Gosho 太田左衛門尉御返事 On the Importance of the “Expedient means” and “Life Span” Chapters

太田左衛門尉御返事

On the Importance of the “Expedient means” and “Life Span” Chapters

Reply to Ōta sa’emon-no-jō

　　　　弘安元年　五十七歳御作

　　　　April 23,1278 (Age: 57）

　十二因縁(いんねん)と申す法門あり、意(こころ)は我等が身は諸苦(しょく)を以て体と為す。

Buddhism teaches the doctrine of the twelve-linked chain of causation, which states, in effect, that our bodies are endowed with various sufferings.

There is doctrine called the twelve-linked chain of causation. It indicates that our life is filled sufferings.

されば先世に業(ごう)を造(つく)る故に諸苦を受け、先世の集(しゅう)・煩悩(ぼんのう)が諸苦を招(まね)き集め候。

Because we created karma in a previous existence, we become subject to various sufferings in this life; the earthly desires accumulated in a previous existence call forth the sufferings of the present.

Negative karma that we have created in our past lives causes us to suffer. The earthly desires, which we have accumulated since our past existences, attract and amass various sufferings.

過去の二因・現在の五果・現在の三因・未来の両果とて三世次第(しだい)して一切の苦果を感ずるなり。

The two causes or links in the chain of causation [ignorance and action] that pertain to one’s past existence; the five links in one’s present existence [consciousness, name and form, the six sense organs, contact, and sensation] that are the results of these; the three links [desire, attachment, and existence] that act as causes in one’s present existence; and the two links [birth and aging and death] that are the result of these in one’s future existence, cause one to experience all the sufferings that span the three successive existences of past, present, and future.

We experience all these sufferings because of two causes in the past and five effects in the present, and three causes in the present and two effects in the future. This cycle repeats throughout the three existences of life.


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　つづく　To be continued
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