Long ages ago, there was situated in the midst of a mighty kingdom
a god's temple, exactly one day's journey distant from every part
of the kingdom. Here was a statue of the Chongschim Bodhisattva (1)
wrought in clay. Hard by this temple was the lowly dwelling of an
ancient couple with their only daughter. At the mouth of a stream
which watered the place, was a village where lived a poor man. One
day this man went up as far as the source of the stream to sell his
fruit, which he carried in a basket. On his way home he passed the
night under shelter of the temple. As he lay there on the ground,
he overheard, through the open door of the lowly dwelling, the aged
couple reasoning thus with one another: "Now that we are both old and
well-stricken in years, it were well that we married our only daughter
to some good man," said the father. "Thy words are words of truth,"
replied the mother. "Behold, all that we have in this world is our
daughter and our store of jewels. Have we not all our lives through
offered sacrifice at the shrine of the Chongschim Bodhisattva? have we
not promoted his worship, and spread his renown? shall he not therefore
direct us aright in our doings? To-morrow, which is the eighth day
of the new moon, therefore, we will offer him sacrifice, and inquire
of him what we shall do with our daughter Suvarnadharî (2): whether
we shall devote her to the secular or religious condition of life."
When the man had heard this, he determined what to do. Having found a
way into the temple, he made a hole in the Buddha-image, and placed
himself inside it. Early in the morning, the old man and his wife
came, with their daughter, and offered their sacrifice. Then said the
father, "Divine Chongschim Bodhisattva! let it now be made known to
us, whether is better, that we choose for our daughter the secular
or religious condition of life? And if it be the secular, then show
us to whom we shall give her for a husband."
When he had spoken these words the poor man inside the Buddha-image
crept up near the mouth of the same, and spoke thus in solemn tones:--
"For your daughter the secular state is preferable. Give her for wife
to the man who shall knock at your gate early in the morning."
At these words both the man and his wife fell into great joy,
exclaiming, "Chutuktu (3) hath spoken! Chutuktu hath spoken!"
Having watched well from the earliest dawn that no one should call
before him, the man now knocked at the gate of the old couple. When
the father saw a stranger standing before the door, he cried, "Here
in very truth is he whom Buddha hath sent!" So they entreated him to
come in with great joy; prepared a great feast to entertain him, and,
having given him their daughter in marriage, sent them away with all
their store of gold and precious stones.
As the man drew near his home he said within himself, "I have got all
these things out of the old people, through craft and treachery. Now I
must hide the maiden and the treasure, and invent a new story." Then
he shut up the maiden and the treasure in a wooden box, and buried
it in the sand of the steppe (4).
When he came home he said to all his friends and neighbours, "With
all the labour of my life riches have not been my portion. I must
now undertake certain practices of devotion to appease the dæmons
of hunger; give me alms to enable me to fulfil them." So the people
gave him alms. Then said he the next day, "Now go I to offer up
'the Prayer which makes suddenly rich.'" And again they gave him alms.
While he was thus engaged it befell that a Khan's son went out hunting
with two companions, with their bows and arrows, having with them a
tiger as a pastime to amuse them while journeying. They rode across
the steppe, just over the track which the poor man had followed; and
seeing there the sand heaped up the Prince's attention fell on it,
and he shot an arrow right into the midst of the heap. But the arrow,
instead of striking into the sand, fell down, because it had glanced
against the top of the box.