Twenty-Sixth Night

Twenty-Sixth Night

It was the evening of June 24th on the lunar calendar.

The water in the Kitakami River flowed more smoothly than black agar, and the Shishibana stuck out in black against the bottom of the faint starlight.

Of course, the pine forests above the Shishibana was deep-black, but when going into the forests, the treetops of the tall pine trees were visible one by one through the Milky Way in the sky or the constellations.

　There seemed to be a lot of black things like pine cones or birds on the treetops.

　And at the leaves of the elephant grass at the bottom of the forests, summer night dew had already fallen in drops.

　At the higher part of the pine forests, someone is reciting while having a fit of coughing.

　‘At that time, Shisho-Tairiki told Rukai “listen clearly, listen clearly, and pray it silently.” Now I tell you the way that each evil owl and bird is salvaged from their suffering.

　Rukai opened both wings, hung his neck reverently, left his seat, flew low, praised Shisho-Tairiki three times, returned to his seat slowly, kneeled down to worship, and just hoped “Shisho-Tairiki, Shisho-Tairiki, explain it just for us, explain it just for us.”

　Shisho-Tairiki smiled, wearing the golden circle of light on his head, and the light illuminated everyone universally. Every bird was filled with joy.

He explains, “you produce all kinds of bad karma.” Under cover of night, you arrive at the poultry house. At that time poultries were already in the sun all day long, singing, jumping, and tired, just being in a luscious sleep. You fly and grab them. Your claws bite deeply into their bodies. Various poultries feel anguish but can’t make a sound. You tear them and eat as you want.

　Or you go to the swamps and fields to pick at the snails and clams. The snails and clams are in the soft mud, they soften their hearts and just remember the warm water. At that time, suddenly their bodies are in the air, and you tear off their flesh. They suffer so much as they cannot speak out. You don’t regret eating them.

　These kinds of bad karma are innumerable. Because of bad karma, you produce more bad karma again. It occurs in succession and never ends. You are afraid of sunlight in daytime, and of people and each strong bird. There is no peace of mind at any time. You die as an owl once, and you are born as an owl again. You suffer all kinds of suffering without end.’

　The voice stopped all at once, and the forests became silent as the grave. Only extremely faint sobbing sounds were heard here and there. It truly was the owl sutra.

　After a while, I heard the rumbling of a train in the far west. Then, the sound roared in the eastern hills and returned the soft echo of the chugging.

　The Forest became silent as the grave again. Looking carefully through the treetops, they were owls after all. The big one was perching on the tallest branch of the tallest pine tree in the forests. On the branches here and there around the tree, many large and small owls were perching quietly and keeping silent. Only faint sighs and sobs were heard.

　The monk mumbled again.

　‘This sentence is called Kyoshi-shugosho, which is a portion of a blessed sutra that everyone knows. From now on, I lecture on that sentence for a while. Everyone, listen with an open mind. Even if you are born as a bird with much effort, it doesn't make sense to only just hungry, eat, sleep, and enter in the nest. What you are born as a bird and live easily, even just one day, is unusual in reality. Ten or twenty sparrows, thrush, snails, and earthworms must be killed so that we will live a day. As it is in this sutra.

　Understand this reason well, don't idle away your time and waste your short life. I am going to lecture on the sutra from now on. Children have to endure and do not sleep, too. Okay?’

　The forests has become deathly quiet again. The train just before is sounding from a distance yet.

　‘“At that time, Shisho-Tairiki told Rukai,” I must first talk about who Shisho-Tairiki is.

　Shisho-Tairiki is Shashin-daibosatsu. He is the bodhisattva having a supernatural power who originally had a great aspiration for Buddhahood when he was a bird. Shisho means flying fast. When the Shashin-bodhisattva flies in the sky as a figure of an original bird, he goes six thousand yujun with a single flap of his wings. According to this reason, he is called Shisho. By virtue, even in the water or the fire, the Shashin-daibosatsu always jumps in and rescues, and takes to heaven them who remember this bodhisattva. At that time in the fire, not one of his hairs is burned, passing through water, his wings do not get wet. That virtue is called tairiki. If so, Shisho-Tairiki is another name of Shashin-bodhisattva called from birds. I think it's rude, but we can think of it as a kind of nickname from birds who respect him.’

　The voice was stopped for a while. The forests has become as silent as the grave. At the edge of the Kitakami River below, only the splash of a trout or something was heard.

　He may be an archbishop or a high priest of the owl. The monk's preaching got started again.

