The Priest and His Disciples

A cruel host turns away three monks on a snowy night. His remorse opens a conversation about evil, forgiveness and the possibility of salvation. From that encounter, Kurata Hyakuzō builds a drama that follows Shinran, his disciples and the people drawn into their care across decades.

A young disciple discovers romantic love with a courtesan whose life has been shaped by poverty and exploitation. An estranged son struggles to believe in the compassion his father teaches. Around them, a religious community must decide whether its concern for reputation can coexist with the forgiveness it professes.

First appearing in serial form in 1916–1917 and published as a book in 1917, The Priest and His Disciples brings Buddhist faith into searching dialogue with loneliness, social obligation, family love and mortality. This complete English translation preserves the visionary prelude, all six acts, every stage direction, the songs, the full letter read at the deathbed and the ending’s unresolved tension. Notes clarify names, religious terms and source difficulties while allowing the characters’ conflicting arguments to remain fully audible.