Gosho Zenshu - Part 11
"The same is true of people's minds. Since you are a woman who devotes herself to the Lotus Sutra, it must be that the dragon king's daughter has entered your heart."
(Myoho Bikuni Gohenji, GZ-1415-1418)
Your deceased father chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo while he was alive; therefore he is a person who has attained enlightenment in his present form.
(Utsubusa Nyobo Gohenji, GZ-1423)
"The bodies of the parents are the bodies and minds of the children.... How could the Lotus Sutra that you embrace possibly fail to bring benefit..."
(Jorenbo Gosho, GZ-1434)
"You should regard anyone who tells someone a single phrase [of Buddhism], be they a priest or a layman, a nun or a laywoman, as an envoy of the Buddha."
(Shiiji Shiro Dono Gosho, GZ-1448)
"These people do not recognize their own belligerence but instead think that I, Nichiren, am belligerent. They are like a jealous woman who glares with furious eyes at a courtesan and, unaware of her own loathsome expression, complains that the courtesan's gaze is frightening."
(Yasaburo Dono Gohenji, GZ-1450)
"Hoki-bo [Nikko Shonin] and the others, with a profound understanding of this principle, should bring the matter to a public hearing. You should exclaim to Hei no Saemon: 'Have you forgotten the sage's remarks to you at the time when he incurred your displeasure in the eight year of Bun'ei? Even though the retribution for your offense [of committing slander] has yet to run its course, you are now in addition inviting the punishment of the Ten Goddesses.' This is what you should say at the end.'
(Jissoji Gosho, GZ-1453)
"You must not be afraid. It seems to me that if you advance more strongly, [reward and punishment] are certain to become clear."
(Jissoji Gosho, GZ-1453)
"Your letter, written during the hour of the cock on the 15th day of this month, reached me on the 17th day at the same hour. That they should have chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo at the moment of execution is most extraordinary. Probably one of the Ten Goddesses had entered into the body of Hei no Saemon and was testing the votaries of the Lotus Sutra. It was the same in the case of Sessen Doji and King Shibi. Or perhaps it was an evil demon that had entered into his body.
"Shakyamuni, Taho and all Buddhas in the ten directions, Bonten and Taishaku and the other Buddhist gods vowed to protect the votaries of the Lotus Sutra in the fifth 500-year period. This is surely the time which their pledge refers.
"The Daichido Ron states, '[The Lotus Sutra is like a great physician who] changes poison into medicine.' T'ien-t'ai says, 'Poison is changed into medicine.' If the character myo is not a lie, then clear reward and punishment cannot fail to shortly appear."
(Shonin to Gohenji, GZ-1455)
"I entrust you with the Buddhist activities in your province. The seeds of Buddhahood sprout in accordance with the proper influence, so you should propagate the one true teaching."
(?, GZ-1467)
"I have gratefully received your gifts of one bamboo container of sweet rice wine and a small quantity of yams.... You, a widow and lay nun who has no one to depend on, have sent this offering all the way from Nishiyama in Suruga Province to this remote mountain region of Hakiri in Kai Province.
"I can only imagine that your kind offering was prompted by your deep concern for the welfare of this humble sage who has been forsaken by the people of society, thinking that he must surely be suffering at the mercy of the cold. I have never received such heartfelt kindness since my parents passed away. I cannot restrain my tears when I think of the great hardship it must have cost you to send these articles to me."
(?, GZ-1476)
"Although inwardly the government officials [under the regent Hojo Tokimune] despise the Lotus Sutra, they were unsure of what would happen if they were to publicly bring charges against its supporters. So they invented another pretext and set about persecuting them. As a consequence, however, their previous lies were exposed"
(Kubo no Ama Gozen Gohenji, GZ-1478)
"Insects, while depending on a tree, feed off it and bring it down. Parasites dwelling within a lion devour it and kill it. Similarly, those who owe their livelihood to the regent borrow his authority and use it to browbeat, inflict suffering upon and cause trouble for all people. In addition, claiming to be acting on the instructions of the regent, they destroy the Lotus Sutra and wreak havoc throughout the country. They lose their master and in the end destroy themselves. How wretched they are!"
(Kubo no Ama Gozen Gohenji, GZ-1478)
"As for those who persecute the allies of the Lotus Sutra, they are [as frightening] as those who swallow swords and grasp fire with their hands."
(Kubo no Ama Gozen Gohenji, GZ-1478)
"That you have continued to strengthen your faith despite all of this is most praiseworthy indeed."
