Asking The Bell to Ring

Chion-in Temple in Kyoto, Japan on New Year’s Eve is home to an amazing New Year’s Eve scene: 17 monks ring the largest bell in Japan 108 times.

Within our tradition we too ring the bell 108 times at the start of the New Year. Our bells are considerably smaller than the one seen in the video. Apparently the last cry (heard on the video) before the bell is actually struck goes something like, Ring Out!, or Sound!

We have started to NOT talk about the weather…it is THAT bad! And I will be away across the Pennines tomorrow. I hope to continue to post from my, as yet, undisclosed location.

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2 thoughts on “Asking The Bell to Ring”

  1. I was fortunate to be at Chion-in ten years ago for the ringing in of the New Year (and Century). It was a very cold night and the abbot looked frozen, while the monks rolled-up their sleeves and kept warm swinging the heavy log. Impressive to see and hear.
    There was recently a program on BBC iPlayer “Between the Ears – the Great Bell”. Sadly iPlayer is not available outside the UK but maybe some of your readers saw it.
    I also remember ringing a smaller bell 108 times in Reading many years ago! Good training.
    Best wishes for 2010.
    Walter

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