守護國家論

Zuiso Gosho

Writing on Omens

(ST 872, l10-l12) 夫天變は衆人のおどろかし、地夭は諸人をうごかす。佛、法華經をとかんとし給時、五瑞六瑞をげんじ給。其中に地動瑞と申は大地六種に震動す。六種と申は天台大師文句の三釋云

To begin with, celestial phenomena and earthly disasters startle the people. When the Buddha was about to expound the Lotus Sutra, he caused five or six good omens to manifest. Among these, the trembling of the earth indicates that the earth trembled in six different ways. Interpreting these six ways, Great Master Tiantai, in fascicle three of his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, says:

(ST 872, l12-l13) 東涌西沒者東方青主肝肝主眼。西方白主肺肺主鼻。此表眼根功德生鼻根煩惱互滅也。鼻根功德生眼中煩惱互滅。餘方涌沒表餘根生滅亦復云云。

“As for the east welling up and the west sinking, the eastern direction is blue and governs the liver. The liver governs the eyes. The western direction is white and governs the lungs. The lungs govern the nose. So [the above phrase] represents the merit of the eye faculty arising, while the defilements of the nose faculty are reciprocally ceasing. [If] the merit of the nose faculty were to arise, then the defilements in the eyes would reciprocally cease. The welling up and sinking of the other directions represent the remaining faculties likewise arising and ceasing in the same way.”

(ST 872-873, l14-l1) 妙樂大師承之云言表根者眼鼻已表於東西。耳舌理對於南北。中央心也。四方身也。身具四根。心徧緣四。故以心對身而為涌沒云云。

Great Master Miaole says, “These words represent the faculties. As the eyes and nose represent the east and west, the ears and tongue logically represent the south and north, with the mind in the center. The four directions represent the body. The body has four faculties, and the mind is conditioned by all four. Therefore, it is said that the body and mind alternately ascend and sink.”

(ST 873, l1-l7) 夫十方は依報なり、衆生は正報なり。依報は影のごとし、正報は體のごとし。身なくば影なし、正報なくば依報なし。又正報をば依報をもて此をつくる。眼根をば東方をもつてこれをつくる。舌南方鼻西方耳北方身四方心中央等。これをまつてしんぬべし。かるがゆへに衆生の五根やぶ（破）れんとせば、四方中央をどろう（駭動）べし。されば國土やぶれんとするしるし（兆）には、まづ山くづれ、草木か（枯）れ、江河つくるしるしあり。人の眼耳等驚そう（躁）すれば天變あり。人の心をうごかせば地動す。

Now the ten directions are the circumstantial karmic recompense; sentient beings are the direct karmic recompense. Circumstantial recompense is like a shadow; direct recompense is like the body. Without a body, there is no shadow; without the direct recompense, there is no circumstantial recompense. Furthermore, the primary recompense is formed through the circumstantial recompense. The eye faculty is formed by the east, the tongue by the south, the nose by the west, the ear by the north, the body by the four directions, and the mind by the center. One should understand this. For this reason, when the five faculties of sentient beings are about to be destroyed, the four directions and the center will tremble. Therefore, the omens that a country is about to be destroyed include, first, mountains crumbling, plants withering, and the drying up of rivers. When people’s eyes, ears, and other senses become agitated, celestial phenomena occur. When people’s minds are stirred, the earth trembles.

(ST 873, l7-l12) 抑何の經經にか六種動これなき。一切經を佛とかせ給しにみなこれあり。しかれども佛法華經をとかせ給はんとて六種震動ありしかば、衆もことにをどろき、彌勒菩薩も疑、文殊師利菩薩もこたへしは、諸經よりも瑞も大に久ありしかば、疑も大に決しがたかりしなり。故妙樂云何大乘經不集衆・放光・雨花動地。但無生於大疑 等云云。此釋の心はいかなる經經にも、序は候へども此ほど大なるはなし、となり。

Now, in which sutra is the trembling of the earth in six different ways not found? In all the sutras expounded by the Buddha, it is present in every one. However, when the six kinds of trembling occurred as the Buddha was about to expound the Lotus Sutra, the assembly was very startled; even Maitreya Bodhisattva harboured doubts, and Manjushri Bodhisattva replied that, since the omens accompanying this sutra were greater and more enduring than those of any other sutra, it was extremely difficult to resolve such doubts. Therefore, Miaole says, “Which Mahayana sutras do not have gathered assemblies, emission of light, the raining of flowers, or the shaking of the earth? However, they have never caused the arising of such a great doubt.” The gist of this commentary is that, while every sutra has an introductory portion, none is as grand as this one.

