大いなる霊験者の宗忠教祖のお人柄について驚嘆すべき話が、いくつか残っていますのでご紹介いたします。
１．放火犯を祈られる
ある朝教祖の家の屋根がところどころ焦げていたので、ある人が屋根に上って見てみたら7か所も火をつけられていたことが分かりました。
幸いに大事にならずに済みましたが燃えさしの松明（たいまつ）の残りがあり、それをもって降りてきて教祖に差し出しましたら「ああ、これはほんとに恐ろしいことでした。いやどうもご苦労様でした！」とお礼を述べられました。
「まことに人の家に火をつけるとは、恐ろしいことです。もし発覚したら重い刑に処せられ、火あぶりの罪にも問われるものを！幸いに大事に至らずに済んでよかった。人様にこのような大罪を犯させたことは、神様に申し訳ないことだった。
無事に済んだお礼と人が犯したお詫びを、神に申し上げなければならない。その人が心を改めて正しい真人間に、立ち返るようにお祈りしよう！」と燃えさしのたいまつを綺麗に洗い、塩水で清めて火をつけたその者の改心と開運のために、3週間誠意を込めてお祈りされました。
放火犯謝りに現る
すると不思議なことに３週間の満願の夕方見知らぬ男が、お宅に来訪しておそるおそる震える声で語り「私は２０日ほど前にお家の屋根に上り火をつけましたが、どういうものか、つけてもつけても燃え上がりません。
よく乾いている草ぶきの屋根に火のつかぬはずはないのですが、７か所ばかりもつけました。それでもどうしても燃え尽きませんので、恐ろしくなりやっぱり尊いお方であったことが分かりまして、たいまつの燃えさしをそこに投げ捨てて逃げ帰りました。
それから相すまぬことをしてしまったと深く後悔して悩みつづけ、思い切ってお詫びに上がりました。どうぞお許しのほどをお願いいたします」と白状したそうです。
教祖もお祈りのご誠意が届いたことをお喜びになりまして、お道の趣旨をその者に説き諭しになりました。その者は涙を流して感激しついに神文を捧呈して、正しい道に進んでいったということです。
この者は修験者、祈禱者の類で教祖に帰依する者が次第に多くなり、そねみと恨みから放火に及んだという話です。「汝を呪う者のために祈れ」という尊い言葉がありますが、正しく教祖の例がこれに当ります。
宗忠教祖がいかに純粋で清らかな人物だったかよく理解できる話です。放火犯のために２１日間誠意を込めて、お祈りされた行為が神に届いた貴重な話です。
２．追いはぎに金を恵まれる
教祖が家への帰り道に日が暮れ、人家もなく寂しい所（米倉あたりかと聞く）を歩いていましたら、物陰から現れた男が突然道をふさぎ「ぜひ10両の金が要るんだ。貸してくれ！」と迫りました。追いはぎです。
これを聞いておられた教祖はその男の顔を見つめておられましたが、やがて物静かに「ぜひ入用か。このような寂しい夜道に立って知らぬ者に金の無心をなさるとは、よくよくの事と思います。分かりました。お貸ししましょう。
しかし今は５両しか持ち合わせがありません。まあお気の毒ですが今夜はこれだけ持ってお帰りなさい。あとの５両は今村のお宮の手水鉢のそばへ埋めておきます。目印に小さな石を置いておきましょう。明日の夜お取りください。間違いなく５両埋めておきます」
追いはぎはしばらくは、じっと教祖の顔を眺めていましたが「見るからに正直そうな老人だ。うそは言うまい。それにしても丁寧な者だ。
１０両と言ったらそれをそのまま真に受けて、大枚５両をくれた上に又明日の夜５両くれようとは！」とあきれ気味に感心しながらもその夜は立ち分かれました。
さて半信半疑で翌日の夜今村宮に行ってみると約束通り目印の石の下に５両が置いてあり「ああやっぱり正直なお方であった。
今時こんな神様のような人はいない！」と教祖の誠心に感じ入り、自分の間違った心、行為を深く恥じ入って、やがて門人の一人として厚く信心するようになったといいます。
まるで嘘のような話と思われるでしょうが、教祖は相手を非難するような気持ちは一切なく追いはぎに立ち治りの機会を与えられたのです。
３．濡れ衣を着せられる
ある親戚筋より６両の借金をされ、全額返済されましたが、相手より再度の返済催促がありました。そのとき教祖は６両という高額の催促を黙って再度払われました。
その時の歌です。
誠をば神は見すらん濡れ衣
人には着せじ身は重くとも
「既に払った」ときっぱり言えば、誰かに疑いや詮索等のいろいろな問題を引き起こす羽目になるとお考えになって、自ら「濡れ衣」を黙って着られたということです。
４．横領のえん罪を甘んじて受けられる
ある武士に借金していた人が返済せず催促されるたびに、その場限りの言いのがれで済ましてきましたが、とうとうその武士がしびれを切らし、借金返済に自ら乗り込んできました。
