[Buddha-l] Rice & Dragons

[Dan Lusthaus]

> Faxian, “Record of the Buddhistic Kingdoms” (H. A. Giles, transl.),
> 1877, pp. 36-37
>
> <<Where they live there is a white-eared dragon which acts as a patron
> to these priests

 "Oka-dera Temple (岡寺), formally called "Toko-zan Shinjyu-in Ryugai-ji (東光山 真珠院 龍蓋寺), is in the middle of Hill of Oka (岡山)...
  The formal name "Ryugai-ji" (lit. the Temple of Putting the Dragon on the 
Lid) is derived from the legend that the founder Gien, using his 
Miracle-working power, confined the dragon, which took a malicious pleasure 
in tormenting people, into the pond (later called "Ryugai-ike"; 龍蓋池) now 
in front of the main temple hall."

http://p-www.iwate-pu.ac.jp/~acro-ito/Japan_pics/Japan_NAS/imageidx.html

There is a huge stone still there over the well/pond, designed to keep the 
dragon locked in. Should it be removed, the dragon would escape and again 
inflict his evil mischief. One finds similar wells (small "ponds") with 
stones holding down "malicious" dragons elsewhere in Japan, as well as in 
China and Korea. There are good dragons, and there are nasty dragons...

Dan