日蓮大聖人『御書』解説

末法の本仏の立場で法華経一部二十八品を直弟子日興上人に口伝した書【御義口伝 上】要点解説(99)

【勧持品十三箇の大事】

第五 作師子吼の事　(注)

御義口伝に云く、師子吼とは仏の説なり、説法とは法華、別しては南無妙法蓮華経なり。

師とは師匠、授くる所の妙法。子とは弟子、受くる所の妙法。

吼とは師弟共に唱うる所の音声なり、作とはおこすと読むなり、

末法にして南無妙法蓮華経を作すなり。

(注)

作師子吼の事　
妙法蓮華経 勧持品第十三の下記の偈にある。

[原文]
時諸菩薩。敬順仏意。并欲自満 本願。
便於仏前。作師子吼。而発誓言。世尊。
我等於如来滅後。周旋往返。十方世界。能令衆生。
書写此経。受持読誦。解説其義。如法修行。
正憶念。皆是仏之威力。

[和訳]
時に諸菩薩は仏意に敬順し、ならんで自から本願を満たさんと欲し、
仏前に於いて、師子吼を作し、而して誓言を発せり。世尊(釈尊)よ、

我等は如来の滅後に於いて、周く旋り往返し、十方世界の衆生を、
此経(法華経)を書写し、受持・読誦し、其の義を解説し、法の如く能く修行し、
正しく憶念令(せし)めん。是れ皆、仏の威力ならん。



【御義口伝 上】要点解説(100)に続く

17. Persecution of Komatsubara that Nichiren Suffered a Wound in Forehead (7)

　　　　　　　　　　　　Japanese edition.

Nichiren left the residence of Yoshitaka Kudo and moved to the Renge Temple of Hanabusa which is near here and used an effective cure.

The Renge Temple of Awa Hanabusa was a small temple in the depths of the forests.

Nichiren read the sutra in room.

The bandage of the head seems painful. He hung the broken left arm in a triangle bandage.

Nichiro of the disciple has gotten a cure from Hokibo.

Dozenbo and Gijobo, Jokenbo entered there.

Dozenbo who was faintheartedness worried about loved ex-disciple.

"Nichiren, no, priest, the injury has become slightly good?".

"As you can see, I am going to the convalescence because disciples and everybody of the Renge Temple cure me every day. I caused you worry".

“I'm glad to know that. I was relieved to hear that. By the way, regarding to nun Myoren, she became very fine thanks to the prayer of you. This rumor spreads and is the sole topic of conversation at the Seichoji Temple. This Dozenbo also is proud by recovery of your mother”.

Nichiren held the aching arm and talked to the teacher.

“I rode out this difficulty too because there was the faiths that was strong and energetic to the Lotus Sutra. Teacher,please believe the marvelous Law early, too. If you kept the Lotus Sutra, nothing could please me more than this.

Dozenbo expressed his mind here.

“Nichiren, I do not have the wisdom by nature. Because I have got old without being selected from somewhere, I will not be able to make a learned and virtuous priest of Nembutsu because there is not the particular relationship either. Because it is spreading in the world, I only chant Nam-Amidabutsu aloud. In addition, as for me, I was unwilling, but there was a relationship recently, and I have made very five statues of Amida. This is also my karma from the remotest past. Nichiren, will I fall into the hell by this fault?”.

Nichiren could not but have mercy on him truly. However, he chimes in and should not console him. Aside from the Law of custom, especially in the Law of Buddha, one must make right what must make right even if a partner was a teacher; if one did not make right, he will receive the same crime with partner.

After having greatly taken a deep breath, Nichiren scolded a teacher severely.

“To make five statues of Amida means that you fall into the hell of incessant suffering five times. Lotus Sutra says; Buddha is our father and Amida is an uncle. It is terrible being undutiful that one respects an uncle and neglects father, and it is still more sinful than a bad person. The bad person does not believe Law of Buddha. Therefore, it is almost innocent for him to abandon tathagata Shakyamuni. He has some kind of relationship sometime and may believe. Although the teacher is being thought to be a great good person, you are a most evil man who leave a parent and accompanied the other person in actuality. You are not able to avoid the crime of slandering the Lotus Sutra!".

It was the expostulation from the ex-disciple who might be said that it was cold-hearted.

Dozenbo came crest-fallen in silence.

Nichiren spelled his mind of this time as follows in 'the About Zenmui (Subhakarasimha)' later.

“I thought that it was courtesy having gentle mind, and saying calmly, but, the order of old age and youth is not decided in the life and death world, it either will be difficult meeting him twice”.

A human may die at any moment.

It would be difficult to meet the teacher again if he had missed this opportunity.

Though it is courtesy saying calmly because he is a teacher, it will not come true that a teacher is converted to the Lotus Sutra if he did not strongly say now. Nichiren scolded him for this reason.

Continued to 18. 'The Personal Letter from Mongolia Arrives, and the Warning of Foreign Invasion Proves to have been Right'.

Life of Nichiren. Vol. 1. Contents