Question: During the Thus Come One’s lifetime, who was able to realize the lotus of the entity of the Law?

Answer: During the period of the four flavors and three teachings that preceded the Lotus Sutra, there were persons of the three vehicles, the five vehicles, the seven expedient means and the nine worlds, and the bodhisattvas of the provisional perfect teachings, as well as the Buddha of these teachings. But with the exception of the Buddha of the Juryo chapter of the ,essential teaching, neither any of these persons nor the Buddha of the theoretical teaching had so much as heard the name of the lotus of the entity expounded in the essential teaching, much less realized it.

During the first forty and more years of his teaching life, the Buddha did not make clear the doctrine of the lotus of unsurpassed enlightenment that reveals the replacement of the three vehicles with the one vehicle. That is why the Muryogi Sutra says: "They will in the end never gain unsurpassed enlightenment," by which it means that the lotus of the replacement of the three vehicles with the one vehicle, which the Buddha revealed in the theoretical teaching, was never expounded in the period before the preaching of the Lotus Sutra. Much less, then, did he reveal the lotus of the entity, that of "opening the near and revealing the distant," of "the true identity that is difficult to conceive," of "the fusion of reality and wisdom," and of "originally inherent and not created." How could Miroku and the others, who were taught and converted by the Buddha in his transient status, have had any understanding of such things?

Question: How do we know that the bodhisattvas of the perfect teachings expounded before the Lotus Sutra, or the bodhisattvas of the perfect teaching set forth in the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra, were not enlightened to the lotus of the entity of the essential teaching?

Answer: The bodhisattvas of the perfect teachings expounded before the Lotus Sutra did not understand the lotus of the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra, and the bodhisattvas of the perfect teaching set forth in the theoretical teaching did not understand the lotus of the essential teaching.

T’ien-t’ai says: "Even successors of the Buddha of the provisional teachings do not know persons who have received instruction from the Buddha who assumed a provisional status, and persons taught by that Buddha do not know persons who have received instruction from the Buddha who revealed his true identity."⁴¹ The Great Teacher Dengyo explains, "This is a direct way, but it is not the great direct way."⁴² He also says, "Because they have not yet understood the great direct way to enlightenment."⁴³ The point being made in these passages is clear.

The bodhisattvas of the teachings preached before the Lotus Sutra or of the theoretical teaching have in a certain sense eradicated delusion and gained understanding of truth. Nevertheless, in the light of the essential teaching, they have gained only a temporary cutting off of delusion, not the kind that extends beyond a certain dimension. Therefore it is said that they have in fact not yet cut off delusion.

Thus, although it is said that the bodhisattvas had already gained entrance [to enlightenment] through the various sutras, the term "gained entrance" is simply applied here in a temporary manner as a means of disparaging the achievement of the people of the two vehicles. Therefore even the great bodhisattvas of the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings and the theoretical teaching arrive at the realization of the lotus of the Buddha only when they are exposed to the essential teaching, and achieve a true cutting off of delusion only when they hear the teachings of the Juryo chapter.

The Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai, commenting on the passage in the Yujutsu chapter in which a period of time measuring fifty small kalpas is, through the Buddha’s supernatural power, made to seem to the members of the assembly as though it were no more than half a day, says: "To the awakened ones, what seemed like a short period of time was understood to be a long one lasting fifty small kalpas; but to those who were still deluded, the long period seemed to be as short as half a day."⁴⁴

Miao-lo in turn explains this comment by saying: "The bodhisattvas have already freed themselves from ignorance, and so they are referred to here as the ‘awakened ones.’ The ordinary beings of the assembly, however, have not yet advanced beyond the rank of worthy persons,⁴⁵ and thus they are referred to as the ‘deluded ones.’"⁴⁶

The meaning of these passages is quite clear. It indicates that the bodhisattvas of the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings and of the theoretical teaching were in fact still deluded, and only the Bodhisattvas of the Earth were worthy of being called awakened ones.

