十如是事 

Junyoze-ji

On the Ten Suchnesses

(ST 2030, l6-l13) 我身が三身卽一の本覺の如來にてありける事を今經に説て云、如是相如是性如是體如是力如是作如是因如是緣 如是果如是報如是本末究竟等文。初如是相者、我身の色形に顯れたる相を云也。是を應身如來とも、又解脫とも、又假諦とも云也。 次如是性者、我心性を云也。是を報身如來とも、又般若とも、又空諦とも云也。三如是體者、我此身體也。是を法身如來とも、又中道とも、法性とも、寂滅とも云也。されば此三如是を三身如來とは云也。此三如是が三身如來にておはしましけるを、よそに思ひへだてつるが、はや我身の上にてありける也。かく知ぬるを法華經をさとれる人とは申也。

This sutra explains that we are the Tathagata of Original Awakening, in which the three bodies are one. As it says in this passage, “suchness is this appearance, suchness is this nature, suchness is this entity, suchness is this power, suchness is this activity,  suchness is this cause, suchness is this condition, suchness is this effect,  suchness is this recompense, and suchness is this ultimate equality of beginning and end.” First, “suchness is this appearance,” refers to the appearance manifested in the color and shape of our bodies. This is called the Tathagata of the Accommodative-body, or liberation, or the truth of provisionality. Next, “suchness is this nature,” refers to the nature of our minds. This is called the Tathagata of the Reward-body, or prajna, or the truth of emptiness. Third, “suchness is this entity,” refers to our personal entity. This is called the Tathagata of the Dharma-body, or the middle way, the Dharma-nature, and tranquil extinction. Therefore, these three suchnesses are called the Three-bodied Tathagata. Although I had previously thought of these three suchnesses as belonging to the Three-bodied Tathagata apart from us, they, in fact, concern ourselves. One who comes to this realization is called a person who has awakened to the Lotus Sutra.

(ST 2030-2031, l13-l14) 此三如是を本として、是よりのこりの七の如是はいでゝ十如是とは成たる也。此十如是が百界にも千如にも、三千世間にも成たる也。かくの如く多の法門と成て八萬法藏と云るれども、すべて只一の三諦の法にて、三諦より外には法門なき事也。其故は百界と云は假諦也。千如と云は空諦也。 三千と云は中諦也。空と假と中とを三諦と云事なれば、百界千如三千世間まで多の法門と成たりと云へども、唯一の三諦にてある事也。

These three suchnesses are the origin from which the remaining seven suchnesses are derived, thereby becoming the ten suchnesses. These ten suchnesses are manifested in the hundred realms, the thousand suchnesses, and the three thousand worlds. Although these are referred to as the treasury of eighty-four thousand dharmas, comprising many Dharma-gates, they are all simply the single Dharma of the threefold truth; there are no Dharma-gates apart from the threefold truth. This is because the hundred realms refer to the truth of provisionality, the thousand suchnesses to the truth of emptiness, and the three thousand to the truth of the middle. Since emptiness, provisionality, and the middle are called the threefold truth, even though they are said to become many Dharma-gates such as the hundred realms, thousand suchnesses, and three thousand worlds, they are all only the threefold truth.

(ST 2031, l4-l11) されば始の三知是の三諦と、終の七如是の三諦とは、唯一の三諦にて、始と終と我一身の中の理にて、唯一物にて不可思議なりければ、本と末とは究意して等しとは說給へる也。是を如是本末究意等とは申たる也。始の三如是を本とし、終の七如是を末として、十の如是にてあるは、我身の中の三諦にてある也。此三諦を三身如來とも云へば、我心身より外には善悪に付て、かみ（髮）すぢ計の法もなき物を、されば我身が頓て三身卽一の本覺の如來にてはありける事也。是をよそに思を衆生とも迷とも凡夫とも云也。是を我身の上と知ぬるを、如來とも覺とも聖人とも智者とも云也。

Therefore, the threefold truth of the first three suchnesses and the threefold truth of the last seven suchnesses are only one threefold truth; since the beginning and the end are the principle of our own lives, and since they are the same thing and inconceivable, it is taught that, upon thorough examination, the beginning and end are ultimately equal. This is what is meant by “beginning and end ultimately equal.” Taking the first three suchnesses as the beginning and the last seven suchnesses as the end, the ten suchnesses are the threefold truth of our own lives. Since the threefold truth is also called the three bodies of the Tathagata, there is no dharma concerning good and evil - not even so much as a hair - that exists outside of our own minds and bodies. Therefore, our own bodies have always been the Tathagata of Original Awakening of three bodies as one. If we think of this as something apart from ourselves, we may be called “sentient beings,” “deluded,” or “ordinary people.” If we recognize this as pertaining to ourselves, we may be called “tathagatas,” “awakened,” “sages,” or “people of wisdom.”

