Clarity on Religion

May 10 cont...

When I finally got back to my room, I wrote non stop for two hours. Fittingly, it is all on the pad I bought at the Fish restaurant while with O'Sha San and Narabe San, and is almost already used completely on them.

I’ve been overwhelmed the generosity shown to me – an orcashe gaijin henro who speaks such little Japanese - but I can’t see how today could be topped ever!

Not once did I see either of those two men lose patience. They laughed and chatted continuously throughout the whole day. It was endearing to see them enjoying each others company and I was always so grateful every time Narabe San tried to communicate with me.
Despite lack of English and Japanese, respect, kindness and affection was communicated endlessly.
Each Monk had a distinctly different personality but neither was more or less endearing.
Narabe San told me that if I was ever in Japan again, I must look them up but I would in fact make a special trip to Japan just to see them

I had an interesting yet unsurprising realization this morning while O'Sha San was doing his ritual. I’m not religious at all. I don’t get it. I’m not attracted to it and have no affinity with any of it – ironic that I choose to visit 88 buddhist temples!
Of course I already knew I wasn’t a religious person but it had always been a blurry line I had never seen with such clarity.
It became crystal clear this morning. Another aspect of myself now in context.

As has happened the whole way – we were weaving in and out of bus Henro as well as car and walking Henro, often recognizing people after we had seen them a few times. As we got to the Hotel this afternoon and Narabe San was writing down his details, a couple I had said Konichiwa to a number of times, arrived to check in.
Narabe San found out they were going to T27 tomorrow also.
I starting to wonder how random these coincidences really were.