Nevertheless, at the present time there are certain persons of the Tendai sect who, when they discuss the essential teaching and the theoretical teaching, declare that there is no difference between the two, and in interpreting the passages under discussion, they assert that the persons taught and converted by the Buddha in his transient status are to be included in the category of "awakened ones." This is a gross error of interpretation! Since the meaning of the sutra passage and the annotations regarding it is perfectly clear, I do not see how anyone could put forward such an unreasonable assertion.

If we examine the passage in the Yujutsu chapter, we see that it states that the Bodhisattvas of the Earth praised the Thus Come One for a period of fifty small kalpas, but to the members of the assembly on Eagle Peak who had been taught by the Buddha in his transient status, this seemed like no more than half a day.

T’ien-t’ai in his explanation introduces the terms "awakened ones" and "deluded ones." He explains that because the assembly members who had been taught by the Buddha in his transient status were deluded ones, they accordingly believed that the interval of time was no more than half a day, though this was a mistaken interpretation of the facts. The Bodhisattvas of the Earth, on the other hand, were the awakened ones, and they therefore viewed the interval of time as being fifty small kalpas in duration, which was the correct interpretation of the facts.

Miao-lo proceeds to comment on this by saying that the bodhisattvas who had freed themselves from ignorance were the awakened ones, and those that had not yet freed themselves from ignorance were the deluded ones. It is perfectly clear that this is what the above quotations mean. There are some scholars who say that some among the bodhisattvas taught by the Buddha in his transient status had attained the first stage of security or advanced beyond it in the course of bodhisattva practice and hence had already freed themselves from ignorance. They say so because they were taught that the various sutras that preceded the Lotus Sutra offer a means of attaining Buddhahood, when in fact they do not offer any such means.

Those who have received either the teachings prior to the Lotus Sutra or the theoretical teaching may in a certain sense attain the stage of perfect enlightenment, but when seen in terms of the true Buddha of the Juryo chapter of the essential teaching, such persons are still in the company of the deluded or in the rank of worthy persons. The three bodies of the Buddha as they appear in the provisional teachings have not yet escaped from the realm of impermanence, and they are therefore in effect phantom Buddhas such as one would see in a dream.

As long as those who have received the teachings prior to the Lotus Sutra or the theoretical teaching have not yet received instruction in the essential teaching, they are to be described as persons who have not yet extirpated illusion. But once they have received such a teaching, they qualify for the first stage of security in their progress as bodhisattvas.

Miao-lo comments as follows: "When the Buddha proceeds beyond his transient status and reveals his true identity, all the listeners enter the first stage of security."⁴⁷ This may be contrasted to what has been said above about such persons being in the rank of worthy persons. Persons who have received the teachings prior to the Lotus Sutra or the theoretical teaching are in the category of the deluded. They are Buddhas and bodhisattvas who have not yet freed themselves from ignorance. How true! How true!

Therefore we understand that, once the Juryo chapter of the essential teaching had been revealed, all the persons in the assembly on Eagle Peak became enlightened to the lotus of the entity. Those of the two vehicles, the icchantika or persons of incorrigible disbelief, and the determinate groups,⁴⁸ as well as women and evil persons, all gained an awakening to the lotus of the true Buddha.

The Great Teacher Dengyo, explaining the lotus of the "one great reason" [why the Buddha appears in the world], writes: "The ‘one great matter,’ the true heart and core of the Lotus Sutra, is the revelation of the lotus. The word ‘one’ signifies that it is the one reality. The word ‘great’ signifies that it is broad and all-encompassing in nature. And the word ‘matter’ refers to the essential nature of phenomena. This one great reason or ‘ultimate matter’ is the truth, the teaching, the wisdom and the practice of the perfect teaching, or the Dharma body, the wisdom and the emancipation of the perfect teaching. Through this, the persons of the one vehicle, those of the three vehicles, those of the determinate groups, those of the indeterminate group, those who believe in Buddhist teachings, those who believe in non-Buddhist teachings, those who have no desire to become Buddhas, and those who are unable to believe in the correct teachings--all of these beings, every one of them, are brought to the realm of the wisdom penetrating all phenomena. Thus, this ‘one great reason’ opens the door of Buddha wisdom to all beings, shows it, causes them to awaken to it and induces them to enter into it, and all of them attain Buddhahood."⁴⁹

Thus we may say that the so-called evil persons such as women, persons of incorrigible disbelief, those of the determinate groups and persons of the two vehicles, all at Eagle Peak, were able to gain an awakening to the lotus of the entity of the Mystic Law.