　‘So, how did Shisho-Tairiki come from a humble bird position as us to such a good status? That's excellent.

　Because he saved himself and all others as in the Amida Buddha’s original vow. How could he have become such a noble position? It’s not easy.

　Shisho-Tairiki was a mere sparrow formerly. He lived on the ridge of the house in south India. One year, no one could get either rice or fruit, and even grass withered because of a ruthless famine. Birds and animals starved to death. People fell down, too. Due to the scorching sun and the famine, there was no distinction between parents and siblings among people and birds, and all in this world was the hungry devil. At that time, Shisho-Tairiki was still a powerless sparrow, but when he looked intently at this situation, he was crying over how shameful and the transient the world was. Among them, parent and child of the house, which child is the age of about six, and his mother could not get food from anywhere in the great famine, may starve to death tomorrow. At that time, Shisho-Tairiki looked at them from above and, was at a loss for a while. However, he was determined that it was the time that he would repay their kindness. He stirred up his tired body and winged his way to find food for parent and child to the forests far away. His wish may have reached heaven. In a large forest, he found ten nuts whose names were unknown to him but their color and smell were very good. So, Shisho-Tairiki, has been absorbed in and carried the nuts ten times to his owner's ridge and dropped them from above parent and child. At the tenth time, he fell to the ground five times, dizzy from the excessive weight of the nuts. He was so hungry and tired, but he didn't eat the nuts because he held wholehearted gratitude for them. When the tenth nut was safely delivered to parent and child with which his wish arrived, he finally collapsed from his exhaustion and sense of relief. However, after a while, he recovered consciousness, and while he saw the situation below, the child became fine and just happy, but the parent did not eat the nuts herself and seemed to starve. Shisho-Tairiki saw this situation and hoped to become a pray-for parent now, and suddenly shrank his body tightly, and dropped from the beam to the floor with bated breath. On account of the pain, he thought his body would crumble, but he was still alive. However, he thought that the benevolent parent would not eat him if she knew he was alive, so he closed his eyes and held his breath. Finally, his wish was fulfilled, and he could save the parent and child. By that pious act, Shisho-Tairiki could meet the Buddha finally. And gradually, he mastered the power of Buddhism that no hair would be damaged while he went into the fire, and that one feather would not get wet while he went into the water, and became the bodhisattva of tairiki. This story is the beginning portion of the teaching in which this Great Bodhisattva told about the way of relief because of the mercy of our evil deeds. After resting for a while, I am going to talk about the next preachment.

　Amen-Shisho-Tairiki, amen-Shisho-Tairiki.

Everyone, take a rest for a while.’

　The black shadow on the tallest tree seemed to flap and move toward the lower tree over there.

　It was an owl after all.

　All at once, the forests was filled with the sound of rustling wings, tick of beak, and low mumbles simultaneously. The Milky Way had gone around very much. The Great Bear blinked, and the sky above the eastern mountains became faintly bright, taking or a rustic golden color.

　A train may have been passed the previous train at the stop. Then, there was the soft echo of the train chugging to the south. The sound of the wheels was so slow that it seemed to be a freight train.

　On that occasion, a yellow strange thing having a pointed shape was glimpsed above the black eastern mountains. The owls became noisy all at once. It was the golden horn, a sickle-shaped moon on the twenty-fourth. It quickly scooted up. The dim blue light, like the light of the bottom of a swamp, sprinkled faintly into the tall treetops in the forests, and a large owl was turning up its silver wings. Four to eight owls were perching on each of the six trees around the pine tree where the preaching was held just now. Probably they were brothers, silver and each the same size. Among them, these two seemed to be quite bored. They spread one wing, stood on one quivering foot, hooked a claw on a branch and turned upside down, and mimicked the bats of the Ogasawara Islands.

　Then they said something.

　‘Well, watch me do a spread-eagle. It's so easy.’

　‘I can do it, too.’

　‘Can you do it? Do it if you can.’

　‘Hey.’ That little kid owl did an upside-down spread-eagle like a firefighter for just a moment.

　‘What is that? Is that all? Is that all? ’

　‘It's good because I did it.’

　‘You couldn't do a spread-eagle. It was just a cross. Your legs didn't open.’

　’Hey, be quiet you guys, everyone will laugh at you,’ their father owl, who was on the branch just above them, said while looking at them with big blue, glittering eyes. The red circles around his eyes were also clearly visible.

　However, the little owl brothers were disobedient.

