Hearing About the One Buddha Vehicle for the First Time

Shimon Butsujo-gi 始聞佛乘義

青鳧七結自下州送甲州。其御志相當悲母第三年御孝養也。

Seven ties of blue heron (coins) were sent from Shimofusa Province to Kai Province. The intention was to express your filial piety and mourning on the third anniversary of your mother’s passing.

問，止觀明靜前代未聞心如何。

Question: “The luminous quiescence of calming and contemplation was unheard of in previous ages.” What does this mean?

答圓頓止觀也。

Answer: It is about the perfect and sudden calming and contemplation.

問圓頓止觀意何。

Question: What does “perfect and sudden calming and contemplation” mean?

答法華三昧異名也。

Answer: It is another name for the Lotus Samadhi.

問法華三昧心如何。

Question: What is the [practice of the] “Lotus Samadhi”?

答夫末代凡夫修行法華經意有二。一就類種開會二相對種開會也。

Answer: For ordinary people of the Latter Age of Degeneration, the practice of the Lotus Sutra has two meanings. The first is the opening and merging of congenial seeds [into buddhahood], and the second is the opening and merging of adverse seeds [into buddhahood].

問此名出何。

Question: Where do these terms come from?

答法華經第三藥草喩品云種相體性因字。其四字中第一種一字二。一就類種二相對種。其就類種者釋云凡有心者是正因種。隨聞一句是了因種。低頭舉手是緣因種等云云。其相對種者煩惱與業與苦三道押其當體稱法身與般若與解脫是也。

Answer: They are based on the characters found in the Lotus Sutra, fascicle three, “The Parable of the Medicinal Herbs” chapter, where it says, “[Only the Tathagata] knows these sentient beings’ seeds, appearances, entities, and natures.” Of these four characters, the first, the single character for “seeds,” refers to two kinds. The first are the congenial seeds, the second are the adverse seeds. Regarding the congenial seeds, it is explained that “Anyone with a mind has the seed of the direct cause. Being in accord upon hearing a single phrase is the seed of the completing cause. Bowing one’s head and raising one’s hands is the seed of the conditional causes.” The adverse seeds are the three paths of defilements, karma, and suffering, which, in their true entity, are called the Dharma-body, wisdom (prajna), and liberation.

其中就類種一法宗雖有法華經少分又通爾前經經。妙樂云別敎唯有就類之種而無相對云云。此釋云別教者非本別教。爾前圓或他師圓也。又法華經迹門之中供養舍利已下二十餘行之法門大體就類種開會也。

Of these, the doctrine of the congenial seeds, although it has its basis in the Lotus Sutra, portions of it are found in passages throughout the prior sutras. Miaole says, “The distinct teaching only has congenial seeds, but not the adverse.” This explanation says that the distinct teaching is not the original distinct teaching, rather it refers to the perfect prior [to the Lotus Sutra] or to the perfect according to teachers other [than Tiantai]. Also, in the Trace Gate of the Lotus Sutra, the Dharma-gate beginning with “Those who made offerings to the relics…” and continuing for twenty or more lines generally concerns the opening and merging of the congenial seeds.

問其相對種心如何。

Question: What is meant by “adverse seeds”?

答止觀云云何聞圓法。聞生死卽法身・煩惱卽般若・結業卽解脫。雖有三名而無三體。雖是一體而立三名。是三卽一相其實無有異。法身究竟般若解脫亦究竟。般若清淨餘亦清淨。解脱自在餘亦自在。聞一切法亦如是。皆具佛法無所減少。是名聞圓等云云。此釋卽相對種手本也。

Answer: The Great Calming and Contemplation says, “What is meant by ‘to hear the Perfect Dharma’? It is to hear that birth and death (samsara) are themselves the Dharma-body, the defilements are themselves wisdom, and that the bonds of karma are themselves liberation. Although there are three names, there are not three entities. Although there is one entity, three names are established. These three are a single mark; in truth, they are not different. Getting to the bottom of the Dharma-body is also to get to the bottom of wisdom and liberation. If wisdom is pure, then the others are also pure. If liberation is free and at ease, then the others are also free and at ease. Hearing all the Dharmas is also like this. All possess the Buddha Dharma with nothing missing. This is what is called ‘to hear the perfect [Dharma].’” This explanation is a guide to the adverse seeds.

