| 右条々は、みなもつて信心のことなるよりことおこり候ふか。故 聖人（親鸞）の御物語に、法然聖人の御とき、御弟子そのかずおは しけるなかに、おなじく御信心のひともすくなくおはしけるにこそ、 親鸞、御同朋の御なかにして御相論のこと候ひけり。そのゆゑは、 「善信（親鸞）が信心も聖人（法然）の御信心も一つなり」と仰せ の候ひければ、勢観房・念仏房なんど申す御同朋達、もつてのほか にあらそひたまひて、「いかでか聖人の御信心に善信房の信心、一 つにはあるべきぞ」と候ひければ、「聖人の御知恵・才覚ひろくお はしますに、一つならんと申さばこそひがごとならめ。往生の信心 においては、まつたく異なることなし。ただ一つなり」と御返答あ りけれども、なほ「いかでかその義あらん」といふ疑難ありければ、 詮ずるところ、聖人の御まへにて自他の是非を定むべきにて、 | I feel that the preceding views all arise due to differences in the understanding of true entrusting. According to our late master Shinran, it was the same at the time of his teacher, Honen. Among his disciples, there were only a few people who truly entrusted themselves to Amida. This was once a cause of debate between Shinran and fellow disciples. When he claimed, “Shinran’s entrusting and Honen’s entrusting are identical,” Seikan, Nenbutsu, and others strongly refuted this, saying, “How can you claim that our master’s entrusting and your entrusting are identical!” To this Shinran replied, “Our master’s wisdom and knowledge are truly profound and to say that our entrusting to Amida are identical is preposterous. But as far as true entrusting, leading to birth in the Pure Land is concerned, no difference exists at all. Both are the same.” Still they continued to press Shinran, challenging him by saying, “How can that be possible?” |
| この子細を申しあげければ、法然聖人の仰せには、「源空が信心も、如 来よりたまはりたる信心なり。善信房の信心も、如来よりたまはら せたまひたる信心なり。されば、ただ一つなり。別の信心にておは しまさんひとは、源空がまゐらんずる浄土へは、よもまゐらせたまひ候はじ」と仰せ候ひしかば、 | They finally decided to settle the argument once and for all by going to Honen, relating the details. When Honen listened to their respective views, he said, “The true entrusting of Honen is a gift granted by the Tathagata, and the true entrusting of Shinran is also a gift from the Tathagata. Thus, they are the same. People whose entrusting is different will probably not go to the same Pure Land as I” |
| 当時の一向専修のひとびとのなかにも、親鸞の御信心に一つならぬ御ことも候ふらんとおぼえ候ふ。い づれもいづれも繰り言にて候へども、書きつけ候ふなり。 | Such was the case in earlier times, and today it seems that among the followers of single-hearted nembutsu there are some who do not share the same entrusting as that of Shinran. Although I may sound repetitious, I want to put all this down in writing. |
| 露命わづ かに枯草の身にかかりて候ふほどにこそ、あひともなはしめたまふひとびと、御不審をもうけたまはり、聖人（親鸞）の仰せの候ひし趣をも申しきかせまゐらせ候へども、閉眼ののちは、さこそし どけなきことどもにて候はんずらめと、歎き存じ候ひて、かくのごとくの義ども、仰せられあひ候ふひとびとにも、 | Since my life, like a dew drop, still hangs onto this body which may be likened to withered grass, I am able to hear the doubts of my fellow practicers and tell them what I have learned from my teacher. But I fear and lament that after my eyes close and life comes to an end, there may arise chaos because of divergent interpretations. |
| いひまよはされな んどせらるることの候はんときは、故聖人（親鸞）の御こころにあ ひかなひて御もちゐ候ふ御聖教どもを、よくよく御覧候ふべし。おほよそ聖教には、真実・権仮ともにあひまじはり候ふなり。権をすてて実をとり、仮をさしおきて真をもちゐるこそ、聖人（親鸞）の 御本意にて候へ。かまへてかまへて、聖教をみみだらせたまふま じく候ふ。大切の証文ども、少々ぬきいでまゐらせ候ふて、目やす にしてこの書に添へまゐらせて候ふなり。 | When you are confused by different views, such as the above, you should carefully read the scriptures approved and used by our late master. Among scriptures generally you will find a mixture of teachings which are true and real and which are accommodating and tentative. The master’s basic instruction was for us to choose the real, abandoning those accommodating the desires of the people, and select the real, rejecting the tentatively presented. Be very careful to see such differences among the scriptures. I have listed a few statements that attest to true entrusting, including them here for easy reference. |
