The Myth of Fugen Bosatsu

One myth associated with Fugen Bosatsu regards a learned priest who prayed and meditated asking to see the Fugen Bosatsu in its true form as described in the holy text. One day, in the middle of his meditation, the priest fell asleep! Although this was bad, he was told in his dream to go to a certain courtesan's house and he would see Fugen Bosatsu. After waking up, the priest quickly left and found the house of the mentioned courtesan. When he arrived, the beautiful woman was entertaining her guests by playing a tsu-zumi (a small hand drum) and singing about a famous river. As the priest began to acclimate to his surrounding, the courtesan looked directly at him and to his surprise her form changed into the form of Fugen Bosatsu. A beam of light was emitted from her brow and she sat upon an elephant with six tusks.

She continued to sing, but the words the priest heard were much different than the other men in the room: On the Vast Sea of Cessation, Though the Winds of the Six Desires and of the Five Corruptions never blow, Yet the surface of that deep is always covered, With the billowing of Attainment to the Reality -in-Itself. After this moment, the courtesan went back to singing about the river and the priest realized that only he could see the manifistation of Fugen Bosatsu and the other men could only see the courtesan. After the song, the woman left the room and the other men began to depart. The priest was the last to leave the house and just before he reached the gate the courtesan appeared in front of him. To him she said, "Friend, do not speak yet to any one of what you have seen this night." She then disappeared back into her house. (www.horrormasters.com/text/a2036.pdf)

This myth is meant to teach the priest and readers (or listeners depending on how the story is told) that the Fugen Bosatsu may choose any form and that the choosen form will likely have an important purpose. In the case of the courtesan, which is a low and sad existence, the Bodhisattva will help men to understand the deception of illusion. (www.horrormasters.com/text/a2036.pdf) The above encounter is believed to have occured in the thirteenth century and showed that Buddahood was potential in all beings (http://www.enotes.com/wm-encyclopedia/fugen-bosatsu).