Here is the number three stone of the Cho stone series, but it’s actually the final stone before reaching the temple grounds. The end of the road that started with the 18th stone is finally approaching.
Our journey was no more than a leisurely walk from Nagano Station, but back in the day, it was a long and treacherous excursion to reach Zenkoji. There are many stories of travelers that didn’t survive the trip, and some even prepared for the worst by bundling wads of money in their breast pocket that could be found and used for their funeral if need be.
There’s another story about a young couple traveling from Nagasaki to Zenkoji with their newborn child. The man’s wife was weak from childbirth and she died on the way to the temple. He continued to the temple with their child who cried the whole way, longing for his mother. Sometimes the man had to beg for milk from women they passed so he could feed his infant.
He traveled like this for days on end and finally arrived at Zenkoji. He felt a presence nearby, and when he looked to his side he saw his wife standing right there. She gently and silently embraced her child and began to feed it as she continued towards the temple-- with her husband following behind her in disbelief. They prayed at Zenkoji together as a family, something that seemed impossible just moments before. After they finished their prayers she gave her child back to her husband and she disappeared with a peaceful smile on her face.
The man wrote down his miraculous tale on a wooden wishing plaque at Zenkoji, and it’s said that his story quickly became a sensation passed down by future visitors.
Just beyond here is the long-awaited temple grounds of Zenkoji Temple. Do you know what you want to pray for? Give yourself a minute to think about it before you move on.