Priest Dōei was a man from Ōmi Province. In his youth, he went to Mt. Hiei and lived in the Hōdōin. Since he was one of those who received government support, he spent as much as twelve years sequestered in the mountain. There he read, learned the Mahāyāna Teachings, served his masters, venerated Buddhas by offering flowers, and spent many years reading the sūtras. Twelve years later, he finally returned to his country.

As he quietly remained at home, he reflected, “Being unintelligent, I have not learned much about the teachings of the Law. Lacking energy, I have not accomplished much by my ascetic practices. I only add years to my age and the remaining years before the expiration of my life are fewer. If I spend this life vainly, surely I will tread the path to the Three Lower Realms of fire, blood, and swords. Unless I plant good seeds now, I will not be able to gather the good fruit of Buddha. I think I will copy the Hokekyō.”

Thus deciding, Dōei began to copy the sūtra. Every time he finished copying one chapter, he made it a roll with a cover and invited five experts for veneration, discussion, and lecturing on the chapter. In this manner he offered a venerating dedication for the sūtra a few times or five to six times a month depending on the number of copies. This continued for some ten years and Dōei awaited his last moments as he firmly vowed, “For generation after generation, if one meets Buddhas and the Law, and if one copies the marvelous Hokekyō, one will surely become a Buddha on leaving one’s present status.”

At one time Dōei dreamed of a two-storied golden pagoda constructed in his front yard. It was most beautifully decorated with Korean lutes, with bells hanging from the spire on the top of the roof, and with the bejeweled ball placed at the tip of the spire. Looking at the pagoda, Dōei earnestly venerated it. Then a man resembling Taishaku appeared and said to Dōei , “This is the pagoda for storing your copied sūtras. Open its doors and see the interior.”

Being overjoyed by his dream, Dōei opened the doors and saw that every part of the interior of the pagoda except that towards the northeast was filled with several hundred copies of piled sūtras.

The man said again, “All the sūtras you copied in your present life are in this pagoda. You will ascend to the Tosotsu Heaven with this pagoda.”

Dōei woke up from his dream and leaped up and down with unlimited joy. Afterwards, his faith in the sūtra became firmer and he continued to copy it.

As he grew older, he became unable to walk and moved to the Yasu district, relying on his acquaintances. Towards the end of his life, Dōei finished copying the Chapter of Fugen. He venerated it with lectures, paid homage to it, joined his palms and passed away. (Page 51-52)

Myōtatsu was a resident priest of the Fuyama-Ryūgeji Temple of the Takawa District of Dewa Province. Being pure in mind and conduct, he was not spoiled by the vulgarities of life. He firmly followed the precepts, always feared sins and crime, and recited the Hokekyō. He avoided idleness, was filled with mercy, and always enjoyed offering blessings and benefits to others.

In the ninth year of Tenryaku, Myōtatsu, with no particular illness or pain, suddenly passed away holding a copy of the Hokekyō in his hand and arrived at the King Yama’s palace. King Yama descended from his seat and paid homage to Myōtatsu, saying, “You are not called here because of the termination of your life span, but on account of your devotion to the Hokekyō and your deep knowledge of both the Buddhist and Chinese writings. You are the guardian of the Correct Law in these degenerated times. I have invited you here to urge you to explain good and evil deeds to all the people in Japan. So Holy Man, Myōtatsu, benefit your people by encouraging their practice of good deeds and by discouraging their practice of evil deeds. The effect on the good and the bad souls shall be recorded in separate writings.”

Seven days later, Myōtatsu revived, and told others about his experiences in King Yama’s Palace, explaining about the Land After Death. All who listened were awestruck, abstained from evil deeds, and entered Buddhahood. They practised good deeds, made Buddhist images, copied the sūtras, and constructed halls and pagodas. Their numbers were countless. This was all due to hearing and believing Myōtatsu who once died and brought King Yama’s message.

