尊函拜見、委細敬悉。
奉致寶塔之供養物，錢一貫文、白米、各種物品，一一確實拜領。厚志敬謹奉告於
御本尊法華經，請釋慮。
所詢「多寶如來、涌現之寶塔，係表何事？」此法門神聖大事之寶塔，天台大師文
句八釋其意謂，有證前起後二重之寶塔，證前跡門，起後為本門；或又以閉塔為跡
門，開塔為本門。是即境智二法，義密，姑置之。所詮，三周聲聞，來至法華經見
己心為寶塔，今日連弟子檀那亦復如是。入末法持法華經之男女，其身之外別無寶
塔也。若然，不分貴賤上下，唱得南無妙法蓮華經者，我身即寶塔，我身亦即多寶
如來也。妙法蓮華經外無寶塔，法華經題目是寶塔，寶塔亦即南無妙法蓮華經也。
今阿佛房上人之一身是地水火風空之五大也，此五大是題目之五字。是故，阿佛房
即是寶塔，寶塔亦即是阿佛房，此外之才覺無用也。是以聞、信、戒、定、進、捨、
慚之七寶，裝飾成之寶塔也。思為供養多寶如來之寶塔，其實不然，是為供養我身，
我身又是三身即一身之本覺如來也。如此信之而唱南無妙法蓮華經，其處即是寶塔
之住處。經云：「有說法華經處，我之寶塔，涌現其前。」者此也。因至為珍貴，
爰為書顯寶塔送上。若非子孫，不可讓予。若非信心強盛者，不可使見，出世本懷
者此也。
阿佛房可云足當於北國之導師，莫非淨行菩薩之再世耶？來訪我日蓮，不思議、不
思議。高志如此，日蓮所不知，一切委之於上行菩薩出現之力。別無、別無他故矣。
寶塔希賢夫婦自拜之，委思容後陳，恐恐謹言。
文永九年壬申三月十三日 日蓮花押
阿佛房上人
來信已經詳細看過了。供養寶塔的物品，計有錢一貫文、白米和種種用品，確實受
到了。你的厚意，我已經懇切地向御本尊、《法華經》稟明了。請放心吧﹗
你的來信詢問：「多寶如來與從地涌現的寶塔，是表示什麼呢？」這個法門非常重
要。天台大師在《法華文句》卷八解釋寶塔的意義時，說出有證前和起後兩重寶塔。
證前是跡門，起後是本門；又說，閉塔是跡門，開塔是本門。這就是代表境智二法。
其中的法理非常複雜，所以不打算多談了。總而言之，寶塔涌現的意思就是說，三
周聲聞來到《法華經》，才看見自己心中的寶塔。現在，日蓮的弟子、檀那也是一
樣。進入末法之後，除了受持《法華經》男女的形象以外，就沒有別的寶塔了。如
果這樣，就不會分貴賤上下，凡是唱誦南無妙法蓮華經的人，本身就是寶塔，也是
多寶如來了。除了妙法蓮華經之外，就沒有寶塔了。《法華經》的題目是寶塔，寶
塔也是南無妙法蓮華經。
現在，阿佛房上人的身體是地、水、火、風、空的五大。這五大就是題目的五個字，
所以阿佛房就是寶塔，寶塔就是阿佛房，除此之外的解釋，都是沒有益處的。這是
以聞、信、戒、定、進、捨、慚七寶裝飾的寶塔。你一心以為是供養多寶如來的寶
塔，可是並非如此，其實是供養自己呢﹗自己身體也是三身即一身本覺如來。應相
信這件事而唱誦南無妙法蓮華經﹗你所居住的地方，就是寶塔的住處。經云：「有
說《法華經》處，我此寶塔，涌現其前。」就是指這事了。你的信心，真是罕有，
所以日蓮顯現這寶塔贈送給你。如果不是自己的兒子，就不要把寶塔傳給他。如果
不是信心強盛的人，就不要給他看這個寶塔。這是日蓮出世的本懷呢﹗
阿佛房真可以被稱做北國的導師呢﹗是不是淨行菩薩再生為阿佛房，前來探訪日蓮
呢？真是不可思議、不可思議。日蓮不能知道你的意志，但我相信這除了是上行菩
薩出現的力量以外，更沒有其他理由了﹗你們夫婦悄悄地拜這個寶塔吧﹗詳細的事
情，日後再談。
文永九年壬申三月十三日 日蓮花押
阿佛房上人
On the Treasure Tower
(MW-1, 29-31) Mar. 13, 1272 Abutsu-bo Sado
I have read your letter with great care. I have also received
your offering to the Treasure Tower
of one kan of coins, polished rice and other articles. This I
have respectfully reported to the
Gohonzon and to the Lotus Sutra. Please rest assured.
