大聖人様のお言葉 十二 Words of Daishonin. 12

第一 提婆達多の事 　

　Point One, concerning Devadatta

　提婆は妙法蓮華経の別名なり、過去の時に阿私仙人なり。　

　Devadatta is another name for Myoho-renge-kyo. In a past existence he was the Seer Asita.

　阿私仙人とは妙法の異名なり。

　The Seer Asita is another name for myōhō, the Wonderful Law.

　阿とは無の義なり、

　The syllable “a” in Asita means “not” or “without.”

　私無きの法とは妙法なり。

　The Law without self is myōhō, the Wonderful Law.

　文句の八に云く「無私の法を以て衆生に灑(そそ)ぐ」と云えり。

　Thus volume eight of Words and Phrases says, “One takes the Law that is without self and pours to living beings with it.

　阿私仙人とは法界三千の別名なり、　

　The Seer Asita is another name for the three thousand worlds of the Dharma-realm.

　故に私無きなり。

　Therefore it is described as being “without self.”

　一念三千・之を思う可し云云。

　 You must think about this principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of mind.

　第二 若不違我当為宣説(にゃく・ふ・いが・とういせんぜつ)の事

　

　Point Two, on the passage “At that time there was a seer who came to the king and said, ‘I have a Great Vehicle text called the Sutra of the Lotus of the Wonderful Law. If you will not disobey me, I will expound it for you.’”

　御義口伝に云く、妙法蓮華経を宣説する事を・汝は我に違わずして宣説すべしと云う事なり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines say: With regard to this expounding of the Lotus Sutra, one should understand the meaning of the passage “If you will not disobey me, I will expound it for you” to be: “You never disobey me, and so you are qualified to expound it.”

　若の字は汝(にょ)なり。　

　 The character for “if” can also be read as the pronoun “you.”

　天台の云く「法を受けて奉行す」と。

　Commenting on this in volume eight of Words and Phrases, Tendai says, “The king will receive the teaching and honor and practice it.”

　

　今日蓮等の類い・南無妙法蓮華経と唱え奉る者は日蓮に違わずして宣説す可きなり。

　Now Nichiren’s associates who humbly chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo do not disobey Nichiren and must expound the Law.

　阿私仙人とは南無妙法蓮華経なり云云。

　The seer Asita here represents Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

　第三 採菓汲水・拾薪設食(さいかぎゅうすい・じゅうしんせつじき)の事

　Point Three, on the passage “At once he [the king] accompanied the seer, providing him with whatever he needed, picking fruit, drawing water, gathering firewood, setting out meals, . . . He served the seer in this manner for a thousand years, all for the sake of the Law, working diligently, acting as a provider and seeing to it that the seer lacked for nothing.”

　今日蓮等の類い・南無妙法蓮華経と唱え奉るは即ち千歳給仕なり。　

　Now when Nichiren and his associates humbly chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they are carrying out such acts of service for a period of “a thousand years.”

　是れ即ち一念三千なり。

　This represents the state of three thousand realms in a single moment of mind.

　貪瞋癡慢を対治するなり。

　This is what is to overcome greed, anger, foolishness, and arrogance.

　第七 言論未訖(ごんろんみこつ)の事

　Point Seven, on the passage “Before his words had come to an end, the dragon king’s daughter suddenly appeared before the Buddha, bowed her head in obeisance, and then retired to one side, reciting these verses of praise”

　今日蓮等の類い・南無妙法蓮華経と唱え奉るは言論未訖なり。時とは上の事の末、末の事の始めなり。

　Now when Nichiren and his associates humbly chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they represent the moment referred to in the sutra as “Before his words had come to an end,” that is, the moment when the previous affair, the criticism of the bodhisattva, is just coming to an end, and the subsequent affair, the reply of the dragon girl, is just beginning.

