A Symphony of Colors – The Lonely Souls in the Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple

If the 1,200 rakan statues that stand at the Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple represent the Buddhist followers’ celebration of their faith in life, then the 8,000 stone markers at the Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple are the proper tribute to death. I saw an unintended and unlikely juxtaposition between the two temples that presented the occasion for a philosophical appreciation of life, coming full circle from living to death. Like the church graveyards of medieval times in European countries, the temples of Japan were often sites of burials as well. The Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple, however, originated from the burial of the dead. During the Heian period, the Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple had an eerie past as a site of open burial for those who had no family or friends who could oversee a proper rite for their passing. At some point in history, the remains were buried in a simple manner. The stone pillars memorialized the spirited, as grave markers. The temple began when the famous monk Kukai (774-835 A.D.), who was the founder of Shingon Buddhism, established a temple in this area about 1,200 years ago. Even at the temple’s inception, it stood for the remembrance of the dead as the site of prayers for the departed. About 100 years ago during the Meiji period, there was effort to collect all the stone markers in the area. People placed them in a dedicated space, and they lit candles as an act of worship. At Sai no Kawara, 8,000 stone grave markers stand. There is a festival of candle lighting annually to these lonely spirits at Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple. At the Sento Kuyo festival, innumerable candles are lit amidst the grave markers in Sai no Kawara in late August each year for this event, a tradition that came from the Meiji period. Also at the temple is a beautiful bamboo grove pathway that has very few visitors. Finally, the Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street just off of this temple features old traditional Japanese houses called machiya’s. They often come with pitched roofs and the structures are built of wood. They are now mostly shops and businesses. #adashinonenbutsujitemple #temple #burial #cemetery #japan #kyoto #arashiyama #buddhism #bamboo #bambooforest #bamboogrove #redfoliage #historicallandmarks#历史古迹