One day, while Kannon-bodhisattva was walking along a mountain path, he found a white fox puppy separated from his parents about to be attacked by a big Jackal. Kannon went to the jackal with a wooden stick to protect the poor fox cub.
A few days later, when Kannon-bodhisattva was walking along the mountain path again, Kannon found that big Jackal trying to attack the small fox had fallen loose. When Kannon approaches the Jackal and looks closely, a young Jackal baby is crying weakly. The jackal at that time could not eat easily for the hungry child, and it walked around looking for the prey, and it was going to find the child at last, and to attack. However, the Kannon-bodhisattva exhausted jackal prey and exhausted jackal hunger and died.
Kannon-bodhisattva was deeply saddened that Kannon had eliminated the Jackal to save the fox at that time, resulting in the starving of jackal, death the parents of the Jackal who was a baby. Then, Kannon-bodhisattva carefully buried the Jackal which had starved to death, and the baby was taken over, and the child of the fox and the Jackal was brought up carefully like my child. Under the deep affection of Kannon, The fox and the jackal grew up like real brothers.
The fox cub was very clever. The fox showed the sutra in just a few days while listening to the sutra chanted by the Kannon-bodhisattva every day. Kannon-bodhisattva was very surprised at the high learning ability of the fox.
“This fox cub has much faster learning ability. Because fox is good at learning everything by imitating it, if fox trains in the future, fox will eventually be led to the human world.”
But the Kannon-bodhisattva was worried about the fox.
“On the other hand, there is a danger that the high absorption power leads to disaster. There is also a risk that if you put on the judgment of right and wrong firmly in the early stages, you will acquire even extra wisdom.”
One of the jackals was a calm and shy child. The jackal was a shy child who always walked behind the fox. The jackal was not able to reach the fox by the goodness and the speed of the memory, but the pure and honest character of the possession firmly grasped the teachings of Kannon-bodhisattva. By continuing to comply with the teachings of Kannon, The Jackal grew into a better disciple than fox was.
<Amida -nyorai Warning>
Amida – nyorai had a suspicious look at the fox, who learned everything well and learned quickly. And Amida – nyorai said to Kannon-bodhisattva.
“You are good, good kids, right? But that fox is too clever. I hope that wisdom is not misused in unnecessary places… ”
The concern of this Amida – Nyorai becomes a reality afterwards…
I’ll talk about that later.
Then the fox and the jackal became a good disciple of Kannon. The fox and jackal often accompany the Kannon-bodhisattva as they descent on the ground. Eventually they will be puzzled by the complex aspects of the human world…
<The fox fur is targeted!>
As the fox grew, its white fur began to give off a beautiful rich coat. Every time a fox walks, a long, glossy tail of pure white shakes gracefully. The fox became the existence which attracted the eye remarkably in the human world. And there are always people in the world who think bad things…
To chant the sutras to the people, Kannon- bodhisattva landed on the earth again. Of course, fox and jackal are also accompanied. The fox and jackal were quietly listening behind the Kannon- bodhisattva being taught by the people and chanting sutras. The villagers of the earthly world listened to Kannon’s grateful teachings.
Meanwhile, there was an unreachable person staring only at the white fox considering a bad plan. The young man in the village who was in the audience thought: What! That white fox! Stunningly beautiful! Pure white coat that shines brightly! Especially that tail! No matter how ugly a woman is, if you wrap that fluffy tail around your neck, you’ll be mistaken for a gorgeous beauty. It’s fur! If you catch that white fox, you can make a profit in fur!
At the end of Kannon’s sutra, the man followed one and two people to capture the white fox accompanying Kannon. The man in the village watched the opportunity to catch the fox for days and days, paying attention so as not to be found and hiding behind the shade. However, the white fox which lived waiting did not leave the side of Kannon and the jackal. One day, a man who was about to give up had a great opportunity. In the early morning, when a man happened to go out to the riverside, that white fox drank water in the river and moistened his throat. He looked around, but he could not see that monk or dog that he was always with. The young man in the village immediately went out to action that this was the one that it was able to do. When he took out a large bag of hemp from his bosom, he lurked his sigh, behind the fox, and gradually shortened the distance so that he would not be noticed. And, the moment the fox tried to drink the water of the river again, the bag of hemp was shaken down at once, and the fox was caught alive. The fox, covered with a hemp bag from its head, resisted violently and scattered a cry like a shout of the Destiny. The jackal who noticed the incident of the fox ran to the riverside barking violently from where it came from. The jackal ran up to the man’s feet to prevent the fox from being taken. The jackal barked violently at the man and continued to threaten him, peeling his fangs. The young man was relentlessly barked and frightened by the intimidating jackal, but never let go of the bag of hemp that caught the fox. During that time, the fox, which had been trapped in a bag, barely flambed his back legs and beautiful tail, and continued to resist desperately.
The jackal approached the man’s leg with biting momentum. Then, the man immediately shook the threatening jackal and ran out. At last, the jackal put up a sharp fang in the man’s calf and bit it so that he could not take his brother, the fox, away. The man screamed for so much pain. The man glared at the jackal who was still eating and keeping his calf. Then, with the power of the body in the other leg, he kicked the jackal biting into the calf. The jackal was stomach kicked by a man and kicked off to the riverbank.
“ yelp jelp yelp jelp yelp jelp yelp !!!! “
He blew bubbles from his mouth with severe pain and fell off his white eyes.
“jackal! Let Kannon- sama know about this situation! And come to help me!”
Jackal was listening to the fox’s desperate call just before his consciousness was far away. However, the jackal does not move because he is numb with too much pain. Before long, the fox’s voice gradually became distant and could not be heard…
“Jackal, what the hell happened!? Are you ok!?”
When the jackal opened his eyes, there was a figure of Kannon-Bodhisattva, who spoke to him anxiously. Kannon-Bodhisattva was surprised at this disastrous of jackals, opening Kannon’s very narrow eyes so wide that jackal had never seen before. Jackal tried to get up, but his body didn’t move at all. The jackal tried to wake him up at least with his head alone, but all the sensations below his neck were lost. The only thing he could move now was his own eyes…
Oh, master Kannon…
The jackal, who could not speak, was filled with tears from his eyes in despair that he could not tell Kannon-Bodhisattva how the fox had been taken away. Having seen the suffering of such a jackal, Kannon said to the jackal.
“Well, what a miserable jackal! It must have been painful and painful.”
After saying that, Kannon gently stroked the area of the jackal’s stomach and used his other hand and fingertos to give a signal to cast a spell.
And Kannon casts a spell quietly. Strangely enough, the sense gradually came back to the body of the jackal, which had not moved at all until just now, and he was able to get up before long. The severe pain in the jackal’s body, which he suffered when he was kicked away by that evil man, now healed like a lie. The jackal happily shakes his tail wide. Then he stretched and yawned, as if to check his body as he was able to move freely, and then shook his body several times. Kannon asked him when he saw the jackal who was completely well.
“What happened while I was away? Where is my fox?”
The jackal told Kannon the whole story of what had happened by the river.
“That’s what happened… We were in a difficult situation, weren’t we? We have to find the fox right away and help fox.”
Kannon said that, and then ordered the jackal to dig a hole in the ground. Jackal followed Kannon’s command and dug a hole a little away from the riverside, using both of his forelegs well. Kannon called on him to stop digging the hole when the jackal dug a hole to a certain depth. Kannon said, “It’s already enough because of the depth,” and Kannon slowly looked into the bottom of the dug hole. Before long, Kannon put his hand in the dug hole and grabbed a little bit of the part where the soil became clay. The jackal kept both his forefoot and nose’s head dirty with mud and watched Kannon-Bodhisattva. Kannon carefully kneaded the clay with both hands and shaped the clay into the shape of an elongated candle. In front of the clay candle, Kannon combines his hands and whispers a spell quietly…And Kannon said to the jackal.
“Now we’re ready. Now, let’s go to help our fox, our family”
Kannon went out of the mountain with the jackal and headed to the village to find the fox that had been taken away.
