A mountain temple in Tsushima Province was more than a hundred years old. It was inhabited only by a demon for a long time.
Two travelling priests did not know this and took shelter at the temple for a night. One of them was a young Hokekyō reciter and the other was an old ascetic. Each slept in his own long bedroll, one on the east and the other on the west side.
Toward midnight, a demon broke through the wall and came into the temple releasing a bad odor like a cow’s breath. Frightened by the odor, the reciter repeated the Hokekyō single-mindedly in his heart.
The demon ignored the reciter. He went to the old priest, seized him, tore him, and began to eat him. The old priest vainly cried for help without knowing that the terrified young priest had fled from the spot.
Now the young reciter in grief and agony climbed to the altar, hid himself among the Buddhist images, gripped the side of one of the statues, and hoped for his safety as he recited the sūtra.
After having devoured the old priest, the demon looked for the young priest. As the young priest concentrated on his recitation, the demon approached the altar. The young priest continued his recitation, firmly gripping the statue until daybreak.
In the morning, the reciter found that he was gripping the statue of Bishamon and that the demon with a cow’s head was cut into three parts lying in front of the altar. The young priest also saw that the blade of the spear held by Bishamon was stained with blood. Now the young priest clearly knew that Bishamon had subjugated the demon to save the Hokekyō reciter.
When the young Hokekyō reciter came to a neighboring village and told his story, many neighbors gathered at the temple, and saw what had happened. All said to each other that it was most extraordinary.
So the Hokekyō reciter escaped danger with the help of the sūtra. He further devoted himself to the recitation of the sūtra and vowed to know and learn the Law for generation after generation. (Page 82-83)
Miraculous Tales of the Lotus Sutra from Ancient Japan