大聖人様のお言葉 十八 Words of Daishonin. 18

　疏(じょ)の十に云く「惣じて一経を結するに唯四のみ。

　Words and Phrases, volume ten, says, “The sutra as a whole is summed up in these four phrases.

　其の枢柄(すうへい)を撮(と)つて之を授与す」と。

　These four represent the essence of the sutra. The Buddha hands it on.”

　

　御義口伝に云く、一経とは本迹二十八品なり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines says: “The sutra as a whole” refers to the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra, the essential teaching and the theoretical teaching.

　唯四とは名用体宗の四なり。　

　“These four phrases” refers to the four principles of name, function, essence, and quality.

　枢柄とは唯題目の五字なり。　

　“The essence of the sutra” refers to the five characters of the title.

　授与とは上行菩薩に授与するなり。　

　“Hand it on to others” means handing it on to Bodhisattva Jogyo.

　之とは妙法蓮華経なりと云へり。

　“It” refers to Myoho-renge-kyo.

　今日蓮等の類(たぐい)弘通の南無妙法蓮華経は体なり心なり。　

　This passage of the commentary is perfectly clear. Now when Nichiren and his associates propagate Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, this is the principle of essence or heart.

　廿八品は用なり、

　The twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra are the principle of function.

　廿八品は助行なり。題目は正行なり。

　The recitation of any of the twenty-eight chapters is a supplementary practice, while the recitation of the title is the fundamental practice.

　正行に助行を摂す可きなり。

　The supplementary practice is included within the fundamental practice.

一　序品

1. Introduction

　御義口伝に云く、如是我聞の四字を能く能く心得れば一経無量の義は知られ易きなり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines says: If one gives careful consideration to the four opening characters of the chapter that represent “This is what I heard,” then one can easily understand all the immeasurable meanings of the entire sutra.

　十界互具・三千具足の妙と聞くなり。

　What is “heard” is the wonderful truth of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds and of the inclusion of the three thousand realms in a single moment of mind.

　此の所聞は妙法蓮華と聞く故に妙法の法界互具にして三千清浄なり。

　Because that which is heard is Myoho-renge, it means that in the Dharma-realm of the Wonderful Law the Ten Worlds are mutually possessed, and that the three thousand realms are clean and pure.

　此の四字を以て一経の始終に亘るなり。　

　The four characters permeate the entire sutra from beginning to end.

　二十八品の文々句々の義理、我が身の上の法門と聞くを如是我聞とは云うなり。

　The meaning behind each and every word and phrase of the twenty-eight chapters of the sutra refers to the hearing of this doctrine as it applies to one’s own self, and this is summed up in the words “This is what I heard.”

　其を聞く者は南無妙法蓮華経なり。

　This thing that is heard is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

　されば皆成仏道と云うなり。

　Therefore the sutra says that all achieve the Buddha way (chapter one).

　此の皆成の二字は十界三千に亘る可きなり。 妙法の皆成なるが故なり。

　The two words “all achieve” refer to all the Ten Worlds and three thousand realms, because “all achieve” means that all beings attain the Buddha way through the Wonderful Law.

　又仏とは我が一心なり。是又十界三千の心なり。

　Again, the word “Buddha” refers to the single mind of the individual, to the various minds of the Ten Worlds and three thousand realms.

　道とは能通に名づくる故に十界の心心に通ずるなり。

　The word “way” indicates something that allows one to pass through, and hence it refers to the Buddha way that these various minds of the Ten Worlds pass through.

　此の時、皆成仏道と顕るるなり。

　When this happens, then the state characterized as “all achieve the Buddha way” is manifested.

　皆成仏道の法は南無妙法蓮華経なり云々。

　The Law underlying the words “all achieve the Buddha way” is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

一　方便品

　2. Expedient Means

　御義口伝に云く、此の品には十如是を説く。　

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines says: This chapter describes the ten factors of life.