　時とは無明法性・同時の時なり、南無妙法蓮華経と唱え奉る時なり。

　The moment, then, is one in which ignorance and the Dharma nature exist simultaneously. Such is the moment when Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is chanted.

　苦の衆生とは別して女人の事なり。

　When she speaks of “rescuing living beings from suffering,” she is speaking of women in particular.

　殊には此の八歳の竜女の成仏は帝王持経の先祖たり。

　This passage on how the eight-year-old dragon girl attained Buddhahood is particularly noteworthy because it refers to the ancestors of the rulers who uphold the Lotus Sutra.

　人王の始めは神武天皇なり。

　The first human sovereign of Japan was Emperor Jimmu.

　神武天皇は地神五代の第五の鵜萱葺不合尊(うがや・ふきあえずのみこと)の御子なり。

　Emperor Jimmu was the son of Ugayafuki-aezu-no-mikoto, the fifth of the five generations of earthly deities.

　此の葺不合尊は豊玉姫の子なり、此の豊玉姫は沙竭羅竜王(しゃからりゅうおう)の女(むすめ)なり・八歳の竜女の姉なり。

　The mother of Ugayafuki-aezu-no-mikoto was Princess Toyotama, the daughter of the dragon king Sāgara and an elder sister of the eight-year-old dragon girl.

　然る間・先祖法華経の行者なり、甚深甚深云云。

　Therefore we know that the ancestors of the emperors of Japan were practitioners of the Lotus Sutra. This is an extremely profound implication.

　されば此の提婆の一品は一天の腰刀なり。　

　Therefore this one chapter titled “Devadatta” is a vital sword to be worn at the waist everywhere throughout the world.

　無明煩悩の敵を切り、生死愛着(あいちゃく)の繩を切る秘法なり。

　It is a secret Law to cut down the foes of ignorance and earthly desires and to sever the bonds of birth and death, longing and attachment.

　漢高三尺(じゃく)の剣(けん)も一字の智剣に及ばざるなり。

　Emperor Kao-tsu, founder of the Han dynasty, had his three-foot sword, but it cannot compare to this one-word sword of wisdom.

　妙の一字の智剣を以て生死煩悩の繩を切るなり。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　【提婆達多品八箇の大事】

　Myō, or wonderful, the one-word sword of wisdom, can sever the bonds of birth and death and earthly desires.

　　　Chapter Twelve: Devadatta. Eight important points

　第一 勧持の事

　Point One, concerning “encouraging devotion”

　御義口伝に云く勧とは化他、持とは自行なり。　

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines say: “Encouraging” refers to the conversion of others. The word "devotion” means one’s own practice.

　南無妙法蓮華経は自行化他に亘(わた)るなり。

　Nam-myoho-renge-kyo embraces both the conversion of others and one’s own religious practice.

　今日蓮等の類い南無妙法蓮華経を勧めて持たしむるなり。

　

　Now Nichiren and his associates are encouraging others Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and making them have devotion.

　第二 不惜身命の事

Point Two, on the words “never sparing our bodies or lives” in the passage “But although it will be difficult to teach and convert them, we will summon up the power of great patience and will read and recite this sutra, embrace, preach, and copy it, offering it many kinds of alms and never sparing our bodies or lives”.

　御義口伝に云く、身とは色法、命とは心法なり。

　The word “bodies” refers to the element of form or the body; the word “lives” refers to the element of the mind.

　事理の不惜身命之れ有り。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines say: A theory or a fact exists to "Never sparing one's own body and life".

　法華の行者田畠等を奪わるは理の不惜身命なり。

　When a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra is deprived of his lands and fields, this is a case of not sparing body or life in theory.

　命根を断たるを事の不惜身命と云うなり。

　When he is deprived of own life actually, this is a reality of not sparing body or life.

　今日蓮等の類い南無妙法蓮華経と唱え奉る者は事理共に値うなり。

Now when Nichiren and his associates humbly chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they will encounter these persecutions by both theory and facts.

