大聖人様のお言葉十七 Words of Daishonin. 17

譬喩品

Simile and Parable

大白牛車 凡夫即極、住処即寂光なり。

乗此宝乗 直至道場

極果の処也

　Text: “mounting this jeweled vehicle / and proceeding directly to the place of practice”

　此の文は自身の仏乗を悟つて自身の宮殿に入るなり。

　The Orally Transmitted Doctrine says: This passage describes how one becomes aware of the Buddha vehicle within oneself and enters the palace of oneself.

　所謂南無妙法蓮華経と唱え奉るは自身の宮殿に入るなり。

　Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo humbly is what is meant by entering the palace of oneself.

　信解品.

　

4. Belief and Understanding

一念三千なり　をのずから十界なり。

無上宝珠 不求自得

題目五字なり　ホシイママニエタリ

Text: “This cluster of unsurpassed jewels / has come to us unsought and automatically.”

　此の文は無始色心は本是、理性の妙境妙智なれば、己心より外に実相を求む可からず。

　The Orally transmitted Doctrines says: This passage is saying that the body and mind, which have existed from the beginningless past, are inherently endowed with the eternally unchanging nature, the wonderful reality, the wonderful wisdom. Therefore there is no need to seek the true aspect outside of one’s own mind.

　所謂南無妙法蓮華経は不求自得なり。

　Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is what “has come to us unsought and automatically.”

授記品

　6. Bestowal of Prophecy

十界実相仏 　三世常住 　煩悩即菩提　　　生死即涅槃

於諸仏所　常修梵行　於無量劫　奉持仏法

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 一切業障

Text: “Where these Buddhas are / he will constantly carry out brahma practices / and for immeasurable kalpas / will uphold and embrace the Buddha and the Law.”

此の文に常と云い無量劫と云う、即ち本有所具の妙法なり。

　The Orally transmitted Doctrine says: When this passage speaks of “constantly” or “for immeasurable kalpas,” it is referring to the Wonderful Law that originally exists in life.

　所謂南無妙法蓮華経なり。

　That is, it is referring to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

五百品

　8. Prophecy of Enlightenment for Five Hundred Disciples

日本国一切衆生　題目御本尊　 心法色法　煩悩即菩提生死即涅槃

貧人 　見此珠　 其心大歓喜

　信心ノカタチ

Text: “When the poor man saw the jewel / his heart was filled with great joy.”

　此の文は始めて我心本来の仏なりと知るを即ち大歓喜と名く。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrine says: This passage refers to the great joy that one experiences when one understands for the first time that one’s mind from the very beginning has been a Buddha.

　所謂南無妙法蓮華経は歓喜の中の大歓喜なり。

　 Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the greatest joy of all joys.

安楽行品　

14. Peaceful Practices

　一切諸法空　無所有無有　常住亦無起滅

　　　　　　　　　　　モ　モ　　ナリ　

　

　Text: “All phenomena / are empty, without being, / without any constant abiding, / without arising or extinction.”

　此の文は元より常住の妙法なる故に六道の生滅本来不生と談ず、　

　Orally Transmitted Doctrine says: This passage is saying that since the Wonderful Law has always abided constantly, the coming into being and extinction of the living beings in the six paths has from the beginning been a non-coming into being.

　故に起滅無し。

　Therefore it is said that there is no “arising or extinction.”

　所謂南無妙法蓮華経本来無起滅なり云云。

　 Nam-myoho-renge-kyo has from the beginning been “without arising or extinction.”

涌出品

　15. Emerging from the Earth

　昼夜常精進　為求仏道故

　　　　　　　 タル　モトメ　モトヨリナリ

　Text: “And in order that day and night with constant diligence / they may seek the Buddha way”

　此の文は一念に億劫の辛労を尽せば本来無作の三身念念に起るなり。　

　The Orally Transmitted Doctrine says: This passage is saying that if in a single moment of mind we exhaust the pains and trials of millions of kalpas, then moment by moment there will arise in us the three Buddha bodies with which we are eternally endowed.

