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The far-famed Yugyo Shonin, of the temple of Fujisawa in Kagami, who traveled constantly in Japan to preach the law of Buddha in all the provinces, chanced to be passing over the moor Uwanogahara. There he saw many crows and kites flitting about a grave. Drawing nearer, he wondered much to see a nameless thing, seemingly without arms or legs, moving between the pieces of a broken tombstone.
Throughout the long, long Kalpas of my lives that are overpast could I never find the way of Deliverance, and if Honen Shonin, the Great Teacher, had not arisen in this world, vainly had I spent the precious hours of my life.
Twenty years passed before the ceremony could be performed, and means were ultimately furnished by the Buddhist priest Koken son of the celebrated Rennyo Shonin, prelate of the Shin sect who, out of the abundant gifts of his disciples, placed at the disposal of the Court a sum of ten thousand gold ryo,* being moved to that munificence by the urging of Fujiwara Sanetaka, a former nai-daijin.
Now at that time, in a valley in Yamato, Tokudo Shonin, walking by night, saw a wonderful radiance; and going toward it found that it came from the trunk of a great fallen tree, a kusunoki, or camphor-tree. A delicious perfume came from the tree, and the shining of it was like the shining of the moon.
The excellent righteousness of Honen Shonin, his deeds and the wisdom that was in him, drew unto him for refuge many even of chief priests of the heretics that seek Nirvana through the way of the sages. Yea, they sought him even as their appointed teacher, radiant and stray of soul as the diamond.
And Tokudo Shonin did as they bade him; and he saw them easily split the vast trunk into two equal parts, and begin to carve each of the parts into an image. And he saw them so labour for three days; and on the third day the work was done and he saw the two marvellous statues of Kwannon made perfect before him.
And the crowding people attended upon him, even the priests and men and women of the nobles and of the lowly born. Now the time when Honen Shonin departed from this life was the twenty-fifth day of the young spring. In the second year of Kenriyaku he returned in peace unto the Land of the Father.
All the priests and scholars of the word of Confucius had understanding of the doctrine of Shin Shu. A chosen vessel of the Blessed One that men might be saved, Honen Shonin was manifested in the world, and he opened wide the gate of perfect wisdom, having instructed mankind in the Holy Faith.
When his years were but fifteen, Honen Shonin entered into the Way of Illumination, for in departing from worldly life he fulfilled his heart's desire, and by him was clearly understanded the doctrine of the transience of life.
Though Zendo and Genshin, those great teachers, have well instructed us, yet had Honen Shonin kept silence, wherewith should we know the holy teaching of Shin-Shu, we who dwell in remote country and in an evil day?
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