四條金吾殿御返事

Shijo Kingo-dono Gohenji

Reply to Lord Shijo Kingo

(ST 634, l10-l13) 日蓮が諸難について御とふらひ（訪）、今にはじめざる志ありがたく候。法華經の行者としてかゝる大難にあひ候は、くやしくおもひ候はず。いかほど生をうけ死にあひ候とも、是ほどの果報の生死は候はじ。又三悪四趣にこそ候つらめ。今は生死切斷し佛果をうべき身となればよろこばしく候。

Regarding your inquiry about the various hardships faced by Nichiren and your visit, I am deeply grateful for your concern, which has not wavered to this day. As a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra, I do not feel any regret at facing such great hardships. No matter how many times I undergo the cycle of birth and death, no birth and death brings such a fruition as this one. Otherwise, I would certainly have fallen into one of the three or four evil destinies. Now that I have cut off the cycle of birth and death and have become one who is certain to attain the fruition of buddhahood, I am truly overjoyed.

(ST 634-635, l13-l4) 天台・傳教等は迹門の理の一念三千の法門を弘め給すら、なを怨嫉の難にあひ給ぬ。日本にしては傳教より義眞・圓澄・慈覺等相傳して弘め給ふ。第十八代の座主慈慧大師なり、御弟子あまたあり。其中に檀那・慧心・儈賀・禪瑜等と申て四人まします。法門又二に分れたり。檀那僧正は教を傳ふ、慧心僧都は觀をまなぶ。されば教と觀とは日月のごとし。教はあさく、觀はふかし。されば檀那の法門はひろくしてあさし、慧心の法門はせばくしてふかし。

Although Tiantai and Dengyo only propagated the Dharma-gate of the principle of the three thousand realms in a single thought-moment, they still faced difficulties arising from resentment and jealousy. As for Japan, Dengyo, Gishin, Encho, and Jikaku, and others transmitted and propagated the teaching. The head abbot, Great Master Jie, who was the eighteenth successor, had many disciples. Among them were Danna, Eshin, Zoga,and Zen’yu. This Dharma-gate was also divided into two. Archbishop Danna transmitted the teaching, while Archbishop studied contemplation. Thus, teaching and contemplation are like the sun and moon. The teaching is shallow, but contemplation is deep. Therefore, the Dharma-gate taught by Danna is broad but shallow, while the Dharma-tage taught by Eshin is narrow but deep.

(ST 635, l4-l8) 今日蓮が弘通する法門はせばきゃうなれどもはなはだふかし。其故は彼の天台傅教等の所弘の法よりは一重立入たる故也。本門壽量品の三大事とは是也。南無妙法蓮華經の七字ばかりを修行すればせばきが如し。されども三世の諸佛の師範、十方薩埵の導師、一切衆生皆成佛道の指南にてましますなればふかきなり。

The Dharma-gate that Nichiren is spreading today may seem narrow, but it is profoundly deep. The reason for this is that it goes one step further than the Dharma propagated by Tianta, Dengyo, and others. This is what is referred to as the three great matters in the “Duration of the Life” Chapter of the Original Gate. Only practicing the seven characters of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo may seem narrow. Nevertheless, since it is the master of all the buddhas of the three times, the leader of the bodhisattvas of the ten directions, and the guide who directs all sentient beings to attain the Buddha Way, it is deep.

(ST 635, l8-l11) 經云諸佛智慧甚深無量云云。此經文に諸佛者十方三世一切諸佛、眞言宗の大日如來、浄土宗の阿彌陀、乃至諸宗諸經の佛菩薩、過去未來現在の總諸佛、現在の釋迦如来等を諸佛と説き擧て、次に智慧といへり。

The sutra says, “The wisdom of buddhas is infinite and extremely profound.” In this sutra passage, the term “all buddhas” refers to all buddhas of the ten directions and the three periods of time, including Mahavairochana of the Mantra school, Amitabha of the Pure Land school, and the buddhas and bodhisattvas of all schools and sutras - that is, all buddhas of the past, present, and future, as well as the present Shakyamuni Tathagata. The text then discusses wisdom.

