Teachings on Kindness…
Yesterday, I woke up before Dawn and took a magical walk through the spirit world right into the arms of the goddess of compassion herself. For weeks it’s been building. Everywhere I go there have been signs of her presence. I’ve been visiting her temples and shrines, gazing on statuesque representations of her love, however, yesterday, caught by surprise the center of my heart sprang open, tears flooded my fire soaked eyes, as right there before me, she took on human form and met me in Itoshima. Today, when someone asked me where I went for my day off and I said Itoshima, they looked at me surprised, and said, “why, no one go there, local town, nothing there?” I smiled, precisely. I was called to Itoshima. It wasn’t where I had originally wanted to go, but had decided that my intended destination was going to be too expensive and too much travel for my one day off. Instead, I asked to be guided. Not in any particular direction, not for any reason other than truth, for that is what I always seek; those moments where wisdom and compassion blend into one and take root within. Those are the moments I spend time reflecting on in life and are the jewels of my existence.
From what I have gathered, Itoshima is a newer city that was created from the official joining of 3 older small cities and it’s not a tourist attraction. It is mainly locals, herbs, gardening, art, and nature. The cities are all small village like towns surrounded by the sea, or ume, on one side and majestical mountains on the other. The night before my day off, when I had found this little town looking online some other people had boasted about the beautiful coastline and a restaurant called Natty Dread. I thought, perfect, that is my town. The train goes through the main part of the town, on a separate and not so popular line, but to get to the sweet parts (the ocean, the herb garden, and nature), requires either expensive taxi rides or the local bus. The trouble with the local busses are that first and foremost they don’t run regularly and second, everything is written in Kanji, no English at all, making it really hard to tell if the bus is the right one or not. Most of the other cities I have visited, upon arrival at the train station had an information center where someone with minimal English has helped me with general directions about what bus, train, or tram to take, how to identify it, along with a map. This was not the case in Itoshima and it was not as obvious as to what bus to take because the train station had 2 different sides, an east and west gate and busses ran to different places from either side. Either way, it was 9;30am and the next bus on either side didn’t come until 11:30am, and I wasn’t sure where that bus went. Not wanting to wait, I attempted to seek out a taxi. However immediately ran into a language barrier. The taxi driver handed me a pamphlet of the attractions the area boasted, in Japanese, and so I pointed to the tree. When in doubt go to the trees. They have never led me astray. The taxi driver wrote down on a piece of paper 5000 yen and then motioned toward the direction and then pointed back to the bus station, I gathered that was round trip. It’s kind of a lot for a taxi ride, but I figured whatever. About that time a lady came up and asked me if I needed help, in English. I told her I was trying to go to and again pointed to the tree, she said oh yes, talked to the Taxi driver and then reported back to me, he will take you to several places for 10,000 yen round trip. I said ok, but the whole ride to the trees was feeling apprehensive as I didn’t want to spend that much. My plan was to go to the trees head back to the train station and just go on to another village/city that I could get places on foot. Meanwhile, as I’m processing all of this mental jibber jabber, I began to notice that we were headed up into an enormous mountain range. We kept going way way way way up and deep in. By the time we got to the destination, which happened to be a temple known for a 400 year old maple tree, and 600 year old Sandalwood tree, I had noticed the taxi was smoking. The driver in broken English mentioned, “I wait, you go, flat fee.” I thought, well that is a nice gesture, however he probably needs to let his car cool down.
