A woman whose name and surname are unknown lived in Nara, the capital. She was gentle by nature and beautiful in appearance. As is customary with married couples, she gave birth to several children with her husband.

As she aged, she became pious, made a copy of the Hokekyō, and decided to keep it as her principal sūtra. Since she had memorized the entire copy, she constantly recited it all the time, not sparing any moments for her daily activities. She completely ignored secular activities such as raising silkworms for silk threads, cutting, dyeing, and sewing cloth and materials. She paid utterly no attention to food, clothes and other household chores, nor to cultivation of the fields. But she fervently recited the sūtra with her palms pressed.

Her husband used to say to her, “People in general are busy making their living in this world. Why is it that you spend days idly, only reciting the sūtra, without caring for yourself, your husband, and your children? You should first engage in daily affairs, and then you may serve Buddha or recite the sūtra in your spare time.” The husband always tried to explain to her the customary mode of life, but the woman would never listen to him. She hired someone else to take care of the daily household chores.

The woman ignored everything secular and devoted herself solely to the sūtra recitation for more than twenty years.

Towards the end of her life, the woman became ill and recovered several days later. She bathed, put on clean clothes, held a copy of the sūtra and said to her husband, “We have spent the past several decades together as a man and wife. But today, I am leaving for another life. Why won’t you accompany me?” The woman turned to her children and said to them, “I delivered you into this world, and raised you while committing many sins. Dividing my body into small portions, I have created many persons. Now at the time when I leave for the other world, why is it that none of you accompany me? The sixty-thousand and three-hundred-some graphs of the Hokekyō which I have recited until today, the various Buddhas who radiate light, and the countless bodhisattvas who hold torches, will surround and accompany me to paradise.”

As the woman finished, she recited the sūtra, paid homage to Buddha, and passed away. For several days, her deceased body released a pleasant fragrance like that of jindan. Finally, her husband, relatives, and other associates in near and distant places all became pious and recited the Hokekyō. (Page 137-138)