Questions and Answers on Embracing the Lotus Sutra
Question: I have been born a human being--something rarely achieved--and have had the good fortune to encounter
Buddhism. But there are shallow teachings and there are profound teachings, and some people rank high in capacity while others
rank low. Now what teachings ought I to practice in order to attain Buddhahood as quickly as possible? I beg you to instruct
me on this point.
Answer: Each family has its respected elders, and each province, its men of honored station. But although
people all look up to their particular lord and pay honor to their own parents, could anyone stand higher than the ruler of
the nation?
In the same way, confrontations between the Mahayana and the Hinayana or between the provisional and
true teachings are comparable to disputes among rival houses, but among all the sutras expounded during the lifetime of the
Buddha, the Lotus Sutra alone holds the position of absolute superiority. It is the guidepost that points the way to the immediate
attainment of perfect wisdom, the carriage that takes us at once to the place of enlightenment.
Question: As I understand it, a teacher is someone who has grasped the central meaning of the sutras
and treatises and who writes commentaries explaining them. If that is so, then it is only natural that the teachers of the
various sects should each formulate doctrines according to his understanding, and on that basis write his commentaries, establish
principles, and dedicate himself to the attainment of perfect wisdom. How could such an undertaking be in vain? To insist
that the Lotus Sutra alone holds the position of absolute superiority is to adopt too narrow a view, I believe.
Answer: If you think that to proclaim the absolute superiority of the Lotus Sutra is to take too narrow
a view, then one would have to conclude that no one in the world was more narrow-minded than Shakyamuni Buddha. I am afraid
you are greatly mistaken in this matter. Let me quote to you from one of the sutras and one of the schools of commentary and
see if I can resolve your confusion.
The Muryogi Sutra says: "[Because people differ in their natures and desires,] I expounded the Law in
various ways. Expounding the Law in various ways, I made use of the power of expedient means. But in these more than forty
years, I have not yet revealed the truth."
Hearing this pronouncement, Bodhisattva Daishogon and the other eighty thousand bodhisattvas replied
in unison, voicing their understanding that "[If one cannot hear of this sutra...] in the end he will never attain supreme
enlightenment, even after the lapse of countless, limitless, inconceivable asogi kalpas."
The point of this passage is to make clear that, no matter how much one may aspire to the Buddha Way
by calling upon the name of Amida Buddha or by embracing the teachings of the Zen sect--relying on the sutras of the Kegon,
Agon, Hodo and Hannya periods preached by the Buddha during the previous forty years and more--he will never succeed in attaining
supreme enlightenment, even though a countless, limitless, inconceivable number of asogi kalpas should pass.
And this is not the only passage of this type. The Hoben chapter of the Lotus Sutra states: "The World-Honored
One has long expounded his doctrines and now must reveal the truth." It also says, "[In the Buddha lands of the ten directions,]
there is the Dharma of only one vehicle. There are not two, nor are there three." These passages mean that only this Lotus
Sutra represents the truth.
Again, in the second volume it says, "I [Shakyamuni] alone can save them." And it speaks of "desiring
only to receive and keep the scripture of the Great Vehicle, not accepting even a single verse from any of the other sutras.
It also says, "One who refuses to take faith in this sutra and instead slanders it immediately destroys
the seeds for becoming a Buddha in this world.... After they die, they will fall into the Avichi Hell."
Examining these passages, the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai concluded that it was statements such as these
that had prompted the words, "Is this not a devil who has taken on the Buddha's form?" If we merely rely upon the commentaries
of the various teachers, and do not follow the statements of the Buddha himself, then how can we call our beliefs Buddhism?
To do so would be the height of absurdity!
Therefore, the Great Teacher Chisho stated in his commentary, "If one claims that there is no division
of Mahayana and Hinayana among the sutras and no distinction of partial and perfect among revelations of the truth, and therefore
accepts all the words of the various teachers, then the preachings of the Buddha will have been to no purpose."
T'ien-t'ai has asserted, "That which has a profound doctrine and accords with the sutras is to be accepted
and heeded. But put no faith in anything that in word or meaning fails to do so." And he also says, "All assertions that lack
scriptural proof are to be branded as false." How do you interpret such statements?
Question: What you have just said may apply to the commentaries of the teachers. But what about the
sutras preached before the Lotus Sutra that state, "This is the foremost sutra" or "This is the king of sutras"? If one were
to go by what you have said, then he would have to reject these pronouncements, which are the words of the Buddha himself.
Is this not so?
Answer: Although these earlier sutras may include such statements as "this is the foremost sutra" or
"this is the king of sutras," they are all nevertheless provisional teachings. One is not to rely on such pronouncements.
The Buddha himself commented on this point when he said, "Rely on the sutras that are complete and final and not on those
that are not complete and final." And the Great Teacher Miao-lo states in his commentary: "Though other sutras may call themselves
the king among sutras, there is none that announces itself as foremost among all the sutras preached in the past, now being
preached, or to be preached in the future. Thus one should understand them according to the principle of 'combining, excluding,
corresponding and including.'" This passage of commentary is saying in essence that, even if there should be a sutra that
calls itself the king of sutras, if it does not also declare itself superior to those sutras that have been preached before
and those that shall be preached after, then one should know that it is a sutra belonging to the category of expedient teachings.
It is the way of the sutras preached before the Lotus Sutra to say nothing concerning the sutras that
were to be preached in the future. Only in the case of the Lotus Sutra, because it is the ultimate and highest statement of
the Buddha's teachings, do we find a clear pronouncement that this sutra alone holds the place of absolute superiority among
"all the sutras I have preached, now preach, and will preach."
Hence Miao-lo's commentary states: "Only when he came to preach the Lotus Sutra did the Buddha explain
that his earlier teachings were provisional, and make clear that his present teaching in the Lotus Sutra represents the truth."
Thus we may see that, in the Lotus Sutra, the Tathagata gave definite form both to his true intention and to the methods to
be used in teaching and conferring benefit.
It is for this reason that T'ien-t'ai states: "After the Tathagata attained enlightenment, for forty
years and more he did not reveal the truth. With the Lotus Sutra he for the first time revealed the truth." In other words,
for forty years and more after the Tathagata went out into the world, he did not reveal the true teaching. In the Lotus Sutra,
he for the first time revealed the true Way that leads to the attainment of Buddhahood.
Question: I understand what you say about the Lotus Sutra being foremost among all the sutras that the
Buddha "has preached, now preaches, and will preach." But there is a certain teacher who asserts that the statement "In these
more than forty years, I have not yet revealed the truth" is meant to apply only to the shomon disciples, who were enabled
to achieve Buddhahood through the Lotus Sutra. It does not apply to the bodhisattvas, who had already gained the benefit of
enlightenment through the sutras preached prior to the Lotus Sutra. What is your opinion on this matter?
Answer: You are referring to the view that the Lotus Sutra was preached for the benefit of persons in
the two realms of shomon and engaku and not for persons in the realm of Bodhisattva, and that the words "I have not yet revealed
the truth" therefore apply only to persons of the two vehicles. This was the opinion put forth by the Great Teacher Tokuichi,
a priest of the Hosso sect. It has been repudiated by the Great Teacher Dengyo, who wrote: "There is at present a certain
feeder on lowly food who has composed several volumes of spurious writings, slandering the Law and slandering persons. How
can he possibly escape falling into hell!" As a result of these words of censure directed at him, Tokuichi's tongue split
into eight pieces and he died.
Be that as it may, the assertion that the statement "I have not yet revealed the truth" was made for
the sake of those in the two realms of shomon and engaku is in itself completely reasonable. The reason is that, from the
very beginning, the fundamental purpose of the Tathagata's preaching was to open the way to enlightenment for persons in these
two realms. And the methods of instruction used throughout his teaching life, as well as the skillful means exhibited in his
three cycles of preaching, were chiefly employed for their sake.
In the Kegon Sutra, beings dwelling in hell are deemed able to become Buddhas, but those of shomon and
engaku are condemned as incapable of doing so. In the Hodo sutras, it is stated that, just as lotus flowers cannot grow on
the peak of a mountain, so those in the two realms [can never attain enlightenment, because they] have scorched the seeds
of Buddhahood. And in the Hannya sutras, we read that persons who have committed the five cardinal sins can attain Buddhahood,
but that those of the two vehicles are rejected as unable to do so. The Tathagata now declared as his true intention that
these pitiful, abandoned persons in the two realms could indeed attain Buddhahood, using this as a standard to demonstrate
the superiority of the Lotus Sutra.
Therefore, T'ien-t'ai has stated: "Neither the Kegon nor the Daibon Sutra could cure [the plight of
these persons in the two realms of shomon and engaku]. The Lotus Sutra alone was able to produce the roots of goodness in
those who have nothing more to learn, and to make it possible for them to attain the Buddha Way. Therefore, the sutra is called
myo or 'mystic.' Again, the icchantika or persons of incorrigible disbelief nevertheless have minds, and so it is still possible
for them to attain Buddhahood. But persons of the two vehicles have annihilated consciousness, and therefore cannot arouse
the mind which aspires to enlightenment. And yet the Lotus Sutra can cure them, which is why it is called myo."
There is no need for me to explain in detail the import of this passage. One should understand once
and for all that even the Dharma medicine offered by the Kegon, Hodo and Daibon sutras cannot cure the grave illness that
afflicts persons in these two realms of shomon and engaku. Moreover, in the sutras preached before the Lotus Sutra, even guilty
persons who are condemned to inhabit the three evil paths are regarded as bodhisattvas [and therefore capable of attaining
Buddhahood], but no such recognition is accorded to the persons of the two vehicles.
