Summary
Once upon a time, there was a very poor man in the capital of Kyoto. He thought, "The only one who can save me from this miserable situation is the Kannon at Hase-dera (in Nara Prefecture)." With this resolve, the man made a decision to visit Hase-dera. Kneeling before Kannon, he put his hands together and prayed, "Kannon, I do not seek honor or a luxurious life. Just being able to sustain myself is enough. Please save me from this hopeless poverty."
From that day forward, the man traveled all the way from Kyoto to Nara every month and earnestly prayed before Kannon. However, there were no signs of help. One day, his wife said, "Why do you keep going to that temple? It's a waste of time to ask Kannon for help. You should stop; it’s a waste of time and effort."
"I can understand why you would think that, but I have decided to pray at that temple for three years. Surely there must be some blessing awaiting me," he replied.
Three years had passed since the man began visiting Nara. He was still at the bottom of poverty. One day in December, he said before Kannon, "This is my last prayer. As you know, I am still as poor as ever. This miserable life must be a punishment from my previous life. You must have no intention of saving me. With this, I have made up my mind to give up and accept this poor life. This must be my fate."
That night, as the man was returning to the capital, he was suddenly grabbed by the arm and dragged into a dark vacant lot surrounded by several men. They threatened him, saying he would lose his life if he did not obey their orders. One of the men pointed at a child's corpse, about ten years old, and barked in a loud voice, "Take this corpse and throw it by the nearby riverbank."
The poor man trembled with fear, not even knowing what he was doing. He tried to lift the corpse onto his back, but it was impossibly heavy. The man cautiously said, "I can't carry this corpse to the riverbank alone. I’ll take it home first, and with my family, I will definitely throw it by the riverbank tonight."
"Do as you wish," the men shouted, then quickly left. The man finally managed to bring the corpse home.
"What are you carrying on your back?" his wife asked suspiciously. The man, having regained his senses, told his wife what had transpired.
"I told you so," she said angrily. "You’re truly a person who has been forsaken by luck. You cannot leave a corpse in the house like this. Let’s go and throw it by the riverbank immediately."
They both tried to lift the corpse, but surprisingly, it had become even heavier than before. They could not lift it even a single inch. Furthermore, it was as solid as a rock. When they struck it with a stone, it made a sound like a bell. Upon closer inspection, to their shock, the corpse was made of pure gold.
"This is indeed a blessing from Kannon!" the man exclaimed joyfully. The two dragged the lump of gold into the back of the house with all their strength to hide it. Starting the next day, the man began to chip away at it with a hammer and chisel, selling it little by little.
Before long, he became the richest man in the country and gained an opportunity to work in the court. He began to visit Hase-dera even more frequently than before, praying with even greater devotion to Kannon.
