(530) Emon Saburo

 
2021.04.18 Statue of Emon Saburo at Ishiteji Temple

The legend of Emon Saburo is written in a scroll handed down at Ishiteji temple as follows.

  Once upon a time, there lived a person in Ukeanagun-Ebara District (about 10 km south from this temple). He was called Emon Saburo. His family had been rich for generations. However, speaking of this person's personality, he was an outrageous villain who was greedy, misguided, devouring the treasure, scorning Shinto gods, and hated Buddha. But he couldn't escape the calamity he caused himself, and unexpectedly all Saburo's eight boys suddenly died.

  Children are dear and important to any parent. Even Emon Saburo, who was so strong, fell into grief, and immediately turned his wickedness. He abandoned his house and forgot about himself, and he didn't know how many times he went to the Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage.

  In the year of 830 AD, Saburo was ill and was about to end at the foot of Shosanji Temple in the country of Ashu, today's Tokushima prefecture. At that time, mysteriously, Saint Kobo engraved the name Emon Saburo on a small stone (4.5 cm, about 2 inches) and gave it to his both hands.

  After a few years, he was born to a boy of Kono Yasutoshi and finally took over the house. He called himself Yasutaka and took control of this country, Iyo.

  When this person was born, he never opened his left hand after a few days. Therefore, a prayer was made at this temple. Then, the hand was opened promptly. The stone mentioned earlier was in the palm. That is, the stone is put in this temple. They say that the title of this temple was An'yoji, but since then it was renamed to Ishiteji, which means "rock-in-hand temple."

仏教パンフシリーズ６・逆打ち衛門三郎上下逆転みんないっしょ

• 作者: 加藤俊生
• 出版社/メーカー: 石手寺サマヤ出版
• 発売日: 2021/04/19
• メディア: パンフレット

石手寺に伝わる巻物に衛門三郎伝説はこう書かれている。
昔、当国受穴郡荏原（うけあなぐんえばら）の郷（ごう）に人あり。名を衛門三郎と云（い）いけり。其家代々富（とみ）さかう。然（しか）るに、この人の性（せい）たらく、慳貪邪見（けんどんじゃけん）にして、財寶（ざいほう）を貪（むさぼ）り悪逆無道（あくぎゃくむどう）、神を蔑（なみ）し仏を嫌う大悪人なり。然るに自らなす孼

（わざわい）は逃るべきに他なし、思わざりき八人の男子俄（にわ）かに皆悉（ことごと）く死に失せたり。夫（そ）れ子を思うは人の情けなれば、これほど強剛（きょうごう）の衛門三郎も頓（やが）て地に入る思いに堪（た）えず、即時に邪見を翻（ひるがえ）し家を捨て身を忘れ、四国巡禮幾度いう数をしれず、時に天長八辛亥年阿州焼山寺の麓（ふもと）に病んでその身まさに終らんとするにおよんで、不思議なる哉（かな）、弘法大師一寸五分の石に衛門三郎と名を刻みつけ両手に授け給（たま）う。それより幾許（いくばく）の年年月を経てか、河野息利（やすとし）の男子に生まれ来たり遂（つい）に家を継ぐ。息方（やすかた）と名乗り、この国を領（りょう）せり。この人誕生のとき日数を経るに左の手を開くことなし。茲（ここ）よって当山において祈願ありければ、頓（すみやか）に手を開かれしに件（くだん）の石掌（てのひら）の中にありけり。

即（すなわ）ちその石を当山に納む。寺号（じごう）を安養寺と申しけるを改め石手寺とぞ伝え侍（はべり）りき。

天長八年（辛亥）：西暦（ユリウス暦）８３０年
*