Kiyomizu Temple

Location: Eastern Kyoto Map

Constructed: 798 AD

Kiyomizu Temple

 

Description of Kiyomizu Temple

Kiyomizu Temple

Kiyomizu Temple is a religious complex in the Eastern Kyoto in Japan. It is a Buddhist temple that was found in a 798 AD during Heian period. Kiyomizu temple takes its name from the waterfalls that exist in the complex, which come down from the hills close Kiyomizu (清水) literally means pure water, clear water or clean water. However all buildings date back to 1633 when Tokugawa Iemsu restored the sire. It is one of beloved sites in Japanese culture and several traditions are associated with it. Jumping of 13 m high stage was though to bring luck to those who survived the fall. The practice is now prohibited but several hundred jumps were attempted.

 

History

The monastery was founded in 778 by a monk of the Kojima-dera monastery in Yamato Province named Enchin. In a dream, the Thousand-armed Kannon Bodhisattva appeared to him and ordered him to settle near the Otova waterfall in the mountains of the neighboring province of Yamashiro. The monk complied with the order, laying a monastic settlement on the slopes of the mountains. In 780, he accidentally met the shogun Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, who was hunting in the vicinity of the waterfall. Upon learning that the wife of the shogun was seriously ill, the monk cured her with a prayer addressed to the bodhisattva. Sakanoue became a big fan of the Thousand-Armed Kannon, and she helped him win the northern campaign against the Emishi. In 798, the shogun, together with Entin, built a large main temple on Mount Otova in honor of the bodhisattva. It became the central building of the monastery.

The Records of the Establishment of Kiyomizu-dera, compiled in the early 9th century, recounts a different legend. In 780, Shogun Sakanoue shot a deer in the mountains for his pregnant wife. At that moment, Entin appeared before him and explained that killing a living being is a sin. When the shogun returned home and told his wife about this adventure, she was very upset. To repent for her many sins, the woman demolished the shogun's estate and built a Buddhist temple in its place, in which she honored the bodhisattva Kannon. Meanwhile, the shogun himself had to go on a northern campaign, so he asked the monk Entin to pray for the success of the campaign. It ended with the victory of the Japanese troops. In gratitude, the shogun turned his residence with a temple into a monastery, and helped Entin to become one of the lecturers at the Emperor's court.

Based on these translations, different dates for the founding of Kiyomizu-dera are put forward - 778, 780 or 789. The reason for this is the disunity of historians in the definition of the concept of "monastery": a monastic settlement or a settlement with a temple.

Development
Since its inception, Kiyomizu-dera has been a private monastery of the Sakanoue clan, descendants of migrants from the mainland. In 805, by order of Emperor Kammu, the monastery became the property of the Imperial House and the state. In 810, the monastery received a special status as a venue for official Buddhist prayers for the health of the Emperor and his family. In the same year, he first became known as "Kiyomizu-dera".

At the end of the 10th century, Kiyomizu-dera came under the patronage of one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in Japan - Kofuku-ji. It was the center of the Hosso sect and was located in the city of Nara, in the south of the Japanese capital of Kyoto. This monastery was at enmity with the Enryaku-ji Monastery, a stronghold of the Tendai sect, located in the east of the capital. The conflicts of both monasteries were of an armed nature, so Kiyomizu-dera, located next to Enryaku-ji, was repeatedly subjected to pogroms. The monastery suffered the most damage in 1165, when a large army of warrior monks from Enryaku-ji broke into Kiyomizu-dera and burned down the largest buildings, including the Main Temple. After 24 years, the entire monastery mountain was reduced to ashes by a detachment of Shinto priests from the Gion Shrine in Kyoto.

The growth among the Japanese of faith in the healing properties of the bodhisattva Kannon gradually turned the monastery into one of the largest Kyoto centers of this faith. Japanese aristocrats and commoners made pilgrimages to worship the local image of Kannon, donating large sums of money to the monks of Kiyomizu-dera. Due to the popularity of this monastery, its descriptions are found in many literary works of that time.

Invasions from Enryaku-ji became especially frequent from the 11th century, as a result of which the buildings of the Kiyomizu-dera monastery repeatedly turned into ashes, but were restored again. The development and preservation of the cultural monuments of Kiyomizu-dera were also negatively affected by the samurai civil strife of the 14th-16th centuries.

The modern central temple of the monastery, the "Main Hall", which is called the "Kiyomizu platform" (清水の舞台), is considered a monument of the 10th century, but in reality it was rebuilt in 1633 by order of the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu. Among the ancient architectural structures of the monastery, the bell tower and the Western Gate are distinguished. The descent that starts from this gate is famous for its shops that have existed here since the 17th century. To the south of the monastery is the Otova waterfall, which has been a popular place for visitors for hundreds of years. From the top of the monastery, there are beautiful views of modern Kyoto.

 

Buildings and monuments

As of 1997, Kiyomizu-dera covers an area of 242 m². The main buildings are located on the middle slope of Mount Otova. They have a stone foundation and are surrounded by masonry. From the main entrance of the monastery - the Nio Gate - there is a road leading to the Main Temple. Along the way are the West Gate, the three-tiered pagoda, the bell tower, the sutra library, the Founder's Temple, and the Asakura Temple. To the east of the Main Temple are the Shakyamuni Temple, the Amida Temple and the Inner Pavilion. To the south of the Main Temple flow three streams of the “Otova waterfall”, which gave the name to the monastery. South of the waterfall lies Brocade Cloud Valley. Behind it are the daughter monastery Taisan-ji, intended for prayers for successful childbirth, and a small three-tiered pagoda. In the north of the Main Temple is the Pavilion of Accomplishments. The entire territory of the monastery has been turned into a park.

 

In culture

Kiyomizu-dera is one of the most popular themes in Japanese classical literature. Pilgrimages and monastic ceremonies are described in Fujiwara no Michinaga's Diary of an Advisor (1021), Sei-Shonagon's Notes at the Headboard (early 11th century), and Murasaki Shikibu's Tale of Genji (1005). In the "New and Old Tales" (early 12th century), ten works are presented that tell about the miracles of Kiyomizu-dera. The central work is dedicated to a poor girl who, thanks to the prayers of the monastery bodhisattva Kannon, received wealth, happiness and a good husband. The New Collection of Old and New Japanese Songs contains two poems in praise of Kiyomizu-dera. The Tale of the Years of Heiji and The Tale of the House of Taira (13th century) recall the popularity of the Kanon cult in the capital and the miracles associated with them in the monastery.

Kiyomizu-dera is also sung in the plays of the Japanese drama theater no: "Tamura", "Morihisa", "Kumano"; in the performances of the kyogen comedy theater: “Ochanomizu”, “Igui”, “Imoji”; as well as fairy tales-stories: “Boy Issumboshi” and “Country of Brahma”. The monastic stories formed the basis of theatrical productions of the Japanese kabuki theater and the bunraku puppet theater.

Since 1995, the "Hieroglyph of the Year" ceremony has been held in Kiyomizu-dera with the support of the Japanese Character Testing Society. The hieroglyph is chosen by popular vote and is intended to symbolize the main event of the outgoing year for most Japanese. The ceremony takes place annually on December 12, the "day of the hieroglyph".

In 2007, Kiyomizu-dera was one of fourteen finalists in the New Seven Wonders of the World competition organized by a Swiss government foundation.