On a Nun Who Painted a Buddha Image out of Gratitude for the Four Kinds of Blessings and Gained a Power to Show an Extraordinary Sign
“In a village of Yuge, Wakae district, Kawachi province, there lived a highly disciplined novice nun. Her name is unknown. She lived in a mountain temple at Heguri, and, organizing a devotees association, painted a Buddha image with a picture of the six existences in order to five thanks for the four kinds of blessings. When completed, it was enshrined in the temple after the dedication ceremony.
Meanwhile she left the temple, going from place to place on errands. During that time the picture was stolen, and she looked for it in vain, crying pitifully. Still leading the devotees’ organization, she wanted to free living beings, and the members went to Naniwa to visit the market. When thay saw a basket in a tree, hey heard various animal crying in the basket. They waited for the owner to return, for they thought there must be animals in the basket and they wanted to bay them and set them free. Meanwhile the owner returned. When they said to him, “We heard some animals in your basket, and we have been waiting to buy them from you”, the owner said, “No, there is nothing alive in it”. The nun did not give up, however. She continued begging till the merchants around them said to the owner, “You should open the basket”. The owner was frightened, and ran away, leaving the basket. When they opened it, they discovered the stolen image. In joy and tears the devotees cried, “Since we lost this image, we have been longing for it day and night. Now, By chance, we have found it. How happy we are!” When the merchants heard of this, they gathered around and praised the nun’s perseverance.
Joyfully the nun and the others set living beings free, held memorial services, and reconsecrated the image in the original temple, where it remained an object of devotion for both clergy and laity. This is indeed a miraculous event.”
Nihon Ryoiki Manuscript
Fuente: Motomochi Nakamura, Kyoko; “Miraculous Stories from the Japanese Buddhist Tradition: The Nihon ryōiki of the Monk Kyōkai”, Harvard-Yenching Institute (1973)
We can see once again the influence of hojo practice (freeing captive animals) in this anecdote, a common practice between Japanese Zen Buddhism devotees of that time, and we can find this event within the realm of what is believable. It is the kind of story that can be heard in any time or culture, taking in account the ambiguity around it, fluctuating between simple coincidence, for the skeptical, and the miracle, for those more prone to believe.
Ryokan