Upon arriving in the village, the jackal immediately smelled the ground and began his search for the fox. At jackal approached the front of a shabby house, and after turning around in front of the house, he began to bark toward the doorway. Before long, when Kannon approached him, the jackal leaped and barked even more violently.
“Is there a fox in this house that is one of us?”
When Kannon asked the jackal, he barked twice and then showed a gesture that scratched the door of a lousy house. When Kannon saw such a jackal, Kannon nodded.
“It’s good. jackal, you should be behind me.”
Then Kannon knocked several times on the door of the house and waited for the owner of the house to come out. After a while, they heard the door unlocked from inside the house and then saw the door open a little. When they looked into the house, they saw a thin man. Perhaps because he is still sleepy, he yawns and rubs his eyes. The jackal rushed into the house through the gap of the door which had been opened immediately.
“Oh! Wait! Wait! Wait!”
The man hurriedly tried to drive the jackal away, but jackal went into his house at a speed like the wind.
“What are you guys doing to me? What are you all about bringing a dog!?
The man was different from the sleepy attitude of the previous, and it raged, and it stared at The Kannon bodhisattva. Even with the attitude of such a man, Kannon is not to be frightened.
“The other day, I came to get back our foxes that you took away,” Kannon said.
“Okay? A fox? What are you talking about? The man blurted out.
Kannon pointed to the back of the room
“Hey, that little white fox over there,” Kannon said, staring at just one place in the dim house. As soon as the door of the house opened, a nostalgic smell drifted. After smelling the nostalgic smell, the jackal could not wait still in the place, rushing into the dark house. Because the nostalgic smell for jackal was so adorable and painful that jackal wanted to cry. The more you go to the back of the house, the stronger and deeper the nostalgic smell. Eventually, the jackal discovered a moving white creature in a dim landscape.
“fox!”
Jackal was delighted to find his brother, the fox. However, the jackal was not able to approach the fox all the time. For the fox was placed on the highest piece of furniture in this house so that it would not escape, and his neck was strapped with a red string, and the red string was tightly tied to the pillar. The fox seemed cramped in this situation, but fox was glad that the jackal had come, shaking his white and graceful tail many times, looking down at the jackal. The jackal tried to get a little closer to the foxes, and as he went under the furniture many times, he sometimes showed his gesture of trying to climb up to the furniture using both his front legs. “Jackal! It’s too late. I’m tired of waiting for you.”
The fox complained to the jackal.
“Sorry, it’s because I was taking a little time on this side.”
“Jackal, it looks like you’ve been hurt by that bad guy, but is your body okay?”
The fox looked anxiously at the jackal.
“I’m fine. Kannon helped me, so my body was no longer so painful.”
“Yes, it’s good. I’m really glad you’re safe.”
After the fox looked down at the jackal, fox focused his attention on the conversation between the man in the doorway and Kannon.
“Do you have proof that the fox over there is yours?”
The man said unafraidly and flatly to the Kannon. Then, Kannon quietly refutes it.
“Of course there is. If you look at the two of your good friends over there, you’ll know right away, right? Those animals are like brothers and they have been raised since they are a child, so I’m not wrong when I raised them.”
“I just caught a white fox that was drinking water in the river. You were not there when you caught him. And the white foxes had nothing to prove you were their owner. That’s why the fox I caught is mine.”
This man is bold even where he is trying to push through his claim while robbing the fox of Kannon. However, Kannon was calm all the time.
“I see, is that so? Now, I have a suggestion. I have a candle now. I’ll give this to you, so could you give me back my fox?”
“You’re asking me to exchange it for that white fox with just one candle? I can’t accept such a silly proposal!”
“This is by no means an ordinary candle that is everywhere. The candle I have is a specially designed candle that once you light a fire, it will continue to light forever.”
“The candle that the fire keeps lit forever!? There is no such candle! You’re a liar. A candle of this size would be at most half a day before the fire could continue to light. And it must be blown out as soon as the wind blows.”
“If you doubt so, I’ll light this candle here.”
After saying that, Kannon approached the fireplace and gently moved the fire from a small lit charcoal to a candle.
“Please, you blow out the candle and try. No matter how hard you try to blow it out, the candle won’t go out.”
“Oh, you seem to have a lot of confidence.”
The man looked at the candle handed to him by Kannon, and when he said that, he showered the candle with his breath. Then, as Kannon said, no matter how hard a man exhaled, the candle light did not make the flame less. The candle kept the light bright. And what’s more strange is that you can’t see the candle wax melting at all. After seeing the mysterious phenomenon, the man thought. This candle, as the person in front of me says, may be a special candle that really keeps the lights on forever… The man began to think with his arms folded further.
The splendid fur of that white fox and this mysterious candle. Which one is really beneficial to me???
“All right… that’s good. So let’s exchange this special candle with the fox that’s over there.”
The negotiation with the man was concluded by this. Instead of having the fox returned from the man, Kannon gave the man a special candle Kannon had created and went home.
A few days later, when Kannon-Bodhisattva was doing a religious mendicancy on the bridge where people came and went, that young man, who had previously taken the fox from Kannon, approached. We don’t know for some reason, but the man is dragging one leg. And he stood in front of Kannon and began to talk.
“The other day, I was surprised when you came suddenly. So I forgot to tell you. In fact, when I caught a fox, I was bitten on the leg by your dog. The wound that was made when it was bitten does not settle at all though it is time when it is good to heal long ago. What’s more, I got a fever. This must be because I got a strange disease from your dog. It takes money for me to see a doctor. But it doesn’t seem like you have any money. So give me some of those special candles you gave me before. So I’ll make it a settlement.” Saying that, the man smiled grinning.
“I can’t believe that! That my dog bit your leg…”
Kannon was very surprised. And, it stared at the jackal which was holding back. The jackal, who was severely looked at by Kannon, was sorry. Kannon said, “Unfortunately, I don’t have a candle right now, so I’ll prepare it later and deliver it to the house,” and for the time being, Kannon sent the man home. Then Kannon said to Jackal, “Jackal, is it true what that man said? Did you really bite a person? “ Kannon said, and confirmed the truth. Then, the jackal whispered sadly to Kannon. “I’m sorry, Kannon-sama.” When Kannon heard the words of the jackal, Kannon seemed to be deeply disappointed.
“Jackal, you still can’t seem to control your beast. You don’t have enough training. No matter how disturbed you may be, you will not be allowed to harm others. Why couldn’t we maintain mental stability while reciting sutras? “
Kannon rebuked him for the jackal. Jackal is very deeply remorseful. Watching the interaction between the two, The Fox felt sad that Jackal was being reprimanded by Kannon because of him. That’s why the fox said to Kannon.
“Kannon sama, the man in that village tried to force me to take me away. So the jackal tried to help me. Please don’t blame Jackal any more. It’s the man in that village that’s to blame.”
The fox said so and covered the jackal. But Kannon said harshly to the fox and the jackal.
“No matter what the reason, it is never permissible to do anything that harms others.”
Kannon made a new special candle and went out to deliver it to the man in the village. Jackal was depressed all the time, regretting and reflecting.
The fox felt sorry for the state of the jackal and called out to the jackal.
“I’m sorry, Jackal. You’ve been scolded for the good intentions you’ve done for me…”
Jackal silently shook his head quietly at the fox’s apology.
After that, the man in the village often appeared in front of Kannon several times. The man demanded a candle at Kannon because of the slow healing of his leg injury. The fox despised the man’s words and actions from the bottom of his heart.
“Why can’t he be satisfied with a single candle? He could get a permanent light on a candle. And his family and the people around him can all benefit from the light together. The special candle made by Kannon is much more useful than my coat which comes in only in the cold season. But he is not satisfied yet, and asks Kannon for that candle. What a greedy human being is. On earth, the desire of a man caught in greed has no end. “
Saying that, the fox lamented to the jackal. However, Jackal thought that he was bothering Kannon because of himself, and remained depressed for a long time. After a while, Jackal began to talk.
“Hey, I’ve been curious…”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Kannon sama said to that if your heart was bright, the candle would continue to light up without disappearing, did you?”
