Do you remember the stone engraved with the number 18 at Nagano Station? That was part of a series of “cho” stones leading from Nagano Station up to Zenkoji. Here, we’ve arrived at the 16th stone.
The series of stones uses an old Japanese unit of measurement called “cho,” which equates to about 358 feet. The stones are placed 1 cho apart starting from Nagano Station and ending at Zenkoji.
Now, think back to the 48 wishes and 48 lanterns of Amitabha. They say that the 18th wish is the most important, and here, again we see the number 18. It seems like too much of a coincidence that the distance from Nagano Station is related to the most important wish of Amitabha. Some people find the connection too striking to accept it as a coincidence, but the location of Nagano Station was decided based on convenience. Even still, it makes you wonder.
The “cho” stone series starts at Nagano station with number 18, and number 16 is here, right around the corner once you pass the intersection and enter the road to Zenkoji. From here, it’s a straight line to the temple. Before this road was made and Nagano station was built, the narrow road behind the temple used to be the main way to Zenkoji. At that time, this road was nothing but rice fields.
Imagine that this road was once nothing more than a path in a rice field. After walking from the village for days, you finally catch a glimpse of Zenkoji Temple in the distance. It must have felt like arriving at the Pure Land itself.
