annual event in Kyoto no.5 New year’s eve & New year No.1
In japan the New Year is still the most important period.
Everything, material and spiritual, should be refreshed and cleaned.
According to the Buddhism every one has 108 worldly desires which cause our evil behaviors.
Conveniently by tolling the temple bell 108 times those 108 worldly desires are disappearing from our minds.
All the temple toll their bells.
Many temples people line up and they can actually toll the bell in turn, listen to the deep low sound and reverberation, contemplating the passing year.
The outstanding temple must be Chion-in Temple.
There, the bell is so huge that it needs well more than 10 monks to toll the bell.
The huge bell hammer hanged from the belfry and more than 10 ropes hang from the hammer.
One monk holds one rope and stands back to the bell.
Other monks make a line facing the bell with a rope in their hands.
It is very important to work well together.
They swing the hammer several times with encouraging shout then at last toll the bell using all their body weights.
After one bell they pray and repeat again, so it takes 2 minutes before the next bell sound.
You might imagine it should be very noisy when you hear the bells from all the temples in the town.
But actually it is absolutely quiet….
I took a movie, and when I looked at that later I heard murmuring voices around me but no sound of the bell… I just could see the monks repeat tolling the bell and prayer again and again in absolute solemn silence.