Twice in a day...

月に一度の三輪山への登拝の日、快晴に恵まれた。今日は暖かくなるだろうと、インナー服を一枚脱いで家を後にする。8時30分に三輪駅に到着するようにいつものタイミングで電車を乗り継いでいく。仕事に向う人、学生たち。人間観察をしながら時間を過ごしたり、本を読んだり。

大神神社についていつものように本殿で挨拶をすます。またいつものおばちゃんが本殿前に跪き祈りをささげている。祈りというより、何かしら許しを請うようにしか見えない。しかし、それは自分は関わることではなく、そのおばちゃんと三輪山の山神様との話。ただ、祈りの姿が時として痛ましく感じられ、気の毒に思えたりする。

Once in a month visit in the holy mountain,  Mt. Miwa today, and it was a very sunny day. Since I guessed that it would be warm in temperature, I left a inner jacket at home, and took and changed trains to arrive at Miwa station at around 8:30. While in the trains to Miwa, I spent the time observing commuters and students, and reading a book. 

In Oomiwa Shrine, what I do at first is to make a prayer for greeting at the main alter. As usual, I saw an old lady bending knees on the ground to make a prayer. For me, she looks like begging for a forgiveness to the God rather than just praying. Of course, it is none of my business, but a matter of her and the God of Miwa. However I can't stop feeling sorry because it looks somehow painful. 

9時の登拝の受付時間に合わせ、狭井神社の社務所に到着をした。手続きを済ますと和袈裟を頂くが、今日の受付番号は「２-２」だった。一瞬、”おっ”と思うが、「２-２２」ではない。それでも、自分にとっては縁起の良い番号の羅列だ。

同じタイミングで山に入る女性がいる。行をしている人で、ちゃんと白装束で山に入る。いつもは自分が先に入るが、今日はその女性が先に山に入り、自分はのんびり彼女の後ろを追う。山頂の奥津磐座に着いた頃には、彼女はすでに大祓祝詞の奏上を始めていた。自分もさっと挨拶を済ませ、深呼吸をしながら彼女の祝詞にそば耳を立てて聞き入った。

快晴の空、澄んだ空気、響く祈りの旋律。とても清々しいものだった。いつもは彼女の祝詞を聞く前に下山をしていたが、何かとってももったいないことをしていたなと思った。

下山を始めると、次々に頂きを目指す人とすれ違う。和袈裟の番号が一つずつ、一つずつ増えていく。なんとなく予感がする。”きっと下山をし、「２-２」の和袈裟を社務所に返すタイミングで、「２-２２」が次の入山受付の番号だろう”と。出口に近づき最後にすれ違った人は「２-１９」。”きっと、受付で2人手続きをしてるはずだ”と思った。実際、2人が受付で登録をしていた。

I arrived in time at 9:00 to check in for Mt. Miwa entry. We normally receive a "Wagesa" after check-in which is commonly seen in Buddhist cultures, and are asked to wear it around our necks. My number was 2-2 today. I felt surprised somehow, but it was not my best number 2-22. However the sequence of 2 looks good as a lucky number to me. 

Every time I visit there, I always see a lady at the entrance who comes for check-in at the same timing with me. She wear all in white, and enter the holy mountain because she is practicing a ritual training. I normally go into the mountain earlier than her timing, but she went in earlier today. When I arrived at the alter on the top, she had already started making a prayer chanting Shinto stura. I quickly finished my greeting at the alter, and listened to her chanting words. 

Clear blue sky and air. Her chanting words echoing in the air. It was really refreshing. I felt a bit pity that I had already missed many times to listen to her prayer because I normally start going down before she reaches the top. 

On the way back down, I passed by people who were heading for the top. As I checked their check-in number written on their "Wagesa", it increased one by one. I felt that I would get my favorite number "2-22" as I returned mine "2-2" at the entrance. The last one I passed by before the exit had "2-19", and I was almost 100% sure that there would be 2 people checking in at the entrance, and there were actually 2 people checking in as I finished the first try. 

”今日は２度、山に上がる日だな”と、受付に行き「２-２」の和袈裟を返却し、「２-２２」の和袈裟を頂くために再手続きをする。宮司さんも一瞬怪訝な表情をした。その理由はいちいち説明する必要はなく、事実この流れは山神様がそうするように、一つの流れを作り、それを気づかせるために自分にわかりやすい方法で示しただけだ。

一度だけなら、全然きつい山でもない。でも、二度登るとなるとさすがに下山時に足にくる。それでも、今日はその流れだから苦になるわけもなく、むしろ有難さを感じる登拝だったことには違いない。

I felt, "The God of Miwa may be asking me to come to the top twice today", and so I immediately returned my previous "Wagesa" to get a new one with the number "2-22". The Shinto Priest at the check-in office showed a puzzled face to me. I dare didn't have to explain it to him because it is a matter of me and the God of Miwa. Everything was arranged and led to be what it's supposed to be. The God of Miwa just showed it to me in a way that I easily recognized the intention. 

If only once, it is not so hard, but twice made my feet feel stiffed on the way down. However I felt thankful as I was doing the second try, and never felt hard to do it. 

最近の定番となった三輪山登拝後は、櫻町珈琲店でコーヒー付ランチを頂く。初めて魚のフライの定食だったが、美味しく完食。月に1度だけれでも、いつも楽しみにしているランチだ！

One of my recent routines after Mt. Miwa visit is to have an original lunch menu (incl. Coffee) at Sakuramachi Coffee restaurant. I had fried fish for the first time in the menu, and it was very tasty. Though it is once in a month, I always look forward to this lunch menu.

せっかく、山に入りご神気に触れて心身を浄化できたのに、コンビニで見つけてしまった、春限定桜デザイン缶のアサヒスーパードライ！電車待ちの駅のホームで喉を潤した。そして、いつの間にか電車の車内の陽気にうとうとと眠りについてしまった。

本格的な春が待ち遠しい。それもあともう少しだ！

I felt very refreshed and purified exposing myself in the holy mountain's energy, but at a convenience store, I couldn't resist myself to buy a can of Asahi Super Dry Beer in Special Spring Edition with Sakura flower design. While waiting at the station platform, I refreshed my thirst. 

I'm looking forward to this full-fledged Spring, and it will come here soon!