末代惡世，尊法華經如經而信之者，若以法華經之鏡照之，浮現得見是乃過去曾供
養十萬億佛之人，此確是出自釋迦佛金口之言。然此祇是一佛之言，末代凡夫或不
能無疑焉？與此過東方遠國，自寶淨世界，有多寶佛特來與釋迦佛相向，出言證明
「妙法華經，皆是真實」。
其上，或將仍留有何不審乎？末代凡夫之愚魯，誠難言矣。於是更召來十方諸佛作
廣長舌相，此是自無量劫已來，永不曾虛言，廣大之舌，如須彌山之立於虛空，實
非平常之事。
如斯末代凡夫之身，若言得法華經之一字二字，是持有十方佛之舌者矣。是由何種
過去之宿習，生作如斯之身者乎？喜拜經文，是說過去曾供養十萬億之佛，雖未能
專信法華經，因供養佛之功德莫大，依謗法之罪生於貧賤之家，然仍為得信此經之
人。天台大師釋云：「如人倒地，還從地起」。倒於地者，還是扶地而起。毀謗法
華經之人，雖倒於三惡及人天之地，仍藉法華經之手而成佛，是此道理。
而此上野之七郎次郎，出生末代凡夫武士之家雖云惡人心則善人。其故，日蓮之法
們，上自一人，下及萬民，不僅不為之信，且對偶有來信之人，於其所領或田產等。
多方苛擾，終且有危及身命者。雖其難信如此，母及父故上野殿咸有信心。此人，
生為嫡子，亦為受人之勸，心中竟自有信。上下萬人，雖或予諫阻，或予威嚇，終
無拾離之心，已見其必得成佛。天魔、外道更脅之以病而誠其心，命既有限，毋得
稍有畏懼﹗
嗟爾鬼神﹗惱亂此人，是欲吞逆劍乎？抱大火乎？為三世十方佛之大怨敵乎？惶恐、
惶恐﹗寧不急治此人之病，而為守護，以脫鬼道之大苦耶？若無其義，現在受頭破
七分之科，後生必墮大無間地獄乎？止之、永止之﹗不聽日蓮之言者，必有後悔、
必有後悔﹗
弘安五年二月廿八日
下伯耆房
The Proof of the Lotus Sutra
( MW-2, 260-262 [309-311]) Feb. 28, 1282 at Minobu
Nanjo Tokimitsu
Nichiren, the votary of the Lotus Sutra
A person who, in the evil world of the latter age, believes in the teachings
of the Lotus Sutra just as
they are set forth in the sutra-how does the mirror of the Lotus Sutra
portray him? Shakyamuni
Buddha has left us words from his golden mouth revealing that such
a person has already made
offerings to a hundred thousand million Buddhas in his past existences.
But ordinary persons in the
latter age might well doubt the words spoken by one Buddha only.
With this thought in mind, Taho
Buddha expressly came all the way from his world of Treasure Purity,
many lands to the east.
Facing Shakyamuni Buddha, he gave his words of testimony to the Lotus
Sutra, saying, "All that
you have expounded is the truth."
If this is so, then there can be no room for doubt about the matter.
Nevertheless, Shakyamuni
Buddha may have felt that ordinary persons in the latter age would
still be skeptical. Hence he
summoned all the Buddhas throughout the ten directions to come and
join him in the magnificent
act of extending their long broad tongues, which had told nothing but
the truth for countless kalpas,
until they projected into the sky as high as Mount Sumeru.
Since this is the case, when an ordinary person in the latter age believes
in even one or two words
of the Lotus Sutra, he is embracing the teaching to which all the Buddhas
in the ten directions have
given credence. I wonder what good karma we created in the past
to have been born as such
persons, and I am filled with joy. Shakyamuni's words which I
have mentioned above indicate that
the blessings that come from having made offerings to a hundred thousand
million Buddhas are so
great that, even though one may have believed in teachings other than
the Lotus Sutra and as a
result of this slander been born poor and lowly, one is still able
to believe in this sutra during this
lifetime. T'ien-t'ai states, "It is like the case of a person
who falls to the ground, but who then
pushes himself up from the ground and rises to his feet again."
Those who slander the Lotus
Sutra will fall to the ground of the three evil paths or of the human
and heavenly realms, yet
through the help of the Lotus Sutra they will in the end attain Buddhahood.
Now since you, Ueno Shichiro Jiro, are an ordinary person in the latter
age and you were born
into a warrior family, you should by rights be called an evil man,
and yet your heart is that of a
good man. I say this for a reason. Everyone, from the ruler
on down to the common people,
refuses to take faith in my teachings. They inflict harm on the
few who do embrace them, heavily
taxing or confiscating their estates and fields or even in some cases
putting them to death. So it is
a difficult thing to believe in my teachings, and yet both your mother
and your deceased father
dared to accept them. Now you have succeeded your father as his
heir and, without any
persuasion from others, you too have wholeheartedly embraced these
teachings. Many people,
both high and low in rank, have advised or threatened you, but you
have refused to give up your
faith. Now that you appear certain to attain Buddhahood, the
devils of heaven and the demons
are trying to use this illness to intimidate you. But remember
that life in this world is limited.
Never allow yourself to be intimidated!
"And as for you evil spirits -- will you cause this disciple of mine
to suffer and swallow a sword
point first, or embrace a raging fire, or become the archenemy of all
the Buddhas of the ten
directions in the three existences? How terrible this will be
for you! Now, will you cure this man's
illness immediately and hereafter give him your protection instead,
in this way escaping from the
grievous sufferings that are the lot of evil spirits? If you
fail to do so, then you will have your heads
broken into seven pieces in this life and after your death fall into
the hell of incessant suffering!
You should absolutely free yourself from this fate; if you ignore my
words, you will regret it later.
The twenty-eighth day of the second month in the fifth year of
Koan (1282)
Handed to you by Hoki-bo.