(ST 635-636, l11-l1) 此智慧とはなにものぞ、諸法實相十如果成の法體也。其法體とは又なにものぞ、南無妙法蓮華經なり。釋云實相深理本有妙法蓮華經といへり。其諸法實相と云も釋迦多寶の二佛とならう（習）なり。諸法をば多寶に約し、實相をば釋迦に約す。是又境智二法地。多寶は境なり、釋迦は智なり。境智而二にしてしかも境智不二の内證なり。此等はゆゝしき大事の法門也。

What is this wisdom? It is the entity of the Dharma, comprised of the ten suchnesses of the true reality of all things. What is this entity of the Dharma? It is Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. It is explained that the true reality is the profound principle inherent in the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma. It is said that the true reality of all things is said to be the two buddhas, Shakyamuni and Many Treasures (according to tradition). “All things” correspond to Many Treasures Buddha, and “true reality” corresponds to Shakyamuni Buddha. These are also the two dharmas of object and knowledge. Many Treasures represents the object, while Shakyamuni represents knowledge. Though object and knowledge are two, there is still this inner realization of the non-duality of object and knowledge. This is a profound and important Dharma gate.

(ST 636, l1-l7) 煩悩卽菩提生死卽涅槃と云もこれなり。まさしく男女交會のとき南無妙法蓮華經ととなふるところを、煩悩卽菩提・生死卽涅槃と云なり。生死の當體不生不滅とさとるより外に生死卽涅槃はなきなり。普賢經云不斷煩惱不離五欲得淨諸根滅除諸罪。止観云無明塵勞即是菩提生死卽涅槃。壽量品云毎自作是念以何令衆生得入無上道速成就佛身。方便品云世間相常住等は此意なるべし。如此法體と云も全く餘には非ず、たゞ南無妙法蓮華経の事なり。

What is meant by the sayings, “defilements are themselves awakening,” and “samsara is itself nirvana”? It is precisely at the moment of intercourse between man and woman, when Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is chanted, that can be called “defilements are themselves awakening” and “samsara is itself nirvana.” Apart from realizing that the very entity of birth and death (samsara) neither arises nor ceases, there is no such thing as samsara is itself nirvana. The Universal Sage Sutra says, “Without cutting off the defilements or renouncing the five desires, they will attain the purification of the faculties and the elimination of all transgressions.” The Calming and Contemplation says, “Since ignorance and the defilements are themselves identical with awakening, [there is no origin of suffering to be cut off. Since extremes and falsity are the middle and right, there is no path to be cultivated. Since] samsara is itself nirvana, [there is no cessation to be realized.]” The “Duration of the Life” chapter says, “I am always thinking: ‘How can I cuse sentient beings to enter into the unsurpassed way and quickly attain embodiment as buddhas?’” The “Skillful Means” chapter says, “[These dharmas abide in their dharma positions so] their worldly marks ever abide.” All these passages refer to these ideas. Thus, what is called the entity of the Dharma is nothing other than Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.

(ST 636, l7-l14) かゝるいみじくたうとき法華經を、過去にてひざ（膝）のしたにをきたてまつり、或はあなづり（蔑）くちひそみ（顰蹙）、或は信じ奉らず、或は法華經の法門をならうて一人をも教化し、法命をつぐ人を、悪心をもてとによせ、かくによせおこつきわらひ（謔弄）、或は後生のつとめなれども、先今生かなひがたければしばらくさしをけ、なんどと無量にいひうとめ、謗ぜしによ（依）て、今生に日蓮種々の大難にあうなり。諸經の頂上たる御經をひきく（低）をき奉る故によりて、現世に又人にさ（下）げられ用られざるなり。譬喩品に人にしたしみつくとも、人心にいれて不便とおもふべからずと説たり。

In the past, I placed this extremely precious Lotus Sutra beneath my knees, or sneered or frowned at it in disdain, or did not have faith in it; or if there was someone who learned the Dharma-gate of the Lotus Sutra and guided a single person to it, continuing the transmission of the Dharma, I treated that person with malice, mocking and riduculing them; or I said that it was something to be practiced in the next life and that it should be set aside because it would be too difficult to begin practicing it in the present life, and many countless other such things. Because of this slander, Nichiren now faces great hardships in this present life. Because I placed the highest of all sutras in the lowest place, in this present life I am likewise looked down on and disregarded. In the “A Parable” chapter, it is taught that even if one [who had committed slander of the Dharma] tried to get close to others, they would not take them to heart or have sympathy for them.