With regard to this point, the Great Teacher Miao-lo states: "In the various sutras, it is taught that all
other beings may attain Buddhahood, but there is absolutely no such hope offered to persons in the two realms. Therefore [in
the Lotus Sutra] the six lower realms are grouped with the realm of Bodhisattva [as being assured of Buddhahood], and [the
power of the sutra] is set forth with respect to those of the two realms of shomon and engaku, for whom Buddhahood is most
difficult to achieve." Indeed, T'ien-t'ai establishes that the attainment of Buddhahood by those in the two realms of shomon
and engaku is proof that all persons without exception can become Buddhas.
Could one think it difficult for an asura to cross the great ocean? Could one possibly think it easy
for a little child to overthrow a sumo wrestler? In like manner, in the sutras preached before the Lotus Sutra, it is explained
that persons who have the seeds of the Buddha nature may attain Buddhahood, but nowhere is it stated that those whose seeds
are hopelessly scorched can ever do so. It is only the good medicine of the Lotus Sutra that can readily cure this grave affliction.
Now, if you wish to attain Buddhahood, you have only to lower the banners of your arrogance, cast aside
the staff of your anger, and devote yourself exclusively to the one vehicle of the Lotus Sutra. Worldly fame and profit are
mere baubles of your present existence, and arrogance and prejudice are ties that will fetter you in a future one. Ah, you
should be ashamed of them! And you should fear them, too!
Question: Since, by means of a single instance, one may surmise the nature of all, on hearing your brief
remarks about the Lotus Sutra, I feel that my ears and eyes have been clearly opened for the first time. But how can one understand
the Lotus Sutra, so as to quickly reach the shore of enlightenment?
I have heard it said that only one for whom the sun of wisdom shines unclouded in the great sky of ichinen
sanzen, and for whom the water of wisdom in the broad pond of isshin sangan is clear and never muddied, has the capacity to
carry out the practice of this sutra. But I have never exerted myself to study the various schools of the Southern Capital
[of Nara], and so I know nothing of the doctrines of the Yuga Ron and Yuishiki Ron, and my eyes are equally unopened with
respect to the teachings of the Northern Peak [Mount Hiei], and so I am quite confused about the significance of the Maka
Shikan and Hokke Gengi. With regard to the Tendai and Hosso sects, I am comparable to a person who has a pot over his head
and stands with his face to a wall. It would seem, therefore, that my capacity is not equal to the Lotus Sutra. What am I
to do?
Answer: It is the way of scholars these days to assert that only those who possess superior wisdom and
strenuously exert themselves in the practice of meditation have the capacity to benefit from the Lotus Sutra, and to discourage
persons who lack wisdom from even trying. But this is in fact an utterly ignorant and erroneous view. The Lotus Sutra teaches
that all people, whoever they may be, can attain the Buddha Way. Therefore, the persons of superior faculties and superior
capacity should naturally devote themselves to meditating on the mind and the dharmas. But for persons of inferior faculties
and inferior capacity, the important thing is simply to have a mind of faith. Hence the Lotus Sutra states: "Those who with
a pure mind believe and revere this doctrine, without giving way to doubt or confusion, will not fall into the realm of Hell,
Hunger or Animality, but will be reborn in the presence of the Buddhas of the ten directions." One should have complete faith
in the Lotus Sutra and look forward to being reborn in the presence of the Buddhas.
To illustrate, suppose that a person is standing at the foot of a tall embankment and is unable to ascend.
And suppose that there is someone on top of the embankment who lowers a rope and says, "If you take hold of this rope, I will
pull you up to the top of the embankment." If the person at the bottom begins to doubt that the other has the strength to
pull him up, or wonders if the rope is not too weak and therefore refuses to put forth his hand and grasp it, then how is
he ever to get to the top of the embankment? But if he follows the instructions, puts out his hand and takes hold of the rope,
then he can climb up.
If one doubts the strength of the Buddha when he says, "I alone can save them"; if one is suspicious
of the rope held out by the Lotus Sutra when its teachings declare that one can "gain entrance through faith"; if one fails
to chant the Mystic Law which guarantees that "[concerning this man's attainment of Buddhahood,] there can assuredly be no
doubt," then the Buddha's power cannot reach him and it will be impossible for him to scale the embankment of enlightenment.
Lack of faith is the basic failing that causes one to fall into hell. Therefore, the Lotus Sutra states:
"One who gives way to doubt and does not have faith will surely fall into the evil paths."
When one has had the rare good fortune to be born a human being, and the further good fortune to encounter
the teachings of Buddhism, how can he waste this opportunity? If one is going to take faith at all, then among all the various
teachings of the Mahayana and the Hinayana, provisional and true doctrines, he should take faith in the one vehicle, the true
purpose for which the Buddhas come into this world and the direct path to attaining enlightenment for all living beings.
If the sutra that one embraces is superior to all other sutras, then the person who can uphold its teachings
must likewise surpass other people. That is why the Lotus Sutra states: "He who can uphold this sutra will also be first among
all the multitude of living beings." There can be no question about these golden words of the great sage, the Buddha. And
yet people fail to understand this principle or to examine the matter, but instead seek worldly reputation or give way to
suspicion and prejudice, thus forming the basis for falling into hell.
All that is desired is that one embrace this sutra and cast his name upon the sea of the vows made by
the Buddhas of the ten directions, that he entrust his honor to the heaven that is the compassion of the bodhisattvas of the
three existences. When a person thus embraces the Lotus Sutra, he will cause the gods, dragons, and the others of the eight
kinds of lowly beings, as well as all the great bodhisattvas, to become his followers. Not only that, but his physical body,
which is still in the course of achieving Buddhahood, will acquire the Buddha eye of one who has perfected that course; and
this common flesh, that exists in the realm of the conditioned, will put on the holy garments of the unconditioned. Then he
need never fear the three paths or tremble before the eight difficulties. He will ascend to the peak of the mountain of the
seven expedients and sweep away the clouds of the nine worlds. In the garden of undefiled ground the flowers will bloom, and
in the sky of the Dharma nature the moon will shine brightly. One can rely on the passage that promises, "Concerning this
man's attainment of Buddhahood, there can assuredly be no doubt," and there is no question about the Buddha's pronouncement
that "I alone can save them."
The blessings gained by arousing even a single moment of faith in and understanding of the Lotus Sutra
surpass those of practicing the five paramitas; and the benefit enjoyed by the fiftieth person who rejoices on hearing the
Law is greater than that acquired by giving alms for eighty years. The doctrine of the immediate attainment of enlightenment
far outshines the doctrines of other scriptures; and the pronouncements concerning the revelation of the Buddha's original
enlightenment and the immeasurable duration of his life as the Buddha are never found in any of the other teachings.
Thus it was that the eight-year-old daughter of the dragon king was able to come out of the vast sea
and in an instant give proof of the power of this sutra, and Bodhisattva Jogyo of the essential teaching emerged from beneath
the great earth and demonstrated the unfathomably long life span of the Buddha. This, the Lotus, is the king of sutras, defying
description in words, the wonderful Law that is beyond the mind's power to comprehend.
To ignore the supremacy of the Lotus Sutra and to assert that other sutras stand on a par with it is
to commit the worst possible slander of the Law, a major offense of the utmost gravity. No analogy could suffice to illustrate
it. The Buddhas, for all their powers of magical transformation, could never finish describing its consequences, and the bodhisattvas,
with all the wisdom at their command, could not fathom its immensity. Thus, the Hiyu chapter of the Lotus Sutra says: "Not
even an aeon would be time enough to explain the full gravity of this sin." This passage means that if one were to describe
the offense of a person who acts against the Lotus Sutra even once, he could exhaust a whole kalpa and never finish describing
its seriousness.
For this reason, someone who commits this offense will never be able to hear the teaching of the Buddhas
of the three existences, and will be cut off from the doctrines of the Tathagatas, who are as numerous as the sands of the
Ganges. Such a person will move from darkness into greater darkness. How could he escape the pains and sufferings of the great
citadel of the Avichi Hell? Could any person of feeling fail to dread the prospect of lengthy kalpas of woe?
Thus the Lotus Sutra states: "They will despise, hate, envy and bear grudges against those who read,
recite, transcribe and embrace this sutra.... After they die, they will fall into the Avichi Hell." Who could help but tremble
before these golden words of the great sage? And who could doubt the clear-cut pronouncement of the Buddha when he said, "Honestly
discarding the provisional teachings, [I will expound only the supreme Way]"?
However, people all turn their backs on these sutra passages, and the world as a whole is completely
confused with regard to the principles of Buddhism. Why do you persist in following the teachings of evil friends? The Great
Teacher T'ien-t'ai in his commentary has said that to accept and to put faith in the doctrines of evil teachers is the same
as drinking poison. You must beware of this! You must beware indeed!
Taking a careful look at the world today, we see that, although people declare that the Law is worthy
of respect, they all express hatred for the person [who champions it]. You yourself seem to be very much confused as to the
source from which the Law springs. Just as all the different kinds of plants and trees come forth from the earth, so all the
various teachings of the Buddha are spread by persons. As the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai has said, "Even during the Buddha's
lifetime, the Law was revealed by people. How, then, in the latter age, can one say that the Law is worthy of respect but
that the person [who champions it] is to be despised?"
Hence, if the Law that one embraces is supreme, then the person who embraces it must accordingly be
foremost among all others. And if that is so, then to speak ill of that person is to speak ill of the Law, just as to show
contempt for the son is to show contempt for the parents who bore him.
You should realize from this that the people of today speak words that in no way match what is in their
hearts. It is as though they were to beat their parents with a copy of the Classic of Filial Piety. When they know that, unseen
by others, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas are observing them, how can they fall to be ashamed of such actions! The pains of
hell are frightful indeed. Beware of them! Beware of them!
