Gosho 善無畏三蔵抄 The Tripitaka Master Shan Wu Wei

　　　　　　文永七年　四十九歳御作

　　　　　　1270 (Age: 49)

然(しか)るに日蓮は安房国東条片(かた)海(うみ)の石中(いそなか)の賤(せん)民(みん)が子なり。威徳(いとく)なく、有徳(うとく)の者にあらず。

I, Nichiren, am the son of a humble family, born along the shore in Kataumi of Tōjō in the province of Awa, a person who has neither authority nor virtue.

I, Nichiren, am the son of a disreputable family along the shore in Kataumi of Tojo in the country of Awa, and I am a person who has neither authority nor virtue.

なにゝつけてか、南都(なんと)北嶺(ほくれい)のとゞめがたき天子(てんし)虎(こ)牙(が)の制止に叶(かな)はざる念仏をふせぐべきとは思へども、経文を亀(き)鏡(きょう)と定め、天台伝教の指南(しなん)を手ににぎ(握)りて、建(けん)長(ちょう)五年より今年文永(ぶんえい)七年に至るまで、十七年が間(あいだ)是を責(せ)めたるに、日本国の念仏大体留(とど)まり了(おわ)んぬ。

If the censures of the temples of Nara and Mount Hiei and the powerful prohibitions of emperors could not put a stop to the Nembutsu teachings, then I wondered what I could do. But, employing the passages of the sutras as my mirror and the teachings of T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō as my compass, I have attacked these teachings for the past seventeen years, from the fifth year of the Kenchō era (1253) to the present, the seventh year of the Bun’ei era (1270). And, as may be seen by the evidence before one’s eyes, the spread of the Nembutsu in Japan has been largely brought to a halt.

Because the censures of the Shogunate and the powerful prohibitions of emperors could not put a stop to the teachings of Nembutsu, I wondered what I could do. But, deciding the texts of the sutras to a mirror and grasping the teachings of Tientai and Dengyo, I have attacked these wicked teachings for the seventeen years, from the fifth year of the Kencho era (1253) to the present, the seventh year of the Bun'ei era(1270). And, as may be seen by the evidence before one's eyes, the spread of the Nembutsu in Japan has been largely brought to a halt.

眼前(がんぜん)に是(これ)見(み)えたり。又(また)口にす(捨)てぬ人々はあれども、心計(ばか)りは念仏は生死をはな(離)るゝ道にはあらざりけると思ふ。

Even though there are people who do not cease chanting the Nembutsu with their mouths, I believe they have come to realize in their hearts that the Nembutsu is not the path by which to free themselves from the sufferings of birth and death.

Even though there are people who do not cease chanting the Nembutsu with their mouths, I believe they have come to realize in their minds that the Nembutsu is not the teachings by which to free themselves from the sufferings of birth and death.

禅宗以て是(か)くの如し。

The Zen school likewise is guilty of doctrinal errors.

The Zen sect either is the same.

一を以て万を知れ。

By observing one thing, you can surmise ten thousand.

By observing one thing, surmise ten thousand.

真言等の諸宗の誤りをだに留(とど)めん事、手ににぎ(握)りておぼゆるなり。

I can bring an end to the errors of the True Word and all the other schools at will.

I can bring an end to the faults of the Shingon and all the other sects at will.

つづく　Continued

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