大聖人様のお言葉 九 Words of Daishonin 9

第一　譬喩品の事 　　

　Point One, regarding the “Simile and Parable” chapter

　文句の五に云く「譬とは比況(ひきょう)なり。喩とは暁訓なり。

　Words and Phrases, volume five, says, “simile means to compare one thing to another. Parable means to enlighten and instruct. . . .

　大悲息まず・巧智(ぎょうち)無辺なれば、更に樹を動かして風を訓え・扇を挙げて月を喩(さと)す」と。

　 The Buddha’s great compassion is unceasing. And since his clever wisdom is boundless, he goes farther and sways the trees in order to instruct them people of lesser capacities concerning the wind, or holds a round fan to show them the moon.”

　巧智とは南無妙法蓮華経なり。諸宗無得道の立義なり。

　“Clever wisdom” refers to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and to the doctrine that the teachings of the other schools do not lead to the attainment of the way.

　巧於(ぎょうお)難問答の意なり。

　It also means that we are “clever at difficult questions and answers” (chapter fifteen, Emerging from the Earth).

　更(きょう)とは在世に次で滅後の事と意得可きなり。

　When Words and Phrases say that the Buddha “goes farther and sways the trees,” you must understand that he set forth these similes and parables for the sake of the people in his time and further for those who will come after the Buddha’s passing.

　樹を動すとは煩悩なり。風を訓(おし)ふるとは即菩提なり。

　The swaying of the trees represents earthly desires, and instructing us what the wind is means that we are taught that earthly desires are enlightenment without change.

　扇を挙ぐとは生死(しょうじ)なり。月を喩すとは即涅槃なり。

　 The round fan that the Buddha holds up is the realm of birth and death, and the moon shows us that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana as they are.

第三　身意泰然(しんにたいねん)　快得(けとく)安穏の事 　

　Point Three, regarding the passage “World-Honored One, for a long time now, all day and throughout the night, I have repeatedly taxed myself with this thought. But now I have heard from the Buddha what I had never heard before, a Law never known in the past, and it has ended all my doubts and regrets. My body and mind are at ease and I have gained a wonderful feeling of peace and security.”

　文句の五に云く「従仏は是れ身の喜(よろこび)を結するなり、聞法は此れ口の喜を結するなり、断諸疑悔(だんしょぎげ)とは是れ意の喜を結す」と。

　Words and Phrases, volume five, says, “‘From the Buddha’—this signifies the attainment of joy through the body. ‘Heard a Law never known in the past’—this signifies the attainment of joy through the mouth. ‘Ended all my doubts and regrets’—this signifies the attainment of joy through the mind.”

　御義口伝に云く、身意泰然とは煩悩即菩提・生死即涅槃なり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines says: “My body and mind are at ease”—because of the realization that earthly desires are enlightenment without change, and that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana as they are.

　身とは生死即涅槃なり、意とは煩悩即菩提なり、従仏とは日蓮に従う類い等の事なり、口の喜びとは南無妙法蓮華経なり、意の喜びとは無明の惑障無き故なり。

　The body gains assurance through the realization that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana as they are.

　The mind gains assurance through the realization that earthly desires are enlightenment without change.

　“From the Buddha” indicates those who follow Nichiren, and the joy of the mouth indicates Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

　The joy of the mind comes about through the realization that one is no longer confused or hampered by darkness, or ignorance.

　爰を以て之を思うに、此の文は一心三観・一念三千・我等が即身成仏なり。

　Thus, when we stop to consider the matter, we realize that this passage is speaking of the threefold contemplation in a single mind and the three thousand realms in a single moment of mind, or the fact that we can attain Buddhahood in our present bodies.

　方便の教は泰然に非ず・安穏に非ざるなり、行於険逕多留難故(ぎょうお・けんきょう・たるなんこ)の教なり。

　

　 The expedient means of the provisional teachings afford no such feeling of ease, no such peace and security. This is why the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra tells us that persons who follow those teachings “will travel perilous byways beset by numerous hindrances and trials.”