When you look at those of superior capacity, do not disparage yourself. The Buddha's true intention
was that no one, even those of inferior capacity, be denied enlightenment. Conversely, when you compare yourself with persons
of inferior capacity, do not be arrogant and overproud. Even persons of superior capacity may be excluded from enlightenment
if they do not devote themselves wholeheartedly.
One may think fondly of his native village, but, as he pays no visit there and no particular reason
to go presents itself, in time he gives up the idea of returning. Or one may pine for a particular person, but, with no hope
of winning that person's love and having exchanged no vows, he abandons the thought of continuing to wait. So in like manner
we neglect to journey to the pure land of Eagle Peak, though it surpasses in grandeur the palaces of nobles and high ministers,
and moreover is quite easy to reach. We fail to behold the gentle and benign figure of the Buddha, who has declared, "I am
your father," though we ought surely to present ourselves before him. Should not one grieve at this, until his sleeves are
drenched with tears and his heart consumed by regret?
The color of the clouds in the sky as twilight falls, the waning light of the moon when dawn is breaking--these
things make us ponder. In the same way, whenever events remind us of life's uncertainty, we should fix our thoughts on the
existence to come. When we view the blossoms of spring or the snow on a winter morning, we should think of it, and even on
evenings when winds bluster and gathering clouds tumble across the sky, we should not forget it even for an instant.
Life lasts no longer than the interval between the drawing of one breath and the exhaling of another.
At what time, what moment, should we ever allow ourselves to forget the compassionate vow of the Buddha, whose "constant thought"
is of our salvation? On what day or month should we permit ourselves to be without the sutra that says, "[Among those who
hear of this Law,] there is not one who shall not attain Buddhahood"?
How long can we expect to live on as we have, from yesterday to today or from last year to this year?
We may look back over our past and count how many years we have accumulated, but who can for certain number himself among
the living for another day or even for an hour? Yet, though one may know that the moment of his death is already at hand,
he clings to his arrogance and prejudice, his worldly fame and profit, and fails to devote himself to chanting the Mystic
Law. Such an attitude is futile beyond description! Even though the Lotus Sutra is called the teaching by which all can attain
the Buddha Way, how could a person such as this actually attain it? It is said that even the moonlight will not deign to shine
on the sleeve of an unfeeling person.
Moreover, as life does not go beyond the moment, the Buddha expounded the blessings that come from a
single moment of rejoicing [on hearing the Lotus Sutra]. If two or three moments were required, this could no longer be called
the original vow of the Buddha of great undifferentiating wisdom, the single vehicle of the teaching of immediate enlightenment
that enables all beings to attain Buddhahood.
As for the time of its propagation, the Lotus Sutra spreads during the latter age, when the Buddha's
Law disappears. As for what capacity of persons it is suited to, it can save even those who commit the five cardinal sins
or who slander the Law. Therefore, you must be guided by the intent of [the Lotus Sutra, which is] the immediate attainment
of enlightenment and never give yourself up to the mistaken views suggested to you by doubts or attachments,
How long does a lifetime last? If one stops to consider, it is like a single night's lodging at a wayside
inn. Should one forget that fact and seek some measure of worldly fame and profit? Though you may gain them, they will be
mere prosperity in a dream, a delight scarcely to be prized. You would do better simply to leave such matters to the karma
formed in your previous existences.
Once you awaken to the uncertainty and transience of this world, you will find endless examples confronting
your eyes and filling your ears. Vanished like clouds or rain, the people of past ages have left nothing but their names.
Fading away like dew, drifting far off like smoke, our friends of today too disappear from sight. And should one suppose that
he alone can somehow remain forever like the clouds over Mount Mikasa? The spring blossoms depart with the wind; the maple
leaves turn red in the autumn showers. All are proof that no living being can stay for long in this world. Therefore, the
Lotus Sutra counsels us: "Nothing in this world is firm or secure; all is like foam on the water or a wisp of flame."
"[This is my constant thought:] how I can cause all living beings to gain entry to the highest Way."
These words express the Buddha's deepest wish to enable both those who accept the True Law and those who oppose it to attain
Buddhahood. Because this is his ultimate purpose, those who embrace the Lotus Sutra for even a short while are acting in accordance
with his will. And if one acts in accordance with the Buddha's will, he will be repaying the debt of gratitude he owes to
the Buddha. The words of the sutra, that are as full of compassion as a mother's love, will then find solace, and the cares
of the Buddha, who said, "I alone can save them," will likewise be eased. Not only will Shakyamuni Buddha rejoice, but, because
the Lotus Sutra is the ultimate purpose for the advent of all Buddhas, the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three existences
will likewise rejoice. "[One who embraces it even for a short time] will delight me and all other Buddhas," said Shakyamuni.
And not only will the Buddhas rejoice, but the gods also will join in their delight. Thus, when the Great Teacher Dengyo lectured
on the Lotus Sutra, the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman presented him with a purple robe, and when the priest Kuya recited the
Lotus Sutra, the great deity of Matsuo Shrine was able to gain protection from the cold wind.
For this reason, when praying that "the seven difficulties vanish, the seven blessings at once appear,"
this sutra, the Lotus, is the most effective of all. That is because it promises that one "will enjoy peace and security in
this life." And when offering prayers to avert the disasters of foreign invasion and internal revolt, nothing can surpass
this wonderful sutra, because it promises that persons who embrace it will be protected "for as far as a hundred yojana away,
so that they shall suffer no decline or distress."
But the method of offering prayers in our present age is the exact opposite of what it ought to be.
Prayers are based upon the provisional teachings, which were intended for propagation in previous ages, rather than upon the
secret Law of the highest truth, which is intended for propagation in the latter age. To proceed in this way is like trying
to make use of last year's calendar, or to employ a crow for the kind of fishing that only a cormorant can do.
This situation has come about solely because the error-bound teachers of the provisional teachings are
accorded high honor, while the teacher enlightened to the true teaching has not been duly recognized. How sad to think that
this rough gem, such as was presented by Pien Ho to kings Wen and Wu, should find no place of acceptance! How joyful, though,
that I have obtained in this life the priceless gem concealed in the topknot of the wheel-turning king, for which Shakyamuni
made his advent in this world!
What I am saying here has been fully attested to by the Buddhas of the ten directions and is no mere
idle talk. Therefore, knowing that the Lotus Sutra says, "In the world at that time the people will be full of hostility,
and it will be extremely difficult to believe," how can you retain even a trace of disbelief and refuse to become a Buddha,
of which promise "there can assuredly be no doubt"?
Up until now you have merely suffered in vain the pains of countless existences since the remotest past.
Why do you not, if only this once, try planting the mystic seeds that lead to eternal and unchanging enlightenment? Though
at present you may taste only a tiny fraction of the everlasting joys that await you in the future, surely you should not
spend your time thoughtlessly coveting worldly fame and profit, which are as fleeting as a bolt of lightning or the morning
dew. As the Tathagata has taught us, "There is no safety in this threefold world; it is like a burning house." And in the
words of a bodhisattva, "All things are like a phantom, like a magically conjured image."
Outside the city of Tranquil Light, everywhere is a realm of suffering. Once you leave the haven of
inherent enlightenment, what is there that can bring you joy? I pray you will embrace the Mystic Law, which guarantees that
one "will enjoy peace and security in this life and good circumstances in the next." This is the only glory that you need
seek in your present lifetime, and is the action that will draw you toward Buddhahood in your next existence. Single-mindedly
chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and urge others to do the same; that will remain as the only memory of your present life in this
human world. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Nichiren
Rationale for Submitting the Rissho Ankoku Ron
- Ankoku Ron Gokan Yurai -
In the first year of the Shoka era (1257), when the reverse marker of Jupiter was in the sector of the sky
with the cyclical sign hinoto-mi, on the twenty-third day of the eighth month, at the time when the hour of the dog gives
way to the hour of the boar (around 9:00 P.M.), there occurred an earthquake of unprecedented magnitude. In the second year
of the same era (1258), cyclical sign tsuchinoe-uma, on the first day of the eighth month, there was a great wind. In the
third year 1259), cyclical sign tsuchinoto-hitsuji, a major famine occurred. In the first year of the Shogen era (1259), cyclical
sign tsuchinoto-hitsuji, epidemics were rampant, and throughout the four seasons of the second year (1260), cyclical sign
kanoe-saru, the epidemics continued to rage without abating. By this time more than half the ordinary citizens of the nation
had been laid low by death. The ruler of the country, alarmed at this state of affairs, turned to the scriptures of Buddhism
and the non-Buddhist writings for help, ordering that various prayers be offered. These, however, failed to produce the slightest
effect. On the contrary, famine and epidemics raged more fiercely than ever.
I, Nichiren, observing this state of affairs, proceeded to consult the great collection of Buddhist
scriptures. There I discovered the reason why these prayers are without effect and on the contrary actually make the situation
worse, along with passages of proof to support it. In the end I had no other recourse than to compile a work to present my
findings, entitling it "Rissho Ankoku Ron." In the first year of the Bunno era (1260), cyclical sign kanoe-saru, on the sixteenth
day of the seventh month, at the hour of the dragon (7:00-9:00 A.M.), I handed it to Yadoya Nyudo for presentation to His
Lordship, the lay priest of Saimyo-ji who is now deceased. This I did solely that I might repay the debt of gratitude that
I owe to my native land.
