The benefit of the Daimoku (title) chanted with such understanding is entirely the same as the benefit of Shakyamuni Buddha. The sutra teaches: “The suffering of the Avīci hell is all contained within the life-state of the Buddha, and the body and land of Vairochana Buddha do not exceed a single moment of life (Ichinen) of an ordinary person.” Concerning the heart of the Fourteen Slanders, you must gauge it according to the words of the sutra.
That you inquire about the Buddhist Law in this way truly shows you are a person who aspires for the next life (gose). The sutra teaches: “One who is able to hear this Law is also hard to find.” This sutra implies that not only is it difficult for the true messenger of the Buddha to appear in the world and preach this sutra according to the Buddha’s original intent, but it is also hard to find someone who questions the meaning of this sutra, dispels doubt, and possesses deep belief.
Even the person of the lowest social status should, without hesitation, inquire about the meaning of this sutra to someone who is even slightly superior in wisdom. However, the people of the Latter Day of the Law are trapped by arrogance, attachment, fame, and profit, thinking, “How can I become that person’s disciple? If I receive their teaching, will I be looked down upon by others?” They constantly remain in evil thoughts and ultimately fall into the evil paths. The Hōshi (Teacher) chapter teaches: “Compared to the merit of exhausting all treasures to make offerings to the Buddha for eight billion kalpas of time, if one makes offerings to a priest who preaches the Lotus Sutra, and subsequently listens to the Law of this sutra even for a very short time, I should rejoice, for I will gain great benefit and merit.” Even those without wisdom can gain benefit by serving the one who preaches this sutra. Following the principle that even any demon or beast “must surely rise and greet them from afar, and should be reverenced as one reverences the Buddha” when they preach a single verse or phrase of the Lotus Sutra, we should mutually revere each other as Buddhas. This should be done, for example, just as Shakyamuni Buddha and Many Treasures Buddha revered each other in the Hōtō (Treasure Tower) chapter.
Although this person, Sanmi-bō, is of low status, if he is one who preaches even a small portion of the doctrine of the Lotus Sutra, you should revere him as you would the Buddha and inquire of him concerning the Law. You must keep in mind the teaching, “Rely on the Law and not upon the person (E-hō fu-e-nin).”
Now, long ago, there was a man who lived on a mountain called Snow Mountain. His name was Snow Mountain boy (Sessen Dōji). He sustained his life by gathering bracken and picking nuts, wore clothes made of deer hide, and quietly practiced the Buddhist path.
Snow Mountain boy (Sessen Dōji) contemplated: “Observing the world closely, one understands that life and death follow the principle of impermanence, so those who are born must surely die. Therefore, the transience of this world, which is full of suffering, is momentary, like a flash of lightning, or like morning dew that instantly vanishes in the sunlight. It is no different from a lamp before the wind being easily extinguished, or a banana leaf being easily torn. All people are unable to escape this impermanence, and eventually, everyone must embark on the journey to the next world. Thinking of that path after death, it is dark and pitch black, without the light of the sun, moon, or stars, not even a lamp. On that dark road, there is no one to accompany me. In this world, relatives, siblings, wife, children, and kin gather, the father’s compassion is deep, the mother’s sorrowful affection is profound, and husband and wife share a bond like that of shrimp living in the same hole, spending their lives together and never separating. They are intimate, like mandarin ducks playing side by side under the same quilt, yet they will not accompany one another on the journey after death. One walks that dark road utterly alone. Who will come to guide their good and evil deeds? Moreover, in this world where it is unknown whether the old or the young will die first, sometimes the old precede, and the young remain, which is the natural order. Even amidst that lament, there is at least some consolation. However, there are also cases where the old remain, and the young precede. The most painful is the child who precedes the parent in youth, and the most lamentable is the parent who precedes the child in old age. In this way, life and death are impermanent, and this world, where it is unknown whether the old or the young will die first, is fleeting. Yet, people dedicate themselves day and night solely to actions for worldly benefits, neither revering the Buddha, nor believing the Law, possessing neither practice nor wisdom, and thus spend their days in vain. When they are dragged to the judgment hall of Yama after death, what will they use as provisions to travel the long journey of the Three Realms, and what will they use as a boat or raft to cross the wide sea of life and death, to reach the Buddha-land of True Reward and Eternal Tranquility (Jakkō)?” He thought: “The deluded life is a ‘dream.’ The life awakened to enlightenment is the ‘reality.’ Therefore, I must abandon this dream-like, painful world and seek the reality of enlightenment.” With this resolve, he sequestered himself in Snow Mountain, dispelling delusion and illusion from his seat of contemplation, and sought the Buddhist Law with single-minded devotion. Shakra (Taishakuten) looked down upon his form from afar in the heavens and thought: “The spawn of fish are many, but those who become fish are few; the flowers of the mango tree bloom abundantly, but those that bear fruit are few. People are the same. Many people awaken the aspiration for enlightenment (Bodhi-citta), but few do not regress and enter the true path. The Bodhi-citta of all ordinary people is easily misled by many evil influences and is prone to change with every encountered situation. There are many soldiers who wear armor, but few who do not fear battle. I will test this person’s resolve.” With this thought, Shakra appeared in the form of a fearsome ogre (kishin) and stood beside the boy.
At that time, since the Buddha was not in the world, Snow Mountain boy (Sessen Dōji) was unable to hear any Mahayana sutras, no matter how much he sought them. One day, a voice faintly reached him, saying: “All things are impermanent. This is the law of birth and cessation.” The boy was startled and looked all around, but there was no human figure anywhere. Only a fearsome ogre (Kishin) had approached and was standing there. Its appearance was fierce and terrifying, the hair on its head stood up like flames, its teeth were sharp as swords, and it glared at Snow Mountain boy with bulging eyes. However, the boy was not afraid upon seeing it; he was simply overjoyed to be able to hear the Buddhist Law, and felt no suspicion. His feeling was like that of a calf separated from its mother, who had faintly heard its mother’s voice.
Snow Mountain boy (Sessen Dōji) thought: “Who could have chanted that? There must be more to the verse.” He searched everywhere meticulously, but still found no sign of a person. Thus, the boy wondered, “Could this teaching have been spoken by an ogre (kishin)?” But he immediately thought, “No, that cannot be.” He considered: “That appearance is the form of an ogre resulting from karmic retribution for misdeeds. That verse (gatha) is a profound teaching spoken by the Buddha. It could not possibly have come from the mouth of such a low-ranking ogre.” However, since there was no one else, he asked, “Did you, perhaps, speak that phrase?” The ogre replied, “Do not speak to me. I have spent many days without food, and hunger has made me foolish, unable to keep my mind straight. I must have spoken a meaningless jest just now. Whether I intended to lie or not, I cannot even tell.”
The boy said, “Hearing this half-verse is like seeing half a moon, or obtaining half a jewel. Surely it was you who chanted it. Please, tell me the rest of the verse.” The ogre then said, “You are already endowed with enlightenment, so even if you do not hear it, there should be no regret. I am now suffering from hunger and simply do not have the strength to speak. Therefore, do not speak to me any further.” Nevertheless, the boy asked, “If you obtain food, will you speak it for me?” The ogre replied, “If I obtain food, I will speak it for you.” The boy was delighted and asked, “Then, what do you take as food?” The ogre said, “Do not ask any more. If you hear that answer, you will surely be terrified. It is also not the kind of thing you should be seeking.” But the boy still insisted, “If you would just tell me what that food is, I will try to find it for you.” The ogre then replied, “I eat only the soft flesh of humans and drink the warm blood of humans. I fly around the sky searching widely, but since people are protected by the Buddha and the gods, I cannot kill them as I please. I only eat those who have been abandoned by the Buddha and the gods.”
To be continued in the Final Part
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