Myōtatsu respected the Hokekyō during his entire life and achieved the Way. In his last moments, with an incense burner in his hand, Myōtatsu single-mindedly paid homage to the Three Treasures as well as to the various Buddhas for one-hundred-and-eight times. Paying his last homage, he touched the ground with his forehead, his palms pressed together over his head, and passed away. (Page 37-38)

Priest Ichiei had observed and venerated the Hokekyō for a long time. One day he was on his way to visit Kumano and stayed on Mount Shishigase. Late at night he heard someone reciting the Hokekyō. The voice sounded so noble that Ichiei was deeply moved, and he thought that someone else must be staying at the same place. The voice finished reciting the first chapter of the sūtra, paid homage to the Buddha, and asked forgiveness for many sins. By the time the voice had recited the whole sūtra, it was already dawn.

In the morning Ichiei looked about the place and saw a skeleton covered with green moss. It must have been lying there for years, but the bones were still preserved and joined together. Ichiei looked at the skull and saw a healthy fresh red tongue in the mouth hole. Ichiei recollected himself, paid his respects to the skull, and could not help but feel overwhelmed. He stayed at the same place for another night.

Late that night Ichiei heard the same voice reciting the sūtra just as before. When dawn broke, he went near the skull and asked, “You have already recited the sūtra. How is it possible that the Divine Heart has not responded? I would like to ask you about your past life.”

The spirit of the skull replied, “I’m Enzen, a priest, who once lived at Toto on Mount Hiei. During my ascetic practices, I came to this place and died. But while still alive, I made a vow to recite the chapters of sixty thousand copies of the sūtra, but I have finished only half. So I am staying here to recite the remainder. I don’t have many chapters to finish now, so I will soon fulfill my vow. I will stay here all this year; later I will be reborn in the Tosotsu Heaven, where I will be delivered by the Bodhisattva Miroku.

After hearing this, Ichiei revered the skull and left for Kumano. Sometime later Ichiei returned to the same place and looked for the skull but could not find it. It is said that he shed tears of ecstatic joy. (Page 42-43)

Since his early religious life, Unjō had been devoted to the Mahāyāna teachings. He had always avoided secular affairs and searched for serene place of residence.

He once wished to visit holy places and headed towards Kumano. Passing through Shima Province, he reached the coast in a remote place near the provincial boundary. By the seaside, he found a large cave in a high cliff where he took shelter for the night. Trees were growing profusely over the cave. The deep ravine was connected to the sea and the atmosphere in the valley around the cave seemed quite mysterious. In particular, the area was filled with a bad odor like rotten fish.

The frightened Unjō waited for daybreak by single-mindedly reciting the Hokekyō. Towards midnight, the wind began to blow, the rain started to fall, and the atmosphere changed. The odor increased as the air became lukewarm. Suddenly a huge poisonous serpent appeared and was about to swallow Unjō in a gulp. Seeing this, Unjō with firm faith concentrated on reciting the Hokekyō and prayed, “My life is about to end. By the power of the Hokekyō, may I be reborn in the Pure Land without falling into the Three Lower Realms.” Suddenly the serpent closed its mouth, became merciful, and disappeared without harming Unjō. The rain soon fell violently, the thunder rolled, and the lightning flashed like sunbeams. The mountain was flooded and the rocks and stones were carried away. After a while, the rain stopped and the sky became clear.

A person dressed in courtly attire of the fifth rank appeared in the opening of the cave, respectfully bowed to Unjō and said, “I am the master of this cave. I have harmed numerous living creatures including human beings. Tonight, I was going to devour you. But as soon as I heard you reciting the Hokekyō, my bad karma was altered, and good seeds germinated in me. Tonight’s great rainfall and lightning with rolling thunder were not real, but were the tears flowing from my eyes as the result of the revelation of my sins. Hereafter, I will conceive no more evil. My tears caused a great rainfall. You cannot imagine how it would be for me to reveal my true self.” As the person finished, he disappeared.

Having escaped the danger, Unjō felt the incident most unusual, affirmed his faith, and further concentrated on the Hokekyō. “Even a poisonous serpent developed a good mind by listening to the Hokekyō recitation. Certainly, the people of later generations will benefit by it. They should know that unless faith is put in the Hokekyō, one will soon fall into the mud of sufferings and be mired in it for a long time,” thought Unjō.