借金を払わない場合相手を「切り捨て」しても払わせる意気込みです。困った相手はその武士が黒住先生を尊敬していることを知っており、先生にかこつけて「あの金はもう大分前に最初お話を下さった黒住先生にお渡ししてあります」と嘘をつきました。
その武士はすこしおかしいとは思ったのですが、相手があまり強く言い張るので教祖の家に顔色を変えて参りました。
玄関で武士の訪問を受けた教祖は、只ならぬ雰囲気の武士の様子を見てとっさに「確かにその金は受け取りましたが、今手持ちの金は半分しかありません。とりあえず半金だけ今日お渡しします。残りは近日中に持参いたします」となんとかその場をしのぎました。
そのあとで奥様が尋ねられました。「只今のこと本当なのでございますか。あなたがお受け取りなっておられたのですか。仮にも人様のお金を黙って使い込んだとあっては、人の道を説いておられるあなたとしては道の汚れとなるでしょう !」と述べられました。
それに対して教祖は「今あの侍の顔を見たら、血相変えて殺気だっておった！もしわしがありのままを言ったら、直ちに引き返してあの者は切られてしまう。
これはどうしても、わしが罪をかぶってやらねば と即座に決心して嘘をついたのじゃ。奥や まあ ありがたいことに人一人の命が助かったのじゃ！わしの名がなんだ。みんな天が知っておられることだ。これが本当の道じゃ！」と答えられたとのことです。
５．井戸に落ちた子猫の話
（ 無限なる宇宙世界で自由自在に生きよ！窮屈な物質界に囚われて過ごしてはならない。)
岡山へご神用のためある地方へ行かれた時の話です。大勢の者が集まって何か事ありげに見えましたので、教祖も立ち止まってご覧になりました。
すると井戸の底に子猫がはまって溺れ死にそうにしており人々が助けているところでした。小さなザルを綱に吊るして下げてやると子猫がザルに飛び移ります。
それを引き上げてあともう少しで助かる井戸の先端まできたところで、子猫が道へ早く飛び出そうとしてドブンと井戸の深い底に落ち込むのです。
何回やっても猫が早まって飛び出すので助けられず、井戸に落ち込むのを何回も繰り返しています。
じっとご覧になっておられた教祖はいつしか涙目になって思わず泣かれてしまわれました。随行の銀治兵衛さんは「助けられずかわいそうですが、たかが猫一匹のことです。何も大先生のあなた様が泣かれるには及びません！」
これを聞いた教祖は「銀さん、子猫のことではありませんぞ！あれは人間のことですぞ！人は利口そうに見えてもあの子猫と同じことを繰りかえしています。
神様が助けてやろう、助けてやろうとお骨折りなさっても、もう少しじっとしておれば助かるものをすぐ自らの要らぬ自我を出し、あたら命を捨てております。
そして自ら深い業の淵に飛び込んでいく。神様がどんなに人を哀れと思し召しになっていることか、泣かずにおられません！」と仰せになりました。全くそのお言葉通りです。
天にお任せして大らかに生きれば思う通りの世界に生きられます。唯物的な独りよがりの我よしの自我を捨て去り、神のご加護の下に自由に楽しく生きることです。
6. あわや船の転覆を免れた話
宗忠教祖が転覆沈没寸前の船より、歌を書いた懐紙を海に投じて一瞬で嵐がおさまった話です。
「教祖様の御逸話」には「小串沖ご難船」というタイトルで記載されています。弘化3年（１８４６年）３月８日宗忠教祖は小豆島方面に向かう途中、小串沖（岡山市南区）での出来事です。
いままで静かな海がにわかな突風で吹き荒れ、大波のため航行中の大小の船が大揺れに揺れて転覆しそうな事態になりました。教祖が乗っていた船も、転覆沈没せんとするような状態です。
船頭達も必死になって転覆を避けようと懸命に努力しましたが、どうにも転覆を免れなくなり、同船の客たちは助けを求めて大騒ぎとなり神仏に祈ったりしていました。
教祖はひとり静かに、目を閉じどっしりと座っておられます。船頭が「この船もいよいよ転覆します。どうか覚悟してください」と大声で皆に叫びました。
教祖はその声をお聞きになって矢立を取り出し、懐紙を開いて歌をサラサラとお書きになりました。
波風をいかで鎮めん海津神（わだつかみ）
天つ日を知る人の乗りしに
(日の神である天照大御神のご神徳を世の人に広めている自分が、乗っている船を沈める気か。海をつかさどる竜神よ、波風を鎮めなさい）
と一首の歌をしたためて海中に投ぜられるや、いままでに嵐のような大波が一時に静まって凪のようになり海に投げ出された人々も助けられました。
その救われた人の中に鳥取県松崎の伊東定三郎という人がいました。この人は息子と金毘羅宮へ参拝の途中別な船に乗船していましたが、この大嵐に巻き込まれ親子共々波間に投げ出されたところを波が急におさまり助けられた話があります。