　此の十如是とは十界なり。此の方便とは十界三千なり。　

　This Expedient Means refers to the Ten Worlds and three thousand realms manifested by all phenomena.

　既に妙法蓮華経を頂く故に十方仏土中・唯有(ゆいう)一乗法なり。

　Since all of these have already been preceded by the words Myoho-renge-kyo in the title of the chapter, it is stated that “in the Buddha lands of the ten directions / there is only the Law of the one vehicle” (chapter two).

　妙法の方便、蓮華の方便なれば秘妙なり清浄なり。

　This is the Expedient Means of the Wonderful Law (myōhō), the Expedient Means of the truth of the lotus (renge), and therefore it is termed “secret and wonderful,” “clean and pure.”

　妙法の五字は九識、方便は八識なり。

　The five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo represent the ninth consciousness, while the Expedient Means represents the levels from the eighth to the first five consciousnesses.

　八識は迷(まよい)なり、九識は悟(さとり)なり。

　The ninth consciousness is the realm of enlightenment, while the levels from the eighth to the first five consciousnesses are the realm of delusion.

　妙法蓮華経方便品と題したれば迷悟(めいご)不二なり。

　Since the chapter is entitled Myoho-renge-kyo Hōben-bon, “The Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, Expedient Means Chapter,” this indicates that delusion and enlightenment are not separate.

　森羅三千の諸法、此の妙法蓮華経方便に非ずと云う事無きなり。

　This means that of all the myriad phenomena and the three thousand realms, there are none that are not part of the Expedient Means of Myoho-renge-kyo.

　

　品は義類同なり。　

　“Chapter” indicates teachings that are alike (dō) in doctrinal content (girui).

　義とは三千なり。類とは互具なり。同とは一念なり。

　The word gi (content) here indicates the three thousand realms, rui (categories or likeness) indicates the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, and dō indicates a single moment of mind.

　此の一念三千を指して品と云うなり。

　Therefore the word “chapter” here indicates the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of mind.

　此の一念三千を三仏合点し給ふなり。

　This truth of three thousand realms in a single moment of mind represents the point upon which the three groups of Buddhas, Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions that are emanations of Shakyamuni, are all in agreement.

　仍(よ)つて品品に題せり。

　Hence each chapter of the sutra has this word “chapter” in its title.

　所謂南無妙法蓮華経の信の一念より三千具足と聞けたり云云。

　

　So to speak, the moment one has the single mind of faith in Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, one becomes endowed with the three thousand realms, and thus one has heard the message of this chapter.

一　薬草喩品

　5. The Parable of the Medicinal Herbs

　御義口伝に云く、妙法の薬草なれば十界三千の毒草(どくそう)、蓮華の薬草なれば本来清浄(しょうじょう)なり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines says: The poisonous herbs of the Ten Worlds and three thousand realms are originally the medicinal herbs of the Wonderful Law. Because these are also the medicinal herbs of renge, or the lotus, they have always been clean and pure.

　清浄なれば仏なり。　

　And being clean and pure, they are the Buddha.

　

　此の仏の説法とは南無妙法蓮華経なり云云。

　This teaching preached by the Buddha is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

　されば此の品には種相体性(しゅ・そう・たい・しょう)の種の字に種類種(しゅるいじゅ)・相対種の二の開会(かいえ)之れ有り。

　For this reason, in this chapter the word shu, “seed” or “species” in the passage “because only the Tathagata understands the species, the form, the substance, the nature of these living beings,” embodies two revelations, those of shuruishu, or “seeds of similar species,” and sōtaishu, or “seeds of their opposites.”

　相対種とは三毒即三徳なり。

　The term “seeds of their opposites” means that the three poisons of greed, anger, and foolishness are none other than the three virtues of the Dharma body, wisdom, and emancipation.

　種類種とは始めの種の字は十界三千なり。

　In the term shuruishu, or “seeds of similar species,” the first shu, or “seeds,” refers to the Ten Worlds and three thousand realms.

　類とは互具なり。

　The word rui, or “similar,” refers to the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds.

