Taking a Leap of Faith

This week our travelers had a chance to visit the Buddhist temple, Kiyomizudera. Now familiar with Kyoto's public transportation, students took a bus to their destination and walked up Kiyomizumichi, a bustling street filled with shops and eye-catching souvenirs. Once at the top, students posed for a quick picture before entering the temple grounds. You'll notice some of our students carrying umbrellas. Though we are in the midst of rainy season (梅雨 - tsuyuu) in Kyoto, we actually carried our umbrellas to protect us from the sun and hot temperatures. Within the ground, students had a chance to cool down under the lush greenery while exploring the over 1200-year-old temple.

Kiyomizudera is the temple of "pure water".  Students participated in a ritual to bring longevity, success, or love into their lives by drinking from one of the temple waterfall streams. Using long poles with cups, they collected water from one only stream, as drinking from all three is considered greedy.  

The temple is also famous for its large stage high above the ground. It was often visited as a holy place of Kannon. At one time, the custom of leaping down from the stage with a prayer to the Kannon was widely accepted. A famous expression, 清水の舞台から飛び降りる (Kiyomizu no butai kara tobi oriru) meaning  "to jump off the stage of Kiyomizu", captured this. The expression now means to make a bold decision and "take a leap of faith". Over the course of the last two weeks, students have reflected on the opportunity to learn and grow in a completely new culture. It was certainly a bold decision that came with a considerable amount of faith in themselves and their abilities.