is timeless in its beginning, I hope now solely for the Great
Nirvana. There is no end to my thankfulness for the two mighty gifts
of our Eternal Father.
283. Few are the believers that shall be born into the Land that is
promised, but many are they that shall be born into the Temporal
Paradise. Because the hope that we shall see Light by our own
strength is vain, having no foundation, we have therefore drifted on
the ocean of birth and death for many myriads of Kalpas.
284. Because in the gift of the Holy Name is a grace great and
wonderful, if man attain unto the gift of departing, that of itself
shall guide him unto the gift of returning.
285. Through the great mercy of the gift of departing shall we
attain unto the compassion of the gift of returning. If it were not
the free gift of the Blessed One, how should we attain unto wisdom
in the Land of Purity.
286. The Buddha of the Infinite Light, together with the
Bodhisattvas of Compassion and Wisdom, having taken the Ark of the
Divine Promise, that is voyaging on the ocean of birth and death,
have gathered and saved mankind therewith.
287. Whoso in heart and soul believeth the Divine Promise of the
Buddha of Infinite Light must diligently recite the Holy Name both
sleeping and waking.
288. Those men in the hierarchy of Sages that have trusted unto
self-effort for the means of attaining wisdom, on entering into the
heritage of the Divine Promise believe in it as in the Reason that
transcendeth all reason.
289. Though the teachings of the Lord stand for ever, yet unto none
is it possible to follow them in exactness, and therefore is there
none that may attain unto supreme enlightenment in these last days
of the falling away.
290. In India, in China, and the land of Japan, may the many
teachers of the doctrine of the Land of Purity, with compassion and
tender acceptance, persuade mankind to strive unto the true faith
that they may be joined unto those that return no more unto birth
and death.
291. Even as His friends the Lord commendeth those men that, having
attained unto the true faith taught of the Blessed One unto us,
dwell within the joy of holiness.
292. It is very meet that our souls rejoice exceedingly in the grace
of the great compassion of the Buddha. Yea, even to the extinction
of the body. And for the gracious giving of our spiritual teachers
we must in like manner rejoice, yea, though our very bones be
broken.
CONCERNING BELIEF AND DOUBT
293. Whoso comprehendeth not the wisdom of the Enlightened One, and
doubteth concerning His illumination, shall rise no higher than the
Outermost Places, for he hath trusted in the power of Reward, and
hath relied upon the principle of morality.
294. Whoso doubteth the wisdom of the Enlightened One—that wisdom
beyond all human understanding—and reciteth the Holy Name, trusting
in the merit of himself, shall not rise beyond the outermost bounds
of the Pure Land that is the Temporal Paradise, for he hath not the
grace of right thankfulness for His Compassion.
295. Whoso shall accept the doctrine of rewards and doubteth the
wisdom of Him that hath Light that surpasseth all knowledge of man,
shall be made captive in Doubting Castle, and the three jewels of
the faith shall no more be his.
296. For his sin, in that he hath doubted the wisdom of the
Enlightened One, shall he remain in the Outermost Places of the Land
of Purity. And for as much as we are taught that the sin of doubt
is grievous, we are also instructed that he must there dwell for
many Kalpas.
297. If the prince committeth a sin against his Father, even the
Chakravarti, the King, he is fettered as a prisoner, though the
chain be of gold.
298. Whoso reciteth the Holy Name, and so doeth as a work of
self-merit, shall be bound in the prison of the sevenfold gems, for
he believeth not right by the divine promise of that Holy One, and
heavy is the sin of his doubting.
299. Yet he even that hath a doubting soul and sinneth the sin of
self-merit, must needs strive to comprehend the merciful goodness of
the Blessed One, and he shall recite the Holy Name if he would at
all be equalled unto him that holdeth the true faith.
300. It is the Law that he who soweth shall reap what he soweth,
therefore the man that is full of righteous deeds for the sake of
self-merit shall enter into the prison of the sevenfold gems, for he
doubteth the marvellous wisdom of Him that hath the Light.
301. Whoso doubteth of the wisdom of Him that hath Light beyond the
imagining of man, and trusteth to the root of goodness and
virtue—he shall not attain unto the Soul of Great Mercy, for he is
born into the Outermost Places of Paradise, and slow and dull of
heart is he.
302. Among those men that doubt the Holy Word, some are imprisoned
in the shut bud of the Lotus. And they shall be despised as they
that in illusion are born into the outermost Paradise or are held
captive within the narrow walls of the womb.
303. Whoso doubteth the omniscience of the wisdom of the
Light-Bearer, but holdeth to his belief in Reward, excellent
ofttimes in making the root of goodness to grow,
304. Because he doubteth the wisdom of the Eternal Wisdom, and is
held captive as in the strait prison of the womb, hath neither
knowledge nor wisdom, and is compared unto a man straitly bound in
captivity.