第十一 為斯所軽言 汝等皆是仏の事

　Point Eleven, on the passage “Though they treat us with contempt, saying, / ‘You are all no doubt Buddhas!’ / all such words of arrogance and contempt / we will endure and accept.”

　御義口伝に云く、法華経の行者を蔑(あな)づり、生仏(いきぼとけ)と云うべしと云う経文なり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines say: This passage of the sutra illustrates how such monks will treat the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra with contempt, calling them “living Buddhas.”

　是は軽心(きょうしん)を以て謗(そし)るなり。

　Through their contemptuous attitude they commit slander.

　今日蓮等の類い南無妙法蓮華経と唱え奉る者を云う可きなり。

　Now Nichiren and his associates, who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, will be spoken of in this manner.

　第十二 悪鬼入其身の事

　

　Point Twelve, on the passage “Evil demons will take possession of others / and through them curse, revile and heap shame on us.”

　御義口伝に云く、悪鬼とは法然・弘法等是なり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines say: The “evil demons” are persons such as Hōnen and Kōbō.

　入其身とは国王・大臣・万民等の事なり。

　“Take possession of others” means that they will exercise their influence over the ruler, the high ministers, and the people of the country.

　今日蓮等の類い・南無妙法蓮華経と唱え奉る者を怨(あだ)むべしと云う事なり。

　It is referring to the hatred that such persons bear toward Nichiren and his associates, who humbly chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo now.

　鬼とは命を奪う者にして奪功徳者と云うなり。

　A demon is one who snatches away the life of others or who snatches away merits.

　法華経は三世諸仏の命根なり。

　The Lotus Sutra is the life source of the Buddhas of the three existences of past, present, and future.

　此の経は一切諸菩薩の功徳を納めたる御経なり。

　This sutra is a sacred writing that contains within it the merits of all the bodhisattvas.

　第十三 但惜(たんじゃく)無上道の事

　Point Thirteen, on the passage “We care nothing for our bodies or lives / but spare only for the unsurpassed way.”

　御義口伝に云く、無上道とは南無妙法蓮華経是なり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines say: The “unsurpassed way” is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

　今日蓮等の類い南無妙法蓮華経を惜しむ事は命根よりも惜き事なり。

　Now Nichiren and his associates spare more with regard to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo than they are with regard to their own lives.

　之に依つて結ぶ処に仏自知我心と説かれたり。

　That is why at the conclusion of this chapter we find the words “The Buddha knows what is in our hearts.”

　法華経の行者の心中をば教主釈尊の御存知有る可きなり。

　That is, Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, knows and understands what is in the hearts of the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra.

　仏とは釈尊、我心とは今日蓮等の類い・南無妙法蓮華経と唱え奉る者なり。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　勧持品十三箇の大事

　The “Buddha” referred to in the conclusion of the chapter is Shakyamuni, and “our hearts” refers to the hearts of Nichiren and his associates, who now humbly chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

　　　Chapter Thirteen: Encouraging Devotion. Thirteen important points

　第一 安楽行品の事

　Point One, concerning the “Peace and Pleasure Practices” chapter

　御義口伝に云く、妙法蓮華経を安楽に行ぜむ事、末法に於て今日蓮等の類いの修行は妙法蓮華経を修行するに、難来たるを以て安楽と意得可きなり。

　In the Latter Day of the Law, Nichiren and his associates will encounter persecution when they practice Myoho-Renge-Kyo, but they should understand that actually, that is peace and pleasure.

第三 有所難問　不以小乗法答　但以大乗　而為解説　令得一切種智の事

　Point Three, on the passage “If he is asked difficult questions, he should not reply in terms of the Law of the Lesser Vehicle. He should explain things solely in terms of the Great Vehicle so that people will be able to acquire wisdom embracing all seeds.”

