nm ens monet 39. ABOUT TWO MEN IN IZUMO PROVINCE, [RECITERS OF THE WREATH AND LOTUS SUTRAS [AT A TIME NOW PAST, in Izusna Province, there were two holy men. One seeited the Wiesth Sutra and wat called Hogon, ‘Dharma Wreath.” The athe rected the Lots Sita, and his same was Rena, “Lotus Storehouse.” The pair had formerly been monksof the Dalai, bucesch,ehrough some cirumitunee, had left his temple and had come to this province tive, Both were pure in boy ahd upright in mind 'Now Hogon had been reciting the Weeath Sutra for twenty year, butal the while he wasliged so worry continually stout obtaining his daly fod, A Dharma protecting deity assumed human frm, came tlm, and said, shall be your patton aad ‘make yous daly afering, Trouble yourself abou fo! no longer. Devore yourself single mindedly wo che sacred teachings” The holy man was oerioyed. Receiving his daly offering, he ceased Inscomplaining After some dayshe sid tothe deity, "Tomorrow ‘morning please bring a mesl fo two I should like to invite the onusSuttachanter wet with me "The deity assent. The next, ‘morning, Hogon invited Rena, and Renz usted to hin They waite for the foad, but nothing at all appeared. The eine that scripture appoints for eating passed, and st sundown Ren2d re turned home Teas then thatthe deity brought the fod. He sao Hogon, tried eo come this moring ayo old me wo yesterday, but when arrived Brahma, Indra, the Four Deva Kings andthe Holy ‘ThrongofBodhisatevas who guard the Loss Sats were crowding stout the Lotus Sutra chantr fom every garter. Deouldsearely set near—let alone make my way through Fe been wating ‘with my offering since morning, When te Lacs Sutra hay man ‘went away, the dees weat with him. {came the moment | could” Heaving this, Hon knew that he fad withesed a mar vel and was filed with awe. He himself prepared an offering of food, took ito Renab,and presented twit reverent salutations. Thereater Hogon, wealizing the supreme excellence ofthe {Lotus Suz, added it to his rections and acknowledged himsell Reais disciple. So the all's heen tod, and so i's Been handed oven, Chapter Fourteen 3. HOW A MONK OF THE DOJO IN THE PROVINCE OF Kl COPIED THELOTUS SUTRA AND BROUGHT SALVATION TO SERPENTS LAT ACTIME NOW FAST, thete were two monks on pilgrimage to Kumano. One was well long in Yeats, the thor was Young and extraordinarily good looking When they eame to Muto Disc, {he two of them rented lodgings and sled down forthe might. ‘The owner of the hows was # widow and young, with two oF hice maids her only companions. When this woman sw the Ihandsome young monk who had taken lodgings with her, hee tf desires were decply aroused. She ended asus tis ‘comfort. Night fell, andthe monks went tobe. At midaight she Secretly rept vo where the young monk was sleeping, covered him with er tes, an lay down beside him. She nudged him wake, he opened his eyes in fright and confusion. "I never give Todging to traveler,” sid the woman, “but let you say hete tonight beauve from the me {re saw you, the afternoon, 1 have longed tomake you my spouse hough thaty taking yo in foe Ube night would achieve my aim, and now Ihave came you. My husband i dead and Lam a widow. Take pity on me! Hearing her the monk got up, erred. He replied, "Ihave a Jong standing vow, in accordance within recent days Ihave pried myself in mind and bady and set out onthe distant Fournes to present myself before the deity of Kumano.' Should ‘Srelely beak my vow hese, the consequences would be deat fulforbothofus. Abandon al sock thoughtsatonee” He eused ‘vib all dhe strength at his command, The woman was gresty ‘vexed, andall night long she kept embracing him and easing and fondling bir. The monk tried this argument and that argument osoothe he. "tis not that refuse, ny lady. But just now Timon 4 pilaimage w Kumano. 