The verse

The dawn bell strikes before the hills awake,It pours its voice down cliffs and asks no thing.Long fire it bore to forge that hollow bronze—A heart kept empty draws the echo home.

Reading

Learn the way of the bell: it sounds first and listens after, giving its voice without demanding reply. The bronze must be long-tempered, the heart kept hollow. Yours is the striking; the echo belongs to heaven.

The temple keeper adds

The middle path. No drama from the god today — only a road you can still walk.

[ Draw another at the temple ][ Keep a traffic omamori ]