Questions and Answers on the Object of Devotion Chapter13-1

Questions and Answers on the Object of Devotion Chapter13-1

———————————-（continued from Chapter12-2)———————————-

I am indebted to my parents and to my teacher for an understanding of these principles. But my parents passed away some time ago.

The late priest Dōzen-bō was my teacher. In his heart he felt kindly toward me. But he was afraid that some trouble might arise between himself and the steward of the region³¹ because of the Lotus Sutra, and therefore he acted outwardly as though he were my enemy. I heard later that he seemed to manifest a certain degree of faith in the Lotus Sutra. But I do not know just what his condition was when he was on the point of death. I surely do not think that he was reborn in hell, but neither do I believe that he was able to escape the sufferings of birth and death. Sad to say, he is probably wandering in some intermediate state between death and rebirth.

At the time when the steward displayed his anger toward me, you, Jōken-bō, along with Gijō-bō, helped me to escape from Seichō-ji unharmed. Without doing anything further, you have already performed a service for the Lotus Sutra. I hope you will therefore take this opportunity to free yourselves from the sufferings of birth and death.