尚伊東定三郎は大商人の船木敬重の番頭であり、この奇跡体験の話を主人の船木敬重にして、敬重が黒住教に関心を持つ切っ掛けになった経緯があります。後の船木敬重は黒住教の大いなる資金的援助者になります。
急に嵐がやんだ理由が後になって、別な船に乗っておられた宗忠教祖のお蔭だということを定三郎は知って黒住教徒となりました。伊東定三郎も船木敬重もやがて教師として布教におおいに尽くされた話が伝えられています。
又この話と関連していると思われる話が他にもあります。かつて弘法大師が仏教を求めて遣唐使の船に乗って、唐の国に渡ろうとした時に暴風と大波に襲われ、船が転覆沈没の危険性がありました。
しかし大師は大和の人達を仏法の教えに導くため唐に行くのであるから、船が沈没するはずがないと全く動揺のない平然たる態度をとられたことを思い出させるものです。
嵐を終息させる目に見えない力が、この世に厳然として存在している証左として取り上げました。下記の古神道霊験秘話の大嵐のご神事も同様な話です。
古神道霊験秘話より 大嵐の中のご神事
There are still some marvelous stories about the personality of Kurozumi Munetada, the Great Spiritual Examiner, that I would like to share with you.
1. Prayer for an arsonist
One morning the roof of Munetada’s house was charred in some places, so someone went up to the roof to take a look and found that seven places had been set on fire.
Fortunately, it was not serious, but there were remnants of torches that had been set on fire, and when he came down with them and presented them to Munetada,
he said, “ Oh, this was truly a terrible thing. Thank you very much for your hard work ! It is truly a terrible thing to set fire to someone’s house.
If it had been discovered, he would have been severely punished and even burned at the stake ! Fortunately, it was not serious. I was sorry to God that I had caused people to commit such a serious crime.
I must thank God for the safe outcome and apologize to God for the person’s transgression. I pray that the person will change his mind and turn back to a righteous and true human being ! “
He washed the torch clean, purified it with salt water, and prayed with sincerity for three weeks for the reformation and recovery of the person who had set the torch on fire.
Arsonist Appears to Apologize
Strangely enough, on the evening of the three-week period, a stranger came to the house and said in a trembling voice,
“About 20 days ago, I went up on the roof of your house and set it on fire, but somehow, it did not catch fire even though I put it on.
