Quote for the Day:
S: That was wonderful!
W: Bravo!
S: I loved it!
W: Oh, it was great!
S: Well, it was pretty good.
W: Well, it wasn't bad...
S: Well, there were parts of it that weren't very good.
W: It could've been a lot better.
S: I didn't really like it.
W: It was pretty terrible.
S: It was bad.
W: It was awful!
S: Oh, it was terrible!
W: Get 'em away!
S: Hey, BOO!
W: BOO!
- Waldorf and Statler, "Mahna Mahna"
Bonfire of the Buddhists · Tuesday November 1, 2005
I was recently invited to go to a Buddhist ceremony by my friend in Kyoto. It took place up on Mt. Hiei, among the temples of Enryakuji that have been there for over a thousand years. This particular ceremony was giving thanks for the recent construction of a new temple over near Kobe.
The ceremony was unique in that this is the only time it will ever be done (i.e. not annual), and it involved a great deal of chanting. The main piece of the ceremony involved lighting a bonfire with a flame that has been burning at the temple for the last 1000 years (except when the temple was burned down in 1571). I managed to get a few shots of the ceremony, as well as some movies:
Opening Procession
Lighting the Bonfire
Bonfire in Action
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