　‘Is this the cross? Is it a cross with two vertical bars?’

　‘I didn't spread my legs apart.’

　‘You did.’

　‘Bossy!’ One flew away from the branch. The other one flew away, too. The two kicked each other noisily and fell together with their wings fluttering silver in the light of the moon.

　A little small brown owl, who may be their mother, alongside their father, went down slowly. Then there was a cry on the lower side. However, their mother flew back soon to the place where she was. Two small owls also came up to perch in their original place and rubbed their eyes with one foot.

　Their mother scolded them again. Her eyes glared blue.

　‘You are no good. You quarrel over the smallest things when everyone is watching you. Why can't you be quiet like Hokichi? ’

　The owl, called Hokichi, seemed to be the smallest of the three, but the most gentle.

　Hokichi was looking straight ahead, keeping to her perch on the branch, and kept deathly quiet from the beginning to the end.

　The owl who perched on the tallest branch of the tree, with bulging cheeks and a silvery body bathed in the bright mercury-colored moon light, now dazing happily in the time between the preachings, was certainly their grandfather.

　The moon had already risen considerably high, and the constellations had turned quite far around. Scorpio was setting in the west, and the Milky Way was completely tilted.

　From the low pine tree over there, the old monk owl flew diagonally and perched on the preaching branch before.

　Suddenly the stir in the forests stopped, and it became extremely quiet. Maybe because of the wind, the sound of distant rapids that we could not hear until now became audible.

　The monk owl coughed a few times and began preaching again.

　‘At that time, Shisho-Tairiki told Rukai “listen clearly, listen clearly, and pray it silently.” Now I tell you the way that each evil owl and birds are salvaged from their suffering.

　Rukai opened both wings, hung his neck reverently, left his seat, flew low, praised Shisho-Tairiki three times, returned to his seat slowly, kneeled to worship, and just hoped “Shisho-Tairiki, Shisho-Tairiki, explain it just for us, explain it just for us.”

　Shisho-Tairiki smiled, wearing the golden circle of light on his head, and the light illuminated everyone universally. Every bird was filled with joy. He explains, “you produce all kinds of bad karma.” Under cover of night, you arrive at the poultry house. At that time poultries were already in the sun all day long, singing, jumping, and tired, just being in a luscious sleep. You fly and grab them. The claws bite deeply into their bodies. Various poultries feel anguish but can’t make a voice. You tear it and eat as you want. Or you go to the swamps and fields to pick at the snails and clams. The snails and clams are in the soft mud, they soften their hearts and just remember the warm water. At that time, suddenly their bodies are in the air, and you tear off their flesh. They suffer so much as they cannot speak out. You don’t regret eating them.

　These kinds of bad karma are innumerable. Because of bad karma, you produce more bad karma again. It occurs in succession and never ends. You are afraid of sunlight in daytime, and of people and each strong bird. There is no peace of mind at any time. You die as an owl once, and you are born as an owl again. You suffer all kinds of suffering without end.’

　So, last time, I explained the reason why we call the shashin-bodhisattva “Shisho-Tairiki,” and how he became enlightened. Then I explained about what Shisho-Tairiki told Rukai. Rukai was an owl like us at this time. He lived with our ancestors. We call him holy priest Rukai even now, and the 13th of every month is the day when we remember his death. At any house, because we are owls, we take the leaves of the oak tree and give them to holy priest Rukai on the 13th. This is because Rukai lived on the oak tree. From an early age, Rukai accepted that owls are lowly, and he sought a way to be delivered from worldly desires. At last, wishing with all his heart, he came upon Shisho-Tairiki and finally, he heard his precious doctrine and went to heaven. This is the preaching for Rukai. It says “listen clearly, listen clearly, and pray it silently.” It is important to listen carefully to the preaching with a quiet mind. It's meaningless if you listen to the preaching absent-mindedly.’

　However, at this time, two young owls who quarreled just before got tired of listening to the preaching. They started to play a staring game.

　That place was behind the overgrown branches, pitch-dark, but both owls had opened their eyes as widely as possible, so they glowed blue like burning phosphorous. Then, both owls burst out laughing and said simultaneously, ‘your eyes are so big.’

Fortunately, the little deaf monk couldn't hear, but all the other owls turned around their voices. The owl named Hokichi felt embarrassed, and only hung her head in shame. While everyone was looking at them, the two said, trying to hide behind the branches,

‘Hey, let's escape and go play.’

‘Where are you going?’