　所謂南無妙法蓮華経は精進行なり。

　Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is just such a “diligent” practice.

随喜功徳品

18. The Merits of Responding with Joy

　言此経深妙　 千万劫難遇

　Text: “saying, ‘This sutra is profound and wonderful, / hard to encounter in a thousand, ten thousand kalpas.’”

　此の文は一切即妙法なれば一心の源底を顕す事・甚妙無外なり。

　The Orally Transmitted doctrine says: This passage is saying that since all things are the Wonderful Law as they are, the manifesting from the depth inherent in the single mind is a very wonderful and unparalleled action.

　所謂南無妙法蓮華経、不思議なり。

　It is the wonder of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

不軽品

20. The Bodhisattva Fukyo

　　応当一心広説此経　世世値仏　疾成仏道　

　Text: “but should with a single mind / preach this sutra far and wide, / life and next life encountering Buddhas / and quickly completing the Buddha way”

　　此の文は法界皆本来三諦一心に具わる事を顕せば己心の念念仏に値う事を即ち世世値仏と云うなり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrine says: This passage is saying that when one makes clear the fact that all beings in the Dharma-realm have from the beginning possessed the three truths in their single minds, then at each moment one encounters the Buddhas in one’s own mind, which is called “life and next life encountering Buddhas.”

所謂南無妙法蓮華経は是なり。

So to speak, this is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

陀羅尼品

26. Dhāranī

　　　　　　　　　未来顕

　　　修行是経者　令得安穏

　　　　　　　　　現在顕

　Text: “We will use our own bodies to shield and guard those who . . . practice this sutra. We will see that they gain peace and tranquility.”

　此の文は五種妙行を修すれば悟の道に入つて嶮路に入らざるなり、

　Orally Transmitted Doctrine says: This passage is saying that if persons carry out the five practices, they will enter the path of enlightenment and will not encounter a dangerous road.

　此れは安穏と云う事なり、

　This is what is meant by “peace and tranquility.”

　所謂・南無妙法蓮華経即安穏なり云云。

　So to speak, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is peace and tranquility as it is.

厳王品

　

　27. The King Wonderful Adornment

　宿福深厚　生値仏法

　Text: “We have been blessed with great good fortune from past existences and so have been born in an age where we can encounter the Buddha’s Law.”

　此の文は一句妙法に結縁すれば億劫にも失せずして大乗無価の宝珠を研き顕すを生値仏法と云うなり。

The Orally Transmitted Doctrine says: This passage is saying that if one can establish a relationship with even just one phrase of the Wonderful Law, that relationship will continue unbroken over a million kalpas, and one can polish and brighten the priceless jewel of the Great Vehicle, which is known as being “born in an age where one can encounter the Buddha’s Law.”

　所謂南無妙法蓮華経の仏法なり。

　 This is the Buddha’s Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

勧発品

　

28. Encouragements of the Bodhisattva Fugen

　　是人命終為千仏授手　令不恐怖不堕悪趣

　Text: “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.”

　此の文は妙法を悟れば分段の身即常寂光と顕るるを命終と云うなり。　

　The Orally Transmitted Doctrine says: This passage explains that when we gain enlightenment into the Wonderful Law, then our bodies that are subjected to transmigration with differences and limitations will manifest, just as they are, the lands of Eternally Tranquil Light, and this is what is known as their “lives coming to an end.”

　千仏とは千如、

　The “thousand Buddhas” are the thousand factors.

　御手とは千如具足なり、故に不堕悪趣なり。

　The word “hands” indicates that we are provided with these thousand factors, and therefore we will not fall “into the evil paths of existence.”

　所謂南無妙法蓮華経の御手なり。

　二十八品に一文充(ずつ)の大事

These are the hands of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

The Essential Passage in Each of the Twenty-eight Chapters of the Lotus Sutra

つづく　to be continued