Gosho 御義口伝下 Orally Transmitted teachings on the Lotus Sutra Part 2

第四　火(か)不能(ふのう)焼(しょう)・水(すい)不能漂(ふのうひょう)の事

Point Four, regarding the passage

「善(よ)い哉(かな)善い哉、善男子、汝能(よ)く釈迦牟(しゃかむ)尼仏(にぶつ)の法の中に於いて、此の経を受持(じゅじ)し、読誦(どくじゅ)し、思惟(しゅい)し、他人の為に説けり。

“Excellent, excellent, good man! In the midst of the Lawof Shakyamuni Buddha you have been able to accept, uphold, read, recite and ponder this sutra [Gohonzon] and to preach it for others.

所得の福徳無量無辺なり、

The good fortune you gain there by is immeasurable and boundless.

火も焼くこと能(あた)わず、水も漂(ただよ)わすこと能わず」

It cannot be burned by fire or washed away by water.”

御義口伝に云く、火とは阿鼻(あび)の炎なり、水とは紅蓮(ぐれん)の氷なり、

The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings says: The word “fire” here refers to the flames of the Avīchi hell,and the word “water” refers to the ice of the hell of the crimson lotus.

今(いま)日蓮等の類い南無妙法蓮華経と唱え奉る者は此くの如くなるべし云云。

Now Nichiren and his followers, who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, are persons who, as the text says, “cannot be burned by fire or washed away by water.”

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