"Although it may sound like self-aggrandizement, the following
declaration is based on the Sutra: I, Nichiren, have three aspects,
which are of significance to all the people of Japan, from the Emperor
to the most humble citizen. The first aspect is that of Parent, the
second is that of Teacher, the third is that of Messenger of the Sovereign
The Sutra states: [he is] 践 the messenger of the Buddha', [he is] 奏 the eyes',
and also [he is] 奏the sun and the moon'. Chang'an comments, 践 he makes
it possible for an offender to be rid of evil, thus behaving as a parent to the
offender.' ....
I committed myself to the point of being beheaded, determined to let
Shakyamuni, Taho and all the Buddhas of the Ten Directions consider what
they should do about it. This behavior went beyond the contributions to
Buddhism of both T'ien t'ai and Dengyo, surpassed Fukyo Bodhisattva's
practice of propagation, and equaled the offering of Aryasimha, a level
of offering that had been unmatched since his time; thereby my name was
added to the Successors of the Law, changing the number from twenty-five
to twenty-six." -- Reply to Shimoyama
No comments:
Post a Comment