　第四　得仏法分の事

　Point Four, regarding the “share of the Buddha’s Law” in the passage “born from the Buddha’s mouth, born through conversion to the Law, gaining my share of the Buddha’s Law”

　御義口伝に云く、仏法の分とは初住一分の中道を云うなり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines says: This “share of the Buddha’s Law” refers to a share or portion of the Middle Way that Shāriputra gained enlightenment into, the first stage of security.

　迹門初住・本門二住已上と云う事は、此の分の字より起こるなり。

　The various distinctions or stages represented by the first stage in the theoretical teaching and the second stage and above in the essential teaching all arise out of this word “share”.

　所詮此の分の一字は一念三千の法門なり。

　In effect, this one word “share” represents the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of mind.

　其の故は、地獄は地獄の分で仏果を証し、乃至三千の諸法己己の当体の分で仏果を証したるなり。

　Therefore those who are in hell attain the effect of Buddhahood in their “shares” or identity as dwellers in hell. And thus in the same way all the beings in the three thousand realms each in the entity of its own particular “share” attain Buddhahood.

　真実の我等が即身成仏なり。　　

　This in truth is what is meant when it is said that we may attain Buddhahood in our present identities.

　今日蓮等の類(たぐい)南無妙法蓮華経と唱うる分で仏果を証したるなり。

　Now when Nichiren and his associates chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they have attested to share fruits of attaining Buddhahood.

　分とは、権教は無得道、法華経は成仏と分つと意得可きなり。　

　“Share” also means to separate or to distinguish, and refers to the making of a clear distinction between the provisional teachings, which can never lead to enlightenment, and the Lotus Sutra, which enables one to attain Buddhahood.

　又云く、分とは本門寿量品の意なり。己己本分の分なり。　

　Again, “share” is that embodied in the “Life Span” chapter of the essential teaching, the share that is the original share or endowment of each and every being.

　惣じて迹門初住分証と云うは教相なり、真実は初住分証の処にて一経は極まりたるなり。

　Summing up, then, this share of enlightenment that Shāriputra attained, the first stage of security in theoretical teaching, is concerned only with an understanding of the doctrinal learning of the sutra. But when one truly attains the enlightenment of the first stage of security, the stage of non-regression and the true cause of Shakyamuni’s enlightenment, one has reached the highest level of the entire sutra.

　第五　而自廻転(にじえてん)の事 　

　Point Five, regarding the words “turned round and round of themselves” in the passage “The heavenly robes they had scattered remained suspended in the air and turned round and round of themselves.”

　記の五に云く「或は大論の如し。

　Volume five of On “The Words and Phrases” says, “It is just as The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom states.

　経に而自廻転と云うは身子の得記を聞きて法性自然にして転じ、因果・依正・自他悉く転ずるを表す」と。

　When the sutra says that the robes ‘turned round and round of themselves,’ it indicates that, when the multitude heard Shāriputra receive a prediction that he would attain Buddhahood, their Dharma natures turned or appeared naturally and of themselves, thus turning or transforming all the causes and effects that pertained to them, their own being and their environments, their selves and others about them.”

　御義口伝に云く、草木成仏の証文に而自廻転の文を出すなり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines say: The proof that insentient beings such as plants and trees can attain Buddhahood derives from this passage on how the robes “turned round and round of themselves.”

　是れ一念三千の依正体一の成仏を説き極めたるなり。

　For it explains in full how, because of the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of mind, both the self and the environment are one in attaining Buddhahood.

　草木成仏の証人とは日蓮等の類い・南無妙法蓮華経と唱え奉るを指すなり。

　And it indicates that Nichiren and his associates, in chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo humbly, are the very ones who prove that it is possible for plants and trees to attain Buddhahood.

　廻転とは題目の五字なり。自とは我等行者の事なり。

　The “turning round and round” means the five characters of the title, and “of themselves” indicates us practitioners.

　記の五の釈、能く能く之を思うべし云云。

　You must give very careful thought to these words in the fifth volume of “On Words and Phrases.”

　第七　以譬喩得解の事 　

　Point Seven, on using similes and parables to obtain understanding, as in the passage “Moreover, Shāriputra, I too will now make use of similes and parables to further clarify this doctrine. For through similes and parables those who are wise can obtain understanding.”

　御義口伝に云く、此の文を以て鏡像(きょうぞう)円融の三諦の事を伝うるなり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines says: This passage refers to the way in which the image of a mirror expresses the perfect unification of the three truths.