Question: In our present age, the period of the Latter Day of the Law, who has obtained the lotus of the entity?

Answer: Observing the situation in the world today, we would have to say that, although there are many people who are destined to fall into the great Avichi hell, there is no one who has obtained the lotus of the Buddha. The reason is that people put their faith in the expedient means of the provisional teachings that cannot lead to enlightenment, and slander the lotus of the truth, the entity of the Lotus Sutra.

The Buddha states, "If a person fails to have faith but instead slanders this sutra, immediately he will destroy all the seeds for becoming a Buddha in this world.... When his life comes to an end he will enter the Avichi hell."⁵⁰

T’ien-t’ai comments on this as follows: "This [Lotus] sutra opens the seeds of Buddhahood inherent in the beings of each of the six paths. But if one slanders the sutra, then the seeds will be destroyed."⁵¹

I, Nichiren, would like to say this. The Lotus Sutra is linked to the seeds of Buddhahood inherent in the beings of each of the Ten Worlds. But if one slanders this sutra, then it means that one is destroying the seeds of Buddhahood in the beings of each of the Ten Worlds. Such a person is certainly bound to fall into the hell of incessant suffering. When might he manage to get out of hell again?

But those who follow the teachings of Nichiren honestly discard the mistaken doctrines of the provisional teachings and the incorrect theories of the mistaken teachers, and without hesitation put their faith in the True Law and the correct doctrines of the correct teacher. Accordingly they are able to gain the lotus of the entity and to manifest the mystic principle of the entity of the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light. This is because they put their faith in the golden words of the Buddha indicated in the Juryo chapter of the essential teaching and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Question: The great teachers Nan-yueh, T’ien-t’ai and Dengyo employed the Lotus Sutra to spread widely the perfect teaching of the one vehicle, but they did not recite Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Why is that? Does this mean that they did not know about the lotus of the entity, or that they failed to understand it?

Answer It is said that the Great Teacher Nan-yueh was an incarnation of Bodhisattva Kannon, and that the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai was an incarnation of Bodhisattva Yakuo.⁵² If so, then they were present on Eagle Peak when the Buddha preached the Juryo chapter of the essential teaching, and at that time they became enlightened to the lotus of the entity. But when they appeared in the world [as Nan-yueh and T’ien-t’ai, respectively], they knew it was not the right time to spread the Mystic Law. Therefore, for the words "Mystic Law" they substituted the term "concentration and insight," and instead engaged in the practice of ichinen sanzen and the threefold contemplation in a single mind. But even these great teachers recited Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as their private practice, and in their hearts they understood these words to be the truth.

Thus the Great Teacher Nan-yueh in his Hokke sempo⁵³ employs the words Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai employs the words Nam-byodo-daie-ichijo-myoho-renge-kyo,⁵⁴ Keishu-myoho-renge-kyo,⁵⁵ and Kimyo-myoho-renge-kyo.⁵⁶ And the document⁵⁷ concerning the vow taken by the Great Teacher Dengyo on his deathbed carries the words Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

Question: The evidence you have presented is perfectly clear. But if these men understood the truth, as the evidence indicates that they did, then why did they not spread a knowledge of it abroad?

Answer: There are two reasons. First of all, the proper time to do so had not yet arrived. Second, these men were not the persons entrusted with the task of doing so.

