It is very well known that walking or mountaineering are healthy. Nowadays it is common to walk or climb mountain for healthy. But our ancestors had made a good system for keeping healthy. I will show you "The ancestor's wit". (Is the ancestor God or Buddha?)

I analyzed "The ancestor's wit" like this.
[Temple is on a mountain; People can cure illness by praying at a temple.]

1. People can keep healthy by praying at a temple.
A temple is on a mountain. And people can cure illness by praying often at a temple. The people who believe pray many times with the wish that illness will be cure. People become healthier step by step. So they believe that a temple makes them healthy, they pray more and more. And they believe that praying at a temple cures their illness. Their wishes become true.

This village's people who see this become believer in the temple. And believers increase more and more. Many people who believe temple's effect go on praying in a temple. So many people become healthy.
The neighboring village people go to the temple to pray, so they get healthy, too. Almost all people the believe that a temple grants the believer's wishes.

2. Why do people become healthy by going to a temple?
Now you understand it. Going to the temple means climbing a mountain or a lot of walking, so people become healthy spontaneously by moderate exercise?
Nowadays we get the information that walking is good to keep healthy by radio, TV, and magazine.

3. Almost all temples are in the mountains.
Almost all temples are in the mountains so believers have to stress themselves to get to a temple, and they can keep healthy.
This is the ancestor's wit. Good idea, isn't it?

A temple is named so-and-so San or Zan (mountain) so-and-so Ji (Temple). The names have the noun "San" because they are in mountain. After many years Buddhism expanded into Japan. Temples had a lot of money and power, and temples were used to in politics. Many temples were made in flat areas like the Heiankyo (Kyoto) as canonical symbol.
The temples in flat area have the name "so-and-so San", too.
If you look at temple's name carefully, you can see that a temple is named so-and-so San (mountain) so-and-so Ji (Temple).
Ex.
1) Kissho-san Eihei-ji is the original temple of the Sohtoh-sect in Fukui prefecture
2) Hiei-zan Enryaku-ji is on Mt. Hiei in Kyoto prefecture.
3) Narita-san Shinshoji is on Mt(hill) Narita near the Narita airport in Chiba prefecture.
4) Toei-zan Kan-ei-ji is in the Ueno park, Tokyo. (on the hill)
5) Kinryu-san Senso-ji is in the Asakusa, Tokyo. (in flat area)

4. The same ideas
1) Keeping health by walking around the 88 temples in Shikoku.
It is same system to keep healthy by walking around the 88 temples. The people visiting the 88 temples have to walk all over the Shikoku area. So they keep healthy.
2) "Ohyakudo-mairi"
"Ohyakudo-mairi" the 100 times temple visiting is same system.
3) Another religion
Another religion has a same idea. The Islamic Mecca tour is same system. The believers have to walk a lot to get to the Mecca, so they can keep health.

Almost all system are same.
Our ancestor knew that walking was good for health before 4000 years ago.

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