with water and fresh apparel and to repair to her shrine.
There by the light of a candle she gazed upon the holy features of the Amida, and was horrified to discover the verification of her dream. Not only was the brand deeply impressed upon the sacred countenance, but a thin stream of blood was flowing from the wound! From the priest she realized what had taken place; the pitiful Amida had miraculously substituted himself for his falsely accused servant and faithful worshipper.
In deep repentance for her hasty action in crediting the priest's traducers, and not wishing evidence of this ruthless deed to go down to posterity, Machi consulted with another priestly adviser; a sculptor from the part of Kamakura called Kamegayatsu was summoned to repair the statue but his efforts proved of no avail. After all traces had been obliterated and fresh gilding applied, the mark of the brand invariably reappeared. When the sculptor had failed in twenty-one attempts he abandoned the undertaking and the fame of the statue was spread abroad through the succeeding centuries, even at the present day being known and venerated as the Hoyake, or Cheek-branded Amida.
The narrative states that Manzai—naturally preferring to eschew a neighborhood connected with such painful experiences—migrated to a temple at Oiso, where he spent the remainder of his life in the practice of piety and good works, dying in the odor of unimpeached sanctity at a ripe old age. As for the lady Machi no Tsubone, she embraced religion and became a nun, assuming the name of Hoami in commemoration of this incident (hō meaning cheek and amida, the Buddha). It is moreover recorded that on September 26th, 1251, at the age of seventy-three, she passed away in the attitude of prayer, kneeling before her beloved figure of the Hoyake Amida.
The celebrated poet Fujiwara Tamesuke evinced such deep interest in this strange occurrence that he wrote a detailed account of it, the manuscript being embellished with profuse and graphic illustrations in color by a famous contemporary painter of the thirteenth century named Tosa Mitsuoki. This valuable work is enrolled as a National Treasure and is carefully preserved at the temple as a history of the miraculous event.* It is in the form of two lengthy makimono, or scrolls, mounted on brocade with crystal rollers—each scroll being deposited in a separate lacquer case.
Near the main exit of the temple is a small wooden shrine wherein is preserved a venerable stone image of Jizo. This is the Shioname, or Salt-tasting Jizo—an object of great antiquity and some renown, being specially described in a primitive record of Kamakura. A benign and compassionate expression is still distinguishable upon the crumbling features of the divinity. In earlier days he stood beside the high road to Kanazawa, but has been rescued from further vicissitudes and tricks of naughty men to placidly end his days under the protection of Kosoku-ji.
This somewhat enigmatical name was conferred upon the image from the fact that the purveyors of salt from Mutsu-ura, near Kanazawa, on their way to Kamakura made it an invariable custom to offer a sample of their ware to the compassionate deity as they passed, with a view to ensuring good luck in their business. Originally a luminous halo was said to surround the saint's head, but on one sad occasion a miscreant merchant was returning home, and incensed that the god had not presided over his transactions with more auspicious effect, vented his wrath upon the defenseless effigy, overthrowing it, and with sacrilegious hand cramming the Jizo's mouth with salt! After this indignity the aureole is, not unnaturally, said to have disappeared and was beheld no more by the rough traffickers of those regions.
Footnote
* Now stored at the Kokuhokan.
Zuisen-ji
THIS FAMOUS old temple stands back from the Kanazawa road some distance beyond Daito-no-miya; the narrow road leading to it intersects the pine avenue of Egara Tenjin. Formerly ranking second of the ten leading monasteries in Eastern Japan of the Rinzai sect of Buddhism, it was founded in 1327 by Ashikaga Motouji, and was distinguished by becoming identified with the Ashikaga shoguns.
The approach gradually ascends between high grassy banks until the Uiatched gate is reached which marks the temple enclosure: the grounds are beautiful with lawns and flowers, rocks and caves, and many interesting old trees. The fragrant foliage of an exceptionally large eucalyptus towers in front of the temple, the seed of which was brought from Australia in 1878.* The small cavern behind the lake** contained the statue of Benten and was known as the Angel's Cave. Beyond this, on the extreme left steps are hewn in the mossy rock. This route gradually ascends through charming environment to the top of the mountain; from its winding nature the path is called the Juhachi-mawari, or Eighteen Curves. In olden times the distant view commanded from this small plateau was highly renowned amongst poets and nature lovers, its beauties having been immortalized in many songs and poems. Beyond the irregular ridges lies the deep blue ocean, distant purple mountains closing in the picture with lovely effect. In spring the masses of red and crimson azaleas lend a brilliant note of color to the scene; the groves are musical with the cry of the uguisu (nightingale), the little brown bird whose note is supposed to be a text of scripture— hō-hokekyō —while the trees and bushes of this thickly wooded region are gay with newly budding foliage, the delicate shell-pink and pale green hues presenting the felicitous appearance of giant clusters of blossoms. In bygone days Zuisenji enjoyed a high reputation for its maples; their "flaming brocade" is still effective and beautiful. But of late years their number has somewhat decreased. In 1328, shortly after the temple was founded, the first priest—the celebrated Muso Kokushi—caused a pavilion called Ichirantei to be erected upon the summit of the hill in order to afford rest and appreciation of the landscape. Poets have compared this little structure to a miniature Elysium from which one could gaze down upon the vision of the world below. When in the course of time this fabric fell into ruins, a new structure was erected some two hundred years ago by the enlightened scholar and philosopher Mitsukuni, lord of Mito, who was also a constant visitor and patron of Zuisen-ji. This building was modeled upon the Chinese pavilion Suiotei, built by the Chinese Emperor Kiso, of the Sung Dynasty (420-79). Around the interior panels of lacquered wood were suspended upon which a collection of poems—inspired by the beauty of the scenery and composed upon the spot—were inscribed: these panels are still preserved in the guest room of the temple. About a century after its construction, this second pavilion was destroyed in a severe storm but its site is still plainly to be seen. Within it was installed a "thousand-handed" statue of Kannon that is now enshrined upon the altar of the temple below.
The centerpiece and place of honor upon the main altar is occupied by a large and interesting effigy of the first priest of Zuisen-ji, the erudite and renowned Muso Kokushi. The tints are considerably faded and the flight of centuries has left its mark upon this ancient work; it is said to have been executed during the lifetime of the original, and has therefore been in existence some six hundred years. In the left-hand division is the chief object of worship, a valuable statue of Shaka; on either side are small but realistically painted images of Ashikaga Motouji and Ujimitsu, the third Ashikaga shogun. The right-hand division is occupied by the above-mentioned Kannon, in front of which is a fierce little statue with gleaming yellow eyes. This is the ever-popular Daruma (Sanskrit: Dharma), the Indian missionary priest who founded the Zen sect in China in the sixth century. Much depicted in popular art, and generally with a ruffianly countenance strangely belying his saintly character, Daruma was the great exponent of the doctrine of 'Thought transmitted without utterance"; he is said to have remained in profound religious abstraction for nine years, after which his legs withered away from disuse, and disappeared!
In olden times a high tower was erected in the grounds to the right of the entrance gate. This was used as a repository for the most valuable statues, but when the tower was attacked by fire they were rescued and removed to the main temple. Behind the site of this structure is a large cavern in three divisions; the rocky chamber