The essence of this memorial is as follows. This country of Japan is placed under the seven reigns of
the heavenly deities and the five reigns of the earthly deities, and then under the hundred reigns of human sovereigns. During
the reign of Emperor Kimmei, the thirtieth of the human sovereigns, Buddhism was for the first time introduced from the kingdom
of Paekche. From that time until the reign of Emperor Kammu, the fiftieth human sovereign, a period of some 260 years, the
various Buddhist scriptures were brought to Japan, as well as the six sects of Buddhism. At this time, however, the Tendai
and Shingon sects had not yet been introduced.
During the reign of Emperor Kammu, there was a young priest named Saicho, who was a disciple of the
administrator of monks Gyohyo of Yamashina-dera temple. (He later came to be known as the Great Teacher Dengyo.) He made a
thorough study of the six sects that had been introduced to Japan earlier, as well as of the Zen doctrine, but none of these
seemed to satisfy him. Earlier, in the reign of Emperor Shomu, a priest of T’ang China, named Chien-chen (Ganjin), had
come to Japan and brought with him the commentaries of T’ien-t’ai. Forty or more years had passed and Saicho was
the first person to peruse them and understand the profound meaning of Buddhism.
In the fourth year of the Enryaku era (785), Saicho founded a temple on Mount Hiei in order to insure
the continuance of peace in heaven and on earth. Emperor Kammu paid honor to the new establishment, designating it as a place
of worship where prayers could be offered to the guardian star of the ruler. He ceased to heed the teachings of the six sects
and instead gave wholehearted allegiance to the perfect doctrines of the Tendai sect.
In the thirteenth year of the Enryaku era (794), the emperor moved the capital from Nagaoka to the city
of Heian. In the twenty-first year of the same era (802), on the nineteenth day of the first month, the emperor summoned fourteen
great scholars of the six sects from the seven major temples of Nara, including such priests as Gonso and Choyo, to Takao-dera
temple, and ordered them to engage Saicho in debate. These masters of the six sects were not able to hold their own against
Saicho even for a single exchange of opinions, to the extent that their mouths were as incapable of speech as noses. The "five
teachings" of the Kegon sect, the "three periods" of the Hosso sect, and the "two storehouses and three periods" propounded
by the Sanron sect -- all of these doctrines were demolished by Saicho. The doctrines of the six sects not only were refuted,
but it was demonstrated how they all go against the correct teaching. On the twenty-ninth day of the same month, the emperor
handed down an edict severely criticizing the fourteen debaters who had confronted Saicho. These priests in turn drew up a
letter apologizing for their conduct and submitted it to the emperor.
Thereafter, one sovereign after another paid allegiance to Mount Hiei, treating it with even greater
deference than a filial son shows toward his father and mother, regarding it (with greater awe) than the common people manifest
before the might of the ruler. At times the rulers issued edicts to honor it, at other times they were obliged to give their
approval to its unjust demands. We may note in particular that Emperor Seiwa was able to ascend the throne as a consequence
of the powerful prayers of the priest Eryo of Mount Hiei. The emperor’s maternal grandfather, the Minister of the Right
Kujo, for this reason submitted a written pledge of his fidelity to Mount Hiei. The General of the Right Minamoto no Yoritomo,
[the founder of the Kamakura shogunate,] it will be recalled, was a descendant of Emperor Seiwa. And yet the government authorities
in Kamakura, though they may or may not be following the right course in their administration, ignore and turn their back
on Mount Hiei. Have they no fear of the punishment of heaven?
In the time of the Retired Emperor Gotoba, during the Kennin era (1201-1204), there were two arrogant
men, Honen and Dainichi. Their bodies were possessed of demons, and they went about deluding the people of both high and low
station throughout the country, until everyone had become a Nembutsu believer or else was hastening to join the Zen sect.
Those who continued to pay respect to Mount Hiei became surprisingly few and lacking in ardor, and throughout the country,
the priests who were authorities on the Lotus Sutra or the Shingon teachings found themselves ignored and rejected.
As a result, the Sun Goddess, Hachiman, and the gods of the seven shrines of Sanno, who guard and protect
Mount Hiei, as well as the other great benevolent deities who protect the different parts of the nation, were no longer able
to taste the flavor of the Law. Their power and brilliance waned, and they abandoned the country. Thus the demons were able
to gain access to the nation and to bring about disasters and calamities. These disasters, as I stated in my memorial, were
omens signifying that our country would in the end be destroyed by a foreign nation.
Later, in the first year of the Bun’ei era (1264), cyclical sign kinoe-ne, on the fifth day of
the seventh month, a comet appeared in the east, and its light shone over the whole country of Japan. This is an evil portent
such as has never been seen before since the beginning of history. None of the authorities on the Buddhist scriptures or the
non-Buddhist writings could understand what had brought about such an ill omen. I became even more grieved and distressed.
Now, nine years after I presented my memorial [to the lay priest of Saimyo-ji], in the intercalary first month of this year,
the official letter arrived from the great kingdom of the Mongols. The events that have occurred match the predictions made
in my memorial as exactly as do the two halves of a tally.
The Buddha left this prediction, saying: "One hundred or more years after my passing, a great ruler
named King Ashoka will appear in the world and will spread my relics far and wide." In the reign of King Chao, the fourth
ruler of the Chou dynasty, the Grand Historian Su Yu made this prediction: "[A sage has been born in the western region.]
One thousand years from now, the noble teachings of this sage will be brought to this country." Prince Shotoku predicted:
"After my death, when two hundred years or more have passed, the city of Heian will be established in the province of Yamashiro."
And the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai predicted: "Two hundred years or more after my death, I will be reborn in an
eastern country and will spread my correct teaching." All of these predictions were fulfilled to the letter.
When I, Nichiren, observed the great earthquake of the Shoka era, and the great wind and famine that
occurred in the same era, as well as the major outbreak of epidemics that took place in the first year of the Shogen era (I259),
I made a prediction, saying: "These are omens indicating that this country of ours will be destroyed by a foreign nation."
I may seem to be praising myself for having made such a prediction, but, if our country should be destroyed, it would most
certainly mean the destruction of the Buddhist teachings as well.
The eminent Buddhist priests of our time seem to be of one mind with those who slander the Law. In fact,
they do not even understand the true meaning of the teachings of their own sects. It is certain that, if they should receive
an imperial command or instructions from the government authorities to offer prayers in an effort to avert the evils that
beset the nation, they would only make the Buddhas and deities angrier than they are already, and then the nation could not
help but face ruin.
I, Nichiren, understand the steps that should be taken to remedy the situation. Other than the Sage
of Mount Hiei, I am the only person in all of Japan who does. Just as there are not two suns or two moons, so two sages are
not to be found standing side by side. If these words of mine are false, then may I be punished by the ten demon daughters
who protect the Lotus Sutra that I embrace. I say all this solely for the sake of the nation, for the sake of the Law, for
the sake of others, not for my own sake. I will be calling upon you in person, and so I am informing you of this. If you do
not heed my advice, you will surely regret it later.
Respectfully,
Nichiren
The fifth day of the fourth month in the fifth year of Bun’ei (1268), cyclical sign tsuchinoe-tatsu
To Hogan Gobo
Rebuking Slander of the Law and Eradicating Sins
I have read your letter carefully. In the past as well, when I was exiled to the province of Izu on account
of the Lotus Sutra, I rejoiced at heart, though when I say so I suppose people will think that I am speaking immodestly.
If, since the beginningless past, I had ever incurred blame for the sake of the Lotus Sutra, whether
I was sincerely devoted to it or not, would I then have been born in this lifetime as a mere common mortal? [Therefore, when
I was condemned to exile,] though I felt downcast for a while, seeing that it was for the sake of the Lotus Sutra, I was also
delighted, for I thought that I might thereby eradicate to some small extent the sins of my previous existences. However,
the various grave offenses represented by the ten evil acts, the four major offenses, the six major offenses, the eight major
offenses, the ten major offenses, the five sins that condemn one to the hell of incessant suffering, the slander of the True
Law, and the sin of incorrigible disbelief, accumulated since the beginningless past, must be huger than huge mountains, deeper
than the great sea.
When it comes to the five cardinal sins, the commission of even one of them will condemn one to the
hell of incessant suffering for the space of an entire kalpa. A kalpa is the length of time it takes for the life span of
human beings to decrease from eighty thousand years to ten years, decreasing at the rate of one year every hundred years,
and then to increase again to eighty thousand years at the same rate. One who murders one's parent will fall into the hell
of incessant suffering and undergo its terrible pain without a moment's respite for such a period of time.
As for the person who slanders the Lotus Sutra, though he may not be serious at heart, if he so much
as manifests the outward appearance of animosity, or if he disparages the sutra even in jest, or if he makes light, not of
the sutra itself, but of those who act in its name, then, the sutra says, he will fall into the hell of incessant suffering
for countless kalpas of the kind described above.
The people who cursed and struck Bodhisattva Fukyo at first behaved with such animosity, though later they
took faith and became followers of the Lotus Sutra, looking up to Fukyo and treating him with great respect, honoring him
as the heavenly deities would Taishaku, and standing in awe of him as we do the sun and moon. However, they were unable to
wipe out the great offense of their initial slander, so that for a thousand kalpas they were condemned to the Avichi Hell,
and for twenty billion kalpas they were abandoned by the three treasures.
If one were to liken the [retribution for the] five cardinal sins and slander of the Law to illness,
then the five cardinal sins would be comparable to sunstroke, which affects one suddenly. Slander of the Law, on the other
hand, is like white leprosy, which does not appear to be so serious at first, but bit by bit becomes very serious indeed.
Those persons who commit slander of the Law are in most cases reborn in the hell of incessant suffering, or, in some few cases,
in one of the six lower paths. If they are reborn in the realm of human beings, then, the sutra tells us, they will suffer
on account of poverty, low status, white leprosy and so forth.
