兵衞志殿女房御書

Hyoesakan-dono Nyobo Gosho

Response to the Wife of Lord Hyoesakan

(ST 1293, l1-l2) 先度佛器まいらせさせ給候しが、此度此尼御前大事の御馬にのせさせ給て候由承候。法にすぎて候御志かな。これは殿はさる事にて、女房のはからひか。

Previously, you graciously sent Buddhist ritual implements, and now I have been informed that you had the nun ride here on your prized horse. This is indeed a noble intention, beyond expectations. Is this the lord’s doing, or was it the lady’s idea?

(ST 1293, l2-l7) 昔儒童菩薩と申せし菩薩は、五莖の蓮華を五百の金錢を以てかいとり、定光菩薩を七日七夜供養し絵き。女人あり、瞿夷となつく。二莖の蓮華を以て自ら供養して云く、凡夫にてあらん時は世世生生夫婦とならん、佛にならん時は同時に佛になるべし。此ちかひくちずして、九十一劫の間夫婦となる。結句、儒童菩薩は今の釋迦佛、昔の瞿夷は今耶輸多羅女。今法華經の勸持品にして具足千萬光相如来是也。

A bodhisattva once known as Young Scholar Bodhisattva purchased five lotus flower stems with five hundred gold coins and made offerings to Bodhisattva Burning Light for seven days and seven nights. [At that time,] there was a woman named Gopika. She made an offering of two lotus flower stems and said, “If we remain ordinary people, may we be husband and wife life after life; and if we become buddhas, may we become buddhas at the same time.” This vow remained unbroken, and they became husband and wife for ninety-one kalpas. In conclusion, Young Scholar Bodhisattva is the present-day Shakyamuni Buddha, and the past Gopika is the present-day Yashodhara. Now, in the “Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra” chapter of the Lotus Sutra, it is said that she will become Emitting Ten Million Rays of Light Tathagata.

(ST 1293, l7-l9) 悉達太子檀特山に給しには、金泥駒、帝釋の化身。摩騰迦・竺法蘭の經を漢土に渡せしには十羅刹化して白馬となり給ふ。此馬も法華經の道なれば、百二十年御さかへの後、靈山浄土へ乗給べき御馬なり。 恐恐謹言。

When Prince Siddhartha went to Mount Dandaloka, his horse Kanthaka was a transformation of Shakra. When Matanga and Zhu Falan brought the sutras to the lands of the Han, the ten rakshasis transformed themselves into white horses. Since your horse also follows the way of the Lotus Sutra, it is the horse upon which you shall ride to the Pure Land of Sacred Eagle after a prosperous life of one hundred and twenty years.

Sincerely yours,

建治三年(丑丁)三月二日

日蓮花押

兵衞志殿女房

3rd day of the second month in the third year of Kenji (1277)

Fire Ox (14th year)

Nichiren (signature)

To the Wife of Lord Hyoesakan