Note: This is the final monthly excerpt from “Tales of the Lotus Sutra.”

Zhang Wanfu. During the Zhenguan era [of the Tang] [627-650] [Zhang Wanful was transferred from the position of governor of Jinzhou to the governorship of Luozhou. By nature he was a crude and wild person, and not particularly reverent when it came to religion. When he first reached his new post he inquired among his attendants as to whether there were any monks within his jurisdiction renowned for their powers of religious cultivation. His attendants replied, “Beyond the city wall there is a bhikṣunī named Miaozhi, who is extraordinarily zealous in her practice. Moreover, she has made a personal copy of the Lotus Sūtra, which she keeps devotedly and to which she makes regular offerings, all according to proper ritual procedure. For this she has become famed throughout the suburbs.”

At that point Fu asked, “How much expense has gone into making this sūtra?” They replied, “The bhikṣunī has used fifteen hundred duan [pieces, usually of silk].” Wanfu, somewhat taken aback, said, “The best scribes in the capital might use seven or eight duan, at the most, for copying a sūtra. How is it she uses so much? Try to bring the sūtra to me so that I might have a look at it.”

The bhikṣunī, upon hearing that the governor sought to borrow her sūtra, stubbornly refused to hand it over, since neither the envoy nor the governor maintained ritual purity or ever observed the purificatory fasts. The governor was enraged at this response and dispatched the envoy again. This time the bhikṣunī did not dare keep the text. She thereupon prepared perfumed water and had the envoy wash himself. She also provided him with a new robe. Only after he put it on did she entrust the sūtra to him. When Wanfu received the sutra he straightaway took it and opened it, without even bothering to wash his hands. But when he unrolled it, he saw nothing in the scroll but blank yellow paper – not a single word was to be found!

Wanfu exploded with rage, “That old bag! I’ve lost all patience with her!” So saying, he ordered his subordinate to [seize and] bring the bhikṣunī to him by force. The envoy went to the bhikṣunī and told her, “Master, your scripture is entirely blank. This has made my lord extremely angry and he has ordered me to bring you to him.”

The bhikṣunī was seized with terror and completely at a loss as to why this might have happened. Perspiration streamed in torrents from her body. Nonetheless, off she went with the envoy. When they arrived at the administrative offices of the governor she saw a pair of vajra guardians [standing to either side of] the entrance screen, both of whom held out cudgels toward her as though offering her protection. Thus in her heart she felt at ease.

The instant she entered the governor’s presence the written text of her sutra appeared in the air around them, its letters taking on a brilliantly golden hue. Upon seeing the bhikṣunī arrive and the golden letters fill the air, the governor was struck with dread. He arose from his seat and descended the hall. Wailing loudly, with tears of grief streaming down his face, he humbly acknowledged his sins, confessed, and prostrated to her in reverence. Then, turning his heart toward the faith, he vowed to make one thousand copies of the Lotus and circulate them throughout the ten directions as a votive offering. Moreover, he personally resolved to keep the sutra devotedly and never dare to be remiss [in his treatment of it]. He thereupon asked the bhikṣunī what procedure [she used] for making [her copy of] the sutra.

The bhikṣunī said to him, “When I conceived the desire to make my copy of the sutra I first planted gu trees in the hills. Everyday I watered them with fragrant water so that they grew steadily. When the trees were mature, I first mixed fragrant water and mud and constructed a room for making the paper. When finished, I collected bark from the trees, hired a craftsman, and in accordance with the proper ritual procedure, purified [the man and the materials] with fragrant water and [had him] make the paper.

“When it was done, I advertised for a scripture copyist who was able to keep [ritual] purity. I did not care whether he was skilled or clumsy, noble or mean. After three years I still had not found such a person. But eventually a scholar from Jiangnan, around twenty-four or -five years of age, wrote me in response to my inquiries.

“For the copy room, once again I mixed perfumed water with mud and went about constructing the room with the greatest purity. When the chamber was finished the copyist changed into a new and purified robe. But, before beginning the task of copying out the text, he maintained a purificatory fast for a period of forty-nine days. After that he began to write. Whenever he passed in and out of the copy room he was required to change his clothing. Only when he had bathed himself did he start to copy. As he wrote, I would kneel before the sūtra in the foreign posture [of adoration]—right knee to the ground— and make offerings with incense censer in hand. When the copyist stopped, I also would stop. And whenever the copyist went to sleep at night, I would arise alone to burn incense and ritually circumambulate the sutra. This routine I kept up without the slightest lapse. When the sūtra was finished I made splendid accoutrements for it. And, when the ornaments were done, I fashioned special robes for the four members of the Buddhist sangha—bhikṣus, bhikṣunīs, laymen, and laywomen—ten sets of each. Whenever people came to use the sūtra—whether it be to read, recite, or copy it—I had them maintain ritual purity for a period of seven days beforehand and gave them these purified robes to wear. Only then would I entrust the sūtra to them. I have kept up this reverence [for the sūtra without lapse. People far and near respect my efforts, and it has brought them great benefit.”

Because of this the governor himself took refuge in the faith, after which people everywhere turned to the Lotus Sūtra as their principal form of religious practice.