At that moment, Snow Mountain boy (Sessen Dōji) thought in his heart: “I will abandon my body for the sake of the Law and hear this verse to the very end.” He then said, “Your food is right here. There is no need to search elsewhere. My body is not yet dead, so my flesh will be warm. My body is not yet cold, so my blood will be warm too. Please, preach the remainder of the verse. I offer this body to you.” The ogre became greatly enraged and said, “Who can possibly believe your words are true? After I preach the verse, if you break your promise, who should I call upon as a witness to question you?” Snow Mountain boy replied, “This body is bound to die. If I am to die a life in vain, it is better to cast it away for the sake of the Law. By abandoning this impure body, I will surely attain enlightenment and become a Buddha in the next life, receiving a pure and venerable body. It is like exchanging an earthenware vessel for a vessel of treasure. I make Brahma, Shakra, the Four Heavenly Kings, and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions all my witnesses. I will never speak falsely.” The ogre’s heart softened slightly and he said, “If your words are true, I will preach the verse for you.” At that moment, Snow Mountain boy rejoiced greatly, took off the deerskin he was wearing, spread it on the ground as a seat of the Law, bowed his head to the earth, put his palms together, and knelt, pleading with the deepest reverence: “I humbly request that you preach the remainder of the verse for me.” Thereupon, the ogre ascended the seat of the Law, preached the verse, and said: “When the birth and cessation are extinguished, one enters the bliss of Nirvāṇa (Jakumetsu).”
At that moment, Snow Mountain boy (Sessen Dōji), hearing this verse (gāthā), felt boundless joy and reverence. He thought: “I will never forget this, even in future existences,” and he repeated it over and over, deeply imprinting it on his heart. The boy further reflected: “The joyful thing is that this verse is certainly no different from the teaching preached by the Buddha. However, the lamentable thing is that only I have heard it and cannot transmit it for the sake of the people.” Thereupon, the boy inscribed this verse on stones, wall surfaces, and trees by the roadside, saying: “I pray that people who come later will surely see these words, awaken to their meaning, and enter the true path.” Having finished saying this, he immediately climbed a tall tree and cast himself down before the ogre.
Before Snow Mountain boy (Sessen Dōji) even reached the ground, the ogre instantly transformed into the figure of Shakra (Taishakuten), received the boy’s body, respectfully placed him in a flat area, bowed deeply in reverence, and said: “I merely withheld the Tathāgata’s sacred teaching for a short while to test your Bodhisattva spirit and troubled you. Please forgive this offense. And please be sure to save me in a future life.” At that time, all the heavenly beings also gathered, praising him and saying, “Excellent! Excellent! This one is truly a Bodhisattva!” Snow Mountain boy cast away his body merely to seek half a verse, and through that merit, he eradicated the sins of transmigration through life and death accumulated over twelve kalpas (eons). This event is preached in the Nirvana Sutra.
Therefore, Snow Mountain boy (Sessen Dōji) of the past cast away his life without hesitation even to seek half a verse. How much greater, then, is the benefit of hearing just one chapter or one volume of this sutra? With what can we repay that great benefit? If one aspires to attain Buddhahood in the next life, one should adopt precisely the same attitude as Snow Mountain boy. If one is poor and has no treasures to offer as alms, then if there is any way to obtain the Buddhist Law even by casting away one’s life, one must abandon one’s life to learn the Buddhist Law.
Ultimately, this body will eventually become the soil of the fields and mountains. No amount of cherishing can help it. Even if one tries to cherish it, one cannot cherish it to the very end. Though human life is said to be long, it does not exceed one hundred years. Life during that time is merely like a nap’s dream. Even if one has fortunately been born as a human being, which is hard to obtain, and has coincidentally become a monk, if that person does not study the Buddhist Law and does not admonish those who slander the Law (Hōbō), merely spending their days in vain with games and idle talk, that person is nothing more than a beast clad in the skin of a monk. Even if they borrow the name of a monk to navigate the world and sustain themselves, they have not fulfilled even one aspect of the original path of a monk. Such a person is a thief who steals the name of a monk to live. This is truly a shameful and fearful matter.
In the theoretical teaching (Shakumon), it is preached: “I do not begrudge my life, but only begrudge the path of unsurpassed enlightenment.” In the essential teaching (Honmon), it is preached: “Do not begrudge your own life.” Furthermore, the Nirvana Sutra preaches: “The body is light, the Law is heavy. One should abandon the body and propagate the Law.” All of these—the theoretical teaching, the essential teaching, and the Nirvana Sutra—preach: “Do not begrudge your life, and propagate the Law.” The heavy offense of betraying these teachings is invisible to the eye, but accumulating it leads to falling into hell. This is like coldness and heat, which have no form and are invisible to the eye, yet in winter, the cold comes and torments the plants, humans, and beasts, and in summer, the heat comes and afflicts humans and beasts.
Therefore, you, as a lay believer, should simply chant Nam-myo-ho-ren-ge-kyo single-mindedly, and furthermore, it is important to make offerings to the monks. If you practice in this way, just as the sutra teaches, you will also be able to speak and widely propagate the Buddhist Law.
Even when the world seems sorrowful, keep in mind: “Since the suffering in this world is already difficult to endure, how much more so will be the suffering in the next life,” and chant Nam-myo-ho-ren-ge-kyo. And even in times of joy, remember: “The joy in this world is merely a dream within a dream; the joy of the Vulture Peak Sanctuary (Ryōzen Jōdo) is the true joy,” and likewise chant Nam-myo-ho-ren-ge-kyo. Continue your practice without regression in this manner, and observe when you meet the final moment of death (rinjū). At that time, if you rush up the mountain of marvelous enlightenment (Myōkaku) and look around, how splendid it will be! That place is the Eternal Land of Tranquil Light (Jakkōdo) of the entire universe, where the great earth is made of lapis lazuli, and the eight roads are demarcated by golden ropes. Four kinds of wonderful flowers shower down from heaven, music resonates in the vast sky, and all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are enjoying bliss, swaying in the winds of Eternity, Joy, True Self, and Purity (Jō-raku-ga-jō). The time for us to join their ranks and play in bliss is already drawing near. However, if your faith is weak, you will not, you will not be able to reach such a wonderful world. You absolutely cannot go there. If you have any doubts, please ask again, no matter how many times. Please accept these words with utmost care and importance.
Kenchiji 2, Hinoe-Ne (1276), Twelfth Month, Ninth Day
The Reply to Lord Matsuno (Matsuno Dono Gohenji)
Nichiren (Kao — stylized signature)
Thank you for reading the modern translation. Next time, we will finally send you the commentary. Please look forward to it.
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