Saint of Mt. Koya
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"I parted with the peasant and was about to set out across the flooded path on the stepping stones when suddenly I paused, wondering what might become of the peddler who had chosen the wrong path.

"The peasant's story sounded a bit melodramatic, but if it were true, I would be leaving the peddler to die on the wrong road. It occurred to me that I am a priest who has renounced the comforts of the secular world and therefore it mattered little which route I followed. When evening falls I have no need to find the comforts of an inn as other travellers do. With this in mind, I decided to set out in pursuit of the peddler and, if I could overtake him, to bring him back to the correct path. If I did not overtake him, on the other hand, and ended up following the old road the whole way, there would be nothing wrong with that. After all, this was not the season when wolf packs are on the prowl, nor are the forest spirits active, and so I thought to myself, 'Why not go after him.' Having made up my mind, I paused for a moment before setting out and looked around, but the kind peasant had disappeared.


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Intangible