Getting Reacquainted 14 – The Hidden Hovel Temple

     There are several expressions for “wife” in Japanese. A couple of them indicate her lowly, second-class status in relation to the family and her place in it. The man of the family is the 主人 [shujin] the master or lord of the house. But the wife of the master doesn't have a human designation. She is the 家内 [kanai], which simply means inside the house. She is commonly addressed as 奥さん[okusan], which means, loosely, honorable hidden in the back person.

Okunoin - main temple

        My purpose here is not to denigrate women, but to point out some peculiarities of language interfacing. Road Buddy, my honorable hidden in the back person, were having one of our intercultural discussions while hiking around yet another shrine/temple complex near our home named Okunoin, 奥之院. It is the inner sanctuary of the main temple down in the valley. Yet it sits on the summit of 龍王山 [Ryuozan] (Dragon King Mountain). You may remember the “Great Luck Dragon King” Shrine in a previous post. Well, same Dragon King, same area.


        You may not have noticed the same Chinese Character 奥 [oku] in both the word for 奥さん [honorable hidden in the back person] and 奥之院 [Okunoin] which can be translated as [less exalted, hidden in the back, temple/shrine complex] or, as my title suggests The Hidden Hovel Temple.



        Okunoin is, in fact, anything but a hovel. It is part of a larger conglomerate of Nichiren-shu (a Buddhist sect) shrines and temples in the area. It stands on the summit of a mountain with an excellent view of the city of Okayama (below) off in the blue hazy distance. Framed by the colors of Autumn (right) the vista is impressive.

the city of Okayama from Ryuozan  - (Dragon King Mountain)

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo -- 南無妙法蓮華経

the Namu Myoho ...on the left...

...behind...

        The most impressive aspect of Okunoin is the myriad of rocks and stones inscribed with the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren-shu encourages its adherents to recite a mantra from the Lotus Sutra daily. I first noticed the same inscription on many rocks on a recent visit to another Nichiren-shu temple, Ryuzenji, and asked Road Buddy what it meant. To my surprise she recited the mantra [Namu Myoho Renge Kyo] 南無妙法蓮華経 (fancifully inscribed on the rocks) from memory.

...framed...

...all around...

        It can't be precisely defined in words but I gather it encompasses the essence of enlightenment as taught by the Buddha. Chanting the mantra is hypnotic and perhaps can put one in a meditative frame of mind when repeated over and over. 

...all alone....

...grouped...

...camouflaged...

        Strolling around Okunoin with the seemingly hundreds of rocks inscribed with the Lotus Sutra feels like a visual chanting of the mantra so that you could almost meditatively levitate right off the mountain top and float over the hills and valleys below.

...and fanciful!