大聖人様のお言葉 七 Words of Daishonin. 7

又我が此の一門の中にも・申し・とをらせ給はざらん人人は・かへりて失(とが)あるべし。

　Those among my followers who fail to carry through their faith to the end will incur punishment even more severe.

　日蓮をうらみさせ給うな。少輔房・能登房等を御覧あるべし。

　Even so, they should not harbor a grudge against me. Remember what fate Shō-bō, Noto-bō, and others met.

　きたはぬ・かねは・さかんなる火に入るれば・とく・と(蕩)け候、冰をゆ(湯)に入るがごとし。

　Untempered iron quickly melts in a blazing fire, like ice put in hot water.

　剣(つるぎ)なんどは大火に入るれども暫くはとけず。是れきたへる故なり。まへ(前)にかう申すは・きたうなるべし。

　But a sword, even when exposed to a great fire, withstands the heat for a while, because it has been well forged. In admonishing you in this way, I am trying to forge your faith.

　仏法と申すは道理なり。

　Buddhism is the reason.

　道理と申すは主に勝つ物なり。

　Reason wins over your lord.

　いかに・いと(愛)をし・はなれじと思うめ(妻)なれども、死しぬれば・かひなし。

　No matter how dearly you may love your wife and wish never to part from her, when you die, it will be to no avail.

　いかに所領を・をししと・をぼすとも・死しては他人の物。

　No matter how dearly you may cherish your estate, when you die, it will only fall into the hands of others.

　すでに・さかへて年久し、すこしも惜む事なかれ。

　You have been prosperous enough for all these years. You must not give your estate a second thought.

　又さきざき申すがごとく・さきざきよりも百千万億倍・御用心あるべし。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　四条金吾殿御返事(世雄御書)

　As I have said before, be millions of times more careful than ever.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The Hero of the World

　宗盛が親父(おや)入道の悪事に随いて・しのわら(篠原)にて頚を切られし、重盛が随わずして先(さき)に死せし、いづれか親の孝人なる。

　The samurai Munemori obeyed his father's tyrannous commands and was beheaded at Shinohara. His elder brother Shigemori disobeyed his father and died earlier than father. Which is one of these filial devotion?

　法華経のかたきになる親に随いて一乗の行者なる兄をすてば、親の孝養となりなんや。

　If you obey your father who is an enemy of the Lotus Sutra and abandon your elder brother who is a practitioner of the sole teachings, does it become filial devotion?

　せんするところ・ひとすぢに・をもひ切つて兄と同じく仏道をな(成)り給へ。

In any case, finally, you should resolve to be eager for Buddhahood single-mindedly, same as your elder brother.

　百に一つ、千に一つも日蓮が義につかんとをぼさば・親に向つていい切り給へ。

　If, by one in a hundred, one in a thousand, then you should decide to follow my teachings, then confront your father and declare:

　親なれば・いかにも順(したが)いまいらせ候べきが、法華経の御かたきになり給へば・つきまいらせては不孝の身となりぬべく候へば、すてまいらせて兄につき候なり。兄をすてられ候わば・兄と一同と・をぼすべしと申し切り給へ。

“Since you are my father, I should by rights obey you, but because you have become an enemy of the Lotus Sutra, I would be unfilial if I obey you. Therefore, I have resolved to break with you and follow my elder brother. Even if you disown him, please be aware that my thoughts are the same as my older brother!”

　すこしも・をそるる心なかれ。

　You must not have even the slightest fear in your mind.

　過去遠遠劫より法華経を信ぜしかども仏にならぬ事これなり。

　Though a person had been believing in the Lotus Sutra from the far-off past world, the cause that he could not attain Buddhahood is this.

　しを(潮)のひると・みつと、月の出づると・いると、夏と秋と、冬と春とのさかひ(境)には必ず相違する事あり。

　Changes certainly occur in the ebb and flow of the sea, the waxing and waning of the moon, and the time in which summer and autumn, winter and spring give way to each other.

　凡夫の仏になる又かくのごとし。

　When a common man will attain Buddhahood, it is the same.

　必ず三障四魔と申す障(さわり)いできたれば賢者はよろこび・愚者は退くこれなり。

When the hindrances being called the three obstacles and four devils will appear, a wise man rejoices, and a foolish man retreats.

をや(親)という・をやの世をすてて、仏になれと申す・をやは一人もなきなり。

No one parent has ever suggested to his child that a child should throw away this world to become Buddha.

