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Propagation by the Wise
Buddhism can be correctly propagated only by a person of
unsurpassed wisdom. This is why Shakyamuni, after expounding
all the sutras, entrusted the Hinayana teachings to Ananda
and the Mahayana teachings to Monju, but refused to transfer
the ultimate principle of the Lotus Sutra to any of his
immediate disciples. Shakyamuni instead summoned Bodhisattva
Jogyo, his disciple from ages past, and entrusted it to
him.
Even if there should be a person of wisdom who embraces
Buddhism, how could he propagate it without believers who
support him? Shakyamuni had the support of Bonten and Taishaku
who dwell in heaven. From among the six paths, the Buddha
chose the worlds of Heaven and Humanity, and of these two,
he chose to be born among human beings. Of all places in
the universe inhabited by men, he appeared in India, in
the kingdom of Magadha. The king of Magadha should have
been a protector of the Buddha, but the ruler was King Ajatashatru,
an evil man. The most unfortunate destiny for a Buddha is
to be born in the reign of an evil monarch. King Ajatashatru
had murdered his father, a wise king who had supported the
Buddha. Even worse, he had taken Devadatta as his mentor.
Devadatta committed three of the five cardinal sins, worst
of all injuring the Buddha and causing him to bleed. The
impious and evil king joined forces with this slanderer
of Buddhism, compounding the great harm to humanity. Not
only for one or two years but for several decades, this
king repeatedly harassed the Buddha and killed a great many
of his disciples. This infuriated the heavens, and the skies
reacted violently. Moreover, the terrestrial gods were so
provoked that the great disasters occurred on earth. Month
after month violent gales raged, and year after year famines
and epidemics struck, killing the majority of the people.
Furthermore, neighboring kingdoms attacked on all sides,
driving Magadha to the brink of ruin. At that time, motivated
by a revelation in a dream, by the advice of his physician
and minister Jivaka and finally by his own inner doubts,
Ajatashatru left Devadatta and went to Shakyamuni Buddha
to repent for his sinful deeds. Therefore his illness was
cured immediately, the invasions ceased and the entire country
became peaceful. Not only did he recover his health; he
was able to thwart the prophecy that he would die on the
seventh day of the third month and in fact prolonged his
life by forty years. In gratitude, he assembled a thousand
arhats to record all the Buddha's teachings, especially
the Lotus Sutra, for future generations. It is therefore
thanks to King Ajatashatru that we have the Lotus Sutra
we embrace today.
Even so, if I, Nichiren, should repeat the teachings given
by the Buddha to King Ajatashatru, most Japanese would consider
them to be merely my own fabrication. But since you are
my disciple and supporter, I will reveal them to you. The
Buddha stated, "After my death, during the Latter Day
of the Law, there will be many who will piously observe
the five ascetic practices as Devadatta did. They will persuade
an evil ruler to act against the one person of unsurpassed
wisdom. At times they will slander or strike him, cause
him to be exiled, and even try to kill him. In that age
there will be natural disasters, such as typhoons, famines,
and epidemics even greater than those witnessed in this
day, and these calamities will continue year after year.
There will also be foreign invasions." This is the
substance of the tenth volume of the Shugo Sutra.
The present age has evolved exactly as the Buddha predicted
it would, and Nichiren is the wise man whom the Buddha described.
Although there are people who wish to help me, many of them
are weak-willed and others, though having a strong spirit,
cannot act upon their intentions. Thus you are one of the
very few whose action matches his will. Your faith is stronger
than the faith of others, and it is because of your support
that I have been able to survive. Both the heavens and the
earth are certainly aware of this, so if any misfortune
happens to you, it could only mean that heaven wants my
life itself. Wherever he may be, whether in the mountains,
on the seas, in the skies or in the cities, man cannot escape
death. However, a passage from one of the sutras explains
that even one's immutable karma can be changed. T'ien-t'ai
interprets this passage to mean that one can prolong his
fixed span of life.
As I advised you earlier, until the Mongol forces actually
attack this country, you should refrain from spreading any
alarm. As for the reply to your lord, answer him firmly
in this way: "Since I am ill, it is most distressing
for me to be transferred to a remote place. Moreover, the
entire country is on the verge of ruin. Should an emergency
arise, how could I possibly be a coward? At this moment
I am resolved to sacrifice my life for my lord. Yet, should
a sudden crisis occur, it is doubtful whether I could reach
you in time from the distant province of Echigo. Therefore,
even at the risk of losing my estate, I will not leave you
this year. Anything else you may command of me, I will obey
without hesitation or fear. The only people more important
to me are the priest Nichiren and my deceased parents. However,
I will devote this life to you, even if you disown me, for
I have entrusted my life after death to the priest Nichiren."
Nichiren
The sixth day of the ninth month in the second year of
Kenji (1276)
Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page
169.
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