Conquering Koyasan

Tuesday 28^th February

Another day, another early start but surprisingly I didn’t mind because today we are going to Koya-san. Bright eyed and bushy tailed, we headed to the famous Kyoto station where, after a quick McDonald’s breakfast, we boarded the first of many trains. Our final mode of transport was a cable car that carried us to our final destination. Well, almost final. We also caught a bus but that’s less glamorous. We arrived earlier than planned but the monks at our shukubo (temple lodging) happily showed us to our traditional Japanese room. They served us some tea and after a quick look around the temple complex, we headed out to explore the town.

Koya-san, or Mount Koya, is a monastic complex which is the headquarters of the Shingon school of Esoteric Buddhism and is one of the most sacred and rewarding destinations in Japan. The founder of the Shingon sect of Esoteric Buddhist was known as Kukai (after his death this changed to Kobo Daishi) and after studying in China for two years, he returned to Japan and established this religious community in 816. Kobo Daishi is not only one of Japan’s most famous religious figures, he is also revered as a calligrapher, scholar, inventor, carpenter, inventor of the Japanese kana syllabary and the first person to establish a primary school in Japan! One of the most famous things in Koya-san is the Oku-no-in cemetery which covers the vast forested area leading to Kobo Daishi’s tomb. Set amongst towering cedars are over 200,000 stupas and Rory and I spent a few hours walking the well-worn path, marvelling at the scale of the place!

From here we walked back towards our temple lodging Eko-in and decided to continue onwards to Kongobu-ji, the headquarters of the Shingon set. The buildings were undoubtedly impressive but what we really enjoyed was the neighbouring complex where we saw an ancient cherry tree. Once again we had the complex to ourselves which we really enjoyed as we had plenty of time to enjoy our peaceful surroundings. Our final stop was the Daimon Gate where we turned and headed back to our temple, just in time to participate in seated meditation.

One of the young monks invited us to the meditation room and gave informative instructions about how to sit, breathe and mediate, in the hope of achieving enlightenment. It wasn’t unlike a Pilates class and while I didn’t achieve enlightenment, it was an interesting experience and I’m sure I’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice the calming breathing exercises before this trip is over. It was also worth it just to watch Rory trying to sit peacefully – every now and then we’d open an eye and catch each other’s eye – thankfully we kept the giggles to a minimum!

Our relaxing meditation was followed by a vegetarian dinner prepared by the monks and served in our room. I was fully expecting to hate absolutely everything I was served but surprisingly, I loved the food. Everything was delicious, even the tofu and I really appreciated that we had individual servings of Ramen that was cooked right in front of us! For once I actually didn’t need Rory to eat the evidence of an unsatisfactory traditional meal! I think the lack of fish seasoning is what made this meal so much more enjoyable and once we’d cleaned our plates we went to the onsen for a nice warm soak. Separated by gender these public onsen are highly popular in Japan but thankfully by going early I had the entire onsen to myself! I don’t think I’d fancy sitting starkers with a bunch of strangers but I’m glad I can now say I’ve given it a go and made it out alive and unembarrassed!

Despite our earlier visit to the cemetery we decide to go back for an evening stroll, accompanied by a monk! While walking through the cemetery our guide explained that followers of Shingon believe that Kobo Daishi is not dead but rather in an eternal meditation, awaiting the arrival of Miroku (the future Buddha) and each day they bring meals to his tomb to sustain him. He took us to Kobo Daishi’s mausoleum and there performed a Buddhist chant which was so intensely atmospheric that even a philistine like myself couldn’t help but feel the sacredness of the site. He was also able to point out interesting tombs, from a plot owned by Panasonic on behalf of their workers to important Buddha statues and even numerous Shinto shrines which highlight the harmony between the major religions in Japan. I was particularly impressed by this inclusiveness – believing that all living things have worth and that we are all connected is a fundamental teaching of the Shingon school of Esoteric Buddhism. Seeing graves that honour the memory of both parties involved in the war was moving as was the knowledge that you don’t have to be a special or spiritual person to be buried in this cemetery – if you express an interest in and appreciation for the teaching then you are welcome. It wasn’t my motivation for visiting Koya-san but I think I will leave with a deeper appreciation and understanding for the Buddhist philosophy and way of life. Might have to knock those McDonald’s breakfast on the head but seriously, having a guide that was so full of knowledge and who harbours a genuine belief was truly worthwhile and I would encourage anyone coming to Koya-san to participate in the guided tour.

When the tour finished Rory and I decided to walk back through the cemetery rather than get a lift with the rest of the group. I thought it would be a great opportunity to take some artsy fartsy photographs. Turns out it was basically a real life Blair Witch Project. We were completely alone and there was nothing to be scared of but that’s all well and good me saying that while sitting on a fast moving train the following day. At the time I was terrified. The cemetery is full of statues and monuments that have a human life shape and they are literally everywhere you look. The corner of my eye kept picking up what looked like a shadowy figure amongst the trees and I did not like it one bit. Rory thought this was hilarious and decided to slow his pace to that of a snail. I however, decide to take up jogging and literally ran out of that forest as fast as my unfit little legs could go.

Walk of Terror aside, I have really enjoyed my day in Koya-san. The place was peaceful and quiet – a real hidden gem – at least in the winter time! Yes our accommodation was basic and while the room was nice and toasty, the corridors were absolutely freezing and the futon beds a little thin, I’d happily suffer frostbite in order to stay somewhere so special! Absolutely shattered after a surprisingly action packed day we had an early night in anticipation for another early start!