Priest Kakunen was an elder brother of Preceptor Myōkai. Avoiding secular affairs, he aspired to the Law. Having shaven his head, he entered the priesthood. After receiving the precepts, he dressed and carried himself properly as a full-fledged priest. He was gentle, pure, and straightforward. Fearing sin, he repented of his past mistakes, affirmed his faith, and recited the Hokekyō regularly.

In reciting the Hokekyō, Kakunen found that he could not memorize and repeat three lines in the text. No matter how much he tried, and no matter how many times he recited, he could not learn these lines by heart. The grieving Kakunen prayed to the Three Treasures and implored the assistance of the deity Fugen. Kakunen dreamed that an old priest said, “Due to karmic causes, you always forget these three lines. In your former existence, you had been born as a bookworm and ate the portion of a text which contained these three lines. Since you were living in a copy of the Hokekyō, you were reborn as a human being in this life and are reciting the sūtra. But you cannot learn these three lines because you had eaten them in the past. Now you have contritely repented and developed your piety. So I will help you and enable you to learn these lines.”

After he awoke, Kakunen learned these three lines without difficulty. He further repented for his past sins in his former existence and was never idle in reciting the sūtra three times a day. Withdrawing from secular fame and profits, he sought Supreme Enlightenment for eternity. Since his practices were in compliance with the Law, he had no doubts about his future life. (Page 98)