Yasaka Koshindo Temple, Kyoto
At a Buddhist temple, you usually write your prayer on a wooden plaque that you tie onto racks near the temple. At this small temple in the Yasaka area of Kyoto, instead of wooden plaques, you write your prayer on a colorful fabric ball called a kukurizaru. The ball represents a mischievous monkey with its hands and feet tied to prevent it from acting on its will or desire. The idea is that if you control your desires, your prayer will come true. Makes for a much more colorful temple.
Yasaka Koshindo Temple, Kyoto
At a Buddhist temple, you usually write your prayer on a wooden plaque that you tie onto racks near the temple. At this small temple in the Yasaka area of Kyoto, instead of wooden plaques, you write your prayer on a colorful fabric ball called a kukurizaru. The ball represents a mischievous monkey with its hands and feet tied to prevent it from acting on its will or desire. The idea is that if you control your desires, your prayer will come true. Makes for a much more colorful temple.