Gosho 佐渡御書 Letter form Sado

正法(しょうほう)は一字・一句なれども時機に叶(かな)いぬれば必ず得道な(成)るべし

Even a word or a phrase of the correct teaching will enable one to gain the way, if it suits the time and the capacity of the people.

If one practices even a single character or phrase of the true Law in accordance with the time and capacity of the people, one definitely will attain Buddhahood.

千経・万論を習学すれども時機に相違すれば叶う可(べか)らず。

But though one studies a thousand sutras and ten thousand treatises, one will not attain Buddhahood if these teachings are unsuitable for the time and the people’s capacity.

On the contrary, even if one masters 1,000 sutras and 100,000 treatises, one never will reach the state of enlightenment if the teachings he upholds do not accord with the time and capacity.

つづく　Continued

本文 Original Text　目次 Table of Contents