Disciple Kii was the second daughter of Ason Nobumasa of Kii, Sama no Gonsuke. She remained single through her life and only recited the Hokekyō. She desired neither glories nor luxuries in this mundane life, but solely wished for her future deliverance in the land of Buddha.
Without reaching old age, Disciple Kii fell ill when twenty years old. Instead of hoping for recovery, she fervently recited the sūtra. Finally she passed away with a firm faith, pressing her palms together, as she finished the last verse of the Hōben Chapter, which says, “Great joy in one’s mind will enable one to become a Buddha.”
The person beside her dreamed that Disciple Kii ascended into the air, wearing a beautifully decorated celestial robe and having a jeweled crown on her head, her body radiating light as she went to the Tosotsu Heaven. (Page 136)
Two priests lived in Ōshü. Kōshō, a priest of the Gangōji Temple, recited the Saishōōgyō [Sūtra of the Sovereign Kings of the Golden Light], while Hōren, a priest of the Kōfukuji Temple, recited the Hokekyō. Both priests had left their native places and their original temples. After many years of difficult ascetic practices, the two priests were aged, but still pursued the Way.
Kōshō once said to Hōren, “Why don’t you abandon the Hokekyō and join me in reciting the Saishōōgyō, which is primary among all sūtras of most profound meaning. This is why the sūtra was named the Saishōōgyō, the Most Victorious King Sūtra. The emperor and the court nobles display their faith in it by holding the great annual service, the Gosaie Meeting, at the imperial palace. In the local provinces, the repentance ceremonies called the Kisshō Vow are observed with lectures on the Saishōōgyō. Besides, the Saishōe Meeting is held at the Yakushiji Temple with lectures on the sūtra. So, you see, this sūtra is respected by everyone. The profundity of this sūtra permits no doubt. You should definitely rely on this sūtra!”
Hōren replied, “I wonder which is more noble. Especially when both contain the Buddha’s words. Adhering to my karmic relationship, I have been devoted to the Hokekyō. Why should I suddenly abandon the Hokekyō for another sūtra?” Kōshō repeated his recommendation of the Saishōōgyō in vain and finally remained silent.
However, from time to time, Kōshō, relying on the power of his sūtra, continued to press Hōren, trying to convert him. Kōshō finally proposed, “We should have a test to determine which sūtra is more effective. If your sūtra, the Hokekyō is superior, I will abandon my sūtra and rely on yours. But if the power of my sūtra, the Saishōōgyō, surpasses that of the Hokekyō, you will abandon your sūtra and join me in supporting mine.” Horen ignored Kōshō’s proposition.
Later Kōshō again suggested to Hōren, “Let’s each cultivate one square chō of rice and determine which sūtra is superior by comparing the quality of the yield from these rice fields!”
Now each of the two priests obtained his own rice field. Kōshō immediately did his ploughing and irrigating, and prayed to the Saishōōgyō, “By the power of the sūtra, may I have a good crop of rice without planting seeds and seedlings.” As soon as Kōshō’s prayer ended, seedlings suddenly began to grow all over his rice field. As days and months passed, the seedlings grew into plants with abundant grain. On the contrary, Hōren’s rice field was neither cultivated nor irrigated, and contained weeds, and idle horses and cows. Naturally the people respected the Saishōōgyō priest, but dispised the Hokegyō priest.
In the beginning of the seventh month, a gourd seedling suddenly grew in the central part of Hōren’s field until its branches spread in all directions and covered the entire field. The trunk was lofty and strong. In a few days, the tree bloomed and bore numerous gourds, each as large as a pot. Hōren took a gourd in his hand and opened it. Beautiful white grains of rice filled the gourd. Each gourd contained nearly five tō of rice. Hōren offered the first rice to the Hokekyō and Buddhas and then shared it with the other priests. He also sent a few gourds with rice to priest Kōshō, who was appalled to see the rice in the gourds. He thought it most extraordinary, no longer dispised Hōren, and finally decided to follow him.
Kōshō immediately went to Hōren and repented for his errors by putting his forehead to the ground. Since then, Kōshō became faithful to the Hokekyō, copied and dedicated services to it, deliberated on it, and recited it.
Priest Hōren distributed the rice in the gourds widely throughout the province. All the people including the priests, the laymen, and humble ones as well as those in the streets, took the rice as they wished. Yet the rice in the gourds in Hōren’s field was never exhausted. Even when the cold twelfth month arrived, the gourds did not wither, but grew again as they were gathered. Those who took gourds from the branches not only escaped poverty and suffering but also gained piety.
