On Mt. Yoshino there was a mountain temple called Amabe-no-mine. In the reign of Empress Abe, a fully qualified monk lived an ardent life of self-discipline there. When he became too exhausted and weak to move around, he had a desire to eat fish and said to his disciple, “I would like to have fish. Will you go and get some for me to eat?” According to the master’s wish, the disciple went to the seacoast of Kii province, bought eight fresh gray mullet, and returned with them in a small chest.
On the way he happened to meet three familiar patrons of the temple who asked him, “What are you carrying in the chest?” The acolyte answered, “This is the Hoke-kyō.” However, the water from the fish dripped out of the chest, and it smelled. The laymen realized that it was not the scripture. Soon they came to the neighborhood of the market of Uchi in Yamato province. They rested beside the acolyte and pressed him, saying, “What you are carrying is not the scripture. It is fish.” He replied, “It is not fish. It is nothing but the scripture.” Then they forced him to open the chest. Having found it impossible to refuse, he opened it and discovered that the eight fish had turned into eight scrolls of the Hoke-kyō. At the sight the laymen were stricken with awe and wonder and left him.
One of them, however, was still suspicious, and, wanting to find out about the whole affair, followed him in secret. When the acolyte returned to the mountain temple, he reported to his master in detail what the laymen had done. Listening to him, the master felt wonder and joy in learning that heaven had protected him, and he ate the fish. Thereupon, the layman who had witnessed the whole series of events, prostrated himself on the ground and said to the dhyāna master, “Fish turn into the Hoke-kyō when a sage eats them. Because of our ignorant and wicked minds, we disturbed and accused him without knowing the law of causality. Will you please forgive our sin? From now on I acknowledge you as a great master and will serve you with reverence and offerings.” After that he became a great patron of the temple and made offerings to the master.
Indeed, we know that the master saved himself through his devotion to dharma. As to his food, even poison turns into honeydew; eating fish is no offense for him. For fish is turned into a scripture, and heaven in sympathy prepares a way for him. This is also a miraculous event. (Page 230-231)
Miraculous Stories from the Japanese Buddhist Tradition (Nihon ryōiki)This tale also apprears in Miraculous Tales of the Lotus Sutra from Ancient Japan