(ST 873, l12-l14) されば天台大師云、世人以蜘蛛掛則喜來，鳱鵲鳴則行人至。小尚有徵大焉無瑞。以近表遠等云云。夫一代四十餘年が間なかりし大瑞を現して、法華經の迹門をとかせ給ぬ。

Moreover, Great Master Tiantai says, “Ordinary people say that when a spider descends, a joyful occasion will arrive. When a magpie cries out, then a traveler will arrive. Even such trifling matters have their signs, so how could great matters not have omens? For by means of the near the far is represented.” Now, manifesting the greatest omen that had never been seen during the more than forty years of his lifetime of teachings,  [the Buddha] expounded the Trace Gate of the Lotus Sutra.

(ST 873-874, l14-l3) 其上本門と申は又爾前の經經の瑞に迹門を對するよりも大なる大瑞なり。 大寶塔の地よりをどりいでし、地涌千界大地よりならび出し大震動は、大風の大海を吹ば、大山のごとくなる大波の、あし（蘆）のは（葉）のごとくなる小船をひほ（追帆）につくがごとくなりしなり。

Moreover, the omens of the Original Gate surpassed the omens of the Trace Gate, even more than the latter surpassed the omens of the prior sutras. When the great stupa of treasures sprang out of the earth and [bodhisattvas] as numerous [as the dust particles of a] thousand worlds appeared from underground in ranks, there was a great trembling of the earth, just as when a great wind blowing upon the great ocean causes great waves as high as mountains that toss small boats around as if they were tiny reed leaves.

(ST 874, l3-l7) されば序品の瑞をば彌勒文殊に問、涌出品の大端をば慈氏は佛に問たてまつる。これを妙樂釋云、迹事淺近可寄文殊。本地難裁故唯託佛云云。迹門のことは佛說給はざりしかども文殊ほぼこれをしれり。本門の事は妙徳すこしもはからず。此大瑞は在世の事にて候。

Therefore, while Maitreya asked Manjushri to explain the omens shown in the “Introductory” chapter, he asked the Buddha his question directly regarding the great omens shown in the “Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground” chapter. Concerning this, Great Master Miaole’s commentary says, “The matter of the Trace Gate is shallow and near, so it can be entrusted to Manjushri. The original ground is difficult to discern, so it can only be entrusted to the Buddha.” As for the matter of the Trace Gate, Manjushri had a general understanding of it even though the Buddha had not yet expounded it. As for the matter of the Original Gate, Wonderful Virtue (Manjushri) could not fathom it. Great omens such as these occurred during the lifetime [of the Buddha].

(ST 874, l7-l10) 佛、神力品にいたて十神力を現ず。此は又さきの二端にはにるべくもなき神力也。序品の放光は東方萬八千土、神力品の大放光は十方世界。序品の地動は但三千界、神力品の大地動は諸佛世界地皆六種震動。此の瑞も又又かくのごとし。

The Buddha showed the ten supernatural powers in the “Supernatural Powers of the Tathagata” chapter. These supernatural powers were far superior to the two prior instances. In the “Introductory” chapter, rays of light shone on eighteen thousand lands to the east, whereas the great rays of light in the “Supernatural Powers of the Tathagata” chapter shone on all worlds in the ten directions. The trembling of the earth described in the “Introductory” chapter was limited to the trichiliocosm, but the great earthquakes of the “Supernatural Powers of the Tathagata” chapter covered all the worlds of all the buddhas, where the earth trembled in six different ways. This omen, too, is following the same pattern.