Thus Hōren benefitted all the people by practicing the Buddhist Way with the inexhaustible rice from his field. Hōren always remained modest, and never developed a contemptuous attitude. He engaged in difficult ascetic practices, and finally died of old age. (Page 74-76)
Lady Disciple Fujiwara, the first daughter of Kanetaka, the Ex-Governor of Kaga, was bright and neither ignorant nor deluded. She fervently recited the Hokekyō and was never negligent in this practice. Thanks to her virtuous behavior, the copies of the sūtra recited by her were piled high.
She once became ill suddenly and suffered from pains for days. Finally, she became cold and passed away. However, after a night, she revived and told about the Land After Death:
“Four or five strong men drove me from my house. After passing through distant fields and mountains, we arrived at a large temple. I entered through the gateway into the temple compound; I saw the exquisitely ornate lecture hall, the main hall, the storehouse for sūtras, the belfry, the jeweled banners, the priests’ quarters and the many-storied edifice for the gateway. Many bodhisattvas, holy and wise men, and virtuous priests, who were properly dressed and adorned with celestial crowns, robes, and necklaces, walked back and forth among these buildings. I wondered if I had arrived in paradise or if I might have come to the Tosotsu Heaven.
“An old priest spoke to me, ‘Good Woman, why did you come to this temple? This is the place for you to live in your future life. You have not yet recited enough copies of the Hokekyō. How is it that you are reborn in this land? You should have many more months and years before you come here. You should quickly return to your land.’
“When I saw several thousand piled copies of the sūtra in a hall, a priest said to me, ‘Those are the copies of the Hokekyō which you have been reciting for these years. Due to these good deeds, you will be reborn here and enjoy peace and comfort in your future life.’ Hearing this, I was immensely pleased.
“When I looked inside a lecture hall, I saw a great illuminated gold-colored Buddha who was hiding his face with his sleeves and spoke to me with the beautiful voice of a Karyōbin Bird, saying, ‘Good Woman, on account of your merit in reciting the Hokekyō, I reveal myself to you and let you hear my voice. Return to your land, maintain well the teachings of the sūtra, and add the Muryōgikyō and the Fugenkyō to your recitation. After you have done this, I will show my complete self to you without hiding my face. I am Śākyamuni Buddha!’ Two Heavenly Boys accompanied me on my way home and thus I have come into my house.”
After she had explained this, her pain left her, and she regained her health. Since then, she increased her faith and piety in the Way, and fervently recited the Hokekyō. In addition to those she had already recited, she added two more sūtras, the beginning and the closing ones. Thus, after her revival, Lady Disciple Fujiwara completed the recitation of the great Mahāyāna sūtra, the Hokekyō, with the additional two sūtras. Her accumulated merits were incomparable and her reward in her future life would be in her enlightenment. (Page 135-136)
Translated and annotated by Yoshiko Kurata Dykstra
From the flyleaf:
This is the first Western language translation of Hokkegenki, a Buddhist tale collection of eleventh century Japan.
The Lotus Sūtra (Hokekyō) is one of the most influential and popular sūtras among Mahāyāna Buddhists in East Asia. The sūtra propagates veneration and faith among believers not only in the compassionate bodhisattvas but also in the sūtra itself. In China popular devotion to the Lotus Sūtra appears to date back to the T’ang dynasty.
Belief in the Hokekyō, the Japanese name of the scripture, has been widespread in Japan since the time of Prince Shōtoku who desired to establish a united nation for all sentient beings as taught in the sūtra. In 741, Emperor Shōmu ordered that each province was to build a seven-storied pagoda in which ten copies of the Hokekyō were to be preserved.
Devotion to the Hokekyō was often mentioned in various writings of the Nara and the Heian Periods. The Hokkegenki written by Chingen tersely depicts the faith and dedication of the contemporary Hokekyō devotees.
The 129 short-biographical and legendary tales of the Hokkegenki are all thematically unified in homage to the Hokekyō but are abundant in motifs and fantastic elements including celestial beings, demons, hungry ghosts, animals and supernatural creatures such as dragons. The Hokkegenki tales provide students of intellectual history with most precious primary sources about the spiritual life of the time, and those of literature with fine examples of the avadāna Buddhist narratives.
For my purposes, further elaboration is required.
The book was written between 1040 and 1044 by a monk named Chingen of Yokawa on Mount Hiei. He was, in other words, a Tendai monk, and the stories reflect the Tendai religion of those days, with its Pure Land and Shingon influences that Nichiren would, 200 years later, rail against.
