World and Lore / Kyoto mystery

Death and Defilement

Long ago, there lived a pious monk whose devotion to the gods was exceedingly deep. Every month without fail, he would visit the most sacred Jingu shrine at Ise. One day, as he made his regular pilgrimage, he discovered the dead body of a woman lying by the side of the road. Now, when entering the Ise Shrine, one must ensure one's body and soul are spotless. But though death is considered to be the gravest of impurities, the monk did not hesitate to approach the woman as he dutifully performed the customary rites for the dead. In fact, this had been a test by the shrine gods. Through his actions, the monk had demonstrated that he had a truly compassionate soul, and that he did not fear defiling his own body by coming into contact with the dead. After his visit, the monk returned to his own temple, which later came to be regarded as a place where one could pray to be freed of all manner of impurities.