June 2021
SACRED WORDS - THE FOUR FAVORS
“Those who learn Buddhism must repay the four favors. 1. The favor received from all people = We vow to save all people in the Four Great Vows: “Sujo Muhen Seigando.” If we do not return the favor then, we cannot fulfill the vow. Among them, if there were no wicked men who persecuted me as a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra, how can I promote my practice as a Bodhisattva? 2. The favor received from one’s parents = All living beings have parents. If one’s parent was a murderer, a criminal, or a slanderer of the Righteous Law, the child may have to continue to carry the sin. However, my parents made me practice the Lotus Sutra. How precious their favors are! 3. The favor received from one’s lord = We are blessed with the rays of the sun, the moon, and stars and we also receive benefits from the earth which produces the five grains. These are all favors from the lord. I have been persecuted from the lord because of the Lotus Sutra; however, that persecution led me to attain Buddhahood. How could I dishonor the lord with such a small resentment! 4. The favor received from the Three Treasures (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha) = … Without firewood, there would be no fire, and without the earth, plants would not live. Likewise, without a monk, the Buddha and the Dharma would not be spread. If you neglect the expounder of the sutra; the Buddha and the Dharma would not exist in the Mappo Era.
“Shi-On-Sho” Nichiren
聖語 四恩
仏法を習う者は必ず四恩に報いなければならない。一には一切衆生の恩、一切衆生がいればこそ、「衆生無辺誓願度」という限りなく衆生を救いたいというの願いをおこす事が出来る。又一切衆生のなかに法華経の行者を迫害する悪人がいなければ、菩薩として法華経修行の功徳を積むことはできない。二には父母の恩、およそ全ての生き物には父母がいる。もし殺し・盗み・犯罪・正しい法を謗る等をした親の家に生まれたなら、自分が罪を犯さなくても、その報いを受けなければならない。ところが今生の父
母は自分が法華経を信じる身にしてくれた。この恩はどれほど深いか計り知れない。三には国主の恩、日月星の三光に恵まれ、地の五穀に自分の命と安穏を営むことが出来るのは皆国主の恩である。その上、日蓮は法華経を信じるが故に国主から迫害されているが、かえって生死の苦しみから逃れる事が出来るのであるから、少しばかりの怨念を受けたとて国主をおろそかにはできない。四には仏・法・僧の三宝の恩、（中略）およそ、仏も法も僧によって弘まるのである。例えば薪がなければ火は起こらず、大地がなければ草木は生えない。（中略）僧の恩はそれほどに尊いものである。
四恩鈔
Let Us Repay Our Favors
Rev. Shokai Kanai
Nichiren Dai’Shonin recited O’Daimoku for the first time at Mt. Kiyosumi in April at the age of 31. After-wards, he stood at a crossroad in Kamakura and preached the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. He wrote “Rissho Ankoku Ron” or “Establishment of the Righteousness and Security of the Nation” to the Kamakura Shogunate at the age of 38 in July. The shogunate did not respond to it in any way, but a month later a mob torched his hut in Matsubagaya in Kamakura. Fortunately, he escaped from the arson and moved to Lord Toki’s home in Ichikawa and gave lectures on the Lotus Sutra to his followers for 100 days. Those people who thought he perished in the fire were extremely surprised to see Nichiren preaching in the streets again. This time, the government officials immediately captured him and exiled him to Izu Peninsula without any trial. This was May when he was 39 years old.
Nichiren was pleased with his adversity of being exiled! He expressed his feeling and appreciation in “Shi-On-Sho” or "Four Favors”. Why Four Favors? He wrote that during the last eight years, he was too busy preaching, meeting with many follow-ers, and consulting with his followers’ day and night. So, he had been reciting only one volume of the sutra a day or one chapter, or just Odaimoku chanting. However, during the last 240 days since May 12th, I have been delighted to have time to recite the entire Lotus Sutra day and night. He expressed his grateful feeling in the “Four Favors.” They are:
1．The favor from all the people = Nichiren was exiled for disturbing society but was grateful that he became a predicted preacher of the Lotus Sutra in the Mappo Era. He proved what the sutra said to be true.