It is the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo that constitute the Great Pure Law that will be spread widely in the Latter Day of the Law. And it is the great bodhisattvas who sprang up from, the earth in numbers equal to the dust particles of a thousand worlds who were entrusted with the task of spreading it abroad. Therefore Nan-yueh, T’ien-t’ai and Dengyo, though in their hearts they understood the truth, left it to the leader and teacher of the Latter Day to spread it widely, while they themselves refrained from doing so.
 

Gosho background information

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Pitanje: Tokom života Takodošavšeg, ko je bio sposoban da shvati {ostvari} lotos suštine Zakona?

Odgovor: Tokom perioda četiri ukusa i tri učenja koji su prethodili Lotos sutri, bilo je onih triju vozila, pet vozila, sedam celishodnih sredstava i devet svetova, a i Buda ovih učenja je bio tu takođe. No, sa izuzetkom Bude Đurjo poglavlja suštinskog učenja, nijedna od ovih osoba niti Buda teorijskog učenja nisu imali mnogo od toga što su čuli ime lotosa suštine izloženo u suštinskom učenju, manje više ga shvativši.

Tokom prvih pedeset i više godina provedenih u podučavanju, Buda nije razjasnio doktrinu lotosa neprevaziđenog prosvetljenja koja otkriva zamenu triju vozila jednim. Eto zašto Mirjogi sutra kaže: "Na kraju nikada oni neće steći neprevaziđeno prosvetljenje", čime se misli da lotos zamene triju vozila jednim, koji je Buda otkrio u teorijskim učenjima, nikada nije bio izložen u periodu pre propovedanja Lotos sutre. Manje više, onda, da li je otkrio lotos suštine, onaj "otvaranja bliskog i otkrivanja udaljenog", "pravi identitet koji je teško pojmiti", "stapanje stvarnosti i mudrosti" i "izvorno inherentnog a ne stvorenog". Kako bi Miroku i ostali, koje je Buda bio podučavao i preobratio u svom prolaznom stanju, mogli imati bilo kakvo razumevanje ovakvih stvari?

Pitanje: Kako znamo da bodisatve savršenih učenja izloženih pre Lotos sutre, ili bodisatve savršenog učenja dalje iznetog u teorijskom učenju Lotos sutre, nisu bile prosvetljene za lotos suštine esencijalnog učenja?

Odgovor: Bodisatve savršenih učenja izloženih pre Lotos sutre nisu razumele lotos teorijskog učenja Lotos sutre, a bodisatve savršenog učenja dalje iznetog u teorijskom učenju nisu razumele lotos esencijalnog učenja.

Tjen-tai kaže: "Čak ni naslednici Bude privremenih učenja ne znaju one koji su primili instrukcije od Bude koji je preuzeo jedno privremeno stanje, a oni podučavani od strane tog Bude ne znaju one koji su primili instrukcije od Bude koji je otkrio svoj pravi identitet."⁴¹ Veliki Učitelj Dengjo objašnjava: "To je jedan direktan put, ali nije baš onaj veliki direktan put."⁴² Takođe kaže: "Stoga što još nisu razumeli veliki direktan put do prosvetljenja."⁴³ Smisao ovih odeljaka je jasan.

Bodisatve učenjâ propovedanih pre Lotos sutre ili teorijskog učenja, imaju u izvesnom smislu iskorenjenu zabludu i stekle su razumevanje istine. Pri svemu tome, u svetlu esencijalnog učenja, napredovale su samo u privremenom odsecanju zablude, a ne u takvom koje se proteže izvan izvesnih dimenzija. Stoga se kaže da nisu u stvari još odsekli zabludu.

Tako, mada se kaže da su bodisatve već stekle pristup [prosvetljenju] kroz razne sutre, izraz "steći pristup" je jednostavno primenjen ovde u jednom privremenom maniru kao jedan način da se umanji postignuće ljudi dvaju vozila. Prema tome, čak i velike bodisatve učenjâ pre Lotos sutre i teorijskog učenja dolaze do shvatanja lotosa Bude jedino kada su izloženi esencijalnom učenju, i postižu istinsko odsecanje zablude jedino kada čuju učenja Đurjo poglavlja.