Afterwards, Unjō recommended the recitation of the sūtra to others, cultivated himself and others by practicing the Way and accumulating merits, and passed away forever. (Page 43-44)

Kōjitsu was a resident priest of the Senjuin Temple of Tōtō of Mount Hiei. With great admiration for the Law, he prayed to the Three Treasures and single-mindedly memorized the Hokekyō. Finally, he recited the whole copy by heart.

Later Kōjitsu moved to Umedani and was cloistered there for several years. The wife of Regent Michinaga of Fujiwara became devoted to Kōjitsu and repeatedly donated food and clothing to him.

As Kōjitsu aged, he changed his residence to Mount Atago, where he sequestered himself for ascetic practices and recited scores of thousands of copies of the Hokekyō.

On one occasion, Kōjitsu visited the Hachiman Shrine to fulfil his lifelong wish. As he recited the Hokekyō before the shrine altar at night, a person beside him dreamed that the Eight Heavenly Guardian Boys appeared from the inner hall of the shrine, bowed respectfully to Kōjitsu, and joyfully danced while scattering fragrant flowers over him and singing his praises. A voice heard within the shrine said in praise, “The holy man will surely become a Buddha and the light of his merits will illuminate the Way through the long nights to the Land After Death.” On awaking, the person found Kōjitsu reciting the Hokekyō beside him.

In his last moments, Kōjitsu respectfully completed his recitation of a copy of the Hokekyō, and passed away.(Page 50)

Shunmyō was a resident priest of Saitō. He thought of nothing but the recitation of the Hokekyō. He recited it in his room during the day and in the Shaka Hall through the night. He was always poor and had difficulty in providing his daily necessities. Avoiding people and closing the temple gates, he fervently recited the Hokekyō.

At one time, about daybreak when Shunmyō was half asleep, a Heavenly Lady appeared and said to Shunmyō in a soft voice. “In your former life, you were a fox living behind the Hokke Hall of Saitō. From time to time, you played above the ceiling and heard the Hokekyō recitation and the preaching. Thanks to this, you were reborn as a human being, became a priest of this mountain, and have been reciting the Hokekyō. To be born as a human being and to know about the Law is difficult. Exert yourself in reciting and do not neglect good deeds. The sea of suffering is so large and deep. How can one cross to other side without the ship of the Hokekyo?” The Heavenly Lady gave this explanation and said nothing more.

Hearing this, Shunmyō perceived the results linked to his former life and believed in the Way of cause and effect. After that, he recited sixty thousand rolls of the sūtra. He recited many more in later years, but the number of copied rolls was not recorded.

In his last days, he was ill but not seriously so. Reciting the Hokekyō, wishing to end his cycle of life and death, and thinking of nothing else, Shunmyō finally passed away. (Page 53-54)

Priest Chōzen had lived in Mount Hiei since his youth and wished to learn about the Law. However, being slow by nature, he could not practice the Way well. Following his master’s instructions, Chōzen learned about the sūtra and served Buddha. In the daytime, he recited the sūtra in the main quarter, and at night, he visited the worship hall to pray to Buddha. Finally, he memorized a copy of the sūtra.

On one occasion, a soothsayer came and explained good and bad omens for the people gathered at the worship hall. The soothsayer saw Chōzen and said to him, “You were a white horse in your previous life. A Hokekyō reciter travelled astride your back. On account of this merit, you left the status of an animal, and were born as a human being. You recited the sūtra and came to know about the Law. Your white complexion is due to the white hair of your body in your former life, and your loud voice resembles the hoofbeats of a galloping horse.”

Although Chōzen heard what the soothsayer had said about his former life, Chōzen would not believe it at all. Chōzen continued to visit the worship hall and practiced the repentance rites with utmost sincerity. He prayed that he would learn the truth about his former existence.

One night, Chōzen dreamed that an old priest said to him, “What the soothsayer told you was all correct. The effects of good and evil follow one just like one’s shadow. Only merits of the Hokekyō reciter who mounted you enabled you to be reborn into the human world and recite the Hokekyō. Just think how effective it will be if you maintain the sūtra’s teachings yourself and recommend that others support it. You should further devote yourself to its recitation and never be negligent.”

