Chapter 6 Pilgrimage Day 22

Diary of the White Bush Clover

Day 22 (27 October) Ashino-ko to Odawara

Early in the morning I woke up to the sound of the storm beating against the glass window. In the news they said the taifū would pass the Izu peninsula today. Looking out at Ashino-ko, sightseeing boats were rolling up and down and pitching back and forth in the gale. I wondered whether I should go into the arashi or not but I felt Buddha was testing me so I decided to go. After breakfast I put on a raincoat. The people in the ryokan said not to go but if I took a rest for a day my pilgrimage would be useless so I left the ryokan.

The rain pushed me from the side so hard I could hardly walk. I used my umbrella like a shield. When the road changed directions the wind came from behind, pushing me hard. The kasa went inside out so I could not use it anymore. My shoes in the water made the sound, jabo jabo jabo. The rain was like a waterfall on my raincoat. My body was bishonure ni naru, wet to the skin, and my stomach hurt. I walked fast, thinking of warm food on my arrival in the town. The road became like a river. The flow of water was so strong it had washed away all the sand that filled the little holes in the road so the going was rough. The soles of my shoes were getting thin and would soon be full of holes but I had vowed to use the same shoes until I reached Tōkyō.

I saw a bus stop and thought about taking a bus because I was so tired and wet. But I knew I must keep walking and anyway I realized the bus would not come because of the typhoon. Instead of waiting I walked down further. The rain grew a little weaker. The golden leaves made beautiful patterns on the road. When the weather cleared the cars would come again and the beautiful patterns would disappear at once. I enjoyed the scenery for a while, all alone.

The storm was ending and the road became flat. Now Hakone Yumoto was near. The sun was shining through the clouds with soft beams. It was so strange. I could not believe the typhoon had vanished so suddenly. I was being strengthened through the trials of this pilgrimage. Moved, I wiped away tears of gratitude.

I found an udon shop so I dashed inside. No other customers were there.

The owner was surprised and said, “What happened to you?”

I told him about my journey since that morning.

He was astonished and said, “Change your clothes quickly. Otherwise you’ll get a cold.”

Then he took me to another room where I could change into my dry clothes. Once more I had the good fortune to meet kind people. The noodles were warm. I recovered my energy, thanked him and walked from Yumoto toward Odawara.

This road was the same one I passed a month ago by car on another trip and I compared the power of the human with the power of the machine. At 3 o’clock I arrived at the Kojima house in Odawara, which was also a hair salon. The sun was still high in the sky. The daughter washed and set my hair. In the evening I had a wonderful dinner with the family and went to bed early. I recalled the day’s suffering and the joy of passing through it. I also learned a lot about human kindness. It became a good memory.

Chapter 6 Pilgrimage Day 21

Diary of the White Bush Clover

Day 21 (26 October) Numazu to Ashinoko

We talked together until late at night. Early in the morning Hayashi-san prepared breakfast for me. I was so happy. The Hayashis took a picture of me with their family, which they would send to me later. I did not want to say goodbye but I left the temple.

Today I would cross Hakone-yama. This would be a test of endurance. Until now the weather had been fine, raining at night but clearing by morning. But now that I was going to cross the Hakone range a typhoon was coming and the weather had turned strange. Even though the weather was getting worse I decided to keep to my original plan to reach Ashino-ko, the crater lake, that day. I was a little worried but then, I thought, I am traveling with Buddha so I do not need to worry.

I took courage and walked to Mishima, at the foot of Hakone-yama. The road started gradually going up. Route 1 had too much traffic. I took a side road but after awhile it rejoined Route 1. Looking back I could see the town of Mishima below. In front of me were many mountains forming a ring around the ancient Hakone caldera, with dark clouds descending on the peaks.

The road went into a forest and the air became cool. Under a big tree there was a statue of Batō Kannon, a special Kannon for animals. It was very rare because instead of just a rock with the inscription, Batō Kannon, it was a statue of a human body with a fierce face and the head of a horse in the crown. I prayed in front of the statue and thought of the horses, dogs and messenger pigeons that died in the war. Yes, humans died in this war but also animals. I had not thought of that until now. I felt very sorry for them. Who prayed for those animals, which worked very hard in battle without complaining and died for the people? I prayed many times for them with great care. After that I left.

No one was walking on this road so the drivers looked at me with surprise. The truck drivers were used to being kind to hitchhikers and one of them offered me a ride. But my journey was a pilgrimage so I had to walk. Cars often passed me and I wondered if the exhaust fumes would kill the cherry trees. The buds were covered with black soot and had not bloomed even though it was already autumn. The thistle flowers were also blackened. But the mountains far away were beautiful, covered with golden leaves.

I walked up around many curves but I did not arrive at the top. I could see a bus driving far above on the mountain road. It looked like a toy. I had to go up there but my feet felt heavy. The road had been climbing since morning. I walked very hard until noon. Then I sat on the grass and ate onigiri, which the priest’s wife had given me that morning. There were no hikers around here. I walked again, singing the Hakone-yama song, heading for the next mountain, but when I arrived there was another mountain. I wondered how I would ever reach the top. Usually I could walk four kilometers an hour but now I could not even walk three.

Suddenly a truck stopped beside me. A middle-aged man asked me, “Where are you going? I saw you before.”

I answered, “To Ashino-ko.”

“It’s a ways yet to Ashino-ko, so please get in.”

“My journey is for pilgrimage so I cannot get in but thank you for your offer.”

“Take care,” he said and drove away.

The sun was setting but I still had not reached the top. The same truck driver came and stopped his truck beside me. He said, “You won’t reach the top until after the sun sets so I will take you.”

What shall I do? But this is also Buddha’s help so I said, “All right, please take me a little while but when I see the top I will walk again.” I did not feel comfortable accepting a ride in the truck because I felt obliged to walk to the lake at the top.

After I got out of the truck I walked another hour to the top. This kind driver always drove this way from Chiba prefecture and I thanked him. I arrived at Ashino-ko before sunset. It was getting dark and I could hear the sound of the typhoon. I felt ill at ease. Walking along the sugi namiki, a row of Japanese cedars, I arrived at Ashino-ko at 6 o’clock in the evening, two hours later than my schedule. I chose a ryokan nearest to the road. I had finished this day’s long trip, climbing up the whole day. My legs were tired, as usual. I massaged them in the o-furo but they did not recover.