上野尼御前御返事

Ueno-ama Gozen Gohenji

Response to My Lady, the Nun of Ueno

(ST 1890, l3) 麞牙一駄 (四斗定)・あらひいも（洗芋）一俵送給て南無妙法蓮華經と唱へまいらせ候了。

I have received one horseload (four to) of polished rice and a bale of washed taro, and gratefully chanted Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.

(ST 1890, l3-l6) 妙法蓮華經と申は蓮に譬られて候。天上には摩詞曼陀羅華、人間には櫻の花、此等はめでたき花なれども、此等の花をば法華經の譬には佛取給事なし。一切の花の中に取分て此花を法華經に警へさせ給事は其故候なり。

The Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma is compared to a lotus. The mandarava flowers in the heavens above and the cherry blossoms in the human world are auspicious. However, the Buddha did not use them as symbols of the Lotus Sutra. There is a reason why the Buddha chose this flower over all the flowers in the world to represent the Lotus Sutra.

(ST 1890, l6-l8) 或は前華後菓と申て花は前菓は後なり。或は前菓後華と申て東は前花は後なり。或は一華多菓、或は多華一葉、或は無華有葉と品々に候へども、蓮華と申花は菓と花と同時地。

Some plants have flowers that bloom before bearing fruit, while others bear fruit before flowering. Some produce many fruits from a single flower, while others, though having many flowers, produce only one fruit, while still others have fruit without any flowers. But only the lotus flower bears fruit and a flower at the same time.

(ST 1890, l8-l13) 一切經の功徳は先に善根を作て後に佛とは成と説。かゝる故に不定也。法華經と申は手に取ば其手やがて佛に成、口に唱ふれば其口卽佛也。警ば天月の東の山の端に出れば、其時卽水に影の浮が如く、音とひびきとの同時なるが如し。故に經云若有聞法者無一不成佛云云。文の心は此經を持人は百人は百人ながら、千人は千人ながら、一人もかけず佛に成と申文也。

It is taught that the merit of all the Buddhist sutras lies in first cultivating wholesome roots and then attaining buddhahood. Therefore, the outcome is not certain. In the case of the Lotus Sutra, however, when one touches it, one’s hands presently become buddhas, and when one chants it, one’s mouth instantly becomes a buddha. For example, when the moon rises above the eastern mountains, its reflection immediately shows on the water. Sound and resonance also occur simultaneously. Therefore, the sutra says, “Of anyone who hears the Dharma, none will fail to attain buddhahood.” The meaning of this passage is that whether there be a hundred, or even a thousand people, all those who uphold this sutra attain buddhahood.

T262.9.9b03

(ST 1890-1891, l13-l2) 抑御消息を見候へば、尼御前の慈父故松野六郎左衞門入道殿の忌日と云云。子息多ければ孝養まちまち也。然れども必法華經に非れば謗法等云云。釋迦佛の金口の説云世尊法久後要當説眞實と 。多寶證明云妙法蓮華經皆是眞實と 。十方諸佛誓云舌相至梵天云云。

According to the news I have received, it is said to be the anniversary of the passing of My Lady the Nun’s beloved father, the late Lay Priest Matsuno Rokurozaemon. Your many children are performing their filial observances in divergent ways. However, certainly if [their observances] go against the Lotus Sutra, then [they are] slandering the Dharma. According to the teachings from the golden mouth of Shakyamuni Buddha, “The World Honored One, after a long period, will necessarily expound the truth.” Many Treasures also attested that the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma is all true. The buddhas of the ten directions extended their tongues to the Brahma Heaven to prove this.

T262.9.6a23

T262.9.32b27-32c02

(ST 1891, l2-l10) これよりひつじさるの方に大海をわたりて國あり、漢土と名く。彼國には或は佛を信じて神を用ぬ人もあり、或は神を信じて佛を用ぬ人もあり。或は日本國も始はさこそ候しか。然るに彼國に烏龍と申手書ありき。漢土第一の手也。例せば日本國の道風・行成等の如し。此人佛法をいみて經をかゝじと申願を立たり。此人死期来て重病をうけ、臨終にをよんで子に遺言して云、汝は我子なり。その跡絶ずして又我よりも勝れたる手跡也。たとひいかなる悪緣ありとも法華經をかくべからずと云云。然後五根より血の出る事泉の涌が如し。舌八にさけ、身くだけて十方にわかれぬ。然ども一類の人々も三悪道を知ざれば地獄に墮る先相ともしらず。

There is a land called Han that lies across the great ocean southwest from here. In that country some people have faith in the Buddha without adopting the gods. Others have faith in the gods without adopting the Buddha. I suppose that Japan was similar in its early history. Now there lived in that country a calligrapher named Wulong. He was the foremost calligrapher in China, and as famous as Ono no Tofu and Fujiwara no Yukinari of Japan. This person detested the Buddha Dharma and vowed never to copy the sutras. When this person came to the end of his life, he fell gravely ill. As he was on his deathbed, he called his son to him and expressed his last wishes, saying, “You are my son. You are my successor and your calligraphy even surpasses mine. No matter what bad influences may occur, you must never copy the Lotus Sutra.” Immediately, blood gushed from his five sense organs like a spring. His tongue split into eight parts, and his body broke apart, scattering throughout the ten directions. But not knowing the three evil destinies, none of the relatives present recognized this as a sign of going to hell.

