MUJU ICHIEN. MIRROR OF WIVES (TSUMA-KAGAMI)

Вступ. article, translated from English and commented by N. N. TRUBNIKOVA

Keywords: Buddhism in Japan, Muju Ichien, women in Buddhism.

The Kamakura Era (1192-1333) in the history of Japanese religions, the time is ripe for the renewal of old schools and the emergence of new radical movements, such as Shinran Amidaism and Dogen Zen. After the internecine war of the late twelfth century, which destroyed both Buddhist temples and the shrines of the Kami gods, monks and priests wrote down for the first time many instructions that previously existed only by word of mouth, in order to protect them from destruction in the future. During the time of troubles and later, under the first shogunate, the sovereign court no longer sent state shrines and temples as lavish offerings as before, and it was far from always able to protect their rights. The task of finding support from the new military authorities in the Kamakura headquarters and from a wide circle of lay parishioners became urgent for all mentors, whether they passed on old teachings or new ones, discussed the Law of the Buddha or the will of the gods.

Therefore, among the monuments of Kamakura literature, the most important place is occupied by preaching works in Japanese (and not in the learned Chinese, Kambun). These are poems by vasan Shinran and Ippen, treatises by Dogen, epistles by Nichiren, collections of instructions by Mee and other teachers. The sermons set various goals, cover the Buddhist teaching in all its diversity, or prove the superiority of any one of its variants: exclusive worship of the Amida Buddha and the Pure Land, as among the Amidaists, undivided devotion to the "Lotus Sutra", as among Nichiren, or "direct transmission of the Buddha's heart", as among Zen adherents.Preachers can appeal to all people, or to a specific group of believers, or to an individual disciple.

The literature of sermons also includes collections of instructive stories of setsuwa, where the teachings of Buddha, Confucius and Lao Tzu are discussed, the prophecies of the gods, and the sayings of ancient poets and sages. All of them are not just retold, but also explained by examples from everyday life: Indian, Chinese or Japanese. For the history of religions, such stories are especially interesting because they give a picture of different teachings in their living existence.

The monk Muju Ichien (1226-1312) is best known as the compiler of one of the Setsuwa collections, "Collections of Sand and Stones"(, "Shashekishu:" 1, 1279-1283). By birth, Muju belonged to the circle of noble Kamakura warriors 2, in which Zen preaching was supported, and he himself, although he became a monk in Japan, became a monk in Japan. the most influential of the old schools, Tendai, but also studied under Annie Bannan, one of the founders of the Rinzai-Dzn school. Muju's writings are often referred to as Zen literature, and indeed, many of its features can be seen in them: the ability to think in paradoxes, to joke kindly about the saddest things, to see the relativity of the most seemingly unshakable truths. However, there is a lot of space for the worship of Amida Buddha, the Buddhist "secret" instructions about the meaning of rituals, the Tendai teaching that all beings will attain enlightenment, and the discussion of monastic precepts in the Collection of Sand and Stones. Muju, like perhaps no other Kamakura author, emphasizes how important it is to preserve the diversity of teachings: The Buddha deliberately gave different instructions to different people, and since people's delusions and passions are different, then there is no one who can help them.

1 A colon in Japanese word transcriptions indicates the vowel length.

2 His ancestor. Kajiwara Kagetoki, was one of the closest associates of Minamoto Yritomo, the founder of the first Shogunate.

page 110
There is not and cannot be a path to liberation that is suitable for all people (see [Muju Ichien, 2013]).

One of the features of the "Collection of Sand and Stones" is that the proportion of the compiler's reasoning here is greater than in other collections of instructive stories. Muju Ichien also has other works, including a small book called Tsuma-kagami (1300). In genre, it is a "sermon written in alphabet", kana ho: go, with several setsuwa inserted stories. Muju learned the traditions of preaching from different schools well. As a young man, he traveled extensively to various temples and shrines, and later served as abbot of the Teboji Temple 3 near Miya Station on the Tokaido Road connecting the capital city of Kyoto and Kamakura; many monks traveled along this road and were often invited to give instructions in Teboji. In the Collection of Sand and Stones, stories about preachers take up an entire scroll 4. Most likely, Muju himself preached to-his regular parishioners and to travelers who stopped at the station.

It is known that among the listeners of Muju were women, laywomen and "nuns in the world", including the wives of warriors from the Yamada family, the most influential in the vicinity of Miya (Teboji itself, the "temple of Maternal longevity", was founded in honor of one of the women of this family). However, although the title "Tsuma-kagami" literally means "Mirror of wives" (not just "women", but "husband's wives"), Muju here talks not only and not so much about women. Who is he referring to in this book?

In Japanese literature, the word "mirror" in the titles of works by the end of the XIII century. It was already strongly associated with one of the genres - large narratives about the history of Japan, which replaced the state chronicles when the chronicle tradition came to naught in the X century. The tradition of historical kagami began with the Great Mirror (Ookagami, XI century), 5 and was continued in the Kamakura era by several works, including The Mirror of the Eastern Lands (Azuma Kagami), which set out the prehistory and history of the Kamakura Shogunate from 1180 to 1266. "zertsala" is closer to an artistic presentation, others to a simple chronicle, they can indicate the narrators (such as the elders who recall the glorious past in the "Great Mirror") or not. But for all of them, the general attitude is important: a story about the past is a mirror where people can and should see themselves, a series of examples from which to learn.

