Having left his parents in his youth, Genson entered the priesthood. Being gentle and pure-hearted by nature, he avoided evil for a long time, venerated the Hokekyō, and recited several copies of the sūtra every day. However, he was still unable to memorize it.

In his prime, he became seriously ill, and was about to die. He was taken to the King Enra’s Palace in the World After Death, where the officials wore crowns and the demons in armor wore sleeveless robes or garments with unsewn sides or loincloths. Some held spears and others sat at writing desks, opening the boxes which contained writing utensils, and recording the good and evil deeds of the deceased on cards. They all looked very frightening.

A noble priest, holding a walking stick in one hand and a casket containing sūtras in his other hand, spoke to King Enra, “Priest Genson has spent many years reciting the Hokekyō. Please seat him properly.” The noble priest opened the casket, took out a copy of the Hokekyō, and handed it to Genson. Genson began to recite from the first to the eighth rolls in a high voice. King Enra and all his attendants listened to the recitation with their hands clasped.

The noble priest escorted Genson from the palace to send him back to his country. Genson observed that the noble priest who had spoken to him had the appearance of Kannon. The noble priest said, “After returning to your country, read the Hokekyō well. I will assist you in memorizing it with my mysterious powers.”

Genson revived after a day and night. He recovered from his illness and regained his health. He became very familiar with the sūtra since he had recited at King Enra’s palace, and finally memorized it completely. He daily recited three copies of the Hokekyō, two for others and one for himself.

At the end of his life, Genson became slightly ill. Retaining his mental and physical composure, Genson passed away while reciting the Hokekyō. (Page 55-56)

A man of Bizen Province whose name is unknown had been blind since the age of twelve. He visited the Yakushi Buddha of Chūdō and prayed for his sight. Twenty-seven days later, an old priest appeared to the man and said to him, “You became blind due to your karma from your previous life, and you will not regain your sight. In your former life, you were a snake living in the trunk of a nettle tree at the north corner of the Kawadaji Temple. A hijiri who lived in that temple recited the Hokekyō and you listened during the days and nights. Since you had grave sins, you got little food and underwent many sufferings. At night, you used to go into the temple hall and lick the oil for the taper.

“Thanks to the merit of listening to the Hokekyō recitation, you received a human body and have learned about the Law. However, because you stole the oil for the tapers, you have become blind and will not be able to see again during this life. You should immediately recite the Hokekyō and expiate your sins. In another life, you will be endowed with the clear sight of a heavenly person perceiving the vast world of the Law and you will benefit others.”

The man became repentant, expiated his karmic sins and recited the Hokekyō. He understood the whole sūtra from the beginning to the end and acquired its merits. Now he could control his delusions, became completely free from his physical and mental sufferings, and finally attained enlightenment. (Page 54-55)

Having abstained from evil deeds for a long time, a government official with the title of Ōsumi-no-jō strongly aspired to the Way. He had been reciting the Hokekyō for years and had never neglected his daily recitation of a chapter or a copy of the sūtra. He was also devoted to Kannon and observed the proper precepts on the eighteenth day of the month.

He once accompanied the governor to Satsuma Province. After the governor had completed his term of duty, he and his men, including Ōsumi-no-jō, were travelling home to the capital. The governor had developed a grudge against Ōsumi-no-jō and intended to harm him. While crossing the waters between Agi and Suō, they stopped at a remote uninhabited island and marooned Ōsumi-no-jō there.

That was the eighteenth day of the month. Ōsumi-no-jō observed the precepts and recited the eighth roll of the Hokekyō while he tearfully grieved over being marooned and separated from his people, including his wife and children. Thus, he waited for his death.

He tearfully continued to recite the sūtra until the following day. In the morning, when he looked at the sea he saw a black dot on the horizon. The black dot was a small boat which came towards shore as fast as a gale.

The boatmen were surprised to see Ōsumi-no-jō and asked, “Since long ago, no one has come to this island. How did you happen to come ashore?”

Ōsumi-no-jō explained his situation. The amazed boatmen felt sorry for him and gave him food. They said to each other, “We have seen this island from a distance for years but have never been here before. However, last night we suddenly decided to come here and arrived this morning to find this man. Now we clearly know why we hurried to this island. Thanks to the Buddhas’ assistance, this man was to be rescued. We should take him to our village.”

So the boatmen immediately escorted Ōsumi-no-jō to the provincial office of Suhō. Thus thanks to the assistance of Kannon and the miraculous power of the Hokekyō, Ōsumino-jō prolonged his life span. After his safe return to the capital, his faith in Kannon and the Hokekyō increased. (Page 126)

Renson, a priest of the Gangōji Temple, was of Mimasaka Province. Devoted to the Hokekyō recitation for years, he perfectly memorized twenty-seven chapters of the sūtra, but not the Chapter of Fugen. With further concentration, he tried to memorize the chapter verse by verse, repeating each verse several thousand times in vain. Greatly distressed, Renson engaged himself in difficult practices while observing a Summer Retreat and prayed to Fugen saying, “Bodhisattva Fugen, with a great vow on the Hokekyō, please protect me, a Hokekyō reciter, and make me remember when I forget some verses. I am still imperfect in following the precepts. But my efforts and devotion are all in compliance. I may not be great enough to comply with the teachings of the great sūtra. I have been reciting it with utmost respect and faith which are hard to acquire. I should be able to memorize the entire sūtra with the assistance of Fugen and other Buddhas. Why can’t I learn by heart this single chapter?”

Thus in prayer, Renson spent a summer in retreat. One night he dreamed of a Heavenly Boy who said to him, “I am a messenger from Fugen. I have come here to let you know about your past relationship. In your former life, you were a puppy living with your mother under the plank floor of this temple. A Hokekyō reciter recited the sūtra in the room above you. Both you and your mother listened to all the twenty-seven chapters beginning with the introductory chapter.

But when your mother left from under the floor, you followed her. Because of this, you failed to hear the Chapter of Fugen. Thanks to your merit in listening to the Hokekyō recitation, you were born as a human being in this life, became a priest, and have been able to recite the sūtra. But your karmic relationship to the Chapter of Fugen has not been close enough for you to learn it well in this life. But just continue your efforts. Someday, as you memorize the complete chapter, you will be able to meet various Buddhas in your next life, and to venerate the sūtra again.”

The awakened Renson now clearly knew the karmic cause. He devoted himself to the sūtra more fervently, and finally was able to master the Fugen Chapter. (Page 83)