　わどの兄をすてて・あにがあとを・ゆづられたりとも、千万年のさかへ・かたかるべし。

　Even if you abandon your elder brother and inherit his status in your father's favor, the prosperity for a thousand or ten thousand years is difficult.

　しらず又わづかの程にや。

　Nobody can understand it and it must be an even short period probably, too.

　いかんが・このよ(此世)ならんずらん。

　Is such a thing probable in this world?

　よくよくをもひ切つて一向に後世をたのまるべし。

　Therefore, you should resolve to bet on your next life.

　かう申すとも、いたづらのふみ(文)なるべしと・をもへば・かくも・もの(懶)うけれども、のちの・をもひで(思出)に・しるし申すなり。

兵衛志殿御返事(諫暁書)

Having written all this, it occurs to me that this letter may be futile, and I am feeling melancholy, but I state this that you may serve as a memory for you later.　

A Reply to Lord Ikegami Munenaga. (Letter for Admonition)

　日蓮をいやしみて南無妙法蓮華経と唱えさせ給はぬは、小児が乳をうたがふて・なめず、病人が医師(くすし)を疑いて薬を服せざるが如し。

　　　　　　　　　　　　 曾谷入道殿御返事

One who holds me in contempt and does not chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like a baby who doubts its mother’s milk and refuses the breast, or a sick man who is suspicious of his physician and rejects the medicine prescribed for him.

　　　　　　　　　　 This Is What I Heard

　孔子は九思一言、周公旦は浴(ゆあみ)する時は三度にぎり・食する時は三度はかせ給う、古の賢人なり・今の人のかがみなり。

　Confucius thought nine times before saying one word. Tan, the Duke of Chou, would bind up his hair three times in the course of washing it and spit out his food three times in the course of a meal in order not to keep callers waiting. These were worthy men of ancient times, a model for the people of today.

　されば今度はことに身をつつしませ給うべし。

　Therefore you should in future be even more careful of your conduct.

　又女るひはいかなる失ありとも一向に御けうくんまでも・あるべからず。ましていさか(争)うことなかれ。

　With regard to your women relatives, whatever faults they may have, do not make any attempt to correct them and certainly never quarrel with them.

　

　涅槃経に云く「罪極めて重しと雖も女人に及ぼさず」等云云。

　The Nirvana Sutra states, “Though the offense may be grave, punishment should never be inflicted on women.”

　文の心はいかなる失ありとも女のとがを・をこなはざれ、此れ賢人なり・此れ仏弟子なりと申す文なり。

　The meaning of this passage is that whatever the error may be, women should not be chastised for their faults. This is the proper approach for a person of wisdom and a disciple of the Buddha.

　

　此の文は阿闍世王・父を殺すのみならず・母をあやまたむと・せし時、耆婆(ぎば)・月光の両臣がいさめたる経文なり。

　This passage in the sutra occurs when King Ajātashatru, having not only killed his father, is about to do the same to his mother, and is admonished by his ministers Jīvaka and Chandraprabha.

　我が母心ぐるしく・をもひて臨終までも心にかけし・いもうと(女弟)どもなれば、失を・めんじて不便(ふびん)というならば母の心やすみて孝養となるべしと・ふかくおぼすべし。

　Remember that these brothers and sisters of yours are dear to your mother, and she will be concerned for them until the moment of her death. If you pardon their faults and treat them with kindness, you will be easing your mother’s mind and exercising proper filial regard. Ponder deeply on this. If you treat others with kindness, how much more so should you treat your own siblings.

　かやう申すは他事はさてをきぬ。

　The reason I am saying these things is none other than this.

　雙六(すごろく)は二つある石はかけられず、鳥の一つの羽にてとぶことなし、将門(まさかど)・さだたふ(貞任)がやうなりし・いふしやう(勇将)も一人は叶わず。

　Dice cannot be bet on if two are lined up. A bird cannot fly on a single wing. Even brave warriors such as Masakado and Sadatō could not accomplish their aims all by themselves.

