A Warning against Begrudging One’s Fief
Chapter2(Turning Misfortune into a Blessing)
I explained the teachings of the Lotus Sutra to you before. Matters of minor importance arise from good, but when it comes to a matter of great importance, great disaster without fail changes into great fortune. When people read this petition, their errors will surely come to light. You have only to speak briefly. Say rebukingly, “I will neither leave my lord’s clan nor return my fief of my own accord. If my lord should confiscate it, I will regard it as an offering to the Lotus Sutra and a blessing.”
You must in no way behave in a servile fashion toward the magistrate.6 Tell him, “These fiefs were not bestowed upon me by my lord. They were awarded to me because I saved his life with the medicine of the Lotus Sutra when he was seriously ill. If he takes them from me, his illness will surely return. At that time, even if he should apologize to me, I will not accept it.” Having said so, take your leave in an abrupt manner.
Avoid all gatherings. Maintain a strict guard at night. Be on good terms with the night watchmen7 and make use of them. You should always be in company with them. If you are not ousted this time, the chances are nine to one that your fellow samurai will make an attempt on your life. No matter what, be sure not to die a shameful death.
Nichiren
The seventh month in the third year of Kenji (1277), cyclical sign hinoto-ushi
Reply to Shijō Kingo
Notes
3. The petition, known as The Letter of Petition from Yorimoto, that the Daishonin wrote to Lord Ema on Shijō Kingo’s behalf in the sixth month of 1277. The petition was apparently never submitted to Lord Ema.
4. The identity of “this other priest” is unknown.
5. Daigaku Saburō (1202–1286), also called Hiki Yoshimoto, was an official teacher of Confucianism for the Kamakura shogunate. He is said to have converted to the Daishonin’s teachings upon reading a draft of On Establishing the Correct Teaching p.826for the Peace of the Land. Taki no Tarō is also said to have been a teacher of Confucianism, but little is known about him except that he was a follower of the Daishonin. Toki, or Toki Jōnin, served as a retainer to Lord Chiba, the constable of Shimōsa Province, and was one of the Daishonin’s leading disciples in Shimōsa. He was a man of considerable learning, and the Daishonin entrusted him with many of his most important works.
6. The magistrate was an administrative official who carried out the orders of his superior. In this case, the official who would have been assigned to carry out Lord Ema’s orders.
7. The night watchmen are thought to have been Shijō Kingo’s escorts, who lived in his residence. Their estates had been confiscated because of their belief in the Daishonin’s teachings. One opinion has it that they were Shijō Kingo’s younger brothers.
Lecture
1. Commentary on Practical Guidance and Action
In the previous section, the Daishonin praised Shijo Kingo’s resolve and encouraged him from the standpoint of fundamental faith. In contrast, this section provides various instructions regarding specific, concrete actions.
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The Timing of the Petition: First, it addresses when and how to submit the petition that the Daishonin himself drafted on Kingo’s behalf to rescue him from his predicament.
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The Fief Dispute: Second, it guides Kingo on how he should speak regarding his current land dispute.
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Daily Conduct: Furthermore, it details how he should conduct himself in his daily life.
From these instructions, we can see how the Daishonin deeply cared for his beloved disciple down to the smallest detail, analyzing both the disciple’s temperament and the circumstances surrounding him before giving direction.
Moreover, while the previous section taught the unshakable mental attitude based on faith, this section demonstrates specific behavior. Throughout the entire passage, we can perceive Nichiren Daishonin’s clear guidance regarding faith and daily life, as well as fundamental conviction and concrete behavior.
That is to say, spiritual resilience and boldness based on conviction in Buddhist principles are matters of the inner heart. This serves as the grand premise. However, this does not mean one’s concrete actions should be careless; rather, one must approach them with meticulous care and exercise wisdom. At first glance, these two aspects may seem contradictory, but in reality, the former—a deep conviction in Buddhism—manifests as the wisdom guiding the latter—concrete actions. Therefore, even if one’s actions are meticulous, there is not a shred of servility.
2. The Sacred Text / Gosho Passage
“Matters of minor importance arise from good, but when it comes to a matter of great importance, great disaster without fail changes into great fortune.“
3. Commentary on Turning Hardship into Fortune
What we must not misunderstand is that “good” does not mean it only produces small events. Nor does it mean a “great commotion”—that is, a great disaster—automatically or inevitably becomes a “great fortune” by itself.
When facing immense hardships, human beings re-examine their past way of living in order to overcome them, trying to deal with the situation by fundamentally reforming themselves. When things are going smoothly and success continues, such self-reflection does not occur. It is precisely this fundamental re-examination and reform that becomes the cause for the next great success. This principle applies equally to both individuals and society.
Conversely, however, there are times when a “great commotion” leads to even greater suffering. This happens when people despair due to the disaster, become flustered without exercising wisdom, or fall into a quagmire of distrust by shifting the responsibility for failure onto one another.
We must realize that whether our current success or failure can be used as a foundation to generate the next “good” depends entirely on the wisdom, courage, and life force of the individual dealing with it.
The Buddhist philosophy that elucidates this inner subjectivity and wisdom to turn any adversity into a great fortune—and the very principle of life transformation that serves as its foundation—is the teaching of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds (Jyukkai Gogu) and three thousand realms in a single moment of life ( Ichinen Sanzen) found in the Lotus Sutra.
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