There once lived a man named Gyōbō Bonji. He visited numerous countries over the course of 12 years seeking the Buddha’s dharma. However, as the Buddha had not yet appeared in this world, neither His teaching nor any priest spreading the dharma was to be found. Nevertheless, Bonji sought the teaching of the Buddha just as a thirsty man seeks water or a hungry man searches for food.

One day he met a Brahman who told him, “I know a verse of a sacred teaching. If you are really eager to seek the Buddha’s teaching, I will teach it to you.” Bonji replied, “Yes, please.” The Brahman then said, “If you are so anxious to learn it, first peel off your own skin to make a sheet of paper, sharpen your own bone to use as a pen, grind your own marrow to use as ink and draw your own blood to use as water to write it down, then I will teach it to you.” Bonji was glad for the opportunity to hear the dharma and did what he was told to do. The Brahman, however, suddenly disappeared. Looking up at the sky then lying face down on the ground, Bonji bewailed his fate.

The Buddha pitied this man and emerged from underground to preach this verse: “Practice the right dharma, not the wicked dharma. By doing so one will live peacefully both in this life and the life to come.” Bonji attained Buddhahood immediately after hearing this. The words of the Buddha that led Bonji to attain Buddhahood consisted of merely 20 Chinese characters.

Nichimyō Shōnin Gosho, A Letter to Nichimyō Shōnin, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers II, Volume 7, Page 136-137