"The Dragon Gate" was written on November 6, 1279, to young Nanjo Tokimitsu, the lord of the
Ueno district. The
head temple, Taiseki-ji, is located on part of his former estate. The Daishonin wrote in reply
to Tokimitsu's report of
the persecution. As the last line of this Gosho indicates, Nanjo Tokimitsu played a crucial
role in protecting the
Daishonin's followers there. His own home was their main refuge. He courageously hid other
believers from the
authorities, campaigned for the release of those who had been imprisoned and spared no effort
to help their families.
"The Dragon Gate" begins with a Chinese tale and then continues with recent historical events
to illustrate the
difficulty of attaining rank and honor in society. Attaining Buddhahood is much harder, writes
the Daishonin.
The last paragraph hints at the anxiety gripping Japan in the wake of epidemics and rumors of
war. The reader is told
that since death is inevitable, life should be devoted only to the loftiest ambition -
enlightenment.
The Dragon Gate
- Ueno-dono Gohenji -
In China there is a waterfall called the Dragon Gate. Its waters plunge a hundred feet, more
swiftly than an arrow shot
by a strong archer. It is said that thousands of carp gather in the basin below, hoping to
climb the falls, and that any
which succeed will turn into a dragon. However, not a single carp out of a hundred, a thousand
or even ten thousand
can climb the falls, not even after ten or twenty years. Some are swept away by the strong
currents, some fall prey to
eagles, hawks, kites and owls, and others are netted, scooped up, or even shot with arrows by
fishermen who line
either bank of the wide falls. Such is the difficulty of a carp becoming a dragon.
There were once two major warrior clans in Japan, the Minamoto and the Taira. They were like
two faithful
watchdogs at the gates of the Imperial Palace. They were as eager to guard the emperor as a
woodcutter is to admire
the harvest moon as it rises from behind the mountains. They marveled at the elegant parties of
the court nobles and
their ladies, just as monkeys in the trees are enraptured by the light of the moon and stars
glittering in the sky.
Though of low rank, they longed to find some way to mingle in court circles. But even though
Sadamori of the Taira
clan crushed the rebellion of Masakado, he was still not admitted to court. Nor were any of his
descendants,
including the famous Masamori. Not until the time of Masamori's son, Tadamori, were any of the
Taira clan granted
permission to enter the court. The next in line, Kiyomori, and his son Shigemori, not only
enjoyed life among court
nobles but became directly related to the throne when Kiyomori's daughter married the emperor
and bore him a
child.
Attaining Buddhahood is no easier than for men of low status to enter court circles or for carp
to climb the Dragon
Gate. Shariputra, for example, practiced bodhisattva austerities for sixty aeons in order to
attain Buddhahood, but
finally surrendered to his obstacles and slipped back into the paths of the two vehicles. Even
some of those taught
by Shakyamuni, when he was the sixteenth son of Daitsu Buddha, sank into the world of
sufferings for the duration
of sanzen-jintengo. Some others taught by him in the even more remote past when he first
attained enlightenment
suffered for the length of gohyaku-jintengo. All these people practiced the Lotus Sutra, but
when persecuted by the
Devil of the Sixth Heaven in the form of their sovereigns or other authorities, they forsook
their faith and thus
wandered among the six paths for countless aeons.
Up until now these events seemed to have no bearing on us, but now we find ourselves facing the
same kind of
persecution. No matter what, all my disciples must cherish the great desire of attaining
enlightenment. We are very
fortunate to be alive after the widespread epidemics which occurred last year and the year
before. But now with the
impending Mongol invasion it appears that few will survive. In the end, no one can escape
death. The sufferings at
the time of invasion will be no worse than those we are facing now. Since death is the same in
either case, you
should be willing to offer your life for the Lotus Sutra. Think of this offering as a drop of
dew rejoining the ocean or
a speck of dust returning to the earth. A passage from the seventh chapter of the Lotus Sutra
reads, "Our desire is to
share this blessing equally with all people, and we, together with them, will attain
Buddhahood."
With my deep respect,
Nichiren
The sixth day of the eleventh month.
Postscript:
I write this letter in deep gratitude for the encouragement you are giving those involved in
the Atsuhara Persecution.
Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 1, page 249.