Old Mountain Temple #3
After passing through the Nio-mon Gate, the number of cedar trees lessened and the landscape widened. I saw many caves and odd figured rocks. I thought these caves and rocks made Mt. Houju-san special, a place leading to the different world.
Godai-do Hall is the most popular building of Yamadera. It is an observation deck that is built on the cliff, commanding a fine view. I enjoyed the splendid scenery of the mountain and the village below. Some guidebooks say there are statues of Myo-o, guardian of Buddhism in Godai-do Hall but I did not see any statues there. Instead, I saw many senjafuda or pilgrim’s stickers on the wall.
After climbing 1015 stone steps, I reached Okuno-in, the top of Yamadera. Okuno-in is the building where hand-copying of sutra is practiced and statues of Buddha that Ennin Jikaku-Daishi carried are enshrined. Going up a steep path surrounded by unfamiliar objects such as carvings on the rocks and strange crags, it was like going into a different world for me. I sensed the sacred atmosphere in Yamadera, the old mountain temple.
