Kiyomizu Temple - Kyoto, Japan

From the Main Hall, steps lead down to Otowa no Taki, a small waterfall fed by the original spring that gave the temple its name. Visitors stand in line to catch the water in ladles and drink it with surprising disregard for modern disease. They probably believe that the curative power attributed to Kiyomizu's water will be strong enough. Formerly, ascetic monks would stand under the cold stream of the waterfall, performing the takigyo rite, a more impressive sight than today's noisy tourists. In fact, the water falls down in three narrow streams, symbolizing the Buddha, his Law and the Priesthood.

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Travel & Events

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• Kiyomizu
• OtowanoTaki
• kyoto
• water
• ladle
• takigyo
• buddha
• buddhist
• buddhism
• japan
• japanese
• architecture