(Kubo no Ama Gozen Gohenji, GZ-1478)
"In this turbulent world [rampant with persecution] that conjures up images of howling winds buffeting the grasses and lightning striking terror in people's hearts, it is most wondrous that you should maintain your trust in this faith. It is said that if the roots of the tree are deep, the leaves will not wither, and if there is a gem in a spring, the water will never run dry. Likewise, your faith is always fresh and resolute, probably because the roots of your faith are deep, and the gem of courageous faith shines in your heart. How respectworthy and admirable this is."
(?, GZ-1479)
"It may be that one could count the number of raindrops falling in a major world system over a seven-day period, and that one could know the number of particles of dust in the worlds in the ten directions. However, the benefit from offering a single word of the Lotus Sutra is beyond reckoning. This is what Shakyamuni Buddha teaches."
(?, GZ-1483)
"The character myo [of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo](the Mystic Law)] is the moon, the sun and the stars, mirror, robe, food and flowers, the earth and the ocean. All virtues are combined in this character myo. It is also the wish-granting jewel."
(Myoshin Ama Gozen Gohenji, GZ-1484)
"I hear that your fathers' strong faith in the Lotus Sutra allowed him, a warrior, to face the final moment of his life with an unwavering certainty of attaining Buddhahood. How the spirit of your late father must be rejoicing from beyond as you, his son, carry on his legacy through your own faith in the true teaching (the Lotus Sutra). How happy he would surely be [to behold your faith] if he were alive. All those who embrace this sutra, even though they may be strangers to one another, will be able to meet again at Eagle Peak. In view of this, it is certain that you and your father, both of whom embrace faith in the Lotus Sutra, will be reborn in the same place."
(Ueno Dono Gohenji, GZ-1508)
"The two young boys, Tokusho Doji and Musho Doji, fashioned a mud pie with their own hands and offered it to Shakyamuni Buddha. As a result of the benefits acquired from this act, Tokusho Doji was reborn as a great ruler of one-third of the continent of Jambudvipa. This ruler was called King Ashoka."
(Ueno Dono Gohenji, GZ-1508)
"This passage of the Lotus Sutra indicates that one who makes offerings to the votary of the Lotus Sutra, a personage who is despised by many people in the evil age of the Latter Day of the Law, will gain even greater fortune than by making offerings to the Buddha during a certain kalpa [an immeasurably long period of time]. "I once wondered who on earth made such an absurd claim, but it is none other than Shakyamuni himself [and for this reason there can be no mistake]. It is totally up to you [Nanjo Tokimitsu] whether to believe in this point."
(Ueno Dono Gohenji, GZ-1508)
"If one continuously chants 'Nam-Amidabutsu,' it will make the person feel like committing suicide."
(Ueno Dono Gohenji, GZ-1509)
"Taking [these offerings] for granted, without wonder or appreciation, is the way of thinking of an ordinary person.... There is no way to express how noble your deed is."
(Ueno Dono Gohenji, GZ-1512)
"The fourth volume of the Lotus Sutra states, 'hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world' (LS10, 164). The fifth volume explains that the Lotus Sutra 'will face much hostility in the world and be difficult to believe' (LS14, 207). It may be that the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai never read these passages with his life. That's because the Lotus Sutra was universally believed and accepted by the people of his day. Nor in all likelihood was the Great Teacher Dengyo capable of living these words, because the conditions of the time in which he lived did not match those described by the passage, '[since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world] how much more will this be so after his passing?' (LS10, 164).
"If Nichiren had not appeared in the country of Japan, these golden words of the Buddha would have been in vain. The testimony of Many Treasures (Taho) Buddha would not have amounted to anything. And the words of all Buddhas of the ten directions would have become lies. In the more than 2,220 years since the Buddha passed away, never before in India, China or Japan has there been someone to whom the words of the sutra, 'It will face much hostility in the world and be difficult to believe,' have applied. If Nichiren had not appeared, the Buddha's words would have withered.
("Gift of an Unlined Robe," / Hitoe Sho, GZ-1514)
"Under these circumstances, I maintain my life with snow for food as did Su Wu when he was imprisoned. And I pass my time clad in a straw raincoat like Li Ling. At times when there are no fruits or berries available in the trees of these mountains where I reside, I may go two or three days without eating. And once when my deerskin garment was torn, I went unclad for three or four months.
