Religious Pilgrimages- The Shikoku Pilgrimage of Buddhism
Religious pilgrimages have been recognized as very crucial journeys for Christians and a place for them to strengthen their connection with God. However, pilgrimage is not merely a prevalent and vital undertaking in Christianity but a practice in other main religious traditions like Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism. The religious pilgrimages in each of these religions tend to have varying purposes. The Shikoku Pilgrimage of Buddhism is one of the most reputable religious pilgrimages and is currently a global pilgrimage (Ghimire 9). Typically, it is one of the scarce circular-shaped pilgrimages around the globe. This is an exploration of the various aspects of the Shikoku Pilgrimage of Buddhism.
The Shikoku Pilgrimage is situated on Shikoku Island in Japan (Jinier and DeCordova 2). Essentially, the Shikoku Pilgrimage constitutes 88 temples and various additional holy sites where Kūkai, the Buddhist priest, is said to have spent time in the 9th Century or rather trained. When walking, the whole Shikoku pilgrimage route is a distance of approximately 1,200 kilometres, which facilitates people encountering Shikoku’s copious natural surroundings. Most people begin from the first temple, Ryōzenji in Tokushima prefecture, continue in a clockwise directive, and end at Ōkuboji in Kagawa prefecture, which is the 88 temple. Basically, the pilgrimage gives people a chance to reflect on their lives and transform for the better.
In addition, every leg of the journey signifies a phase of the journey to nirvana. It is believed that the pilgrimage gives self-awakening and gets people to nirvana through various stages. The first phase is awakening, the second phase is austerity and discipline, the third phase is enlightenment, and finally, nirvana. The sites visited comprise each of the temples that have specific functions. Accordingly, temples 1-23 awaken the wonders of Shikoku Island, while temples 24-39 facilitate austerity practice and discipline and the enjoyment of the strangers’ kindness. In temples 40-65, people find enlightenment in the journey and pilgrimage practices; in temples 66-88, people achieve nirvana.
Varied reasons drive people to go on pilgrimage. Some of these reasons comprise religious motives, praying for safety and healing, and in memory of the people who have died. Moreover, some people go on the pilgrimage to get away from normal life, while others go for recreation or to take some alone time and reflect to find themselves. Today, this pilgrimage is being re-discovered as a healing path; thus, it should be regarded as a religious journey rather than a stamp-gathering relay. The major purposes of undertaking the Shikoku island journey comprise sin atonement, enlightenment pursuit, health and success prayers, and not forgetting to experience Japan’s least advanced island mysteries (Kang 8).
Some activities are associated with the Shikoku Pilgrimage of Buddhism. One of the activities in the Shikoku Pilgrimage of Buddhism is meditation. Notably, the walking meditation is referred to as walking with Buddha. It is a moving meditation set along Japan’s striking Shikoku 88-Temple path. Another activity is prayers, with a prayer service known as otsutome. Recitation of the Buddhist sutras occurs with a monk in the temple hall. The first phase of the prayer is cleansing the body and mind, and the second step is paying respect at the great priest’s hall and the major hall. The third phase is getting the temple seal, which shows that someone visited and prayed at a given temple. Self-reflection is also part of the process. People who visit the place have to participate in these activities that mostly take place in the temple. The food served to the visitors is vegetarian, typically known as Shojin ryori, which is prepared using firm and fascinating procedures. No aspects of the pilgrimage have become secularized.
In conclusion, the Shikoku Pilgrimage of Buddhism is one of the most reputable religious pilgrimages, with various people worldwide visiting. It constitutes 88 temples and various additional holy sites. The belief is that the pilgrimage gives self-awakening and nirvana through various stages. The first phase is awakening, the second phase is austerity and discipline, the third phase is enlightenment, and finally, nirvana. Some of the primary purposes of undertaking the Shikoku island journey comprise sin atonement, enlightenment pursuit, health, and success prayers.
Works Cited
Ghimire, Him Lal. “Heritage Tourism in Japan and Nepal: A Study of Shikoku and Lumbini”. The Gaze: Journal of Tourism and Hospitality, vol 10, no. 1, 2019, pp. 8-36. Nepal Journals Online (JOL), https://doi.org/10.3126/gaze.v10i1.22775.
Jinier, Carol, and Celina DeCordova. “The Japanese Shikoku Buddhism Game: Basic Customs and Language”. CCU Digital Commons, 2022, https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/ugrc/2022/fullconference/39/.
Kang, Sara. “Contested Pilgrimage: Shikoku Henro and Dark Tourism”. The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, vol 17, no. 6, 2019, pp. 1-8. https://apjjf.org/-Sara-Kang/5264/article.pdf. Accessed 23 June 2022.
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Question 
Writing Assignment 1 Parameters and Standards
Topic: Pilgrimages are journeys to sacred places that are a common feature of religions. For this writing, you will
have the opportunity to explore one of the religious pilgrimages provided below. Describe the journey in terms
of the specific sites visited, why they are visited, and what they mean for the adherents of the religion. For each,
you have been provided with a video as a place to start; however, there is additional research required. Be sure
to pay attention to all the details in the rest of this document before writing. Here are the options from which
you will choose only one to explore:
Religious Pilgrimages- The Shikoku Pilgrimage of Buddhism
• The Shikoku Pilgrimage of Buddhism.
• The Kumbh Mela Pilgrimage of Hinduism.
• The Osun-Osogbo Festival Pilgrimage of the Yoruba.