其意如何。

[Question:] What does this mean?

答生死者我等苦果依身也。所謂五陰 ・十二入・十八界。煩惱者見思•塵沙•無明三惑也。結業者五逆・十惡・四重等也。法身者法身如來般若者報身如來解脱者應身如來。我等衆生自無始曠劫已來具足此三道今値法華經三道卽三德也。

Answer: Birth and death are the fruition of suffering that depend upon the body. They are what are called the five aggregates, the five sense fields, and the eighteen elements. The defilements are the three categories of delusions: delusions of views and attitudes, delusions as innumerable as grains of sand, and fundamental ignorance. The bonds of karma are the five heinous transgressions, the ten evil acts, and the four extreme transgressions. The Dharma-body is the Tathagata of the Dharma-body, wisdom is the Tathagata of the reward-body, and liberation is the Tathagata of the accommodative-body. We sentient beings, since beginningless vast kalpas ago, have been furnished with this threefold path of ignorance. Now, being able to meet and revere the Lotus Sutra, [we realize that] the threefold path of ignorance is itself the three virtues.

難云從火水不出從石草不生。惡因感惡果善因生善報佛教定習也。而我等尋究其根本父母精血赤白二渧和合爲一身。惡根本不淨源也。設傾大海洗之不可淸淨。又此苦果依身探見其根本自貪瞋癡三毒出也。依此煩惱・苦果二道構業。此業道卽是結縛法也。 譬如入籠鳥。如何以此三道稱三佛因乎。譬如集糞造栴檀終不香。

Objection: Water does not come from fire, nor does grass grow from stone. That evil causes lead to evil effects and good causes give rise to good rewards is the established teaching of Buddhism. Nevertheless, when we look into our origins, we find that our parents’ essence and blood, the two drops of red and white, combine to form a single body. Its root is evil, and its source is impure. Even if you were to pour the great ocean over it, it could not be purified. Furthermore, if we examine the origin of the fruition of suffering that depends upon our bodies, we see that they come from the three poisons of our greed, hatred, and delusion. Depending on the two paths of defilements and suffering, we build up karma. This karmic path is itself the dharma of bondage. We are like birds in a cage. How can this threefold path of ignorance be called the three causes of buddhahood? It is like gathering dung to make sandalwood - it will never be fragrant.

答汝難大道理也。我不辦此事。但付法藏第十三天台大師高祖龍樹菩薩釋妙法之妙一字譬如大藥師能以毒爲藥等云云。云毒者何物我等煩惱業苦三道也。藥者何物法身・般若・解脫也。 能以毒為樂者何物。變三道為三德耳。天台云妙名不可思議等云云。又云夫一心乃至不可思議境意在於此等云云。卽身成佛申此是也。近代華嚴眞言等盜取此義為我物。大偸盜天下盜人是也。

Answer: Your objection is entirely reasonable. I cannot handle this matter either; however, the thirteenth of the Dharma successors, whom even Great Master Tiantai regarded as the founder [of his lineage], Nagarjuna Bodhisattva, explained that the single character “wonderful” (myō) in the Wonderful Dharma is “like a great physician who uses poison as a medicine.” What is this poison? It is our three paths of defilements, karma, and suffering. What is this medicine? It is the Dharma-body, wisdom, and liberation. What does it mean to “use poison as a medicine”? It means to change the three paths of ignorance into the three virtues. Tiantai said, “Wonderful is what we call the inconceivable.” He also said, “The single mind of a man … This is what is meant by the realm of the inconceivable.” This is what it means to attain buddhahood with one’s present body. These days, the Flower Garland and Mantra [schools] have stolen this doctrine and have made it their own. These people are truly the greatest thieves under heaven.