“What’s bothering you about that?”
“What do you mean, you have a bright heart? For example, do you have a lot of fun talk and make people laugh? “
“No, it’s not. Kannon sama is not talking about the person’s character.”
“Then what do you mean?”
“Kannon sama said the ratio of yin to yang. There is light and shadow in this earthly world. There is a part of light, shadow, yang and yin in man’s heart.
To make a simple interpretation, the sun is good and the shadow is bad.
Kannon sama said that if there were more good parts than the bad parts that exist in the human mind, that candle would continue to light for a long time.”
Now, after the wise fox saw the greedy man, fox began to look down on the people of the earth ruled by desire. And the fox came to see the world more coldly than ever before.
Kannon, fox and jackal will leave this village tomorrow to chant sutras in another village. So they went to bed early that day in preparation for tomorrow’s departure.
However, only the fox did not sleep easily…
It was a bright full moon night. The fox sneaked out so as not to wake them up.
Then the fox started walking as if it had been invited by the moonlight.
Before long, the fox prepares its breath while looking at the moon. Then the fox made a mark with an elegant hand and began casting spells.
Eventually, the fox, which had been transformed into Kannon-Bodhisattva, relied on the moonlight and quietly headed to the village with a large candle.
At that time, the greedy man in the village was looking at the candle light which seemed to disappear at any time. The man was thinking of threatening and complaining. To take more candles from that fox, jackal, and traveler. Then he heard the sound of hitting the door of the man’s house. Who the hell is a man at such a late hour? Wary, he opened the door a little and looked outside. Then, in front of the door, there was the figure of that traveler.
The traveler bowed politely to the man.
“I’m sorry to visit you at such a late hour. Actually, I was worried that the candle I gave you the other day would soon disappear. “
The traveler said. The man was delighted with the traveler’s visit. And the man was feeling good and invited the traveler into the house.
Not to mention, this traveler’s true identity is a fox that has been transformed into Kannon-Bodhisattva.
The greedy man, who did not know the fact, immediately pointed his finger at the candle, which was getting smaller and the fire was going out, and said,
” This candle I got from you, but the fire on the candle is going to go out soon. Did you lie to me? You gave me a defective candle. And you took that white fox from me. What responsibility do you take for me? In response to this result, I ask you for ten more candles. Otherwise, my anger will not subside. “
The man told the traveler the complaint he had thought of. Then, the fox who had transformed into a traveler said.
“Yes, if that’s the case, if you can transfer the fire from the candle you have now to my particularly big candle, I’ll give you this big candle of mine.”
The fox took out a large, splendid candle from the sleeve of the kimono.
As soon as the man saw the splendid candle
“This is a fine candle. If it’s such a big candle, the candle will not go out easily.”
The man was glad to say so. The man brought his candle carefully, which was likely to go out of the candle at any time. Then the man tried to move the fire from a small candle to a large candle. The man tried to transfer the fire to the axis of a large candle. It was the time when the light on a small candle was brought close. The small candle light slowly and quietly disappeared as if the animal’s breath had died, and the man’s house became completely dark.
“Hey! What the hell has become!? The candle’s light has gone out! Turn on a new fire right away! “
The man panicked. And the man shouted at the traveler. Then, a dignified voice was heard from in the dark darkness.
“Have you forgotten? That’s what I said when I gave you a candle.”
Then the man asked the traveler with fear.
“I don’t know. What are you talking about? “
“I told you that if your heart is bright, the candle will continue to light.
However, the fire on the candle has already gone out.
Apparently, you weren’t the person who deserved to have this candle. It’s a shame.”
After the words, he heard the door open and felt someone going out.
The man felt tremendous fear in the situation in which he was left alone. That’s why the man asked the traveler for help.
“Please! Traveler, I’m sorry. I’ll apologize. Please light this candle again. Put a little fire into this candle! “
The man called the traveler over and over again, but there was nothing more to respond to the man’s voice.
The young man who was left behind never saw the light, no matter how many times the sun rose from that day. The eyes of a man who had been ruled by desire would never be lit with light again.
<Now, to the journey of training>
One day, the fox conveyed his proposal to his master, Kannon-Bodhisattva.
“Kannon sama, I and the jackal have been engaged to you, listening to the troubles of all the people in the earth world, and learning to save them from hardships.
The reason is that it wants to become man’s appearance one day and to descend on the human world. However, it has been taught that in order for beasts to enter the human world, they must first understand people’s joy, suffering, and sorrow. In order to do that, we have to be close to people’s lives.
Just like Kannon sama does, we want to hear people’s troubles, chant sutras, and train them to heal them. “
Kannon-Bodhisattva looked a little surprised by the fox’s remark, but before long, Kannon always said calmly.
“The fox and the jackal, there is still not enough training for you to become human.”
But the wise fox was predicting the answer from such a master,
“We want to heal those who are troubled, we want to save them. I want to chant sutras for people. But who will listen to our sutras seriously when we are in the form of foxes and jackals? I’m sure there are two rare beasts who imitate the sutra, and they will be laughed at by the show. We don’t require that we become human beings all day. Could you at least allow me to become a human being even during the day when I’m in front of people? “
The fox appealed to Kannon-Bodhisattva like this. Kannon also thought a little about this, and before long,
“Hmm, there’s a point in the fox’s statement.”
Kannon-Bodhisattva showed his understanding.
“It’s good. Let’s specially allow the fox and jackal to change into humans only during the day when the sun is rising.”
Thus, the fox and the jackal descended on the human world and went on the journey of the training.
< Curse of hina Dolls >
It was a long time ago.
There was a young lady of marriageable age in a certain village. However, the young lady was not able to get married for a long time. Her appearance is not particularly bad, but rather, she was a beautiful woman, so it shouldn’t be strange if the story of the marriage usually proceeds. But I don’t know why, but there was no marriage at this young lady’s place alone. This young lady has met twice or three times in the past. However, if it is just before the wedding ceremony, the family over there will suddenly refuse it.
“The young lady of that house, I hear that the marriage story has broken up again.”
“Really!? Also? “
“I wonder why. Even though she has a pretty face…”
“It’s a hard fact to say, but the young lady three houses ahead of her was much more ugly than that girl, but she was able to get married right away.”
“I wonder why.”
“Isn’t it because her character is bad after all?”
“No, it’s a rumor that her personality is entirely good. She is kind and friendly to everyone.
“Then why would she be turned down every time about marriage?”
In this way, the breakup of her engagement was talked about among the villagers.
Jackal happened to hear this villager’s conversation. Jackal said to fox, who was by his side.
“Hey, I feel sorry for her. What’s wrong with The young lady?
Then Fox “It’s the law of cause and effect,” fox answered without hesitation.
“What?” Jackal was surprised and looked at the fox. And the jackals
“What do you mean?” Jackal asked fox.
“That young lady is cursed with a hina doll,” fox said in a low voice.
“The Curse of the Hina Doll?”
“Yes, it is. At her house, she decorates her gorgeous five-stage doll at the Doll Festival every year. However, the timing of putting away the doll is always late. They daughter’s family doesn’t put away the dolls even after the festival is over.
When was the year, there was a bad year that even when the Tango Festival started, the dolls were not put away yet.”
“Are they cursed for such a tiny reason?”
“You know, Hina dolls have to put away the dolls right after the festival. There is a legend that it will be difficult for young lady in the family to get married if they don’t put away their dolls forever.”
“Is that so? But that’s just a legend, isn’t it? Curse, isn’t it a little exaggerated? “
“Well, the curse might be an exaggerated expression. However, that family does not put away the doll even if time passes for a long time after the Hina festival ends. Their such insensitivity may make the dolls angry and curse the girls.
Don’t you think it’s a problem to have such a woman who can’t be put away as your wife?
Perhaps at the time of the marriage story, I think that the other party’s parents were listening to a bad rumor that it was not possible to clean up.
In short, that girl’s house is sloppy with the whole family.”
“Wow, you say tough things clearly.”
Fox was drinking water by the river one day. Then, Fox saw the young lady whose marriage had broken down.
Eventually, she stood by the river and began to talk alone.