The awakened Chōzen felt ashamed of his former status, but rejoiced that he knew the Law and continued to uphold and practice it. (Page 62-63)

Yōshō was of the Kii clan in Noto Province and became a disciple of Master Kūjitsu of the Shōrengein Temple of Saitō. In the third year of Gangyō (879), at the age of eleven, Yōshō went to Mount Hiei to study. Being brilliant, Yōshō never repeated the same question. He memorized the Hokekyō and studied the teachings of the Tendai Sect. He avoided secular affairs and loved to meditate. His mind was always serenely balanced, unmoved by fame and unaffected by sentiments like joy and anger. He was firmly devoted to ascetic practices.

Yōshō neither slept long, nor frittered away his time. Being merciful, he offered his clothes to those without clothing and food to the hungry. He even let insects such as mosquitoes bite him as much as they wished. He copied the Hokekyō and constantly recited it.

Later Yōshō went to seek the ancient haunts of hermits in Mount Mitake and sequestered himself south of the capital in Mutaji Temple to learn the way of hermits.

First, he avoided cereals and ate only greens. Second, he ate fruits and nuts instead of greens. Soon he took only a grain of millet a day, wore vines as a robe, and completely lost interest in food and clothes forever. He solely concentrated on attaining the way with a great faith.

In the autumn of the first year of Engi (901), Yōshō disappeared without any trace. He hung his robe from a pine branch for Master Enmyō of Dōgenji Temple. Master Enmyō obtained the robe, grieved tearfully and searched for Yōshō in vain.

On one occasion, the ascetic Priest Onshin of Mount Yoshino said that Yōshō had become a bloodless and fleshless hermit with a strange bony frame covered by unusual hair, and that he had seen Yōshō flying with two wings like a phoenix or a fiery horse near the summit north of Ryūmonji Temple.

On another occasion, one of the Yōshō’s old colleagues from the main temple on Mount Hiei saw Yōshō near the summit of Matsumoto of Kumano and discussed some questions with him.

At another time, a priest on a summer retreat was reciting the Hokekyō while fasting for days in a stone chamber of Shō. A boy in blue brought white rice to the priest. The priest found it very tasty. He questioned the boy who replied, “I was a disciple of Priest Enzai of the Senkōin Temple of Mount Hiei. After years of practice, I have become a hermit. My recent master is Hermit Yōshō. Today’s rice is his gift to you.” As the boy finished speaking, he disappeared.

In the twenty-third year of Engi (923), a priest of the Tōdaiji Temple saw Yōshō in Mount Mitake. Yōshō said, “I have been living on this mountain more than fifty years and am now older than eighty. I have mastered the way of the hermit and can fly as I wish. I can ascend in the air and descend underground at will. Thanks to the power of the Hokekyō, I can see Buddhas and hear the Law as I like. I have fully assisted and sufficiently benefitted the people in the world.”

At one time, Yoshō’s parent became fatally ill. The parent grieved, saying, “Though I have many children, Yōshō has been my favorite. If he understands my feelings, I wish he could come and see me.” Yōshō mysteriously perceived this, flew to his parent’s house, and recited the Hokekyō over the roof.

The people in the house came out and saw no one, but heard Yōshō’s voice addressing his parent, “Since I left the secular world, I have not contacted people for a long time. Yet out of filial piety, I have come here and communicate with you by reciting the sūtra. On the eighteenth of each month, wait for me by burning incense and scattering flowers. Relying on the incense smoke, I will come here, recite the sūtra, and preach the Law to return my parent’s favor.”

An old man of Mount Hiei said that Yōshō visited the mountain annually in the eighth month, listened to the recitation of the Buddha’s name, and paid his respects to the Great Master Jikaku. He never came at other times. When asked the reason, Yōshō responded, “Mount Hiei is filled with the hot fire of bribery by donors and believers and I cannot bear the vulgar smell of the various priests in the mountain.” (Page 70-71)

Priest Kanze was a sculptor of Buddhist images in the capital and a devoted reciter of the Hokekyō. He daily recited one chapter thirty-three times and tried to memorize the Chapter of Fumon [Universal Gateway]. He observed the precepts and paid homage to Kannon on the eighteenth of each month.

At the request of a patron, Kanze went to the Kuwata District of Tanba Province to make a Buddhist image. The patron who wished to have a Buddhist image was not a good man but practised evil. As Kanze finished the image, the patron rewarded him with various gifts and sent him off to the capital. Yet the patron wanted to recover the gifts from Kanze.

