It’s said that the Three Pillars of Zen are Teaching, Practice and Enlightenment. For Lao-tze, the Great Treasures as he called them, are Simplicity, Patience and Compassion.
I don’t know that the Japanese have Three Pillars as such, but Pa and I are convinced that if they did they would be Shinto, Fish and Rice. At least that’s the conclusion we’ve come to.
As we were saying our good-byes to Mr. Kawasaki, he inquired of our plans for the day. It’s a question Pa and I have grown accustomed to. Sometimes we have a plan, but most often not. We’ve learned that having aspirations is preferable. Having a plan can leave one feeling at the end of the day that something was missed or not accomplished. Aspirations, on the other hand, if not realized can be added to the list of “maybe or maybe nots”.
So our response to Mr. Kawasaki was that we had map and were considering a drive to the coast. Taking a look, he made a suggestion:
“You might stop at Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine. It’s not out of your way, and would be worth the effort.”
We thanked Mr. Kawasaki for his hospitality and told him we might do just that.
And we did.
Shinto
I used to think of Shinto as a relic of the Japanese past. Similar to that of Latin and the Catholic Church. To the contrary, it’s very alive. Those we’ve spoken to attest to its influence on their daily lives. And a scholar I read wrote:
While its origins date back 2500 years to the indigenous Yayoi, Shinto remains the consciousness underlying the Japanese mentality, the foundation for its culture and values.
Just 20km from Mr. Kawasaki’s, the drive to Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine was a slow one, the scenery making it difficult to pay attention to the road.
But once there, our attention focused on the climb.
Pa and I’ve come to realize that the Japanese, like other Asians, see the value in making it difficult to access their Sacred Places. Getting there being as important as the destination.
So that once you’ve arrived, out of breath and yet relaxed,
you’re attentive to what’s before you.
We stayed a while, observing those coming and going, some curious and some pilgrims. It seemed that even those with an itinerary were moved to a place of reverence.
Fish
Back on the road, we again set a course for the coast, but a bridge we crossed caught our attention.
We parked to take a photo then returned to find that two cyclists had arrived in our absence.
Following them into Umaya River Fish Dishes, we were seated and placed our order,
not quite sure of what we’d done.
A few minutes later our server walked past with a net, so we peaked outside so as not to appear too curious.
She soon returned,
lunch in hand for the cyclists
or possibly all of us.
Over the next several minutes,
we observed the process,
the result being quite delicious.
Rice
Still intent on making it to the coast, we continued our drive, stopping only for fuel and an ice cream bar. Across the street, however, was a sign that caught our eye,
the destination intriguing us. So off we went in search of the Sugayama Rice Terraces.
Along the way it was clear we were in rice country,
and within the hour Google Maps told us we’d arrived.
Unsure as to its accuracy, we approached a fellow with a large camera,
who assured us we were in the right place.
After taking a few photos ourselves, we walked with him to a spot he said was even better.
But his initial interest was of something else,
which he seemed to take great delight in, encouraging us to do the same.
He then asked if he could take my picture. I agreed, provided I could take one of him.
He consented, then wanted me to take a picture of him with his camera. After which, he took my camera and a photo of me.
It was a bit complicated, but the friendly chap seemed to take delight in it all.
I think he would have liked for us to continue on with him. But we declined, saying we were headed to the coast. Hiding his disappointment as best he could, he wished us well.
We never did make it to the coast, Taketa as far as we got. But throughout the day we learned a bit about Shinto, Fish and Rice, and now consider them the Three Pillars of Japan.
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