“Oh, God… I can’t get a good marriage story. It is refused by the other party’s family many times. There are already bad rumors about me all over the village. I’m really ashamed. I am bothering my parents. I am laughed at by the world. I can’t stand this humiliation…”
After she said that, she went into the river and sank more and more.
A fox was watching the girls from the bushes. And fox was very surprised.
A fox hastened to take a large leaf from the oak tree branch.
Then fox put a leaf on fox’s forehead. And fox matched both front legs with in front of fox’s nose. And fox started chanting the mantra…
“Om, a ro -ry- qui- a -so- wa- ka…Om, a ro -ry- qui- a -so- wa- ka…Om, a ro -ry- qui- a -so- wa- ka…”
Then, the next moment, the fox was transformed into the shape of a woman with a god-like aura, wearing a pure white kimono. The transformed fox rushed after the g young lady. The young lady entered the river and was sinking. The fox grabbed the lady’s hand and pulled her to the shore to help. And the fox said to the young lady,
“What a poor young lady. But you don’t despair. I’ll fix your problem somehow. Come back to this place this time tomorrow.”
The young lady was very surprised to hear the fox’s words. And then a big tear overflowed from her eyes, “But…” And the young lady broke down crying on the spot.
“Well, don’t be so sad. I know your troubles. We also know why your marriage is a continuation of the break-up.”
The fox said that and wiped the young lady’s tears with fox’s kimono sleeves.
“I understand that it’s troublesome to put away dolls. I can relate to the fact that it’s too much trouble and they can’t put away early. But how about killing yourself for such a small reason? “
From the fox that came back, Jackal heard the whole thing. After hearing it, Jackal said in disgust.
“For that young lady, the reality that the marriage story had broken up many times must have been embarrassing to death.”
“Then? How do you solve her troubles? “
“I’m thinking of giving her a Reifu(spirit mark).”
” Reifu? Where do you get that?”
Jackal asks fox’s questioning.
“Well, from now on, I’ll give you a spell of Reifu. I’m just learning it, and it’s going to take a while…”
The fox said so, and walked toward the brook. The fox silently scooped the brook water and included it in fox’s mouth. And, the water of the brook was put in the bottle of the gourd which had been prepared. Before long, the fox went into the brook as it was. The fox splashed water all over its body while making a bang. This act is necessary to cleanse both mind and body. If it is not purified both physically and mentally, it is not possible to put power in the Reifu. When the fox finished cleansing both mind and body, fox returned to the place where the jackal was. After that, the fox prepares a piece of Japanese paper and a calligraphy tool.
Next, the fox, while casting a long spell, prepared an aroma and drifted a good scent. The fox sits straight in a beautiful position. Then the fox took a deep breath to adjust the breath. The jackal is interesting to see the fox’s behavior. Before long, the fox said to jackals.
“I’m going to create a Reifu from now on, so take a good look.”
The fox put a lot of ink from the calligraphy tool to the fine brush. Then, while casting a spell,
” 天円地方（tenenchihou）
律令九章（ritsureikyuusyou）
呉今下筆（gokonnkahitsu）
万鬼伏蔵（bankifukuzou）
急急如律令（kyuukyuujyoriturei）”
Fox boldly wrote a Reifu on the Japanese paper at once. The one drawn on Japanese paper seems to be a character drawn in Chinese characters, or Japanese characters but Jackal could not read and understand it. The spell cast by the fox was also the first time Jackal had heard it. The fox cast another long spell, and then the fox had a Reifu in fox’s hand. Then fox cast another spell, showering the Reifu with incense smoke. Before long, the fox casts a spell and quietly places a Reifu.
Fox said, “That’s fine.” The jackal was excited to see the process of making a spirit mark and the finished Reifu. Jackal felt as if he had been moved by the artistic work. Jackal asks fox while shaking his tail to elation.
“Is this the Reifu completed? Hey, what’s the effect? What does this written? “
Jackal asked Fox one question after another. The fox tried to calm the jackal with both hands so that he could settle down to his excited brother’s pupil. Then,
“This is a Reifu called “Nanshishibofu”. If she has this, she will eventually be loved by a nice man.”
The fox answered with confidence. But when jackal hear that, jackal has stopped shaking his tails. Jackal’s excitement has cooled down completely. Before long, jackals, in a slightly lower voice “Oh, is that right?” said Jackal. From the expression of the jackal “Are you sure? Such as, He has a feeling of doubt. It is easy to understand. The fox says angry at the attitude of the jackal.
“Hey, you! Do you doubt me? “
“Because… if it’s a problem that can be solved by supporting the effort and mental strength of the person himself, I can understand it. But it’s really doubtful to rely on the power of a Reifu to get the other person’s favor.”
“Well, you still don’t have enough trouble. There are a lot of things in this world that don’t reward you no matter how hard you try. On the contrary, even though They’re not bad at anything, They’re suddenly threatened, stolen, confiscated, or killed if it’s worse! Because of this unreasonable world, we have chanted Kannon and sutras, gave healing to people, and taught them the path to the Pure Land of Paradise.”
“If that’s the case, don’t you think it’s better to chant one of the Kannon sutras and you’ll tell her, not to be such a Reifu?”
“It’s already done.”
“What?”
“That lady’s house is religious. She has been passionate about sutras since she was a child, and she transcribing a sutra every day. “
“Oh, yes. Then, it is sure to be able to go to the Pure Land of Paradise. I’m afraid one day her wish will be fulfilled.”
“I’m not saying that to you! You are wrong!”
“What’s wrong with my interpretation?”
Jackal tilts his head mysteriously. The fox that saw it sighs. And fox said, shaking fox’s head from side to side.
“You don’t understand at all. It’s too early to go to the Pure Land after she dies.
She wants to be happy to grant her wish early while she is alive.
We’ve seen a lot of people. Human desire is to achieve as many desires as possible while we are alive. In her case, it’s marriage!
However, even though she had a desire to get married, she was still single.
Even though she’s chanting sutras and continue transcribing a sutra, her desire to get married hasn’t come true yet. As a matter of fact, this is reality? “
“No, yes… Well, that’s right. The reason for this is that she still doesn’t have enough training. She is poor at organizing her surroundings in everyday life.
In other words, the root cause is her sloppy behavior.”
“Oh! You say something very harsh to her, don’t you? “
The fox looks at the jackal with contempt. Then the jackal hurriedly rephrased.
“No, because, she has recited 28 volumes of the Sutra, and then she’ve transferred the sutras to paper and even write them down. And yet her wish has not yet come true. This is probably due to her sloppiness… that is, she doesn’t have enough training and conviction… “
“Shut up! ”
The fox stopped jackal’s words and then continued.
“Yes, you’re right. No matter how well you chant sutras and continue transcribing a sutra, you have no effect unless you do good things in everyday life, have daily training, and strong beliefs. We were taught that way by Kannon-Bodhisattva. But people have their daily lives, and they don’t have time to spend their daily training like monks and hermits. If they live like that, they may grow old and die before their wish comes true. The people of this world have a lifespan since they were born unlike us. I’ve been thinking about it before, but why doesn’t Kannon give consideration to the life span ?”
“Life span…”
Jackal puts his hand on his chin and mutters while thinking.
The fox continues to say.
“That’s why I’m studying Reifu like this. This is to find ways to request a desire from various Gods and Buddhas.”
“Where on earth did you learn that?”
“There was a hermit in the cave of the mountain, and I was interested in watching his training. When I was observing it, I also wanted to use a Reifu or a spell. That’s why I became able to learn magic more and more as I secretly went to see the hermit’s practice every day, and as I tried imitating him. The various books he had were written magic. So I gradually learned magic.”
“Oh, is it okay to do such a thing, Kannon-sama will not scold you for being found?”
“It’s our job to heal and rescue the people who are suffering in this world, right?
That’s why we’re going down to the human world and training. That’s why this is one of the training.”