間云凡夫位可知此祕法心。

Question: Can even ordinary people understand the heart of this secret dharma?

答: 私答無詮。龍樹菩薩大論云今言漏盡阿羅漢還作佛唯佛能知。論議者正可論其事。不能測知。是故不應戲論。若求得佛時乃能了知。餘人可信。而未可知等云云。此釋爾前別教十一品斷無明圓教四十一品斷無明大菩薩普賢・文殊等未知法華經意。何況藏・通二教三乗。何況末代凡未云論文也。

Answer: My own answer would not clear it up. Nagarjuna Bodhisattva’s Great Perfection of Wisdom Treatise says, “Now to say that an arhat whose outflows are extinguished can go back and become a buddha, this is something only a buddha can know. Those engaged in scholarly debate may certainly discuss this matter, but they cannot fathom it. Therefore, one should not engage in conceptual proliferation. Only when one seeks and attains buddhahood will it be fully realized. Others may have faith, but they cannot yet know it [for themselves].” According to this explanation, even those following the prior teachings, such as those following the distinct teachings who have cut off eleven degrees of ignorance, or those following the perfect teaching who have cut off forty-one degrees of ignorance, and even great bodhisattvas such as Universal Sage and Manjushri, do not yet know the intent of the Lotus Sutra. This is not even to mention those following the three vehicles of the two teachings, the tripitaka and the shared. And not to mention the ordinary people of the Latter Age of Degeneration. This is what the passage of the treatise means.

以之案法華經唯佛與佛乃能究盡者爾前灰身滅智二乗押煩悩業苦三道說法身般若解脱二乘還作佛。菩薩凡夫亦如是釋也。故天台云二乘根敗名之爲毒。今經得記卽是變毒爲藥。論云餘經非秘密法華是秘密等云云。妙樂云論云者大論也云云。

Considering this, we may infer that the [passage in the] Lotus Sutra [stating], “Only a buddha together with a buddha can exhaust [the true mark of all dharmas]” [refers to] the adherents of the two vehicles who in the prior sutras strove to reduce the body to ashes and annihilate consciousness. Now, by grasping the three paths of defilements, karma, and suffering, which are explained as the Dharma-body, wisdom, and liberation, these adherents of the two vehicles can go back and become buddhas. This explanation also applies to bodhisattvas and ordinary people. Therefore, Tiantai said, “The roots of the two vehicles are withered… and they are therefore called poisoned. Now, in this [Lotus] Sutra, they are given the assurance [of future buddhahood]; this is changing poison into medicine. [This is why] the treatise says, “The other sutras are not secret. It is the Lotus Sutra that is secret.” Miaole said that the treatise referred to is the Great Perfection of Wisdom Treatise.”

問如是聞之有何益乎。

Question: What is the benefit of hearing this?

答云始聞法華經也。妙樂云若信三道即是三德尚能度於二死之河況三界耶云云。末代凡夫聞此法門唯我一人非佛父母又卽身成佛。此第一孝養也。爲病身之故不委細又々可申。

Answer: It is to hear the Lotus Sutra for the first time. Miaole said, “If you have faith, then the three paths of ignorance are themselves the three virtues, then you will be able to cross over the two rivers of death, not to mention the triple world.” When we ordinary people of the Latter Age of Degeneration hear this Dharma-gate, we will not be the only ones to attain buddhahood; our parents will also attain buddhahood in their present bodies. This is the foremost kind of filial piety. Due to my poor health, I cannot go into more detail at this time, but I hope to explain more on another occasion.

建治四年(太歳戊寅)二月二十八日

富木殿

28th day of the second month in the fourth year of Kenji (1278),

Great year of the Yang Earth Tiger (15th)

To Lord Toki