(ST 1891-1892, l10-l6) 其子をば遺龍と申請申。又漢土第一の手跡也。親の跡を追て法華經を書じと云願立たり。其時大王おはします、司馬氏と名く。佛法を信じ、殊に法華經をあふぎ絡しが、同は我國の中に手跡第一の者に此經を書せて持經とせんとて遺龍を召。龍申さく、父の遺言あり、是計りは免し給へと云云。大王父の遺言と申故に他の手跡を召て一經をうつし了。然りといへ共御心に叶給はざりしかば、又遺龍を召て言はく、汝親の遺言と申せば朕まげて經を寫させず、但八巻の題目計を敕に隨べしと云云。返返辭し申すに、王瞋て云、汝が父と元も我臣也。親の不孝を恐て題目を書ずば違敕の科ありと、敕定度々重かりしかば、不孝はさる事なれども、當座の責をのがれがたかりしかば、法華經の外題を書て王へ上げ、宅に歸て、父のはか（墓）に向て、血の淚を流して申樣は、天子の責重きによて、亡父の遺言をたがへて、旣に法華經の外題を書め。不孝の責免れがたしと歎て、三日の間墓を離れず、食を斷旣に命に及ぶ。

His son was named Yilong. He also became the foremost calligrapher in the lands of the Han. Following in his parents’ footsteps, he vowed never to copy the Lotus Sutra. At that time, there was a great king named Sima. Having great faith in the Buddha Dharma, and particularly revering the Lotus Sutra, he summoned Yilong, intending to have this sutra transcribed by the finest calligrapher in the country to serve as his personal copy. Yilong said, “Due to my father’s dying wish, please spare me from this task.” Because it was his father’s wish, the great king summoned another calligrapher to copy the Lotus Sutra.  Nevertheless, this did not satisfy his majesty, so he summoned Yilong again and told him, “I won’t compel you to copy the sutra because you insisted that it was your father’s last wish that you do not, but you must obey my order to copy the titles of the eight fascicles.” Yilong repeatedly refused to do this, which angered the king, who said, “Your father was my subject. If you fail to copy the titles for fear of disobeying your parent, you will be punished for disobeying my command.” The king issued a strict order many times. Although he didn’t want to disobey his father, Yilong finally relented and copied the titles of the [eight fascicles of the] Lotus Sutra to avoid the impending punishment, and gave them to the king. He then went home, shed tears of blood in front of his father’s grave, and explained, “Because of the emperor’s grave command, I had to disobey my father’s last wish and copy the titles of the [eight fascicles of the] Lotus Sutra. Overcome with sorrow, and apologizing for being unable to escape the guilt of impiety to his parents, he stayed at his father’s grave, fasting for three days until he was on the verge of death.

(ST 1892-1893, l6-l1) 三日と申寅の時に已に絶死し畢て夢の如し。虚空を見れば天人一人おはします。帝釋を繪にかきたるが如し。無量の眷屬天地に充滿せり。爰に龍問て云、何なる人ぞ。答云、汝知ずや、我は是父の烏龍也。我人間にありし時、外典を執し佛法をかたきとし、殊に法華經に敵をなしまいらせし故に無間に墮つ。日日に舌をぬかるゝ事數百度、或は死し、或は生、天に仰ぎ地に伏してなげけども叶事なし。人間へ告んと思へども便りなし。汝我子として遺言なりと申せしかば、其言炎と成て身を責、劍と成て天より雨下る。汝が不孝極り無りしかども、我遺言を違へざりし故に、自業自得果うらみがたかりし所に、金色の佛一體、無間地獄に出現して、假使遍法界斷善諸衆生一聞法華經決定成菩提云云。

