PEACE OF MIND IN KOYASAN
PEACE OF MIND IN KOYASAN
The Baku is a mythological beast with the trunk and
tusks of an elephant, the eyes of a rhinoceros, the
paws of a tiger and the tail of an ox. You can find
Bakus in Japanese temples amongst carvings of fierce
looking dog-lions (Shi shi) and angry Dragons. It’s a
frightful trilogy to behold, however the beasts are
actually symbolic of good luck in the New Year.
Japanese children place the image of a Baku under
their pillow before they go to sleep on January 1 st with
assurances that the creature will devour their
nightmares and bring good luck and pleasant thoughts
to start the New Year. Shishi, making ferocious
snarls, ward off evil spirits and frowning, intimidating
dragons bring wealth and good fortune. These horrific
creatures also bring peace of mind to travellers seeking
silence and mindful rejuvenation.
Japan is a destination high on the list of those seeking
quiet, reflection and contemplation along their global
journeys. I wrote about this trend a few years ago (The
Sounds of Silence )* after sitting on the highway in a
huge traffic jam, turning on the radio, and enveloping
my thoughts in the calm and comforting voices of
Simon and Garfunkel singing the song.
Silence can be appreciated in many aspects of travel.
It can be a natural setting, such as the mist rolling off
fields or rising up mountains, as I witnessed during a
recent train journey west in Japan’s Hokuriku region. It
can be personified in the faces of statues, such as the
serene gaze of the Great Buddha statues in Takaoka
and Kamakura, or reflected in the sympathetic
countenance of Jizo, who protect children in this world
and the next, and are often found standing guard in
cemeteries, shrines and temples.
Silence comes alive in Japanese gardens where the
symmetry of trees, rocks, bridges, lakes, streams, tea
houses and lanterns evoke the spirit of ‘calm’ and has
inspired writers, poets and thinkers for centuries.
There are countless temples and shrines throughout
the country. A ‘torii’ gate might announce the
separation of the ‘holy’ world from the ‘profane’, or a
simple alter offers some respite from the hectic world of
schedules and routines, while a dangling white rope
allows the pilgrim to ring a gong or bell to summon the
local Kami, or spirit.
*travelindustrytoday.com/2011-08-08-the-sounds-of-silence::12481