for the space of an entire summer, but he taught Hinayana doctrines to persons who had the capacity for Mahayana doctrines, and thereby turned them into Hinayana adherents.
Thus even great sages [such as Perceiver of the World’s Sounds and Dharmodgata] were not permitted to preach the Lotus Sutra, and even arhats who had obtained the fruit of emancipation [such as Shariputra and Purna] were not always able to gauge people’s capacity correctly. From these examples, you may imagine how inadequate are the scholars of this latter, evil age! It is far better to be an evil person who learns nothing of Buddhism at all than to put one’s faith in such men, who declare that heaven is earth, east is west, or fire is water, or assert that the stars are brighter than the moon, or an anthill higher than Mount Sumeru.
In judging the relative merit of Buddhist doctrines, I, Nichiren, believe that the best standards are those of reason and documentary proof. And even more valuable than reason and documentary proof is the proof of actual fact.
In the past, around the fifth year of the Bun’ei era (1268), when the Ezo barbarians rebelled in the east and the Mongol envoys arrived from the west with their demands, I surmised that these events had come about because people did not put faith in the correct Buddhist doctrines. I guessed that prayer rituals would surely be performed to subdue the enemy, and that such rituals would be conducted by the priests of the True Word school. Of the three countries of India, China, and Japan, I will leave aside India for the moment. But I am certain that Japan, like China, will be undone by the True Word school.
The Tripitaka Master Shan-wu-wei journeyed to China from India in the reign of Emperor Hsüan-tsung of the T’ang dynasty. At that time there was a
great drought, and Shan-wu-wei was ordered to conduct prayers for rain. He succeeded in causing a heavy rain to fall, and as a result, everyone from the emperor on down to the common people was overcome with joy. Shortly thereafter, however, a great wind began to blow, wreaking havoc throughout the land, and the people’s enthusiasm quickly palled.
During the same reign, the Tripitaka Master Chin-kang-chih came to China from India. He too prayed for rain, and within the space of seven days, a heavy rain fell and people rejoiced as they had earlier. But when a great wind of unprecedented violence arose, the ruler concluded that the True Word school was an evil and fearsome doctrine and came near to sending Chin-kang-chih back to India. The latter, however, made various excuses and contrived to remain.
Again, in the same reign, the Tripitaka Master Pu-k’ung prayed for rain. Within three days a heavy rain fell, producing the same kind of joy as before. But once more a great wind arose, this time even fiercer than on the two previous occasions, and raged for several weeks before subsiding.
How strange were these occurrences! There is not a single person in Japan, whether wise or ignorant, who knows about them. If there is anyone who wishes to find out, that person had better question me in detail and learn about these matters while I am still alive.
Turning to the case of Japan, in the second month of the first year of the Tencho era (824), there was a great drought. The Great Teacher Kobo was requested to pray for rain in Shinsen’en garden.2 But a priest named Shubin came forward and, protesting that he had been a member of the priesthood longer and ranked higher than Kobo, asked that he be allowed to conduct the ritual. Shubin was granted permis
