Every July in Kyoto, the Gion Festival paints a living picture of history, devotion, art, and philosophy. Among its many floats (yamaboko), Hakurakuten Yama (白楽天山) stands out for its blend of poetic elegance and Zen insight. Its story is not just visual — it’s philosophical, spiritual, and deeply human.
Setting the Stage: Gion Festival & Saki Matsuri
The Gion Festival (Gion Matsuri) is one of Japan’s oldest and most celebrated festivals. Centered around Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto, much of its pageantry revolves around floats paraded through the city, ritual purification, community participation, and deeply layered symbolism.
The festival is divided into two halves: Saki Matsuri (Earlier Festival, July 10-17) and Ato Matsuri (Later Festival, July 18-24). Hakurakuten Yama is one of the floats of Saki Matsuri, appearing in the July 17 procession.
The Story Behind Hakurakuten Yama
Hakurakuten Yama is built around a story from 7th-8th-century China, blending poetry, philosophy, and Zen teaching.
The central characters are Master Dōrin (Daolin) — a Zen (Ch’an) master known for his unconventional wisdom — and Hakurakuten (Bai Letian), a famous poet of the Tang dynasty.
One telling scene depicted on the float: the poet asks the master, “What’s the essential meaning of the Buddhist teachings?”
The master’s reply: “Commit no evil, do good deeds!”
The poet, expecting something more arcane or mystical, retorts, “Even a three-year-old knows this!”
To this, Dōrin answers, “A three-year-old may know it, but even 80-year-olds can’t do it.”
The moment is simple, but profound: true understanding isn’t knowing words or doctrine; it’s living the ethics, the practice, not just conceptual knowledge. Hakurakuten, moved by this, bows. Even that gesture of humility shows that he recognizes something beyond mere intellectual grasp.
Symbolism & Design: What the Float Represents
Beyond the story, several layers of symbolism make Hakurakuten Yama rich:
Pine tree: The float shows Master Dōrin in a pine tree. The pine is a traditional symbol in East Asia of endurance, long life, resilience. It’s also a site of solitude, meditation, perhaps even eccentricity (the Zen master dwelling in trees). It frames the scene in nature, suggesting elevation (physical and spiritual).
Poetry & accessibility: Hakurakuten is not merely a poet of high culture; he is known for being socially conscious, accessible. Hence the tension: the poet wants profundity, perhaps mystical or abstract, but the Zen master gives him something simple, ethical, demanding in action. This echoes many Zen stories.
Community resilience: The float has survived serious adversities — fires in 1788 and 1864 nearly destroyed many floats; Hakurakuten Yama was damaged but recovered. The dedication of its chōnai (neighbourhood) in maintaining the float, restoring damaged parts, commissioning textiles (like a depiction of the Temple of Heaven woven in the early 20th century) shows how culture, memory, and care persist through generations.
Why It Speaks to Us Today
What makes Hakurakuten Yama resonate even now, in modern life?
Ethics over show: In a world of appearances, social media, performance, the story reminds us that wisdom isn’t always flashy, but about doing what’s right—or trying to. Saying "do no evil, do good" is simple, yet profoundly hard.
Humility: The poet’s challenge, the master’s reply, and the bow—these reflect humility: sometimes what we expect as “deep” is already known; the difficulty is living it sincerely.
Tradition & devotion: Keeping a float alive for centuries—even through fires, disasters, change—demands community commitment. It’s more than hobby; it’s honouring ancestors, preserving dignity.
Art + philosophy: The float is not just a sculpture. It is poetry, story, visual artistry, philosophical teaching. To watch it in procession is to be part of a narrative that binds art and ethics.
Connection to nature: The pine tree, the outdoors, the natural environment of Kyoto—these give space for reflection, for slowing down. Zen often uses nature as metaphor; the float embodies that.
Visiting Hakurakuten Yama: What to See & Feel
If you plan to experience it in person, here are suggestions to appreciate it fully:
When: As part of Saki Matsuri, especially on July 17, Hakurakuten Yama is paraded. The evenings preceding that (Yoiyama evenings) are also special for seeing the floats lit up.
Where to stand: Look for places along the procession where floats pause, turn, or slow down. You’ll get better angles to see details: the figures, the woodwork, the textiles, expressions.
Look closely at the details: See the statue of Dōrin in the pine tree. The quality of the textiles; any inscriptions; how the pose of the poet vs the Zen master is sculpted.
Absorb atmosphere: The procession is ritual and reverent, but also vibrant with waiting crowds, lanterns, local participants. The blend of people, light, sound (festival drums, chants or music), and movement creates a space where myth and present intersect.
Reflect: With Hakurakuten Yama, the philosophical story invites reflection. Think about the question posed: what does “do no evil, do good” mean in your life? What are the simple teachings you might know—but struggle to live?
A Thoughtful Takeaway
Hakurakuten Yama shows that in the beauty of ritual and spectacle, there are always deeper currents. The visible—that carving, those colors, that procession—is the entry point. Behind it lies asking: what do we believe? What do we do?
The float teaches that true spiritual depth is not in accumulating knowledge or status, but in consistent practice; that understanding emerges when one bows—both literally and metaphorically—to what is simple, true, and hard to live.
Hakurakuten Yama is a gift: a story still alive in wood, cloth, community. If you ever have the chance to see it, do: not only to admire, but to listen.
Visit: https://www.gionfestival.org/yamaboko-floats/saki-matsuri/hakurakuten-yama/
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