　 御義口伝に云く、対治の時は権教を以て会通(えつう)す可からず。　

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines say: When one is refuting slanderers of the Law, one should not grasp with the provisional teachings.

　

　一切種智とは南無妙法蓮華経なり。

　The “wisdom embracing all seeds” is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

　一切は万物なり。種智は万物の種なり。妙法蓮華経是なり。　

　“All” refers to the ten thousand things, and the “wisdom embracing all species” refers to the wisdom underlying all the different species of the ten thousand things, which is Myoho-renge-kyo.

　又云く、一切種智とは我等が一心なり。　

　Or again the wisdom embracing all species is the single mind within all of us.

　一心とは万法の惣体なり。之を思う可し。

　The single mind is the one great entity embracing all the ten thousand phenomena. You must think about this.

第四 無有怖畏(むうふい)　加刀杖等(かとうじょうとう)の事

　Point Four, on the passage “After I have passed into extinction / if there are people / who are able to expound / this Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, / their minds will be free of jealousy and anger, / of all worry and hindrance. / No one will trouble them, / curse or revile them. / They will know no fear, / no attacks by sword or staff, / nor will they ever be banished.”

　御義口伝に云く、迹化の菩薩に刀杖の難之れ有る可からずと云う経文なり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines say: This passage of the sutra states that the bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching will not suffer any attacks “by sword or staff.”

　勧持品は末法法華の行者に及加刀杖者・数数見擯出(さくさくけんひんずい)と。　

　In the “Encouraging Devotion” chapter, speaking of the practitioners of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law, it says, “There will be many ignorant people / who will curse and speak ill of us / and will attack us with swords and staves.” It also says, “Again and again we will be banished.”

　此の品には之無し。

　But in the present chapter it says that these troubles will not occur.

　彼は末法の折伏の修行、此の品は像法摂受の修行なるが故なり云云。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　安楽行品五箇の大事

　This is because the “Encouraging Devotion” chapter is speaking of those who carry out the practice of the shakubuku method in the Latter Day of the Law, while the present chapter is speaking of those who carry out the practice of the shōju method in the Middle Day of the Law.

　　　　　　Chapter Fourteen: Peaceful Practices. Five important points

　第一 唱導之師の事

　Point One, on the passage “Among these bodhisattvas were four leaders. The first was called Jogyo, the second was called Muhengyo, the third was called Jogo, and the fourth was called Anryugyo. These four bodhisattvas were the foremost leaders and chanting teachers among all the group.”

　御義口伝に云く、涌出の一品は悉く本化(ほんげ)の菩薩の事なり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines say: This chapter, “Emerging from the Earth,” is devoted entirely to matters pertaining to the bodhisattvas of the essential teaching.

　本化の菩薩の所作としては南無妙法蓮華経なり。

　The action carried out by the bodhisattvas of the essential teaching is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

　此れを唱と云うなり。

　This is referred to in the character “chanting.”

　導とは日本国の一切衆生を霊山浄土へ引導する事なり。

　The character "guiding" signifies that they will lead and guide all the living beings of the country of Japan to the Spirit Eagle Mountain in the Pure Land.

　末法の導師とは本化に限ると云うを師と云うなり。

　As for these guiding teachers of the Latter Day of the Law, the term “teachers” can only be applied to the bodhisattvas of the fundamental teaching.

「二死の表に出づるを上行と名け、

　The name Jōgyō signifies the liberation from the two kinds of birth and death.

　断常の際を踰(こ)ゆるを無辺行と称し、

　To go beyond the two opposing views that life is cut off after one existence or that it is eternally the same is called Muhengyo.

　五住の垢累(くるい)を超ゆる故に浄行と名け、　

　Because one overcomes the five categories of unclean illusions and entanglements, that state is designated Jogo.

　道樹にして徳円(まど)かなり・故に安立行と曰うなり」と。

The virtues like the complete enlightenment attained under the Bodhi tree, that signify Anryugyo.