In your letter you ask: "What is signified by the Treasure Tower,
where Taho Buddha was seated,
appearing from within the earth?" The appearance of this bejeweled
stupa [in the eleventh chapter
of the Lotus Sutra] is of great importance. In the eighth volume
of his Hokke Mongu, the Great
Teacher T'ien-t'ai explained the appearance of the Treasure Tower.
He stated that it had two distinct
functions: to lend credence to the preceding chapters and to
pave the way for the revelation to come.
Thus, the Treasure Tower appeared in order to verify the theoretical
teaching and to introduce the
essential teaching. To put it another way, the closed Tower symbolizes
the theoretical teaching and
the open Tower, the essential teaching. This represents the two
principles of object (kyo) and
subject (chi), or reality and wisdom. However, this is extremely
complex, so I will not go into further
detail now. In essence, the appearance of the Treasure Tower
indicates that the three groups of
Shakyamuni's disciples attained enlightenment only when they heard
the Lotus Sutra and perceived
the Treasure Tower within their own lives. Now Nichiren's disciples
are doing the same. In the
Latter Day of the Law, there is no Treasure Tower other than the figures
of the men and women
who embrace the Lotus Sutra. It follows, therefore, that those
who chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo,
irrespective of social status, are themselves the Treasure Tower and
likewise they themselves are
Taho Buddha. There is no Treasure Tower other than Myoho-renge-kyo.
The daimoku of the Lotus
Sutra is the Treasure Tower, that is to say, the Treasure Tower is
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
Now the entire body of Abutsu Shonin is composed of the five universal
elements of earth, water,
fire, wind and ku. These five elements are also the five characters
of the daimoku. Therefore,
Abutsu-bo is the Treasure Tower itself, and the Treasure Tower is Abutsu-bo
himself. No other
knowledge is purposeful. It is the Treasure Tower adorned with
seven kinds of gems listening to the
true teaching, believing it, keeping the precept, attaining peace of
mind, practicing assiduously, unselfishly
devoting oneself, and forever seeking self improvement. You may
think you offered gifts to the Treasure
Tower of Taho Buddha, but that is not so. You offered them to
yourself. You, yourself, are a true
Buddha who possesses the three enlightened properties. You should
chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with
this conviction. Then, the place wherein you dwell and chant
daimoku is the place of the Treasure Tower.
The sutra reads: "Wherever one teaches the Lotus Sutra, this
Treasure Tower of mine will rise and appear
before him." Faith like yours is so extremely rare that I will
inscribe the Treasure Tower especially for you.
You should never transfer it to anyone but your son. You should
never show it to others unless they have
steadfast faith. This is the reason for my advent in this world.
Abutsu-bo, you deserve to be called a leader of this northern province.
Could it be that Bodhisattva
Jyogyo was reborn into this world as Abutsu-bo and visited me?
How marvelous! It is beyond my power
to understand why you have such pure faith. I will leave it to
Bodhisattva Jogyo when he appears, as he has
the power to know these things. I am not saying all this without
good reason. You and your wife should
worship this Treasure Tower privately. I will explain more later.
With my deep respect,
Nichiren
The thirteenth day of the third month in the ninth year of Bun'ei (1272)