When I, Nichiren, hold up the bright mirror of the Lotus Sutra before my own person, all is spotlessly
revealed, and there can be no doubt that, in my previous existences, I was guilty of slandering the Law. If in my present
existence I do not wipe out that offense, then in the future how can I escape the pains of hell?
How could I gather together all the grave offenses that I have accumulated in age after age since the
far distant past and eradicate them all in my present lifetime, so that I may be spared great pain in the future? When I pondered
this question, it occurred to me that now, in the present age [of the Latter Day of the Law,] slanderers of the Law fill every
province of the nation. What is more, the ruler of the nation is himself the foremost perpetrator of such slander. If in such
a time I do not expunge these heavy sins, then at what time can I expect to do so?
Now if I, Nichiren, insignificant person that I am, were to go here and there throughout the country
of Japan denouncing these slanders, then innumerable persons among the four categories of Buddhists who follow erroneous doctrines
would in one instant join their innumerable voices in reviling me. At that time the ruler of the nation, allying himself with
those monks who slander the Law, would come to hate me and try to have me beheaded or order me into exile. And if this sort
of thing were to occur again and again, then the grave offenses that I have accumulated over countless kalpas could be wiped
out within the space of a single lifetime. Such, then, was the great plan that I conceived; and it is now proceeding without
the slightest deviation. So when I find myself thus sentenced to exile, I can only feel that my wishes are being fulfilled.
Nevertheless, being no more than a common mortal, I have at times been apt to regret having embarked
upon such a course. And if even I am beset by such feelings, then how much more so in the case of a woman such as your wife,
who is ignorant of all the circumstances surrounding the matter! Persons like you and her do not fully comprehend the Buddhist
teachings, and it pains me to think how greatly you must regret that you ever elected to follow Nichiren. And yet, contrary
to what one might expect, I hear that you two are even firmer and more dedicated in your faith than I myself, which is indeed
no ordinary matter! I wonder if Shakyamuni, the lord of teachings, himself may have entered and taken possession of your hearts,
and it moves me so that I can barely restrain my tears.
The Great Teacher Miao-lo says in his commentary (Hokke Mongu Ki, seven): "Therefore we know that if,
in the latter age, one is able to hear the Law even briefly, and if, having heard it, one then arouses faith in it, this comes
about because of the seeds -planted in a previous existence." And he also says (Maka Shikan Bugyoden Guketsu, two): "Being
born at the end of the Middle Day of the Law, I have been able to behold these true words of the sutra. Unless in a previous
existence one has planted the seeds of auspicious causation, then it is truly difficult to encounter such an opportunity."
During the first forty or more years of his teaching life, Shakyamuni kept secret the five characters
of Myoho-renge-kyo. Not only that, he still remained silent concerning them when he preached the first fourteen chapters of
the Lotus Sutra, which comprise the theoretical teaching. It was only with the Juryo chapter that he spoke openly regarding
the two characters renge, which [represent the five characters Myoho-renge-kyo and] indicate the True Effect and the True
Cause. The Buddha did not entrust these five characters to Monju, Fugen, Miroku, Yakuo or the others of their group. Instead
he summoned forth the bodhisattva Jogyo, Muhengyo, Jyogyo, Anryugyo and their followers from the great earth of Tranquil Light
and transferred the five characters to them.
What took place then was no ordinary ceremony. The Tathagata Taho, who lives in the world of Treasure
Purity, made his appearance, seated in a tower that emerged from the earth and was adorned with seven kinds of gems. Shakyamuni
Buddha purified four hundred billion nayuta worlds in addition to this major world system, planted them with rows of jewel
trees measuring five hundred yojana high at intervals of an arrow's flight, placed a lion throne five yojana in height beneath
each jewel tree, and seated on these thrones all the Buddhas from the ten directions, who were his emanations.
Thereupon Shakyamuni Buddha removed his dusty robe, opened the Treasure Tower, and took a seat beside
the Tathagata Taho. It was as though the sun and moon were to appear side by side in the blue sky, or as though Taishaku and
the King Born from the Crown of the Head were to sit together in the Hall of the Good Law. Monju and the other bodhisattvas
of this world, as well as Kannon and the other bodhisattvas of the other worlds, were gathered together in open space throughout
the ten directions like so may stars filling the sky.
At this time there were gathered together in this place the great bodhisattvas such as Dharma Wisdom,
Forest of Merits, Diamond Banner, Diamond Repository and others, equal in number to the dust particles of the worlds of the
ten directions, who had gathered at the seven places and eight assemblies of the Kegon Sutra and were disciples of Vairochana
Buddha who sits on the lotus pedestal of the worlds of the ten directions; the Buddhas and bodhisattvas who had gathered like
clouds at the Great Treasure Chamber when the Hodo sutras were preached; Subhuti, Taishaku and the thousand Buddhas who had
gathered to hear the Hannya sutras; the four Buddhas and four bodhisattvas, belonging to the nine honored ones on the eight-petaled
lotus, who appear in the Dainichi sutra; the thirty-seven honored ones of the Kongocho Sutra; and the Buddhas and bodhisattvas
of the worlds of the ten directions who gathered at the city of Kushinagara to listen to the Nirvana Sutra. All these figures
were recognized by Monju, Miroku and the others of their group, who talked together with them, so it appeared that the great
bodhisattvas Monju and Miroku were quite accustomed to their being in attendance.
But after those four bodhisattvas who emerged from the earth had made their appearance, then Bodhisattva
Monjushiri, whose teaching Shakyamuni Buddha was the ninth to inherit, and who is the mother of the Buddhas of the three existences,
as well as Bodhisattva Miroku, who will succeed Shakyamuni Buddha after his next rebirth - when these two, Monju and Miroku,
stood beside these four bodhisattvas, they seemed to be of no significance whatsoever. They were like humble woodsmen mingling
in the company of exalted lords, or like apes and monkeys seating themselves by the side of lions.
Shakyamuni summoned the four bodhisattvas and entrusted them with the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo.
And this entrustment, too, was no ordinary affair, for the Buddha first manifested ten mystic powers. When Shakyamuni extended
his long broad tongue upward as far as the limit of the world of form, all the other Buddhas did likewise, so that the tongues
of the Buddhas extended up into the air above the four hundred billion nayuta worlds like a hundred, thousand, ten thousand,
hundred thousand red rainbows filling the sky. Marvelous indeed was the sight!
In this manner the Buddha displayed the wonders of his ten mystic powers, and, in what is termed the
transfer of the essence, he extracted the heart and core of the Lotus Sutra and transferred it to the bodhisattvas. He fervently
enjoined them to bestow it after his passing upon all beings of the ten directions. After that, he again manifested yet another
mystic power and entrusted this sutra, the Lotus, and the other sacred teachings preached during his lifetime, to Monju and
the other bodhisattvas of this and other worlds, to the persons of the two vehicles, and to the heavenly and human beings,
dragon deities, and others.
These five characters Myoho-renge-kyo were not entrusted even to Mahakashyapa, Shariputra or the other
disciples, though these men had from the outset attended the Buddha as closely as a shadow follows the form. But even setting
that aside, why did the Buddha refuse to entrust them to the bodhisattvas such as Monju and Miroku? Even though they may have
been lacking in capability, it would seem unlikely that he should reject them. There are in truth many puzzling aspects about
the matter. But the fact was that the bodhisattvas from other worlds were rejected because their connection with this world
was slight; or in other cases, although the bodhisattvas were of this saha world, they had only recently established connections
with this world; or in still other cases, some were rejected because, although they were disciples of the Buddha, they had
not been among his disciples when he first aroused the aspiration for enlightenment [in the remote past]. Thus among those
who had been his disciples during the forty or more years preceding the preaching of the Lotus Sutra, or during the preaching
of the theoretical teaching, the first fourteen chapters of the Lotus Sutra, there was not one who could be called an original
disciple. We see from the sutra that only these four bodhisattvas had been the disciples of Shakyamuni, the lord of teachings,
since the remote past of gohyaku-jintengo; from the time he had first aroused the aspiration for enlightenment, they had never
followed any other Buddha, nor had they required the instruction of the theoretical and essential teachings.
Thus T'ien-t'ai says: "[The great assembly] witnessed the Bodhisattvas of the Earth alone making this
pledge." And he also states: "These are my [Shakyamuni's] disciples, destined to propagate my Law." Miao-lo says: "The sons
will disseminate the Law of the father." And Tao-hsien states: "Because the Law is that realized by the Buddha in the remote
past, it was transferred to those who were his disciples in that distant time." Thus the five characters Myoho-renge-kyo were
entrusted to these four bodhisattvas.
Nevertheless, after the Buddha's passing, during the thousand years of the Former Day of the Law, the
thousand years of the Middle Day of the Law, and the two hundred twenty or more years that have elapsed since the beginning
of the Latter Day of the Law, nowhere in India, China, Japan or any other place in the entire world have these four bodhisattvas
so much as once made their appearance. Why is that?
Bodhisattva Monjushiri, though he was not specifically entrusted with the teachings of Myoho-renge-kyo,
remained in this world for four hundred fifty years following the passing of the Buddha to spread the Mahayana sutras, and
even in the ages thereafter he from time to time descended from the Fragrant Mountain or Mount Clear and Cool, assuming the
form of an eminent monk in order to propagate the Buddhist teachings. Bodhisattva Yakuo took form of the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai,
[Bodhisattva] Kanzeon became the Great Teacher Nan-yueh, and Bodhisattva Miroku became Fu Ta-shih. Moreover, the disciples
Mahakashyapa and Ananda worked to spread the teachings of the Buddha after his passing for twenty and forty years, respectively.
