The Eight Winds
Chapter3(Expounding the Prayer Based on the Oneness of Mentor and Disciple)
Main Text
When one goes to court, one may win one’s case, but then again one may lose, when satisfaction could have been obtained outside of court. I considered how the night watchmen1 might win their case. I felt great pity for them; they were deeply troubled, and their houses and lands had been confiscated just because they were Nichiren’s followers. I said that I would pray for them, provided they did not go to court. They agreed and promised not to go. So when I heard they had submitted petitions and were embroiled in lawsuits, I was concerned that it would not go their way; so far no results have been forthcoming.
Daigaku and Uemon no Tayū2 had their prayers answered because they followed my advice. Hakiri3 seems to believe my teachings, but he ignored my suggestions about his lawsuit, and so I have been concerned about its progress. Some good seems to have come of it, perhaps because I warned him that he would lose unless he followed my advice. But because he did not listen to the extent I had hoped, the outcome has been less fruitful than he expected.
If lay believers and their teacher pray with differing minds, their prayers will be as futile as trying to kindle a fire on water. Even if they pray with one mind, their prayers will go unanswered if they have long made the error of attacking greater teachings with lesser ones. Eventually, both lay believers and their teacher will be ruined.
Notes
1. 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.
2. Daigaku is Hiki Daigaku Saburō Yoshimoto (1202–1286), a Confucian scholar who is said to have converted to the Daishonin’s teaching on reading a draft of On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land. Uemon no Tayū is another name for Ikegami Munenaka, the elder son of an official in the Kamakura government. He is thought to have become the Daishonin’s disciple around 1256.
3. Hakiri Sanenaga (1222–1297), the steward of the Minobu area in Kai Province. He had been converted by Nikkō, but opposed him after the Daishonin’s passing.
Lecture
It appears Shijo Kingo had expressed a desire to initiate a lawsuit regarding his estate. In response, the Daishonin cites specific examples of those who succeeded and those who failed in such matters to illustrate what is truly essential.
The Fundamental Way of a Human Being
The Daishonin is not merely addressing pure legal or administrative issues. Those matters could be judged based on the relationship between the shogunate’s laws and the reality Kingo faced.
Instead, the Daishonin’s guidance focuses on a more fundamental prerequisite: how one should exist as a human being. This is reflected in his earlier instruction: “If you harbor unreasonable resentment toward your lord, no matter how much you plead, the heavenly deities will not protect you.”
Even if a lawsuit is legally justified, it can be “humanly incorrect” when viewed through the lens of a long-standing relationship and the benevolence received over many years. If one deviates from the path of humanity, they lose “heavenly protection.” In practical terms, even if such a person wins their case, they may be abandoned by others as someone who is ungrateful.
Returning to the Origin
It is vital to judge matters not from a narrow perspective, but by returning to the origin of what it means to be human. This principle of seeking the human element is arguably the only way to find solutions for modern issues, such as the dilemmas of science and technology or the egoism of capital.
The Oneness of Mentor and Disciple
Another point the Daishonin emphasizes is that prayers are answered only when the hearts of the mentor and the disciple are one.
While the Daishonin is a mentor of Buddhism, the principle that “all phenomena originate from the one Law” means that he, having attained the Mystic Law, does not err in his judgment of secular matters (seppo). Therefore, an approach like that of the lord of Hakiri—who believed in the Daishonin’s religious teachings but disregarded his advice on secular or legal matters—will not lead to the desired outcome.
Of course, if the underlying teaching is a “misguided law,” then even if the mentor and disciple are in perfect unity, they will only face mutual destruction. Basing oneself on the Correct Law is the most fundamental prerequisite.
Summary of Accomplishing a Task
To achieve success, the following three elements are necessary:
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Human Ethics: The task must align with human morality.
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Logical Consistency: The matter itself must be fundamentally sound and reasonable.
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Oneness of Mentor and Disciple: One must have prayer based on the “oneness of mentor and disciple” within the Correct Law.
This guidance serves as a vital compass for a practitioner’s life and for addressing the complexities of society.
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