A Message from Japan

Life lessons can appear out of anywhere

The sacred village of Koyasan, Japan, lies at the center of a lotus-shaped valley formed by eight peaks. It’s a place vibrating with magical energy and natural beauty. 

On my Long Way Home trip last year, I spent time at a Shaolin Temple in Germany, and upon learning that I’d be going to Japan, I wanted to have another temple experience. My research rabbit hole led me to Koyasan, which was selected by Kōbō Daishi as the birthplace of Shingon Buddhism. 

Tucked between seven peaks about 3 hours south of Osaka, Japan the valley of Mount Koya, Japan is the small town of Koyasan. It is one of the most sacred places in Japanese culture, most recognized for Esoteric Buddhism which originated in India and by way of China, made it to Japan. 

In the Edo era, there were over 2,000 temples here. Then the government after the Edo era tried to eradicate Buddhism in Japan and wiped out many temples. Today, about 117 remain in Koyasan.

Although I had wanted to stay at a temple, the last-minute nature of my trip meant that everything was booked. So I found a room at the only hostel in Koyasan and took the Shinkansen and multiple other forms to transit to reach it. 

Everything in Koyasan vibrated with unique energy. The fire ceremony was otherworldly and walking through Okunoin, Japan’s oldest cemetery, alluded to an indescribable feeling of peace and ancient energy. 

Although I’m not one to buy souvenirs, I wanted to bring something back with me to remind me of the energy of this place. I noticed a lot of the locals and monks wearing wood-beaded bracelets similar to the one Shifu Shi Heng Yi wore at the Shaolin Temple. So, I got it in my head that I wanted a wooden prayer bracelet. 

For two days I went into different shops trying to find one I liked. But none of them caught my attention. Either the vibes of the shop weren’t right, or simply I didn’t like any of the bracelets. Part of me just wanted to buy one and be done with it. But I knew I shouldn't just buy it out of impulse. I should be patient and would know the feeling once I found the right one. (Yes, I’m very particular with something as simple as a bracelet).

Only my last day, I went to a vegetarian restaurant for lunch. I was on a time crunch trying to get to a meditation class by 4pm and it was already 3pm. 

But me being me, I struck up conversation with the restaurant owner who to my surprise was French and spoke perfect English. We bonded over Texas pecans and chatted away. Soon a customer who was sitting nearby overheard us and joined the conversation. His name was William and he also spoke English.

I noticed William was wearing one of the wooden prayer bracelets so I asked where he got it. He said it was a gift from a friend and that it was a rare bracelet because it had mantras carved on the beads. 

Ugh, of course, the bracelet I want is rare. He must have seen my sad face because he told me there just might be a shop in town that sells them and gave me directions on how to find the shop. 

But by the time I left the restaurant, I realized it was well past 4pm and I had missed the meditation. So instead I decided to try and find the shop with the bracelets.

Except I had already forgotten how to get there. I couldn’t remember if I should take a right or left, or on what street it was. Having no plans for the rest of the day, I decided to just wander around and pick a random direction.  

A few hours later, I saw a shop on the corner and walked in. I had no clue if it was the one William had told me about, but I looked around and found some bracelets but none with the wooden beads and mantras. 

I had my hand on the door handle about to walk out, when I heard my name, “Maria!” It was William.

“You found the store!” He said with a big smile.

Looks like I had found the store after all! We talked and I told him I looked all over the shop and didn’t see any bracelets like his. Determined, William went up to the store clerk and speaking in Japanese, told the woman about the specific bracelet I was looking for. She nodded and took us to a corner of the store I clearly missed. There were the bracelets.

The omens had led me to the bracelet via this new acquaintance William. 

I wear the bracelet every day as a reminder that life unfolds in the way it should and that we should greet everyone we encounter along the way as if they were a guide. 

While I may have missed my meditation, I had a wonderful interaction with William and the restaurant owner, which led to me finding this one-of-a-kind bracelet that someone led me to. It was less of a souvenir or impulse buy. It was a joyful encounter.

Me at the hostel in Koyasan and kind host, Ryochi making coffee. Thanks to Mengyao fellow traveler for the photo!

Important Reflection: 

Back when we met at the restaurant, we bonded over both of us being writers. He told me he was writing a book titled, “The Last Stop on the Yamanote Train”. I asked him what the Yamanote was, and he said it’s a train line in Tokyo that runs in a circle. If a train runs in a circle, it means it has no first and no last stop. It’s a constant circle. 

That reminded me of a line in Harry Potter, “What came first, the phoenix or the flame,” and Luna Lovegood replies, “A circle has no beginning.”

Sometimes life feels like this to me. It’s circular instead of linear. Sometimes we have an illusion that we experience things in chronological order, but in reality, time is circular and interconnected.

Our endings are connected to our beginnings, and our beginnings to our endings. We see it reflected in nature and life, especially in Japanese culture. There is more to life than cause-and-effect. Things are happening that are more than they appear. Beginnings and endings often blur and each contributes to the next, in an infinite cycle of creation, destruction, and renewal. 

The wooden bead bracelet has also come to remind me about life’s circular nature. Everything will come around full circle.

PS: Drop a comment with a question or reflection and I’ll answer them in a voice note next week!