‘The forests of Jisoji.’

‘Let’s go!’

‘Right on! Why don't come along, Hokichi?’

‘No,’ Hokichi shook her head.

　The preaching continued again ‘I tell you the way to escape from pain and emancipate yourself from worldly desires for each bad owl and bird.’

　The two escaped quietly. Hokichi became more and more nervous and seemed to listen to the preaching on behalf of her two brothers.

　It was the evening of the next day, June 25th.

　It was just the same time as last night, but the preaching hadn't begun yet, and the monk shut his eyes, kept silent, and perched on the high branch of the preaching tree. For some reason lots of owls perched on the trees around as last night seemed to be very excited. Some of the female owls were crying in a flurry. Some of the male owls grew restless and angry. Besides, in the family of three brothers of the last night, their grandfather owl sat at the highest point with his eyes swollen with tears. His cheeks twitched sometimes, but his voice was silent and tears were falling from his red, swollen eyes.

　Of course, mother owl was sobbing. Even two rowdy brothers sat down calmly, gazing quietly down with big eyes on this night.

　Also, father kept looking to the west. But, what is the matter? Gentle Hokichi was not among them.

　All the pine treetops shook quietly while the wind began to blow a little.

　Clouds seemed to float here and there in the sky, and the stars had given up shining and gone dark, as if they had become blind.

　Suddenly, a big brown owl flew from the west. Then, he perched on the low tree at the entrance for everyone and whispered to them.

　‘It’s no use! Hokichi seems to have given up. She struggled noisily until a while ago but now she is perching quietly on a grinding stone. And it looks like the people have changed the string. They had it tied up to her right foot before, but now it’s on the left.

Furthermore, the string is red. But the only good news is that all the people fell asleep. The child who kept trying to poke Hokichi's eyes with his fingers is sleeping with spread-eagle, wearing only underwear. ’

　Hokichi's mother wept bitterly as if she had been set on fire. Following her, all of the female owls in the forests sobbed quietly.

　The monk owl looked up at the starry sky and then quietly asked.

　‘This is truly the way the world is. It's just all sad. Why did such a gentle child go out to the place where she was caught by a human? ’

　Gray owl, who was next to the preaching tree, answered respectfully.

　‘I heard that three brothers went out toward daylight in this morning. It was a place where people usually do not come. When the sun came up, the three closed their eyes for a while because of the glare of the light. Just then two children came to cut the grass, Hokichi didn't notice, and a child climbed up quietly and caught Hokichi's feet.’

　‘Oh, it’s pathetic. So pitiful. What is the reason for such a thing to happen to gentle, good Hokichi? If possible, I want to take her place.

　The forest became silent as the grave again. After a while, another owl flew back with fluttering.

　‘Hokichi was walking on a grinding stone. It seemed that Hokichi was trying to tear that red string, but it was not easy. I flew around their house many times looking for a gap somewhere to get in and help Hokichi, but nowhere was open. What a pity! However, Hokichi does not cry.’

　Her mother cried and asked, her bleary eyes gazing.

　‘Was there a cat in that house? ’

　‘No, it didn’t seem so. I'm sure there’s no cat. I peeped into the window for a long time, but I never saw a cat.’

　‘I’m relieved to hear that. I'm so sorry that Hokichi troubled everyone. It's all because of Hokichi's carelessness.’

　‘No, no, that isn’t so. Even for such a wise child, misfortune can’t be avoided.’

　The female owls throughout the forests answered unanimously. Hokichi, who was caught in the house with the large straw roof about two Cho to the west, could hear the sound faintly.

　Grandfather owl said to Hokichi’s father in a hoarse voice, ‘we have no chance now. You had better go and stealthily teach Hokichi what she should do. “From now on, you must not struggle, get angry, or bite at anyone. “Since they didn’t kill you today, they must be planning to keep you and feed you snails or something, so you must be gentle as usual and never disobey a human.” It would be nice to tell her this.’

　Her father was listening quietly while hanging his head. The monk owl listened to this as well as he could from a distance, and he seemed to mostly understand the situation. He added, ‘you know, very good. You are sensible. Teach Hokichi to bahave this way. In addition, even if you have such a hard time, you must not resent anyone as retribution for doing something wrong. There are countless sins in this and the previous world; therefore, there is this misfortune. Let it go and don’t weep alone. If you weep too much, you will feel depressed and get sick. Even if your leg is tied down, you should feel that you came and perched here for the first time. You always must be lighthearted. Please tell her so. Ah, but, for the one who has been caught, the problem is different. A useless fellow such as I should say nothing. Ah! What a pity!’

