Shikoku 88 Temples Foot Pilgrimage, walking towards Cape Muroto and Temple 24
Shikoku 88 Temples Foot Pilgrimage, walking towards Cape Muroto and Temple 24
Did Kobo Daishi ever walk on water?
I have not read any stories about that.
He once jumped into a ravine in his desperation at his slow progress towards enlightenment, asking the Buddha to catch him if He at all loved and valued him, and Buddha caught him in mid fall and saved him.
But did he fly like Milarepa or walk on water like Jesus?
I do not know.... But I need help now....
My blisters are aching and oozing puss into my socks
"Jesus?...."
"Right here girl!"
"Wow, that was quick.....I know that you always walk with me, but that was almost instantaneous."
"I am ALWAYS with you."
"I know... So ... Tell me, How did you walk on water?"
"I held my body in the Universal until it was one with the Light, as refined as the original thought that had created it in the Mind of the all loving God.
There was no pain, no anger, no individual identity in my Being.
I became ONE with the infinite.
I let go of the delusion of the separate ego,
Let go of the confusing and mistaken idea of space and time being real....
I did not look down into the depths of the sea, but instead, I fixed my gaze on the perfection of the Universal, the infinite, the immortal.
I see that your eyes are glazing over as if you do not understand what I am saying.
Besides....We are not talking here about walking on water, are we......
Just walking on a hot asphalt road for many days.
It is a task that have been done by many, it is not a rare miracle.
What's up, girl?"
"It's the blisters.... They are throbbing like hell....
Just a while ago, a man stopped his car in the middle of the highway and came over to give us some rice crackers covered in caramel.....
He was SO kind....an angel......
He said that it must be SO HARD to walk in this heat....
He looked at me with so much compassion in his eyes...
I was waddling in my pain, and he must've thought that I was a crippled woman, doing this long and hard pilgrimage....
But I wasn't crippled when I started this pilgrimage....
Only two weeks ago I was a healthy and energetic person....optimistic.... Strong....
Now I am limping and my state of mind is as low as I can remember it...."
"Will it help if I tell you that it will get better very soon?
It is just one state of mind out of many, many that you will experience on this pilgrimage.
Will it help if I tell you that you do not have to do it?
Or that you are actually doing great?
That Jules is doing awesome and that you shouldn't be disheartened EVER?
Over anything?
Is there ANYTHING I can say or do to make you feel better?"
"Tell me how to think in order to heal the blisters and the pain that they are causing me...
How did you heal people?...."
"Well... It is not hard to explain, but you may not fully grasp it.
It is good that we have a long way to walk, so contemplate this well:
There was only one method of cure that I ever used.
I erased the false image in the consciousness of the one to whom I ministered.
I first raised the vibrations of my body by connecting my own thoughts with those of Divine Mind, and holding my thoughts steadfastly in accord with those of the perfection of the Divine Mind for man.
Then the vibrations of my body became EQUAL to the vibrations of Divine Mind.
After raising the vibrations of my own body by my resolute and fixed thought about the Divine Perfection, I was thus able to raise the vibrations of the body of the applicant with the withered arm, to the point where I could erase the image of the withered arm from my own consciousness.
Then I could say to the man who thought he had a withered arm:`Stretch forth your hand.'
He stretched it forth and it became whole.
You see, I raised the vibrations of my own body by seeing the Divine Perfection for ALL.
This enabled me to raise the vibrations of the one I healed, until all images of imperfection were entirely erased.
The perfection was instantaneous and the forgiveness was complete."
"Ammmmm...... I do not understand.... But never mind, I am sure that one day I will.
Meantime it is getting late so I will recount my day before going to sleep.... But thank you anyway!"
The mind of a walking pilgrim fluctuates all day long.
Words of wisdom, good or silly ideas, come and go into my consciousness.
Walking by the coastline, I was surprised to see large flocks of birds of prey, instead of the usual seagulls and pelicans.
We only passed by a few other Henros today.
The weather is still sunny, although we are about to get some rain which will last for three days.
A beautiful walk.
Fishing boats,
A kind man stops in the middle of the road to gift us caramel rice crackers.
They taste delicious when we stop to rest.
Fishermen are fixing their nets,
Colorful flowers,
Not enough water or tea with us to drink...
The ocean is so blue....
Our guest house looks simple, but the owner is so kind and sweet.
She helps us with making some bookings for a few more nights along the route and tells us about the upcoming rain.
She implies that we should not be walking on rainy days.
We say that we have rain coats and umbrellas and that we shall keep moving on.
Our Japanese style room is very large and it faces the ocean.
The ocean is full of surfers and they stay until the late afternoon.
The Yukatas she gave us are so clean and well ironed,
She took our hiking clothes to launder them for free, and returned them an hour later neatly folded.
I take a shower and a soak in the Ofuru.
The Ofuru is so hot, I can only stay for a few moments.
I clean my blisters and apply antibiotic cream.
I put on my pink frilly socks that I got as a gift yesterday.
Dinner is a feast of local fresh seafood.
Many new dishes I had never tasted before.
Before I went to bed, I recalled a poem by a master who is believed to be 400 years old (a woman), and she looks like she is in her thirties.
She said:
"When you come to the Red-Sea-place in your life,
When, in spite of all you can do,
There is no way ‘round,
there is no way back,
There is no other way but THROUGH:
Then know God with a soul serene,
And the dark and the storm are gone.
God stills the wind.
God stills the waves.
God says to your soul, “GO ON!
GO ON! GO ON! GO ON!”
I guess I too shall GO ON....
Night,
Tali
Jules adds: "Even the very best amusement ride at Coney Island eventually comes to an end.
Time to get off, go back to being me.
The most engaging drama, seen on the big screen, almost lets me forget myself entirely.
Until it ends, then back to being me.
This road we're on, seems now to continue to the farthest horizon.
Will this be any different this time around?
Sure hope so..."
Day 14 (May 22nd 2016)
Our location on the earth:
33°22′15.41″N 134°12′22.79″E
Overnight at the Ozaki Lodge, about 7 kilometers south of Sakihama
Stats:
26,070 steps
20 kilometers
Active walking 4:30 hours
Active day 6 hours
Active walking grand total: 276 km
