The Fourteen Slanders

Table of contents

Chapter7(Expounding the Priest’s Propagation of the Law at the Cost of Life)

Chapter7(Expounding the Priest’s Propagation of the Law at the Cost of Life)

Main Text

This body of ours in the end will become nothing more than the soil of the hills and fields. Therefore, it is useless to begrudge your life, for though you may wish to, you cannot cling to it forever. Even people who live a long time rarely live beyond the age of one hundred. And all the events of a lifetime are like the dream one dreams in a brief nap. Though a person may have been fortunate enough to be born as a human being and may have even entered the priesthood, if he fails to study the Buddha’s teaching and to refute its slanderers but simply spends his time in idleness and chatter, then he is no better than an animal dressed in priestly robes. He may call himself a priest and earn his livelihood as such, but in no way does he deserve to be regarded as a true priest. He is nothing but a thief who has stolen the title of priest. How shameful and frightening!

In the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra there is a passage that reads, “We care nothing for our bodies or lives but are anxious only for the unsurpassed way.”¹⁶ Another passage from the essential teaching reads, “Not hesitating even if it costs them their lives.”¹⁷ The Nirvana Sutra states, “One’s body is insignificant while the Law is supreme. One should give one’s life in order to propagate the Law.”¹⁸ Thus both the theoretical and essential teachings of the Lotus Sutra, as well as the Nirvana Sutra, all indicate that one should give one’s life to spread the Law. It is a grave offense to go against these admonitions, and though invisible to the eye, the error piles up until it sends one plummeting to hell. It is like heat or cold, which has no shape or form that the eye can see. Yet in winter the cold comes to attack the trees and grasses, humans and beasts, and in summer the heat comes to torment people and animals.

Notes

16. Lotus Sutra, chap. 13.

17. Ibid., chap. 16.

18. The Annotations on the Nirvana Sutra.

Lecture

This section emphasizes the practice of “not begrudging one’s life” ( $fujishaku\ shinmyo$ ), teaching that we should devote our short lives to the Buddhist Law. In particular, the Daishonin denounces the corruption of priests who have lost their way, urging that a true “Teacher of the Law” (Hoshi) must fulfill their mission of propagating the Law even at the cost of their life ( $shishin\ gudo$ ). He warns that turning away from this admonition inevitably invites “punishment from the unseen” (myobatsu), citing the laws of nature as a parallel.

Animals Clad in the Skins of Priests

The Daishonin teaches that even those who have obtained the rare gift of human life and entered the priesthood are “animals clad in the skins of priests” if they fail to rebuke those who slander the Law and instead spend their days in idle talk and play.

Definition of a “Teacher of the Law” (Hoshi): A priest who is well-versed in Buddhism and guides others through true teachings. They are expected to maintain their practice, expound the Law, and serve as a model for society. In a broader sense, this includes anyone in a leadership role who guides others.
The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (Ongi Kuden): Regarding the term Hoshi, the Daishonin states: “The word “Law” (hō) here stands for shohō, the various phenomena of existence. The word “teacher” (shi) indicates that all these various p.82phenomena act directly as our teacher. That is, the varied and numberless phenomena of the three thousand realms can act directly as our teacher and we can become their disciples. Now Nichiren and his followers, who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, are the greatest among the teachers of the Law.“ (OTT, p. 81).

From the perspective of “three thousand realms in a single moment of life,” all things are entities and functions of the Mystic Law; thus, all can be “teachers.” Those who protect the Gohonzon and practice for the sake of Kosen-rufu are the true leaders of society. However, if one maintains the outward appearance of a priest but forgets the mission of propagation and spends their time in hedonism, they are internally no different from a beast.

I Do Not Care for My Body or Life, But Only for the Supreme Way

The “Encouraging Devotion” (13th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra states:

“In a corrupted age and an evil world, there will be many things to fear. Evil demons will enter the bodies of others to revile, insult, and humiliate us. But we, reverently trusting the Buddha, shall put on the armor of forbearance. For the sake of preaching this sutra, we shall endure all these hardships. I do not care for my body or life, but only for the supreme way.”

The disciples of the Daishonin’s time undoubtedly felt the weight of these words as a living reality. In 1276, when this letter was written, Gyochi (the acting administrator of Ryusen-ji Temple) was persecuting the followers of Nikko Shonin. Gyochi pressured the monks Nisshu, Nichiben, and Nichizen to abandon their faith in the Lotus Sutra and chant the Nembutsu instead. Although Gyochi was a corrupt and spiritually bankrupt monk, he held his position through political ties to the Hojo clan.

Among the four main disciples targeted, Raien lacked sufficient faith and wrote a statement of apology to secure his position at the temple. He failed to uphold the Daishonin’s teachings when it mattered most. However, Nichizen refused to yield and promptly left his quarters, refusing to negotiate with such an evil person. Nisshu and Nichiben remained in their quarters, asserting that their right to stay was independent of the acting administrator.

The Daishonin uses the verse “I do not care for my body or life” to reflect the actual, life-risking struggles of his disciples who protected the “Supreme Way.” Their actions serve as a “mirror of faith” that remains for all eternity.

Not Begrudging Their Own Lives

The “Life Span” (16th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra says: “Single-mindedly desiring to see the Buddha, not begrudging their own lives.”

High Priest Nichikan explained in his Interpretations of the Commended Teachings:

“This passage clearly contains the Three Great Secret Laws… ‘Single-mindedly desiring to see the Buddha’ refers to faith. ‘Not begrudging one’s life’ refers to the practice of chanting the Daimoku. This includes practice for oneself and practice for others; both are the chanting of the Daimoku.”

This confirms that the foundation of practicing Nichiren Buddhism lies in the faith of “single-mindedly desiring to see the Buddha” and the chanting of Daimoku with the spirit of “not begrudging one’s life.”

Propagating the Law with One’s Whole Being

The Daishonin points out that the Theoretical and Essential teachings, as well as the Nirvana Sutra, all agree that the Law must be propagated by discarding one’s life. This is reflected in the principle: “The body is insignificant while the Law is supreme; one should give one’s life to spread the Law.”

Nikko Shonin echoed this in his Twenty-six Admonitions: “Until Kosen-rufu is achieved, you should propagate the Law to the best of your ability, even at the cost of your life.” (GoshoZenshuu, p. 1618).

Propagating the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day inevitably brings great persecution. Without the resolve to value the Law over one’s own physical safety, one cannot fulfill their faith. For the Daishonin, these scriptural passages were not mere metaphors—they were the very reality of his life.

Daily Gosho