Yūten

Although he was not a monk of the Shingon school, traditionally known for exorcisms, legend has it that he rescued people who were attacked by powerful vengeful spirits and guided those spirits to the Pure Land of Amida Buddha through the power of the Nembutsu. Legends of Yūten's exorcisms spread through popular publications written during his lifetime, such as Tales of the Liberation of the Dead (死霊解脱物語聞書). Later, in the popular sermons of the time and in biographies such as the Biography of Grand Monk Yūten (祐天大僧正御伝記) written in the mid-18th century, Yūten's exorcism tales were recounted as those of an incarnation of Jizō, and these stories continued to be popular among the common people for many generations.

Legends and Anecdotes One of Yūten's most famous tales is The Record of the Story of the Liberation of the Dead Spirit at Kasane-ga-fuchi, which recounts how, while residing at Gugyoji Temple Temple in Iinuma Village, Shimosa Province, he helped the vengeful spirit of a woman named Kasane from Hanyu Village (present-day Hanyu-machi, Joso City, Ibaraki Prefecture) find peace and Ōjō. Many works have been created based on this legend, including Kyokutei Bakin’s story The New Tale of Kumoi’s Liberation and San'yūtei Enchō’s ghost story The True Scene of Kasane-ga-Fuchi.

Another famous tale about Yūten recounts a story of him as a young man. According to this legend, as a novice monk, Yūten was a terrible scholar, being unable to memorize the sutras, and vowed to Fudō Myōō to improve. That night, he dreamt he was visited by Fudō Myōō, who forced Yūten to swallow his sword. From then onward, Yūten became a gifted scholar who was able to learn with ease.