　惣じて鏡像の譬へとは自浮自影(じふじよう)の鏡の事なり。

　Generally speaking, the simile of a mirror refers to the way in which one can see one’s image and reflection in a mirror.

　此の鏡とは一心の鏡なり。

　The mirror is the mirror of the single mind.

　惣じて鏡に付て重重の相伝之有り。所詮鏡の能徳とは万像を浮ぶるを本とせり。

　Although there are various doctrines associated with mirrors, in the end they are founded on the particular power and virtue of mirrors, their ability to reflect all of the ten thousand images or phenomena.

　妙法蓮華経の五字は万像を浮べて一法も残る物之無し。

　The five characters Myoho-renge-kyo similarly reflect the ten thousand phenomena, not overlooking a single one of them.

　又云く鏡に於て五鏡之れ有り、妙の鏡には法界の不思議を浮べ、法の鏡には法界の体を浮べ、蓮の鏡には法界の果を浮べ、華の鏡には法界の因を浮べ、経の鏡には万法の言語を浮べたり。

　Also there are five mirrors. In the mirror of myō are reflected the wonders of the Dharma-realm; in the mirror of hō is reflected the entity or essence of the Dharma-realm; in the mirror of ren are reflected the effects of the Dharma-realm; in the mirror of ge are reflected the causes of the Dharma-realm; and in the mirror of kyō are reflected the words and sounds of the ten thousand phenomena.

　又云く妙の鏡には華厳を浮べ、法の鏡には阿含を浮べ、蓮の鏡には方等を浮べ、華の鏡には般若を浮べ、経の鏡には法華を浮ぶるなり。

　Again in the mirror of myō are reflected the Kegon teachings; in the mirror of hō, the Agon teachings; in the mirror of ren, the Correct and Equal teachings; in the mirror of ge, the Wisdom teachings; and in the mirror of kyō, the Lotus teachings.

　順逆次第して意得可きなり。

　One should understand how they relate to each other both in the order they were preached and in the reverse order.

　我等衆生の五体五輪・妙法蓮華経と浮び出でたる間・宝塔品を以て鏡と習うなり。　

　The five bodily sections, or the five elements that make up the bodies of living beings such as us, are reflections of Myoho-renge-kyo, and therefore we should learn to use the “Treasure Tower” chapter as our mirror.

　信謗の浮び様・能く能く之を案ず可し。

　It will enable us to see whether the faith is genuine or whether we are committing slander.

　自浮自影の鏡とは南無妙法蓮華経是なり云云。

　 A mirror that naturally allows us to see our own images and reflections, it is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

　第八　唯有一門の事 　

　Point Eight, on the words “only one gate” in the passage “Shāriputra, suppose that in a certain town in a certain country there was a very rich man. . . . His own house was big and rambling, but it had only one gate.”

　御義口伝に云く、一門とは法華経の信心なり、車とは法華経なり、牛とは南無妙法蓮華経なり、宅とは煩悩なり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines say: The one gate is the mind that has faith in the Lotus Sutra. The vehicle means the Lotus Sutra, and the ox that draws the vehicle is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

The house is the realm of earthly desires.

　自身法性の大地を生死生死と転(め)ぐり行くなり云云。

　Passing through the round of births and deaths, we make our way on the vast land of the Dharma nature, or enlightenment, that is inherent within ourselves!

　

第九　今此三界等の事 　

　Point Nine, on the passage “But now this threefold world / is all my domain, / and the living beings in it / are all my children. / Now this place / is beset by many pains and trials. / I am the only person / who can rescue and protect others.”

　御義口伝に云く、此の文は一念三千の文なり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines say: This passage is one that deals with the concept of three thousand realms in a single moment of mind.

　一念三千の法門は迹門には生陰(しょうおん)二千の世間を明し、本門には国土世間を明すなり。

　With regard to the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of mind, the theoretical teaching makes clear the two thousand worlds of the realm of the five components and the realm of living beings, while the essential teaching makes clear the one thousand worlds of the realm of the environment as well.

