In the ancient monastery of Miidera there was a great bronze bell. It rang out every morning and evening, a clear, rich note, and its surface shone like sparkling dew. The priests would not allow any woman to strike it, because they thought that such an action would pollute and dull the metal, as well as bring calamity upon them.
When a certain pretty woman who lived in Kyoto heard this, she grew extremely inquisitive, and at last, unable to restrain her curiosity, she said: “I will go and see this wonderful bell of Miidera. I will make it send forth a soft note, and in its shining surface, bigger and brighter than a thousand mirrors, I will paint and powder my face and dress my hair.”
At length this vain and irreverent woman reached the belfry in which the great bell was suspended, at a time when all were absorbed in their sacred duties. She looked into the gleaming bell and saw her pretty eyes, flushed cheeks, and laughing dimples. Presently she stretched forth her little fingers, lightly touched the shining metal, and prayed that she might have as great and splendid a mirror for her own. When the bell felt this woman’s fingers, the bronze that she touched shrank, leaving a little hollow, and losing at the same time all its exquisite polish.
Woman in Summer Garment. Goyo Hashiguchi. c. 1920
This little story is a tale warning against greed and vanity. The temple of Miidera had a bell polished like a mirror that was used for religious purposes in the area. The greedy and vain woman wanted to see how should would look in this legendarily polished bell. The Miidera Temple is about three hours walk from Kyoto, according to Google Maps. It is a little over 8 miles away. In any case, her greed and vanity is what profanes the bell. She prays for a mirror as splendid as the bell (which served everyone in the area) for her own. This greed literally causes the bell to rot at her touch.
We have to remember that mirrors were expensive. A large bronze bell would be even more expensive and time consuming to make. this woman was already familiar with mirrors, and she lived in Kyoto. Kyoto was the Imperial City – the seat of the Emperor. It was also the center of culture for most of Japanese history. Miidera was a temple that was said to have bathed three newborn emperors in its well. The woman shows disregard for the sacred in an effort to sate her vanity. She also was greedy; she wanted a mirror above all other mirrors.
The Miidera Temple also appears in The Tale of the Heike, a collection of oral stories that focus on the Genpei War. According to the epic, Miidera Temple was burned down after its monks and the amries of Minamoto no Yorimasa were defeated. This folktale might be linked to this burning of the Miidera temple.
References
F. Hadland Davis, Myths and Legends of Japan (London: George G. Harrap and Company, 1917), pp. 141-142.