On the morning of the third day, at the hour of the tiger (3-5 am), he passed away completely, and it was as if he was in a dream. He looked and saw a single heavenly being in the empty sky. He looked just like a painting of Shakra. An immeasurable number of attendants filled heaven and earth. Yilong asked, “Who are you?” The heavenly being answered, “Don’t you know that I am Wulong, your father? When I was human, I adhered to non-Buddhist scriptures and regarded the Buddha Dharma, especially the Lotus Sutra, as my enemy, so I fell into the Hell of Incessant Suffering. My tongue was yanked out hundreds of times every day, and I died and was revived repeatedly. I looked up to the heavens and prostrated myself to the earth, but my prayers went unfulfilled. I wanted to inform those in the human world, but there was no way to do so. Because you said that you were my son and that [to never copy the Lotus Sutra] was my last wish, those words became flames to torment me and became swords that rained down from heaven. Although your unfilial conduct was boundless, since it was the result of my own deeds I had no one but myself to blame. Then a single golden buddha appeared in the Hell of Incessant Suffering, declaring, “If all sentient beings throughout the Dharma-realm who have cut off their wholesome roots hear the Lotus Sutra even once, they will certainly attain awakening.”

(ST 1893, l1-l6) 此佛無間地獄に入給しかば、大水を大火になげたるが如し。少し苦やみぬる處に、我合掌して佛に間奉て、何なる佛ぞと申せば、佛答て我は是汝が子息遺龍が只今書ところの法華經の題目六十四字の内の妙の一字也と言ふ。八卷の題目は八八六十四の佛、六十四の滿月と成給へば、無間地獄の大闇卽大明となりし上、無問地獄は當位卽妙不改本位と申て常寂光の都と成ぬ。我及罪人とは皆蓮の上の佛と成て、只今都率の内院へ上り參り候が、先汝に告る也と云云。

When this Buddha entered the Hell of Incessant Suffering, it was as if a flood had been cast into an inferno. Just as my suffering was eased a little, I pressed my palms together and asked the Buddha for his name. He told me that he was the character for “wonderful” (myo), one of the sixty-four characters of the title of the Lotus Sutra, which had just been written by my son, Yilong. The titles of the eight fascicles have eight characters each, so that there are sixty-four buddhas who all turned into sixty-four full moons which brightened the darkness of the Hell of Incessant Suffering. The Hell of Incessant Suffering, in accordance with [the principle that] “this very state is itself wondrous, without changing one’s original state,” then changed into the Capital of Eternally Tranquil Light. All these transgressors and I have become buddhas on lotuses and are ascending to the inner palace of the Tushita Heaven which I wanted to share with you.”

(ST 1893 l6-l12) 遺龍云、我手にて書けり、爭か君たすかり給べき。而も我が心よりかくに非ず、いかにいかにと申せば、父答云、汝はかなし、汝が手は我手也。汝が身は我身也。汝書し字は我が書し字也。汝心に信ぜざれども、手に書故に旣にたすかりぬ。譬ば小兒の火を放つに心にあらざれども物を燒が如し。法華經も亦是かくの如し。存外に信を成せば必佛になる。又其義を知て謗ずる事無れ。但し在家の事なれば、いひしこと故大罪なれども懺悔しやすしと云云。

Yilong responded, “It was I that wrote them, but how could they help you? Moreover, I did not write them from my heart, so how did this save you? His father answered, “My dear son, your hands are my hands. Your body is my body. The characters that you copied are the characters that I copied. You did not have heartfelt faith, but I was saved because you copied them. For example, when a small child sets something on fire, even though it was not their intention, it burns just as if it were. The Lotus Sutra is also like this. If you have faith in it, you are sure to become a buddha even if this is not your intention. Also, don’t slander it once you understand its meaning. As you are a householder, it is easier for you to repent of your transgressions now even if they are especially serious.

(ST1893, l12-l13) 此事を大王に申。大王の言く、我願旣にしるし有とて遺龍彌朝恩を蒙り、國又こぞつて此御經を仰ぎ奉る。

This was reported to the great king. The great king said, “My wish has been fulfilled.” Since then Yilong received the favor of the imperial court, and the people in that country have begun to revere the Lotus Sutra.

(ST 1893-1894, l13-l1) 然るに故五郎殿と入道殿とは尼御前の父也子也。尼御前は彼入道殿のむすめ也。今こそ入道殿は都卒の内院へ參り給らめ。

Nevertheless, Goro and the late Lay Priest are your son and your father respectively. You are the Lay Priest’s daughter. The Lay Priest will surely go to the inner palace of the Tushita Heaven.

(ST 894, l1-l2) 此由をはわきどのよみきかせまいらさせ給候へ。事々そう〱にてくはしく申ず候。恐々謹言。

Please have [Nikko Shonin] read and explain this letter to you. Since I have had to write this in haste, I cannot explain everything in detail.

Sincerely yours,

十一月十五日

日蓮花押

上野尼ごぜん御返事

11th day of the tenth month

Nichiren (signature)

Response to My Lady, the Nune of Ueno