Gosho 顕仏未来記 On the Buddha’s Prophecy

顕仏未来記(けんぶつみらいき）

On the Buddha’s Prophecy

　　　　　文永十年閏(うるう)五月十一日　五十二歳御作

　　　　　　May 11, 1273, an Intercalary Month (Age: 52)

　疑つて云(いわ)く正像(しょうぞう)の二時を末法に相対するに時と機と共に正像は殊(こと)に勝るるなり

Question: In comparing the Former and Middle Days with the Latter Day of the Law, the first two were far superior in terms of both time and the people’s capacity.

When the two periods of the Former and Middle Days of the Law are compared with the Latter Day of the Law, those two periods are superior in terms of the time and the people’s capacity.

Question: In comparing the former days and middle days of the Law with the latter days, the first two were far superior in terms of both times and the people's capacity.

何ぞ其の時機を捨てて偏(ひとえ)に当時を指すや、

Why are these factors of time and capacity ignored in the Lotus Sutra, which refers exclusively to this age?

Why do you disregard these periods and favor only the Latter Day of the Law?

Why do you disregard these times and favor only the latter days of the Law?

答えて云く仏意測(はか)り難し、

Answer: The Buddha’s intent is difficult to fathom.

My [Nichiren’s] answer is as follows: The Buddha’s true intention is difficult to fathom.

Answer: The Buddha's intent is difficult to fathom.

予(よ)未(いま)だ之を得ず、試(こころ)みに一義を案じ小乗経を以て之を勘(かんが)うるに正法千年は教行証の三つ具(つぶさ)さに之を備う

Indeed, I am unable to grasp it. We may attempt to understand, however, by taking the Hinayana sutras as a point of reference. During the thousand years of the Former Day of the Law, Hinayana was fully endowed with the three elements of teaching, practice, and proof.

Although I have yet to understand it, I would like to apply the criteria [of the teaching, practice, and proof]. Taking the example of Hinayana Buddhism, during the first one thousand years of the Former Day of the Law, all the three elements of the teaching, practice, and proof were intact.

Although I am unable to understand it, we may understand by thinking the Hinayana sutras as a point of reference. During the thousand years of the former days of the Law, proper times of the Law, Hinayana was fully possessed with the three elements of teachings, practice, and proof.

像法(ぞうほう)千年には教行のみ有つて証無し

During the thousand years of the Middle Day, teaching and practice alone remained; proof no longer existed.

During the next one thousand years of the Middle Day of the Law, its teaching and practice were still maintained, but there was not any proof.

During the next one thousand years of the middle days of the Law (times of image), its teachings and practice were still maintained, but proof no longer existed.

末法には教のみ有つて行証無し等云云、

In the Latter Day of the Law, teaching alone remains; neither practice nor proof exists.

In the Latter Day of the Law, only the teaching remains. There is no longer any practice or proof.

In the latter days of the Law, teachings alone remains, but neither practice nor proof exists.


　つづく To be continued

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