Gosho 薬王品得意抄 The Glory of the Medicine King Chapter

薬王品得意抄

The Essence of the “Medicine King” Chapter

The Glory of the Medicine King Chapter

文永二年　四十四歳御作

1265 (Age: 44)

生(しょう)死(じ)の大海には爾(に)前(ぜん)の経は或(あるい)は筏(いかだ)或は小船なり、

In the sea of the sufferings of birth and death, the sutras preached before the Lotus Sutra are like rafts or small boats.

In the great sea of sufferings of life and death, the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings are but a raft or, at best, a small boat.

生死の此(し)岸(がん)より生死の彼岸(ひがん)には付くと雖(いえど)も生死の大海を渡り極楽の彼岸にはとつきがたし。

Although they can carry people from one shore in the realm of birth and death to another shore in that same realm, they are incapable of carrying them across the sea of birth and death to the distant shore of Perfect Bliss.

Even if the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings can transport us from this shore of life and death to another shore of life and death, it cannot take us across the great sea of life and death to the shore of great happiness.

本文 Original text　目次 Table of Contents