清水寺の由来と舞台
万華鏡 Mangekyo, Japan through history.
On this show, we explore Japan's famous placesthrough the lens of history and uncover thestories most people never hear.
By the end of each episode, I hope you'll want tolearn more and see these places in a whole newway.
I'm your host, Taiki Arai.
Today, we are visiting Kiyomizu-dera, a Buddhisttemple in Higashiyama, on the eastern side ofKyoto.
It's famous for its huge wooden stage built outover the side of a cliff.
The stage is about 13 meters above the groundbelow.
That's about as high as a four-story building.
In Japanese, there's a saying, to jump off thestage at Kiyomizu, it means to make a big, bolddecision.
So, here's a question.
Do you think anyone ever actually jumped?
The answer is yes, and not just one or two people.
So, why would anyone jump from this height?
And why build a stage on a cliff in the firstplace?
That's what we'll find out today.
According to tradition, Kiyomizu-dera was foundedin 778, before Kyoto even became the capital.
A monk named Enchin, who was training in Nara, hada dream.
In it, he was told to go north and look for aspring of pure, clear water.
He followed the dream and arrived at a mountaincalled Otowa.
There, he found the Otowa Waterfall.
And that's where the temple's name comes from.
Kiyomizu means pure water.
So, this temple began with water.
The temple was later expanded by a famous warriornamed Sakano Ueno Tamuramaro.
In our first episode, we talked about EmperorKamu, who built the capital of Heian-kyo.
Tamuramaro was one of Kanu's top generals.
It's said that Tamuramaro met the monk Enchin, wasdeeply moved,
and built a hall to enshrine a Buddhist figurecalled Kannon.
Remember that name, Kannon.
It's the key to today's story.
The buildings you see today aren't the originals,though.
Kiyomizu-dera burned down many times over thecenturies.
The current main hall was rebuilt in 1633 byTokugawa Iemitsu,
the third shogun of the Edo period.
So, it has stood there for almost 400 years.
And in 1994, Kiyomizu-dera was registered as aUNESCO World Heritage Site,
as part of the Historic Monuments of AncientKyoto.
In front of the main hall is the famous stage.
It sits on a frame of thick wooden pillars setinto the slope of the cliff.
This style is called kakezukuri, and here's theamazing part.
It was built without a single nail.
The wood is simply fitted together.
When I went inside the main hall, I saw a huge oldpillar on display.
It was one of the pillars that used to hold up thestage.
Because the stage is built without nails, all thepillars can be replaced one by one.
That's how it has been kept standing forcenturies.
神社と寺の見分け方・参拝方法
But why build such a big stage on a cliff?
To answer that, we first need to talk about what aBuddhist temple is.
Think back to our last episode, Fushimi Inari.
Fushimi Inari is a Shinto shrine.
Kiyomizu-dera is a Buddhist temple.
Both are places to pray, but they honor verydifferent things.
A Shinto shrine honors Kami, the native gods ofJapan.
At Fushimi Inari, that's the god of rice, and thefoxes are the god's messengers.
A Buddhist temple honors Buddhas and otherBuddhist figures.
Buddhism began in India, then traveled throughChina and the Korean Peninsula,
and reached Japan around the year 538.
Here's a simple tip.
Look for a tree gate.
If there's a tree, it's a shrine.
Temples usually don't have one.
Remember, Fushimi Inari also had a big gate, theone Hideyoshi donated.
Both shrines and temples have gates, so the treeis the real clue.
The way you pray is different, too.
At a shrine, the basic way is to bow twice, claptwice, and bow once more.
At a temple, you don't clap.
You simply put your hands together quietly.
At Kiyomizu, I gently rang a large ball-shapedbell once, then put my hands together.
So, clap at a shrine, don't clap at a temple.
Just remembering that will make visiting Japan'ssacred places much easier.
観音信仰と清水の舞台からの飛び降り
And the Buddhist figure honored here is Kannon.
Kannon is a figure of compassion in Buddhism.
The full name, Kanzeon, means the one who hearsthe cries of the world.
Kannon is said to hear people in trouble and cometo help them.
Kannon is not a historical person, but a figuredescribed in Buddhist teachings.
Kannon is a Bosatsu or Buddhist sattva, someonewho chooses to help others before reachingenlightenment.
Kannon is also said to take on different forms tomatch the person in need.
In Buddhist scripture, Kannon appears in 33different forms.
That's why there are many types of Kannon.
One has 11 faces to watch over every direction.
Another has a thousand arms to help as many peopleas possible.
The main image at Kiyomizu-dera is an 11-faced,thousand-armed Kannon.
But it's a hidden Buddha, kept behind closeddoors,
and in principle shown to the public only onceevery 33 years.
There's that number again, 33.
So why did people rely on Kannon so much?
Because Kannon helps with problems in this life.
Illness, fire, floods, childbirth.
Anyone could pray to Kannon, rich or poor.
In the Kansai region, there's a famous pilgrimageroute of 33 Kannon temples.
Kiyomizu-dera is number 16.
Now, back to the stage.
This temple began at a mountain spring,
so the main hall was built on the steep slopeabove the waterfall, not on flat land.
That's why the stage sticks out from the slopeover the cliff.
And this stage was a place to offer dance, music,and other performances to Kannon.
In other words, it was a stage for Kannon towatch.
And now, our first question.
Did anyone really jump?
Records from the Edo period show that 234 peoplejumped from the stage.
Why?
People believed that if they jumped, trustingtheir lives to Kannon, their wishes would cometrue.
Kannon, who always helps those in need, wouldsurely protect them.
Amazingly, about 85% of them survived.
It's said the trees below and the soft groundhelped break their fall.
But some people did die, and in 1872, the Kyotogovernment banned jumping.
So behind the saying, to jump off the stage atKiyomizu are real people,
who put their whole trust in Kannon.
清水寺の見どころと音羽の滝
Here are three tips in the order you'll walk.
First, at the big red entrance gate, called theNioumon, look at the two guardian lion dogs.
Usually, one has its mouth open and the other hasit closed.
A pair called Aun.
But at Kiyomizu, both have their mouth open.
I had to look twice when I first saw them.
Second, after you stand on the stage, walk ontothe inner hall, called Okunoin, and look back.
From the stage itself, you can't see the stage.
But from Okunoin, you can see the whole thinghanging over the cliff.
That's where the famous photos are taken.
On a clear day, you can even see Kyoto Tower inthe distance, right in front of Kyoto Station.
Third, at the end, walk down to the OttawaWaterfall, the water that gave the temple itsname.
The water falls in three streams, often said tobring luck in study, love, and long life.
I drank from the one on the left, but be careful.
It's said that if you drink from all three, youare being greedy, and the luck disappears.
Today, we visited Kiyomizu-dera, a temple thatbegan with pure water,
a stage built for Kannon, and people who trustedKannon enough to jump.
Next time, we'll visit a temple where 1,001statues of Kannon stand in rows.
And you'll find out more about the number 33.
Before I go, a quick note.
I also work as a tour guide.
If you're planning a trip to Kyoto or Osaka andwould like me to show you around,
or if you'd just like to share your thoughts onthe show,
please get in touch through the Google form linkedin the episode description.
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If you enjoyed this episode, please follow theshow on your favorite app.
I'm Taiki Arai, and this has been Mangekyo.
See you next time. Goodbye!
