Gosho 道場神守護事 How the Gods Protect the Place of Practice

道場神守護事

How the Gods Protect the Place of Practice

Reply to Toki

建治二年十二月十三日　五十五歳御作

December 13,1276 （Age:55)

妙法蓮華経の妙の一字は竜樹(りゅうじゅ)菩薩の大論に釈して云く「能(よ)く毒を変じて薬と為す」と云云。

Regarding the word myō of Myoho-renge-kyo, Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna comments in The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom that it “can change poison into medicine.”

Bodhisattva Nagarjuna interpreted the single character Myo of Moho-Renge-Kyo in the Treatise on the Great Sutra on the Perfection of Wisdom as follows, “[It is likened to an excellent physician] skillfuly turning poison into medicine.”

天台大師の云く「今(こん)経(きょう)に記を得る、即ち是れ毒を変じて薬と為すなり」と云云。

And the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai says, “But when the Lotus Sutra predicts that these people [of the two vehicles] will eventually attain Buddhahood, the poison is changed into medicine.”

The Great Teacher Tiantai stated, “It has been affirmed in the Lotus Sutra that [people of the two vehicles] will attain Buddhahood without fail. This signifies the doctrine of ‘turning poison into medicine.’”

災(わざわい)来(きた)るとも変じて幸(さいわい)と為らん

Though calamities may come, they can be changed into good fortune.

Even if calamities befall you, they will be turned into happiness.

何(いか)に況(いわん)や十羅刹(らせつ)之(これ)を兼(かね)るをや、

And how much more is this so when the ten demon daughters have foreknowledge of the situation!

薪(たき)火(び)を熾(さかん)にし風求(ぐ)羅(ら)を益(ま)すとは是なり、

This is what is meant when it says [in Great Concentration and Insight] that logs make the fire burn brighter, and the wind swells the body of the kālakula insect.

言は紙上に尽し難(がた)し、心を以て之を量(はか)れ

It is hard to put on paper all that I would like to say—you must use your mind to judge my meaning.

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