Priest Shunchō was not an ordinary man but an incarnation of a bodhisattva. He fervently recited the Hokekyō in a beautiful voice; listeners never tired of his recitation and felt as if they were enjoying a feast. Having a sympathetic nature, Shunchō showed mercy to others. When he saw suffering, he regarded it as if it were his own; when he observed others living in peace and comfort, he appreciated their peace and comfort as if his own.
Royal, noble, official, and prestigious families all competed in inviting Shunchō and listening to his recitals, and all wanted him to stay at their places. The people of the capital and those of the countryside, those of high and low estate, nobles and commoners, went to his place, listened to his recitals, and were all impressed by his recitations.
Shunchō noticed prisoners in the two prisons in the east and west of the capital, heard about their sufferings, and became very sad and distressed. He wondered, “What sort of skillful means should I use to release these criminals from their sufferings and bring them to the Buddhas for their future salvation? I will take a solemn vow and have myself imprisoned seven times so that all the criminals in these prisons may hear my recitation of the Hokekyō.” So Shunchō visited a nobleman’s house, stole a silver bowl, and played a game of backgammon. He was soon caught and taken off to prison. As soon as he was imprisoned, he began reciting the sūtra. His high voice resounded like the ringing of bells. Those in the prison joined their hands in a posture of prayer and wept joyful tears.
Ex-emperors and princes sent messages to the chief of police and issued orders to his jailers not to examine or beat Shunchō.
The jailers dreamed that the prison was filled with hundreds of white elephants and various Deva Kings, the protectors of the Law, who asked Shunchō many questions. The chief of police also dreamed that the Bodhisattva Fugen, riding on a white elephant and sending forth radiance, stood facing the prison gate holding a bowl of rice. When the chief of police asked the reason, Fugen replied that he had come every day to offer food to Shunchō. Startled by this revelation in his dream, the chief of police released Shunchō from the prison.
Shunchō was imprisoned six more times; he was not questioned, however, and was released every time. One day the police officials discussed the case among themselves.
“Shunchō has never been interrogated. Although he is a very evil thief, he has been released without being questioned. He has taken advantage of this and has stolen other people’s property just as he wishes. This must be stopped. His legs should be cut off, and he should be treated as a criminal.”
After they had taken this decision, police officers of various ranks took Shunchō to the Riding Ground of Ukon, and were about to cut off his legs. At that very moment Shunchō began to recite the sūtra aloud. When those sixteen wicked officials, who had never done any good deeds, heard his recitation, they could not help shedding tears; they bowed to Shunchō and left. The fettered criminals and those who had gathered to see the event also shed tears of joy.
The chief of police had another dream in which a Heavenly Boy appeared and said, “In order to save criminals in prison, the holy man Shunchō stayed there seven times. This was nothing but the expedience of various Buddhas who concealed their glory from sentient beings in order to make contact with them.”
Shunchō stayed at the riding ground for some time, then he left there and died. His skull lay in the vicinity and recited the Hokekyō every night. All those who heard the recitation were awestruck. One day a hijiri picked up the skull and buried it in a remote mountain. After that the voice was no longer heard. (Page 50-51)
Miraculous Tales of the Lotus Sutra from Ancient Japan