YOUR letter dated the twenty-fifth of last month arrived at the hour of the cock (5:00–7:00 p.m.) on the twenty-seventh of the same month. On reading the official letter [ordering you to submit a written oath renouncing your faith in the Lotus Sutra] and your pledge not to write such an oath, I felt that it was rare and as fragrant as seeing the udumbara plant in bloom and smelling the budding red sandalwood.

Shāriputra, Maudgalyāyana, and Mahākāshyapa were great arhats who had acquired the three insights and the six transcendental powers. Moreover, they were bodhisattvas who, because of the Lotus Sutra, had attained the first stage of development and the first stage of security, that is, the realization of the non-birth and non-extinction of all phenomena. Yet even they deemed themselves unable to endure the great persecutions that would attend the propagation of the Lotus Sutra in the sahā world in the Latter Day of the Law, and declined to accept the task. How then is it possible for ordinary people in the latter age, who have not yet eradicated the three categories of illusion, to become votaries of this sutra?

Even though I myself have been able to withstand attacks with sticks of wood or tiles and stones, vilification, and persecution by the authorities, how could people such as lay believers, who have wives and children, and are ignorant of Buddhism, possibly do the same? Perhaps they would have done better never to have believed in the first place. If they are unable to carry through with their faith to the end, and uphold it only for a short while, they will be mocked by others. So thinking, I felt pity for you. But during the repeated persecutions I suffered and throughout my two sentences of exile, you have demonstrated your resolve. Though that has been wondrous enough, I have no words sufficient to praise you for having written a pledge to carry through with your faith in the Lotus Sutra, in spite of your lord’s threats and at the cost of your two fiefs.

The Buddha wondered whether even bodhisattvas like Universal Worthy and Manjushrī could undertake the propagation of the Lotus Sutra in the latter age, and he therefore entrusted the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo to Superior Practices and the other three leaders of bodhisattvas who had sprung up from the earth as numerous as the dust particles of a thousand worlds. Now, pondering the meaning of this matter, I wonder if BodhisattvaSuperior Practices has taken possession of your body in order to assist me along the way. Or could it be the design of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings?

The fact that those retainers who resent you are growing more presumptuous is definitely the result of the scheming of the priests Ryōkan and Ryūzō. Should you write an oath discarding your faith, they would only become more arrogant, and they would mention it to everyone they meet. Then my disciples in Kamakura would be hounded until not a single one remained.

It is the nature of ordinary people not to know what awaits them in the future. Those who have a full understanding of this are called worthies or sages. Passing over examples from the past, I will cite one from the present. The lord of Musashi¹ gave up both his domains and became a lay priest. I hear that ultimately he abandoned many estates, forsook his sons and daughters as well as his wife, and secluded himself from the world. You have neither sons nor reliable brothers. You have only your two fiefs. This life is like a dream. One cannot be sure that one will live until tomorrow. However wretched a beggar you might become, never disgrace the Lotus Sutra. Since it will be the same in any event, do not betray grief. Just as you have written in your letter, you must act and speak without the least servility. If you try to curry favor, the situation will only worsen. Even if your fiefs should be confiscated or you yourself driven out, you must think that it is due to the workings of the ten demon daughters, and wholeheartedly entrust yourself to them.

Had I not been exiled, but remained in Kamakura, I would certainly have been killed in the battle.² In like manner, since remaining in your lord’s service will likely be to your detriment, this may well be the design of Shakyamuni Buddha.

This letter, also considered to be an accompaniment to the petition of Yorimoto (Yorimoto Chinjo), is alternatively titled “On Not Begrudging One’s Fief” (Fukashaku Shoryo Ji). It was written by Nichiren Daishonin in July 1277 (the third year of Kenji) at Mount Minobu to Shijo Kingo, when the Daishonin was fifty-six years old.

At that time, Shijo Kingo was facing his greatest ordeal. Ever since he attempted to introduce his lord, Ema, to the teachings (shakubuku) in 1274 (the eleventh year of Bunei), the slander and defamation from his colleagues who hated him had intensified significantly.

Particularly from 1276 (the second year of Kenji), the pressure from his lord became severe; under the guise of an official reward, his stipend was practically reduced, and he received an unofficial order to transfer his fief to Echigo Province. Because Kingo did not accept the transfer at that time, some individuals petitioned the lord to confiscate the fief of any retainer who disobeyed his lord’s command.

In 1277 (the third year of Kenji), the famous Kuwagayatsu Debate took place. Kingo was falsely accused of disrupting the religious debate, and his lord ordered him to write an oath abandoning the Lotus Sutra. However, Kingo vowed to the Daishonin that he would never write such an oath.

This writing is the Daishonin’s reply to Kingo’s report. Written for Kingo during his harsh circumstances, this is a concise yet vital Gosho, richly woven with gem-like guidance that represents the very crystallization of faith.

At the beginning of this letter, the Daishonin praises the strictness and integrity of Kingo’s faith in vowing not to sign the oath. Furthermore, regarding future hardships that may arise, he strictly guides him on the fundamental attitude of maintaining faith, stating, “No matter what kind of beggar you may become, you must never bring disgrace upon the Lotus Sutra.”

Passage 1

“I felt that it was rare and as fragrant as seeing the udumbara plant in bloom and smelling the budding red sandalwood.“

Explanation: When standing at a crossroads in life, what matters most is making a correct judgment and deciding which path to take. One must not misjudge, and even if the judgment is correct, an inability to make a decision only increases suffering. This wisdom and courage determine whether life will be led to the glory of victory or plunged into the darkness of defeat.