　又云く今此三界の文は国土世間なり、其中衆生の文は五陰世間なり、而今此処多諸患難・唯我一人の文は衆生世間なり。

　Also we may say that the words “But now this threefold world” relate to the realm of the environment. The words “and the living beings in it” relate to the realm of the five recognitions. And the words “Now this place / is beset by many pains and trials. / I am the only person / who can rescue and protect others” relate to the realm of living beings.

　又云く、今此三界は法身如来なり、其中衆生悉是吾子は報身如来なり、而今此処等は応身如来なり。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　譬喩品九箇の大事

　　　Or again the words “But now this threefold world” represent the Tathagata of the Dharma body in the doctrine of the three bodies. The words “and the living beings in it / are all my children” represent the Tathagata of the reward body. And the words “Now this place / is beset by many pains and trials” etc., represent the Tathagata of the manifested body.

Chapter Three: Simile and Parable. Nine important points

　第一　信解品(しんげほん)の事 　

　Point One, concerning the “Belief and Understanding” chapter

　御義口伝に云く、法華一部廿八品の題号の中に信解の題号・此の品に之れ有り。　

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines says: The twenty-eight chapters that make up the Lotus Sutra bear various titles; “Belief and Understanding” is the title given to this chapter.

　一念三千も信の一字より起こり、三世の諸仏の成道も信の一字より起こるなり。

　The truth of three thousand realms in a single moment of mind too has its origins in this single word “belief” or “faith,” and it is through this single word “belief” that the Buddhas of the three existences of past, present, and future attained their enlightenment.

　此の信の字・元品の無明を切る利剣なり。

　This word “belief” is a sharp sword that cuts off fundamental darkness or ignorance.

　其の故は、信は無疑曰信(むぎわっしん)とて疑惑を断破する利剣なり。

　Therefore with regard to belief, Words and Phrases says, “The fact that a doubt has been resolved is called belief.” Belief is a sharp sword that cuts away doubt and perplexity.

　解とは智慧の異名なり。

　“Understanding” is another name for wisdom.

　信は価(あたい)の如く、解は宝の如し。

　Belief represents the value or price we attach to a jewel or treasure, and understanding represents the jewel itself.

　三世の諸仏の智慧をかうは信の一字なり。

　It is through the one word “belief” that we are able to purchase the wisdom of the Buddhas of the three existences.

　智慧とは南無妙法蓮華経なり。

　That wisdom is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

　信は智慧の因にして名字即なり。　

　Belief is the cause for obtaining wisdom, and it corresponds to the stage of first hearing the name of the Law.

　信の外に解無く、解の外に信無し。

　Outside of belief there can be no understanding, and outside of understanding there can be no belief.

　信の一字を以て妙覚の種子と定めたり。

　It is through this one word “belief” that the seeds of perfect enlightenment are sown.

　今、日蓮等の類い南無妙法蓮華経と信受領納する故に無上宝聚・不求自得の大宝珠を得るなり。

　

　Now when Nichiren and his associates believe in and accept Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they are gaining possession of a great precious jewel; in the words of the “Belief and Understanding” chapter, “This cluster of unsurpassed jewels / has come to us unsought.”

　信は智慧の種なり。不信は堕獄の因なり。

　Belief is the seed of wisdom, but failure to believe will lead one to fall into hell.

　又云く、信は不変真如の理なり。

　Again we may say that belief corresponds to the principle of eternal and unchanging truth.

　其の故は、信は知一切法・皆是仏法と体達して実相の一理と信ずるなり。

　Therefore belief means to experience “the knowledge that all dharmas or phenomena are every one of them the Buddha Dharma or Law” (volume one of Great Concentration and Insight), and to believe in the single truth or principle of the true aspect of all phenomena.

　解は随縁真如なり。自受用智を云うなり。

　Understanding corresponds to the wisdom that functions in accordance with changing circumstances, that is to say, “the immeasurable wisdom that is freely gained and employed.”

　御義口伝に云く、父に於て三之れ有り。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines says: The word “father” can be taken in three ways.

　法華経・釈尊・日蓮是なり。

　They stand for the Lotus Sutra, for Shakyamuni Buddha, and for Nichiren.

　法華経は一切衆生の父なり。

　The Lotus Sutra is the father of all living beings.

　此の父に背く故に流転の凡夫となる。

　By turning one’s back on the Lotus Sutra, one becomes an ordinary mortal who is subject to the round of transmigration.