　下の種の字は南無妙法蓮華経なり、種類の種なり。

　And the second shu refers to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This is the makeup of the term shuruishu.

　

　十界三千の草木各各なれども、只南無妙法蓮華経の一種なり。

　The various plants and trees of the Ten Worlds and three thousand realms are of many individual kinds, but in the end they are all simply this one seed or species of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

　毒草も毒木も悉く清浄の草木にして薬草なり云云。

　The poison of the poisonous herbs ceases to exist. These plants and trees are clean and pure, and hence they are called medicinal herbs.

一　安楽行品

　14. Peaceful Practices

　御義口伝に云く、妙法の安楽行なれば十界三千悉く安楽行なり。　

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines says: Since these are peaceful practices of the Wonderful Law, the actions of those in the Ten Worlds and three thousand realms are all peaceful practices.

　自受用の当体なり。　

　They are “the entity inherently endowed with boundless merits that is freely received and used,” or the Buddha bodies.

　身口意・誓願、悉く安楽行なり。　

　The actions of the body, the mouth, the mind, and the vows are all peaceful practices.

　蓮華の安楽行なれば三千・十界清浄の修行なり。

　And since they are peaceful practices of renge, the lotus, the actions of those in the three thousand realms and the Ten Worlds are religious practices that are clean and pure.

　諸法実相なれば安楽行に非ざること莫し。　

　Since they are “the true aspect of all phenomena” (chapter two, Expedient Means), there are none that are not peaceful practices.

　本門の心は十界の色心・本来本有(ほんぬ)として真実・大安楽行なり。

　The meaning of the essential teaching is that the bodies and minds of the beings of the Ten Worlds have always been carrying out the true peaceful practices.

　

　安楽行の体とは所謂上行所伝の南無妙法蓮華経是なり。

　The essence of these peaceful practices is this Nam-myoho-renge-kyo that was transmitted to the bodhisattva Jogyo.

　霊山浄土に安楽に行詣(ぎょうけい)すべきなり云云。

　With these peaceful practices, we must visit the Pure Land of Spirit Eagle Mountain with ease.

寿量品

　16. The Life Span of the Tathagata

　御義口伝に云く、寿量品とは十界の衆生の本命なり。　

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines says: “The Life Span of the Tathagata” chapter deals with the original life of the living beings of the Ten Worlds.

　此の品を本門と云う事は本入門と云う事なり。

　This chapter is called the hommon, or essential teaching, because it is the gateway (mon), or teaching, by which one enters into what is essential or original (hon).

　凡夫の血肉の色心を本有(ほんぬ)と談ずるが故に本門とは云うなり。

　The flesh-and-blood bodies and the minds of ordinary beings are described in this chapter as essentially or inherently eternal, and therefore this is called the essential teaching.

　此の重に至らざるを始覚(しかく)と云い、迹門と云うなり。

　The part of the sutra before this important point is revealed is called an acquired enlightenment and represents the theoretical teaching.

　是を悟るを本覚と云い本門と云うなり。

　But when one comes to understand this point, this is called original enlightenment, and this represents the essential teaching.

　所謂南無妙法蓮華経は一切衆生の本有の在所なり。爰元(ここもと)を経に我実成仏已来とは云うなり。

　Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is the place where all living beings originally dwell. Therefore the sutra says, “. . . since I in fact attained Buddhahood” (chapter sixteen).

　一　神力品

　21. Supernatural Powers of the Tathagata

　御義口伝に云く、十種の神力を現じて上行菩薩に妙法蓮華経の五字を付属し給うなり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines says: In this chapter the Buddha displays the ten types of supernatural powers and transfers the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo to the bodhisattva Jogyo.

　神力とは十界三千の衆生の神力なり。

These supernatural powers belong to the living beings of the Ten Worlds and three thousand realms.

凡夫は体の神力、三世の諸仏は用(ゆう)の神力なり。　

　Ordinary beings represent the entities of the supernatural powers, while the Buddhas of the three existences represent the function of the supernatural powers.