I walked up to the temple and noticed the entrance fee was 400 yen. A nice friendly lady came out to the front entrance, I laid 500 yen down in the tray (as is the custom not to hand people money). She looked at it, I noticed she had 3 pamphlets in her hand, and then got a calculator and showed me 1200, she said 3 people 1200. I looked around, there was no one else around, and said no it will just be me. She put the other two pamphlets away and gave me the 100 yen change back. I’m not sure who else she saw with me, but whoever the other two travelers were, they were not in human form. I started to walk over toward the 400 year old maple tree, when I heard, sumimasen (excuse me) and the lady from the entrance was motioning for me to come over and inside. I stepped in, it was old school Japanese Temple building with beautiful old hard wood floors, sliding doors, and natural lighting with rice paper coverings over the windows, making it kind of dark. No furniture but there were matted hallways, she showed me where to put my shoes, then disappeared through a door. I felt like I was in someone’s home who had just taken off and left me standing at the entrance. I waited for a comfortably long time, then proceeded to walk down the hallway. The first juncture, had two hallways that branched off, one led to a glass case with some old scrolls in it, the other to an outdoor walkway, with a Japanese garden and a monk sitting in his room doing his morning puja on the other side of the garden. We were only separated by greenery as neither his side nor mine had any windows. Continuing up the steps, which were part outside and part inside, I continued up the side of the mountain, to another platform surrounding some type of room, and inside I could hear another monk doing his morning puja. I proceeded to follow the wooden deck, which led to a door way that was opened to an inner room with candles, statues, and chairs lining the wall, So I sat down. I couldn’t see the monk, but I could hear him. There was no one else around and he sounded extremely close. Then poof, just like coming out of a cloud of smoke he appeared right in front of me, said you come with me. I thought am I in trouble. He took me into an inner chamber where he was doing his practice, and there were 3 other people. I sat again, and within moments he concluded then got up abruptly came over to me and the lady next to me and said something in Japanese to her, he then started explaining the practice to her in Japanese and she was using what little English skills she had to explain it to me. He then started talking about the statues, the ritual objects, and then motioned for us to follow him around the corner, and as we did I was struck right in the middle of my heart by a 16 foot tall statue of Avalokiteshvara, and it was huge, and 2 feet in front of me. It was so close and so enormous that to see the top I had to arc my head way back and look straight up. I’m not even sure how that teeny little inner chamber hid that huge statue. It was so surprising, and not what I expected that I viscerally reacted and blurted Avalokiteshvara, as my eyes welled up, and he the monk smiled and said, “Kanzeon Bosatsu.” He then began to talk about how it was old and carved by a monk from India out of a single white camellia tree. It was enormous and beautiful. After standing there for a few moments, he motioned again for us to follow around another corner, where there were perhaps a 100+ old protector deities lining the hallway, also all very old, and then he walked us to a door where he pointed up the mountain side. We walked up a few more flights of stairs and covering the mountain side were 500 stone monks all with different expressions on their faces, and one very life like statue of a meditating monk all surrounded by beautiful trees, green nature, and the sound of running mountain water. It was so peaceful and amazing. The lady and I stood there in quiet, reflective, contemplation for what seemed like an eternity. About that time, the lady who had been translating, broke the silence and began telling me about her Sake business and old home, then said to me, “I would very much like to take you with me to my old home and waterfall.” I told her I had a taxi waiting, Oh that’s right, the taxi, it had totally slipped my mind. She asked if I could cancel the taxi and I thought, maybe I was apprehensive about sightseeing in a taxi anyway. So I went out and told him I was going to stay. I asked him how much, he quoted me a rate slightly higher, but still very reasonable for the one way ride all the way up that mountain and the time he’d been out there waiting. I gladly paid him, and he gave me his card, and said, “need, call.” We proceeded to walk around the remaining parts of the temple grounds, she showed me her favorite places. As it turns out, she runs a successful Sake, beer, and bread making business, she has even won gold medal awards for her product and had came to the temple that day to calm her mind before hosting and cooking for a party of 38 people at her Sake house. She asked me if I could stay the night, but I told her I had to be back at Huis Ten Bosch because I was performing the next day and she said, I take you to the waterfall, then we go shopping, then I take you to my Sake house, then later to the bus station, ok. I promise, I’m not a bad man. You try my sake. I agreed and felt both truly blessed and honored to be invited to come along with her on her days journey through her life. It was a rich experience and I got to get off the beaten path and go into the life of the locals. Equally, she seemed to be excited to have an “exotic” foreigner to show off to her friends.
