Summary

The Empty Prayers of the Demon

Once upon a time, in a certain village, there lived a demon. His name was Shishi, and he was feared by the villagers. Shishi was usually cruel to humans, earning a reputation for stealing food and frightening people. However, one day, he had a sudden thought: "I want to be accepted not as a feared demon but as a gentle one."

Shishi decided to change himself. He began to visit a temple on the edge of the village and started practicing chanting the Nembutsu. He vowed loudly, “Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Amida Butsu.” No matter how terrible things he did, he wanted to believe that chanting the Nembutsu afterward would purify his heart. The villagers, bewildered by his transformation, gradually began to change the way they looked at him.

However, even when Shishi chanted the Nembutsu for the villagers, his actions remained as cruel as ever. While chanting, he still tried to seize food from the villagers whenever he had the chance. The terrified villagers could see through his empty words of kindness but lacked the courage to speak up. In the end, Shishi's empty prayers were merely a performance, and his cruelty remained unchanged.

As time passed, the villagers finally woke up to the truth about Shishi. "He is a demon; he has no compassion in his heart." United, the villagers resolved to confront Shishi. Ultimately, he was chased away and left the village. Afterward, the villagers forgot his presence, and peace returned to the village with the cool breeze. Shishi's empty prayers turned into nothing but hollow echoes, leaving a lesson for the villagers.