　Her father owl bowed many times.

　‘Thank you. Thank you so much. I'll be sure to tell her so. She will not be afraid to die if she hears such a wise saying.’

　‘Oh, oh, by the way, please tell her this too. Even if they care for Hokichi, human children cannot be trusted. And, there are cats and dogs nearby. In case of emergency, just recite the name of Shisho-Tairiki. Please tell her so. I feel sorry for her.’

　‘Thanks a lot. I will go.’

　Mother owl said while sobbing.

　‘Oh, please tell her “as long as you alive, call out twice in the morning and evening so I can hear.”’

　‘OK. So, everyone, I will go.’

　After fluttering a few times, father owl flew away, gliding without any sound. The monk owl watched him intently for a while, but then suddenly sat up straight and said.

　‘Everyone. No matter how much we cry, it’s endless. This world is called the world of suffering, or the corrupt world. Everything is so painful that we have no time to dry our tears. Just because it’s this way, it is important that we and all living things quickly learn the path away from this suffering. So, listen carefully with your heart, everyone. Because of Hokichi’s tragedy, if even one person is awakened, the pious acts of Hokichi and everyone in this group are unlimited in value. So, be sure to listen carefully. I continue last night’s preaching.

　At that time, Shisho-Tairiki told Rukai “listen clearly, listen clearly, and pray it silently.” Now I tell you the way that each evil owl and birds are salvaged from their suffering.

　Rukai opened both wings, hung his neck reverently, left his seat, flew low, praised Shisho-Tairiki three times, returned to his seat slowly, kneeled down to worship, and just hoped “Shisho-Tairiki, Shisho-Tairiki, explain it just for us, explain it just for us.”

　Shisho-Tairiki smiled, wearing the golden circle of light on his head, and the light illuminated everyone universally. Every bird was filled with joy. He explains, “you produce all kinds of bad karma.” Under cover of night, you arrive at the poultry house. At that time poultries were already in the sun all day long, singing, jumping, and tired, just being in a luscious sleep. You fly and grab them. The claws bite deeply into their bodies. Various poultries feel anguish but can’t make a sound. You tear them and eat as you want. Or you go to the swamps and fields to pick at the snails and clams. The snails and clams are in the soft mud, they soften their hearts and just remember the warm water. At that time, suddenly their bodies are in the air, and you tear off their flesh. They suffer so much as they cannot speak out. You don’t regret eating them.

　These kinds of bad karma are innumerable. Because of bad karma, you produce more bad karma again. It occurs in succession and never ends. You are afraid of sunlight in daytime, and of people and each strong bird. There is no peace of mind at any time. You die as an owl once, and you are born as an owl again. You suffer all kinds of suffering without end.

　Last evening, I preached until ‘the birds were delighted,’ following the sutra. I preach the next part, now. ‘“He explains,” means that Shisho-Tairiki started preaching immediately at the petition of holy priest Rukai. “You prouce all kinds of bad karma.” Originally, “you” meant the owls, gooses, and so on. But his real intention is that it means the owl. Considering the crimes mentioned in a later sentence, it means all of us. The meaning of Akugo is that Aku means bad, and Go means karma in Brahma. Things that haven’t appeared as retribution for our sin in the past are called Go. Go can be good or bad. Here, Akugo was explained. “Under cover of night, you arrived at the poultry house.” Everyone. It's not someone else's problem. Search your heart. ”The night” means darkness. “Behind” means “under cover of darkness.” It means “getting in the dark of the night.” “You arrive at the poultry house.” Poltries are sparrows, tits, chickadees, finches, shrikes, wrens, jays, and thrushes, all small and weak. You go to a house of a small helpless bird, but you don’t just go for a fun visit. You hide the feeling of brutality inside, with the face of the terrifying and sad yaksha on the outside, and go secretly. At the time of this preaching, our hearts were still very pure. When he preached that they arrive at a poltry house, everyone was terrified and couldn't keep still now. It’s not like that. Now, Shisho-Tairiki will preach stronger and more fiercely. Everyone, please listen carefully to your heart.

　The following sentence is “at that time poltries were already in the sun all day long, singing and jumping, and grown tired, just being a luscious sleep.” It's not someone else's problem. Day in and day out, Hokichi suffers tragedy though the location may change.’