Veliki Učitelj Tjen-tai, komentarišući odeljak iz Juđutsu poglavlja, u kome je vremenski period od pedeset malih kalpi, Budinim natprirodnim moćima, učinjen da članovima skupa izgleda kao ne više do pola dana, kaže: "Probuđenima, ono što je izgledalo kao kratak vremenski period, beše kao jedan dugi koji traje pedeset malih kalpi; ali onima koji još uvek behu obmanuti, dugi je period izgledao kratak kao pola dana."⁴⁴

Miao-lo dalje objašnjava ovaj komentar govoreći: "Bodisatve su se već oslobodile neznanja i stoga se ovde njima obraća sa 'probuđeni'. Obična bića ovog skupa, međutim, nisu još napredovala izvan ranga dostojnih osoba,⁴⁵ i s toga im se ovde obraća sa 'obmanuti'".⁴⁶

Značenje ovih odeljaka je potpuno jasno. Ono upućuje na to da su bodisatve učenjâ pre Lotos sutre i bodisatve teorijskog učenja bile u stvari još uvek obmanute, a jedino Bodisatve Zemlje behu dostojne da se nazovu probuđenim.

Pri svemu tome, danas ima nekih iz Tendaj sekste koji, kada raspravljaju o esencijalnom i teorijskom učenju, izjavljuju da nema razlike između ova dva učenja, a u tumačenju ovih odeljaka tokom diskusije tvrde da su oni koji su podučavani i preobraćeni od strane Bude u njegovom prolaznom stanju, uključeni u kategoriju "probuđenih". Debela greška u tumačenju! Pošto je značenje ovog odeljka sutre i napomena s tim u vezi savršeno jasno, ne vidim kako bi iko mogao izneti takvo jedno nerazumno tvrđenje.

Ako ispitamo odeljak iz Juđutsu poglavlja, vidimo da on tvrdi da su Bodisatve Zemlje veličale Takodošavšeg u toku pedeset malih kalpi, ali članovima skupa na Orlovom Vrhu koji su bili podučavani od strane Bude u njegovom prolaznom stanju, ovo je izgledalo kao ne više do pola dana.

Tjen-tai u svom objašnjenju uvodi izraze "probuđeni" i "obmanuti". On objašnjava da stoga što su članovi skupa koji su bili podučavani od strane Bude u njegovom prolaznom stanju bili obmanuti - da su sledstveno tome verovali da ovaj vremenski period nije bio duži od polovine dana, mada je to bilo pogrešno tumačenje činjenica. Bodisatve Zemlje, s druge strane, su bile probuđene, i one su stoga videle ovaj vremenski period kao pedeset malih kalpi, što beše ispravno tumačenje činjenica.

Miao-lo nastavlja da ovo komentariše govoreći da bodisatve koje su se oslobodile neznanja behu probuđene, a one koje se još nisu bile oslobodile neznanja behu obmanute. Savršeno je jasno da je to ono što gornji navodi znače. Ima nekih učenika koji kažu da su neke među bodisatvama podučavane od strane Bude u njegovom prolaznom stanju dostigle prvi stadijum sigurnosti ili su napredovale i dalje u pravcu bodisatvičke prakse i otuda već bile oslobodile sebe neznanja. Kažu tako s toga jer su bile podučavane da razne sutre koje su prethodile Lotos sutri nude sredstvo postizanja budastva, dok u stvari one ne nude nikakva takva sredstva.

Oni koji su primili ili učenja pre Lotos sutre ili teorijsko učenje, mogu u izvesnom smislu postići stadijum savršenog prosvetljenja, ali ako se gleda u izrazima istinskog Bude Đurjo poglavlja esencijalnog učenja, ovakve osobe su još uvek u društvu obmanutih ili u rangu dostojnih. Tri tela Bude, kako se pojavljuju u privremenim učenjima, još nisu umakla iz područja nepostojanosti i, ona su prema tome u stvari fantomske bude, kao one koje bi bile viđene u nekom snu.

