Any visitor to Koyasan knows that this is one of the most sacred Buddhist areas in Japan. You know it when you see monks on the streets, when you take your shoes off to enter a temple, when you see Buddha statues with offerings placed carefully alongside them, situated anywhere and everywhere, like next to the bus stop or hidden in the gardens out the front of traditional inns. But, despite being told, it’s hard to comprehend just how sacred, for how long, and to how many people. That is, until you visit Okunoin.   Worshipers of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism first settled in Mt. Koya in 816 under the guidance of Kobo Daishi, as mentioned in my previous post. Okunoin cemetery is where he was laid to rest, and followers believe that he is not dead, but rather is in eternal meditation in his tomb, awaiting for the arrival of Miroku Buddha (the future Buddha), as he is the only one who can interpret his message for mankind. The mausoleum surrounding his …