know, and hosts so kind and so incredibly touching.
I especially loved everything around Temple 36, Shōryūji. The nature was wilder, and the way the light reflected over the ocean felt so profound. It was remote and special.
After that, I took a little detour to Yusuhara, for the architecture. There are several Kengo Kuma buildings in the village, and the whole place felt special! My favorite was the Yusuhara Community Library. I highly recommend a visit!
Then I loved my temple stay at temple 37! My room had a view to the main hall and I felt completely immersed! I also bought a special tea there to clear away all evil. It felt very special!
After that I decided to cross one of the tunnels. Even if I usually try to avoid them, this one felt appealing. It was the Kunnai tunnel, made of bricks, and built in December 1905. What a historical one!
That day I had a relaxing stay by the ocean, in great company, and enjoying delicious vegan thai food. What a wonderful mix of goodness!
Soon after, with the help of a train and a bus, I was walking the long coast down to Cape Ashizuri. It felt so dramatic to walk the last five hours to the southernmost point of Shikoku. And Temple 38 took my breath away.
That evening, I went to the most beautiful onsen of this trip so far. From the rotenburo (the outdoor bath), I watched the sun set over the Pacific Ocean. Super beautiful. I'll never forget it.
As I left the rotenburo to go back inside, I hurt my foot on the door. The wound and the bruise got me reflecting… It's important to rest, but it's also important to know that we don't need perfect conditions to do things. If we wait for perfect conditions to do things, we may never do them. It’s good to make sure the conditions are good enough. There’s no need for them to be perfect. So I walked anyway. Because I could. Grateful that my foot was healthy enough to walk. Enough feels gentle and sweet.
On the last day of discipline training, my host showed up with some wonderful anti-inflammatory patches to make my walking smoother. Those of us walking the ohenro know this was Kōbō Daishi's doing.
After a while on this path, it becomes obvious that we are never walking alone, and that we will always be supported by Kōbō Daishi when we truly need it. It's a deeply beautiful feeling.
✨
And now, the sky is turning with me. Venus has been retrograde since early October and Mercury since late October, so both of them have been walking backwards for the whole of my pilgrimage so far. This week they both turn direct. In Japan, this happens on November 14th. Mercury at 5° Scorpio and Venus at 22° Libra. It is a time of change. What we love and what we think and say begin to move forward again. Perfect timing, as I step into the dōjō of enlightenment.
So this week, I'd love to leave you with a question:
Where in your life can a little more simplicity, a little more discipline, and a sense of enoughness make space for you to receive? How might it support you in receiving more love, in all its expanded tones? And can the turning of Mercury and Venus help put that into action?
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I hold you in my prayers as I walk here, always sending you my very best wishes and praying for your wellbeing at the temples 🩵
From the edge of the dōjō of discipline, I'm sending you MUCH LOVE and HUGS from Shikoku island,
Rita
P.S. If you'd like to offer osettai for this pilgrimage ✨🍃🙏🏽 you can do so via Wise (@ritat190) or PayPal (ritatojal@gmail.com).