Particularly in the process of faith—which is the ultimate path toward human perfection—one must not be misled by immediate self-interest and fall into the evil path of endless suffering. It is precisely when external hardships strike that one must establish within their own life the decisive factor determining which path to take. The persecution currently confronting Shijo Kingo represents exactly such a crucial crossroads. His choosing of the great path of faith is praised here with the highest possible acclaim, as an act that seals his future attainment of Buddhahood.

Passage 2

“Even Shariputra, Maudgalyayana, and Mahakashyapa, since they could not endure the great persecutions involved in propagating the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law in the saha world, declined, saying they could not manage it.”

Explanation: The fact that the ten major voice-hearer disciples, such as Shariputra, personally declined to propagate the Lotus Sutra in this saha world during the Latter Day of the Law is not directly recorded in the scriptural text. However, in the “Encouraging Devotion” (13th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, “the five hundred arhats who received the prophecy of enlightenment” offer to “widely preach this sutra in other lands,” and eight thousand individuals, both learning and no-learning, declare: “World-Honored One, we too will widely preach this sutra in other lands. Why? Because in this saha world, people are full of evils, harbor arrogance, possess shallow benefits, are angry, turbid, flattering, and crooked, and their hearts are insincere.” It is believed that the statement in the text was made based on this context.

In any case, to propagate the Mystic Law within real society, one’s very life must be identical with the Mystic Law. In other words, in accordance with the principle that the person and the Law are one, the Law cannot be propagated unless it is embodied within the person themselves.

By nature, all people are fundamentally the entities of the Mystic Law. However, it is only when one awakens to this fact themselves that the oneness of the Person and the Law is realized. Though Shariputra possessed the three insights and six transcendental powers, achieved arhatship, and attained the insight into the non-origination of all phenomena, his enlightenment was merely a fraction of the Mystic Law. Standing upon such a limited attainment, he could by no means possess the qualification to propagate the Mystic Law. This is not meant to discriminate against them as human beings, but rather to describe the inevitable difference in capacity that arises from the nature of the Law and enlightenment they hold.

Passage 3

“How could people such as lay believers, who have wives and children, and are ignorant of Buddhism, possibly do the same? “

Explanation: In maintaining and carrying through one’s convictions while enduring various persecutions and hardships, the most difficult obstacles to overcome are, first, seeing one’s family, such as a wife and children, suffer, and second, the hesitation arising from one’s own ignorance of Buddhism. What stems from a wife and children is human affection, while ignorance relates to intellectual judgment. These obstacles, entangled in intellect and emotion, dull one’s resolve and give rise to doubt.

Therefore, as cautioned in the passage, “Do not think of your wife, children, or dependents,” the fundamental attitude of faith requires that at the critical juncture of overcoming hardships, one must not be bound by personal affection. Paradoxically, this is what ultimately leads one’s wife, children, and dependents to eternal happiness. Above all, what is fundamentally crucial is the “wisdom” to correctly and deeply understand Buddhism; this is precisely why the study of Buddhist teachings is required. It can be said that the Daishonin composed numerous writings and letters to his disciples precisely to bestow this “wisdom.”

Passage 4

“If they are unable to carry through with their faith to the end, and uphold it only for a short while, they will be mocked by others.“

Explanation: The most vital aspect of faith is to believe fully and maintain one’s practice until the very end of life.

As stated in volume five of Great Concentration and Insight, “As practice and understanding progress, the three obstacles and four devils will emerge in a confusing manner, vying with one another to interfere,” and as Nichiren Daishonin notes, “For those who become the mentors, disciples, and lay practitioners of the true practitioner who practices the Lotus Sutra exactly as the Buddha taught, the three types of powerful enemies are certain to arise,” it is inevitable that the three types of powerful enemies—manifesting as criticism, slander, and persecution—will arise when practicing the correct Law.

However, as it is written, “To accept is easy; to maintain is difficult. Therefore, attainment of Buddhahood lies in maintaining faith,” the key to attaining Buddhahood lies in establishing an unshakeable faith and sustaining it throughout one’s life.

Passage 5

“It is the nature of ordinary people not to know what awaits them in the future. Those who have a full understanding of this are called worthies or sages.“

Explanation: This means that a wise person or a sage is one who knows themselves and understands how they ought to live.

No matter how much one knows about the external world or about others, that does not make them a true wise person or sage. A person who knows about the outside world is a scholar, but not necessarily wise. Knowing about others might make someone a critic, but not a sage. The most noble “knowledge” as a human being, which is directly tied to one’s personal human value, concerns one’s “own circumstances”—that is, knowledge of oneself.

In this sense, it can be said that this passage is completely aligned with the famous dictum, “Know thyself,” proclaimed by the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates.

Passage 6

“However wretched a beggar you might become, never disgrace the Lotus Sutra.“

Explanation: In this context, “beggar” refers to someone who is viewed socially as a defeated person in life. Shijo Kingo’s situation at that time was particularly dire; his fief could be confiscated, his bond with his lord severed, and he faced the immediate threat of being thrown out onto the streets. He was in a state where he literally had to prepare himself to become a beggar.

However, no matter what one’s social standing becomes, one must never become servile or sycophantic as a human being. This is a strict admonition that becoming servile is precisely what brings disgrace upon the Lotus Sutra.

What must not be misunderstood is that becoming a “beggar” itself does not bring disgrace upon the Lotus Sutra. In other words, bringing disgrace upon the Lotus Sutra is not a matter of social reputation. Even if one suffers defeat in society, and as a result, the world slanders Buddhism further and intensifies its criticism against the Daishonin’s followers, that does not constitute a blemish on the Lotus Sutra. Rather, it is losing one’s human dignity, becoming servile, and abandoning faith that truly “brings disgrace upon the Lotus Sutra.” Therefore, he encourages him, saying, “Therefore… you should conduct yourself without the slightest subservience, and speak out boldly.”