The Story of Ichibata Yakushi

2024.11.17.

1. The soaring Osprey

About 1100 years ago in 894 AD, a fisherman named Yoichi was living with his blind mother in Sakamura, a small village on the Sea of Japan Coast at the foot of Mt. Ichibata. On o-bon-no-hi, a day when it is said that the spirits of ancestors return, Yoichi went out fishing in Akaura bay, but could not catch any fish. While he was fishing, he saw an Osprey circling above, and it was as if the bird was calling out to him.

2. The statue in the sea

Yoichi thought this was strange, and as he moved his boat closer to the spot he saw something shining in the sea near some rocks. He slowly pulled it out of the water and saw that it was a magnificent statue.

3. Returning to the village

Yoichi was very surprised and immediately took the statue home. The villagers said, “Even though it is o-bon-no-hi, when he should have been staying at home, Yoichi went out fishing.” They were all very surprised however, when they saw the statue in his hands.

4. Praying before the statue

Without fully understanding the significance of the statue, Yoichi placed the statue in his house and made offerings of tea and water, and prayed before it every morning and evening. As he was doing so, many strange things started to happen: there was a strong gust of wind, sudden thunder and heavy rain, and the earth rumbled deep to its core.

5. The travelling priest

Then, one day, a travelling Buddhist priest came in search of a place to stay. Yoichi readily offered him a room for the night, and when the priest saw the statue, he said to Yoichi “In the statue’s left hand there is a medicine pot, and its right hand forms the fearless mudra sign. It is without doubt the Yakushi Nyorai, the Medicine Buddha. A long time ago, when Buddha was alive, he healed sick monks at the Jetavana Monastery in India, and he started to preach the Medicine Buddha Sutra in the city of Vaishali. The statue should be treated with reverence, so choose a sacred spot and place it there immediately.”

6. The dream

The next morning, the priest suddenly disappeared. Yoichi thought then that the priest was the embodiment of Yakushi Nyorai. On that same day, Yakushi Nyorai appeared in Yoichi’s dream and said, “Oh dutiful Yoichi! To show the depth of your faith, jump from the Hyakujo waterfall into the sea. Then, your mother’s eyesight will be healed.”

7. The leap

Yoichi had faith in the divine message in his dream, and decided to jump from the cliff. When the villagers heard this, they tried to persuade him not to jump, but Yoichi would not listen. He tied bundles of straw (senba), to his body, and with a cry, leapt from the waterfall. His mother, who had been anxiously searching for her son rushed to his side, and in that moment, her eyes opened and she was healed. Yoichi and his mother hugged in delight. After that, the waterfall became known as Senba waterfall. Today, those who come to Akaura to draw seawater to use in purification rituals, pass close by this cliff.

8. The search for a sacred place

After that, Yoichi put the statue of Yakushi Nyorai on his back and set off to find a place for the statue. Just as he was wondering where to go, he saw three young boys smiling and beckoning to him to follow them. As he did so, he suddenly saw Lake Shinji below, and behind him many natural medicinal herbs and tea fields, which were unusual at that time. Underfoot was a spring of water that was crystal clear. The load on Yoichi’s back became noticeably heavy. “It is here,” he thought. “This is the place.” Then, he saw the backs of three white foxes jumping away into the distance.

9. The enshrinement

Yoichi built a hall and placed the statue of Yakushi Nyorai inside it. It was 8th April, 894 AD. By a strange coincidence, it was also the Buddha’s birthday.

10. Entering the Buddhist priesthood

Next, Yoichi went to Enryaku-ji Temple on Mt. Hiei, and became a priest, taking the name of Honen. After receiving the teachings of the Makashikan, one of the Mahayana scriptures, he returned to the hall of the Yakushi Nyorai and established a temple with the name Io-ji. When people heard the story, they came from near and far to pray, and it became known as The Yakushi of Healing Eyes and also Ichibata Yakushi, after the area in which it was located.

11. Connections

In the Warring States Period, the eyes of the only child of Shinzaemon, a man from Inaba, were miraculously healed after he prayed at the temple, and it then became known as the Buddha of Children’s Health and Growth. The emperor officially asked for prayers to be said at the temple, and it became a place to pray for health and peace. The temple also received the support of the lords of the region, including Amago, Mori, Kyogoku and Matsudaira.

12. The power of faith

In the time of the samurai, the temple changed from the Tendai sect to the Rinzai sect. In the Taisho Era, the Ichibata railway line was constructed for pilgrims to visit the temple. With the support of the faithful, in particular, the local people of Izumo, many Ichibata lanterns were constructed in the temple grounds. In 1952, the Ichibata tradition was established and Ichibata Yakushi became the head-quarters of this tradition which has fifty temples throughout Japan. Ichibata Yakushi is a spiritual place which has been built by the power of the faith of many people.

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All sentient beings suffering from various illnesses will, as soon as they hear my name, be cured of all illnesses, and find peace and contentment in body and mind.
Excerpt from the Medicine Buddha Sutra

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on korokoro sendari matougi sowaka (Medicine Buddha Mantra)