(ST 874, l10-l12) 此神力品の大瑞は佛滅後正像二千年すぎて末法に入て、法華經の肝要のひろまらせ給べき大瑞なり。經文云、以佛滅度後能持是經故諸佛皆歡喜現無量神力等云云。又云、悪世末法時等云云。

These great omens of the “Supernatural Powers of the Tathagata” chapter are great omens for the essence of the Lotus Sutra to be propagated in the Latter Age of Degeneration after the two thousand years of the Ages of the True and Semblance Dharmas following the Buddha’s extinction. A passage from the [Lotus] Sutra says, “After the Buddha’s extinction, because there will be those who keep this sutra, all the buddhas will be joyful and manifest immeasurable supernatural powers.” It also says, “[Those who uphold this sutra] in the evil world during the Latter Age of Degeneration [earn the same merits gained by donating various offerings to the Buddha.]”

(ST 874, l12-l13) 疑云、夫瑞は吉凶につけて或は一時二時、或は一日二日、或一年二年、或七年十二年か。如何二千餘年己後の瑞あるべきや。

Question: Now, an omen, whether auspicious or inauspicious, [foretells events in advance,] usually one or two hours, one or two days, a year or two, or even seven to twelve years.  How can there be an omen predicting something to occur more than two thousand years in advance?

(ST 874-875, l13-l1) 答云、周昭王の瑞はー千十五年に始てあい（合）り。訖利季王の夢は二萬二千年に始てあいぬ。豈ニチ餘年の事の前にあらは（現）るるを疑べきや。

Answer: An omen appeared during the reign of King Zhao of Zhou proved to be true one thousand and fifteen years later. The dreams of King Kriki finally became a reality twenty-two thousand years later. What is wrong with an omen today becoming a reality two thousand years later?

(ST 875, l1) 問云、在世よりも滅後の瑞大なる如何。

Answer: Why are the omens after the cessation [of the Buddha] greater than those that occurred during his lifetime?

(ST 875, l2-l5) 答云、大地の動ずる事は人の六根の動による。人の六根の動の大小によて大地の六種も高下あり。爾前の經經には一切衆生煩悩をやぶるやうなれども實にはやぶらず。今法華經は元品の無明をやぶるゆへに大動あり。末代は又在世よりも悪人多多なり。かるがゆへに在世の瑞にもすぐれてあるべきよしを示現し給。

Answer: The trembling of the great earth is caused by the movement of the six sense faculties. The degree of the earth’s trembling in six different ways is determined by how the six sense faculties of human beings shake. In the prior sutras, although it appears that the defilements of all sentient beings were eliminated, in actuality they were not entirely eliminated. Now, in the Lotus Sutra, fundamental ignorance was eliminated; therefore, there was a great trembling. In the Latter Age of Degeneration, there exist far more evil people than in the lifetime [of the Buddha. This is the reason why omens superior to those in the lifetime [of the Buddha] are manifested.

(ST 875, l5) 疑云、證文如何。

Question: Do you have any documentary proof for this?

(ST 875, l5-l6) 答云、而此經者知來現在猶多怨嫉況滅度後等云云。

Answer: “Therefore, regarding this sutra, even in the lifetime of the Tathagata, many people hate it out of jealousy. Needless to say, more people will do so after my extinction.”

(ST 875, l6-l11) 去正嘉文永の大地震・大天變は天神七代・地神五代はさてをきぬ。人王九十代、二千餘年が間、日本國にいまだなき天變地夭なり。人の悅多多なれば、天に吉端をあらはし、地に帝釋の動あり。人の悪心盛なれば、天に凶變、地に凶夭出來す。瞋恚の大小に隨で天變の大小あり。地夭又かくのごとし。今日本國上一人より下萬民にいたるまで大悪心の衆生充滿せり。此悪心の根本は日蓮によりて起れるところなり。

