Gosho 新池殿御消息 Letter to Lord Ni'ike

新池殿御消息(にいけどのごしょうそく)

TheTeaching That Accords with the Buddha’s Mind

Letter to Lord Ni’ike

弘安二年五月二日 五十八歳御作

May 2, 1279 (Age: 58)

法華経最第一、已(い)今(こん)当説難(とうせつなん)信(しん)難解(なんげ)、唯(ゆい)我(が)一人(いちにん)能(のう)為(い)救護(くご)と説かれて候文は如来の金言なり

When I read the statements that “the Lotus is the foremost,” that “among the sutras I have preached, now preach, and will preach, this Lotus Sutra is the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand,” and that “I am the only person who can rescue and protect others,” I take them to be the golden words of the Thus Come One himself.

Ｔhe sutra states,“The Lotus sutra is supreme,”“Among the sutras I have preached, now preach, and will preach, this Lotus Sutra is the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand,” and “I am the only one who can save and protect others.” These passages are the golden words of the Buddha.

敢(あえ)て私の言にはあらず。

They are not my own words at all.

They are in no way my own arbitrary statements.

当世の人は人師の言を如来の金言と打ち思ひ、

The people of today, however, believe the pronouncements of their own teachers to be the golden words of the Thus Come One.

People in the Latter Day of the Law are convinced that the words of the priests [of various sects] are the golden words of the Buddha.

或(あるい)は法華経に肩を並べて斉(ひと)しと思ひ、或は勝れたり或は劣るなれども機にかなへりと思へり。

Thus they place such pronouncements on the same level as the Lotus Sutra, considering the two to be of equal authority; or they regard these teachings as superior to the Lotus Sutra; or they reason that though their teacher’s pronouncements are inferior they are well suited to the capacity of the people.

Or, they think that the sutras they follow are comparable or even superior to the Lotus Sutra. Others think that the teachings they uphold may be inferior to the Lotus Sutra, but that such teachings are suited to their capacities.


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　つづく　To be continued
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