Travels to Buddhist sites in India and Sri Lanka

Third Indian Expedition - Journey to Places Related to Buddha

(69) Visit Gion Seisha, one of the eight great Buddhist sites in India - famous for the "Voice of the Bell at Gion Seisha" in the Tale of the Heike

The day after my visit to Sankasha, I set out for Gion Seisha, a place famous in "The Tale of the Heike". The Gion Seisha is the place where "the sound of the bell of the Gion Seisha echoes the impermanence of all things".

Gion Seisha was a wonderful place where one could still feel the atmosphere of Buddha's reign. Among the many Buddhist sites, this one became my favorite.
roadside shrine maidenhair (dedicated to a deity close to the head of a temple)Third Indian Expedition - Journey to Places Related to Buddha

(68) To Sankasha, one of the Eight Great Sacred Sites of Buddhism - the site of the legend of Buddha's descent from the heavens, "The Three Treasures of the Way".

Here in Sankasha, my journey to the eight great Buddhist sites has finally begun. The fact that the first of the eight is the most minor and humble one is, on the contrary, very interesting. In a sense, it is a great discovery to know that there is a Buddhist site in such a rural area. It was a great discovery for me to know in what kind of place Buddhism flourished and what kind of fate it had met.
Taj MahalThird Indian Expedition - Journey to Places Related to Buddha

(67) Visit to the Taj Mahal, a symbol of India: A tomb like a palace and the tragedy of a captive king who gazes upon it.

When I think of India, I think of the Taj Mahal. I visited this world heritage site, one of the most famous architectural monuments in the world.

The Taj Mahal is like a palace, but it contains the sorrow of a king who lost his beloved wife. In this article, we will talk about the episode of such a sad king.
tangibleThird Indian Expedition - Journey to Places Related to Buddha

(65) To the ancient capital of South India, Thanjavur - It's so huge! This is not even Sri Lanka's fault!

Now, the third expedition to India is about to begin.

My first destination was the ancient capital of South India, Thanjavur.

I was here in Thanjavur to finish up the remainder of my Sri Lankan Buddhist travelogue before visiting the places associated with the Buddha.

What kind of country was the Chola Dynasty, the great power that engulfed Sri Lanka in the 11th century? We visited the capital of the Chola Dynasty.
Travels in Sri Lanka, the Holy Land of Buddhism

(63) Visiting the grave of Yukio Mishima at Tama Cemetery - Thoughts on Mishima, who continued to question life and death

After visiting the site of Yukio Mishima's suicide at the Ichigaya Memorial Museum, I headed directly to the Tokyo Metropolitan Tama Cemetery.

The purpose is, of course, to visit the grave of Yukio Mishima.

Yukio Mishima has become a huge presence in my life. I wanted to leave for India after greeting Yukio Mishima, who had died a spectacular death.
Travels in Sri Lanka, the Holy Land of Buddhism

(62) Visit the site of Yukio Mishima's suicide and the Ichigaya Memorial Hall of the Self-Defense Forces Ichigaya Camp (now the Ministry of Defense)

The tour at the Ichigaya Memorial Museum was a wonderful experience, where we could feel Mishima's admiration for "power" and his last moments. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in Yukio Mishima.

I will never forget the time I spent in this room. Mishima died here. I am truly grateful that this place is still here.
Ichigaya Memorial HallTravels in Sri Lanka, the Holy Land of Buddhism

(61) Yukio Mishima's Fierce Final Days! What was happening at the site of his suicide that day?

After returning from Sri Lanka, I was furiously learning about Yukio Mishima, but there was one place I really wanted to visit before leaving for India. I wanted to visit a place before I left India, and that was the Self-Defense Forces Ichigaya Camp, the site of Yukio Mishima's suicide. In this article, I will take a closer look at the background of the Mishima Incident, or the Tatenokai Incident, as it is called.