Have you taken two Asian Studies classes? Are there topics in/on Asia that you would like to explore, research and understand more? Do you wish that you had some funding to help you do this? If you’ve answered yes to all of these questions, the Gaylord Prize is perfect for you. Every year, Asian Studies offers, for successful proposals, grants of up to $1000 to research any topic of interest that you have within the world’s largest continent: Asia. This is your chance to go beyond classes at CC and truly explore something to do with Asia that has been on your mind and you believe deserves more attention. This semester’s applications are due to Linda Inzer second Friday of block 3. Feel free to reach out to her or Asian Studies faculty to learn more!
Buddhist Pilgrimage in Japan
Today, approximately one-third of people in Japan identify as Buddhist. The country contains multiple Buddhist pilgrimages; the most prominent are the Shikoku and the Kumano Kodo. The Kumano Kodo pilgrimage has its roots in Shinto, Daoist, and Buddhist traditions. It has been affiliated with the Jimon branch of the Tendai sect of Buddhism since the late eleventh century. Despite attempted destruction in the late 19th century, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage has persisted as a prominent tradition in Japanese culture as well as Buddhism and Shintoism for over a thousand years.
With funding from the Colorado College Gaylord Prize for Asian Studies and the Keller Family Venture Grant, I walked 65 kilometers along the Nakahechi Route of the Kumano Kodo in mid-April, 2019 to explore the role of pilgrimage in Buddhist traditions.
Exploring the Role of Pilgrimage in Buddhism
My pilgrimage on the Kumano Kodo started outside of the city of Kii-Tanabe at the Takijiri-oji shrine, one of the five major Oji shrines that are known to protect and guide pilgrims. I moved east through the mountains on the Nakahechi trail, ending my pilgrimage in Kumano. Kumano is a geographic region containing a complex set of shrines and temples that combine Buddhist and non-Buddhist institutions, beliefs, and practices. The region of Kumano has historically represented a utopian, other-worldly realm in Jimon Buddhism.
The Nakahechi route to Kumano is one that Japan’s Imperial family followed in the 11th century. Between the 11th and 13th centuries, the Imperial family walked the pilgrimage nearly 100 times. The trail was then used by aristocrats and Samurai, later by merchants and artisans, and now by anyone. In the late 19th century, the Meiji Imperial rule replaced the longstanding rule of military dictatorships and heavily restricted Buddhism and Shintoism, demolishing thousands of temples and removing many sacred items from religious sites. Despite being stripped of many cultural artifacts, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage has returned to being prominent in the Buddhist tradition, a resurgence that exemplifies the significance of the Nakahechi route to Buddhist followers.
The Nakahechi route to Kumano is one that Japan’s Imperial family followed in the 11th century. Between the 11th and 13th centuries, the Imperial family walked the pilgrimage nearly 100 times. The trail was then used by aristocrats and Samurai, followed by merchants and artisans, and now by anyone. In the late 19th century, the Meiji Imperial rule replaced a longstanding rule of military dictatorships and heavily restricted Buddhism and Shintoism, demolishing thousands of temples and removing many sacred items from religious sites. Despite being stripped of many cultural artifacts, the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage has returned to being prominent in the Buddhist tradition, a resurgence that exemplifies the significance of the Nakahechi route to Buddhist followers.
To my disappointment, I did not meet any Buddhist pilgrims on the Kumano Kodo. The experiences that gave me insight into the role of pilgrimage in Buddhism include seeing hundreds of shrines and statues ranging from baseball to amphitheater in size, reading informational signs along the route that provided perspectives I could not find on the internet, and speaking with a Shingon Buddhist man on the train departing Kumano at the end of my pilgrimage.
The man I met on my return train from Kumano was a devout Shingon Buddhist who had traveled to Kumano to visit a sacred temple. He was born and raised in Japan, and spoke extensively about how Japanese culture had completely altered Shingon Buddhism. That description exemplifies how Buddhist traditions differ greatly even within schools that share a name.
The survival of the Kumano Kodo in the face of attempted destruction displays its importance within Buddhist traditions. Identifying an individual’s drive to partake in the pilgrimage is more difficult. Buddhist followers use pilgrimage as a way to connect with nature, form relationships with gods, visit sacred or historical sites in the Buddhist tradition, or practice asceticism.