11 spend afew days thete offering Tampe and paper strips, Then, when ve cured homeward will dos you atk” he promised The woman believed him and went ‘nck ter own bed At daybreak the monks left the house and set out for Kuanou ewok moni ss ‘The woman reckoned up the day af his promised return. She ‘ould think of nothing but her love forthe monk and made al Sorts of preparation in aniipaion. Bu eurning homeward, he Stayed away for fea of her, he tok oad sed nex en toake and thus slipped pase She waited until she was weary, but he did not come, ad she went to the side of the rad and ques ‘None passing uaveles. Among them was 3 monk who ha set ‘ot from Kumano, "There was a young monk and a old one, ‘desea in sohes of sucl-andauch a eolor”=and she deseribed them." Have they started homeward" "It isthe daysnow snes tase wo Went home, sid the monk. Hesring this, she struck. her hands together. “He's taken another roud anda” she thought ta great rage she retsened to her hoase and shit here intoher bedroom. She stayed thera lile while without making sound, and then she ded. Her maidservants, who witnessed this, were weeping and wailing, when 1 polsonios sake forty feet long suddenly ised from her bedroom, Kt went out ofthe house and toward the rad; then i slithered rpily down the ‘oad by which pilgrims return from Kumano, People sae and sere filed eth terror. “The wo monks had had head str, but someone came up 12 them unasked and sad, "Behind you sange ding is happen Ing. seypene has appeared that is forty fect long I roms ‘mountains an flelde ands coming rapidly ease” AC this he ‘Go monks thought, "Undoubtedly, because the promise o er ‘van broken, the mistes ofthat house let evil passions aie ‘within her heat and became a poisonons snake ard purse ts ‘Taking to ther heels, they tan as ast chy eould to 3 terme called Doo and went in through the gate. “Why have you run There asked the monks of the temple. The two cold ther the story in deal and begged tobe saved. The monks ofthe temple ‘ook counsel togethes, then they lowered bel, conealed the young monk inside i and shut the ate, The old monk hid himself im company withthe monks ofthe temple ‘Aer lite while the serpent came to the texmple. The gates were shut—no mater she erased over them and entered the ‘compound. She wen il round the halls nee, es pd when ‘he ame to the dor ofthe bell hall where the monk ws shelter. Ing she rapped onitahnndred ties with her In the end she ‘smashed the leaves of dhe dor and entered, he encircled the tll Chaperone 98 and best upon the dragon head tits top with ere this aed Ave rsx hours oral thee ear, the monks were amazed that they opened the doors onal four sides and gathered to watch ‘Tats of blod flowed fom hee eyes ang her head, she ike her lipsand slithered rapidly away whence se hat come Before theefes the monks che great bl ofthe temple bled and ws toured in the poisonous hot breath ofthe serpent. Ie was 20 hot ‘came near-Bucthey chew wate on ig eool i and when they lifted it away to look a the monk, they saw chat fre had eon sumed bir wer. Not even his skeleton remained. All that, there was, was litle ash, Upon secing this, che old monk re turned hme amidst his tae. Lateran aged monk, who wasa senior monkfthe empl, had a dream in which s serpent even larger than the one before came ‘eight co him and addressed him face to face, "Do you know ‘who tam Iam the monk who was hidden inside che bell, The ‘vil woman beeame a poisonous snake im the end, was made her {aptive and eeame her hunband. Ihave been reborn in thi wie filthy boy and suffer messoreles torment. now hope eo fe myself of this pain, but my own powers ae escent and even though T honored the Lotus Sita wile I was ale. ‘houghe that if only you, holy se, would bestow onus the vase ness of your merey, Imightescpethispain beseech you,on our ccount Lt Its eompusion arise within yout heat, pu Fity copy the chaper ofthe Lotus Sueacalled The Limitless ie fof the Tthigata Dedicate ite merit tous two serpents and fe thereby from our eorments. Except by the power of the Lotus ‘Sutra, how are we tcacape them” Thus he spoke, and departed. ‘The monk awoke from hi ream ‘When the rionk pondered this afterward, his pity was at nee arouse, He himself eopied ou the chapter and discarding ‘isrobe and bow he ated a eat many monks to eelebrate full day's Dharma assembly and dedicated is merit thatthe two serpents might be reed oftheir torments Laer, he dreamed that, monk ada woman, their happy fees wreathed in sls, came to the Daj and seluted him reverenily. “Because you have cuivaced the rootsof enlightenment, we wo were instantly fd ff our snakes bodies and set onthe pth of flistous rebirth The ‘woman was reborn inthe Tayastrimés heaven andthe