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Propagation by the

Wise
Buddhism can be correctly propagated only by a person of
unsurpassed wisdom. This is why Shakyamuni, after
expounding all the sutras, entrusted the Hinayana
teachings to nanda and the Mahayana teachings to
Monju, but refused to transfer the ultimate principle of
the Lotus Sutra to any of his immediate disciples.
Shakyamuni instead summoned Bodhisattva Jogyo, his
disciple from ages past, and entrusted it to him.
Even if there should be a person of wisdom who embraces
Buddhism, how could he propagate it without believers
who support him? Shakyamuni had the support of
Bonten and Taishaku who dwell in heaven. From among
the six paths, the Buddha chose the worlds of Heaven
and Humanity, and of these two; he chose to be born
among human beings. Of all places in the universe
inhabited by men, he appeared in India, in the kingdom
of Magadha. The king of Magadha should have been a
protector of the Buddha, but the ruler was King
Ajatashatru, an evil man. The most unfortunate destiny
for a Buddha is to be born in the reign of an evil
monarch. King Ajatashatru had murdered his father, a
wise king who had supported the Buddha. Even worse,
he had taken Devadatta as his mentor. Devadatta
committed three of the five cardinal sins, worst of all
injuring the Buddha and causing him to bleed. The
impious and evil king joined forces with this slanderer of
Buddhism, compounding the great harm to humanity.
Not only for one or two years but for several decades,
this king repeatedly harassed the Buddha and killed a
great many of his disciples. This infuriated the heavens,
and the skies reacted violently. Moreover, the terrestrial

gods were so provoked that the great disasters


occurred on earth. Month after month violent gales
raged, and year after year famines and epidemics
struck, killing the majority of the people. Furthermore,
neighboring kingdoms attacked on all sides, driving
Magadha to the brink of ruin. At that time, motivated by
a revelation in a dream, by the advice of his physician
and minister Jivaka and finally by his own inner doubts,
Ajatashatru left Devadatta and went to Shakyamuni
Buddha to repent for his sinful deeds. Therefore his
illness was cured immediately, the invasions ceased
and the entire country became peaceful. Not only did
he recover his health; he was able to thwart the
prophecy that he would die on the seventh day of the
third month and in fact prolonged his life by forty years.
In gratitude, he assembled a thousand Arhats to record
all the Buddha's teachings, especially the Lotus Sutra,
for future generations. It is therefore thanks to King
Ajatashatru that we have the Lotus Sutra we embrace
today.
Even so, if I, Nichiren, should repeat the teachings given by
the Buddha to King Ajatashatru, most Japanese would
consider them to be merely my own fabrication. But
since you are my disciple and supporter, I will reveal
them to you. The Buddha stated, "After my death,
during the Latter Day of the Law, there will be many
who will piously observe the five ascetic practices as
Devadatta did. They will persuade an evil ruler to act
against the one person of unsurpassed wisdom. At
times they will slander or strike him, cause him to be
exiled, and even try to kill him. In that age there will be
natural disasters, such as typhoons, famines, and
epidemics even greater than those witnessed in this
day, and these calamities will continue year after year.
There will also be foreign invasions." This is the
substance of the tenth volume of the Shugo Sutra.
The present age has evolved exactly as the Buddha
predicted it would, and Nichiren is the wise man whom

the Buddha described. Although there are people who


wish to help me, many of them are weak-willed and
others, though having a strong spirit, cannot act upon
their intentions. Thus you are one of the very few
whose action matches his will. Your faith is stronger
than the faith of others, and it is because of your
support that I have been able to survive. Both the
heavens and the earth are certainly aware of this, so if
any misfortune happens to you, it could only mean that
heaven wants my life itself. Wherever he may be,
whether in the mountains, on the seas, in the skies or in
the cities, man cannot escape death. However, a
passage from one of the sutras explains that even one's
immutable karma can be changed. T'ien-t'ai interprets
this passage to mean that one can prolong his fixed
span of life.
As I advised you earlier, until the Mongol forces actually
attack this country, you should refrain from spreading
any alarm. As for the reply to your lord, answer him
firmly in this way: "Since I am ill, it is most distressing
for me to be transferred to a remote place. Moreover,
the entire country is on the verge of ruin. Should an
emergency arise, how could I possibly be a coward? At
this moment I am resolved to sacrifice my life for my
lord. Yet, should a sudden crisis occur, it is doubtful
whether I could reach you in time from the distant
province of Echigo. Therefore, even at the risk of losing
my estate, I will not leave you this year. Anything else
you may command of me, I will obey without hesitation
or fear. The only people more important to me are the
priest Nichiren and my deceased parents. However, I
will devote this life to you, even if you disown me, for I
have entrusted my life after death to the priest
Nichiren."

Nichiren

The sixth day of the ninth month in the second year of Kenji
[1276 C. E.]

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