Time is increasingly precious. Panning out of this current timeline, it’s as if I’ve lived multiple lives within the One. As much as I can recall the slow aches and pains of growing up, it simultaneously feels all too fast — that it’s running past what I’m capable of processing — and incredibly weighted. What felt like an urgency to fill every experience and opportunity into a day has turned into a steadying and essential space to fully engage and examine, even when seemingly nothing happens.
Two yearly traditions paying homage to the turning of time and I wholeheartedly look forward to are: the Balinese New Year called ‘Nyepi’ (also known as “Day of Silence” because the whole island comes to a standstill and people stay indoors for 24 hours) and the Japanese New Year rituals of ‘Hatsumode’ (“First Visit”) and ‘Hatsuhinode’ (“First Sunrise”), which welcomes the first sun of the new year. To purify oneself, reflect, express gratitude and hope is refreshing. It seems only fair to give our life trajectory a pause in order to learn from the past and keep striving for the future.
Hase 長谷
A district in the historic seaside town of Kamakura, Kanagawa prefecture in eastern Japan, where we decided to spend NYE. It is home to the famous Hasedera Buddhist Temple, which houses a wooden statue of Kannon, Goddess of Mercy, and Kotoku-In home of the Giant Buddha (Kamakura Daibutsu).
Kamakura is sometimes referred to as the Kyoto of Eastern Japan due to the many Buddhist and Shinto temples. You’d think knowing this and time of year, we wouldn’t have been surprised at the amount of people coming to visit. The train and sidewalks were packed! Therefore we opted to have a nice relaxed stay in our Airbnb for NYE: eating, drinking, watching shows … the only thing missing was a kotatsu (low heated table covered by a blanket). At midnight we heard the temple bell, Joya-no-kane, signaling the New Year. Hasedera Temple also had a special candle arrangement. The plan was to visit, but we didn’t (womp womp).
We woke up around 5am and sleepily headed toward the beach with the rest of the local community. It was nice walking down the narrow pathways connecting through various neighborhoods; every so often joined by kids eagerly meeting their friends via bike or other families, couples, individuals coming out of their homes. All of us bundled up and some of us carrying drinks (canned coffee for us), we slowly but surely filled out the expanse of the beach. There were even a few surfers and windsurfers braving the cold yet tranquil ocean (which I did once years ago). It was a cloudy morning, but you could see the glow of the sun through the clouds. When the sun was at a certain height, the temple bell rang again and we greeted “Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu” (“Happy New Year”).
Afterwards, we diligently walked to the nearby Amanawa Shimei Shrine, a Shinto shrine considered the first in Kamakura and houses the sun goddess Amaterasu. My goal was not only to pay respect and pray for good wishes in the new year, but to return our old ‘ofuda’ and ‘omamori’ (protective charms) for a ritual called “otakiage “ (essentially a cremation of these sacred items and their spirits to be released back with our gratitude).
About Amanawa Shinmei Shrine : Amaterasu Oomikami (Shinto primary deity/Sun god) is enshrined here. First founded in 710AD by Taro Someya and then rebuilt in 1081AD by Minamoto Yoshiie. It is the oldest shrine in Kamakura, revered by samurai families such as Minamoto Yoritomo, Masako, and Minoru.
We also visited Hasedera Temple, which was so nice without throngs of people. The trees and flowers on the grounds were beautiful and inspiring. The sense of history and timelessness coupled with the reminders of life as a constant cyclical force is humbling.
Visiting Kannon, who is the inspiration for my lotus seal, is like saying hello to a cherished friend. This bodhisattva who hears the cries of humanity with multiples arms to reach out and help, is something to aspire to. I think I have a very long way to go to reach this capacity, but I kept a wish in my heart to continue trying and to figure out what punctuates this time on earth with meaning.
LITTLE wagamama 