Sve dok, kao oni koji su primili učenja pre Lotos sutre ili teorijsko učenje, još uvek nisu primili instrukcije esencijalnog učenja, imaju biti opisani kao osobe koje još nisu iskorenile iluziju. Ali jednom pošto su primili takvo učenje, osposobljavaju se za prvi stadijum sigurnosti u svom napredovanju kao bodisatve.

Miao-lo komentariše kao što sledi: "Kada Buda nastavlja dalje od svog prolaznog stanja i otkriva svoj pravi identitet, svi slušaoci stupaju u prvi stadijum sigurnosti."⁴⁷ Ovo može biti u kontradiktornosti sa onim što je bilo rečeno gore u vezi sa onima koji su u rangu dostojnih. Oni koji su primili učenja pre Lotos sutre ili teorijsko učenje su u kategoriji obmanutih. Oni su bude i bodisatve koje se još nisu oslobodile neznanja. Kako istinito! Kako istinito!

Prema tome, shvatamo da su svi, jednom pošto je Đurjo poglavlje esencijalnog učenja otkriveno, na skupu na Orlovom Vrhu postali prosvetljeni za lotos suštine. Oni dvaju vozila, ičantike ili oni nepopravljivog neverovanja, i određene grupe,⁴⁸ kao i žene i loše osobe, svi su stekli probuđenje za lotos istinskog Bude.

Veliki Učitelj Dengjo, objašnjavajući lotos "jednog velikog razloga" [zašto se Buda pojavio u ovom svetu], piše: "'Jedna velika stvar', pravo srce i srž Lotos sutre, jeste otkriće lotosa. Reč 'jedan' označava da je stvarnost jedna. Reč 'veliki' označava da je prostran i sveobuhvatajući po prirodi. A reč 'stvar' se odnosi na suštinsku prirodu fenomena. Taj jedan veliki razlog ili 'vrhunska stvar' je istina, učenje, mudrost i praksa savršenog učenja, ili Darma telo, mudrost i emancipacija savršenog učenja. Kroz ovo, oni jednog vozila, oni triju vozila, oni određenih grupa, oni neodređenih grupa, oni koji veruju u budistička učenja, oni koji veruju u ne-budistička učenja, i oni koji su nesposobni da veruju u ispravna učenja - sva ova bića, svako od njih, dovedena su u područje mudrosti koja prodire u sve fenomene. Tako, ovaj 'jedan veliki razlog' otvara vrata buda mudrosti svim bićima, pokazuje je, uzrokujući da se probude za nju i pobuđuje ih da stupe u nju i da sva ona postignu budastvo."⁴⁹

Tako možemo reći da takozvane loše osobe kao što su žene, oni nepopravljivog neverovanja, oni određenih grupa i oni dvaju vozila, svi na Orlovom Vrhu, behu sposobni da steknu jedno probuđenje za lotos suštine Mističnog Zakona.

Pitanje: U ovom našem današnjem dobu, periodu Potonjeg Dana Zakona, ko je stekao lotos suštine?

Odgovor: Posmatrajući situaciju u današnjem svetu, morali bismo da kažemo da, mada ima mnogo ljudi kojima je određeno da padnu u veliki Aviči pakao, nema nijednog koji je stekao lotos Bude. Razlog ovome je što ljudi poklanjaju svoju veru u celishodna sredstva privremenih učenja koja ne mogu voditi prosvetljenju i klevetaju lotos istine, suštinu Lotos sutre.

