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In the reign of Emperor Gensei, there lived in the province of Yamato a Buddhist priest, Tokudo Shonin, who had been in a previous birth Hold Bosatsu, but had been reborn among common men to save their souls.
Since the day when Honen Shonin appeared in the world, and set forth the single Ark of the Divine Promise, hath the Doctrine of the Pure Land gloriously shone upon the hearts of all men in the land of Nihon.
Of all rare things it is the rarest that we should ourselves meet with the True Teacher, yet verily the chain of doubt in the Divine Mercy is the true cause of unending birth and death. Honen Shonin issued forth from the mysterious Light and his disciples beheld it. In his eyes was there nought of disparity between the wise and them that know not, between the noble and the lowly born.
Even while Honen Shonin yet walked in this world, there issued from his body rays of a golden shining, and this, so it is said, hath Kanezane Fujiwara beheld with his own eyes. The people passed it from mouth to mouth that this Honen Shonin was the living incarnation of Doshaku Zenji, or yet again of Zendo Daishi.
Before the eyes of men Honen Shonin stood as the Boddhisattva of Wisdom, or, yet more, as the Blessed One again made flesh. The Emperor and all his ministers did homage unto him, yea, and the men of the chief city and of the far countries. He who had been Emperor, in the time of Jokyu, brought homage to Honen Shonin.
And by these signs Tokudo Shonin knew that the wood was holy; and he bethought him that he should have the statue of Kwannon carved from it.
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