Reply to the Wife of Gyōbu Saemon-no-jō Chapter4
If we go to the heart of the matter and give it thoughtful consideration, we would have to say that the Buddha in effect broke all the two hundred and fifty precepts and violated the ten major precepts. If he had failed to preach the Lotus Sutra, he could never have escaped the grave charge of leading all the people of the ten directions into unfilial conduct. Therefore the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai, referring to this fact, said, “The blame is to be placed upon the Buddha.”10 And another person said, “He turned his back upon the original vow made by the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three existences and cheated and deceived people.”
No matter what acts of filial piety they perform, as long as the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, persons of the two vehicles, Brahmā, Shakra, the gods of the sun and moon, and others described in the sutras––Mahayana and Hinayana, exoteric and esoteric––preached for more than forty years by the Buddha, and the founders of the True Word, Flower Garland, Three Treatises, Dharma Characteristics, Dharma Analysis Treasury, Establishment of Truth, Precepts, Pure Land, and Zen schools fail to follow the Lotus Sutra, they will be unable to escape the charge referred to by the Buddha when he said, “I would be guilty of stinginess and greed.” Therefore the Buddha, honoring his original vow, proceeded to preach the Lotus Sutra.
But the Buddha’s father and mother were no longer in this world when he came to preach the Lotus Sutra. Therefore he sent it as a gift to the Land of Transition11 where his parents had been reborn. This is what he meant when he said, “Those disciples will in that other land seek the Buddha wisdom and will be able to hear this sutra.”12 This sutra passage should be taken to heart by persons who are truly wise. The Lotus is a sutra that was preached by Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, for the sake of his father and mother. But the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai was the only person who understood this doctrine. The people of the other schools did not understand it. In my heart I, Nichiren, believe that it is the most important of all doctrines.
Persons who are intent upon exercising filial devotion toward their parents should therefore send them the gift of the Lotus Sutra. Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, sent this sutra to his parents as an act of filial devotion toward them.
When my own mother was still living, I went too much against her words. Now that she has preceded me in death, I cannot help but feel deep regret. That is why I have reviewed the sacred teachings put forward by the Buddha in the course of his lifetime in order to determine what actions are most appropriate to show filial devotion to my mother. And when I see people praying for their departed mother, I feel as though it is my own concern and seeing you do so makes me very happy. Therefore I have outlined here what I think ought to be done.
I have not the slightest doubt that the spirit of your late mother will immediately leave the defilements of the six paths and that she will make her way to the pure land of Eagle Peak. You should meet with those who can instruct you in Buddhism from time to time and let them explain this doctrine to you. It is a doctrine known to few people in the country of Japan. I will speak to you in more detail on some further occasion.
With my deep respect,
Nichiren
The twenty-first day of the tenth month
Reply to the wife of Gyōbu Saemon-no-jō of Owari
Background
Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter in response to an offering of twenty thousand coins from the wife of Gyōbu Saemon-no-jō in Owari Province, which she had made to honor the thirteenth anniversary of her mother’s death. The identity of her husband is not certain, but from the large offering of coins she was able to provide, it appears he was a samurai of considerable rank.
Though the year is not indicated, the letter is thought to have been written in 1280.
The Daishonin begins by citing a story from a sutra about an exchange between the Buddha and the earth gods on the importance of filial piety, the commitment and actions to repay the debt of gratitude one owes to one’s parents. He emphasizes that the debt owed to one’s mother is especially profound, describing in moving detail the sufferings a mother endures in giving birth to and caring for her children.
He then praises as extraordinary the filial devotion of the wife of Gyōbu Saemon-no-jō in making offerings on behalf of her late mother. While parents’ devotion to their children is not uncommon, it is rarer for the child to respond in kind. Next, he delves more deeply into the concept of filial piety in Buddhism. The Classic of Filial Piety, a Confucian text, addresses only devotion to one’s living parents, while failing to consider their next existence. Buddhism, on the other hand, deals p.899with saving one’s parents not only in this life, but also after their death. However, he asserts, there are distinctions in the Buddhist teachings.
To illustrate this, he cites the famous story from Buddhist scriptures of Maudgalyāyana’s efforts to rescue his deceased mother from the realm of hungry spirits. This story is held as a model of Buddhist filial devotion. But although Maudgalyāyana relieved his mother of the agony of hunger, there is no mention of his enabling her to attain Buddhahood.
The Daishonin explains that even Shakyamuni Buddha could not save his own departed parents until he preached the Lotus Sutra. He expresses his conviction, therefore, that Shakyamuni Buddha preached the Lotus Sutra in order to enable all people to help their deceased parents attain Buddhahood.
The Daishonin closes by confirming that the filial devotion of Gyōbu’s wife based on faith in the Lotus ensures that her mother “will make her way to the pure land of Eagle Peak,” that is, attain Buddhahood.