We went to the waterfall, and sat by the water cascading down in bright silvery ribbons reflecting the sun light all surrounded by more old trees. With bamboo rustling in the wind and the smell of fresh pine, this waterfall was way back down the original mountain, and then way up another mountain. We then drove down a bunch of really small roads and visited the most amazing organic food grocery store. Everything was made and sold by locals in that town, the food was all so bright and fresh, there were a lot of people shopping there, and everyone was friendly. Not one name brand product in that store and they had everything from fresh fish from the local sea, eggs, to orchids and all sorts of brightly colored flowers, homemade bread, noodles, tofu, drinks, and vegetables. I could have spent an eternity in that store just buying the freshest local food that was all surrounded by love and friendliness. After the organic market, we went to her old Sake house. Her family was in the Sake business and she learned from them and has continued the successful line on. She has even branched the business into Beer and bread, which is made with the beer. The building was old. There was the gathering place that had a museum in it that showed how Sake was made in the old days. Next to that was a tasting area and Sake store, where I got to try all the different kinds of Sake. Next to that was the beer and bread making part of it where there were samples of beer bread to try, plus another little store. It was all nicely positioned on a narrow road next to a temple, at the foot of a mountain. Being that she needed to cook traditional Japanese soup and bean buns for 38 people who were arriving at 6:30pm, she had a lot of work to do, and therefore saw me off to the train station, telling me to come back. I was really taken back by the kindness of this lady to a complete stranger. So I proceeded to the train station feeling quiet mesmerized by the random acts of kindness in Itoshima, and proceeded to sit and wait for my train.
To my surprise, the kindness didn’t stop there. I got on the train, with the plan to get off in about 5 stops to go to an onsen. An onsen, is a natural hot spring and is an old custom in Japan. They are fed by volcanic waters are known for healing anything from burns and bruises, to achy muscles, gout, sprains, skin blemishes, digestive disorders, and just about anything. I had heard that within a 15 min walk from a particular train station there was an onsen that I wanted to go to. There was a lady sitting on the bus next to me, who started talking to me, asking me where I was visiting from. She told me that she had been to San Francisco many times and the conversation kept going from there and that her English used to be much better but she never gets a chance to use it so she has forgotten a lot. She seemed to be thrilled to have an opportunity to talk with me. She asked where I was headed and I told her. She sort of laughed, and said oh, onsen by my house way better. She said my husband picks me up at the train station, we take you to really good onsen, then come pick you up and take you back to train station. She said let me help you, my husband will be so excited and surprised to see me with you, you exotic. Let me help you and show you. Again, sort of caught off guard by the kindness, I couldn’t resist so I said yes, but then started thinking uh oh, what am I getting myself into. So, we continued to ride past my intended stop to another city further out. As it turns out, she and her husband have a business of establishing green houses for all of the locals and farmers throughout Kyushu. They are a major green house supplier, and even drove an electric car. They proceeded to drive me way way way up another mountain, to a building surrounded by trees, where they dropped me off to go in for my first Japan onsen experience. The hot spring was amazing. There was an indoor and an outdoor onsen. I went for the outdoor and sat watching the sun set from pure hot spring water flowing from source, surrounded by trees and fresh air. After which I enjoyed a massage all in time to be picked back up. After this, they took me to their home and business, where I got to meet their cat and dog, as they wanted to make sure that I got on the right bus. Using the internet, she planned a return course for me that simplified the amount of time and distance it was going to take me to get back, as I was about 3.5-4 hours away from Huis Ten Bosch. When it was all said and done, they dropped me back at the train station and said good bye. I was overcome by the kindness and generosity that I had been shown and spent the next 3.5 hours on the train meditating on the experiences of the day. Also upon returning home, I read the pamphlet that I had been given at the temple. Sure enough, thousand armed Kanzeon Bosatsu is the Japanese embodiment of Avalokiteshvara, which is indeed the bodhisattva of compassion. I guess my little quest seeking guidance was answered by none other than, hers (mostly male, but sometimes represented as female) truly making herself known in human form and I wondered if the lady at the temple had actually seen the imprints of the two local friends I was about to make that day. Whatever the situation may have been, this adventure is one that will live in my heart as the seed of compassion. All in all, sometimes getting off the beaten path and following the rhythm our heart is medicine we need, even and especially when it makes no sense to our logical mind. May we all dance to the beat of our heart and allow our hearts to entrain with life dance of others.
Om Mani Padme Hum! Or the Japanese version: on arorikya sowaka – Om Unstained One sowaka!
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