The Tale of the Heike by Royall Tyler

Author:Royall Tyler [ Tyler, Royall]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781101601099
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2012-10-24T16:00:00+00:00

He could not decline the invitation.

Willy-nilly, he wrote a note of acceptance and then woke up.

Since as far as he knew he was dying, he told Kyb, the temple abbot, the story.

Everyone who heard it marveled.

With his voice Son’e called Amida’s Name

and in his heart prayed for Amida’s welcome to paradise.

The night of the twenty-fifth soon came.

Son’e installed himself before his altar as usual,

leaning on his armrest while calling the Name and reciting the sutra.

At the hour of the rat, he felt so sleepy that he retired to his room and lay down. [midnight]

At the hour of the ox, two demon figures arrived, as before dressed in white.

“Hurry,” they said, “you are to come with us.”

For him to ignore Enma’s summons

would be to risk dire consequences.

Should he agree to go with them, though,

he lacked the proper stole and bowl.

While he was thinking all this over,

the stole he required, of its own accord,

settled lightly over his shoulders,

and a golden bowl came down from the sky.

Two sturdy attendants, two acolytes,

ten junior monks, and a great carriage

compounded of the seven treasures

appeared before the gate of the temple.

Son’e, transported with delight,

boarded the carriage without delay.

His equipage soared into the heavens,

bound away toward the northwest,

and swiftly reached King Enma’s palace.

Son’e saw walls stretching afar,

a vast expanse of ground within them,

and rising from it a Great Hall of State

built wholly of precious substances.

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