　釈尊は一切衆生の父なり。

　Shakyamuni Buddha is the father of all living beings.

　此の仏に背く故に備(つぶ)さに諸道を輪(め)ぐるなり。

　By turning one's back on this Shakyamuni Buddha, one must repeat reincarnation at the insignificant level.

　今日蓮は日本国の一切衆生の父なり。

　Now Nichiren is the father of all living beings in the country of Japan.

　章安大師の云く「彼が為に悪を除く即ち是れ彼が親なり」と。 　

　The Great Teacher Chang-an in his commentary on the Nirvana Sutra says, “One who rids the evil for him is in fact acting as his parent.”

　第四　心懐悔恨(しんねけこん)の事 　　

　Point Four, on the words “his heart filled with regret and grudge” in the passage “The father thought constantly of his son, but though he had been parted from him for over fifty years, he had never told anyone else about the matter. He merely pondered to himself, his heart filled with regret and grudge.”

　文句の六に云く「悔を父に約し・恨を子に約す」と。　

　Words and Phrases, volume six, says, “Regret refers to the father. Grudge refers to the son.”

　記の六に云く「父にも悔恨あり、子にも悔恨あり」と。

　On “The Words and Phrases,” volume six, says, “The father felt regret for his failure to instruct his son properly and also grudged his son for abandoning him.”

　御義口伝に云く、日本国の一切衆生は子の如く・日蓮は父の如し。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines says: All the various living beings in the country of Japan are comparable to the son, and Nichiren is comparable to the father.

　法華不信の失に依つて無間大城に堕ちて返つて日蓮を恨みん。

　Because they fail to believe in the Lotus Sutra, the living beings fall into the great castle of the hell of incessant suffering. But instead of blaming themselves, on the contrary, they will grudge Nichiren in hell.

　又日蓮も声も惜まず法華を捨つ可からずと云うべきものを・霊山にて悔ゆること之れ有る可きか。

　 Although for his part, Nichiren had never spared his voice in urging them not to cast aside the Lotus Sutra, on Mt. Spirit Eagle he may have his feelings of regret.

　第五　無上宝聚(むじょうほうじゅ) 不求自得(ふぐじとく)の事

　Point Five, on the words “This cluster of unsurpassed jewels / has come to us unsought” in the passage “We today have heard / the Buddha’s voice teaching / and we dance for joy, / having gained what we never had before. / The Buddha declares that the voice-hearers / will be able to attain Buddhahood. / This cluster of unsurpassed jewels / has come to us unsought.”

　今日蓮等の類いの心は無上とは南無妙法蓮華経、無上の中の極無上なり。　

　And now in the minds of Nichiren and his associates, what is unsurpassed is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Among all the things that are unsurpassed, it holds the highest position of all.

　

　此の妙法を指して無上宝聚と説き給うなり。宝聚とは三世の諸仏の万行万善の諸波羅蜜の宝を聚(あつ)めたる南無妙法蓮華経なり。

　It is the Wonderful Law that is described in the passage above as a “cluster of unsurpassed jewels,” a cluster of jewels that represents all the pāramitās, the ten thousand religious practices and ten thousand good deeds of all the Buddhas of the three existences of past, present, and future.

　此の無上宝聚を辛労も無く、行功(ぎょうく)も無く、一言に受取る信心なり。　

　And without labor or trouble, without religious practices or good deeds, this cluster of unsurpassed jewels can come into our possession through the single word “faith.”

　不求自得とは是れなり。　

　That is why the passage says that it has “come to us unsought.”

　自の字は十界なり。十界各各得るなり、諸法実相是なり。

　The phrase “come to us of itself” refers to the Ten Worlds, that is, the cluster comes into the possession of each and every one in the Ten Worlds. This is what is known as the true aspect of all phenomena.

　然る間此の文、妙覚の釈尊・我等衆生の骨肉なり。

　Therefore this passage is saying that the Shakyamuni Buddha of perfect enlightenment is none other than the flesh and blood of us living beings.

　能く能く之を案ず可し云云。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　信解品六箇の大事

　 You must ponder this very carefully.

Chapter Four: Belief and Understanding. Six important points

つづく　To be continued