Chapter1（Revealing the Importance of the Four Characters “This Is What I Heard”）
I HAVE received the scroll of the entire Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law that you copied in small characters, as well as two quilted robes, ten thousand coins, and a hundred folding fans as offerings for consecrating the scroll.
In the first volume of The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra we find a passage that states, “The word ‘this’ [of ‘This is what I heard’] indicates the essence of a doctrine heard from the Buddha.” And the first volume of The Annotations on “The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra” states, “If ‘this’ is not the teaching that surpasses the eight teachings, then how can it be considered the teaching of this [Lotus] sutra?”
The Flower Garland Sutra begins: “The Great and Vast Buddha Flower Garland Sutra. This is what I heard.” The Wisdom Sutra begins: “The Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra. This is what I heard.” The Mahāvairochana Sutra begins: “The Mahāvairochana’s Protection through Supernatural Powers Sutra. This is what I heard.” What does “this” indicate in these and all other sutras? It refers to the title of each sutra. When the Buddha expounded a sutra, he put a title to it, revealing its ultimate principle. After the Buddha’s passing, when his listeners such as Ānanda, Manjushrī, and Vajrasattva compiled the Buddha’s teachings, they first stated the title of a sutra and then, “This is what I heard.”
The heart of each sutra is contained in its title. For example, the land of India has seventy states, and its borders measure ninety thousand ri, yet the people, animals, plants, mountains, rivers, and earth within them are all included in the single word, India. All things that exist on the four continents of the world are clearly reflected on the face of the moon without exception. In like manner, the teachings of a sutra are encompassed in its title.
Lecture
This treatise is a reply written by Nichiren Daishonin to the lay priest Soya Kyoshin (Hoshin), who had presented various offerings, including wadded silk robes (kosode) and ten kan of coins, when requesting that the Daishonin conduct an eye-opening (consecration) ceremony for a single-scroll, fine-character copy of the entire Lotus Sutra that Soya had transcribed.
Regarding the date, as noted at the end of the writing, it is November 28, 1277 (the third year of Kenji), written when the Daishonin was fifty-six years old. Based on its content, it is also known as “On ‘This Is What I Heard'” (Nyozegamon Sho). The original manuscript is no longer extant.
At the beginning of this letter, the Daishonin explains the phrase “This is what I heard” (nyozegamon) found at the opening of Buddhist sutras, elucidating that the title of a sutra encapsulates the essential doctrine of the entire scripture. In particular, he teaches that Myoho-renge-kyo “transcends the eight teachings” (chohachi)—meaning it is the essential, ultimate doctrine, the very heart, and the true entity of the Lotus Sutra, which surpasses all other scriptures. Furthermore, he states that while this doctrine of Myoho-renge-kyo had not been propagated for more than 2,220 years following the passing of the Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin is now propagating it in accord with the time and the people’s capacity in the Latter Day of the Law. He concludes by emphasizing that the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo are not merely names, words, or doctrines, but the very entity and heart of the Lotus Sutra.
In this section, the Daishonin begins by expressing his gratitude for the offerings presented by the lay priest Soya, which included two sets of wadded silk robes, ten kan of coins, and one hundred folding fans.
Next, in reference to the Lotus Sutra transcribed by Lord Soya, he explains the meaning of the four Chinese characters “如是我聞” (nyoze gamon, “This is what I heard”), which invariably appear at the very beginning of Buddhist sutras.
First, he cites two passages—from the Great Teacher Tiantai’s Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra (Hokke Mongu) and the Great Teacher Miaole’s Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra (Hokke Mongu Ki)—that interpret the words “如是” (nyoze, “this is” / “thus”), showing that nyoze indicates “the essence/entity of the Law that was heard.”
He then points out that in scriptures such as the Flower Garland (Kegon) Sutra, the Wisdom (Hannya) Sutra, and the Mahavairochana (Dainichi) Sutra, the phrase “This is what I heard” immediately follows the title of each sutra, clarifying that “this is” (nyoze) points directly to the preceding title. Through this, he demonstrates that the title of each sutra signifies the true entity of the Law expressed by that scripture.
He further illustrates this with analogies: Although the land of India (Tenjiku) has a vast circumference of 90,000 ri and contains seventy states—with countless humans, animals, plants, rivers, mountains, and lands—all of these are entirely encompassed within the two characters of the name “Gesshi” (月氏, the Moon Tribe / India). Similarly, within the world there are four great continents populated by myriad phenomena, yet every single one of them is reflected clearly and without concealment upon the surface of the moon.
Tiantai and Miaole’s Interpretation of “This Is What I Heard”
“如是我聞” (nyoze gamon) can be read as “Such [teachings] as these, I heard” or “Thus have I heard.”
This phrase appears without fail at the opening of all Buddhist sutras, indicating that the scriptures were originally compiled by the Buddha’s disciples after the passing of Shakyamuni Buddha.
