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| The Marches encountered hundreds of these statues along the way. This one looks out for the souls of children who have died before their parents. |
For more than a thousand years, Buddhist pilgrims have embarked on the Shikoku pilgrimage 鈥� a grueling expedition to 88 temples on Japan鈥檚 fourth largest of Shikoku, meant to honor an ancient Buddhist saint. In 2010, Dalhousie鈥檚 Sunny Marche joined their ranks.
Dr. Marche, acting dean of Dal鈥檚 Faculty of Graduate Studies, first began to study Buddhist philosophy 30 years ago. Those readings, along with a series of articles on the Shikoku pilgrimage and The Art of Pilgrimage by Phil Cousineau, inspired his journey, undertaken during his 2010 sabbatical.
鈥淵ou start to read and, jeez -- that鈥檚 why you have to keep your children from reading,鈥� he jokes. 鈥淭he whole question of motivation around pilgrimage is really a complicated one鈥� reflective practice is an important part of personal renewal鈥� reading is not nearly the same as direct engagement.鈥�
Along for the ride was his wife Janet Marche. Did she share his fascination with Buddhism?
鈥淪he appreciates the moral dimension but has less of a spiritual connection鈥� she was willing to help me out in the adventure,鈥� Dr. Marche says. More to the point, 鈥淪he鈥檚 not interested in letting a 60-year-old man wander off on his own into a foreign country.鈥�
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| Janet and Sunny Marche on the pilgrimage. |
Upon wandering off, together, into a foreign country, the Marches discovered the difference between reading about the path and walking it. 鈥淢y wife and I have done a fair amount of hiking in our time,鈥� he says. But the Marches鈥� longest hiking trip was six days 鈥� the Shikoku Pilgrimage is 1,200 to 1,400 kilometres in length and may take two months鈥� walking to complete. (Many of the faithful choose to undertake their journey by bus or car 鈥� those who go by foot are relatively rare.) 鈥淭his is not a flat trail,鈥� Dr. Marche says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 on a volcanic island. There are six places designated by a Japanese word which means 鈥榯he place where the pilgrims fall down.鈥� They don鈥檛 just mean that literally; they mean it psychologically too.鈥�
The Marches almost 鈥渇ell down鈥� a week into their pilgrimage. 鈥淲e made a number of serious mistakes. We took Body Shop foot lotion鈥� if you鈥檙e going to walk 25 kilometres, you don鈥檛 want to have soft feet.鈥� It also began to rain heavily. 鈥淭o get up the next day, bandage your feet, put on your still-damp boots and walk another 25 kilometres in the rain is not an easy thing to do.鈥�
The combination of tender, blistered skin and rain caused Janet鈥檚 foot to become infected, and the infection spread up her leg. But the Marches stuck it out. 鈥淲e were wise enough to have antibiotics with us, which she began taking.鈥� They took a day off walking due to the infection, briefly traveling by bus and train instead. 鈥淚 had to give up my attachment to the goal of doing this pilgrimage entirely on foot,鈥� says Dr. Marche. He muses that the sacrifice of his lofty goal, as an application of the Buddhist ideal of giving up attachment, constitutes a perfect example of 鈥渆mbodied learning.鈥�
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| Sunny Marche: "We were immersed on the island of Shikoku in compassion." |
Beyond the trials of the open road, the Marches ran into the usual tourist frustrations, such as the language barrier. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 read signs, you can鈥檛 read newspapers.鈥� They also encountered cultural differences, as when they stayed at traditional Japanese inns.聽 鈥淵ou sleep on a futon on the floor and there鈥檚 no such thing as a chair in the whole place.鈥� But all pilgrims wear distinctive white clothing and carry walking sticks, and the people of Shikoku have a long-standing tradition of providing any aid they can to the faithful.
鈥淲e were immersed, on the island of Shikoku, in compassion.鈥�
Dr. Marche, whose background is mostly in information systems, is quick to disclaim a right to formally 鈥渢each鈥� about Buddhism 鈥� or, since Buddhism is more a spiritual practice than a 鈥渞eligion,鈥� even to call himself a Buddhist. 鈥淚 think that that label is completely unhelpful.鈥�
Nevertheless, he鈥檚 about to share stories of his Shikoku adventure with a Dalhousie audience and encourages everyone to attend, both those interested in travel and adventure and those with more spiritual leanings. 鈥淚 think that everyone brings something different to the talk and takes away something different.鈥�
Dr. Marche presents "Finding the Path: Two Million Steps" on Thursday, October 7, 7:15 p.m., in Room 1020 of the Rowe Management Building.