　Suddenly, the preaching monk’s voice began to tremble. Hokichi's mother owl began to wail with a piercing scream and all of the female owls cried with her.

　Then male owls cried, too. In the forests, everyone was choked with tears. The wind blew, and all the trees were shaken, but no one could stop crying.

　The stars were going around slowly, and the red Mars was already in the western sky. The monk owl had been coughing for a while, but finally, he calmed his heart and continued the preaching again.

　‘Everyone, first of all, try to imagine that you are a wren. The sun shoots a golden arrow at the eastern sky. The branches sway on the green trees of the forest. You have fun singing with good friends, gone from branch to branch, tree to tree in the sunlight. In the middle of the day, you rest in the cool leaf shade for a while. Then you fly away with warbling and aim for the blue branches in the sky. You go to a brook again, you sing and sing without leaving your close friends. In due time, the sun sets. Your body becomes tired, and you doze off like oil, or like you are melting. You close your eyelids unawares, and dream of a daytime scene. Despite perching your body on the branches, your heart still leaps. It’s in the joyful sweet light of a dream when you are tired. At that time, you are suddenly shocked. Still half in the dream, you are surprised to see yourself, your body is torn and blood flows. Two fiery eyes glow and stare at you. You try to speak out, but your throat has gone mad, and you can’t make a sound. This is the meaning of “your claws bite deeply into their bodies. Various poultries feel anguish but can’t make a sound.”

　However, this is the viewpoint of the bird who is caught. If you look at it from the perspective of the owl who catches it, you dive and grab it. You spring upon the innocent in their sleep, striking them at a blow, and your sharp claws tear the soft flesh. Your prey can't even scream. You tear them with wicked mirth. How pitiful it all is. Now I am a Buddhist priest, attacking neither birds nor fish. But, when I think about the past, done filled with grief.

　Ah, this body is filled with sin – every night in my dreams, I have the same sin as a yaksha. The dreadfulness of the Karma, I'm just disgusted with it.’

　The breeze blew. All the trees shook like waves, and the monk owl moved like a boat floating in the midst of it.

　Then, from the edge of the eastern mountain, the golden horns of yesterday, the moon of the 25th day began to rise, looking thinner than the day before. The forest was filled with something like a dim fog. Then, her father owl flew back home lonesomely from the west.

　It was the evening of June 26th on the lunar calendar. The sky was so clear. The river of the Milky Way was so completely transparent and cold, it seemed that the sand at the bottom could be counted. When we closed our eyes quietly, we felt we could even hear the sound of it flowing. But it might have been the sound of the wind that blows high in the sky. Because the stars were slightly swaying and twinkling as if they were on the other side of some hot air.

　The flock of owls has gathered again tonight in the pine forest on the Shishibana. Hokichi is here tonight.

　Hokichi is here, but she is not in the place where she was the night before last. She is at a place higher than the place where their grandfather perches. Two small branches were crossing, with then 4 or 5 smaller branches between them, making a place like a cup. They had brought straw, hair and other things to make a simple nest. Hokichi laid halfway in it, closing her eyes quietly.

　Their mother owl and two brothers sat around Hokichi and supported her body. All owls in the forests weren't crying tonight, but everyone was angrier than last night.

　‘Does it hurt? Are you feeling any better?’　The monk owl asked her gently from his usual higher perch. Hokichi seemed to try to say something, but she only blinked. Her mother answered for Hokichi.

　‘I think Hokichi is just hanging on. She can't communicate well. However, Hokichi seems to want to listen to the preaching tonight, no matter the difficulty. Please do not mind her. Let us hear your preaching.’

　The monk owl looked up at the sky.

　‘It’s her praiseworthy mind. So, even though they broke her legs, she could return to her parents. But, like some perverted game, they twisted and fractured her two healthy legs and released her. How miserable is the human heart!’

　‘Even once she was released, with her two broken legs, how could she fly immediately? Hokichi fell into that elephant grass field and was weeping bitterly. But nobody noticed her during the daytime. When I went to see her face toward evening, I found her in this state. ’

　‘Yes. Exactly. However, never resent others. Everything is due to me. Resentment becomes a scene of carnage. Never hate others at all.’

　Hokichi was listening to this faintly, as if in a dream. The child had lost interest and said, "I’ll let you go," and took her outside.

