Jizo and Inari

Past the main temple complex of Kiyomizu Dera, the hondo and the Okunin hall, a path continues along the mountainside. From the spectacular platform of the temple we’d looked out at a sea of greenery, Japanese maples mostly, and seen a three storied pagoda far away. The path curved around to it. As we walked we passed these kawaii (adorable) statues of a monk who everybody seemed to want to give money to. These are the modern images of Jizo, the bodhisattva Ksitigarbha.

A visit to the three storied Koyasu pagoda is said to ease childbirth, a story that is associated with the dream of a medieval empress. The pagoda was beautiful against the crisp blue sky, such a rarity for me in Kyoto. And from here I could look across that sea of green and see the main buildings of the temple, with the other three storied pagoda standing over it.

Jizo, the bodhisattva Kshitigarbha, is said to spend his time rescuing souls from every one of the hells. One aspect that has become prominent in Japanese culture is that he helps souls who died as children and cannot reach heaven on the strength of their own good deeds in life. It is because of the belief that Jizo is the protector of children (in My Friend Totoro, Mei takes shelter at a Jizo shrine when she is caught in the rain) that people stuff money into his robes and mouth (to pay the boatman over the rivers of afterlife). Dressing the older stone statues of Jizo in red cap and cape is believed to be a donation of your own good deed to help the souls of children. The path curved down the valley fairly steeply and there were Jizo statues everywhere. Except at one spot, where we saw an Inari shrine.

Inari Okami, the great goddess, is one of the oldest and perhaps the most popular Shinto belief. She is the goddess of fertility and agriculture, of tea, sake, and industry, and of foxes. Even an uncultured gaijin like me can figure out an Inari shrine by the fox guardians. We walked in through the torii, the spirit gate, and looked at the shrine. The goddess of fertility is a natural presence near a pagoda which eases childbirth, and a path dedicated to dead children. Shinto and Buddhism are not easily separated in Japan.