Inkstone splitting - Suzuriwari

Japanese: 硯割 - すずりわり

Otogi-zoshi. A story of the awakening of a high priest. One of the sons of Tachibana no Yoshine, Nakata Saburo, was highly gifted and learned, and was invited to serve the house of the Tokitomo Dainagon. However, while the master was away, he dropped and broke the inkstone that had been passed down through the generations. The young lord took pity on him and volunteered to help, so the Dainagon became so angry that he chopped off the young lord's head. Saburo tried to follow him, but then decided to pray for his grandfather's soul and clear his own sins, so he became a monk and took the name Shoku. He lived in huts in Hyuga and Chikuzen provinces, and never tired of reciting the Lotus Sutra. Later, following the teachings of a foreigner, he lived on Mount Shosha in Harima, and finally attained the purification of the six senses.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

御伽草子。高僧の発心譚。〈橘のよしね〉の一人の子，中太三郎は才学すぐれ，請われて〈ときともの大納言〉家に仕えるが，主の留守に相伝の硯を落として割ってしまう。若君がこれを哀れみ代わって名のり出るので，大納言は怒りのあまり若君の首を打ち落とす。三郎はあとを追おうとするが，菩提（ぼだい）を弔ってわが身の咎（とが）を晴らそうと思い直し，出家して性空（しようくう）と名のる。日向国，筑前国などで草庵を結び，法華経の読誦怠らず，後に異人の教えに従って播磨国書写山に住み，ついに六根浄を得る。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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