He ambushed and killed Kanze in Mount Ōe and took back the gifts to his home.

Now the patron wanted to see the Kannon image which was made by Kanze. He opened the doors of the temple hall where the image was kept. Behold! The golden image of Kannon had a slashed shoulder. The blood streamed from the wound and coagulated in a pool on the floor. The frightened and grieved patron thought, “I have killed the priest by slashing his shoulder. Now I see that the Kannon statue has a cut shoulder. This is most extraordinary.”

The patron immediately sent a messenger to the capital to investigate the sculptor, Kanze. The messenger went to the capital and found that Kanze was safely at home. When the messenger returned to the patron in Tanba and reported the news, the patron was awestruck and repented. He realized that the Kannon image had received the injuries instead of Kanze to save its sculptor.

The remorseful patron went to Kanze, offered him gifts, and asked various questions. Kanze said, “A thief robbed me as I returned to the capital, but I was not injured at all and arrived here safely, thanks to the protection of Kannon.”

All who heard this, including the patron, became pious, acquired faith in Kannon, and recited the Hokekyō. This happened in the second year of Ōwa. (Page 108)

Priest Eikai recited the Hokekyō from the time of his first vow until his last moments. He studied the Three Contemplations of the Tendai Teachings, and wished to avoid secular affairs.

Eikan thought, “Even if one’s first vow is to follow the Way, unless this vow is correct, one’s practices will all be fruitless. So one should develop great piety in the Tendai Hokke Teachings and engage in significant practices to end one’s karmic cycle of rebirth and death. The sentient beings who repeat the cycle of rebirth and death in the Six Worlds come out of the darkness and go into the darkness, while those of the Three Vehicles go into the light from the light. Yet, they have not attained Supreme Enlightenment.

Now I will see the truth of the One Vehicle, the Mahāyāna Teachings. Recent ascetics tend to pay more attention to the external hardships in their practices rather than to the inner experiences in their contemplation and meditation. Some rely on merits gained by offering secular properties and treasures rather than by depending on faith cultivated by following correct precepts.

They ignorantly accept the transient consequences of the karmic cycle within the Six Worlds and never sense the merits of good deeds which will bring them to Buddhahood. After observing all these, I have decided to abandon the Ten Hindrances which interfere with the causes of piety, and to develop faith in the Six Steps to lead to Buddhahood.”

Thus, with firm determination, Eikan devotedly observed the Ten Commandments to attain the Way. He practiced all these in silence as recommended in the precepts. He clearly viewed the transiency of this world, discussed the Law with appropriate phrases, and abstained from sake and other liquor for the rest of his life.

The mode of his practices was like that described in the Bonmōkyō. When he recited the Hokekyō distractedly, he did not record the number of recited copies. He made textual studies by collecting interpretations of the commentaries and sentences from the sūtras. He also made contrastive studies by comparing the meanings of the sentences in the sūtras with analytic explanations. He recited more than ten thousand copies of the Hokekyō with firm concentration.

Birds and animals came to make friends and accepted food from his hand. Demon deities always attended him, and wished to serve him. He once saw and paid homage to the light released by Śākyamuni Buddha, on another occasion, he was greeted by Fugen. Such extraordinary incidents happened to him frequently, but he kept them all in his mind and never repeated them to others.

As he practised and recited the sūtra, Eikan finally became old, and came to know his last moments. He took a censer in his hand, faced the image of Fugen, sat in the correct posture as he recited the Hokekyō, concentrated on the truth in his mind, and finally crossed the boundary of life and death. (Page 72-73)

NOTES:

• The Six Stages in attaining enlightenment in the Tendai Sect include the stages of being ignorant that the Buddha nature exists in all beings, the stage of knowing the above truth, the stage of engaging oneself in practices, the stage of leaving delusion, the stage of attaining partial enlightenment, and the stage of attaining complete enlightenment.
• The ten principal commandments in the Mahāyāna discipline prohibit killing, stealing, committing adultery, telling lies, drinking intoxicating beverages, coveting, losing one’s temper, and speaking falsely of the Three Treasures.