Quick View Checklist (all of this is discussed in greater depth in the Parameters section that follows):
□ Select only one (1) of the religion inspired pilgrimages listed above as the subject of your essay.
□ Describe the journey pilgrims take by identifying the sacred places visited, the meaning/purpose of each site
within the religion, and the religious benefits that the pilgrims to these sites believe they receive.
□ MLA formatted bibliography includes at least 3 sources that you consulted (the video and at least 2 more).
□ Additional research sources are academic, scholarly, or scriptures and doctrines of the religion.
□ Quotes are limited to religious scriptures or doctrines only and can be no more than 10% of the paper content.
□ Submission is at least 600 words (bibliographies are not a part of the word count).
□ The structure should be that of a standard college essay.
□ Contains appropriate sentence and paragraph formats, proper grammar, and correct spelling and punctuation.
□ Demonstrate original writing skills.
□ Upload to the Writing Assignment 1 dropbox by the due date posted in the Time Schedule.
Parameters: Here are the complete parameters of this research assignment:
OPTIONS – Select only one (1) of the following religion-inspired pilgrimages to explore: The Shikoku
Pilgrimage of Buddhism, The Kumbh Mela Pilgrimage of Hinduism, or The Osun-Osogbo Festival Pilgrimage
of the Yoruba. You should focus your attention on what the pilgrims do today rather than historically. Most of
these pilgrimages have evolved over time. Therefore they may have had a different journey 100, 500, or 1000
years ago. Since our focus is on today, you should participate in a virtual version of the pilgrimage using the
videos provided in the module of MyCourses that contains these instructions.
CONTENT – You should describe the various activities associated with your selected pilgrimage, the places
visited, and the beliefs behind them. Some things to consider: Where geographically is the pilgrimage? What
is the specific path taken? Why are each of the specific sites on the pilgrimage visited? What meaning does
each hold? What does one get from visiting these places? Are there specific activities, props, and/or dietary
aspects associated with the journey and the stops along the way? To what extent do the people participate in
the various events? Are the events publicly observed by all at the same time or privately at the individual’s
own pace and own time schedule? Have aspects of the pilgrimage become secularized and/or commercialized?
It IS NOT necessary to identify all the stops on the journey, just enough to support your conversation (and I
certainly DO NOT want to see a list of stops as a part of your essay). The idea here is that you have
demonstrated cross-cultural knowledge through a written description of the journey taken by the religious
pilgrims. This would include identifying some of the sacred places visited, the meaning/purpose of these sites
within the religion, and the religious benefits that the pilgrims to these sites believe they receive. Deductions
of up to 30 points will be made for errors related to the parameters for the Options and Content categories as
outlined above.
QUOTING – Quotes are limited to the sacred literature or official doctrines of a specific religion and should
constitute no more than 10% of the paper content. In other words, you are not permitted to quote from your
research articles. You need to develop the ability to take the information that you would quote and express
it in your own words as this is how to demonstrate understanding (see Paraphrasing and Summarizing). The
quoted material from religious scriptures or documents is only to support your conversation and should be
used sparingly. Any quotes will need to have internal documentation done according to Modern Language
Association (MLA) standards. Deductions will be assessed based upon the severity of the errors, with the
points coming out of the 30 points assigned to the Options and Content sections above.
RESEARCH – You are expected to do academic research for this essay. This is a research essay; not an
opinion paper. To that end, consult and cite multiple different sources (at least 3) to illustrate depth of
research. Be aware that different pages, articles, or parts of the same source still only count as one source.
These resources should be academic or scholarly sources such as peer-reviewed journal articles or books
(library resources), primary sources (sacred literature and official religious documents), official websites of
a religion, authorized publications of recognized religious organizations, or professional pages (government
or educational). See Evaluating Sources for more information. The research sources consulted are to be
provided in the MLA (Modern Language Association) format: How To Do MLA Citations. For useful
research information you should see How To Do Library Research. See the “Writing Assignments” section
of the syllabus for more library research information. There will be deductions of up to 10 points for research
and citation errors.
WORD COUNT – Your essay content is required to be between 600-1200 words (the bibliography information
is not part of the word count). Submissions with fewer than 600 words will receive no points. Such papers
lack the necessary depth. Submissions with more than 1200 words will receive no points. Such papers tend
to lack focus and conciseness.
ACADEMIC WRITING – This paper should be done in a traditional essay format: introduction paragraph,
two to three content paragraphs, a conclusion paragraph, and then a bibliography of sources. Additionally,
the essay is expected to conform to academic writing standards (i.e., demonstrate the use of proper sentence
and paragraph formats, proper grammar, and correct spelling and punctuation). You are strongly encouraged
to have your paper reviewed by an SPC tutor before submission (tutor information here: SPC Tutor
Information). Up to 20 points will be deducted for writing errors based upon frequency and severity.
ORIGINAL WRITING – Your paper is to demonstrate original writing (see this conversation in the Syllabus).
In short, do not use the words of another as this can be considered plagiarism and may result in a failing
grade and possible honor code disciplinary action. Additionally, it is unacceptable to submit your own work
(in whole or in part) from another assignment, class, or a previous attempt of REL 2300 (Student Academic
Policies). For original writing assistance, see Plagiarism & Academic Integrity.
https://www.pbs.org/video/sacred-journeys-shikoku-preview/
https://www.pbs.org/video/sacred-journeys-kumbh-mela/