　されば舎弟等を・子とも郎等とも・うちたのみて・をはせば、もしや法華経もひろまらせ給いて世にもあらせ給わば・一方のかたうど(方人)たるべし。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　四条金吾殿御書(九思一言事)

If you think of your brothers as your own children or followers and depend upon them, and if the Lotus Sutra spreads widely and you remain alive, they will become devoted allies of the sutra.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Nine Thoughts to One Word

　たとひ明師並びに実経に値い奉りて正法をへ(得)たる人なれども、生死をいで・仏にならむとする時には・かならず影の身にそうがごとく・雨に雲のあるがごとく・三障四魔と申して七つの大事出現す。

　Moreover, even though one may encounter a wise teacher and the true sutra and thereby embrace the correct teaching, when one resolves to break free from the sufferings of birth and death and attain Buddhahood, one will inevitably encounter seven grave matters known as the three obstacles and four devils, just as surely as a shadow follows the body and clouds accompany rain.

　設ひ・からくして六つは・すぐれども第七にやぶられぬれば仏になる事かたし。

　Even if you manage to overcome the first six, if you are defeated by the seventh, you will not be able to become a Buddha.

　其の六は且く・をく、第七の大難は天子魔と申す物なり。

　Let us leave the first six for now. The seventh is caused by the devil king of the sixth heaven.

　又法門の事はさどの国へながされ候いし已前の法門は・ただ仏の爾前(にぜん)の経とをぼしめせ。

　As for my doctrines, regard those before my exile to the province of Sado as equivalent to the Buddha’s pre-Lotus Sutra doctrines.

　此の国の国主・我が代をも・たもつべくば真言師等にも召し合せ給はんずらむ。爾の時まことの大事をば申すべし。

　I had thought that, if the ruler of this country desired to govern well, he would summon the priests of the Shingon school for an open debate with me, and that on that occasion I would reveal a matter of truly supreme importance.

　弟子等にも・なひなひ申すならば、ひろう(披露)してかれらし(知)りなんず。

　Before my persecution, I withheld this even from my disciples for fear that if I should tell them, even in confidence, they might inadvertently disclose it to the Shingon priests, who would then avoid the debate.

　さらば・よもあ(合)わじと・をもひて各各にも申さざりしなり。

　This is why I refrained from revealing it to each one of you as well.

　而るに去(いぬ)る文永八年九月十二日の夜、たつ(竜)の口にて頚をはねられんとせし時より・のち(後)ふびんなり。

　Then on the night of the twelfth day of the ninth month in the eighth year of Bun’ei (1271), I was very nearly beheaded at Tatsunokuchi.

　我につきたりし者どもに・まことの事をいわざりけるとをもうて・さどの国より弟子どもに内内申す法門あり。

　From that time, I felt pity for my followers because I had not yet revealed this true teaching to any of them. With this in mind, I secretly conveyed my teaching to my disciples from the province of Sado.

　而るに此の法門出現せば、正法・像法に論師人師の申せし法門は、皆日出でて後の星の光、巧匠(たくみ)の後に拙(つたなき)を知るなるべし。

　With the appearance of this teaching, all the teachings advocated by the scholars and teachers of Buddhism during the Former and Middle Days of the Law will be like stars after sunrise, or an awkward apprentice beside a skilled craftsman.

　此の時には正像の寺堂の仏像・僧等の霊験は皆き(消)へう(失)せて但此の大法のみ一閻浮提に流布すべしとみへて候。

　It is stated that once this teaching is revealed in this era, the Buddha images as well as the priests of the temples built in the Former and Middle Days will all lose their power to merit people, and only this great teaching will spread throughout the entire land of the whole world.

　各各はかかる法門にちぎり有る人なれば・たのもしと・をぼすべし。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　三沢抄

　Since all of you have a bond with this teaching, you should feel reassured.

Letter to Misawa

　抑(そもそも)今の時・法華経を信ずる人あり、或は火のごとく信ずる人もあり・或は水のごとく信ずる人もあり。

　Today there are people who have faith in the Lotus Sutra. The belief of some is like fire while that of others is like water.

　聴聞する時は・も(燃)へたつばかりをもへども、とを(遠)ざかりぬれば・す(捨)つる心あり。

　

　When the former listen to the teachings, their passion flares up like fire, but as time goes on, they tend to discard their faith.

　水のごとくと申すは・いつもたい(退)せず信ずるなり。

　To have faith like water means to believe continuously without ever regressing.

　此れはいかなる時も・つねは・たいせず・と(訪)わせ給えば・水のごとく信ぜさせ給へるか。たう(尊)とし・たうとし。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　上野殿御返事

　Since you visit me constantly, regardless of the difficulties, your belief is comparable to flowing water. It is noble, it is precious.

