Gosho 報恩抄 The Duty of Repaying Good Will

夫(そ)れ老狐(ろうこ)は塚をあとにせず白(はく)亀(き)は毛(もう)宝(ほう)が恩をほ(報)うず

The old fox never forgets the hillock where he was born; the　white turtle repaid the kindness he had received from Mao Pao.

畜生すらかくのごとしいわうや人倫をや、

If even lowly creatures know enough to dot　his, then how much more should human beings!

されば古への賢者予(よ)譲(じょう)といゐし者は剣をのみて智(ち)伯(はく)が恩にあて、こ(弘)う演と申せし臣下は腹をさひて衛(えい)の懿(い)公(こう)が肝(きも)を入れたり、

Thus Yü Jang, a worthy man of old, fell on his sword in order to repay the debt he owed his lord Chih Po, and the minister Hung Yen for similar reasons　cut open his stomach and inserted the liver of his dead lord, Duke Yi of Wei.

いかにいわうや仏教をならはん者、父母・師匠・国恩をわするべしや、

What can we say, then, of persons who are　devoting themselves to Buddhism? Surely they should not forget the debts of　gratitude they owe to their parents, their teachers, and their country.

此の大恩をほうぜんには必ず仏法をならひきはめ智者とならで叶(かな)うべきか、

But if one　intends to repay these great debts of gratitude, one can hope to do so only if　one learns and masters Buddhism, becoming a person of wisdom.

譬(たと)へば衆(しゅう)盲(もう)をみちびかんには生(いき)盲(めくら)の身にては橋(きょう)河(が)をわたしがたし、

If one does not, one will be like a man who　attempts to lead a company of the blind over bridges and across rivers when he　himself has sightless eyes.

方風を弁(わきま)えざらん大舟は諸商を導きて宝山にいたるべしや、

Can a ship　steered by someone who cannot even tell the direction of the wind ever carry　the traveling merchants to the mountains where treasure lies?


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