The Belly of the Buddha
Two Japanese students were showing some of the group around Kyoto. After a harrowing day of temples and city busses, half of the group, vocally lead by a cute but somewhat annoying undergraduate, decided to go to the 100 Yen store to buy cheap Japanese crap. Not that I don't like cheap Japanese crap or anything, but I preferred going with the group to see another temple. Because, dammit, I like them.
We walked up a hill, and arrived at what I now know is Kiyomizo-dera. Even though the cherry blossoms weren't quite out yet, it was still a beautiful sight. l had forgotten to bring my camera, of course.
The one Japanese student left asked if we wanted to go "downstairs." He apparently meant downstairs in one of the temple buildings, but I otherwise had no idea what it would be. Another two group members went off, and so it was the Japanese student, me, and another person.
We went and stood in line. When I got to the front of the line (because, I'm not sure why, I was first of our group), I handed the monk there 100 Yen (because I had seen the people in front of me do so). Better spent than at the 100 Yen store.
He handed me a nice postcard with a picture of an elaborate Buddha, which seemed to have no correspondance to anything I had seen there. Perhaps that was what would be seen downstairs? So I went down the stairs, where I encountered a black cloth covering the door. I went in, and though I had been warned that it would be dark, I was surprised to find it completely and utterly pitch black. Someone behind me told me to hang onto the handrail/rope. I surely did. I went along slowly becaues I was concerned about encountering more stairs. There weren't any more - though the path contained some surprising 90degree turns. I spiraled down through the dark.
Finally, up ahead, there was something under a light. It wasn't the Buddha of the picture. It was a rock. A large rock with a rounded top and some symbol on it. People in front of me were spinning the rock, and so that's what I did too. It was big and required some push. Then the rest of my party stumbled up and I was told to spin the rock and make a wish. So we all turned the rock. Then I went along a few more feet, and emerged from behind another opaque cloth. There was a stairway - thoroughly modern - with the monk above. That was it.
"We were in the Belly of the Buddha" said our guide. I asked him what was the significance of that - he wasn't sure. He also wasn't sure about the symbol on the top. Pleased with the whole thing, I proceeded to buy myriad good luck charms and give money to this or that Buddha or god (and clap, and ring the bell, and make a wish).
I later looked in the guidebook and found that it wasn't exactly the Belly of the Buddha but rather the womb of a female Bodhisattva. The rock was supposed to be able to grant any wish at all. I hardly remember what I wished for.
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Two Japanese students were showing some of the group around Kyoto. After a harrowing day of temples and city busses, half of the group, vocally lead by a cute but somewhat annoying undergraduate, decided to go to the 100 Yen store to buy cheap Japanese crap. Not that I don't like cheap Japanese crap or anything, but I preferred going with the group to see another temple. Because, dammit, I like them.
We walked up a hill, and arrived at what I now know is Kiyomizo-dera. Even though the cherry blossoms weren't quite out yet, it was still a beautiful sight. l had forgotten to bring my camera, of course.
The one Japanese student left asked if we wanted to go "downstairs." He apparently meant downstairs in one of the temple buildings, but I otherwise had no idea what it would be. Another two group members went off, and so it was the Japanese student, me, and another person.
We went and stood in line. When I got to the front of the line (because, I'm not sure why, I was first of our group), I handed the monk there 100 Yen (because I had seen the people in front of me do so). Better spent than at the 100 Yen store.
He handed me a nice postcard with a picture of an elaborate Buddha, which seemed to have no correspondance to anything I had seen there. Perhaps that was what would be seen downstairs? So I went down the stairs, where I encountered a black cloth covering the door. I went in, and though I had been warned that it would be dark, I was surprised to find it completely and utterly pitch black. Someone behind me told me to hang onto the handrail/rope. I surely did. I went along slowly becaues I was concerned about encountering more stairs. There weren't any more - though the path contained some surprising 90degree turns. I spiraled down through the dark.
Finally, up ahead, there was something under a light. It wasn't the Buddha of the picture. It was a rock. A large rock with a rounded top and some symbol on it. People in front of me were spinning the rock, and so that's what I did too. It was big and required some push. Then the rest of my party stumbled up and I was told to spin the rock and make a wish. So we all turned the rock. Then I went along a few more feet, and emerged from behind another opaque cloth. There was a stairway - thoroughly modern - with the monk above. That was it.
"We were in the Belly of the Buddha" said our guide. I asked him what was the significance of that - he wasn't sure. He also wasn't sure about the symbol on the top. Pleased with the whole thing, I proceeded to buy myriad good luck charms and give money to this or that Buddha or god (and clap, and ring the bell, and make a wish).
I later looked in the guidebook and found that it wasn't exactly the Belly of the Buddha but rather the womb of a female Bodhisattva. The rock was supposed to be able to grant any wish at all. I hardly remember what I wished for.
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VIEW 4 of 4 COMMENTS
hellomrworld:
sounds like a great temple ..
lu66:
wow!! it sounds like a rad trip!! 