After attaining enlightenment and becoming a Buddha, Shakyamuni continued to preach the Law for about fifty years to save living beings and entered nirvana at the age of eighty, but he left no written works of his own.
Therefore, after Shakyamuni’s passing, his disciples sought to recall and organize his fifty years of preaching in order to pass them down to future generations. In this way, the great undertaking of compiling the Buddhist scriptures (ketsuju) was carried out.
During this compilation, each disciple who had heard Shakyamuni’s preachings firsthand recited, “Such teachings as these, I heard,” recalling from memory the teachings they had received from Shakyamuni, confirming them with one another, and compiling them together.
Regarding the origin of “This is what I heard,” the Great Teacher Tiantai states in Volume 1A of Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra: “‘This is’ (nyoze) indicates the entity of the Law that was heard; ‘what I heard’ (gamon) indicates the person capable of upholding it.”
That is to say, “this is” (nyoze) refers to the entity of the Law that the disciple Ananda heard. Elaborating on this, the Great Teacher Miaole writes in Volume 1B of Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra: “If it were not the ‘this is’ (nyoze) that transcends the eight teachings, how could it be considered the teaching heard in this sutra?”
The meaning of this statement is that the “this is” (nyoze) of the Lotus Sutra implies the supreme Law that surpasses the eight teachings (the Tripitaka, connecting, specific, perfect, sudden, gradual, secret, and indeterminate teachings) expounded during the more than forty years of the Buddha’s pre-Lotus Sutra preaching.
“If one asks what kind of ‘this is’ is meant in the various sutras, it refers to the title appearing above it.”
The phrase “This is what I heard” is found in every sutra, and the Daishonin explains that the entity of the Law heard in each case is fully expressed by its respective title.
The Flower Garland Sutra begins: “The Great and Vast Buddha Flower Garland Sutra (Dafangguangfo Huayan Jing). This is what I heard.” The term “Great and Vast” (大方広, daihoko) is a Chinese translation of the Sanskrit word vaipulya, which means vast and extensive (also translated as hodo), referring to the vastness of the principle of enlightenment in Mahayana Buddhism. Thus, a Buddha who has awakened to this vast truth is called a “Great and Vast Buddha.”
Furthermore, “Flower Garland” (華厳, kegon) likens all the virtues attained by the Buddha upon enlightenment to being magnificently adorned with floral garlands. It was this “Great and Vast Buddha Flower Garland Sutra” that the disciples who compiled the scriptures recorded as “Such teachings as these, I heard.”
Next, in “The Great Wisdom Sutra (Maha Prajnaparamita Sutra). This is what I heard,” the word “Maha” (摩訶) is a transliteration of the Sanskrit mahā, translated into Chinese as “great” (大). “Prajnaparamita” (般若波羅蜜) is a transliteration of the Sanskrit prajñāpāramitā, meaning the “perfection of wisdom.”
The disciples likewise recorded this “perfection of great wisdom” as “Such teachings as these, I heard.”
Furthermore, the Mahavairochana Sutra reads: “The Sutra of the Divine Transformations and Empowerments of the Great Vairochana (Dainichi). This is what I heard.” “Mahavairochana” (大毘廬遮那) is a transliteration of the Sanskrit mahāvairocana, translated into Chinese as “Light Shining Everywhere” (光明遍照) and also known as the Tathagata Mahavairochana (Dainichi Nyorai).
“Divine Transformations and Empowerments” (神変加持, shinpen kaji), more precisely referring to “attaining Buddhahood, divine transformations, and empowerment,” indicates that the enlightenment and Buddhahood of Mahavairochana Buddha are bestowed upon living beings through divine transformations and empowerment.
In other words, the disciples recorded that the enlightenment of Mahavairochana Tathagata being bestowed upon living beings through divine transformations was “Such teachings as these, I heard.”
As demonstrated by the examples of these three scriptures, the “this is” (nyoze) in “This is what I heard” refers to the title (daimoku) of each respective sutra.
Regarding this, the Daishonin states: “If one asks what kind of ‘this is’ (nyoze) is meant in the various sutras, it refers to the title appearing above it.”
The Core of a Sutra Is Contained Within Its Title
The Daishonin teaches that the entirety of each of the various scriptures is encapsulated within its title. As he writes: “Whichever sutra the Buddha preached, he designated the ultimate principle expounded in it as its title. When Ananda, Manjushri, Vajrapani, and others compiled the scriptures after the Buddha’s passing, they first placed the title and then stated, ‘This is what I heard.'” Since the Buddha, in expounding a sutra, indicated its ultimate principle in its title, Ananda, Manjushri, Vajrapani, and others who compiled the Buddhist canon wrote “This is what I heard” immediately following the title of each sutra before compiling the text of the scripture. In this way, it becomes clear that the title of a sutra is its very heart and of paramount importance.