Letter to the Brothers 4. 兄弟抄 四

如来が王子であったとき、父のシュドダナ王は唯一の後継者を失うことに耐えられず、王としての地位を放棄することを許さなかった。王は城を出るのを防ぐため、城の四つの門に2000人の兵士を配置した。それにもかかわらず、王子は結局、父親の意志に反して宮殿を去った。すべての世事において、親に従うのは子の本分であるが、成仏への道において、親に従わないことは結局親孝行である。心地観経は「忠義を捨てて仏道に入ることで、本当に忠義に報いることができる」と孝の神髄を説いている。これは、真実の道に入るために、親の願いに逆らって家を出て、成仏することである。

When the Tathagata Shakyamuni was a prince, his father, King Shuddhodana, could not bear losing his only heir and so would not allow him to renounce his royal station. The king kept two thousand soldiers posted at the palace’s four gates to prevent leaving the castle. Nevertheless, the prince eventually left the palace against his father’s will. In all worldly affairs, it is the son’s duty to obey his parents, yet on the path to Buddhahood, disobeying one’s parents ultimately constitutes filial piety. The Shinchikan sutra says the essence of filial piety: “By renouncing one's loyalty and entering the Buddhist life one can truly repay the loyalty in full”. This is that, in order to enter the true way, one leaves one’s home against one’s parents’ wishes and attains Buddhahood.

俗事においても親が謀反を起こせば従わないのが親孝行である。これは孝経にある。大師・天台が法華経に傾倒しようとすると、父母が座して修行を妨害した。これは天の悪魔の仕業であり、彼に対抗するために父と母の形をとった。

In worldly affairs as well, if one’s parents foment a rebellion, it is one’s filial duty not to follow them. This is mentioned in The Classic of Filial Piety. When the great teacher Tendai tried that he devoted himself to the Lotus Sutra, his parents seated on his lap to obstruct his practice of Buddhism. This was the work of the heavenly devil, who took the form of his father and mother in order to oppose him.

先ほど、伯夷と叔斉の話を引用しました。重要な教訓が一つある。応神天皇は、日本の第16代の天皇で、現在の八幡大菩薩です。応神天皇には仁徳天皇と宇治皇子の二人の男子があった。天皇は弟の宇治に皇位を譲った。父が死ぬと宇治は兄に皇位に就くことを勧めるが、兄は「どうして父の意志に従わないのですか。」と叱責した。

I have just cited the story of Hakui and Shukusei. There is one important lesson. Emperor Ojin, who is now Great Bodhisattva Hachiman, was the sixteenth sovereign of Japan. Emperor Ojin had two sons: the first was Prince Nintoku, and the second, Prince Uji. The emperor transferred his throne to the younger brother, Uji. After their father passed away, Uji recommended his elder brother take the throne, but the elder brother reproached him, saying, “How can you refuse to comply with our father’s will?”

彼らは言い争ったが、3年間、二人とも王位を主張しなかった。その結果、人々は筆舌に尽くしがたい悲しみに襲われた。国家に対する呪いのようなものだった。「私が生きている限り、兄は即位しないだろう。」と宇治皇子は自殺した。このとき仁徳天皇は悲しみにうちひしがれて絶望した。これを見た皇子は息を吹き返し、兄に激励の言葉をかけた。それからふたたび息を引き取った。仁徳が即位すると天下は泰平となり、新羅、百済、高句麗の三国から毎年80艘の朝貢を受けたと記録されている。

They argued back and forth, and for three full years, both did not claim the throne. As a result, the people suffered indescribable grief. It was like a curse on the nation. The Prince Uji finally thought, “As long as I am alive, my brother will not assume the throne.” So, he committed suicide. At this Prince Nintoku was racked with sorrow and fell into despair. Seeing this, Prince Uji came back to life in order to give words of encouragement to his brother; then he breathed his last again. It is recorded that, when Nintoku at last ascended the throne, the nation became peaceful and received eighty ships of tribute yearly from the three Korean kingdoms of Silla, Paekche, and Koguryo.

また、名君の子弟同士の仲がうまくいかない場合もある。あなたたち兄弟はどんな絆で結ばれているのですか。あなた方2人は、浄蔵と浄眼の2人の王子か、あるいは薬王と薬上の菩薩の化身か。あなたの父が兄を勘当した時、弟は兄の肩を持つことを拒否するだろうと思っていたので、あなたの父の疑いを晴らすことはさらに難しく、兄の勘当を彼に取り消させることに私は悲観的でした。しかし、鶴王少年が私に言ったことは本当ですか。二人とも決意が同じだと聞きました。この信じられないニュースを聞いて、私はまた手紙を書きました。遠い未来までこれより優れた物語があるだろうか。

Other cases exist where the relationship between the sons of worthy rulers was not harmonious. What bonds have enabled both of you brothers to continue on such good terms? Could you two be princes Jozo and Jogen, or the embodiments of the Bodhisattvas Yakuo and Yakujo? When your father disowned the elder brother, I expected that the younger brother would refuse to side with his brother, thereby making it even more difficult to clear up your father’s doubt and I was pessimistic about having him rescind elder brother's disownment. However, is it true what the boy Tsuruo told me. I heard that you two were same in your resolve. Hearing this incredible news, I wrote a letter again. Will be there a superior story than this until the distant future?

Continued

Original Text. 　Table of Contents.