mon has ‘Beended eo the Tusa heaven,” Having spoken, chey departed6 Keniskn mga st separately, ascending into the sky. The monk awoke fom his ream, "The aged monk rejoiced deeply, snd he revered all the move the miraculous power of the Lots Sutza. In trath, the Sits wonder-working powers are uncanny. Tht the serpents cast of hele serpents’ odie and were reborn afresh in the heavens is ‘due solely tothe Lots Sutra, Everyone who witnessed this fait ‘or eatd of it was moved t belie in the Lous Stra and copied And chanted it Rae to, wasthe heart ofthe aged monk. To have done such a eompasiionate deed, he ms ina preven life have toon their wise and good frend. Now think: that evil woman’ passion fo the Young monk mist al have come from a bond formed in a previos le ‘You see, therefore, che strength of the evn the female hes. leis for this reson thatthe Budde sty fbi spprcoehing ‘women. Kv chi, and avoid them, Sothetl's bre tld, and so Isben handed down, Notes to Story 3 2. Deity of Kurano teal, “roviinal mansestation of Kumane” “The dey tn question ss Shino dey, and "provisional pits lon gongen eters ote es, wesc ithe mle ge tat {he shin kam ase mansemaion of the Radar ages to sma ote nl cn apa pc en popular mong i claerof sock snce hea en cen “ohare semua elations wih the woman won nt oniy a siltion the monks Badan vows ut delet Uns hye Shver inthe eyes ofthe shine ety. ‘The pape ip tgs Tong Stel ppet acachedocihe ideals pan am othe sae alow, ate chractersticeerings a Slntosbines 2 mother words athe cst of his a eathly poco. 5. ABOUT A MAN WHO COPIED THE LOTUS SUTRA "TO SAVE THE SOUL OF A FOX ATA TIME NOW Pas, there wasafine looking young man, Who the was, do not know, but he must have been some nbleman's attendant. On his way bac from somewhere of other, he was going ust the place whete Shulake Rand rns into Second Ave fue. Ashe ewe infront of Shh gate! hese standing in the Avenues wom of seventeen or ightcen, lawlessly beaut ful, wearing layer pon layer of fine robes, Kw empleo ssher by, and he wenc upto her a wok her hand He drew her aside o 2 eclued soe within the gat, and there they sat, the two of them chatting ly and intimately He id. hes, “That we should meetin this way must have been pre eatned. I want you to love me as {lve yo. Dearest, doa 1 ‘este Task because lve yous. “shoud ike todos you atk," ssid the woman,“ shoul ike to yield to you ests; tif Id, without s dol shal lose my ite.” “The man didnot understand what she wsteying sy. "She's Just making excuss,” he thought and ted forlbly to embrace her."The woman wept plteously and si, "You're a respectable rman, with position, muppose you've a hotke anda wife and children. Foryou this nothing but a leecing afi, while wil have to di in your stead~and sl for afew moment’ please.” Im such terms she protested, bu inthe end she yielded. “The su set, snd soon it wan nht, He rented a small house in the neighborhood and tok her there. They lay together, and aiterwardche whole night through hey exchanged ternal wows of love. At daybreak, as she was about to go, the Woman Sai, "Without s doubt I shall Ise my life in your stead. Therefore ‘copy the Lotus Sutra and dedicat ome, coease me inthe ile to feme." The man sig, "Men and women make love every dy ‘Why shoul you die fi Ifyou dod, ofcourse Tl copy the Lone Sutra fr you, “The woman si, “Dearest, if you want ose whether I peak ‘the tt, tomorrow morning go look by the Hokuden.* And a ‘asign-—" She took the fan he had bee carrying and pared foun him tears The man went home; he believed none of “The nextday he began fo wonder if there enght not be ome truth in her words and decid to tke Inok He went tothe Butokuden, andashe walked roundita whitehaied od woman ‘ame out, teats streaming down her foe, "Who ate yo” fe {skod, “and why are you weeping so!” The exon replied, Sit, fam the mother of the person whom you saw lastnight attheTALES OF TIMES NOW PAST Sixty-Twvo Stories from a Medieval Japanese Collection MARIAN URY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESSUnivesity of Calor Pras Berkley al Lox Angel, Clon ‘Univesity of alfred, Tooden Eagan (©1979 by The Reena Univers of Caloris ‘seh Osu 0Re9 titeary of Congres itag Crd Number. 7845019 ‘itl th United States America for Edith Bloom and Flans Ury