305. He that is born into the outermost place, all glorious with the
sevenfold jewels, shall not in five hundred years behold that
three-fold jewel, the Tri-ratna, for there is in him no spiritual
well-doing, that he should give it unto his fellow-men.
306. To him who is born into the Palace, glorious with the seven
jewels, for five hundred years there shall befall many sorts of
sorrows from his own evil doing.
307. Whoso hopeth reward and maketh to flourish the root of
goodness, shall remain in the transitory Paradise, for though he be
a good man, yet hath he a doubting heart.
308. Because he accepteth not the Divine Promise of Him who is the
Light unspeakable, and carrieth his doubt with him unto Paradise,
therefore the shut flower of his heart openeth not, therefore is he
unshapen as a child in the womb.
309. When he perceiveth the Land of Purity, the Bodhisattva Maitreya
thus questioneth the Holy One, saying, “What is the cause and what
the circumstance of that man who, having been born, yet remaineth as
it were straitened in the womb?
310. And thus spake the Lord unto the Bodhisattva Maitreya saying,
“Whoso trusteth in the root of goodness that he himself maketh to
grow and hath a doubting soul, he it is that is in the outermost
places of the Paradise, he it is that is said to be straitened still
in the womb of ignorance.”
311. He who doubteth the wisdom of Him that is all Light, shall for
his sin be made captive until five hundred years be gone, and this
is called the conception within the womb of ignorance.
312. Whoso doubteth the wisdom that is beyond man’s understanding,
and hath believed the doctrine of reward, shall of a certainty be
born within Doubting Castle, and this is called conception within
the womb of ignorance.
313. Whoso trusteth upon self-righteousness rather than upon the
wisdom of the Enlightened One that is beyond man’s knowledge, shall
be conceived within the womb of ignorance, and to him shall the
mercy of the Three Jewels be unknown.
314. Whoso doubteth the wisdom of the Enlightened One that
surpasseth all knowledge of man and trusteth in the hope of reward,
and would attain unto birth in Paradise by making the root of
goodness to grow, shall be straitened in the womb of ignorance.
315. Heavy is the sin of doubting the wisdom of the Buddha. He who
is instructed taketh refuge in the wonderful wisdom of the
Enlightened One, being in contrition for his foolishness.
These twenty-three psalms above-written are made by me that men
should know the heaviness of their sin in doubting the Divine
Promise of the Buddha of Infinite Light.
IN PRAISE OF PRINCE SHOTOKU
316. Through the compassion of Shotoku the great prince we, having
accepted the Divine Promise sprung from the unsearchable wisdom of
the Illuminated One, are made equal unto Maitreya. Bodhisattva—the
Buddha that shall be—having been united unto those men who return
no more to birth and death.
317. The mighty Bodhisattva of Compassion, he who is the Saviour,
was made manifest in this world as Shotoku the Prince, who, like a
father, hath not forsaken us, and like a mother is ever amongst us.
318. From that past where was no beginning until the day that now
is, hath Shotoku the great prince, the Compassionate, dwelt among us
like unto a father and a mother.
319. Shotoku the Prince, from his Compassion, hath persuaded us to
enter in at the Divine Promise of the wondrous wisdom of the
Light-Bearer. And through this are we joined unto those men who
return no more unto birth and death.
320. Whoso attaineth unto the holy faith that is the power of
divinity, must, in the Ten Regions of the world, find the twofold
gift of the Enlightened One, that he may live in thankfulness for
His grace.
321. Shotoku, he who is mercy’s self, the Compassionate, he who is
like unto a father, and the Bodhisattva of Mercy, the divine
tenderness, his succour is merciful as the pity of a mother.
322. Testimony is there that Shotoku the prince hath mercy upon us,
from the myriads of Kalpas even unto this day, because the wondrous
wisdom of Him who is Light beareth the load of his debt for the
believer.
Therefore before the eyes of His wisdom is the evil as the good, the
pure as the unclean.
323. Shotoku, the Prince, he that is in Japan called the Lord of
Teaching, he whose great mercy overtops all spoken words of
gratitude, must we therefore praise for evermore, having with single
heart sought refuge in him.
324. He who hath pitied the dwellers in the lands of Japan, the
Prince of Jogu, he whose ways are merciful, hath spread abroad the
Divine Promise of the Enlightened One. Therefore let us praise him
with great rejoicing. Throughout the many myriads of Kalpas, birth
after birth fell hitherto upon us.
325. We to whom he showed forth his compassion must be swift to
praise him, having continually sought refuge in him, and with a
single mind.
326. The high Prince Shotoku, he who hath guarded us and with great
carefulness led us upwards from remotest times, hath lovingly
entreated us to seek our refuge in the two-fold gift of the
Enlightened One.
