Menihova čudežna molitev za dež

Besedilo

Menihova čudežna molitev za dež

Long ago, during the Engi era, there was a great drought. Sixty eminent monks were summoned and commanded to recite the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra. They sent up dark clouds of incense smoke and prayed for a sign, but the skies only grew clearer and the sun shone ever more fiercely. From the emperor himself to his ministers, court nobles, and the common people, no one could think of any sorrow beyond this calamity. The emperor summoned the chief chamberlain and ordered him to convey these words to Bishop Jōkan: “We have a particular reason for choosing you. Prayers have been offered in many places, yet none has shown any effect. Leave your seat, stand apart at the foot of the wall, and pray there. It is with a purpose in mind that we single you out for this command.” Though Jōkan was then only a master of discipline, with higher-ranking monastic prefects and bishops seated above him, he felt himself honored beyond measure. Descending the steps of the Southern Hall, he went to the foot of the wall and stood facing north. He took up an incense burner, set it smoking, and pressed it to his forehead as he prayed with such fervor that even those watching felt his anguish. Beneath a sun whose heat was unbearable even for a moment, he shed tears and sent up dark smoke as he offered his solemn prayers. The smoke from the incense burner rose into the sky and became a black cloud no larger than a fan. The high nobles sat in a row in the Southern Hall, while the courtiers stood watching in the Giyōden, and the nobles’ attendants peered in through the Bifuku Gate. As they watched, the cloud spread into an unbroken covering over the whole sky. The dragon gods shook heaven and earth, lightning filled the vast universe, and rain poured down in shafts as thick as cart axles. In an instant the land was watered. The five grains flourished, and every tree bore fruit. Not one person who saw or heard of this failed to bow in reverence. The emperor, his ministers, and the court nobles rejoiced, and Jōkan was promoted to monastic prefect. So wondrous was this event that it has been set down here as a tale for later generations.