　今日蓮等の類(たぐい)・南無妙法蓮華経と唱え奉る者は皆地涌の流類(るるい)なり。

　Nichiren and his associates who humbly chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, all belong to the comrades of the Bodhisattvas Emerging from the Earth.

　又云く、火は物を焼くを以て行とし、

　Again, the fire is that which burns things and illuminates, hence it corresponds to Jogyo.

　水は物を浄(きよ)むるを以て行とし、

　Water is that which purifies things and hence it corresponds to Jogo.

　風は塵垢(じんく)を払うを以て行とし、

　Wind is that which blows away dust and grime and hence corresponds to Muhengyo.

　大地は草木を長ずるを以て行とするなり。

　The great earth is that which nourishes plants and trees and corresponds to Anryugyo.

　四菩薩の利益(りやく)是なり。

　These are the respective merits of the four bodhisattvas.

　四菩薩の行は不同なりと雖も倶に妙法蓮華経の修行なり。

　Though the practices of the four bodhisattvas differ from one to another, all are the practices of Myoho-renge-kyo.

　此の四菩薩は下方に住する故に釈に「法性之淵底・玄宗之極地」と云えり。

　These four bodhisattvas dwell in the lower region. Therefore the commentary Words and Phrases, volume nine says that they dwell “in the depths of the Dharma nature, the ultimate region of the profound source.”

　下方を以て住処とす。下方とは真理なり。

　The lower region is where they live and abide, and the lower region represents the principle of truth.

　輔正記に云く「下方とは生公(しょうこう)の云く、住して理に在るなり」と云云。

　Supplement to “The Words and Phrases” says, “The lower region is described by Master Tao-sheng as the place where one abides in the principle.”

　此の理(り)の住処より顕はれ出づるを事と云うなり。

　What emerges and becomes manifest from this dwelling in the principle are referred to as actual events.

　又云く千草万木・地涌の菩薩に非ずと云う事なし。

　

　Or again, Daishonin says that, of all the thousand plants and ten thousand trees in the world, there are none that are not in essence bodhisattvas who emerge from the earth.

　されば地涌の菩薩を本化と云えり。

　Thus the bodhisattvas who emerge from the earth are the bodhisattvas of the fundamental teaching.

　本とは過去久遠五百塵点よりの利益として無始無終の利益なり。

　The word “essential” or “original” represents the merits handed down from the past of infinite years ago, the merits that are without beginning and without end.

　

　此の菩薩は本法所持の人なり。

　These bodhisattvas are possessors of the fundamental or original Law.

　本法とは南無妙法蓮華経なり。

　The original Law is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

　此の題目は必ず地涌の所持の物にして迹化の菩薩の所持に非ず。

　This title, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, is something that is without exception possessed by the bodhisattvas who emerge from the earth, but it is not possessed by the bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching, those who were taught and converted by the Buddha in his transient status.

　

　此の本法の体より用(ゆう)を出だして止観と弘め、一念三千と云う。

　From the substance of this original Law is derived the function that is propagated as the practice of concentration and insight, and is called the state of three thousand realms in a single moment of mind.

　惣じて大師人師の所釈も此の妙法の用を弘め給うなり。

　In effect, all the explanations given by great and ordinary teachers are directed toward the propagation of this function of the Wonderful Law.

　此の本法を受持するは信の一字なり。

　One can accept and uphold this fundamental Law, Nam-Myoho-renge-Kyo, only through the single character faith.

　元品の無明を対治する利剣は信の一字なり。

　The single word “faith” is the sharp sword with which one confronts and overcomes fundamental darkness or ignorance.

　無疑曰信(むぎわっしん)の釈、之を思ふ可し云云。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　涌出品一箇の大事

One must consider deeply the meaning of the interpretation, ”The disappearance of doubt is called faith.”

Chapter Fifteen: Bodhisattvas Emerging from the Earth. One important point

つづく　To be continued