　At that time, he snapped Hokichi’s legs. Both legs still have a throbbing pain. When Hokichi opens her eyes, everyone seems to be shaking, even the sky appeared to rise and fall, and everyone’s voices were muffled as if they were under water. Ah, I'm sure I'm about to die.It would be better to die than to suffer so much. But, dad and mom are going to cry. Even if they cry, are dad and the others still near me? Oh, it hurts. Hokichi sobbed silently.

　A young owl said loudly, ‘they’re too terrible! We haven't done anything wrong to them, but, they do this kind of violence to us. We can’t take this anymore! Owl lives matter! Let’s get back at them!’ The owl who was next to him answered.

　 ‘Let's set their house on fire. Next time they burn the chaff in the field, let’s put some long burning straw on their roof. If we carry ten or twenty, one will catch fire soon! But, burning in a fire is take easy. Can we do something crueler? ’

　The next owl to him answered.

　‘Wait for a time when the door is open and peck at their baby's head. Damn them!’

　The monk owl listened carefully to everyone but said quietly at this time.

　‘No, everyone, you must not do such things. Because it's such a terrible thing, of course, you want to take revenge on them. But, if you do, we will be drawn into a bloody feud. When we feel fine, their hearts will burn. Someday, we'll face their merciless revenge. Even in the next life, the retaliation never ends. Eventually, we will find ourselves together in a scene of carnage where we will continue our quarrel eternally. Never do such an evil deed.’

　Her mother owl shrieked.

‘Hokichi, stay with us!’

　Everyone was startled. Hokichi's father also flew hurriedly to the branch where Hokichi was, but there was no place, so he perched on the branch above it. Hokichi's grandfather went, too. Everyone gathered around her. No one knew, but Hokichi quivered her broken legs and her white eyes closed. Her father owl shouted sharply.

　‘Hokichi, hold on! The preaching is about to begin.’

　Hokichi opened her eyes suddenly. Then she sat up a little. She seemed to be straining to see into the distance, but her eyes did not work.

　‘She’s looking better. She must be tired,’ the female owls said to each other.

Then, the monk owl said:

‘Let's begin the preaching. Everyone, return to your seats. Tonight is the twenty-sixth night of this month. As you all knows, the night we are waiting for is the twenty-sixth of next month. When the moon appears from behind the mountain and shines its light, the noble three, Shisho-Tairiki, Rukai, and Harai appear in the eastern sky. Tonight is a different month, but it can't be said that they will not appear to the true in heart. Hokichi also earnestly desires to listen to the preaching, so I will start now. Hokichi, it will hurt and be painful. It may be hard to hear the words of the preaching, but in the midst of your pain and worry, it's time to deeply engrave the mercy of Shisho-Tairiki on your heart. Surely, this is your opportunity to attain enlightenment. ’

　The voice of the monk owl had changed a little bit again. Everyone became quiet. The autumn insects in the forest had already begun to chirrup. The monk held his breath for a while, took fresh heart, then made a wish in a dignified voice, and continued with the preaching from last night.

　‘Kyoshi-shugosho, Kyoshi-shugosho.

　All men of virtue, press your hands together in prayer and listen carefully. Now I will speak on a passage from Kyoshi-shugosho under the divine power of Shisho-Tairiki. I hope that Tathagata great compassion and mercy shows its mysterious power and turns my muddy lies into shining lapis lazuli, opening the eyes of Buddha in Paradise. The hope of sincerity. Let it be so! mercy, mercy, mercy!

　At that time, Shisho-Tairiki told Rukai “listen clearly, listen clearly, and pray it silently.” Now I tell you the way that each evil owl and birds are salvaged from their suffering.

　Rukai opened both wings, hung his neck reverently, left his seat, flew low, praised Shisho-Tairiki three times, returned to his seat slowly, kneeled down to worship, and just hoped “Shisho-Tairiki, Shisho-Tairiki, explain it just for us, explain it just for us.”

　Shisho-Tairiki smiled, wearing the golden circle of light on his head, and the light illuminated everyone universally. Every bird was filled with joy. He explains, “you produce all kinds of bad karma.” Under cover of night, you arrive at the poultry house. At that time poultries were already in the sun all day long, singing, jumping, and tired, just being in a luscious sleep. You fly and grab them. The claws bite deeply into their bodies. Various poultries feel anguish but can’t make a sound.You tear them and eat as you want. Or you go to the swamps and fields to pick at the snails and clams. The snails and clams are in the soft mud, they soften their hearts and just remember the warm water. At that time, suddenly their bodies are in the air, and you tear off their flesh. They suffer so much as they cannot speak out. You don’t regret eating them.