And yet in all this time, the Buddha's legitimate heirs, to whom the teachings of Myoho-renge-kyo had been entrusted, failed
to make their appearance.
During this period of twenty-two hundred years and more, worthy rulers and sage rulers have honored
painted images or wooden images of Shakyamuni, the lord of teachings, as their principal object of worship. But although they
have made depictions of the Buddhas of the Hinayana and the Mahayana teachings; of the Kegon, Nirvana and Kammuryoju sutras;
of the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra and of the Fugen Sutra; of the Buddha of the Dainichi and the other Shingon
sutras; and of the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Taho of the Hoto chapter, the Shakyamuni of the Juryo chapter has never been depicted
in any mountain temple or monastery anywhere. It is very difficult to fathom why this should be.
Shakyamuni Buddha made specific reference to the fifth five hundred years and never designated the two
thousand years of the Former and Middle Days of the Law as the time for the propagation of the Lotus Sutra. The Great Teacher
T'ien-t'ai said: "In the fifth five hundred years, the Mystic Way shall spread and benefit mankind far into the future," indicating
that its propagation should be left to the future. The Great Teacher Dengyo wrote: "The Former and Middle Days are almost
over, and the Latter Day is near at hand." In this way, he himself judged that the close of the Middle Day of the Law was
not yet the time for the propagation of the Lotus Sutra.
Are we to assume, then, that the countless great bodhisattvas who sprang up from the earth intend to
remain silent and unmoving and to go back upon the promise that they made when the teachings were entrusted to them by Shakyamuni,
Taho and the other Buddhas of the ten directions?
Yet even the worthy men described in the non-Buddhist scriptures know that one must await the time.
The cuckoo always waits until the fourth or fifth month to sing his song. Similarly, we read in the sutra that these great
bodhisattvas must likewise wait until the Latter Day of the Law to appear.
Why do I say this? Both the inner and outer scriptures make clear that, before a certain destined event
actually occurs, omens will always appear. Thus when the spider spins its web, it means that some happy event will take place,
and when the magpie calls, it means that a visitor will arrive. Even such minor events have their portents. How much more
so do major occurrences! Thus the six auspicious happenings described in the Jo chapter of the Lotus Sutra are great omens
exceeding in magnitude any other major signs appearing in the entire life of Shakyamuni Buddha. And the great omens described
in the Yujutsu chapter are immeasurably greater in magnitude than these.
Therefore, T'ien-t'ai says: "By observing the fury of the rain, we can tell the greatness of the dragon
that caused it, and by observing the flourishing of the lotus flowers, we can tell the depth of the pond in which they grow."
And Miao-lo states: "Wise men can see omens and what they foretell, as snakes know the way of snakes."
Now I, too, in discerning the significance of omens, must share some portion of the wise man's power.
The great earthquake that struck in the first year of the Shoka era (1257), (when the reverse marker of Jupiter was in the
sector of the sky with the cyclical sign hinoto-mi), on the twenty-third day of the eighth month, at the time when the Hour
of the Dog gives way to the Hour of the Boar (9:00 P.M.), and also the great comet that appeared in the first year of the
Bun'ei era (1264), (when the reverse marker was in the sector of the sky with the cyclical sign kinoe-ne), on the fourth day
of the seventh month - these are major portents such as have never before occurred during the twenty-two hundred or more years
since the Buddha's passing. I wonder if they are not great signs indicating that those great bodhisattvas are now about to
make their appearance in this world bearing the great Law.
Ten-feet-high waves do not rise up in a foot-wide pond, and the braying of a donkey cannot cause the
winds to blow. Though the government of Japan today is in chaos and the common people cry out in distress, such conditions
alone could scarcely cause the appearance of such major omens. Who knows but what these are great signs foretelling that though
the Lotus Sutra has perished, it is in fact eternal!
During the two thousand and more years [since the Buddha's passing], there have been evil rulers who
were cursed by their subjects and traitorous persons who were hated by all. But Nichiren, though guilty of no fault, has without
respite for the past twenty years and more been cursed and abused, assaulted with swords and staves, and stoned with rocks
and tiles, by people both high and low. This is no common affair!
Mine is like the case of Bodhisattva Fukyo, who, toward the end of the Law of the Buddha Ionno, was
cursed and reviled over a period of many years. Moreover, Shakyamuni Buddha cited the example of this bodhisattva and predicted
that, in the Latter Day of the Law, after his own passing, events would unfold in the same manner as in Fukyo's time. And
yet whether here close at hand in Japan or whether in the far distant land of China, such a thing has never yet been known
to happen for the sake of the Lotus Sutra.
Because people hate me, they do not mention the significance of my suffering. If I mention it myself,
it may seem to be self-adulation. If I fail to mention it, however, I will commit the offense of negating the Buddha's words.
I speak of it because to hold one's own life lightly but to value the Law is the way of a worthy man.
I, Nichiren, resemble Bodhisattva Fukyo. Whether the ruler of a nation murders his parents or a lowly
subject does away with his father and mother, though the murderers differ greatly in social position, because the crime is
identical, both will fall into the hell of incessant suffering. Similarly, though Bodhisattva Fukyo is destined to attain
Buddhahood, can there be any doubt that I will gain the fruit of Buddhahood as well?
Bodhisattva Fukyo was cursed by arrogant monks who observed all the two hundred and fifty precepts.
I, Nichiren, am slandered and reviled by Ryokan, who is known as the foremost observer of the precepts. The monks who cursed
Fukyo, though they followed him in the end, still had to suffer in the Avichi Hell for one thousand kalpas. But Ryokan has
yet to seek my teachings. Hence I do not know [the full gravity of his offense]. He may be destined to suffer in hell for
countless kalpas. Pitiful! Pitiful!
Question: With regard to the great earthquake that occurred in the Shoka era, in your admonitory essay,
the "Rissho Ankoku Ron," which you entrusted to Yadoya Nyudo for submission to His Lordship, the late lay priest of Saimyo-ji,
on the sixteenth day of the seventh month in the first year of the Bunno era (1260), (when the reverse marker of Jupiter was
in the sector of the sky with the cyclical sign kanoe-saru), you stated your opinion that heaven and earth had become angered
because people in Japan were destroying Buddhism by their reliance on Honen's Senchaku Shu, and that this error would bring
about rebellion within the country and invasion from countries abroad. But now you say that the earthquake was an auspicious
omen of the propagation of the Lotus Sutra. How do you explain the discrepancy between these two views?
Answer: That is a very good question. The fourth volume of the Lotus Sutra says: "Since hatred and jealousy
toward this sutra abound even during the lifetime of the Buddha, how much worse will it be in the world after his passing!"
And in the seventh volume, referring again to the time "after his passing" when things will be "much worse," the Buddha says:
"In the fifth five hundred years after my death, widely declare and spread [the Lotus Sutra]." So we see that the hatred that
abounds after the passing of the Buddha will come about in the fifth five hundred years when Myoho-renge-kyo will spread.
And immediately following the above passage, the Buddha warns of dangers from "the devil, the devil's people, or the deities,
dragons, yakshas and kumbhandas."
When the chief priest Hsing-man laid eyes on the Great Teacher Dengyo, he exclaimed, "The sacred words
will not become extinct. Now I have encountered this man! All the doctrines that I have learned I will transfer to this acharya
from the country of Japan." And the situation today is just the same. Now, in the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law,
the time has come for the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo to be propagated so that all persons throughout the country of
Japan may receive the seed of the Buddha's teachings.
When a woman of low station becomes pregnant with the ruler's child, the other women grow jealous and angered.
And when a person of humble background is presented with a jewel from the king's crown, then great troubles are bound to arise.
Thus the sutra says, "In the world at that time the people will resent [the Lotus Sutra] and find it extremely difficult to
believe."
The Nirvana Sutra declares: "If troubles are inflicted upon a sage, then the country where he dwells
will be attacked by other countries." And the Ninno Sutra states essentially the same thing. If I, Nichiren, am attacked,
then from heaven and earth and the four directions, great calamities will pour down like rain, jet up like fountains, or come
surging forward like waves. If the crowd of monks, those hordes of locusts who afflict the nation, and the ministers in power
in the government persist in their ever-increasing slanders and accusations against me, then great disasters will occur in
growing magnitude.
When an asura demon tried to shoot at the god Taishaku, his arrow rebounded and pierced him in the eye.
And when the garuda birds attempt to attack the dragon king Anavatapta, flames erupt from their own bodies and consume them.
Is the votary of the Lotus Sutra inferior to Taishaku or the dragon king Anavatapta?
The Great Teacher Chang-an wrote: "He who destroys or brings confusion to the Buddhist Law is an enemy
of the Law. If one befriends another person but lacks the mercy to correct him, he is in fact his enemy." And he also says:
"He who makes it possible for the offender to rid himself of evil thus acts like a parent to the offender."
All the people throughout Japan have been led astray by the wild assertions of Honen, who tells them
to "discard, close, ignore and abandon" [all sutras other than the sutras of his sect], or of the men of the Zen sect, who
speak of a "special transmission outside the sutras," so that there is not a single one who is not destined to fall into the
great citadel of the hell of incessant suffering. So believing, over the past twenty years and more I have never ceased to
cry out in a loud voice against these errors, fearing neither the ruler of the nation nor the common people. I am in no way
inferior to the outspoken ministers Lung-p'eng and Pi Kan of old. I am like the thousand-armed Kannon, the bodhisattva of
great compassion, who strives to rescue at once all the beings confined to the hell of incessant suffering.
