171 



more than ten days, he visited the patient and told him about 

 the dream. Shokyu shed tears with joy, for now he was sure 

 that his prayer to become a relative of Gobyo Daishi would be 

 fulfilled. After his death he was buried near the latter's tomb. 

 In a time of drought the Daihannya kyo, i. e. the MahaprajM- 

 paramim sutra (of. above, p. 34) was recited there in order to 

 avert the calamity, when suddenly a little snake appeared on 

 the stone floor of the tomb, crept slowly behind Shokyu's grave 

 and entered it. A small cloud of smoke arose from the grave 

 to the sky, and, spreading gradually, filled the air, till it became 

 a big cloud ; then a thunderstorm raged and heavy rains rejoiced 

 the thirsty earth. 



A little further ' we read that Bishop Jie, at the time of his 

 being abbot {z(xsu, ^ ^) of Hieizan, in somebody's dream was 

 said to be a metamorphosis of Utpala, one of the eight Great 

 Dragon-kings ^. 



§ 7. Buddhist priests dominating the dragons. 



The Kojidan^ mentions the remarkable answer given by Bishop 

 Jokai * to the Emperor when the latter expressed his admiration 

 for the priest's power, because it had rained violently for a 

 couple of hours after Jokai had been praying for two days. 

 "Tour Majesty", said he, " this is not my rain, and I cannot 

 accept any reward for it. My rain, however, will arise to-morrow 

 from the Northwest and come down. Then you may reward me". 

 And actually the next day the clouds came from the Northwest, 

 and it rained for three days. 



A master in calling up and dominating the dragon-gods was 

 also the Buddhist priest Jokwan'', who in the Engiera(901 — 922) 

 freed the country from a terrible drought by causing the dragons 

 to move about amidst thunder and rain ". The same bonze 

 conquered a poisonous dragon on Hieizan. There was on this 

 mountain a rock in the shape of an open dragon's mouth, and 

 the monks who lived near by in Saito ', and especially in a 

 monastery called Senju-in ^, all died soon. At last is was made 



A Ch. Ill, p. 70. 



2 See above, p. 4, and below, Ch. IV. 3 Ch. Ill, p. 83. 



6 Vji shui monogaiari, ^ '/p t^ M ^ W^' "«'""®" 1213—1218; Ch. II, 

 K. T. K. Vol. XII, pp. 31 seq. 



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