　神とは心法、力とは色法なり。

　The word “supernatural” refers to the element of the mind, while the word “powers” refers to the element of the body.

　

　力は法なり、神は妙なり。　

　Again, “powers” stands for the Law, while “supernatural” stands for wonderful.

　妙法の神力なれば十界悉く神力なり。

　 And because these are the supernatural powers of the Wonderful Law, it means that they are the supernatural powers of all of the Ten Worlds.

　蓮華の神力なれば十界清浄の神力なり。

　And because they are the supernatural powers of renge, the lotus, it means that the supernatural powers of the Ten Worlds are clean and pure.

　

　惣じて三世の諸仏の神力は此の品に尽くせり。　

　The supernatural powers of the Buddhas of the three existences are displayed to the full in this chapter.

　釈尊出世の神力の本意も此の品の神力なり。　

　And the true reason why Shakyamuni Buddha manifested his supernatural powers by appearing in the world is likewise embodied in the supernatural powers of this chapter.

　所謂妙法蓮華経の神力なり。　

　This is the supernatural power of Myoho-renge-kyo.

　十界皆成(かいじょう)と談ずるより外には、諸仏の神力は之れ有る可からず。

　The Buddhas have no supernatural power other than that described as the power to lead all beings of the Ten Worlds to Buddhahood.

　一切の法門・神力に非ずと云う事なし云云。

　There are none among the various teachings of the Buddhas that do not pertain to this supernatural power.

　一　勧発品　

　28. Encouragement of the Bodhisattva Fugen

　御義口伝に云く、此の品は再演法華(さいえんほっけ)なり。

　Orally Transmitted Doctrines says: This chapter is a restatement of the Lotus Sutra.

　本迹二門の極理・此の品に至極(しごく)するなり。

　The profound principles expounded in both the essential and the theoretical teachings reach their highest point in this chapter.

　慈覚大師云く、十界の衆生は発心修行と釈し給うは此の品の事なり。

　The Great Teacher Jikaku comments that in this chapter “the living beings of the Ten Worlds set their minds on enlightenment and carry out the practices.”

　

　所詮此の品と序品とは生死の二法なり。　

　Generally speaking, the “Introduction” chapter (chapter one) and this chapter represent the two phenomena of birth and death.

　序品の品は我等衆生の生なり、此の品は一切衆生の死なり。

　The “Introduction” chapter stands for the births of all of us who are living beings, while this chapter stands for the deaths of all living beings.

　生死一念なるを妙法蓮華経と云うなり。

　And birth and death in a single moment of mind is called Myoho-renge-kyo.

　序品の題号は生なり、終の題号は死なり。

　Within each individual chapter, moreover, the title of the chapter represents the phase of birth, while the conclusion of the chapter represents the phase of death.

　此の法華経は生死生死と転(めぐ)りたり。　

　Thus the Lotus Sutra represents the continuing cycle of birth and death, birth and death.

　生の故に始めに如是我聞と置く。

　　Because there is birth, the sutra begins with the words nyo ze gamon, “This is what I heard” (chapter one).

　如は生の義なり。

　The first word nyo has the meaning of birth.

　死の故に終りに作礼而去(さらいにこ)と結したり。

　And because there is death, the sutra concludes with the words “they bowed in obeisance and departed” (chapter twenty-eight).

　去は死の義なり。

　The last word “departed,” has the meaning of death.

　作礼の言は生死の間に成しと成す処の我等衆生の所作なり。

　And the word “bowed in obeisance,” represents the actions of us living beings in the interval between birth and death.

　此の所作とは妙法蓮華経なり。

　These actions are actions of Myoho-renge-kyo.

　

　礼とは不乱の義なり。

　The word “obeisance,” means that which is not disordered.

　法界妙法なれば不乱なり。

　The Dharma-realm is the Wonderful Law, and hence it is not disordered.

　天台大師云く「体の字は礼に訓ず。

　The Great Teacher Tendai states in The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, volume one, “The character "body" or "substance", can be glossed as an obeisance.

