Getting Started
Shikoku Henro The Shikoku Pilgrimage is called “Shikoku Henro” which means to go on pilgrimage throughout the SHIKOKU area where Kôbô Daishi (a famous philosopher, monk and civil servant, also known as “Kûkai") traveled on. Generally, the purpose of the Shikoku Henro is not only to make the pilgrimage to the 88 temples which Kûkai trained in and restored, but also to experience precious encounters on the road as you travel from temple to temple. [ Awa navi 日本語 English Français 한글어 中文（繁体） 中文（簡体） ] 
Kôbô Daishi（Kûkai） Kôbô Daishi was born to a local rich family named Saeki(佐伯) in 774 in Zentsûji city in Kagawa Prefecture. He was called “Mao”(真魚) when he was a boy and after he grew up he went to a university in Kyôto to be a bureaucrat. Later, he came back to Shikoku and started his spiritual training. It is said that Mao attained enlightenment as he traveled to Kôchi Prefecture, here in Shikoku, and came to a place where the sky and sea are visible together. From this time he identified himself as Kûkai(空海), the two characters of his name are “sky” ( In the year 804 he went to China on a Japanese mission to Tan China and then, he learned Vajrayana by KEIKA-OSHÔ, who is a Vajrayana monk. After he came back to Japan, he established Shingon Buddhism at KÔYASAN, which is on the north side of Wakayama prefecture. We believe that Kûkai has been in deep long meditation since 835 AC. And that he still lives today. “Kôbô daishi”(弘法大師) was the title given to Kûkai in 921 AC by Emperor Daigo. In the Shikoku region, we call him “Odaishi-sama” or “Odaishi-san” with deep affection. |