20 April 1279 (Age: 58)
Of the major persecutions that I, Nichiren, have encountered, the most severe were my near beheading at Tatsunokuchi and the attack at Tojo1 for none of the others came as near to ending my life. I have been cursed, denounced, banished, falsely charged and struck in the face, but these were all minor in comparison. In the country of Japan, I alone have been subjected to such mental and physical abuse. If anyone else has ever been similarly abused, it was certainly not for the sake of the Lotus Sutra. There is one attack in particular I can never forget, the time when Sho-bo, motivated by the three poisons, seized the fifth scroll2 of the Lotus Sutra and struck me across the face with it.
Once, there was a jealous woman in India who so hated her husband, that in a fit of anger, she destroyed everything in her home. Fury transformed her appearance, her face twisted with rage, her eyes burned like the sun and the moon, and her mouth seemed to spew flames. Her image was exactly like that of a red or blue demon. She seized the fifth scroll of the Lotus Sutra, which for years her husband had recited, and brutally stomped on it with both feet. Later she died and fell into hell, all except for her feet. The guards of hell tried to beat them down with iron staves, but were unable to do so because by trampling upon the Lotus Sutra, her feet had formed a relationship with it, and although it was a reverse relationship, they benefited from it. Out of his hatred for me, Nichiren, Sho-bo struck me in the face with the fifth scroll of the Lotus Sutra. He too has made a reverse relationship with the Sutra.
The first incident took place in India, the second in Japan, one was committed by a woman, the other by a man, one by a pair of feet, the other by a pair of hands; one arose out of jealousy, the other because of the Lotus Sutra. However, in both cases, the fifth scroll of the Lotus Sutra was involved. The woman’s feet did not fall into hell, so why should Sho-bo’s hands? The woman only hated her husband and not the Lotus Sutra. However, Sho-bo hated both the Lotus Sutra and me, Nichiren, so his entire body must enter the hell of incessant suffering. The Lotus Sutra states, “When such people die, they will fall into the hell of incessant suffering.” There is no possibility that his hands will not enter hell. How pitiful, how terribly sad! Eventually, however, Sho-bo will again meet me, Nichiren, and at that time he will be able to attain Buddhahood, just as were the four kinds of arrogant believers who persecuted Bodhisattva Never Disparaging (Fukyo).
The fifth scroll of the Lotus Sutra possesses significance vithout peer. It reveals that the Dragon King’s daughter attained Buddhahood in her present form. While Devadatta’s attainment of uddhahood expressed the spiritual aspect of enlightenment, the ragon King’s daughter’s enlightenment expressed the physical pect. This principle of attaining Buddhahood in one’s present m is found nowhere else among the sutras. In the Great Teacher ngyo’s commentary on ten principles establishing the Lotus ra’s preeminence among all the sutras, he explained, “The Lotus Sutra is supreme because it leads people to attain Buddhahood in their current form.”
This is the most important principle in the Tendai sect and one section of the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra (Hokke mongu) entitled, “Attaining Buddhahood in One’s Present Form,” is devoted to it. This doctrine is also a point of dispute between the Shingon and Tendai sects. It was through the power of the Lotus Sutra that the Dragon King’s daughter attained Buddhahood. Bodhisattva Manjushri stated, “I constantly expounded only the Lotus Sutra.” These two words, “constantly” and “only,” are the key words in his statement. Yet The Treatise on the Mind Aspiring for Enlightenment (Bodaishin ron) claims, “Only the law of the Shingon expounds [attainment of Buddhahood in one’s present form].” Which is correct, the “only” of The Treatise on the Mind Aspiring for Enlightenment or the “only” of the Lotus Sutra? The word, “only” in The Treatise on the Mind Aspiring for Enlightenment is probably a mistake. The Sutra of Infinite Meanings (Muryogi-kyo) states, “During these more than forty years, I have yet to reveal the Truth.” The Lotus Sutra states, “The Law of the World-Honored One has long existed; I will now unequivocally reveal the Truth.” Saying, “All you teach is true!” Taho Buddha affirmed that only the Lotus Sutra is the teaching to attain Buddhahood in one’s present form.
No matter how adamantly the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings assert that they provide a way of attaining Buddhahood or how stridently the followers of these provisional doctrines voice their beliefs, they are as easy to refute, as it is to break a thousand earthenware pots with a single hammer. This is the meaning of T’ien-t’ai’s statement, “The Lotus Sutra is the supreme teaching refuting all provisional doctrines.” Attaining Buddhahood in one’s present form is the most important and profound principle hidden in the sutra’s depths.
From the time of Jikaku, Tendai sect scholars have debated and developed theories about this most profound principle based on the three major works of T’ien-t’ai: the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra (Hokke gengi), Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra (Hokke mongu) and Great Concentration and Insight (Maka shikan). However, their interpretations are as useless today as last year’s calendar or yesterday’s meal. If someone were to say that in the first five-hundred years of the Latter Day of the Law it is possible to attain Buddhahood apart from the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra, you should give his words no credence even if what he says is the Buddha’s teaching, much less if it is just some scholars’ opinion.