　　　　The Two Kinds of Faith

　問う、法華三昧の心・如何。

　Question: And just what does “Meditation of the Lotus Sutra” mean?

　答う、夫れ末代の凡夫・法華経を修行する意に二有り。

　Answer: There are two aspects to this.

　 一には就類種(じゅるいじゅ)の開会。二には相対種の開会なり。

One is the opening up and merging of the seeds of similar species. The other is the opening up and merging of the seeds of opposites.

　其の就類種とは釈に云く「凡そ心有る者は是れ正因の種なり。

　Regarding the term “seeds of similar species,” a commentary says: “All living beings who possess minds have the seeds of the Buddha nature.

　随つて一句を聞くは是れ了因の種なり。

　When they hear a phrase of the sutra, they have the seeds of the wisdom to perceive their Buddha nature.

　低頭挙手(ていずこしゅ)は是れ縁因の種なり」等云云。

　And when they bow their heads and lift up their hands in reverence, this represents the seeds of the good deeds needed to develop that wisdom and realize their Buddha nature.”

　其の相対種とは煩悩と業と苦との三道、其の当体を押えて法身と・般若と・解脱と称する是なり。

As for the “seeds of opposites,” they are the three paths of earthly desires, karma, and suffering. They in themselves become what are called the Dharma body, wisdom, and emancipation.

　但し付法蔵の第十三・天台大師の高祖・竜樹菩薩、妙法の妙の一字を釈して「譬えば大薬師の能く毒を以て薬と為すが如し」等云云。

　And rather than try to address it, I would like simply to quote the words of Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna, the thirteenth of the Buddha’s successors and founder of the Great Teacher Tendai’s line, who in explaining the word myō, or “wonderful,” in the term myōhō says it is “like a great physician who can change poison into medicine.”

　毒と云うは何物ぞ、我等が煩悩・業・苦の三道なり。

　What is poison? It is the three paths of earthly desires, karma, and suffering that are our lot.

　薬とは何物ぞ、法身・般若・解脱なり。

　What is the medicine? It is the Dharma body, wisdom, and emancipation.

　能く毒を以て薬と為すとは何物ぞ、三道を変じて三徳と為すのみ。

　And what does it mean to change poison into medicine? It means to transform the three paths into the three virtues: the Dharma body, wisdom, and emancipation.

　天台云く「妙は不可思議と名づく」等云云。

　Tendai says, “The character myō is defined as being beyond ordinary comprehension.”

　又云く、一心乃至不可思議境・意此(こころ・ここ)に在り等云云。

　And he also says, “Life at each moment . . . This is what we mean when we speak of the ‘region of the unfathomable.’”

　即身成仏と申すは此是(これ)なり。

　This is what the attainment of Buddhahood in one’s present form means.

　近代の華厳・真言等・此の義を盗み取りて我が物と為す。

　In recent times the Kegon and Shingon schools, having stolen this doctrine, treat it as their own.

　 大偸盗(だいちゅうとう)・天下の盗人是なり。

　They are terrible thieves, the most awful thieves in the world.

　問う、是くの如く之を聞いて何の益有るや。

　Question: What merit do we gain by hearing this doctrine?

　答えて云く、始めて法華経を聞くなり。

　Answer: This is what it means to hear the Lotus Sutra for the first time.

　 妙楽云く「若し三道即是れ三徳と信ぜば・尚能く二死の河を渡る。況んや三界をや」と云云。

　Myoraku says: “If one has faith in the teaching that the three paths of earthly desires, karma, and suffering are none other than the three virtues of the Dharma body, wisdom, and emancipation, then one can successfully cross the river of two deaths. To say nothing of making one’s way in the threefold world!”

　末代の凡夫・此の法門を聞かば、唯我一人のみ成仏するに非ず、父母も又即身成仏せん。

　And when ordinary people in the latter age hear this doctrine, not only will they themselves attain Buddhahood, but also their fathers and mothers will attain Buddhahood in their present forms. This is the highest expression of filial devotion.

　此れ第一の孝養なり。

　This is the highest expression of filial devotion.

　病身為(た)るの故に委細ならず。又又申す可し。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　始聞仏乗義

　As I am not well, I will not go into greater detail, but will write again another time.

What It Means to Hear the Buddha Teaching for the First Time

つづく　To be continued