"You have for some reason taken pity on such a person and, even though we have not yet met, sent a robe with which I might clothe myself. For this I am infinitely grateful."
("Gift of an Unlined Robe," / Hitoe Sho, GZ-1514-15)
"When I put on this robe and recite the Lotus Sutra before the Buddha, while the robe is only one, it clothes 69,384 Buddhas. This is because there are 9,384 characters in the Lotus Sutra. And each character is a golden Buddha.
"Therefore, these Buddhas will surely visit the two of you, husband and wife, who presented me with this robe and protect you as their followers.
"In this life, your sincere offering becomes a prayer for the fulfillment of your every desire and a treasure. At the time of your deaths it will become the moon, the sun, a path, a bridge, a father, a mother, an ox or a horse, a litter, a cart, a lotus flower, and a mountain, and will usher you into the pure land of Eagle Peak. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Nichiren
The eighth month of the first year of Kenji (1275).
You should always meet with the wife of Toshiro and read this letter together."
("Gift of an Unlined Robe," / Hitoe Sho, GZ-1514-15)
"Please tell your mother that I am particularly delighted by her deep faith in the Lotus Sutra.."
(Ueno Dono Haha Ama Gozen Gohenji, GZ-1515)
"Because I embraced such doubts, from my childhood I studied in depth the two paths of exoteric and esoteric Buddhism and the scriptures of the various Buddhist schools, either from others or by reading and considering them on my own."
(Shinkokuo Gosho, GZ-1521)
"A bronze mirror may reflect the body but not the mind. The mirror of the Lotus Sutra reflects not only our physical form but our inner being as well. Furthermore, the sutra mirrors, with complete clarity, one's past karma and its future effect."
(Shinkokuo Gosho, GZ-1521)
"Should not the country's ruler regard reason as his parent and follow it, and wrong as his enemy and reject it? Yet, inexplicably, the sovereign listens to the lies of many people while rejecting the truthful words of one person, Nichiren."
(Shinkokuo Gosho, GZ-1524)
"Of the four virtues, the first is that one should be obedient to one's father and mother. The second is that one should be loyal to one's lord. The third is that, when meeting one's friend, one should treat him with due respect. The fourth is that for one's inferior one should have compassion."
(?, GZ-1526)
"The first virtue, obedience to your parents, means that no matter how unreasonable they may become or how venomously they may speak to you, you should not become even slightly angry or look displeased. Nor must you contradict them in the least. Be always mindful of providing them with their favorite things. If this happens to be impossible to do, then you should at least throw them a smile two or three times a day."
"The second virtue, loyalty to your lord, means that you should not have a fraction of unfaithfulness to him in your mind. Even were your life to be taken, see to it that it turns out to be for his sake. As the saying goes, unseen faith brings about visible virtue."
"The third virtue, respect for your friend, means that even should he visit you ten or twenty times a day, you must welcome him each time as though he had come from a thousand or two thousand ri afar. You must not commit the slightest breach of propriety."
"The fourth virtue, compassion for your inferior, means that in dealing with lesser persons, you should regard them as if they were your own children and have pity and mercy on them all." "Those who behave in the manner described above are called wise men or sages."
(Ueno Dono Goshosoku, GZ-1527)
"One's debt to one's father is so great as to make Mount Sumeru appear small. One's debt to one's mother is so profound as to make even the ocean seem shallow. You should set your mind on repaying your debt of gratitude to your father and mother."
(Ueno Dono Goshosoku, GZ-1527)
"As a bird approaches Mount Sumeru it will take on a golden hue."
(?, GZ-1536)
"On the 17th day of the sixth month of the eleventh year of Bun'ei (1274), my disciples chopped down some trees and built a temporary dwelling for me on this mountain [Mount Minobu]. Over the four years since then, the pillars gradually rotted and walls collapsed, but I was unable to make repairs. As a result, even without lighting a lamp, I could read the scriptures at night by the light of the moon. And even if I did not roll up the sutras, the strong wind would do so for me. "This year, however, all twelve pillars toppled down in all directions and the walls of the four sides collapsed at once. Since mortal life cannot easily be sustained under such circumstances. I urged my disciples to make repairs since there were no workmen available, and prayed fervently all the while that rain would not fall and that the moon would shine at night. We had no food and were sustaining our lives by eating snow. But then two horseloads of taros [from Nanjo Tokimitsu] arrived, and now I have received another horseload of taros from you. They are more precious than gems."
