Spiritual Gion Festival | Planet Dharma

1. Exploring the Mysteries of the Gion Festival Catherine Pawasarat Sensei is the author of a new book –The Gion Festival: Exploring Its Mysteries.We interviewed her about the festival’s ancient spiritual roots, her love for the community that surrounds it and why Dharma practitioners will find it a fascinating event. Catherine Sensei spent many years in Kyoto. She also speaks about her appreciation for our sangha’s genesis in Japan, and how this heritage inspires the teachings in North America today. The Gion Festival is an Ancient Purification Ritual Spiritual practice is a purification process – clearing out the limited views, habits and emotions that cause suffering. Through purification, illumination and beatification can follow. What you might find interesting is that the Gion Festival, though it appears as a touristy event at first glance, was originally designed to be an an elaborate purification ritual. The Gion Festival: A month of rituals, five processions, countless deities, shrines and portable shrines, thirty-four floats, antique treasures and fine arts, otherworldly music, an array of spiritual traditions, family heirlooms on display, kimono, people-watching, thousands of dedicated volunteers, more than 1150 years of history—the Gion Festival is truly a world-class celebration. Presented annually by thousands of volunteers, the Gion Festival is a fascinating self-organizing institution. With more than a millennium of rich history, it offers an excellent case study for sustainability and community resilience. The purpose of this book is to raise awareness and appreciation of the unique value of this tradition, as a way of contributing to its long-term survival. A wealth of information is provided on its history, associated events, and how to access specific sites where individual floats and their treasures can be viewed up close in truly astounding detail. Descriptions of their sumptuous decorations, especially textiles (both Kyoto-crafted, and from as far afield as medieval Europe) may inspire even long-term residents to revisit with fresh eyes. Source URL: https://www.planetdharma.com/gion-festival/