Letter to Shōmitsu-bō
Revere the Correct Law
The Mahavairocana Sutra cannot compare. It steals the heart of the Lotus Sutra. The Lotus Sutra alone reveals the truth. Do not be deceived by false teachings. I revere the correct Law.
The Single Vow
The Lyrics of this song
Through the shifting mists of Akashi Bay, Old illusions fade away. The secret forms and words we keep Cannot fathom truth so deep. Not the transient dew at dawn, Not the floating weed withdrawn. Only the root beneath the sea, Awakens all eternity. Stand upon the single vow, Truth revealed here and now. Beyond the shadow, clear and strong, Here the endless realms belong. I revere the correct Law! Ink upon the weathered scroll, Written to protect the soul. Do not waver, do not yield, On this open battlefield. Stand upon the single vow, Truth revealed here and now. Beyond the shadow, clear and strong, Here the endless realms belong. I revere the correct Law! Hold the light against the cold. The sacred truth untold.
Background
This letter was written at Minobu in the third year of Kenji (1277) and addressed to Shōmitsu-bō, thought to be one of Nichiren Daishonin’s disciples living at Seichō-ji temple in the province of Awa. Another opinion regards Shōmitsu-bō as a True Word priest living near Seichō-ji, who looked up to the Daishonin. Detailed information about Shōmitsu-bō is lacking, but it appears that he was a priest of Seichō-ji temple who had become the Daishonin’s follower and occasionally sought his instruction. The chief priest of Seichō-ji at that time is thought to have been Jōken-bō (some sources say Gijō-bō), a priest senior to the Daishonin, who had later taken faith in his teachings. In another letter written to this chief priest, the Daishonin urges him to consult with Shōmitsu-bō about any difficulties confronting the temple and describes Shōmitsu-bō as knowledgeable in worldly affairs.
In this letter, the Daishonin emphasizes the supremacy of the Lotus Sutra, an important point for Shōmitsu-bō, who was living at a temple where the original Tendai reverence for the Lotus Sutra had been distorted by True Word influence. The Daishonin first cites the erroneous views of the True Word priests of India, China, and Japan with respect to the Lotus Sutra. In particular, he attacks Shan-wu-wei’s assertion that the Mahāvairochana Sutra and the Lotus Sutra are equal in terms of principle, but that the Mahāvairochana Sutra is superior in terms of practice. “Equal in principle” here refers to the principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life. But the Daishonin points out that this principle does not in any way derive from the Mahāvairochana Sutra; it was established by the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai on the basis of the Lotus Sutra. Shan-wu-wei ordered this doctrine written into the True Word teachings. As for the Mahāvairochana Sutra being “superior in terms of practice”: by this Shan-wu-wei meant that the Mahāvairochana Sutra mentions mudras and mantras, while the Lotus Sutra does not. The Daishonin asserts, however, that mudras and mantras are mere insignificant details when compared to the Lotus Sutra’s two unprecedented revelations that even persons of the two vehicles can attain Buddhahood, and that Shakyamuni Buddha originally attained enlightenment in the far distant past.
In the latter part of the letter, the Daishonin explains that the Flower Garland and True Word schools, while nominally Mahayana, in fact should be considered Hinayana because they bind themselves to the Hinayana precepts. He points out that even the Great Teacher Dengyō, who introduced the True Word teachings to Japan, did not regard them as being in any way equal to the T’ien-t’ai teachings, which are based on the Lotus Sutra. As for how far they clarify the three truths of non-substantiality, temporary existence, and the Middle Way, the Flower Garland and True Word schools do not rise above the level of the specific teaching (a higher level of Mahayana addressed specifically to bodhisattvas). However, says the Daishonin, because so many distinguished scholars and teachers embrace the Mahāvairochana Sutra, the True Word teachings have spread throughout Japan.