It was impossible for a roof made of dry grass not to catch fire, but I lit fires in as many as seven places. I was so frightened that I realized that it was the Goddess of Mercy, so I threw the torch’s cinders there and fled home.
I was deeply sorry for what I had done, and I continued to be troubled by my regret. Please forgive me.”
Munetada was pleased that the sincerity of his prayer had been received, and he explained the purpose of the path to the man. The person was so moved to tears that he finally offered the Divine Grant and proceeded on the right path.
The story goes that this person was a kind of ascetic or exorcist who gradually became a devotee of Munetada, and out of envy and resentment he set himself on fire. There is a noble saying, “Pray for those who curse you,” and Munetada’s example is a perfect example of this.
This story shows how pure and innocent he was. It is a precious story that the act of praying with sincerity for 21 days for the arsonist reached God.
2. being blessed with money by a highway robber
Munetada was walking home at sunset in a deserted area (around a rice granary, I hear) when a man appeared from the shadows and suddenly blocked his way, saying, “I really need 10 Ryo of Gold. Please lend me the money! He was a robber. He was a robber.
Munetada, who was listening to this, stared at the man’s face, but then quietly said,
“You need it ? I am surprised that you would stand on such a lonely nighttime street and ask a stranger for money. I understand. I will lend you the money.
But I only have five cars on me at the moment. I am sorry to say this, but please take this much with you tonight and go home.
I will bury the other five by the water bowl at the shrine in Imamura. Leave a small stone to mark the spot. Please pick them up tomorrow night. I will definitely bury the five cars.”
The chaser looked at Munetada’s face for a while, but then said, “He seems to be an honest-looking old man. He would not tell a lie. He is a very polite man.
When I told him that I would give him 10 cars, he took it as it was and gave me 5 Ryo of Gold, and then gave me another 5 Ryo of Gold orrow night ! The “Mere Old Man” left that night with a sense of dismay and admiration.
The next night, I went to the Imamura Shrine with half a doubt in my mind and found the 5 Ryo under the stone as promised.
There is no one like a god nowadays ! He was deeply ashamed of his wrong mind and actions, and eventually came to have strong faith in him as one of his students.
It may sound like a lie, but Munetada never had any blame to the other party and was given a chance to recover from the crime of being chased.
3. being falsely accused
Munetada was once again asked to repay a debt of 6 Ryo by a relative, which was repaid in full. However, the other party demanded another repayment. At that time, Munehata paid the high demand of 6 Ryo without telling anyone.
If he had said flatly, “I have already paid,” he would have caused suspicion, scrutiny, and various other problems, and so he silently put on the “robe of shame” himself.
4. accepting the guilt of embezzlement
Whenever a person who owed a debt to a certain samurai was urged to repay the debt, he would simply make up a perfunctory excuse, but finally the samurai grew tired of the situation and came to him himself to repay the debt.
The warrior was determined to make the debtor pay even if he had to “cut off” the debtor if the debtor did not pay. Knowing that the troubled warrior respected Munetada Sensei, he took advantage of his respect for Sensei and lied, saying that he had already given the money to Kurozumi Sensei, who had first spoken to him long ago.
The warrior thought this was a little strange, but the other party insisted so strongly that he changed his face and came to Munetada’s house.
When Munehada was visited by the samurai at the entrance, he saw that the samurai was in an unusual mood and immediately said,
“I have indeed received the money, but I have only half of the money on hand. For now, I will give you only half of the money today. I will bring the rest in the near future.
After that, his wife asked me, “Is it true what you just said ? Is it true what just happened ? Was it you who received the money ?
If you have spent other people’s money without telling them, it would be a disgrace to you, who preach the Way of the People !” In response, Munetada said, “Now, that money is being spent.
In response, Munetada said, “When I looked at the samurai’s face, it was bloodthirsty and furious ! If I had told the truth, he would have turned around and been cut down.
I must take the blame for this, so I immediately made up my mind to lie. Thankfully, a man’s life was saved ! What is my name ? The heavens know it. This is the true way !” He replied, “This is the true way !”
