Summary

The Prayer on the Edge of Death

Once upon a time, there was a man named Taro who lived in a village. Taro was so absorbed in his daily life, caught up in work and play, that he forgot about his faith. In the village lived a devout old man, who repeatedly taught Taro, "Cherish the Buddha," but Taro would just smile and say, "I'm too busy right now to worry about that," and refused to listen.

One day, Taro went hunting in the mountains. He paid no attention to the weather and pushed deeper into the mountains, disregarding the warning signs. Suddenly, the weather turned bad and a violent thunderstorm struck. Remarkably, Taro slipped off a cliff and barely managed to cling to life by catching onto a root of a tree. In this desperate situation, for the first time, he prayed for his safety and instinctively shouted, "Help me, Buddha!"

In that moment, he recalled his past. Feelings of shame welled up as he remembered the days he had neglected his faith and taken the Buddha lightly. Resolutely, he decided to chant the nenbutsu (Buddhist prayer). As he murmured, "Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Amida Butsu...", his heart calmed down, and before he knew it, the sun emerged and the surrounding scenery began to sparkle brightly.

Miraculously rescued, Taro hurried back to the village and rushed to the old man. He deeply bowed and said, "Old man, I have come to understand the value of the Buddha. From now on, I will not forget my faith." From that day on, Taro chanted the nenbutsu and began to teach the villagers about the importance of faith. Thus, through the "prayer on the edge of death," he gained true faith.