O Settai

"O Settai" (An Offering to Pilgrims) captures the small kindnesses offered along the Shikoku pilgrimage route, tea and mandarin oranges offered by local residents, along with a few gentle words. Comforted by smiles that ask for nothing in return, the pilgrim feels the warmth of the phrase "dogyo ninin," the belief that Kobo Daishi walks beside every traveler, lighting a small flame in a weary heart. Even shelter from the rain under a stranger's eaves, or a blanket offered out of concern for the cold, carries a deep respect for the once-in-a-lifetime nature of each encounter. The chorus sings of the inner peace found after crossing rugged mountains and valleys to complete all eighty-eight temples, a homecoming feeling of finally being able to say "I'm back." It is a warm, deeply moving ballad about how human kindness carries forward into the future.