| 聖人（親鸞）のつねの仰 せには、「弥陀の五劫思惟の願をよくよく案ずれば、ひとへに親鸞 一人がためなりけり。されば、それほどの業をもちける身にてあり けるを、たすけんとおぼしめしたちける本願のかたじけなさよ」と御述懐候ひしことを、 | The master constantly said, “When I ponder on the compassionate Vow of Amida, established through five kalpas of profound thought, it was for myself, Shinran, alone. Because I am a being burdened so heavily with karma, I feel even more deeply grateful to the Primal Vow which is made to decisively save me.” |
| いままた案ずるに、善導の「自身はこれ現に 罪悪生死の凡夫、曠劫よりこのかた、つねにしづみ、つねに流転し て、出離の縁あることなき身としれ」（散善義）といふ金言に、す こしもたがはせおはしまさず。さればかたじけなく、わが御身にひ きかけて、われらが身の罪悪のふかきほどをもしらず、如来の御恩 のたかきことをもしらずして迷へるを、おもひしらせんがためにて 候ひけり。 | As I now reflect upon these words, they are no different from the saying of Shan-tao: “Truly know that this self is a foolish being of karmic evil, repeating birth-and-death since beginningless aeons ago, forever drowning and wandering without ever knowing the path of liberation.” How grateful I am that Shinran expressed this in his own person to make us deeply realize that we do not know the depth of karmic evil and that we do not know the height of Tathagata’s benevolence, both of which cause us to live in utter confusion. |
| まことに如来の御恩といふことをば沙汰なくして、われもひとも、よしあしといふことをのみ申しあへり。聖人の仰せには、 「善悪のふたつ、総じてもつて存知せざるなり。そのゆゑは、如来 の御こころに善しとおぼしめすほどにしりとほしたらばこそ、善きをしりたるにてもあらめ、如来の悪しとおぼしめすほどにしりとほ したらばこそ、悪しさをしりたるにてもあらめど、煩悩具足の凡夫、 火宅無常の世界は、よろづのこと、みなもつてそらごとたはこと、 まことあることなきに、ただ念仏のみぞまことにておはします」と こそ仰せは候ひしか。まことに、われもひともそらごとをのみ申し あひ候ふなかに、ひとついたましきことの候ふなり。 | In reality, all of us, including myself, talk only about what is good and evil without thinking of the Tathagata’s compassion. Our master once said, “I do not know what the two, good and evil, really mean. I could say that I know what good is, if I knew good as thoroughly and completely as the Tathagata. And I could say I know what evil is, if I knew evil as thoroughly and completely as the Tathagata. But in this impermanent world, like a burning house, all things are empty and vain, therefore, untrue. Only the nembutsu is true, real, and sincere. |
| そのゆゑは、 念仏申すについて、信心の趣をもたがひに問答し、ひとにもいひきかするとき、ひとの口をふさぎ、相論をたたんがために、まったく 仰せにてなきことをも仰せとのみ申すこと、あさましく歎き存じ候ふなり。このむねをよくよくおもひとき、こころえらるべきことに 候ふ。 | Among the lies we say to each other, one is truly to be lamented. This occurs when some people who, in talking about the nembutsu, discuss true entrusting among themselves or try to explain it to others, and in order to silence people or stop further inquiry they even ascribe words to Shinran which were never spoken by him. How deplorable and regrettable this is! You should carefully think about this and reflect on it. |
| これさらにわたくしのことばにあらずといへども、経釈の往く路もしらず、法文の浅深をこころえわけたることも候はねば、さだめてをかしきことにてこそ候はめども、故親鸞の仰せごと候ひし 趣、百分が一つ、かたはしばかりをもおもひいでまゐらせて、書きつけ候ふなり。かなしきかなや、さいはひに念仏しながら、直に報土に生れずして、辺地に宿をとらんこと。 | Although the above are not all my own words, they may at times sound a bit strange, because I am not too well versed in the sutras and commentaries. Also, I have yet to clearly perceive the depth of the teaching. But I have tried my best to recall some fragments, perhaps one one-hundredth, of what the late Shinran taught and have put them down in writing. How sad it is, if those who are fortunate enough to say the nembutsu are not immediately born in the land of Fulfillment but must continue residing in the borderland. |
| 一室の行者のなかに、信心異なることなからんために、なくなく筆を染めてこれをしるす。 なづけて『歎異抄』といふべし。外見あるべからず。 | In tears I have dipped my brush in ink and have written this in the hope that conflicting views of true entrusting will not prevail among fellow practicers of nembutsu gathered together in a single room. Thus, I have called this Tannisho: Lamenting the Deviations. It should not be shown to outsiders |
Gleanings in Buddha-Fields 