Gosho 御義口伝上 Orally Conveyed Doctrine Part 1

　The Explanatory Note of the Lotus Sutra.

The writing which Nichiren Daishonin commented into the 8 scrolls of the Lotus Sutra and 2 scrolls of the Sutra of Immeasurable Meanings (sutra which is started) and the Sutra of Bodhisattva Fugen (final sutra). It became the basis of the Orally Conveyed Doctrine. Though there are 2107 chapters in total, three chapters seem to have been written by Nikko Shonin. These exist in complete condition in the Tamazawa Myohokke Temple on Shizuoka Prefecture. (Important cultural property of the country).

御義口伝に云く南無とは梵語(ぼんご)なり、

　The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: Namu or nam is a Sanskrit word.

　The Orally Conveyed Doctrines say: Nam is a Sanskrit.

此(ここ)には帰命(きみょう)と云う、人法之れ有り、

　Here it means to dedicate one’s life, that is, to the Person and to the Law.

　Here, it is called "kimyo" in Japanese, and ''Ki" means dedicating, and "myo" means life. The object of dedicating has Law with a person.

　人とは釈尊に帰命し奉るなり

　In terms of the Person, one dedicates one’s life to Shakyamuni Buddha;

　In terms of the person, one dedicates one's life to Shakyamuni Buddha;

　法とは法華経に帰命し奉るなり。

　in terms of the Law, one dedicates one’s life to the Lotus Sutra.

　in terms of the Law, one dedicates one's life to the Lotus Sutra.

帰(き)と云(い)うは迹門不変真如(しんにょ)の理に帰するなり
　“Dedication” means dedication to the principle of eternal and unchanging truth of the theoretical teaching,

'Ki’ means dedicating to the principle of eternal and unchanging truth of the theoretical teachings.

命(みょう)とは本門随(ずい)縁(えん)真如の智に命(もとづ)くなり
　“Life” means that one’s life dedicated to that principle bases itself on the wisdom of the truth of the essential teaching that functions in accordance with changing circumstances.

"Myo” means basing on the wisdom of the truth of the essential teaching that functions in accordance with changing circumstances.

帰命(きみょう)とは南無妙法蓮華経是なり、
　In essence,one dedicates one’s life to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Kimyo, dedicating, is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo itself.

釈に云く随(ずい)縁(えん)不変・一念寂(じゃく)照(しょう)と、
　A commentary [ by Dengyō ] says, “That which accords with changing circumstances, that which is unchanging, these are tranquil and shining in a single moment of life.”

The commentary says. "The eternal unchanged truth, and the wisdom to be created at every situation changing. These are tranquil shining in a single moment of life”.

　又帰とは我等が色法なり命とは我等が心法なり

　Again,“dedication” refers to the element of physical form as it pertains to us, while “life” refers to the element of mind as it pertains to us.

　Also, “ki” is the mind Law, and “myo” is the physical Law.

色心不二なるを一極(いちごく)と云うなり

　But the ultimate teaching tells us that form and mind are not two things.

　The one and only ultimate teachings mean that a body and a mind are not two.

　　　

　　 　　　　つづく Continued

解説 Commentary　

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