“But…”
“What are you talking about? In short, it would be nice if people’s wishes come true and they will be happy, right? I’m practicing a reasonable way to do it. The more ways you get to fulfill your requests and desires for God and Buddha, the better. The day when the desire comes true becomes near so soon. And we don’t have the kind of teaching that those who chant sutras forbid the possession of Reifus, do we?”
“No, but, can’t they concentrate on they desires? I feel that the aid from God and Buddha is distributed here and there, and the effect seems to fade. “
“What you’re saying is the exact opposite. That young lady is seriously chanting sutras every day and transcribing a sutra. If I gave this Reifu to such a serious girl, it must be even more effective by the synergy.”
“Is that really true? “
“That’s right. The Reifu is sure to be able to be answered if it is carefully possessed with the belief. Even if she’s not good at organizing, she’ll be able to forgive her faults and show up a sincere man who loves her.”
Jackal still suspects the fox’s remarks. The fox ignored the jackal and walked quickly to the riverside, which he had promised her.
The young lady came to the river because she promised a fox yesterday.
The fox confirms the appearance of the young lady from the bush. And, the fox put the leaf of the oak tree on the forehead of the fox, chanted the mantra, and transformed it into the appearance of the woman who gave off the aura of God like last time. And the fox appeared in front of the young lady. The fox said, handing the lady the Reifu fox had created while injecting the spell.
“Are you good, young lady? I will give you this spirit mark that I have created. Be sure to have this spirit mark wherever you go. And you, as always, believe in God and Buddha, chant sutras every day, and continue transcribing a sutra. Then you will always find the right marriage for you and you will be able to get married.”
The young lady gets a Reifu from the fox. And she politely thanked fox.
“Well, thank you for giving me such a great spirit mark. I just met you yesterday. You don’t know me, but you give me a present. Why are you kind to me? “
“I’m still training. However, the appearance that you were troubled looked very sad. You moved my mind. Your troubles are not as serious as you die. I object to your suicide. So I decided to pass you a Reifu. If this Reifu works correctly in your beliefs, you will surely get an effect. Please believe and do your best.”
The fox told her that, then turned his back to her and quickly left the river.
“Is this what a Reifu is?”
After the fox left, the young lady whispered alone.
The young lady honestly believed what the fox said. She continued to chant sutras every day and always carry a Reifu with her wherever she went. And sometimes she was looking at the Reifu and expecting her future to have a happy marriage.
A few weeks have passed since then. The young lady was favored by a young merchant who had come from the capital on a business trip. The young merchant was a gentle young man who did not care about the details. The young lady and the young merchant got married immediately because they had romantic feelings. ♡♡♡
The young lady’s honest heart and the power to continue to believe reached the Reifu! Thus she made her desire to get married a reality.
※Now, it’s up to you whether you believe or not believe this miraculous Reifu…☺☺☺
< On the Night of Tanabata >
In Japan that year, the ground was shaken violently, and a huge wave swept from the sea, and a lot of people died.
Most of their houses and people were swallowed up by the big sea. Those who barely survived said,
“This must be because the god of the sea and the god of the earth got angry.”
That’s why people lived in fear of God’s wrath.
The village by the sea where the fox and the jackal visited was also in ruin. They were speechless in the misery. The only thing they can do is chant sutras and pray for the well-being of the many dead. The fox and the jackal, who had been transformed into a monk, chanted sutras in a single-minded toward the sea, that swallowed many people. And they prayed for those who died to be led to the Pure Land of Paradise. After chanting a long, long sutra, Jackal looked at the sky and whispered without telling anyone.
“What do Kannon-Bodhisattva and Amida-Nyorai think of this situation?” I respect and trust my master, but sometimes I don’t know what God or Buddha thinks of. Why does God and Buddha treat people so miserablely? “
The fox was silently listening to the jackal’s words. Before long, it said so.
“In all times, the plague from heaven is equaltoly released to both the good and the bad. I’m not convinced there.”
The fox responded to the jackal.
“Does the gods punish those who have worldly desires because they encourage reflection?”
“It’s wrong and unfair to apply it to good people.”
“Well, even if you are a good person, there is a difference in degree, but there are worldly desires…”
When jackals looked at the heavens and said so, raindrops fell from the sky. Listening to Jackal’s words, fox looks up at the rainy sky with hate. Before long…
“It is human to have human desires…”
Fox was whispering low.
Day after day, fox and jackal went to the sea, chanted sutras, and prayed for the Pure Land of the people who died.
On that day, as the fox and jackal were chanting sutras, a piece of elongated paper came down at the feet of the jackals. When the jackal picked up the paper, a fox next to him said,
“Well, this is a Tanzaku, isn’t it? Come to think of it, it’s coming soon for tanabata festival.”
“What’s Tanabata?”
“Oh, you don’t know Tanabata!?
The fox was surprised and amazed at the jackal’s question, but from the story of Princess Ori and Hikoboshi, Tanzaku on the bamboo leaves briefly explained how it eventually became a habit to make people’s wishes. When Jackal heard that, he saw the Tanzaku he had picked up again. And then…
“I ask that my mother, who has gone to heaven, turns into a beautiful star and will watch over me forever from the sky.”
It was written in a young character. The jackal who read the wish written in the Tanzaku moistened eyes.
“Where did this Tanzaku come from?”
“I’m sure there must be a decoration for the Tanabata Festival nearby. We have to find it and tie this Tanzaku.”
The fox answered. They walked around and looked for the bamboo leaves decoration. Eventually they found a bamboo tree swaying in the sea breeze on a hill facing the sea. As they went up to the high ground, a tree of bamboo trees prepared for the Tanabata Festival stood in a place where the sea could see over. The leaves of the bamboo are connected by colorful Tanzaks. Every time the sea breeze blew, they were cool and fluttering with a pleasant sound. The fox picked up the Tanzaku that the jackal had and added it to the bamboo decoration. The fox firmly tied the Tanzaku to the bamboo branch so that it would not fly again in a strong sea breeze.
The jackal, who was near the fox, read carefully one by one of the other wishes written on Tanzakus.
“May my brother, who was taken to the sea, go to heaven safely.”
“May I be able to live with my family again.”
“I hope the wrath of the god of the sea calm down.”
“I hope you find my father as soon as possible. “
“I hope everyone will be able to drink clean water.”
“May my mother go to heaven. “
“Please give me some food so that the children can be full.”
“I hope we can make a house where we all go home as soon as possible.”
“I hope everyone will not be sad any more…”
… and so on. It was the wish of the people in the disaster area.
“Uh-uh… somehow… it’s really sad because of people’s earnest requests…”
The jackal moistened his eyes again.
“No, don’t cry, don’t cry anymore.”
The eyes of the fox who said were also moist.
They once again looked at the Tanzaku swaying in the sea breeze. Eventually they left silently.
Later, the fox spoke to jackal.
“Hey, I’ve been thinking a lot about it.”
“Yeah?”
“Tanzaku in that Tanabata’s decoration”
“Oh, that Tanzaku had a sadly candid wish written on it…”
“Wouldn’t it be nice if all the wishes written in that Tanzaku came true?” 」
“Yes. Well, I hope it will come true, really…”
“No, it’s not. “
“Why not?
“We’ll make it come true.”
“How!? So, but how??
Jackal was surprised at the fox proposal. However, the fox continues calmly.
“All we have to do is make all the Tanzakus that have that wish written on them into a Reifu.”
“What!?
“That’s why every piece of Tanzaku is filled with people’s wishes. It is a wish written with a strong desire and a pure heart. So it reached our hearts and made us cry. If it’s such a pure-thought Tanzakus, it’s sure to be effective instead of a Reifu.”
“No, think about it. If Tanzaku is not drawn with a special sign that leads to God, it will not reach God.”
“Yes, that’s why I’ll prepare the original Reifu.”
“It’s the original Reifu!?”
“Yes, it is. The wish written on all Tanzakus is fulfilled together based on the [Great wish fulfillment Reifu]. I’m sure it’s going to work.”
The fox spoke forcefully to encourage him.
And July 7th. It was the day of the Tanabata Festival. It was fine that day, and even at night, the stars shined brightly and the river of heaven could be seen.