As example of the Pure Land influence, here’s a quote from the story about the death of Jikaku, who followed Dengyō on Mount Hiei:
As his last days approached, Jikaku concluded his instructions to his disciples, washed his hands and mouth, and donned a clean robe. With a stately demeanor, he said to Priest Reiyū, “Scores of great priests have come and have formed a line. Quickly burn incense and scatter flowers!”
“But we have no guests now,” replied Reiyū.
However, Jikaku, with increased respect and fervent faith, sat facing the west with clasped hands, and told Priest Enjun to recite and pay his respects to the Hokekyō which preaches the great and fair knowledge of Amida. (Page 34)
The same story by Chingen explains, “In the fourteenth year of Shōwa [848], Jikaku returned to Japan [from China]. It is said that Jikaku’s efforts were responsible for half of the transmission of the Law to Japan. He introduced the Invocation of Amida’s Name, the Hokke Repentance Rites, the Kanjō Consecration Rites, and the Shari Relics Meeting.”
Here’s an example of Lotus-Shingon influence:
Genkai, a resident priest of the Komatsudera Temple of Shinden District of Mutsu Province, had a wife and children, but was later separated from them. He recited a copy of the Hokekyō during the day, and repeated the Daibucchō-Incantations seven times at night.
One night, Genkai dreamed that wings had sprouted from his sides and that he was flying towards the west. After crossing thousands of countries, he finally arrived at the place named the Seven Jewels. As he examined himself, he found that the Daibucchō-lncantations formed his left wing while the eight rolls of the Hokekyō constituted his right wing. As he looked around, he saw jeweled trees and edifices which were shining with a delicate radiance. A holy priest approached and said to Genkai, “You have come to the outskirts of the paradise where you should be welcome three years later.” Genkai listened to the priest respectfully and flew back home, just as before.
At his place, his disciples who thought Genkai had already died were grieving deeply. As Genkai regained consciousness, he recited the Hokekyō and the Shingon incantations more fervently. Three years later, Genkai learned the time of his death and finally passed away. (Page 42)
While Nichiren’s later letters criticized Shingon, his early letters included supportive references to the “Lotus-Shingon temples” and his Mandalas include Fudo Myo-o and Aizen Myo-o, two deities of Shingon esoteric Buddhism. Fudo Myo-o features in some of these stories.
In choosing what to include here, I have ignored the Pure Land and Shingon stories and the two stories that advocate self-immolation as a practice.
I have included a couple of stories with indirect reference to life in a Pure Land. When reading those, keep in mind Nichiren’s explanation:
The Pure Lands preached in the pre-Lotus expedient sūtras are mere substitutes tentatively shown by replicas of Śākyamuni Buddha, the Eternal True Buddha. In fact, they all are lands of impurity. Therefore, when the true Pure Land was decided in “The Life Span of the Buddha” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, the essence of which consists of chapters on the “Expedients” and “The Life Span of the Buddha,” it was declared that this Sahā World is the true Pure Land of the Tranquil Light.
As for the question why, the Lotus Sūtra also recommends the Tuṣita Heaven, the Realm of Peace and Sustenance (Pure Land of the Buddha of Infinite Life), and Pure Lands all over the universe, it is merely that designations of the Pure Lands, such as Tuṣita Heaven and Realm of Peace and Sustenance, preached in the pre-Lotus sūtras are used without modification to name the Pure Lands to be established in this world. It is like names of the three vehicles (śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, and bodhisattva) mentioned in the Lotus Sūtra, which does not actually preach three different teachings; it preaches the sole teaching leading to Buddhahood. It is stated in the Lotus Sūtra, chapter 23, that those who practice this sūtra “will immediately be reborn in the World of Happiness.” In the Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 10, Grand Master Miao-lê interprets: “This does not mean the Pure Land of the Buddha of Infinite Life preached in the Sūtra of Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life.” His interpretation is the same as stated above.
Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Pages 68-69
Finally, these stories speak of monks who chant hundreds of thousands of repetitions of the Lotus Sūtra. When considering these feats, keep in mind Nichiren’s advice:
You should know that the merit of the Lotus Sūtra is the same whether you chant the whole eight scrolls or just one scroll, one chapter, one stanza, one phrase, one character, or the daimoku.
Gassui Gasho, A Letter on Menstruation, Nyonin Gosho, Letters Addressed to Female Followers, Page 28
