Gosho 法華経題目抄 The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra

而(しか)るに日本国の一切の女人は南無妙法蓮華経とは唱へずして女人の往生(おうじょう)成仏をとげざる雙(そう)観(かん)・観(かん)経(ぎょう)等によりて弥陀(みだ)の名号を一日に六万遍・十万遍なんどとなうるは、仏の名号(みょうごう)なれば巧(たくみ)なるには似たれども女人不成仏・不往生の経によれるが故にいたずらに他の財(たから)を数えたる女人なり、

And yet we find that the women throughout Japan do not chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Instead they put their faith in works such as the Two-Volumed Sutra or the Meditation Sutra, which can never lead women to the pure land or to Buddhahood. They intone the name of the Buddha Amida sixty thousand or a hundred thousand times a day. Amida is indeed the name of a Buddha, and to invoke it would seem to be a laudable practice. But because the women who do so are relying upon sutras that can never lead women to Buddhahood or to rebirth in the pure land, they are in effect merely counting other people's riches.

However, all women of Japan do not chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo but chant the Amida Buddha's name sixty thousand or a hundred thousand times a day aloud, by the Meditation and Amitayurdhyana sutra which do not reveal becoming the Buddha of woman. Because this is an Amida Buddha's name, it is similar skillfully, but she is a woman counting a fortune of the other person in vain. The reason is because she relies to the sutra of not becoming the Buddha and not being beatified.

これひとえに悪知識にたぼらかされたるなり、

This comes about solely because they are led astray by evil teachers.

This cause is because she was tempted by the evil friends.

されば日本国の一切の女人の御かたきは虎狼(ころう)よりも山賊・海賊よりも父母の敵・と(遊)わり(女)等よりも法華経をばをしえずして念仏ををしゆるこそ一切の女人のかたきなれ。

All the women of Japan face an enemy more fearful than tigers or wolves, mountain bandits or pirates at sea, their parents’ foes or their husbands’ concubines.Their real enemies are those who, instead of teaching them the Lotus Sutra, teach them the Nembutsu.

Therefore, it is the enemy of all women of Japan that the person teaches Nembutsu without teaching the Lotus Sutra than an enemy of parents than a prostitute than a bandit pirate than a wolfish villain.

つづく　Continued

本文 Original Text 　目次 Table of Contents