Gobunshō – 御文章 – Fascicle 5-2 – Eighty Thousand Dharma-teachings – 八万法蔵章 –

5-2 Eighty Thousand Dharma-teachings

Those who are not concerned about their afterlife are considered to be ignorant persons, even though they may be well-versed in eighty thousand Dharma-teachings; those who have resolved the matter of the afterlife are described as wise persons, even if they are illiterate laymen or laywomen. So it is said.

Therefore, in our tradition we should know that for those who study various scriptures and are knowledgeable about Buddhism, all is in vain if they are ignorant of the single thought of entrusting.

Hence, in the words of Shinran Shonin we find, “No one, male or female, will ever be saved without entrusting oneself to Amida’s Primal Vow.”

For this reason, all women who abandon various practices and deeply rely on Amida Buddha with a single thought of entrusting, while convinced of their emancipation in the afterlife, will be born in Amida’s fulfilled land, then out of ten and a hundred out of a hundred. There should not be any doubt about this.

　Humbly and respectfully.

5-2　八万法蔵章

それ､ 八万はちまんの法蔵ほうぞうをしるといふとも､ *後世ごせをしらざる人ひとを愚ぐ者しゃとす｡ たとひ一文いちもん不知ふちの尼あま入にゅう道どうなりといふとも､ 後世ごせをしるを智ち者しゃとすといへり｡

しかれば､ 当とう流りゅうのこころは､ あながちにもろもろの聖教しょうぎょうをよみ､ ものをしりたりといふとも､ 一念いちねんの信心しんじんのいはれをしらざる人ひとは､ いたづらごとなりとしるべし｡

されば聖しょう人にん (親鸞) の御おんことばにも､ ｢一切いっさいの男女なんにょたらん身みは､ 弥陀みだの本願ほんがんを信しんぜずしては､ ふつとたすかるといふことあるべからず｣ と仰おおせられたり｡

このゆゑにいかなる女人にょにんなりといふとも､ もろもろの雑ぞう行ぎょうをすてて､ 一念いちねんに弥陀みだ如来にょらい今こん度どの後ご生しょうたすけたまへとふかくたのみまうさん人ひとは､ 十じゅう人にんも百ひゃく人にんもみなともに弥陀みだの報ほう土どに往おう生じょうすべきこと､ さらさら疑うたがいあるべからざるものなり｡

あなかしこ､ あなかしこ｡

Index of individual letters:

Fascicle 1-2 – Renouncing the World and Awakening the Bodhi-mind – 出家発心章

Fascicle 1-3 – Hunting and Fishing – 猟すなどり章

Fascicle 1-5 – Journey in the Snow – 雪中章

Fascicle 1-6 – Drowsiness – 睡眠章

Fascicle 1-8 – Construction at Yoshizaki – 吉崎建立章

Fascicle 1-13 – A Wrong View Concerning “Ten Kalpas Ago” – 此方十劫邪義章

Fascicle 2-4 – Severing Crosswise the Five Evil Courses – 横截五悪趣章

Fascicle 2-5 – Juzu – 珠数章

Fascicle 2-7 – Going Is Easy, but No One Is Born There – 易往無人章

Fascicle 2-11 – The Fivefold Doctrine – 五重義章

Fascicle 3-4 – The Great Sage, the World-honored One – 大聖世尊章

Fascicle 3-6 – Solely Saying the Name Constantly – 唯能常称章

Fascicle 4-10 – This Present Age – 今の世章

Fascicle 4-11 – The Unity of Beings and the Dharma – 機法一体章

Fascicle 4-12 – The Meetings Twice Every Month – 毎月両度章

Fascicle 4-14 – The Settled Mind of Our Tradition – 一流安心章

Fascicle 4-15 – Construction at Ozaka – 大坂建立章

Fascicle 5-1 – Those Lacking Wisdom in the Latter Age – 末代無智章

Fascicle 5-2 – Eighty Thousand Dharma-teachings – 八万法蔵章

Fascicle 5-3 – Women Remaining in Lay Life – 在家尼入道章

Fascicle 5-4 – Whether Men or Women – 抑男子女人章

Fascicle 5-5 – Attaining the Entrusting Heart – 信心獲得章

Fascicle 5-6 – Singleness of Heart, Great Benefit – 一念大利章

Fascicle 5-9 – All the Sacred Scriptures – 一切聖教章

Fascicle 5-10 – The Tradition of Shinran Shonin -聖人一流章

Fascicle 5-11 – The Annual Memorial Observance for Shinran Shonin – 御正忌章

Fascicle 5-12 – Holding on to Amida’s Sleeves – 御袖章

Fascicle 5-13 – The Unsurpassed, Profound Virtues – 無上甚深章

Fascicle 5-16 – White Ashes -白骨章

Fascicle 5-17 – All Women – 一切女人章

Fascicle 5-18 – The Master of Our Tradition – 当流聖人章

Fascicle 5-21 – Clear Statements in the Scriptures – 経釈明文

Fascicle 5-22 – The Teaching of Our Tradition – 当流勧化章

Other Resources:
Letters of Rennyo: The Essence of Shin Buddhism (essay/talk by Rev. Daien T. Haseo)

Letters of Rennyo – On Youtube (presented by Rev. Sugahara Yuki)

Complete Letters of Rennyo translation by the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai follow this link to their website to download a copy.

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To purchase the book ‘Letters of Rennyo’ , Translated by as part of the Hongwanji Shin Buddhism Translation Series, this is the publication information & link:

• Title ：Letters of Rennyo
• ¥1,100
• Author ：Shin Buddhism Translation Series
• Language ：English
• ISBN ：4-938490-20-X
• pages ：164

Buy from Hongwanji International Center: https://international.hongwanji.or.jp/html/c3b1p1.html

If you would like a digital copy containing more translated letters than listed above (albeit not translated by Hongwanji), you can download a PDF from the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK – Amercia) website here: Link: https://bdkamerica.org/product/tannisho-passages-deploring-deviations-of-faith-and-rennyo-shonin-ofumi-the-letters-of-rennyo/

Credits: The text for the Letters of Rennyo as presented on this and subsequent pages was originally shared on the following site : http://www.yamadera.info/seiten/seiten_index.htm

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