On a bright and sunny Wednesday in Kyoto, SJMC Japan students had the opportunity to witness the Kiyomizu-dera Temple surrounded by endless trees that enhanced the building.
Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera Temple was founded in 778, and its history dates to 1,250 years ago. The temple is a holy place for people to pray to deity Kannon Bodhisattva (Avalokitesvara), eleven-headed thousand-armed Buddhist goddess of mercy and infinite compassion. Kannon is said to answer prayers of all kinds, as her name means “you and I”, acting as empathy.
She is believed to take on 33 different forms and may even be a stranger you pass on the street rather than an image at the Kiyomizu-dera Temple itself.
Kannon is considered to watch over the world both subjectively and objectively with the whole heart, unlike humans who have a more biased perspective when first encountering someone. “Kan” means subjectivity, opinions and beliefs. “Non” means objectivity, perceiving the world as it is. Kannon does not judge. She reminds us to view the world with unprejudiced eyes.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple was founded by a monk named Kenshin when he discovered a waterfall in Mount Otowa in Kyoto and met a priest named Gyoei-koji who granted him a sacred tree for a Kannon statue to be carved from.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” Gyoei-koji told Kenshi. “I am heading east for Buddhist ascetic practices. Please carve this tree into a statue of the thousand-armed Kannon and build a temple for Kannon in this sacred place.”
Two years later, a warrior named Sakanoue-no-Tamuramaro offered to assist Kenshin with his mission to build a temple. With his wife Miyoshino Takako, Tamuramaro built a temple to enshrine the Kannon Bodhisattva as the main object of worship and named it Kiyomizu, meaning “pure water,” after the Otowa Waterfall.
The waterfall consists of three separate streams. Drinking from one of the streams will grant you success, love, or longevity. Choose wisely, as drinking from more than one, or all three, is considered greedy.
SJMC Japan students lined up with many other visitors to drink from the waterfall. Digital media innovation junior Berkelee Bryan drank from the stream that grants blessings in love, because she believes it is the most meaningful to her.
“It was such a great experience, being able to drink from the waterfall with my fellow classmates and people from around the world,” Bryan said. “It was such a bonding experience, as we all have desires and blessings in our own lives, but we’re together. It was a beautiful connection.”
Students overlooked a stunning view of Kyoto in the daytime, but the temple offers special viewings at night.
During nightfall, a blue beam shines upon the temple to embody the compassion of Kannon. Her merciful light shines over the ancient city a few nights during the spring, summer and autumn seasons.
The beautiful scenery surrounding the temple also changes with the seasons. Cherry blossoms occur from late March to early April with notes of pink everywhere, and autumn leaves create a warmer scene from mid-November to early December.
Additionally, many events occur at Kiyomizu-dera Temple throughout the year. The most widely known event is the Thousand-day Prayer. This one day is equivalent to a thousand days’ worth of prayers to worship Kannon. These days are said to have the most presence from Kannon, as some say you can feel her compassion while praying.
There is so much more that the temple has to offer that SJMC Japan students have yet to experience, from more scenic views at night or varied seasons and sacred rituals their short allotted time visiting the Kiyomizu-dera Temple did not grant them.
Although students took the time to appreciate the cultural significance of the temple and waterfall, an additional visit feels necessary to experience the historical faith and spirit of Kannon.
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