(?, GZ-1542)
"The same is true of people's minds. Since you are a woman who devotes herself to the Lotus Sutra, it must be that the dragon king's daughter has entered your heart."
(Myoho Bikuni Gohenji, GZ-1415-1418)
Your deceased father chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo while he was alive; therefore he is a person who has attained enlightenment in his present form.
(Utsubusa Nyobo Gohenji, GZ-1423)
"The bodies of the parents are the bodies and minds of the children.... How could the Lotus Sutra that you embrace possibly fail to bring benefit..."
(Jorenbo Gosho, GZ-1434)
"You should regard anyone who tells someone a single phrase [of Buddhism], be they a priest or a layman, a nun or a laywoman, as an envoy of the Buddha."
(Shiiji Shiro Dono Gosho, GZ-1448)
"These people do not recognize their own belligerence but instead think that I, Nichiren, am belligerent. They are like a jealous woman who glares with furious eyes at a courtesan and, unaware of her own loathsome expression, complains that the courtesan's gaze is frightening."
(Yasaburo Dono Gohenji, GZ-1450)
"Hoki-bo [Nikko Shonin] and the others, with a profound understanding of this principle, should bring the matter to a public hearing. You should exclaim to Hei no Saemon: 'Have you forgotten the sage's remarks to you at the time when he incurred your displeasure in the eight year of Bun'ei? Even though the retribution for your offense [of committing slander] has yet to run its course, you are now in addition inviting the punishment of the Ten Goddesses.' This is what you should say at the end.'
(Jissoji Gosho, GZ-1453)
"You must not be afraid. It seems to me that if you advance more strongly, [reward and punishment] are certain to become clear."
(Jissoji Gosho, GZ-1453)
"Your letter, written during the hour of the cock on the 15th day of this month, reached me on the 17th day at the same hour. That they should have chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo at the moment of execution is most extraordinary. Probably one of the Ten Goddesses had entered into the body of Hei no Saemon and was testing the votaries of the Lotus Sutra. It was the same in the case of Sessen Doji and King Shibi. Or perhaps it was an evil demon that had entered into his body.
"Shakyamuni, Taho and all Buddhas in the ten directions, Bonten and Taishaku and the other Buddhist gods vowed to protect the votaries of the Lotus Sutra in the fifth 500-year period. This is surely the time which their pledge refers.
"The Daichido Ron states, '[The Lotus Sutra is like a great physician who] changes poison into medicine.' T'ien-t'ai says, 'Poison is changed into medicine.' If the character myo is not a lie, then clear reward and punishment cannot fail to shortly appear."
(Shonin to Gohenji, GZ-1455)
"I entrust you with the Buddhist activities in your province. The seeds of Buddhahood sprout in accordance with the proper influence, so you should propagate the one true teaching."
(?, GZ-1467)
"I have gratefully received your gifts of one bamboo container of sweet rice wine and a small quantity of yams.... You, a widow and lay nun who has no one to depend on, have sent this offering all the way from Nishiyama in Suruga Province to this remote mountain region of Hakiri in Kai Province.
"I can only imagine that your kind offering was prompted by your deep concern for the welfare of this humble sage who has been forsaken by the people of society, thinking that he must surely be suffering at the mercy of the cold. I have never received such heartfelt kindness since my parents passed away. I cannot restrain my tears when I think of the great hardship it must have cost you to send these articles to me."
(?, GZ-1476)
"Although inwardly the government officials [under the regent Hojo Tokimune] despise the Lotus Sutra, they were unsure of what would happen if they were to publicly bring charges against its supporters. So they invented another pretext and set about persecuting them. As a consequence, however, their previous lies were exposed"
(Kubo no Ama Gozen Gohenji, GZ-1478)
"Insects, while depending on a tree, feed off it and bring it down. Parasites dwelling within a lion devour it and kill it. Similarly, those who owe their livelihood to the regent borrow his authority and use it to browbeat, inflict suffering upon and cause trouble for all people. In addition, claiming to be acting on the instructions of the regent, they destroy the Lotus Sutra and wreak havoc throughout the country. They lose their master and in the end destroy themselves. How wretched they are!"
(Kubo no Ama Gozen Gohenji, GZ-1478)
"As for those who persecute the allies of the Lotus Sutra, they are [as frightening] as those who swallow swords and grasp fire with their hands."
(Kubo no Ama Gozen Gohenji, GZ-1478)
"That you have continued to strengthen your faith despite all of this is most praiseworthy indeed."
