Once upon a time, there was a small kingdom in ancient India. In this kingdom, the people believed only in the gods and did not follow the teachings of Buddhism.
The king had only one prince, whom he cherished as if he were a precious jewel. When the prince was just over ten years old, he fell gravely ill. Despite trying various treatments, he did not recover. Prayers and divinations also proved ineffective. The king lamented day and night over this matter. As time passed, the prince’s condition worsened.
The king was deeply troubled and went to the ancient gods they had worshipped for ages, praying earnestly. He brought numerous treasures, piling them into a mountain, and offered horses, cows, and sheep as sacrifices, filling a valley with them, praying, “Please cure the prince’s illness.” The priests and shamans received these offerings and indulged in luxury.
However, the prince’s illness did not improve. In desperation, a priest received an oracle.
“The prince’s illness will be cured when the king returns to the palace. If the king cedes the throne to the prince, the people will be at peace, the world will be stable, and everyone will be happy.”
Hearing this, the king was overjoyed. He gave his sword and more wealth to the priest in gratitude.
On his way back to the palace, the king encountered a monk. The king asked about him.
“Who is that person? His appearance is unusual, and his clothes are different.”
“That is a monk, a disciple of Buddha, one who has shaved his head.”
“Then he must be knowledgeable.”
The king ordered his palanquin to be stopped and commanded, “Bring that monk here.”
The king spoke to the monk.
“I have one prince. For months, he has been ill, beyond the help of doctors and unaffected by prayers. His life is uncertain. What will happen to him?”
The monk replied,
“The prince will die. No matter how much one tries to help, it is beyond anyone’s power due to the king’s karma. He will pass away before you return to the palace.”
The king said,
“The two of you say completely different things. Which one is telling the truth? The priest said, ‘The illness will be cured, and he will live beyond a hundred years,’ but this monk says otherwise.”
The monk explained,
“The priest said that only to ease your mind temporarily. He spoke what people wished to hear.”
When the king returned to the palace, he urgently inquired about the prince’s condition. The palace attendants responded, “The prince passed away yesterday.”
The king said, “Do not speak of this,” and sent for the priest who had given the oracle. After a couple of days, the priest arrived. The king said,
“The prince’s illness is not yet cured. What has happened? I summoned you out of suspicion.”
The priest declared,
“Why do you doubt me? I nurture and pity people, wishing to relieve their worries like a parent. I would not take the king’s suffering lightly. I am not lying. If I were, you may cease to worship me and hold my priests in low regard.”
He spoke these words carelessly.
After listening carefully to his words, the king captured the priest and said,
“You have deceived people for years. By scheming, you have taken people’s wealth and, claiming it was divine will, you have bewitched the hearts of the king and people, seizing their possessions. You are a great thief. You shall be executed immediately.”
He then sentenced the priest to death. Moreover, he sent soldiers to destroy the temple and cast its remnants into a great river. He also beheaded many of the temple’s priests and attendants. The wealth accumulated by the temple through deceit was all gone.
Afterward, the king summoned the monk. He personally went to greet him, invited him into the palace, and seated him on a high platform, bowing and saying,
“For a long time, I have been deceived by the priests and did not know the Buddhist teachings, nor did I respect the monks. From today, I will not believe such people’s words.”
The monk preached the Dharma to the king. The king and the people listened respectfully and honored him. They built a temple and a stupa and established the monk there. Many monks gathered at the temple, and they were all venerated.
At this temple, there was a wondrous phenomenon. Above the Buddha statue, there was a canopy adorned with magnificent treasures. The canopy, though very large, moved around the Buddha statue whenever someone entered the temple and circled around it. When the person stopped, the canopy also stopped. People did not understand why.
“Could this be the mysterious power of the Buddha? Or is it the exquisite craftsmanship of the artisan who made it?”
They wondered.
It is said that since the time of this king, priests have never ceased to exist in that country.
Canopy (Hōon-ji Temple,Hiroshima Prefecture)
[Translation]
Siro Inuzuka / Yoko Shibazaki
This text was created by using ChatGPT-4o to translate a modern Japanese translation into English, and then making some modifications. There may be errors in the English expressions. Please correct any mistakes.
[Cooperation]
Shinichi Kusano
●Japanese
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