A passage composed of the 28 Chinese characters that states, “The Lotus Sūtra is good medicine for the diseases of people of the Jambudvipa; if a patient can hear this sūtra, his disease will disappear at once, and he will neither grow old nor die,” is taken from the “Medicine King Bodhisattva” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra. When Nichiren’s wet nurse who had a serious illness for about a year died, Nichiren Shōnin chanted this passage and placed it in her mouth with pure water. It revived her at once. Lord Nanjō Tokimitsu is not a high-ranking samurai but he is a devoted follower of Nichiren Shōnin. It would be better for him to pray to King Yama beseeching for help just this once, though it might be his karma from his previous life. As a way of curing his illness, please get a cup of pure water from the Shōjin River between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m., write down the 28 character passage of the “Medicine King Bodhisattva” chapter on a piece of paper and burn it. Then, please mix the ashes in the water and have him drink it.

Hōkikō Gobō Shōsoku, Letter to Nikkō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Pages 209-210

I offer this concluding letter from Volume 5 as an addendum to Day 47 of 100, in which I relate Ven. Kenjo Igarashi‘s explanation of why Nichiren’s letters didn’t survive.

As explained in the Introduction:

The “Hōkikō Gobō Shōsoku” is a letter written by Nichirō by order of Nichiren and it is addressed to Nikkō. It is dated on the 25th day of the second month without the year, but the marginal remark, “fifth year of Kōan” made by Nikkō makes it clear it was in the year 1282 when it was received. [Nichiren died less than five months later on Oct. 13, 1282.] When Nichiren heard that Nanjō Tokimitsu was severely ill, he instructed Nichirō to write a letter to Nikkō, informing him how to make a charm (gofu) to help Tokimitsu regain his health.

Setting aside the question of whether or not 28 Chinese characters from the Lotus Sūtra can effect a miraculous cure, there is no question that, “Just as a torch dispels darkness, this Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma saves all living beings from all sufferings, from all diseases, and from all the bonds of birth and death. The merits to be given to the person who, after hearing this Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, copies it, or causes others to copy it, cannot be measured even by the wisdom of the Buddha.” (Chapter 23: The Previous Life of Medicine-King Bodhisattva.)