(ST 2031-2032, l11-11) かう解り明かに觀ずれば、此身頓て今生の中に本覺の如來を顯はして、卽身成佛とはいはるゝ也。譬ば春夏田を作りうへつれば、秋冬は藏に収て心のまゝに用るが如し。春より秋をまつ程は久き樣なれども、一年の内に待得が如く、此覺に入て佛を顯す程は久きやうなれども、一生の内に顯はして我身が三身卽一の佛となりぬる也。

If one clearly understands and observes this, it is said that this body instantly manifests the Tathagata of Original Awakening within this very life, and that one attains buddhahood with one’s present body. For example, if you cultivate your fields in spring and summer, you can store the harvest in your granary during fall and winter and use it as you please. Although waiting from spring until autumn seems like a long time, one is only waiting within the span of a single year; similarly, although attaining this realization and manifesting buddhahood may seem like a long process, it is within the span of a single lifetime that the manifestation occurs and one’s own body becomes a buddha of three bodies as one.

(ST 2032, l1-l9) 此道に入ぬる人にも上中下の三根はあれども、同一生の内に顯はす也。上根の人は聞所にて覺を極て顯はす。中根の人は若は一日、若は一月、若は一年に顯はす也。下根の人はのび（延）ゆく所なくてつまりぬれば、一生の内に限たる事なれば、臨終の時に至て、諸のみえつる夢も覺てうつゝになりぬるが如く、只今までみつる所の生死妄想の邪思、ひがめの理はあと形もなくなりて、本覺のうつゝの覺にかへりて、法界をみれば皆寂光の極樂にて、日來賤と思ひし我此身が、三身即一の本覺の如來にてあるべき也。秋のいねには、早と中と晩との三のいね有れども、一年が内に収むるが如く、此も上中下の差別ある人なれども、同く一生の内に諸佛如來と、一體不二に思合せてあるべき事也。

Even among those who enter the way, there are three levels of capacity: superior, middling, and inferior, but they all can manifest [buddhahood] within a single lifetime. Those of superior capacity attain and manifest awakening at the moment of hearing [the teaching]. Of those of middling capacity, some manifest it on the same day, some in the same month, and some in the same year. Since those of inferior capacity have no time to progress since they soon reach their end, as this is a matter limited to this lifetime, upon arriving at the end of their lives, just as all the dreams they have seen fade away upon awakening, their false and deluded thoughts of birth and death they have clung to until that moment, along with all their distorted logic will all vanish without a trace, and they will return to the clear awareness of original awakening. When they behold the Dharma-realm, they see it all as the utmost bliss of [the Land of] Tranquil Light, and their very bodies, which they long considered lowly, turn out to be the Tathagata of Original Awakening of three bodies as one. Just as there are three varieties of rice in autumn - early, mid-season, and late - and yet they are all harvested within a single year, even though people are divided into superior, middling, and inferior, they should be regarded as one entity without distinction with the buddhas and tathagatas throughout their lives.

(ST 2032-2033, l9-l1) 妙法蓮華經の體のいみじくおはしますは、何樣なる體にておはしますぞと尋出してみれば、我心性の八葉の白蓮華にてありける事也。されば我身の體性を妙法蓮華經とは申ける事なれば、經の名にてはあらずして、はや我身の體にてありけると知ぬれば、我身頓て法華経にて、法華經は我身の體をよび顯し給ける佛の御言にてこそありければ、やがて我身三身卽一の本覺の如來にてあるもの也。かく覺ぬれば、無始より已來今まで思ならはしゝ、ひが思の妄想は昨日の夢を思やるが如く、あとかたもなく成ぬる事也。

As for the entity of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma (myo ho ren ge kyo) which is so remarkable, when one inquires about what kind of entity it is, it turns out to be the eight-petaled lotus of our own mind nature. Therefore, since the nature of the entity of our lives is called the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma (myo ho ren ge kyo), and since I realized that this is not merely the name of the sutra but is already the very entity of our lives, our own bodies are instantly the Lotus Sutra; and since the Lotus Sutra is none other than the Buddha’s words that reveal and manifest the entity of our lives, our own bodies are, in fact, the Tathagata of Original Awakening of the three bodies as one. When I realize this, I see that the delusions of my mind, which have persisted from time without beginning until now, vanish without a trace, just as yesterday’s dream does.

(ST 2033, l1-l4) 是を信じて一遍も南無妙法蓮華經と申せば、法華經を覺て如法に一部をよみ奉るにてある也。十遍は十部、百遍は百部、千遍は千部を如法によみ奉るにてあるべき也。かく信ずるを如説修行の人とは申也。南無妙法蓮華經。

If one has faith in this and chants Namu Myoho Renge Kyo even once, it is equivalent to having awakened to the Lotus Sutra and reciting the whole text in accordance with the Dharma. Chanting it ten times is equivalent to ten recitations of the whole text, chanting it a hundred times is equivalent to a hundred recitations of the whole text, and chanting it a thousand times is equivalent to a thousand recitations of the whole text, all in accordance with the Dharma. Those who have faith in this way are called those who practice in accordance with the teachings. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.

日蓮花押

Nichiren (seal)