When several children are caught in a fire, though the parents wish to save them all at the same time,
having only two arms, they must decide which child to save first and which to leave until after. [The true teaching of the
Buddha] is a parent with a thousand arms, ten thousand arms, or a hundred thousand arms. The sutras preached before the Lotus
Sutra have only one or two arms, as it were. But the Lotus Sutra, which "instructs all living beings, causing them all to
enter the Buddha Way," is a veritable bodhisattva of innumerable arms.
If we go by the Lotus Sutra and the commentary of Chang-an, then Nichiren is a compassionate father
and mother to all the people of Japan. Heaven may be lofty, but it has sharp ears and can hear what is happening. Earth may
be deep, but it has keen eyes with which to observe. Heaven and earth by now know [how the situation stands]. And yet I, who
am father and mother to all people, am cursed and reviled and sent into exile. The abuses of government that have taken place
in this country in the past two or three years are such as have never been heard of in former ages, and exceed all bounds
of reason.
In you letter you mentioned your filial devotion to your deceased mother. Reading it, I was so moved
that I could barely hold back my tears.
Long ago in China there were five young men, including Yuan-chung. They had originally been strangers from
different districts and had different surnames, but they took a vow to be brothers and never turned against one another, and
in time they amassed three thousand in treasure.
All the young men were orphans and, grieved at this fact, when they met an old woman along the road,
they decided to honor her as their mother. They did so for twenty-four years, never going against her wishes in the slightest.
Then the mother suddenly fell ill and was unable to speak. The five sons gazed up at the sky and said,
"Our efforts to care for our mother have not been appreciated, and she has been seized by an illness that prevents her from
speaking. If Heaven will grant our filial feelings any recognition, we pray that it will restore the power of speech to her."
At that time the mother said to her five sons, "In past times I was the daughter of a man named Yang
Meng of the district of T'ai-yuan. I was married to one Chang Wen-chien of the same district, but he died. At that time, I
had a son named Wu-i. When he was seven rebellion broke out in the area, and I do not know what became of him. You, my five
sons, have taken care of me for twenty-four years, but I have never told you of this. My son Wu-i had markings like the seven
stars of the Big Dipper on his chest, and on the sole of his right foot he had a black mole." When she had finished saying
this, she died.
As the five sons were accompanying her body to the burial ground, they encountered the magistrate of
the district along the road. The magistrate happened to drop a bag containing important documents, and the five young men,
being accused of stealing it, were arrested and bound. When the magistrate confronted them, he demanded, "Who are you?" whereupon
the five young men told him all they had learned from their mother.
When he heard this, the magistrate almost toppled from his seat, gazing up at the heavens, then bowing
to the earth in tears. He freed the five men from their bonds, led them to his seat, and said, "I am Wu-i, and it was my mother
you took care of! For these past twenty-four years I have known many pleasures, but because I could never cease thinking about
my beloved mother, they were never real pleasures to me!" In time he presented the five men to the ruler of the country, and
each was appointed to be the head of a prefecture.
In this way, even strangers were rewarded when they came together and treated someone as a parent. How
much more so will be the case with actual brothers and sisters when they treat each other kindly and take care of their own
father and mother! How could Heaven possibly fail to approve?
Jozo and Jogen used the Lotus Sutra to lead their father, who held erroneous views, to salvation. Devadatta
was an enemy of the Buddha, and was condemned by the sutras preached during the first forty or more years of the Buddha's
teaching life. The moment of his death was terrifying; the earth split open and he fell into the hell of incessant suffering.
But in the Lotus Sutra he was summoned back and received the prediction that he would become the Tathagata Heavenly King.
King Ajatashatru killed his father, but just before the Buddha entered nirvana, he heard the teachings of the Lotus Sutra
and was able to escape the great sufferings of the Avichi Hell.
This province of Sado is like the realm of beasts. Moreover, it is full of disciples of Honen who hate
me a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand or a hundred thousand times more than did the people of Kamakura. I am never certain
whether I am going to survive the day. But thanks to the warm support of both of you, I have managed to sustain my life thus
far. When I consider this, I suppose that since Shakyamuni, Taho, and the other Buddhas of the ten directions and great bodhisattvas
as well all make offerings and pay reverence to the Lotus Sutra, these Buddhas and bodhisattvas must be informing your parents
each hour of the night and day [that you are assisting me]. And the fact that you now enjoy your lord's favor must also be
due to the protection you receive from your parents.
Do not think of your siblings as siblings. Just think of them as your own children. It is true that,
among children, there are those like the young of the owl, which are said to eat their own mother, or like those of the hakei
beast, which watch for the chance to devour their own father. Though your own son Shiro takes care of his parents, if he is
a bad person, perhaps there is nothing to be done. However, even a stranger, if you open up your heart to him, may be willing
to lay down his life for you. So if you treat your younger brothers as though they were your own sons, they may become your
allies for life, and of course it will make a favorable impression on others as well. And if you likewise think of your younger
sisters as daughters, then why would they not respond with filial devotion?
When I was exiled to this place, I assumed that no one would come to visit me. But I have no fewer than
seven or eight persons with me here, and if it were not for your consideration, I do not know how we could manage to keep
the whole group in provisions. I am certain that this is all because the words of the Lotus Sutra have entered into your bodies
in order to give us aid. I am praying that, no matter how troubled the times may become, the Lotus Sutra and the ten demon
daughters will protect all of you, praying as earnestly as though to produce fire from damp wood or to obtain water from parched
ground. There are many other matters to be discussed, but I will close here.
Nichiren
Recitation of the Hoben and Juryo Chapters
In the letter that you sent by messenger, you say that you used to recite one chapter of the Lotus Sutra
each day, completing the entire sutra in the space of twenty-eight days, but that now you simply read the Yakuo chapter once
each day. You ask [if this is satisfactory, or] if it would be better to return to your original practice of reading each
chapter in turn.
In the case of the Lotus Sutra, one may recite the entire sutra of twenty-eight chapters in eight volumes
every day; or one may recite only one volume, or one chapter, or one verse, or one phrase, or one word; or one may simply
chant the daimoku, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, only once a day, or chant it only once in the course of a lifetime; or hear someone
else chant it only once in a lifetime and rejoice in the hearing; or rejoice in hearing the voice of someone else rejoice
in the hearing, and so on to fifty removes from the original individual who first chanted the daimoku.
In such a case, of course, the spirit of faith would become weak and the feeling of rejoicing much diluted,
like the vague notions that might occur to the mind of a child of two or three, or like the mentality of a cow or a horse,
unable to distinguish before from after. And yet the blessings gained by such a person are a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand,
a hundred thousand times greater than those gained by persons of excellent innate ability and superior wisdom who study other
sutras: persons such as Shariputra, Maudgalyayana, Monju and Miroku, who had committed to memory the entire texts of the various
sutras.
The Lotus Sutra itself tells us this, and the same opinion is expressed in the sixty volumes of commentary
by T'ien-t'ai and Miao-lo. Thus, the sutra states [concerning these blessings], "Even if their quantity were to be measured
with the Buddha wisdom, their limit could not be found." Not even the wisdom of the Buddha can fathom the blessings such a
person will obtain. The Buddha wisdom is so marvelous that it can know even the number of raindrops that fall in this major
world system of ours during a period of seven days or twice seven days. And yet we read that the blessings acquired by one
who recites no more than a single word of the Lotus Sutra are the one thing alone it cannot fathom. How, then, could ordinary
persons like ourselves, who have committed so many grave offenses, be capable of understanding such blessings?
Great as such blessings may be, however, it is now some twenty-two hundred years and more since the
Buddha's passing. For many years, the five impurities have flourished, and good deeds in any connection are rare indeed. Now,
even though a person may do good, in the course of doing a single good deed he accumulates ten evil ones, so that in the end,
for the sake of a small good, he commits great evil. And yet, in his heart, he prides himself on having practiced "great good"
- such are the times we live in.
Moreover, you have been born in the remote land of Japan, a tiny island country in the east separated
by two hundred thousand ri of mountains and seas from the country of the Buddha's birth. What is more, you are a woman, burdened
by the five obstacles and bound by the three obediences. How indescribably wonderful, therefore, that in spite of these hindrances,
you have been able to take faith in the Lotus Sutra!
Even the wise or the learned, such as those who have pored over all the sacred teachings propounded
by the Buddha in the course of his lifetime, and who have mastered both the exoteric and esoteric doctrines, are these days
abandoning the Lotus Sutra and instead reciting the Nembutsu. What good karma must you have formed in the past, then, to have
been born a person able to recite even so much as a verse or a phrase of the Lotus Sutra!
When I read over your letter, I felt as though my eyes were beholding something rarer than the udumbara
flower, something even less frequent than the one-eyed turtle encountering a floating log with a hollow in it that fits him
exactly. Moved to heartfelt admiration, I thought I would like to add just one word or one expression of my own rejoicing,
endeavoring in this way to enhance your merit. I fear, however, that as clouds darken the moon or as dust defiles a mirror,
my brief and clumsy attempts at description will only serve to cloak and obscure the incomparably wonderful blessings you
will receive, and the thought pains me. Yet, in response to your question, I could scarcely remain silent. Please understand
that I am merely joining my one drop to the rivers and the oceans or adding my candle to the sun and the moon, hoping in this
way to increase even slightly the volume of the water or the brilliance of the light.
First of all, when it comes to the Lotus Sutra, whether one recites all eight volumes, or only one volume,
one chapter, one verse, one phrase, or simply the daimoku or title, you should understand that the blessings that result are
in all cases the same. It is like the water of the great ocean, a single drop of which contains water from all the countless
streams and rivers, or like the wish-granting jewel, which, though only a single jewel, can shower all kinds of treasures
upon the wisher. And the same is true of a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand or a hundred thousand such drops of water or
such jewels. A single character of the Lotus Sutra is like such a drop of water or such a jewel, and all the hundred million
characters of the Lotus Sutra are like a hundred million such drops or jewels.
