“Letter to Shi’iji Shiro” Sep. 2025

​​

(“Shi’iji-shiro dono-gosho”)

Alternative title: “A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering” (“Nyodo tokusen no koto”)
You must know that you possess a profound karmic relationship from the past to
be able to teach others even a sentence or phrase of the Lotus Sutra. The sutra
states: “They will not listen to...the correct Law—such people are difficult to
save.” The term “correct Law” mentioned here indicates the Lotus Sutra, and
this passage means that those who do not listen to this sutra are difficult to save.
The Teachers of the Law (Hosshi) chapter [of the Lotus Sutra] reads: “If...there
are good men and good women, and one among them secretly preaches the
entire Lotus Sutra or a phrase of it to even one other person, then you should
know that this individual, indeed, is an envoy of the Tathagata.” This means that
people—be they priests, laymen, nuns, or women—who teach even one phrase
[of the Lotus Sutra] should be considered the envoys of the Buddha.

(Gosho, pg 1555)

 

椎地四郎殿御書

雖一文一句亦向人言法華經之法門者,應知乃過去宿緣甚深也。經云「亦
不聞正法 如是人難度」云云。此文之意,正法乃法華經也。不聞此經者
難度矣之文也。法師品云「若是善男子善女人乃至則如來使」,僧、俗、
尼、女雖一句亦向人言者,視為如來之使也。

​

上野殿御返事

法華経の法門を一文一句なりとも人にかたらんは過去の宿縁(しゅくえん)ふ
かしとおぼしめすべし。経に云はく「亦正法を聞かず是の如き人は度し難し」
云云。此の文の意(こころ)は正法とは法華経なり。此の経をきかざる人は度
しがたしと云ふ文なり。法師品(ほっしほん)には「若是善男子善女人(にゃ
くぜぜんなんしぜんにょにん)乃至則如来使(そくにょらいし)」と説かせ給
ひて、僧も俗も尼も女も一句をも人にかたらん人は如来の使ひと見えたり。