They went missing
The last time I saw them is 8/18/2022.
Chozu washbasin 手水
At the entrance of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temple, except small ones, we find a washbasin filled with water called Chozu (手水) with which every visitors wash hands and mouth to prepare for the sacred places they visit.
Some of them are ornamented with flowers and plants. They are not for decoration. Shrines and temples put them on Chozu because they welcome them telling the season the visitors in.
These days, Hanachozu /Hanatemizu (花手水) is a la mode. Hanachozu originally means Chozu without water and its washbasin is filled with only flowers. The ones we see today are filled with water and flowers. And the most Kawaii one is located Konkai Komoji temple (金戒光明寺).
Afro Buddha and Afro duckies アフロ大仏とアフロアヒル
Konkai Komyoji is not a famous place like Kiyomizu-dera temple or Kinkakuji temple. Only so-called Kyoto-enthusiasts knew it as a place for Afro Buddha (Amitabha) but about a year ago, it won a fame for Kawaii-lovers.
In front of the main hall of Konkai Komyoji, there is a Chozu. There used to be rubber tortoises in the basin.
One day, all of a sudden, the temple found they all “disappeared.” Few days later, they come back there and vanished away again. A monk was hesitant to say “stolen” but it was apparent what happened to them. We were at a loss for words and only Afro Buddha knows where they were.
It is said that Afro Buddha grew his Rahotsu (螺髪) hair because he thought about the ways to help us for a long time. I’m sure he found us in despair. The monk found rubber duckies in the washbasin one morning. Someone donated them to the temple in secret.
Some of them grew Afro Rahotsu as Afro Buddha. They are the Afro duckies.
Now, there are lots of duckies and they make 3-D Raigozu.
Raigozu 来迎図
In Buddhism in Japan, we believe when a one ceased to exist, Amitabha, with many Deities, comes form Gokuraku Jodo paradise to bring them there.
Take a look at them. I suppose they shape Raigozu in 3 dimensions to bring us some contentment while we are alive. 合掌
This post is dedicated to the victims of 3.11 and all the people in suffer. 合掌
