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A 16th century bronze bell rang 108 times on Sunday during a celebration of the Japanese New Year at San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum.
The sounding of the 2,100-pound bell, from a temple in Tajima Province and now part of the museum’s permanent collection, was overseen by Zen Buddhist priest Gengo Akiba Roshi, the museum said.
The priest conducted a blessing and a purification ritual that included chanting of the Buddhist Heart Sutra.
Akiba Roshi began the bell ringing, which is intended to curb the 108 mortal desires that torment humankind, according to the museum.
Members of the public were then invited to take turns ringing the bell to leave behind unfortunate experiences, regrettable deeds or ill luck from the previous year, and herald the start of a prosperous new year, the museum said.
Each toll was struck after the reverberations from the preceding toll had dissipated.
The ceremony was free with museum admission.
The post Asian Art Museum rings in Japanese New Year with 108 chimes of 16th century bronze bell appeared first on Local News Matters.
