Here comes Ha! September 2019 Issue

Insecurity. Regret. Fear. I am no stranger to these feelings. Rather than fighting against them, I started to learn how to wholly focus on the present moment, letting these negative feelings fade into the background. I think of it as a continuous and repetitive training process.

On my journey of self-training, I discovered another kind of journey - The Shikoku Pilgrimage, or O-henro, a Buddhist pilgrimage that spans 88 temples on the Japanese island of Shikoku. During the 10 days of Golden Week, I finished walking the 1st part of the Henro path through the 23 temples of Tokushima Prefecture, also known as the Place of Spiritual Awakening. Thanks to this experience, I came to understand how to live in the moment through every step I made, and how to cleanse my mind of inner demons through every prayer I made in front of the Buddha.

Time as limited, so I was unable to finish the whole pilgrimage, but I came back to Matsudo yearning to finish the journey one day. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that there is a temple that could allow me to complete this journey - the Hokoin Temple. People who are not able to travel to Shikoku and complete the pilgrimage can come here and pray at all 88 temples in one spot. Being located on the Matsudoshuku, you can easily access this temple from Matsudo Station within a 10 min. walk. Although it is next to a big road, Hokoin Temple possesses a very calm atmostphere. When I came here, I were only here for about 10 minutes but every minute felt like an hour as I looked closely at the statues. Each statue reminded me of Shikoku and my meaningful journey. Behind the temple is a path shadowed by big trees alongside the river making this place perfect a nice stroll. Without having to travel far, I have found for myself a place in Matsudo where my soul can find serenity and learn how to live mindfully. My connection with this city has soared to a new level.

いまこの瞬間を生きる

88ヵ所を全て巡拝したかったですが、時間に限りがあり、残念ながら帰らないといけないでした。しかし、驚くことに、松戸には全て巡拝することができる場所があると知りました。それは宝光院「松戸四国八十八ヵ所弘法大師霊場」です。宝光院は四国にある八十八ヵ所を巡拝できない方々のために、一ヵ所でお参りができるように作られました。松戸宿にある宝光院は松戸駅から徒歩10分。大きな道に隣接していますが、落ち着いた雰囲気を保っています。ほんの10分程度ですが、ここをお参りする時は、石像をゆっくり見て、四国の旅を思い出します。すると、1分が1時間のように感じます。お寺の裏側は川沿いの緑の多い道があって、お散歩にぴったりな場所です。遠くへ行かなくても、松戸で自分の心を落ち着かせたり、今この瞬間を生きることを思い出せたりする場所を見つけました。そして私は松戸市とのつながりが一層強まりました。。