Hotoke no Hara

仏原 Buddha’s Field

1 Source and/or Related Material

The Tale of the Heike 1, Zeami’s Eguchi

2 Author

attributed to Komparu Zenchiku

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Kongō

4 Synopsis

A monk (waki) who aspires to train on the mountain of Hakusan (Gifu) stops by at a thatched hut in Hotoke-no-hara (Buddha’s Field) in Kaga Province (Ishikawa) hoping to stay the night. Out of nowhere, a woman (maeshite) appears and asks the monk for a memorial service. She explains that this place was the home of Lady Hotoke, as well as the place where she died. When she finishes telling the tale of the dancers Giō and Hotoke from the Tale of the Heike, the woman reveals that she is the ghost of Lady Hotoke, then disappears into the hut. A local (ai) approaches the stunned monk, and when he hears his story, he suggests the monk hold a service for Hotoke. As the monk starts chanting his sutra, the ghost of Lady Hotoke (nochishite) appears. She performs song and dance to answer the monk’s religious intonations. She preaches that human life and Buddhahood are one, then disappears.