26. “I Returned Your Contribution Ten-Thousandfold”

In August 1886, a Nobu Nakai from Kobe returned to Jiba and was staying at the Tofuya Inn, owned by Chobei Murata. Izo, who at the time was managing the Nakayamas’ household matters, came by and mentioned to Chobei: “Without 5 yen, we won’t be able to make ends meet this season. But no matter who I go see, no one of them is willing to lend us the money.”

Nobu, who remembered how she had been miraculously saved from a rare case of stomach spasms and a toothache in 1883, overheard this and thought to herself it was an honor to have such an opportunity to help out the Residence. She took out 5 yen (about 47,000 yen in 1995 currency) and said to Izo, “Though this isn’t much, I happened to have it on me.”

Izo was overjoyed, and replied, “I’ll return it to you later.”

But Nobu told him, “I’m donating it, so don’t worry about returning it,” and thus made a sincere contribution in this way.

Nobu Nakai was a devout follower of the Heishin Shinmei-gumi Confraternity and her husband was the owner of a pawnshop. In the years after the above event, the Nakai family experienced a number of miraculous events.

At one instance someone left a lantern in the pawnshop warehouse. Although the candle inside continued to burn, it did not cause a fire.

Similar miraculous happenings occurred one after another so that the Nakais were motivated to inquire for Osashizu (Divine Directions). The response was,

I returned your contribution ten-thousandfold.

(From Shinpan Izo Iburi den pp. 86­–88)

• Next installment in this series: 27. A Humble Mind

*Note: This post has been revised since its original publication.