Ezō was a priest of the Daigoji Temple. Since taking the tonsure, he had a close relationship to the Hokekyō. He only recited the Hokekyō. He neither read other sūtras, nor studied secular writings. He did not maintain the Shingon teachings, nor learn the Tendai doctrines. But he fervently recited and memorized the Hokekyō. Yet he could not memorize two characters in the Verse of the Priest in the sūtra’s Chapter of Skillfulness. For several years, Ezō tried to learn these characters in vain. While looking at the text, he knew and understood the characters very clearly, but as soon as he left the text and tried to recite from memory, he could not remember the characters. He mourned over his past sins which might cause this hardship, and wished to know the reason.

Finally, he visited the Hatsusedera Temple, sequestered himself for seven days and prayed, “Great Merciful Kannon, please let me learn these two characters in the sūtra!” Seven days had passed and Ezō dreamed that an old priest appeared behind the sacred hanging in front of the altar and said to Ezō, “Priest, I will let you learn the two characters with the Buddha’s expedience and explain why you have not remembered these characters.

“You were born as a human being both in this and your past lives. In your former existence, you were born in the Kamo District of Harima Province, where your parents still live. In the past of your former life, you recited the Hokekyō, facing a fire whose flames burned the two characters in the text. You had not written and supplied these burned characters in the text at that time. Due to this mistake, you are not able to learn them in this life, no matter how hard you have tried. Your old text is still extant in Harima. You should go there, pay your respects to the old text, write the missing characters in the text, and atone for your past sins.”

The awakened Ezō recited the sūtra. This time, he recalled the two characters with no difficulty. To learn the truth, he went to the Kamo District of Harima Province. As the master of the house came out and saw Ezō and heard his voice, the master said to his wife, “Our child has returned! His face and voice are no different than those of our child.”

Hearing this, Ezō explained to the couple why he had come. The parents were tearfully overjoyed. As Ezō read the old text of the sūtra, he saw that the two characters were missing. He added them to the text and kept it for a long time. Thus, in his present life, Ezō had four parents whom he served well and treated with filial piety. Ezō devoted himself to the Way and was never negligent in practicing good deeds. (Page 57-58)