Nine Thoughts to One Word Chapter3
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Also, you should always look out for your younger brothers and make sure they have the money they need for the bath charge and proper sandals. You must keep in mind that if anything should happen to you, your brothers will not forgive your enemies and may be obliged to give up their lives on your behalf. Even if they have their faults, if they are only minor ones, just pretend you do not notice them.
With regard to your women relatives, whatever faults they may have, do not make any attempt to correct them and certainly never quarrel with them. The Nirvana Sutra states, “Though the offense may be grave, punishment should never be inflicted on women.” The meaning of this passage is that whatever the error may be, women should not be chastised for their faults. This is the proper approach for a person of wisdom and a disciple of the Buddha. This passage in the sutra occurs when King Ajātashatru, having not only killed his father, is about to do the same to his mother, and is reprimanded by his ministers Jīvaka and Chandraprabha.6
Remember that these brothers and sisters of yours are dear to your mother, and she will be concerned for them until the moment of her death. If you pardon their faults and treat them with kindness, you will be easing your mother’s mind and exercising proper filial regard. Reflect deeply on this! If you treat others with kindness, how much more so should you treat your own siblings. For if you should encounter trouble, they would be the ones to share your fate with you. And if you should die before they do, they would be the ones left behind to mourn you. With that thought in mind, you should be particularly kind to them.
The reason I am saying these things is none other than this. In the game called sugoroku, you cannot knock over a pair of stones with only one from a pair of dice. A bird cannot fly on a single wing. Even brave warriors such as Masakado and Sadatō could not accomplish their aims all by themselves. If you think of your siblings as your own children or followers and depend upon them, and if the Lotus Sutra spreads widely and you remain alive, they will become devoted allies of the sutra.
With my deep respect,
Nichiren
The twenty-fifth day of the first month
To Nakatsukasa Saemon-no-jō
Background
This letter was written on the twenty-fifth day of the first month in 1278. Shijō Kingo, because of his faith in Nichiren Daishonin’s teaching, had long suffered the disfavor of his lord, Ema. In this letter the Daishonin congratulates Kingo on the trust Ema has newly placed in him, and on what appears to be a positive turn of events. Citing a report from a priest who has observed Kingo taking a prominent position in his lord’s entourage, the Daishonin nevertheless expresses concern. In the previous year, some of Kingo’s colleagues had made false accusations against Kingo to Ema. Kingo’s coming into Ema’s favor again would surely arouse their jealousy, making them capable of any kind of treachery. For this reason, the Daishonin points out that he must now be extremely careful, attentive, and considerate, citing the example of Confucius thinking nine times before speaking a word, among others. The following year, 1279, an attempt on Kingo’s life was in fact made, against which he was able to protect himself. The Daishonin also cautions Shijō Kingo to be warm and charitable in his dealings with the women in his household, and to be supportive and considerate of his younger brothers. Without trust and unity among family members, it would be difficult to protect against the plotting of enemies.
Notes
6. Chandraprabha was a minister of Bimbisāra, king of Magadha in ancient India. He also served as a minister to Ajātashatru, a son of Bimbisāra, after Ajātashatru’s ascent to the throne. When Ajātashatru killed his father to usurp the throne and further attempted to kill his mother, Chandraprabha, along with Jīvaka, dissuaded him from committing the crime. For Jīvaka, see Glossary.