A Letter to Kōnichi-ama

For more than 2,200 years after the death of the Buddha, even His disciples and later scholars such as Kashō, Anan, Memyō, Ryūju, Nangaku, Tendai, Myōraku, Dengyō, have not preached the five letters of “Myō Hō Ren Ge Kyō” which is the essence of the Lotus Sutra and the eyes of buddhas. Now at the beginning of the Latter Age of the Declining Law, Nichiren is the first to show the good omen that it will spread throughout the world. My followers should follow me in the second and third battalions and rank above Kashō, Anan, Tendai and Dengyō. If you are afraid of the master of a small island like Japan, what would you do when the king of hell blames you? As I have said, those who are cowards while claiming to be the Buddha’s messengers are the lowest class of people.

(Explanatory note)

During the period of 2,200 years from the death of Sakyamuni Buddha until the time of Nichiren Shonin, those who succeeded the tradition of Buddhism such as Kashō, Anan, Memyō and Ryūju, Nangaku, Tendai, as well as Myōraku and Dengyō, have not spread the Odaimoku of “Namu Myoho Renge-kyo,” which is the heart of the Lotus Sutra and the eyes of buddhas. Now at the beginning of the Latter Age of the Declining Law — it began in 1052 and Nichiren Shonin was born in 1222, the one hundred and seventy-first year of the Latter Age — Nichiren Shonin claimed to be the first good sign of spreading the Odaimoku throughout the world. So he urged his followers, ministers as well as laymen, men as well as women, to follow him in second and third battalions and excel themselves above great followers of the Buddha such as Kashō and Anan, or great scholars of Buddhism such as Tendai of China and Dengyō of Japan. He warned his followers that if they do not follow him because they are afraid of the ruler of Japan, Regent of the Kamakura shogunate, they will certainly be condemned by the king of hell. Nichiren Shonin said that he had told his followers all the time that they need to live up to their name of being the Buddha’s messenger, and to be courageous.