On the other hand, a single character of the other sutras, or the name of any of the various Buddhas,
is like one drop of the water of some particular stream or river, or like only one stone from a particular mountain or a particular
sea. One such drop does not contain the water of countless other streams and rivers, and one such stone does not possess the
virtues that inhere in innumerable other kinds of stones.
Therefore, when it comes to the Lotus Sutra, it is praiseworthy to recite any chapter you have placed
your trust in, whichever chapter it might be.
Generally speaking, among all the sacred teachings of the Tathagata, none has ever been known to contain
false words. Yet when we consider the Buddhist teachings more deeply, we find that even among the Tathagata's golden words
there exist various categories, such as Mahayana and Hinayana, provisional and true teachings, and exoteric and esoteric doctrines.
These distinctions arise from the sutras themselves, and accordingly we find that they are roughly outlined in the commentaries
of the various scholars and teachers.
To state the essence of the matter, among the doctrines propounded by Shakyamuni Buddha in the fifty
or more years of his teaching life, those put forward in the first forty or so years are of questionable nature. We can say
so because the Buddha himself clearly stated in the Muryogi Sutra, "In these more than forty years, I have not yet revealed
the truth." And in the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha himself proclaims concerning its every word and phrase: "Honestly discarding
the provisional teachings, I will expound only the supreme Way."
Moreover, Taho Buddha appeared from the depths of the earth to add his testimony, declaring, "The Lotus
Sutra ... All that you [Shakyamuni Buddha] have expounded is the truth." And the Buddhas of the ten directions all gathered
at the assembly where the Lotus Sutra was being preached and extended their tongues to give further support to the assertion
that within the Lotus Sutra there is not a single word that is false. It was as though a great king, his consort and his most
venerable subjects had all with one accord given their promise.
Suppose that a man or a woman who recites even a single word of the Lotus Sutra should be destined to
fall into the evil paths because of having committed the ten evil acts, the five cardinal sins, the four major offenses or
countless other grave misdeeds. Even though the sun and moon should never again emerge from the east, though the great earth
itself should turn over, though the tides of the great ocean should cease to ebb and flow, though a broken stone should be
made whole or the waters of the streams and rivers cease to flow into the ocean, no woman who has put her faith in the Lotus
Sutra would ever be dragged down into the evil paths as a result of worldly offenses.
If a woman who has put her faith in the Lotus Sutra should ever fall into the evil paths as a result
of jealousy or ill temper or because of excessive greed, then Shakyamuni Buddha, Taho Buddha and the other Buddhas of the
ten directions would immediately be guilty of breaking the vow they have upheld over the span of countless major kalpas never
to tell a lie. Their offense would be even greater than the wild falsehoods and deceptions of Devadatta or the outrageous
lies told by Kokalika. But how could such a thing ever happen? Thus a person who embraces the Lotus Sutra is absolutely assured
of its blessings.
On the other hand, though one may not commit a single evil deed in his entire lifetime, but instead
observe the five precepts, the eight precepts, the ten precepts, the ten good precepts, the two hundred and fifty precepts,
the five hundred precepts, or countless numbers of precepts; though he may learn all the other sutras by heart, make offerings
to all the other Buddhas and bodhisattvas and accumulate immeasurable merit; if he but fails to put his faith in the Lotus
Sutra; or if he has faith in it but considers that it ranks on the same level as the other sutras and the teachings of the
other Buddhas; or if he recognizes its superiority but constantly engages in other religious disciplines, practicing the Lotus
Sutra only from time to time; or if he associates on friendly terms with priests of the Nembutsu, who do not believe in the
Lotus Sutra but slander the Law; or if he thinks that those who insist the Lotus Sutra does not suit the people's capacity
in the latter age are guilty of no fault, then all the merit of the countless good acts he has performed throughout the course
of his life will suddenly vanish. Moreover, the blessings resulting from his practice of the Lotus Sutra will for some time
be obscured, and he will fall into the great citadel of the Avichi Hell as surely as rain falls from the sky or rocks tumble
down from the peaks into the valleys.
Yet even though one may have committed the ten evil acts or the five cardinal sins, so long as he does
not turn his back on the Lotus Sutra, he will without doubt be reborn in the Pure Land and attain Buddhahood in his next existence.
On the other hand, we read in the sutra that even a person who observes the precepts, embraces all other sutras and believes
in the various Buddhas and bodhisattvas, if he fails to take faith in the Lotus Sutra, is certain to fall into the evil paths.
Limited though my ability may be, when I observe the situation in the world these days, it seems to
me that the great majority of both lay believers and members of the clergy are guilty of slandering the Law.
But to return to your question: As I said before, though no chapter of the Lotus Sutra is negligible,
among the entire twenty-eight chapters, the Hoben chapter and the Juryo chapter are particularly outstanding. The remaining
chapters are all in a sense the branches and leaves of these two chapters. Therefore, for your regular recitation, I recommend
that you practice reading the prose sections of the Hoben and Juryo chapters. In addition it might be well if you wrote out
separate copies of these sections.
The remaining twenty-six chapters are like the shadows that accompany a form or the value inherent in
a jewel. If you recite the Juryo and Hoben chapters, then the remaining chapters will naturally be included even though you
do not recite them. It is true that the Yakuo and Devadatta chapters deal specifically with women's attainment of Buddhahood
or rebirth in the Pure Land. But the Devadatta chapter is a branch and leaf of the Hoben chapter, and the Yakuo chapter is
a branch and leaf of the Hoben and Juryo chapters. Therefore, you should regularly recite these two chapters, the Hoben and
Juryo. As for the remaining chapters, you may turn to them from time to time when you have a moment of leisure.
Also, in your letter you say that three times each day you bow in reverence to the seven characters
of the daimoku, and that each day you repeat the words Namu-ichijo-myoden ten thousand times. However, at times of menstruation
you refrain from reading the sutra. You ask if it is acceptable to recite the daimoku and the Namu-ichijo-myoden [without
facing the object of worship] at such times. You also ask whether you should refrain from reading the sutra merely during
your menstrual period, or, if not, how many days following the end of your period you should wait before resuming recitation
of the sutra.
This is a matter that concerns all women and about which they always inquire. In past times, too, we
find many persons addressing themselves to this question concerning women. But because the sacred teachings put forward by
the Buddha in the course of his lifetime do not touch upon this point, no one has been able to offer any clear scriptural
proof upon which to base an answer. In my own study of the sacred teachings, though I find clear prohibitions against the
impurity of certain sexual acts or the consumption of meat or wine or the five spicy foods on specific days of the month,
I have never come across any passage in the sutras or treatises that speaks of avoidances connected with menstruation.
While the Buddha was in the world, many women in the prime of life became nuns and devoted themselves
to the Buddhist Law, but they were never shunned on account of their menstrual period. Judging from this, I would say that
menstruation does not represent any kind of pollution coming from an external source. It is simply a characteristic of the
female sex, a phenomenon related to the perpetuation of the seed of birth and death. Or in another sense, it might be regarded
as a kind of chronically recurring illness. In the case of feces and urine, though these are substances produced by the body,
so long as one observes cleanly habits, there are no special prohibitions to be observed concerning them. Surely the same
must be true of menstruation. That is why, I think, we hear of no particular rules for avoidance pertaining to the subject
in India or China.
Japan, however, is a land of the gods. And it is the way of this country that, although the Buddhas
and bodhisattvas have manifested themselves here in the form of gods, strangely enough, these gods, in many cases, do not
conform to the sutras and treatises. Nevertheless, if one goes against them, one is likely to incur actual punishment.
When we scrutinize the sutras and treatises with care, we find that there is a doctrine called the zuiho
bini precept that corresponds to such cases. The gist of this precept is that, so long as no seriously offensive act is involved,
then, even though one should depart to some slight degree from the teachings of Buddhism, one should avoid going against the
manners and customs of the country. This is a precept expounded by the Buddha. But it appears that some wise men, unaware
of this fact, claim that because the gods are demonlike beings, they are unworthy of reverence. And by insisting upon the
rightness of their views, it appears that they do injury to the faith of many believers.
If we go by this zuiho bini precept, then since the gods of Japan have in most cases desired that prohibitions
be observed regarding the period of menstruation, people born in this country would probably do well to be aware of and honor
such prohibitions.
However, I do not think that such prohibitions should interfere with a woman's daily religious devotions.
I would guess that it is persons who never had any faith in the Lotus Sutra to begin with who tell you otherwise. They are
trying to think of some way to make you stop reciting the sutra, but they do not feel they can come right out and advise you
to cast the sutra aside. So they use the pretext of bodily impurity to try to distance you from it. They intimidate you by
telling you that if you continue your regular devotions during a period of pollution, you will be treating the sutra with
disrespect. In this way they mean to trick you into committing a fault.
I hope you will keep in mind all that I have said regarding this matter. On this basis, even if your
menstrual period should last as long as seven days, if you feel so inclined, then dispense with the reading of the sutra and
simply recite Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Also, when making your devotions, you need not bow facing the sutra.
If unexpectedly you should feel yourself approaching death, then even if you are eating fish or fowl,
if you are able to read the sutra, you should do so, and likewise chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Needless to say, the same principle
applies during your period of menstruation.
Reciting the words Namu-ichijo-myoden amounts to the same thing. But it is better if you just chant
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, as Bodhisattva Vasubandhu and the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai did. There are specific reasons why I say
this.
Respectfully,
Nichiren