2．The favor received from one’s parents = More than thanks to the parents by ordinary people, he was grateful for the fact that his parents made him believe in the Lotus Sutra. He had not actually lived with his parents since he left home at the age of 12. He was not able to attend his father’s funeral and could not visit his father’s grave. But it was possible for him to master Buddha’s Right Teachings, as a result his parents became Buddhas. This is him returning a great debt toward his parents.
3. The favor received from one’s lord = In addition to general favors to our country like loyalty to the country and paying taxes, Nichiren believed that his
way of repaying the country was to make Japan peaceful and secure by avoiding foreign invasion, civil war, and natural disasters. He wished peace, security, and protection from sufferings with the teachings of the Lotus Sutra.
4．The favor received from the Three Treasures = It is to devote ourselves to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Nichiren saw that the Buddha was the Eternal Original Teacher revealed in the Chapter 16 of the Lotus Sutra. The act of slandering the Buddha, the Lotus Sutra, and the Preacher of the sutra was a great sin. This is revealed in Chapter 3 of the sutra. He believed that to block the way to hell was to chant the Lotus Sutra and to tell the world about it. He also thanked the government who exiled him. In fact, it was predicted in the sutra. These were the reasons why he was pleased with being persecuted.
While Nichiren Dai’Shonin accepted the difficulties with gratitude, he was displeased with the result that he had let the slanderers and the government authorities create such a great sin which could not be erased. His honest feeling of pleasure and displeasure made him write “SHI-ON-SHO!”
I sincerely wish YOU will understand Nichiren Dai’Shonin’s deep compassion.
恩に報いる
金井勝海
日蓮大聖人がお題目を唱え立教開宗されたのは満３１歳の４月でした。それから鎌倉の辻に立ち説法をされ、『立正安国論』を幕府に上書されたのは満３８歳７ケ月。幕府は何の反応も示しませんでしたが、１ケ月後には暴徒が松葉ガ谷の草庵を放火しました。難をのがれて百日間千葉・市川の富木常忍の館で法華経講義され、再び鎌倉で辻説法を始められましたが、直ちに役人に捉えられ、伊豆に流されたのが満３9歳の５月でした。
日蓮大聖人は伊豆流罪地での身の逆境を喜びとされました。その喜びを表現されたのが上記の『四恩鈔』です。何故なら、過去８年間、学問や辻説法、人々の信仰相談やら何やかやと法華経を読むのは１日１巻か1品又
はわずかお題目を唱えるだけの日々でありました。しかし、５月１２日以来『四恩鈔』を書くまでの２４０余日の間、昼も夜も法華経を読誦する時間ができた事を喜び「四恩」という言葉で感謝されています。
1．一切衆生の恩＝日蓮大聖人は世間を騒がせたという罪で流罪されましたが、その事が「法華経の行者」である事の証であるとお経に予言された通りになった事を感謝されたのです。
２．父母の恩＝一般的な父母への感謝以上に、法華経を信じる身として下さった事への感謝です。実際には１２歳で出家して以来両親と一緒に暮らした事はありません。お葬式にも出られず、墓参もしておりませんが、仏の道を究め「両親を成仏させることが出来る。」此れこそが真実の報恩であると述べられています。
3．国主の恩＝自分が産まれた国に対する忠誠とか税金を納める等の一般的恩以外に、外国からの侵略や主権争いや自然災害から法華経の教えで日本国を平和に、人々を安穏にすると事が真実の報恩と信じ実践されたのです。
４．三宝の恩＝仏法僧に帰依することです。日蓮聖人にしてみれば、法華経「寿量品」に説かれている久遠実成の釈迦牟尼仏と真実の教えである法華経を謗る事が地獄へ落ちると「譬喩品」に説かれているのです。地獄への道を塞ぐ方法が「南無妙法蓮華経」と唱える事であると堅
く信じ、その事を世界中に伝えるには、法華経に予言されている通りの災難を与えてくれた国主や迫害を加えた人々に感謝し法難を喜びとされたのです。
法難を法悦と受け止められた一方で、大聖人を流罪にした 謗法者には、消すことの出来ない悪業をつくらせてしまった事への腹立たしさを感じた結果がこの『四恩鈔」を書く理由となったのです。
こうした大聖人の心の内こそを皆様に理解して頂きたいのです。