Summary
For hundreds of years, the Japanese have loved hot springs. There are many hot springs scattered all around the country. Among them, Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma Prefecture is one of Japan's famous hot springs, believed to have healing properties for injuries and illnesses.
One evening, a villager from Kusatsu had a strange dream. An envoy of Amida appeared and delivered a message: "Kannon will come here around noon tomorrow to bathe in the hot spring." In the dream, the villager asked for a clue to identify Kannon among the many guests at the hot spring, and the envoy replied, "A goatee, hunting clothes. About thirty years old. Riding a horse, with a bow and arrow on his back. That is Kannon. It will be obvious at a glance."
The next morning, the man spread the message throughout the village. The villagers gathered and cleaned up the area around the hot spring. Potted flowers were lined along the roadside, and everyone eagerly awaited Kannon's arrival.
Noon passed long ago. Just as they were beginning to lose hope, a man on horseback approached. Just as the dream had foretold.
"That must be Kannon," the villagers whispered. Everyone knelt on the ground and began to pray to Kannon. Naturally, the traveler was confused by the villagers' strange behavior.
"What are you doing? Who is everyone praying to?" he asked the villagers. No one answered; they simply bowed their heads and continued to pray. Among the crowd stood a monk, who also closed his eyes and prayed. The traveler asked the monk,
"What is going on? Who is everyone praying to?" The monk explained to the traveler about the villagers' dream that Kannon would come to bathe in Kusatsu's hot spring.
"Do you really think I am Kannon? This is ridiculous. I’m just a hunter. I only came to soak in the hot springs to treat my injured arm. Look, I fell off my horse and sprained this right arm!" The man tried to leave the scene, but he couldn't; as soon as he moved, a line of people with their hands together followed him. Finally, he yelled in frustration,
"Don't follow me! I’m a hunter, not Kannon!" However, he couldn't escape the enthusiastic followers. Eventually, he gave in.
"Alright, alright, if everyone says so, then I will be Kannon. As you wish, I will become a monk." The man threw away his bow and arrows and took off his hunting clothes. The villagers surrounding him were so moved they were shedding tears.
"That dream was real! Kannon is right in front of us!" Among the crowd was a traveling merchant who had met the man before and knew his real name.
"I know that man. He's a hunter from the neighboring village called Buta." From that day on, the man was referred to as "Buta Kannon."
Before long, the man studied Buddhism under a famous monk and later became a highly esteemed monk himself, respected by many.
