The Bloodline of the Ultimate Law of Life. 生死一大事血脈抄

The Most Important Bloodline of Life and Death　

Original Text.

■Date of writing: February 11, 1272, 51 years old, calligraphy given to his disciple Sairen-bo

■Place of writing: At Tsukahara funeral hall, Sado Island.

■Background of the writing: On January 16, Bun'ei 9, during his exile on Sado Island, the Daishonin responded to a question about "the most important bloodline of life and death" from Sairen-bo, a Tendai master who had become his disciple after hearing the Tsukahara Dispute with monks of other schools of Buddhism. In Daishonin's reply, he wrote, "At first, the most important bloodline of life and death is so-called Myoho-renge-kyo... Never seek any other for the most important bloodline of life and death," and declared. Sairen-bo took refuge in Daishonin at the beginning of February of the same year.

■Autograph: Not extant.

[The text]

Nichiren wrote down.

　I have just carefully read your letter. At first, the most important bloodline of life and death is so-called Myoho-renge-kyo. The five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo were transferred from Shakyamuni and Taho, the two Buddhas inside the treasure tower, to Bodhisattva Jogyo, and it is the reason because this has been carrying on a bloodline never broken since the infinite past. Myo represents death [potentiality], and Ho, life [manifestation]. These two laws of life and death are the entities of the Ten Worlds, it is called the entities of Myoho-renge-kyo too.

　Tendai says, 'One should understand that living beings and their environments, and the causes and effects at work within them, are all the Law of Renge'. Here “living beings and their environments” means the phenomena of life and death. Thus, it is clear that, where life and death exist, cause and effect, or the Law of Renge, is at work.

The Great Teacher Dengyo says, “The two phases of life and death are the mysterious workings of a mind. The two ways of existence and nonexistence are the true functions of an inherently enlightened mind”. No phenomena—either heaven or earth, yin or yang, the sun or the moon, the five planets, or any of the worlds from hell to Buddhahood—are free from the two laws of life and death. Life and death are simply the two functions of Myoho-renge-kyo. In his 'Maka-Shikan', Tendai states, “Arising is the arising of the essential nature of the Law, and extinction is the extinction of that nature”. Shakyamuni and Taho, the two Buddhas, are also the two laws of life and death.

Hence Shakyamuni Buddha who attained enlightenment in the infinite past, the Lotus Sutra that leads all people to Buddhahood, and we ordinary human beings are in no way different from one another. To chant Myoho-renge-kyo with this realization is to inherit a most important bloodline of life and death. This is a matter of the utmost importance for Nichiren’s disciples and lay supporters. This is what it means to embrace the Lotus Sutra.

For one who summons up one’s faith and chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the profound insight that now is the last moment of one’s life, the sutra proclaims, “When the lives of these persons come to an end, they will be received into the hands of a thousand Buddhas, who will free them from all fear and keep them from falling into the evil paths of existence”. How can we possibly hold back our tears at the inexpressible joy of knowing that not just one or two, not just one hundred or two hundred, but as many as a thousand Buddhas come to greet us with open arms!

Concerning one who disbelieves the Lotus Sutra, because the sutra states, “When his life comes to an end, he will enter the Avi hell,” the envoys of hell will surely come and take their hands. How pitiful! What a plight they are in! The ten kings of the world of the dead will then pass judgment, and the heavenly messengers who have been with one since birth would probably blame them for their evil deeds.

For instance, you should think of that like melons or bottle gourds extending their slender vines, those thousand Buddhas will extend their hands to all of Nichiren’s disciples and lay believers who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

You are now able to accept and uphold the Lotus Sutra because of the strong ties you formed with it in your past existences. Therefore, there is no doubt that you will obtain the fruit of Buddhahood in the future. The bloodline of the Lotus Sutra flows within those who never leave the Lotus Sutra in any lifetimes whatsoever—whether in the past, the present, or the future. But those who do not believe and slander the Lotus Sutra will never hold the most important bloodline of life and death, because they cut off the seeds for attaining enlightenment as that the sutra says, "they immediately destroy all the seeds for becoming a Buddha in this world.”

As a conclusion, all disciples and believers of Nichiren must transcend all differences among themselves and become inseparable as inseparable as fish and the water in which they swim, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, having one mind even if a different body. There is the most important bloodline of life and death. And furthermore, herein lies the true goal of Nichiren’s propagation. If they do so, even desire for the worldwide propagation [Kosen Rufu] can be fulfilled without fail. On the contrary, if there are those who are different in either their body or even their mind in the Nichiren's disciples, they would be like people who destroy their own castle from within.

Nichiren has been trying to awaken all the people of Japan to faith in the Lotus Sutra so that they too can share the lineage and attain Buddhahood. But on the contrary, they have persecuted me in various ways and finally had me exiled to this island. And you have followed Nichiren and met with suffering as a result. It pains me deeply to think of your anguish. Gold can be neither burned by fire, nor corroded or swept away by water, but iron is vulnerable to both. A worthy person is like gold, foolish like iron. You are like pure gold because you embrace the “gold” of the Lotus Sutra. The sutra says, “Of all the mountains, Mount Sumeru is the highest. This Lotus Sutra is likewise”. It also states, “The good fortune you gain thereby . . . not be burned by fire or be followed by water.”

It must be ties of relationship from the distant past that have destined you to become my disciple at a time like this. Shakyamuni and Many Treasure certainly know this. The sutra’s statement, “Those persons dwelled here and there in various Buddha lands, constantly reborn in company with their teachers,” cannot be false in any way.

It is especially unprecedented that you have asked about the most important bloodline of life and death. How noble you are! How venerable! I have answered in complete detail in this letter, so please take it deeply to heart. The important point is to carry out your practice confident that Nam-myoho-renge-kyo alone is the bloodline that was transferred from Shakyamuni and Tathagata Taho to Bodhisattva Jogyo.

The function of fire is to burn and give light. The function of water is to wash away filth. The winds blow away dust and breathe life into plants, animals, and human beings. The earth produces the grasses and trees, and heaven provides nourishing moisture. The five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo are also like that. They are the blessings brought by the Bodhisattvas appearing from the underground. The Lotus Sutra says that Bodhisattva Jogyo will appear now, in the Latter Day of the Law, to propagate this teaching, but how is he? Has he already come here or not been coming here? Nichiren is almost spreading it first.

Mind well, firmly, please summon forth the great power of faith, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the prayer that your faith will be correct at the time of the moment of death. Never seek any other for the most important bloodline of life and death. Only then will you realize that earthly desires are enlightenment without changing, and that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana as they are. Even embracing the Lotus Sutra would be no use without the bloodline of faith. I will go into details again on another occasion.

With my deep respect,

The Buddhist priest, Nichiren

The eleventh day of February in the ninth year of Bun’ei (1272),

Reply to the Sairen-bo Shonin

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