(Kubo no Ama Gozen Gohenji, GZ-1478)
"In this turbulent world [rampant with persecution] that conjures up images of howling winds buffeting the grasses and lightning striking terror in people's hearts, it is most wondrous that you should maintain your trust in this faith. It is said that if the roots of the tree are deep, the leaves will not wither, and if there is a gem in a spring, the water will never run dry. Likewise, your faith is always fresh and resolute, probably because the roots of your faith are deep, and the gem of courageous faith shines in your heart. How respectworthy and admirable this is."
(?, GZ-1479)
"It may be that one could count the number of raindrops falling in a major world system over a seven-day period, and that one could know the number of particles of dust in the worlds in the ten directions. However, the benefit from offering a single word of the Lotus Sutra is beyond reckoning. This is what Shakyamuni Buddha teaches."
(?, GZ-1483)
"The character myo [of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo](the Mystic Law)] is the moon, the sun and the stars, mirror, robe, food and flowers, the earth and the ocean. All virtues are combined in this character myo. It is also the wish-granting jewel."
(Myoshin Ama Gozen Gohenji, GZ-1484)
"I hear that your fathers' strong faith in the Lotus Sutra allowed him, a warrior, to face the final moment of his life with an unwavering certainty of attaining Buddhahood. How the spirit of your late father must be rejoicing from beyond as you, his son, carry on his legacy through your own faith in the true teaching (the Lotus Sutra). How happy he would surely be [to behold your faith] if he were alive. All those who embrace this sutra, even though they may be strangers to one another, will be able to meet again at Eagle Peak. In view of this, it is certain that you and your father, both of whom embrace faith in the Lotus Sutra, will be reborn in the same place."
(Ueno Dono Gohenji, GZ-1508)
"The two young boys, Tokusho Doji and Musho Doji, fashioned a mud pie with their own hands and offered it to Shakyamuni Buddha. As a result of the benefits acquired from this act, Tokusho Doji was reborn as a great ruler of one-third of the continent of Jambudvipa. This ruler was called King Ashoka."
(Ueno Dono Gohenji, GZ-1508)
"This passage of the Lotus Sutra indicates that one who makes offerings to the votary of the Lotus Sutra, a personage who is despised by many people in the evil age of the Latter Day of the Law, will gain even greater fortune than by making offerings to the Buddha during a certain kalpa [an immeasurably long period of time]. "I once wondered who on earth made such an absurd claim, but it is none other than Shakyamuni himself [and for this reason there can be no mistake]. It is totally up to you [Nanjo Tokimitsu] whether to believe in this point."
(Ueno Dono Gohenji, GZ-1508)
"If one continuously chants 'Nam-Amidabutsu,' it will make the person feel like committing suicide."
(Ueno Dono Gohenji, GZ-1509)
"Taking [these offerings] for granted, without wonder or appreciation, is the way of thinking of an ordinary person.... There is no way to express how noble your deed is."
(Ueno Dono Gohenji, GZ-1512)
"The fourth volume of the Lotus Sutra states, 'hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world' (LS10, 164). The fifth volume explains that the Lotus Sutra 'will face much hostility in the world and be difficult to believe' (LS14, 207). It may be that the Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai never read these passages with his life. That's because the Lotus Sutra was universally believed and accepted by the people of his day. Nor in all likelihood was the Great Teacher Dengyo capable of living these words, because the conditions of the time in which he lived did not match those described by the passage, '[since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world] how much more will this be so after his passing?' (LS10, 164).
"If Nichiren had not appeared in the country of Japan, these golden words of the Buddha would have been in vain. The testimony of Many Treasures (Taho) Buddha would not have amounted to anything. And the words of all Buddhas of the ten directions would have become lies. In the more than 2,220 years since the Buddha passed away, never before in India, China or Japan has there been someone to whom the words of the sutra, 'It will face much hostility in the world and be difficult to believe,' have applied. If Nichiren had not appeared, the Buddha's words would have withered.
("Gift of an Unlined Robe," / Hitoe Sho, GZ-1514)
"Under these circumstances, I maintain my life with snow for food as did Su Wu when he was imprisoned. And I pass my time clad in a straw raincoat like Li Ling. At times when there are no fruits or berries available in the trees of these mountains where I reside, I may go two or three days without eating. And once when my deerskin garment was torn, I went unclad for three or four months.
