20/03/2022
Spectacular buddhist ceremony called "Seiryu-e"
"Seiryu" means blue dragon in Japanese and is considered to be one of the incarnation of "Kannon", deity of great mercy and compassion, and it is the principal image of Kiyomizu temple. It is said that this blue dragon comes to Otowa Waterfall in the precincts of the temple every night and drinks water.
I took this picture of the ceremony procession with plum blossoms, and as a result, the vivid red color of the blossoms created something like a fiery effect, reminiscent of typical western dragons. However, this blue dragon does not spit fire like the Western one, and it is not a monster but a guardian deity who guard Kyoto against disasters.
My imagination grows as I look at this picture, and this scenery seems to me that the dragon is protecting the temple from the fire.
先週の青龍会。仁王門前に咲いていた紅梅と一緒に撮りましたが、まるで観音様の化身である青龍が火災からお寺を護っているように感じられました。
#清水寺
#青龍会