Gosho 顕仏未来記 On the Buddha’s Prophecy

法華経を以て之を探(さぐ)るに正法千年に三事を具(ぐ)するは在世に於(おい)て法華経に結縁(けちえん)する者か、

On examining this from the standpoint of the Lotus Sutra, we find that in the thousand years of the Former Day of the Law persons who possessed all three had most probably formed ties with the Lotus Sutra during the Buddha’s lifetime.

When we contemplate this from the standpoint of the Lotus Sutra, the reason why these elements were preserved during the one thousand year-period of the Former Day of the Law was because those living in Shakyamuni Buddha’s time had a karmic bond with the Lotus Sutra, and were reborn into the Former Day of the Law.

其の後正法に生れて小乗の教行を以て縁と為し小乗の証を得るなり、

　They were born again in the Former Day and were able to obtain the proof of Hinayana through its teaching and practice.

At that time, they obtained the proof of Hinayana Buddhism by implementing the teaching and practice of Hinayana Buddhism.

像法に於(おい)ては在世の結縁(けちえん)微(み)薄(はく)の故に小乗に於て証すること無く此(こ)の人・権(ごん)大乗を以て縁と為して十方の浄土(じょうど)に生ず、

Those born in the Middle Day had not developed strong ties to the Lotus Sutra during the Buddha’s lifetime and were therefore unable to attain proof through Hinayana.They turned instead to provisional Mahayana and thus were able to be born in the pure lands of the ten directions.

In the Middle Day of the Law, since the people had little karmic relation with the Lotus Sutra, no one obtained proof from practicing the Hinayana teachings. Thus, those people were born into the pure lands of the ten directions through their causal relationship with provisional Mahayana.


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　つづく　To　be continued
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