Once upon a time, in the southwest of the kingdom of Shishikoku in ancient India, there was a solitary island in the vast ocean, within sight’s reach. On this island, over 500 families lived by fishing, unaware of the teachings of Buddhism.
One day, several thousand large fish came to the island. The islanders were overjoyed at the sight. Upon closer inspection, they noticed that the fish were chanting “Amida Butsu (Amitābha)” like humans. The fishermen did not understand why the fish were chanting this name, but since the fish were saying it, they named these fish “Amida Fish.”
When the fishermen chanted “Amida Butsu,” the fish would approach the shore. They persistently chanted “Amida Butsu” to attract the fish. Despite being killed when they approached, the fish did not flee. They were very delicious, but the taste varied depending on the number of times the name was chanted. If they chanted the name many times, the fish were very tasty. However, if they did not chant much, the fish had a slightly bitter and spicy taste. As a result, the entire coastline was filled with the sound of people chanting “Amida Butsu.”
Eventually, the first person who ate the fish died. Three months later, he appeared riding on a purple cloud, radiating light, and said:
“I am the elder of the fishermen who caught the fish. After my life ended, I was reborn in the Pure Land. This was thanks to the fish, for I chanted the name of Amida Butu. The fish were incarnations of Amida Butu. The Buddha, pitying our ignorance of Buddhism, became fish to encourage us to chant the Buddha’s name by offering their bodies as food. I was born in the Pure Land due to this connection. If you doubt it, look at the fish bones.”
The fish bones, discarded in one place after being eaten, had all turned into lotus flowers when people looked at them. Everyone developed a compassionate heart, ceased killing, and began to chant Amida Butu. They all were reborn in the Pure Land.
As all the people were reborn in the Pure Land, the island became deserted and desolate. It is said that an Arhat from the kingdom of Shishikoku, with divine power, reached the island and passed down this story.
[Translation]
Siro Inuzuka
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.
[Explanation]
Shinichi Kusano / Siro Inuzuka
Why are there so many stories about Sri Lanka?
Shishikoku Kingdom was a country on the island of Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka). This story is set on a nearby solitary island.
India is vast. Many people live their entire lives without ever seeing the sea. Even the Buddha ended his life without ever seeing the sea. Therefore, many stories originate from the continent. Naturally, their settings are also continental.
Nevertheless, the “Konjaku Monogatari” often features stories set on the island of Ceylon.
This is probably because island stories are easier for Japanese people to understand than continental stories.
And Then There Were None
The idea that one can be reborn in the Pure Land (heaven) by chanting the name of Amida Butu(Amitābha) originated in India, was systematized in China, and was perfected in Japan (Pure Land thought/Nianfo)
What is interesting about this story is that it is said everyone on the island attained rebirth in the Pure Land by chanting the name of Amida Butsu, leaving no one behind on the island.
In the previous story (4-36), Amida Butsu, incarnated as an animal, sought to have his name chanted and led beings to the Pure Land. However, it could not be said that no one was left behind. Having no human traffic on the continent is unnatural, and even for old stories, there would be questions like “So why are there people now?” Therefore, in the previous story, the main characters (such as kings) remained in their country.
However, this story is set on an isolated island. It is subtly mentioned that they were self-sufficient. This is an isolated island with no trade. If everyone adhered to the precepts and attained rebirth in the Pure Land, there would be no people left on the island. Probably, the main focus of this story is to depict this. It aims to say that if you rely on Amida Butu, no one will live in this harsh world.
Incidentally, although Sri Lanka is known as a Buddhist country, the majority follow Theravada Buddhism. This is the teaching that Mahayana Buddhism derogatorily called “Hinayana” (Lesser Vehicle). Many Buddhist countries like Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar also follow this tradition.
Amida Butu is a Buddha of Mahayana Buddhism. Therefore, there are almost no people in present-day Sri Lanka who chant the name of Amida Butu. Naturally, there would be none on its nearby solitary islands either.
Sigiriya Rock (Sri Lanka)
The fact that “there are no people chanting Amida Butu” coincides with this current situation, which is interesting.
The story is said to have been known through the divine power of an Arhat from Shishikoku Kingdom (Sri Lanka). An Arhat is a saint, a term also present in Theravada Buddhism. Thus, this too aligns with the current situation. Though, it might just be a coincidence.
[Cooperation]
Shinichi Kusano
●Japanese
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