At night, people gathered on the beach with Tanabata decorations. At the end of the Tanabata Festival, the bamboo of the Tanabata decoration is burned by fire with a Tanzaku on. This is to deliver the wishes of Tanzaku to God. It burns Tanzaku, becomes smoke, and rises to the highest of where God is.
The fox and the jackal were peeking at people secretly from a distance. Because the sun was already dark, they cannot transform into human figures. The reason is that they made a vow that they can transform into the appearance of the person only while the sun rises by the promise with the master Kannon-Bodhisattva.
That’s why they were listening from a distance.
The fox showed the Reifu prepared for the day to the jackal.
And the fox asked Jackal.
“Hey, at the same time that tanzak burns, I want you to throw this [The Great wish fulfillment Reifu] in that fire.”
”What? Why don’t you do it yourself?
“If I can do it myself, I don’t ask you to do it myself. May I? Think about it, my elegant white fur will stand out even in the dark, won’t it? If I were to be caught by a human being again, how would you take responsibility!? It would be possible for you in black fur to succeed without being found by others, right?
“Oh, yes. All right… So, do I have to chant some mantra when I put it in the fire?
“The mantra is fine because I’ll chant it here. I want you to see the timing. Be sure to put a Reifu into the fire before the Tanzaku burns out.”
“Roger that.”
The jackal started running at full speed at the same time as the fire spread to the Tanabata’s decoration and Tanzaku. And, he put the [The Great wish fulfillment Reifu] which had been put in the mouth in the fire at a perfect time. The fox also quickly tied the mark and chanted the mantra while the Reifu and Tanzaku were burning. Tanzaku and the Reifu became smoke, and when the sky rose high, it soon disappeared into the distance on the sea breeze.
Jackal finished his work and came back to the fox. Then, as soon as the fox saw the jackal’s face, Fox burst into laughter. Jackal was disappointed that he thought he would be praised and thanked by the fox because he was able to do his job perfectly. So Jackal complained about the fox’s attitude.
“I’ve done the perfect job you said, why do you laugh!”
“No, because your face, your beard is burning… your beard has shrunk…”
The jackal was desperate not to miss the timing of the moment before Tanzaku burned out. Jackal worked hard to burn Tanzaku and Reifu at the same time. To ensure that the Reifu is put into the fire, he came closest to the fire and his long beard shrank with the heat of the fire. The fox felt sorry for the sincere jackal, and the fox hurriedly rephrased.
“I’m sorry. You knew the fire was hot to make sure you burned the Reifu, but you were approaching the fire, didn’t you? Thanks to you, the Reifu burned at the same time as Tanzakus. And, it became smoke and it was able to rise to the sky. Thank you. Jackal, did your face get hurt by the fire? Are you ok?
Jackal was satisfied with the fox’s words. And
“It’s okay, I’m fine. Rather, I hope that people’s wishes can reach God.”
Jackal said.
Then, the smoke of the Tanzakus and the Reifu which rose into the sky spread here and there in Japan in the wind. As a result, the disaster that occurred in this seaside village was widely known to the Japanese people, and support was sent from all over Japan. From some parts of Japan, wild vegetables, vegetables, beans, grains, rice, etc. from the mountains and fields were brought in for days, and hunger in the disaster area was eliminated. In addition, the neighboring areas of the disaster-affected areas supply well water and river water, eliminating drinking water and agricultural water problems. Also from a certain region, carpenters and various craftsmen came to help rebuild the damaged houses. Then officials from all over Japan came and helped search for the people who were still missing. Thus, the disaster area by the sea side was gradually recovered.
The fox and the jackal were looking at the seaside village where the light gradually increased. Their hearts are satisfied and they don’t feel sad anymore. Eventually they left the place.
And… the people who wrote their wishes in Tanzaku wishing for the peaceful sleep of those who died in the disaster had dreamed of those who died each night.
And they all say the same thing.
“I received a happy report from the deceased that I was led to the Pure Land of Paradise safely thanks to the Tanzaku.”
Thus, the people who wrote their wishes to Tanzaku had a strange dream.
[The Great wish fulfillment Reifu] was delivered to God the wishes of the people written in Tanzaku.
< Komainu- sama >
The story of Japan in the old days,
The fox and the jackal were visiting one village on the outs of the village in the country by training. They kept their promise to Kannon, changed the appearance of the monks only while the sun was rising, and chanted sutras for those who were suffering and suffering. When they finished chanting sutras, they received a thank-you from the people of the village. They got a few potatoes and beans from this field. The fox and jackal, who had become a training monk, politely thanked the villagers. Then an old man came up to me and asked them: “Travel monks, are you going to another village from now on?”
“Yes, it is. We going to go to a village in the mountains and chant sutras to the people.” The fox who bed the training monk answered the old man’s question. Then the old man and others looked at each other’s faces and looked puzzled. The Jackal felt a disturbing air somehow. “What’s the problem?” The jackal asks the old man. Then the old man pointed to the field buried in the snow spreading backwards and said, “Everywhere this year, there are few harvests in the fields, and people and animals are all hungry. A bear or a wolf is no exception. Just the other day, in the village ahead, wolves swarmed and attacked, and most of the villagers were eaten to death. The village you’re about to go to may already have been attacked.”
When the old man said that, an elderly woman continued to talk in a desperate tone. “There are no strong people or weapons in this poor village to get rid of wolves. What we can do now is to tighten the door of the house in preparation for the wolf attack and stay still, praying that we will not be eaten. However, it is not possible to defend it with such a weak wooden wall when the wolf attacks in hordes. Like that attacked village, wolves will destroy our houses overnight and kill people one after another.” People sighed at the woman’s remark. A little boy raised his voice in such a place. “Don’t worry. It’s okay! I’m sure that Komainu-sama will help us! ”
” Komainu-sama?”
The jackal, who had become a training monk, asked for an explanation for the boy’s remark and looked at the old man. Before long, people said,
“That’s just an old story…”
“Yes, it’s just superstition.”
“Hmmm, what can you do with such an old and damaged Komainu-sama can be made?”
“It was a long time ago, and I doubt if it really happened.”
Such as, only negative opinions were asked. To answer the reaction of such people and the question of the mountain dog, the old man began to talk.
“There is an old temple in the middle of the mountain across the street. He’s talking about the Komainu-sama sitting there. This Komainu-sama is made from The God Tree, which was located in the precincts of a large temple in the capital. It is the one that the branch of the god tree was carved. However, because a splendid Komainu-sama had already been seded to the temple in the capital, it seems that the temple in that mountain was handed over by the relation.”
“The Komainu-sama is carved with god trees, so Komainu-sama has a mysterious power to protect the villagers. Is that what he thinks? 」
Now Fox asked.
“Actually, that Komainu-sama has a famous heroic message.”
“A heroic message ?
“Yes, it is. As you can see, the surrounding area is covered with mountains. Therefore, it is usual that various animals rough up the field. However, even ferocious animals such as bears and wolves come down to the human village and attack people at last because the food in the mountain does not remain in the year when the weather is not blessed like this year. When Komainu-sama was sitting in a mountain temple, it was a year when there was no harvest in the field like this year. A very large bear appeared in the village in search of food, killing people one after another and eating them. Slightly those who survive were evacuated to the temple. And, the sutra was chanted single-mindedly, and it waited for the bear to leave the village. One of the villagers looked out through the open door to see if a big bear had followed him to the temple. Strangely enough, the Komainu-sama, who was sitting on the left and right side of the temple, disappeared from the top of the pedestal. At dawn, the villagers went out in fear and confirmed it. The throat of a big bear was cut deeply, and it seems to have become a corpse. It is said that Komainu-sama, was sitting in his original position again as if nothing had happened. People were convinced that the Komainu-sama, carved in the god tree must have defended it in response to people’s prayers. There are episodes like this left in the village.”
“Yes, that’s why I’m sure Komainu-sama will help us again.”
The boy said, turning his pure eyes to the old man.
“That’s why it’s just an old episode.”
An elderly woman said to the boy with a wry smile. But the old man looked at the boy’s pure eyes and thought. And he muttered.