Setting aside [the mythological age of the] the seven generations of heavenly gods and the five generations of earthly gods, the great earthquake of the Shōka era (1257–1259) and the great celestial phenomena that occurred in the Bun’ei era (1264–1275) are natural disasters that have never occurred in Japan during the reign of ninety emperors covering more than two thousand years. When the joy of people is great, auspicious omens appear in the heavens, and on earth there is the trembling of Shakra’s [throne]. When evil in the minds of people grows powerful, ominous portents appear in the heavens, and foreboding disasters occur on earth. The size of the celestial changes depends on the size of the ill-will in people’s minds. It is the same for earthly disasters. Japan today is filled with people with very evil minds, from the ruler above to the whole nation below. The root of this evil-mindedness is that it arose in connection with Nichiren.

(ST 875-876, l11-l1) 守護國界經と申經あり。法華以後の経なり。阿闍世王佛にまいりて云、、我國に大旱魃、大風、大水、飢饉、疫病、年年に起る上、他園より我國をせ（攻）む。而佛の出現し給る國なり。いかんと問まいらせ候しかば、佛答云善哉善哉。大王能此問をなせり。汝には多の逆罪あり。其中に父を殺、提婆を師として我を害せしむ。この二罪大なる故、かゝる大難來がくのごとく無量なり。

There is a sutra called the Guarding the National Boundaries Sutra. It is a sutra that was expounded after the Lotus Sutra. [In it], King Ajatashatru went to the Buddha and said, “In my country, it has not only been tormented every year by severe drought, storm, flood, famine, and epidemic, but also by invasion of foreign troops, even though this is the country where the Buddha has appeared.” When he humbly asked, “Why is this?”, the Buddha answered, saying, “Excellent, excellent!” “Great King! You have asked a good question. You committed many rebellious transgressions. Among these, you killed your father and, taking Devadatta as your teacher, sought to harm me. Because these two transgressions are so grave, such great difficulties occur without end.”

(ST 876, l1-l4) 其中我滅後に末法に入て、提婆がやうなる僧國中に充滿せば、正法の僧一人あるべし。彼悪僧等、正法の人を流罪死罪に行て、王の后乃至萬民の女を犯て、謗法者種子國に充滿せば、國中に種種の大難をこり、後には他國にせめらるべし、ととかれて候。

[The Buddha] also explained, “In the Latter Age of Degeneration after my extinction, if monks like Devadatta fill the country, there will surely be one monk of the True Dharma. Evil monks will persecute the people of the True Dharma by banishing or executing them. Moreover, they violate the wives of the king and the women of the common people. When slanders of the Dharma fill the country, great difficulties of all kinds will arise throughout the country, and finally the country will be attacked by foreign troops.

(ST 876, l4-l10) 今の世念佛者かくのごとく候上、眞言師等が大慢、提婆達多に百千萬億倍すぎて候。眞言宗の不思議あらあら申べし。胎藏界の八葉の九尊を畫にかきて、其の上のぼりて、諸佛の御面をふ（踏）みて、灌頂と申事を行なり。父母の面をふみ、天子の頂をふむがごとくなる者、國中充滿して上下の師となれり。いかでか國ほろびざるべき。此事余が一大事の法門なり。又又申べし。さき（前）にすこしかきて候。いた（甚）う人におほせ（仰）あるべからず。

This is exactly how the Nembutsu followers are today, and in addition, the great arrogance of the Mantra masters, especially, is one hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, and a million times worse than that of Devadatta. Speaking in general of the strange practices in the Mantra school, when they perform their abhiseka ceremony, they draw the portraits of the nine honored ones enshrined in the eight petals of the Womb-realm, and step on the faces of the various buddhas. It is like stepping on the faces of parents or the head of the Son of Heaven. These people have filled the country and are revered as teachers of everyone, high and low. How can the country not be destroyed? This matter is my single most important teaching. I will speak of it again. I wrote about it a little before, but do not discuss this with others indiscriminately.

(ST 876, l10) びん（便）ごとの心ざし、一度二度ならねばいかにとも。

I do not know how to express my gratitude for the generous offerings that you send to me every time you write me.