Everywhere you go in Shikoku, you’ll see statues of a wandering monk carrying a begging bowl and rosary, or seated in an orange robe on a wooden chair. Kobo Daishi Kukai, Shikoku’s most famous son, revolutionized Japanese religion and culture. But who is the saint at the heart of the Shikoku Pilgrimage?
Before Kukai was Mao: Early Days
Kukai was born in 774 in modern day Kagawa Prefecture. In those days it was common for people to change their name at various life stages, and his childhood name was Mao. His family, the Saeki clan, were a prominent noble family in the area. At 6, legend says, Mao climbed to the top of a cliff near his home and declared “I’ll either land safely and become a monk, or give my body as an offering to the Buddhas!” and jumped. A heavenly being caught him in midair, and the Buddha appeared to him on the cliffside, spectacularly confirming his future as a great religious leader.
Mao was a very intelligent boy and for a brief period he studied to be a bureaucrat at Japan’s national university. However, enamored with Buddhist teachings, he soon dropped out and became a wandering monk.
Kukai’s Days of Wandering
He encountered a teacher who taught him a meditative practice called the Gumonji-bo. This 100-day ritual centers on the mantra, or Sanskrit incantation, of the enlightened being Akasagarbha, “The Storehouse of Space.” The Gumonji-bo is one of the many rituals of esoteric Buddhism, an approach which holds that awakening can be gained by secret methods of spiritual union with enlightened beings.
Kukai tells us that he traveled around Shikoku practicing this method “like rubbing two sticks together to make fire.” Eventually, his efforts paid off; he had a life-changing mystical experience in a cave on Shikoku’s southern coast. His name, meaning “Sky and Sea” is said to be based on this period of intense practice in nature.
Kukai mentions that he visited three places during his wandering days. He climbed up Mt. Tairyu in Tokushima, the current site of Tairyu-ji, Pilgrimage Temple 21. He chanted in a seaside cave in Muroto, a peninsula in Kochi. And he scaled Mt. Ishizuchi, western Japan’s highest mountain, in Ehime. As he was born in Kagawa, we can confidently say that Kukai himself traveled around the entire island as a religious exercise.
Kukai’s Travels to China and Rise to Prominence
Still seeking deeper understanding of esoteric Buddhism, Kukai traveled to Tang China. In 805, he met his teacher Keika, who in just three months transmitted the full teachings of esoteric Buddhism to him.
He then returned to Japan with a vast collection of texts and sacred objects and began expounding his new school. This he called the Shingon, or “True Words,” as he claimed its teaching encapsulates the highest truths of the universe. His ideas quickly caught on, attracting the attention of elites for its promises of magical protection, and of the Buddhist establishment for its claim to enable awakening in a single lifetime. His reputation as a teacher and humanitarian made him a beloved figure among commoners as well. Check out the Kongobu-ji Temple website for more information on Kukai’s thought.
Establishing the Henro and Mt. Koya
Though he was a respected figure in the capital, Kukai longed for the quietude of nature. Legend has it that at age 42—his “bad luck” year according to Chinese astrology—he undertook a pilgrimage around Shikoku, establishing 88 sacred sites. According to tradition, the number 88 was chosen by adding the unlucky ages of men (42), women (33), and children (13). The 88-temple pilgrimage was born.
The historical reality is that most of the 88 temples didn’t exist until long after Kukai lived. The Henro Pilgrimage as we know it today largely developed in medieval period and came into its heyday from the 1600s onward. In the 800 years between Kukai and the Henro, literally thousands of legends about him sprung up across Japan. Apart from being a real-life polymath who revolutionized Buddhism, literature, calligraphy, and art, he remains one of Japan’s most beloved folk saints.
The Shikoku Pilgrimage is basically a journey following in the saint’s footsteps, legendary and historical. Pilgrim gear is covered in symbols of Kukai. The iconic conical pilgrim’s hat features his representative Sanskrit syllable, Yu. The white vest pilgrims wear bear the phrase Namu Daishi Henjo Kongo, a prayer of refuge in the saint. Staffs are inscribed with Dogyo Ninin, which means “two walking together,” a symbol of his presence with travelers. In fact pilgrims traditionally consider the staff itself an embodiment of Kukai, and treat it as such.
Beyond the accoutrements, pilgrims spend half the time on their pilgrimage praying to Kobo Daishi. Every temple has a main hall housing its main deity and a Daishi hall enshrining the saint. Pilgrims typically make offerings and do a chanting service once at each hall.
The Lasting Legacy of Kobo Daishi Kukai
Though Kukai’s 88 temple pilgrimage is legendary, his founding of Mt. Koya at age 43 is historical fact. The massive temple complex south of Kyoto became his retreat and teaching base for the next 20 years. Learn more about Mt. Koya on the Wakayama Travel Guide.
In 835, Kukai vowed to remain in eternal meditation until all beings are awakened, and passed away. He was granted the posthumous name Kobo Daishi, “the Great Master who Spread the Dharma.” Believers hold that he is still alive within his mausoleum on Mt. Koya. His tomb is surrounded by 200,000 graves, the resting places of people who hoped their proximity to the saint would give them a boost in their next life.
For most pilgrims on the Shikoku Henro, paying their respects to Kobo Daishi at Mt. Koya marks the final stop of their journey. For many Japanese, he remains a trusted spiritual companion and protector, affectionately referred to as Odaishi-san.
Inspired by Kukai’s journey? Begin your own path of discovery on the Shikoku Pilgrimage with Shikoku Tours.
