Ep. 044: Traipsing Japan's West Country Circuit
Visiting the 33 Temples of Kansai's Kannon Pilgrimage
The 88-Temple Pilgrimage on Japan's Shikoku Island is world famous, and (like Spain's Camino de Santiago) walked by an increasing number of foreigners. But Japan has other pilgrimages, too, covering large areas, and often dedicated to a Buddha or Bodhisattva--particularly Kannon (Avalokiteshvara), the Bodhisattva of Compassion. I have done three major Kannon pilgrimages, and one minor one, each composed of 33 (or in one case, 34) temples. Let's take a look at the Saigoku or "West Country" pilgrimage in this episode of
TEMPLE TALES!
