Gosho 常忍抄（稟権出界抄）The Third Doctrine

常忍抄(稟権出界抄) じょうにんしょう(ぼんごんしゅっかいしょう)

The Third Doctrine

Letter to Jōnin

　　弘安元年十月一日　五十七歳御作
　　October 1, 1278 Age:57

総じて御心へ候へ、

On the whole, you should bear the following in mind.

You should realize the following:

法華経と爾(に)前(ぜん)と引き向えて勝劣・浅(せん)深(じん)を判ずるに当分・跨(か)節(せつ)の事に三つの様有り、

In contrasting the Lotus Sutra with the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings and evaluating their relative superiority and depth, the comparison between the teachings still in a certain dimension and those extending beyond may be carried out on three levels.

When the Lotus Sutra is compared with the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings in order to judge the superiority and profundity of the teachings, there are three ways to categorize. Each category has general and specific meanings.

日蓮が法門は第三の法門なり。

Nichiren’s teaching represents the third doctrine.

Nichiren’s doctrine is the third doctrine [comparison between the Buddhism if the sowing and the Buddhism of the harvest].

世間に粗(ほぼ)夢の如く一二をば申せども第三をば申さず候、

Though the first and second doctrines have been spoken of in the world rather vaguely, like a dream, the third has never been spoken of at all.

People in the world vaguely have covered the first and second doctrine, just like discussing them in a dream, but have not talked about the third doctrine.

第三の法門は天台・妙楽・伝教も粗(ほぼ)之を示せども未(いま)だ事了(お)えず、

Though T’ien-t’ai, Miao-lo, and Dengyō explained it to some extent, they did not clarify it fully.

The Great Teachers Tiantai, Miaole, and Dengyō discussed it to some extent; however, they were unable to complete their explanation.

所詮(しょせん)末法の今に譲(ゆず)り与えしなり

In the end, they left it for now, the Latter Day of the Law. This is the time referred to as the fifth five-hundred-year period.

This is because the third doctrine has been transmitted to [Nichiren] in the present age of the Latter Day of the Law.


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