Yamadera Outing

Dear Family and Friends,

A group of friends has been getting together for years to go hiking. We meet from spring to autumn and choose a different mountain each time. At first the hikes were long and very challenging. But with time, and our aging, they have become far less demanding, but equally as satisfying.

After a summer of brutal heat and excessive rain, we were finally able to meet and make a simple hike. Yamadera is famous for a very steep path the leads past several temples and offers lovely views across the narrow valley below. There are always many tourists, especially on weekends and in the autumn.

We went to Yamadera, but chose an entirely different route. Instead of going straight up the mountain, we curved right and wound our way through a thick forest. 

We explored the area called Mine no Ura 峯の裏. At one time it had been filled with temples and caves where monks and mountain ascetics meditated and trained. It was used for spiritual purposes for over a thousand years. This tradition finally ended in the early 1900s.

Now the trail is mostly dotted with ruins. But it starts with an intact temple called the Senjuin Kannon Do 千手院観音堂. It is dedicated to Kannon, the 1000-armed Bodhisattva of Compassion. From that point on, there are several Shinto shrines tucked into the rocky cliffs.

 The cliffs themselves are worth the trip. They are pockmarked from inclement weather, making them appear like honeycombs in stone.

Sites of a few archeological digs also dotted the path. They revealed foundations of former temples, artifacts dating back to the 14^th century, and pottery chards from the Jomon Era. That is from 10,000 to 300 B.C.

The trail ended at the local cemetery. One side had family graves. The other had hundreds of small Kannon statues honoring children who had died. 

So, we had come full cycle, from Kannon to Kannon, completing a Circle of Compassion.

For us the day was a not-too-strenuous, not-too-long outing, a chance to be with friends and surrounded by nature. We paused often to look closely at flowers, 

wonder at a colorful dead snake, 

and ponder the significance of the history of the entire area. 

Yamadera soba noodles are famous. So, we could not leave before enjoying a tasty lunch.

That drew us back into the present, reinforcing the privilege and joy of being with friends today.

Love,

Anne