A governor of Shinano Province completed his tour of duty in the province and went to the capital. During the journey he noticed that he was accompanied by a three-foot-long snake. During the day the snake either preceded or followed him; at night it coiled under his clothes chest.

When they saw this, people felt very uneasy and spoke to the governor. One man told him, “The snake should be killed.” But the governor stopped him and would not allow him to kill the snake. The governor prayed silently, “Is this due to the deity of this province or to the evil inflicted by the spirit of someone living or dead? Possess me and reveal the truth in my dream.”

The night the governor dreamed that a man in speckled hunting clothes knelt before him and said, “I have been accompanying you to kill an old enemy of mine who has been hiding in your clothes chest. If I can have him, I will no longer follow you.” The governor awoke and realized that the snake had said this.

In the morning the governor looked inside the chest and found a frightened old rat crouching at the bottom. The people who saw this said, “You should let it go.” But the merciful governor thought, “If I drive the rat out now, he will surely be swallowed up by the snake, and so it is better not to let him go.”

For the sake of the snake and the rat, the governor made a copy of the Hokekyō and had a service of dedication performed on that same day. That night two handsome men, dressed in fine white clothes, appeared in his dream. They said to him respectfully:

“We have been old enemies during successive lives and have killed each other for many generations. However, thanks to the influence of your virtuous deed, we have now left our sinful state and are to be reborn in the Tōri Heaven. For generations we will not be able to repay you for your great virtue.”

After they had said this, they ascended into the sky, which was filled with soft music. In the morning, when the governor woke up, he found that the snake and the rat were both dead. (Page 140-141)

Priest Chōen of Tsukushi Province was of the Tendai Sect. He had entered into the Buddha’s Way in his youth and continued to recite the Hokekyō and worship Acala. After many years of ascetic practices, he acquired miraculous powers.

On one occasion, when Chōen was fasting for twenty-seven days and reciting the Hokekyō on Mount Katsuragi, he dreamed that the Eight Followers of Acala, all equipped with weapons, including swords and three- and five-pronged iron vajra, listened to his recitation and said admiringly, “The ascetics who serve the Buddha are the same as the Buddha and will attain the supreme enlightenment just as other bodhisattvas!”

At another time, Chōen wished to cross an ice-covered river. Unable to locate the shallow places for fording, Chōen was lamenting by the river bank. A large cow appeared from the mountain, and crossed the river several times, breaking the ice to make a passage, and vanished. Chōen safely crossed the river following the path of the cow. He clearly knew that a guardian of the Law had become a cow to assist him in crossing.

On another occasion, when crossing Mount Ōmine from Mount Kumano in the direction of Mount Mitake, Chōen lost his way. While he was fervently reciting the Hokekyō, a boy appeared in his dream and indicated the correct route, just as the verses of the Hokekyō say, “Guardians of the Law will help and show the correct path and remove the devotee’s weariness.” After waking up, Chōen took the correct route to Mount Mitake.

On another occasion, when Chōen was reciting the sūtra through the night, an old man of unusual virtue appeared before Chōen and gave his name card as he said, “I am King Uten, related to Mañjuśrī of Wu-t’ai-shan. I offer you this card on account of your great virtues and merits acquired by reciting the Hokekyō. With Mañjuśrī, I will guard you in present and future generations.”

Chōen once visited the Kiyomizu Temple and was reciting the Hokekyō through the night. A beautiful woman of noble appearance, and decorated with beads and necklaces, appeared before him with her palms together and said in praise, “Those who are in the samādhi meditation will hear the sound of the hora instrument which resounds throughout the entire universe. The voice reciting the Hokekyō will never tire the listeners.”

Unusual events happening to Chōen were numerous. This truly must have been due to power of the marvelous Law and the assistance of Acala. Who would doubt and mistrust this sūtra? Shōen passed away during the Chōkyü era. (Page 114-115)

Long ago, when a man of Yamashiro Province was playing a go game with a priest, a Hokekyō reciter came by and begged for food while reciting the Hokekyō. Hearing the recitation, the priest sneered at and scorned the reciter. Immediately, the priest’s mouth became twisted; he was losing his voice and became useless.

Seeing and hearing about the priest, people were all frightened and awestruck saying, “Since he scorned the Hokekyō reciter, he was punished right in his present life.”

The annoyed priest went to an herbalist who tried to give the priest some medicinal treatment, but all was of no avail. The priest’s mouth became more twisted, his voice became fainter, and he was unable to speak.

Since retribution in one’s present life can be like this, the suffering and pain in one’s future life cannot be calculated, just as can be noted in the Hiyu Chapter of the Hokekyō. This story appears in the Ryōiki. (Page 118)