“Even if it was just an old story, I want to believe this episode. We must not leave it as it is. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life afraid of wolves. We don’t want to spend more time waiting to be attacked by wolves.
The old man said to the fox and the jackal, as if he had come up with something.
“Traveler, please do me a request. Please go to the temple of the mountain from now on and let the priest of the temple know that the wolf is coming. And I want you to chant the sutra so that we can be helped by Komainu-sama.”
The fox and the Jackal were troubled by this old man’s sudden request. Because the only time they can be human is while the sun is rising. This is because it is a promise with the master Kannon- bodhisattva. The sun is about to set. It will be night by the time they climb the mountain and arrive at the temple.
“It’s a little out of the way to start,” said the jackal with a troubled face. Then the fox answered instead. “If you go to the mountains now, it will be night. We want to leave early tomorrow morning. That’s all right, isn’t it ? The old man readily agreed. And I asked for sutras at the temple of the mountain. Then he thanked both of them.
“Would you like to stay here tonight?”
The old man was kind to both of them. However, it is only a little time that the fox and the jackal can be seen as monks. They have to disappear from the front as soon as possible. Because they have to go back to the original beast. Because of these circumstances, the wise fox politely said no to the old man.
“Please don’t worry about us. It’s enough just to get some food. And we’re used to sleeping outside.”
“Are you all right? Then, be careful with the wolf. ”
The old man and the people of the village were worried and saw off the fox and the jackal.
Now, they were far away from the villagers, and when they entered the foot of the mountain, they returned to their original fox and jackal. After that, we divided the food that the villagers had received into good friends and ate it.
“It’s a horde of wolves… it’s kind of scary, isn’t it?”
When they finished eating, Jackal said in a small voice.
“That line is what I say when I’m a fox. Don’t you have a relative-like relationship with a wolf? ”
“It’s totally different! I don’t eat people.”
“If that’s the case, what about fox?”
“I’ve never thought about attacking you and eating.”
“That’s natural! If you attack me, I will fight back against you. And it’s your defeat. Well, remember that! ”
When jackal heard the fox’s bullish remark, it looked like he was going to surrender. And he spread out both front legs and showed it. ¯﹨_(ツ)_/¯
After that, Jackal spoke to the fox as if he had remembered something.
“Well, I’ve just thought about it. While the harvest of the field is also small, the villagers will eat less. They gave us food even in such a difficult environment.
The reason is, what the hell…” Jackal’s words stalled. After that, the next word that finally came out was the same as the fox.
“Isn’t it because the villagers are prepared to die after being attacked by wolves?”
After they said that, there was some heavy air in the air. Then they fell silent.
After a while, I heard the howl of the wolf from a distance. It was quite far away, but there seems to be no doubt that there are a lot of wolves from the howl call. That night, the fox and the jackal were so scared that they couldn’t sleep.
The next morning, foxes and jackals went up to the mountains to aim for an old temple where Komainu-sama was sitting. According to the old man’s explanation, the temple should be in a middle position in the mountains. But the mountain path was steeper than they had expected. Moreover, it snowed, and it was bad weather which seemed to become a blizzard at any time. The fox and the jackal did not become monks today. It remained the appearance of the original beast of the fox and the jackal. They were frantically climbing the steep mountain path. How far did they go up the mountain? They’ve already come all the way to the middle. They can’t find anything like an old temple.
“Have we lost ? Jackal said uneasily.
“If it’s a temple with a priest, it smells like a person, so I thought I’d find it soon. I wonder if our way of thinking was wrong.” The fox looked up at the sky with a hateful expression and said. The wind and snow are getting stronger and stronger.
It seems impossible for two people to smell people from the ground covered with snow. Still, the fox and the jackal desperately searched for the temple. How much have they walked around? In the blizzard, the fox heard a faint person’s voice. And the fox informs The Jackal.
“Hey, did you hear people’s voices now?” Now you heard a person’s voice, right? ”
“No, I didn’t understand the sound of the blizzard…” Jackal listened with snow on his nose. Then the fox said,
“Look, I can hear people’s voices from over there!”
The fox ran in the direction in which the voice of the person was heard. Jackal hurriedly chased after the fox. The temple-like building was located where they ran.
In front of the gate of the building, there is a table-like thing on the left and right. The building and the pedestal are buried in snow and do not understand the original appearance, but it seems that there is no doubt in the old temple where Komainu-sama sits. When Jackal was about to go to the temple, the fox stopped it. The fox sneaks along with the jackal and moves to the side of the temple. They decided to wait and see for a while. In front of the temple, there was a person who desperately knocked on the door to ask for help. The fox and the jackal were watching the person carefully. The person knocking on the door was that boy whom they met in the village yesterday. The door opened before long, and the priest of the temple went out. The priest was very surprised to see the boy. And he asked the boy, “What the hell is going on?” It was natural for the priest to be surprised. Because the boy was covered in blood all over his body.
“A horde of wolves attacked the village late last night. Many people in the village were eaten by wolves. I managed to escape to the mountain with my grandfather, but he died on his way. After that, I came here believing that Komainu-sama who was in this temple would surely help me. Chief priest, please help me.”
The boy talked desperately to the priest of the temple. For the time being, the priest put him in the temple to take care of the boy’s wounds. The fox and the jackal, who were listening to a conversation between the boy and the priest, looked at each other in amazey.
“Oh my God… that village was attacked…” The jackal was amazed.
“But what the hell could we have done? The fox bit own lip in regret.
Before long, they went around to the back of the temple. They decided to look into the inside of the temple through the gap in the back door.
“Is that so…at last a flock of wolves came all the way here?”
The priest said in a low voice while taking care of the boy’s wound. The boy’s wound was a bite made by the wolf’s sharp fangs. It was so serious that it threatened a small and weak life. But the boy endured the pain of treatment and never cried.
“Boy, even if you run away here, there’s no yari, guns, or weapons here to get rid of the wolf. If you’re surrounded by hordes of wolves, such a small temple in old will soon be destroyed. If that’s the case, you’ll have to light the temple and burn it down with the wolf, well, what should you do?”
When the priest said this, the boy said,
“It’s all right, there’s a Komainu-sama here.”
“Komainu-sama? You know, that’s just an old episode. I know the episode because I have been working here for a long time. The legend of that Komainu-sama hero is just a superstition, and it doesn’t really get rid of the wolf. ”
“That’s not true. I’m sure Komainu-sama will help us.”
At that time, the wolf’s howl was heard between the sounds of the blizzard. The priest has a feeling that his spine is frozen. Before long, the priest asked the boy:
“Boy, I’m sure a wolf is coming here tonight. You’re not afraid of wolves? 」
“I’m not afraid because there’s a Komainu-sama.”
The boy answered once and for all. The priest’s heart was moved by his pure eyes. Before long, the priest whispered to tell himself.
“That pure heart must be God and Buddha…”
Then the priest made a courageous decision.
“Boy, listen to me. If a wolf enters the temple, I will be the first to be eaten by the wolf. While I’m being attacked by a wolf, you should set this temple on fire right away. And you run away in a hurry. ”
The fox and the jackal who were listening to the conversation of the boy and the priest from the open room of the door were surprised at the decision of the priest. And again, they looked at each other. The fox immediately left the door and head to the front of the temple where the Komainu was sitting. The jackal also follows the fox.
“I wonder if those wolves will come so far? “ The fox turned around and said to Jackal.
“Wolves are coming, absolutely. They don’t give up once they’ve missed their prey.”
The jackal said so, and looked at the blood of the boy at the door of the temple with a rugged eye. On the other hand, the fox was looking up at the snow-covered Komainu, located on the right side of the temple. Before long, he said to Jackal:
“If that’s the case, can’t we do something about it?” You’re like a wolf, so do something about it!
Jackal then sat on the pedestal of a Komainu buried in the snow. After that, I carefully removed the snow with his front legs and nose. Komainu -sama, although there is considerable aging, was carved into a sturdy God tree. It was a very splendid Komainu -sama. Jackal stared into The Komainu ‘s eyes for a while. Before long, when he came down from the pedestal, he cast a spell as he circled around the pedestal where the Komainu sat. Next, Jackal did the same thing to The Shiba Inu on the other side. Then Jackal said to the fox that he would stand in front of the temple.