It is taught in the Devadatta Chapter of the Lotus Sutra that in a previous lifetime, Devadatta had been Shakyamuni Buddha’s master, he, who in the past was the master, is now the disciple and he, who was the disciple, is now the master. When I, Nichiren, consider this, I find that it reveals the profound meaning of the Lotus Sutra: the oneness of master and disciple, both in the past and the present.
Therefore, the benevolent Shakyamuni became master to the nefarious Devadatta, and the wise Manjushri became master to the Dragon King’s ignorant daughter. Surely, I, Nichiren, am in no way inferior to Manjushri or Shakyamuni. The men of Japan are like Devadatta and the women are like the Dragon King’s daughter. Both those who follow and those who oppose will attain Buddhahood.
This is the meaning of the Devadatta Chapter.
Next, with regard to the Encouraging Devotion (Kanji) Chapter, only I, Nichiren, have truly understood the twenty-line verse spoken in unison by the eight hundred thousand million nayutas3 of Bodhisattvas. Since the passing of the Buddha, in the three countries of Japan, China and India, who, other than myself, has ever actually lived it? No one claims to have, nor do I believe anyone has.
From the passage, “…attack us with swords and staves” in the twenty-line verse, consider the two words, “swords” and “staves.” There may be others who have been beaten with staves, but I have never heard of any wounded by the sword. As the Bodhisattva Never Disparaging (Fukyo) Chapter relates, Bodhisattva Never Disparaging’s persecutors, “…beat him with wooden staves and pelted him with stones and tiles,” but he was never attacked with a sword. T’ien-t’ai, Miao-lo, Dengyo and others were never assaulted, [for as the Peaceful Practices (Anrakugyo) Chapter says] “They will not be attacked by swords and staves,” yet I, Nichiren, have been attacked by both swords and staves.
As I mentioned previously, I experienced persecution by sword at Komatsubara in Tojo and at Tatsunokuchi. No one else has met with such an assault even once, but I, Nichiren, have suffered it twice. As for being assaulted with staves, Sho-bo has already struck me across the face with the fifth scroll of the Lotus Sutra. The very stave that struck me was the fifth scroll of the Lotus Sutra; the fifth scroll that says the Votary of the Lotus Sutra will be attacked with staves. What an extraordinary, prophetic passage! When Sho-bo, in front of dozens of people, batted me in the face, I, being a common mortal, was distressed and mortified. Had I the strength, I would have snatched the stave from his hands, thrown it down and trampled it into splinters… but for the fact that it was the fifth scroll of the Lotus Sutra.
This reminds me of a story. There was a father who, upset that his son was neglecting his studies, paddled him with a zelkova wood bow. At the time, the son considered his father a cruel man and resented the wooden bow. Nevertheless, he devoted himself to the study and practice of Buddhism, eventually becoming highly accomplished and able to teach many people. Looking back, he realized that all his success was due to the thrashing given by his father. In gratitude, he offered a zelkova wood memorial tablet (Sotoba) to honor his father’s memory. Is it not the same with me, Nichiren? How can I forsake my debt of gratitude to Sho-bo for helping me attain Buddhahood? Even less, should I forget my debt to the scroll of the Lotus Sutra with which he struck me? Thinking of this, I can hardly hold back my tears of gratitude.
The Emerging from the Earth (Yujutsu) Chapter is also one with which I have a relationship since it predicts that Bodhisattva Jogyo and others will propagate the five characters of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo in the Latter Day of the Law. I, Nichiren, am the first to appear. How encouraging to know that I will receive the praise of Bodhisattvas equal in number to the sands of sixty thousand Ganges Rivers!
By all means, you must believe in and devote yourself to the Lotus Sutra. Not only you must do so; encourage everyone in your family to take faith so your deceased parents and ancestors will be saved. Since I was born, I, Nichiren, have spent not one day, not even one moment, at leisure. I have focused solely upon the propagation of the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra.
Exert yourself! Exert yourself in your practice. I do not know when you or I will die, but when you reach the crossroads of life and death, I will surely come to guide you. All Buddhas throughout the three existences attain their Buddhahood between the beginning of the hour of the Ox and the end of the hour of the Tiger4. The site of Buddhist practice is placed in the direction of the Demon Gate, the northeast, in all three countries of India, China and Japan.
This is the teaching of Buddhism transmitted from master to disciple. I will explain more on another occasion.
With my deepest respect,
The twentieth day of the fourth month
Nichiren
Reply to Lord Ueno
In the same way as you hunger for food when famished, thirst for water when parched, yearn for a loved one when apart, seek medicine when ailing, or as a beautiful woman desires lip color and powder, have faith in the Lotus Sutra. If you do not, you will regret it.
Notes
1. Attack at Tojo refers to the Komatsubara Persecution on November 11, 1264, in which the lord of Tojo District, Awa Province, Tojo Kagenobu, and his men ambushed the Daishonin’s party at a site called Komatsubara. Two disciples were killed and Nichiren Daishonin, Himself, received a cut on His forehead and had His left hand broken.
2. Traditional documents were written on paper wrapped around a staff.
3. (Skt.) An ancient Indian numerical unit.
4. Between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. according to traditional Chinese zodiacal hours.
