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Taboos to save the forest
The Ito family standing in front of Kaiko Temple. 99.11.12/Temperature: 8C/ Weather: Overcast, rain/ Wind Direction: SW
Start: Sakata City / Latitude: 38 54 43 N / 139 50 50 E
Destination: Tsuruoka City/ Latitude: 38 44 14 N /Longitude: 139 49 18 E
Distance Traveled: 26kmI spent last evening with a Buddhist monk and his family, caretakers of Kaiko Temple, a temple of the Shingon sect. They carry-on a tradition passed down from ancient China which protects forests by taboo.
Shoji (Japanese paper doors) closed us off the large tatami floored room from the rest of the living section of the temple. There was a small Buddhist alter behind me. Mr. Itou, Buddhist Priest of the temple, and his wife sat with me, eager to share one of this areas' traditions to 'manage the forest'.
The full Ito family sitting down to dinner. "'Sanrinbo' is a tradition that we continue to promote here at our temple," said Mr. Itou. "It is a wise way that our ancestors have protected the forest. In Japanese the word is made up of three characters: mountain, forest, pass away," he explained. "The twelve horary signs (on old Chinese way of labeling calendar years with twelve different animals) were adopted long ago from China. Rat, cow, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, cock, dog and wild boar make up the twelve-year cycle." In order to keep people from over-logging the forests, it is said that the mountains and forests would pass away if any trees were cut during the three 'sanrinbo' years (tiger, horse, wild boar) of the twelve-year horary cycle. "From long ago people realized that the forest needed protection. This tradition is a small bit of wisdom from our ancestors," he said.
Swans feeding in harvested rice paddies. I also learned that the old tradition has been altered with time. "There is another 'sanrinbo,'"said Mr. Ito. "It is written 'three', 'neighbors', 'pass away' . This has the same roots as the original 'sanrinbo' but the tradition says, if you build a house during one of the three 'sanrinbo' years, your neighbors will pass away." Mr. Ito's wife suggested that this version might feel a little closer to home to villagers. "If you built your house during a 'sanrinbo' year and something happened to one of your neighbors, you would know that it is because of your own actions. This probably influenced people not to build during the three year 'sanrinbo' years." The fear of the forest passing away used to be enough to prevent logging. Now, fear of causing others harm instills the same fear.
Deciding to switch feeding spots, swans fly off to the east. I found that this isn't just a story from the past. Even today, the Ito's advise people about when to build their houses. "In the old days, everyone in this area knew which years were the 'sanrinbo' years. There was no need to ask at the temple. However, today many young people don't know so they come for consultation here at the temple. Even though this is more of a Chinese tradition than a Buddhist one people still come here for help. We still tell people not to build during the three 'sanrinbo' years," said Mrs. Ito.
Before there were laws and countries, ancestors of cultures all over the world created little taboos, which worked wonders for managing society and the environment. I was very impressed to see that such traditions and taboos are still alive. My conversation with the Ito's made me begin to wonder if there are such taboos hidden in our lives today.
What do you all think? Are there any taboos that you follow in your daily lives?
I felt as if Mt. Chokai was looking over my shoulder as I left Sakata this morning. Crossing over the Mogami River there were so many swans that I couldn't count. Apparently, they rest in the river from dusk to dawn and feed in the harvested rice paddies during the day. Several flocks numbering up to 20 flew overhead as I headed south. Walking through a maze of rice paddies I caught up with my feathered friends. They stood picking at the soil with their beaks.
I left my swan friends behind and headed into the gray clouds which foretold the afternoon's rain.
Greg
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