　礼は法なり。

　To do obeisance is to act in accordance with the law.

　各(おのおの)其の親を親とし、各其の子を子とす。

　That is, each person treats his or her parents as parents, and each person treats his or her children as children. . . .

　出世の法体(ほったい)も亦復是の如し」と。

　And the substance of the Law in the practice of Buddhism is the same as this.”

　体とは妙法蓮華経の事なり。　

　In this quotation the word tai, or substance, refers to Myoho-renge-kyo.

　先づ体玄義を釈するなり。

　Thus the Great Teacher Tendai commented on the profound meaning of the word tai, or substance.

　体とは十界の異体なり。

　Tai also refers to the different entities that make up the Ten Worlds but that are in effect the entities of Myoho-renge-kyo.

　是を法華経の体とせり。此等を作礼而去とは説かれたり。

　This is the substance of the Lotus Sutra and he explains that “one bows in obeisance to this substance and departs for the true aspect of reality.”

　

　法界の千草万木・地獄餓鬼等、何(いずれ)の界も諸法実相の作礼に非ずという事なし。

　Of the thousand grasses and ten thousand trees that make up the Dharma-realm, the realm of hell dwellers, the realm of hungry spirits, or any of the other realms of the Ten Worlds, there is none that does not do obeisance to the true aspect of all phenomena.

　是れ即ち普賢(ふげん)菩薩なり。

　This is symbolized in the bodhisattva Fugen.

　普とは法界、賢とは作礼而去なり。

　The word Universal refers to the Dharma-realm, while the word Worthy refers to the fact that all “bow in obeisance and depart.”

　此れ即ち妙法蓮華経なり。

　This is none other than Myoho-renge-kyo.

　爰を以て品品の初めにも五字を以て記し、終りにも五字を以て結したり。

　Hence it is that each chapter of the sutra begins with the five characters Myoho-renge-kyo in the title, and the sutra concludes with these five characters.

　前後・中間・南無妙法蓮華経の七字なり。

　And the beginning, the end, and what comes in between are all the seven characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

　末法弘通の要法は唯此の一段に爾(しか)ず。　

　The essential Law that is to be propagated in the Latter Day of the Law is contained in the above paragraph.

　若し此等の心を失うて要法に結せずんば、末法弘通の法には足らざる者なり。剰(あまつさ)え日蓮が本意を失う可し。

　 Anyone who does not understand this fact while leaving out this essential doctrine will not only fail to propagate in the Latter Day, but will in addition be going against the true intention of Nichiren.

　日蓮が弟子檀那、別の広才無益(むやく)なり。

　Nichiren’s disciples and lay followers will not benefit by having any special talent or understanding other than this.

　妙楽大師云く「子・父の法を弘む。世界の益有り」と。　

　The Great Teacher Myoraku in his commentary On “The Words and Phrases,” volume nine says, “The children propagate the Law of the father, and this merits the world.”

　子とは地涌の菩薩なり。父とは釈尊なり。世界とは日本国なり。

　The children are the Bodhisattvas Emerging from the Earth, the father is Shakyamuni Buddha, and the world is the country of Japan.

　益とは成仏なり。

　To benefit here means to lead others to the attainment of Buddhahood.

　法とは南無妙法蓮華経なり。

　And the Law is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

　今又以て此くの如し。父とは日蓮なり。子とは日蓮が弟子檀那なり。世界とは日本国なり。　

　Or again, the father is Nichiren, the children are Nichiren’s disciples and lay followers, and the world is the country of Japan.

　益とは受持成仏なり。

　To benefit means to lead others to accept and uphold the Law and to attain Buddhahood.

　法とは上行所伝の題目なり。

二十八品は悉く南無妙法蓮華経の事

　And the Law is the title that is transmitted by Bodhisattva Jogyo.

　All the Twenty-eight Chapters of the Lotus Sutra Are Nam-myoho-renge-kyo

つづく　to be continued