Buda tvrdi: "Ako nekome nedostaje vera te umesto da veruje kleveta ovu sutru, istog će momenta uništiti svo seme postajanja budom u ovom svetu... Kada njegov život dođe do kraja, stupiće u Aviči pakao."⁵⁰

Tjen-tai komentariše ovo na sledeći način: "Ova [Lotos] sutra otkriva seme budastva inherentno bićima svake od šest staza. Ali ako neko kleveta ovu sutru, onda će ovo seme biti uništeno."⁵¹

Ja, Ničiren, voleo bih to da kažem. Lotos sutra je povezana sa ovim semenom budastva inherentnim bićima svakog od Deset Svetova. Ali ako neko kleveta ovu sutru, onda to znači da uništava seme budastva u bićima svakog od Deset Svetova. Takva osoba je svakako ograničena da padne u pakao neprekidne patnje. Kada će se opet snaći da izađe iz pakla?

Ali oni koji slede Ničirenova učenja iskreno odbacuju pogrešne doktrine privremenih učenja i netačne teorije neumesnih učitelja, i bez oklevanja veruju u Istinski Zakon i ispravne doktrine ispravnog učitelja. Prema tome, sposobni su da steknu lotos suštine i da manifestuju mistični princip suštine Zemlje Večno Mirnog Svetla. Ovo je stoga jer veruju u zlatne reči Bude naznačenog u Đurjo poglavlju esencijalnog učenja i jer recituju Nam-mjoho-renge-kjo.

Pitanje: Veliki učitelji Nan-jue, Tjen-tai i Dengjo služili su se Lotos sutrom da šire savršeno učenje jednog vozila, ali nisu recitovali Nam-mjoho-renge-kjo. Zašto? Da li to znači da nisu znali ništa o lotosu suštine ili da nisu mogli da ga shvate?

Odgovor: Kaže se da je Veliki Učitelj Nan-jue bio inkarnacija Bodisatve Kanona, a da je Veliki Učitelj Tjen-tai bio inkarnacija Bodisatve Jakua.⁵² Ako je tako, onda su bili prisutni na Orlovom Vrhu kada je Buda propovedao Đurjo poglavlje esencijalnog učenja, i tada su postali prosvetljeni za lotos suštine. Ali kada su se pojavili u svetu [kao Nan-jue i Tjen-tai], znali su da nije pravo vreme za širenje Mističnog Zakona. Prema tome, reči "Mistični Zakon" su zamenili izrazom "koncentracija i uvid" i umesto toga bavili su se praktikovanjem ičinen sanzen-a i trostrukom kontemplacijom nepodeljenog uma. Ali čak i ovi veliki učitelji su recitovali Nam-mjoho-renge-kjo kao svoju privatnu praksu i u svojim srcima su ove reči shvatili kao istinu.

Tako Veliki Učitelj Nan-jue u svom Hoke sempo⁵³ koristi reči Nam-mjoho-renge-kjo. Veliki Učitelj Tjen-tai koristi reči Nam-bjodo-daie-ičiđo-mjoho-renge- kjo,⁵⁴ Keišu-mjoho- renge-kjo,⁵⁵ i Kimjo-mjoho-renge-kjo.⁵⁶ A dokument⁵⁷ koji se tiče zaveta Velikog Učitelja Dengjoa koji je dao na svojoj samrtničkoj postelji nosi reči Nam-mjoho-renge-kjo.

Pitanje: Dokaz koji si predstavio je savršeno jasan. Ali, ako su ovi ljudi razumeli istinu, kao što dokaz ukazuje da jesu, zašto onda nisu ovo naširoko objavili?

Odgovor: Postoje dva razloga. Pre svega, pogodno vreme da se ovo učini još nije bilo došlo. Drugo, ovim ljudima nije bio poveren zadatak da to čine.

Pet karaktera Mjoho-renge-kjoa su ti koji sačinjavaju Veliki Čist Zakon koji će biti nadaleko objavljen u Potonjem Danu Zakona. A velikim bodisatvama poniklim iz zemlje i brojnim kao čestice prašine hiljadu svetova beše poveren zadatak razglašavanja na sve strane. Prema tome, Nan-jue, Tjen-tai i Dengjo, mada su u svojim srcima razumeli istinu, ostavili su vođama i učiteljima Potonjeg Dana Zakona da je objavljuju naširoko, dok su se sami uzdržali od toga.
 

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