WHEREIN WITH LAMENTATION I MAKE MY CONFESSION
327. Though I seek my refuge in the true faith of the Pure Land,
Yet hath not mine heart been truly sincere.
Deceit and untruth are in my flesh,
And in my soul is no clear shining.
328. In their outward seeming are all men diligent and truth
speaking,
But in their souls are greed and eager and unjust deceitfulness,
And in their flesh do lying and cunning triumph.
329. Too strong for me is the evil of my heart. I cannot overcome
it.
Therefore is my soul like unto the poison of serpents,
Even my righteous deeds, being mingled with this poison, must be
named the deeds of deceitfulness.
330. Shameless though I be and having no truth in my soul,
Yet the virtue of the Holy Name, the gift of Him that is
enlightened,
Is spread throughout the world through my words being as I am.
331. There is no mercy in my soul.
The good of my fellow-man is not dear in mine eyes.
If it were not for the Ark of Mercy, the divine promise of the
Infinite Wisdom,
How should I cross the Ocean of Misery?
332. I, whose mind is filled with cunning and deceit as the poison
of reptiles, am impotent to practise righteous deeds.
If I sought not refuge in the gift of our Father, I should die the
death of the shameless.
333. It is a token of this evil age that in this world the priests,
together with the people,
In secret serve strange gods,
While bearing the appearance of the devout sons of Buddha.
334. Sad and corrupt is it that the priests and people, following
after the superstitions of auspicious times and days, seek
sooth-saying and festivals
And worship the gods of heaven and earth.
335. Though I have heard that the names of priest and monk are
honourable,
Yet now are they held as light as the five shameless precepts of
Devadatta.
336. Being of one accord with the many minds of the heathen,
They bow in worship before devils,
While yet wearing the robe of the Buddha.
337. Sad and sorrowful is it that all the priests and people now in
the land of Yamato should worship the devils of heaven and earth, in
the name of the holy mysteries of the Buddha.
338. It is a mark of the downward way of this evil age that men
despise the name of priest or monk as a mean thing, considering them
like unto slaves.
339. May they yet bring offerings with homage unto the priests, even
as you do unto Saliputra or Mahamonugalyayana, those two great
servants of the Lord; though they are priests but in name and
without discipline, for this is the time of degeneration and of the
last days.
340. Though sin hath no substance in itself, and is but the shadow
of our illusion, and soul is in itself pure, yet in all this world
is there no sincere man.
341. Great sorrow is it that, in the wicked world of this age now so
near its end, the high priests who are born in the palankin, and the
monks who bear it now in Nara and Mount Hiyei, desire high secular
rank as the greatest honour.
342. That they consider the monk and nun as their slaves, and mock
at the honourable title of priest and minister, even as at the mean
name of slave, gives testimony that they despise the teaching of the
Buddha.
These sixteen psalms written above are written by me, Gutoku, with
lamentation, to be a record. To me even the honourable priests and
monks of the Central Temples seem now to be despised.
ADDITIONAL PSALMS
343. Having fulfilled forty and eight of the Divine Promise,
He attained unto the supreme enlightenment, and was manifest as the
Buddha of Infinite Light.
Whoso seeketh refuge with Him shall be certainly born into the Land
of Purity.
344. Into the Promised Land—the Paradise of the Great Calm.
He who practiseth the righteous deeds of the mingled motive hath no
claim of birth,
Therefore He that is Infinite would have us follow the deeds of the
single practice that is chosen of Him as teaching that is at the
root.
345. The merit of His holy austerities throughout the myriads of
Kalpas is fully declared in his name of Amida (the Infinite).
And the Holy Name, after the consideration of five Kalpas,
Will be accorded unto us who are alive in this degenerated age.
346. Because action, speech, and mind of the Infinite Life and the
believer in the Holy Name are welded as into a diamond, therefore
shall he certainly be one with the men that return no more unto
birth and death.
347. He that hath much knowledge and keepeth the Pure Land is not
chosen,
And whoso breaketh the Holy Law and sinneth is not disdained.
Only he that seeketh refuge in the Eternal Father shall enter into
Buddhahood as a pebble is transmuted into gold.
348. Our faith that endureth as the diamond cometh from the mind of
the Buddha that eternally endureth.
Lacking the aid of the Divine Power, how should we attain unto the
unchanging mind?
349. In the great ocean of the Divine Promise
Is there no ripple of illusion.
If we enter into the ark of the Holy Vow,
The spirit of mercy shall take part with our self-endeavour.
350. Since we have believed the Divine Promise,
How is it possible we should be in the power of life or death?
Unchanged may be our sinful body,
But our heart is in the Paradise for ever.
[Transcriber's Note: Numbering went 307, 308, 307, 310 . . . fixed]