Kyoto Festival: Bamboo Cutting Ritual at Kurama-dera (Takekirie)

A temple with an interesting history that can be traced back to a single hermitage founded by a Chinese monk in 770, Kurama-dera in northern Kyoto is nestled in the ancient forests and set partway up Mount Kurama. Formally a Tendai sect Buddhist temple, they formed their own school, Kurama-kōkyō, in 1947 in order to return to their roots. The object of worship at Kurama-dera is the trinity Sonten composed of Bishamonten, the Thousand-armed Kannon, and Gohōmaōson, who are said to be a power of decending from outside our world. The mountain is also said to be the home of the legendary tengu, spirits of the mountain depicted as fierce guardians of the natural world. Because of its location this temple has a deep and abiding relationship with nature, and many of its rituals throughout the year reflect this. We were fortunate enough to be able to go to Kurama-dera on June 20th for their annual bamboo cutting ritual, the Takekiri-eshiki (or Takekiri-e). Held as a homage to a legend about a monk of the temple and h