Location: Eastern Kyoto Map
Constructed: 798 AD
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.
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.
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.
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.