"You have for some reason taken pity on such a person and, even though we have not yet met, sent a robe with which I might clothe myself. For this I am infinitely grateful."
("Gift of an Unlined Robe," / Hitoe Sho, GZ-1514-15)
"When I put on this robe and recite the Lotus Sutra before the Buddha, while the robe is only one, it clothes 69,384 Buddhas. This is because there are 9,384 characters in the Lotus Sutra. And each character is a golden Buddha.
"Therefore, these Buddhas will surely visit the two of you, husband and wife, who presented me with this robe and protect you as their followers.
"In this life, your sincere offering becomes a prayer for the fulfillment of your every desire and a treasure. At the time of your deaths it will become the moon, the sun, a path, a bridge, a father, a mother, an ox or a horse, a litter, a cart, a lotus flower, and a mountain, and will usher you into the pure land of Eagle Peak. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Nichiren
The eighth month of the first year of Kenji (1275).
You should always meet with the wife of Toshiro and read this letter together."
("Gift of an Unlined Robe," / Hitoe Sho, GZ-1514-15)
"Please tell your mother that I am particularly delighted by her deep faith in the Lotus Sutra.."
(Ueno Dono Haha Ama Gozen Gohenji, GZ-1515)
"Because I embraced such doubts, from my childhood I studied in depth the two paths of exoteric and esoteric Buddhism and the scriptures of the various Buddhist schools, either from others or by reading and considering them on my own."
(Shinkokuo Gosho, GZ-1521)
"A bronze mirror may reflect the body but not the mind. The mirror of the Lotus Sutra reflects not only our physical form but our inner being as well. Furthermore, the sutra mirrors, with complete clarity, one's past karma and its future effect."
(Shinkokuo Gosho, GZ-1521)
"Should not the country's ruler regard reason as his parent and follow it, and wrong as his enemy and reject it? Yet, inexplicably, the sovereign listens to the lies of many people while rejecting the truthful words of one person, Nichiren."
(Shinkokuo Gosho, GZ-1524)
"Of the four virtues, the first is that one should be obedient to one's father and mother. The second is that one should be loyal to one's lord. The third is that, when meeting one's friend, one should treat him with due respect. The fourth is that for one's inferior one should have compassion."
(?, GZ-1526)
"The first virtue, obedience to your parents, means that no matter how unreasonable they may become or how venomously they may speak to you, you should not become even slightly angry or look displeased. Nor must you contradict them in the least. Be always mindful of providing them with their favorite things. If this happens to be impossible to do, then you should at least throw them a smile two or three times a day."
"The second virtue, loyalty to your lord, means that you should not have a fraction of unfaithfulness to him in your mind. Even were your life to be taken, see to it that it turns out to be for his sake. As the saying goes, unseen faith brings about visible virtue."
"The third virtue, respect for your friend, means that even should he visit you ten or twenty times a day, you must welcome him each time as though he had come from a thousand or two thousand ri afar. You must not commit the slightest breach of propriety."
"The fourth virtue, compassion for your inferior, means that in dealing with lesser persons, you should regard them as if they were your own children and have pity and mercy on them all." "Those who behave in the manner described above are called wise men or sages."
(Ueno Dono Goshosoku, GZ-1527)
"One's debt to one's father is so great as to make Mount Sumeru appear small. One's debt to one's mother is so profound as to make even the ocean seem shallow. You should set your mind on repaying your debt of gratitude to your father and mother."
(Ueno Dono Goshosoku, GZ-1527)
"As a bird approaches Mount Sumeru it will take on a golden hue."
(?, GZ-1536)
"On the 17th day of the sixth month of the eleventh year of Bun'ei (1274), my disciples chopped down some trees and built a temporary dwelling for me on this mountain [Mount Minobu]. Over the four years since then, the pillars gradually rotted and walls collapsed, but I was unable to make repairs. As a result, even without lighting a lamp, I could read the scriptures at night by the light of the moon. And even if I did not roll up the sutras, the strong wind would do so for me. "This year, however, all twelve pillars toppled down in all directions and the walls of the four sides collapsed at once. Since mortal life cannot easily be sustained under such circumstances. I urged my disciples to make repairs since there were no workmen available, and prayed fervently all the while that rain would not fall and that the moon would shine at night. We had no food and were sustaining our lives by eating snow. But then two horseloads of taros [from Nanjo Tokimitsu] arrived, and now I have received another horseload of taros from you. They are more precious than gems."
(?, GZ-1542)
