Whatever you do, do not allow evil thoughts to enter into it.
It may seem to work for a while, but in the end it will lead to bad results.
Well, we are all human beings and we cannot be completely innocent, but the act of trying to entrap others with money or goods is shameful.
Have a lot of money, fame is next! But that’s just human greed, isn’t it? Well, everything in moderation. (^_^;)
Now, the milionea spent the day feeling embarrassed and frustrated because he had missed the mark…
But then, the next day, the flying bowls came fluttering down to his again.
「I told you not to come back! That greedy monk!」
The mirione was so angry he didn’t hear anyone around him stop him.
「If you want rice so badly, I’ll give it to you!」
He threw the bowls into the rice stockhouse in the garden and locked the door.
But as soon as they did, the ground around them began to shake with a tremor.
All the menial workers, startled, fell to the ground. And that’s when
The milionea saw the rice stockhouse rising up from the ground, shaking unsteadily.
「Oooooh! Rice! There are so many bales of my rice in there!」
In the rice stockhouse, there was a lot of rice stored that had been taken away from the villagers.
「Rice! My rice〜! My property〜!」
The rice stockhouse flies through the air into the distance, and the chief desperately chases after it, forgetting himself. Normally you would give up here, but greed is a very foolish thing.
He finally followed the rice stockhouse to the mountainside where the monk was.
「h…Hey！ You damned monk！」
Despite the angry and shouting milionea, the monk who came out calmly replied.
「This is a lovely stockhouse, just right for a hall to enshrine a statue of Buddha.」
He laughed quietly…
The milionea was lost tension by the monk’s attitude, which was so imposing and honourable. Or should I say that he finally got the situation right…
「…I will give you the stockhouse. But please spare me from having my property confiscated…」
He’s been ripping off villagers for years now, and now he’s talking like this…
「No, no, I live alone as you see. I do not need this kind of rice. You may take it home with you」 the monk says quietly.
「But how do you expect me to bring it back to the mansion from these mountains…?」
The monk smiled at the lamenting chief and said.
「Just go back the same way you came…」
Then the door of the warehouse opened by itself and the rice bowls from earlier floated out from inside. And many rice bales floated out after that.
「Oh！Rice! My rice〜! My…!」
The milionea unexpectedly clung to the rice bale that came out, and they float up into the sky together…
「Learn that greed leads to destruction…」
Rice bowls soared into the sky while listening to the monk’s words in the distance.
A chief clung to a rice bale. And the long line of rice bales that followed.
It would have looked a very strange sight to anyone else.
A view of the rice fields far below. But the view is far from good. It is not a living thing. The milionea could not move at all, clinging to the bales…
Nevertheless, after flying for a while you gradually get used to it.
This way, they could finally recognise the situation on the ground.
The fields are fruitless and desolate.
It is already dinner time, but not a smoke has risen from the kitchens of the houses.
What a sad state of affairs in a village where you can’t even feel the life of the people…
When millionaire was still a child, the village must have been vibrant …
The míllionaire finally arrives home, surrounded by members of her household, and watches the ricecups fluttering back to the mountains.
And a word.
「Call the villagers together tomorrow.」
He then fell asleep…
The village then came back to life.
This is because the míllionaire shared most of the rice with the villagers.
They also say that the he has since become less arrogant.
In autumn, the villagers held a festival.
They invited the chiefs, who were no longer rich, and they all ate a full meal together.
It is said that this was also to thank the monk for their merit…
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
I’m glad it ended well for everyone.
There is nothing wrong with being rich in itself, but if you continue to cheat others out of their wealth or trample on people’s hearts because of your arrogance, the deserved will eventually come back to him.
The monk’s words “Learn that greed leads to destruction…” are an important lesson.
historical picture scroll entitled “Shigisan Engi”
Now, the monk in this story, whose monk name is “命蓮 / Myohren” , is said to have practised on Mount Shigi about 700 years ago.
He is said to have displayed psychic powers in a historical picture scroll entitled “Shigisan Engi” , but his actual existence is unknown.
However, the “信貴山朝護孫子寺 / Shigisan Chogosonshi-ji（Temple）”, which is said to have flourished due to him, is still in magnificent health and attracts many worshippers today.
It is only a narrative entity, but it also encompasses the facilities related to this story.
Most foreign visitors to Nara Prefecture go to Todai-ji Temple, Nara Park and Kasuga Taisha Shrine. However, Shigisan Chogosonshi-ji is not well-known abroad and is located on the edge of Nara Prefecture, so it is not often visited.
Maybe it’s a tourist hotspot? (^^)
Note: Nara Prefecture has fewer accommodation facilities than the number of temples and shrines, and transport is limited. Please take care when visiting.