Letter to Gijo-bo

三義淨房御書

御法門事委承候畢。法華經の功徳と申は唯佛與佛の境界、十方分身の智慧及不及かの内也。されば天台大師も妙の一字をば、妙者妙名不可思議と釋し給て候なるぞ。前前御存知の如し。然れども於此經重重の修行分れたり。天台妙樂傳教等計しらせ給法門也。就中傳教大師は天台の後身にて渡らせ給へども、人の不審を晴さんとや思食けん、大唐へ決をつかはし給事多し。されば今經の所詮は十界互具・百界千如・一念三千と云事こそゆゝしき大事にては候なれ。此法門は摩訶止觀と申す文にしるされて候。

I have carefully reviewed your question about the sacred Dharma gates. The limits of the merit of the Dharma Flower Sutra can only be told by a buddha together with a buddha. Even the wisdom of the emanation-bodies throughout the ten directions cannot be compared to the extent of this inner realization. That is why, as you well know, even the Great Teacher Tiantai commented on the single character myō, saying that it is defined as beyond ordinary comprehension. As for this sutra, however, it is divided into various practices. These are the Dharma gates that were known only by men such as Tiantai, Miaole, and Dengyo. The Great Master Dengyo, in particular, even though he was the rebirth of Tiantai, sent envoys to Tang China on many occasions in an effort to resolve the doubts of others. So what is really important is that the teaching of the mutual possession of the ten realms, of the hundred realms and thousand suchnesses, and of the three thousand realms in a single thought-moment is the essence of this sutra. These Dharma gates are described in the work entitled The Great Calming and Contemplation.

次に壽量品の法門は日蓮が身に取てたのみあることぞかし。天台傳教等も粗しらせ給へども言に出して宣給はず。龍樹天親等も亦如是。壽量品の自我偈云一心欲見佛不自身命云云。日蓮が己心の佛界を此文に依て顯す也。其故は壽量品の事の一念三千の三大秘法を成就せる事此經文なり。可秘可祕。

Next, the Dharma gate of the “Duration of the Life” chapter is what I, Nichiren, personally depend on. Although Tiantai and Dengyo also understood it in a general way, they never put it into words or proclaimed it. The same is true of Nagarjuna, Vasubandhu. The Jiga-ge of the “Duration of the Life” chapter states, “…single-mindedly desiring to see the Buddha, not sparing even their own lives…” As a result of this passage, I have revealed the buddha realm in my own life. The reason is that it is this sutra passage that enabled me to acquire the Three Great Secret Dharmas of the actuality of the three thousand realms in a single thought-moment of the “Duration of the Life” chapter. But keep this matter about these words of the sutra secret, keep them secret.

叡山の大師渡唐して此文の點を相傳し給處也。一者一道清淨義、心者諸法也。されば天台大師心字を釋云一月三星心果清淨云云。日蓮云一者妙也。心者法也。然者蓮也。見者華也。佛者經也。此五字を弘通せんには不自惜身命是也。

The Great Master of Mt. Hiei journeyed to China and received instruction on the point of this passage. “Single” of “single-mindedly” means the one pure way, and “mindedly” means all phenomena. That is why the Great Master Tiantai, explaining the Chinese character for “mind,” said that its four brush strokes represent the moon and three stars, and that this implies that the mind of the effect is pure and clean. I, Nichiren, say that “single” is myo, “mindedly” is ho, “desiring” is ren, “to see” is ge, “the Buddha” is kyo. We must spread these five characters widely, “not sparing even our own lives.”

一心に佛を見る。心を一にして佛を見る。一心を見れば佛也。無作の三身の佛果を成就せん事は恐くは天台傅教にも越へ、龍X樹迦葉にも勝れたり。相構相構て心の師とはなるとも、心を師とすべからずと佛は記し給なり。法華経の御爲に身をも捨、命をも惜まざれと強盛に申せしは是也。南無妙法蓮華經、南無妙法蓮華經。

“Single-mindedly desiring to see the Buddha” can also mean: make your mind single and then you can see the Buddha; or, if you see the one mind, that is Buddha. Attaining the uncreated three bodies of the fruition of buddhahood is probably beyond [the capabilities of] Tiantai and Dengyo and superior to [the attainments of] Nagarjuna and Mahakashyapa. Understand this thoroughly! According to the Buddha, you should master your mind rather than let your mind master you. I strongly recommend that you forsake your body and sacrifice your life for the sake of the Lotus Sutra.

南無妙法蓮華經、南無妙法蓮華經。

文永十年五月二十八日

日蓮花押

義淨房御返事

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.

28th day of the fifth month, Bun’ei 10 (1273)

Nichiren (signature)

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