“What do you do with Barrier?” It’s better to put it up, isn’t it?
“Course”
When the fox answers so, the fox moves to the back of the temple so as not to get in the way of the jackal. And the jackal will make a Barrier.
“臨・兵・闘・者・皆・陣・列・在・前 ！”
In the snow wind, the jackal quickly cut the mark while shouting a spell.
“I felt like I heard something outside right now… is that my mistake?”
The chief priest who was in the temple was careful about the faint voice, and it was possible to see the appearance outside. Because the chief priest thought that the people who survived in the village might have come here for help. When the chief priest opened the door a little and looked out, no one was there. “What, was it the sound of a snowstorm?” he tried to close the door. But he heard a knock at the door again. The chief priest opened the door again. Then there was a small white fox by the door. The white fox appeared to be anting to blizzards and accumulated snow. Therefore, the priest was not able to confirm the appearance of the fox last time.
“Oh, fox? If you’re in such a place, you’ll be eaten by wolves. Come on in.” The chief priest said so and put the fox in the temple.
Just before entering the temple, the fox looked back towards the jackal hiding behind the Komainu.
The Jackal was clearly terrified. He had an uneasy expression on his face. To such a jackal, the fox sends a signal of encouragement. The fox shook the fox’s beautiful and graceful long tail twice toward the jackal.
The jackal was calm in front of the fox. But the fact is that he was afraid of wolves. The Jackal is a disciple of Kannon Bodhisattva. That’s why he can handle a little technique. However, it is still training. It is unknown how far his spell will work in front of hordes of starving wolves. However, the jackal made a promise in that village yesterday. At this old temple they promised to recite sutras. However, the villagers who were kind to the fox and the jackal were attacked by the wolf. When he remembers those events, the Jackal can’t escape here. The Jackal must help that only surviving boy and a respectable priest who made courageous decisions. The Jackal must exterminate those wolves. The Jackal quietly recited the sutras to remove his fear of wolves. And he waited for a flock of wolves to appear.
The sun has already fallen, and a deep darkness has approached. The blizzard continues as usual, and the jackal looks like snow buried in the snow with the Komainu-sama enshrined.
In the temple, a boy who received the care of the wound was dozing off. The chief priest was ardently chanting sutras. On the other hand, foxes lurk themselves in the corners of walls. The fox concentrated all its nerves on the barrier created by the jackal and prepared for the wolf attack.
Eventually, the darkness of the night became darker. They heard a number of wolf howls. Next, the terrible voice of the beast be heard from outside the temple.
The chief priest was stood up. He opened the door a little. He looked out. Countless red lights could be seen outside. It was exactly the glowing eyes of the beast. The temple was already surrounded by the majority of starving wolves. A wolf, who saw the doorway slightly open, charges toward the doorway. With that as a signal, the wolves attacked the temple all at once. They went on to demolish old wooden buildings in per-body attacks. The little boy was surprised and moved near where the priest was sitting. He was horrified by the violent attacks of the wolves outside and the fearsome voices of the beasts. The chief priest quietly turned to the boy and said,
“Now, let’s chant sutras together. If a wolf comes in… hurry up and set the temple on fire. You then leave me and run away from the wolf by my one.”
Then they concentrated and chanted sutras.
“南無阿弥陀仏・・・南無阿弥陀仏・・・南無阿弥陀仏・・・・・・・・”
In the corner of the wall, the fox whispered as he watched them recite sutras.
“It’s still too early for you guys to go to the Paradise Land.”
Then the fox worried about the jackal being outside. The fox said to the jackal, even though he was worried about the jackal being outside.
“Jackal, solve the wolves’ problem as soon as possible!” Then the fox tied the mark to pray.
Hiding behind a Komainu, the jackal wanted to escape in fear in front of hordes of bloodthirsty wolves. The eyes of a number of beasts swaying eerily in the dark, the low voices and breaths of the wolves, the sharp wolf fangs that can be seen from time to time, the raw smell that has never been smelled… all of which were horrors that jackals had never experienced before. Jackal had been a disciple of Kannon Bodhisattvas, and his training was only spiritually demanding. However, it did not meet the fear which felt the danger of the life. Now that he is away from his master, Kannon Bodhisattva, he never expected to test the results of his training in such an imminent scene. The Jackal once again saw a herd of beasts that were breaking the temple with their bodies to attack humans. The jackal was terrified when he saw it. And his heart beat was moving fast. The jackal wanted to cry while calling kannon bodhisattva’s name. At that time, he heard a clear sutra of a boy from inside the temple. While listening to the sutras chanted by the boys, the jackal recalled the words said by the chief priest of the temple. The chief priest expressed that “a pure heart that does not know doubt is God Buddha”.
The jackal had to overcome anxiety and fear. And he had to bounce back doubts about the spells and sutras that were on his mind. The jackal tied the mark tightly and began to cast spells desperately. Sutras and spells are being recited in a blizzard. They were chanted inside and outside the temple. As usual, the onslaught of wolves continues. In advance, the jackal had created a barrier in this temple, so the temple was undajored. However, they were prepared that it was only a matter of time before the barrier was broken if this wolf onslaught continued. Desperately casting a spell, the jackal turned to the pair’s Komainu-sama and said,
“Komainu-sama, please give me strength. I and you all want to work together to get rid of the wolves. And I want peace to come to the village again. Please help me.”
The jackal prayed desperately to the guardian dog and asked for salvation. Then, suddenly, the golden light began to light gradually from the eyes of the Komainu-sama. Before long, the pair’s Komainu slowly moved their necks. And they, as if awakened from a long sleep, stretched out, shook their bodies, splashed the accumulated snow, shouted and descended majestically from the pedestal. When the wolves saw the situation, they immediately attacked the Komainu. Then, pair of Komainu-sama show sharp beast teeth and threaten the wolf. And they bit the wolves one after another at a tremendous speed. The jackal was amazed at the extremely fast movement and strength of the komainu. The Komainu of the pair bit the throat of the wolf one after another with cruel accuracy and agile movement without mind such a thing. And they annihilated the wolf herd in no time. While komainu was exterminating wolves, there was no turn for jackals. The jackal was just amazed at the overwhelming power of the komainu and the attack. In front of the temple, it was bloody and it was a terrible killing site.
Before long, the snowstorm was over, the sun rose, and the morning came.
It was a priest and a boy who were chanting sutras hard, but after a while the outside became quiet and I noticed how the wolves stopped moving. The priest of the temple opened the door a little afraid and checked the outside. There was a scene of surprise. A large amount of wolf corpses filled the area, and there was a smell of blood. It meant that the night of terror was over.
The mouth of the Komainu-sama who returned to the pedestal was covered with blood, and it was stained with blood to the neck.
The legend of komainu’s hero was not a legend, but a fact.
Or has the boy’s pure heart made it a fact?
In any case, the guardian dog of the temple helped people.
“Why did you just go into a safe temple.”
The jackal protested against the fox.
“Of course!? I’m a weak fox.”
The fox said flatly.
“You’re weak!? Well, you can say that.”
Saying that, the Jackal raised both front legs and shrugged his shoulders.
¯﹨_(ツ)_/¯
Then the fox said a little meanly.
“You were really afraid of wolves, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but I believed the spells would always work.” The jackal answered with a serious look.
“Well, it’s important to believe.”
“Yes.”
“I”I also believed in jackals. And if the spell didn’t work, if the jackal was eaten by the wolf, I was ready to follow.”
“It’s a lie!”
The jackal says to the fox without a while.
“Yap, it’s a lie. That’s not the way it is.”
Then the fox lightly put his tongue out of his mouth with a mischievous expression. After that, it went down the mountain at a time.
“Wait a minute!”
Jackal said. Then he followed the fox.
＊＊＊ It is a notice. (^O^) ＊＊＊
I will also post more of this story in the near future.
I hope you enjoy reading it again… (^_^)/