　These kinds of bad karma are innumerable. Because of bad karma, you produce more bad karma again. It occurs in succession and never ends. You are afraid of sunlight in daytime, and of people and each strong bird. There is no peace of mind at any time. You die as an owl once, and you are born as an owl again. You suffer all kinds of suffering without end.

　Last night, I spoke up to, “these mischiefs are innumerable.” Tonight, I will continue.

　“Because of bad karma, you create further bad karma.” This is a very short but strong maxim. There was talk about revenge on human beings a little while ago. It is just as I said. A bad thing produces a bad result. Because of the bad results, a new bad thing is produced. Things circulate in this way and it never ends. It's like the endless turning of a wheel. This is called reincarnation, or transmigration. Evil begets evil. They say it goes on and on without end - that's exactly it. The root of evil and bad effects never end, and the bad effects become the new root of evil. We have no chance to get on in the world. “We are afraid of the sunlight in the daytime, and we dread humans and birds of prey. There is no peace of mind at all.” This is explained for us plainly to understand the dreadful state of things in transmigration. We are impiously afraid of the light of the sun. We are always companions of darkness. When the eastern sky becomes bright and the golden arrow of the sun fires high, we are afraid and run away. If we open our eyes in the daytime, we are hit by the golden arrow. We have so much bad karma. You are afraid of humans and birds of prey. It’s needless to say now that we are afraid of humans. You should consider this. You are afraid of birds of prey. Hawks and falcons – though not as powerful, we even fear crows in the daytime. We are miserable. In the case of a falcon, he will dive soon from the sky and catch us just as when we grab a little bird. We are immediately torn in the sky. It is meaningless to resist him. We are truly miserable and shameful.’

　The monk owl fell silent for a moment. The sound of the one o'clock train heading for the city reached their ears. When they heard the sound, the owls thought about the bright red line of windows on the train, while crying. The monk began preaching again.

　‘There is no peace of mind. How about you? Everyone, have you ever calmed down without any worries, even for a moment? We are always scared stiff. You die once as an owl, and you are born again as an owl. If I am sad, cry, feel regret, finally get older, get sick, suffer hardship, and then die, can I get away from this evil bird’s body?

It's very difficult. We are born again as owls because of sin that we are steeped in. In this way, even 100 lifetimes or 200 lifetimes or spending ages are not enough to free us from our bodies. You suffer from all kinds of pain, without end. Everything is suffering. Now, the eastern sky has become golden. The moon has already arrived. If this were the 26th night of next month, we would worship Shisho-Tairiki under this moonlight, but we may be able to worship him on this night too. Everyone, lift up your eyes with sincere hearts.’

　The moon of 26th night rose quietly, looking like a golden-yellow sickle. Around it, the sky brightened faintly, and the insects below them started chirruping suddenly.

　Then came the clear sound of the distant rapids. The moon rose smoothly in the bellflower-colored sky. It looked like a strange golden ship.

　In an instant, everyone felt themselves breathless. It was because something like a beautiful purple smoke, like a firework, spouted out from the prow of the ship-moon on the right side.

　The smoke trailed as they looked on, creating an eye-catching purple cloud all around beneath the moon and above the mountain. Above that cloud, three splendid golden people stood up straight.

　The man in the middle was tall, gazing down with wide eyes. The folds of his clothes were clear to see.

　He was wearing a fine necklace that seemed to be encrusted with stars. The circle of the moon formed a halo around his head.

　On his right and left, smaller figures were standing with their hands pressed together in prayer.

　The halo was a hazy gold color and the blue stars were visible behind them. The cloud seemed to draw nearer.

　‘Yes Shisho-Tairiki, yes Shisho-Tairiki.’

　Everyone shouted loudly. Their voices roared throughout the forest. The cloud got closer and closer, and the Shashin-bodhisattva seemed to be ten jo tall, and his shining left hand was outstretched to invite us in his direction. All at once, pleasantly bewitching fragrance filled the air. The purple cloud and Shisho-tairiki had disappeared.

There was only the golden moon of the twenty-sixth night hanging silently in the bellflower-colored sky.

　‘Oh, Hokichi! She stopped breathing!’

　Suddenly Hokichi 's brother shouted out loud.

　Hokichi was already cold. Her mouth was open slightly, and she had stopped breathing with the hint of a smile on her face.

　And, the sound of the train was heard again.

Twenty-Sixth Night written by Kenji Miyazawa

translated by Pastelwork+i.u.