5. the story of the kitten who fell into the well
(Live freely in the infinite cosmic world ! Do not spend your time trapped in the cramped material world.)
It is a story about a time when He went to Okayama city on a divine mission. A large group of people had gathered and looked as if something was happening, so Munetada stopped to look.
He saw that a kitten was stuck at the bottom of a well and was about to drown, and people were rescuing it. A small colander was hung from a rope and lowered, and the kitten jumped onto the colander.
When they pulled it up and almost reached the top of the well, the kitten tried to jump out of the way and plunged with a thud into the deep bottom of the well.
No matter how many times we tried, we could not save the cat as it jumped out prematurely and fell into the well over and over again.
Munehata, who was watching the scene closely, eventually became teary-eyed and cried uncontrollably. The attendant, Ginjibei, said, “I feel sorry that we could not save the cat, but it was only one cat. There is no need for you, Oyasama, to weep !”
Hearing this, Muneada said, “Gin-san, I am not talking about a kitten! I am talking about human beings! People may look clever, but they are repeating the same thing as that kitten.
Even though God makes every effort to save them, they could be saved if they would just stay still a little longer, but they immediately give up their own unnecessary ego and throw away their lives.
And then, he himself plunges into the abyss of deep karma. I cannot help but weep, thinking of how much God pities mankind ! “
He said, “I cannot help but weep ! ” It is exactly as he said.
If we leave everything to the heavens and live with a generous heart, we can live in the world as we wish. We must put aside our materialistic, self-indulgent ego and live freely and joyously under the blessings of God. 6.
6. the story of how the ship was saved from capsizing in the nick of time
In this story, Munetada was on the verge of capsizing his ship when he threw a piece of paper with a poem written on it into the sea, and the storm subsided in an instant.
The story is described in “Anecdotes of Munetada” under the title of “Kogushi Oki Gosainan Boat” (A ship in distress off Kogushi). On March 8, Koka 3 (1846), Munetada was on her way to Shodoshima when she encountered a storm off the coast of Kogushi (Okayama City).
The previously calm sea was suddenly swept away by a gust of wind, and the large and small boats under sail were rocked so violently by the heavy waves that they nearly capsized. The ship on which Munetada was riding was also in a state of near capsizing.
The boatmen tried their best to avoid capsizing, but they could not avoid capsizing, and the passengers on the boat were in an uproar, praying to the gods and Buddha for help.
Munetada sat quietly with his eyes closed. The boatman said, “This ship is about to capsize. Please be prepared.”
Hearing his voice, Munetada took out his Yatate, opened a piece of kaishi paper, and wrote a poem on it.
Wadatsutsukami, the god of the sea, who calms the wind and waves
To the rider who knows the heaven and the sun
(I, who am spreading the divine virtues of Amaterasu, God of the sun, to the world, do you dare to sink the ship on which I am riding? O Dragon God who controls the sea, calm the waves and winds.)
The stormy waves that had been swept out to sea were suddenly calmed, and the people who had been thrown overboard were saved.
Among those saved was a man named Ito Sadasaburo from Matsuzaki, Tottori Prefecture. He was on another boat with his son on their way to worship at Kompira-Sama when they were caught in a great storm and both father and son were thrown into the waves, but the waves suddenly subsided and they were saved.
Ito Sadasaburo was the chief watchman of Funaki, a large merchant, and he told his master, Funaki Keishige, about this miraculous experience, and Funaki became interested in the Kurozumi-kyo.
He later learned that the reason the storm suddenly stopped was due to Oyasama on a different ship, and he became a Kurozumi-kyo member. It is said that he eventually became a teacher and devoted himself to missionary work.
There is another story that seems to be related to this one. Once, when Kobo-Daishi was about to travel to Tang China in search of Buddhism on a Japanese envoy’s ship, the ship was struck by a storm and heavy waves, and was in danger of capsizing and sinking.
However, the Master was not upset at all because he was going to Tang China to lead the people of Yamato to the teachings of Buddha Dharma, and he was completely unperturbed.
I have taken this up as proof that there is an invisible force in this world that can end a storm.
Translated with DeepL.com
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