(ST 636-637, l14-l6) 然るに貴邊法華經の行者となり、結句大難にもあひ、日蓮をもたすけ給事、法師品の文に遣化四衆・比丘・比丘尼・優婆塞・優婆夷と説給ふ。此中の優婆塞とは、貴邊の事にあらずんばたれをかさゝむ。すでに法を聞て信受して逆はざればなり。不思議や、不思議や。若然ば日法華經の法師なる事疑なき歟。則如來使にもにたるらん、行如來事をも行ずるになりなん。多寶塔中にして二佛竝坐の時、上行菩薩に讓り給し題目の五字を日蓮粗ひろめ申なり。此卽上行菩薩の御使歟。貴邊又日蓮にしたがひて法華經の行者として諸人にかたり給ふ。是豈流通にあらずや。

However, you have become a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra, and in the end, you also faced great hardships and have supported Nichiren. A passage in the chapter "The Teacher of the Dharma,” it is taught that [the Buddha will] dispatch manifestations of the four assemblies: monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen.” The layman referred to here - if it is not you, then who else could it be? This is because you have already heard the Dharma, accepted it with faith, and have not gone against it. How marvelous! How marvelous! If that is the case, can there be any doubt that Nichiren is the teacher of the Lotus Sutra? Therefore, I must resemble a messenger of the Tathagata, and will surely also carry out the work of the Tathagata. At the time when the two buddhas sat side-by-side in the Stupa of Many Treasures, Superior Practice Bodhisattva was entrusted with the five characters of the daimoku. It is this that Nichiren has more or less been propagating. Am I not, indeed, the messenger of Superior Practice Bodhisattva? You too, following Nichiren, speak to all people as a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra. Is this not dissemination [of the Dharma]?

(ST 637, l6-l9) 法華經の信心をとをし給へ。火をきるにやすみぬれば火をえず。强盛の大信力をいだして法華宗の四條金吾四條金吾と鎌倉中の上下萬人、乃至日本國の一切衆生の口にうたはれ給へ。あしき名さへ流す、況やよき名をや。何に況や法華經ゆへの名をや。

Please persevere in your faith in the Lotus Sutra. If you take a break while striking [flint] you will not be able to start a fire. Bring forth the great power of faith that is unyielding so that all the myriad people high and low throughout Kamakua and all the sentient beings of Japan will praise your name, “Shijo Kingo! Shijo Kingo of the Dharma Flower school!” If even a bad reputation spreads far and wide, how much more so a good one? And how much more so a reputation derived from the Lotus Sutra?

(ST 637, l9-l12) 女房にも此由を云ひふくめて、日月兩眼さり（雙）のつばさ（翼）と調ひ給へ。日月あらば冥途あるべきや、兩眼あらば三佛の顏貌拜見疑なし。さうのつばさあらば寂光の寶刹へ飛ん事、須臾剎那なるべし。委は又々申べく候。恐惶謹言。

Convey this matter to your wife as well, so that you will be in harmony like the sun and moon, a pair of eyes, or a pair of wings. If there is the sun and moon, how could there be a dark road [to the afterlife]? If you have a pair of eyes, there is no doubt that you will behold the countenances of the three buddhas. If you have a pair of wings, then you can fly to the treasure land of Tranquil Light in an instant. I will explain more fully another time. With the utmost respect, I humbly submit this.

五月二日

日蓮花押

四條金吾殿御返事

Second day of the fifth month,

Nichiren (signature)

Reply to Lord Shijo Kingo