In one version, the title "Azuma-kagami "is written almost the same way as" Tsuma-kagami", with a difference of one character. According to legend, the origin of the word Azuma," Eastern lands", goes back to ancient times: when the hero Yamato-takeru went to pacify the tribes of the East, he came to the border, remembered the house and exclaimed: "Oh, my wife!" (A-dzuma). Miya station was built not far from the ancient Atsuta shrine, where this hero was revered; not only in the shrine, but also in the Teboji temple, the legends about the Yamato-takeru campaign were probably remembered in the XIII century. Robert Morrell, the translator of Tsuma kagami into English, suggests that the Tsuma roll call was important for Muju- Azuma [Morrell, 1980, p. 48]. Both for the warriors of the Kamakura headquarters, the Azuma Kagami chronicle was intended to become one of the main ones in their self-consciousness (who we serve, what our goals, duty and rights are), and for the readers of Muju, the Tsuma Kagami book was supposed to help them find answers to questions: who are we and how do we live? The tasks of the Mirror of Wives are much more modest than those of the compilers of the Mirror of the Eastern Lands, so that the title Tsuma-kagami, if it refers to Azuma-kagami, can be considered an example of Zen irony of Muju.

The Chinese Buddhist canon, adopted in Japan, has its own "mirrors". There it is usually a collection of excerpts from sutras and treatises: the main points of the teaching and examples to them 6. Of the Buddhist "mirrors" for Muju Ichien, the notes "Mirror" ( kit. "Zongjing-lu", Japanese " Xiu: ke:- roku " [Taisho:..., vol. 48, N 2016] - an extensive set of instructions.-

3 In the modern city of Nagoya.

4 The sixth, ten scrolls in all, the fifth and tenth, in two parts each. Below, references to the "Collection of Sand and Stones"are given with the number of the scroll (Roman numeral), its part ("a "and" b") and the number of the story (Arabic numeral).

5 See: [O: kagami, 2000].

6 These Are "The Hidden Mirror of the Worlds of Law in the Flower Decoration Sutra", Chinese: "Huayang fazze xuanjing", Japanese: "Kegon hokkai genke: "[Taisho:..., vol. 45, N 1883]; "Mirror of Prayer", Chinese: "Nianfo-ching", Japanese: "Nembutsu-kyo: "[Taise:..., vol. 47, N 1966].

page 111
the Ch'an tradition that Zen continues in Japan (Welter, 2011). These notes were written by Yun-min Yan-shou (904-976), and brought to Japan by Muju's teacher, Annie Bznen. In the introduction to the Mirror of Schools, it is said that its task is to reflect ten thousand things clearly, as in a mirror, and to show that the human thinking heart already contains the knowledge that is transmitted from teacher to student in Buddhist schools. The founder of chan, the legendary Bodhidharma, said that " contemplation "(Chinese: chan, Japanese: zen) is transmitted in a special way outside of the teaching; here," contemplation " is thought of as identical with the entire set of teachings recorded in the Buddhist canon. The notes contain a selection of excerpts from a wide variety of texts related to "contemplation" in one way or another; many monuments of Chan thought that have not survived to this day are preserved only in fragments in the "Mirror of Schools". Muju Ichien often quotes Chinese mentors not directly, but from quotes included in Yun-ming Yan-shou's notes. But, as far as is known, Muju himself did not intend his "Mirror" as a large collection, at least somewhat comparable to the "mirrors" from the canon.

For many Buddhist teachers in China and Japan, the "mirror" is an image of the true pure nature of the human heart; it is its ability to reflect all the colors of the impermanent world that indicates that it is smooth and "empty" in itself, because it consists of "clear copper" - aka "Buddha nature". There are several small autographs of Muju preserved in the Teboji Temple, including a handwritten poem about the "mirror without a stand" by the Chan mentor Huzi-neng (638-713).7. For Muju, both the Buddhist meaning of "mirror" and the attitude to mirrors as sacred objects in the tradition of honoring the Japanese gods of Komi are undoubtedly important. And yet, it seems to me that the "mirror" of the Muju is not taken in any exalted sense. At the end of his book, he explains why he gave it this title; "If you constantly check this record, you will see yourself in it as a person who has a heart, as a person who has thoughts about the Path." Based on this, the expression tsuma-kagami can be understood as follows: the book should become for the reader the same constant companion as an ordinary home mirror for a married woman.

Who are the" wives " that Muju writes for, if this is a book for women at all? There is relatively little space for discussion of women's fate, but for the most part, the instructions apply equally to all people: about the happiness of being born a human being and how important it is not to waste this life, so as not to be reborn next time as an animal or a prisoner of hell, but to move forward on the Path of the Buddha. However, almost the same can be said about those Kamakura texts that are clearly written for women: for example, Nichiren in letters to students often refers to all people as "children of the Buddha", without distinguishing between sons and daughters.

In general, in the Kamakura era, along with other forgotten traditions of Japanese Buddhism, the asceticism of women began to revive. The original concept of a state monastic community, developed in the Japanese" state of laws " of the eighth century, assumed that temples for monks and nuns would be built in each province. However, in the future, there were very few women's monasteries, training in them was conducted from time to time, and, as a rule, they were used only so that a male monk could settle there his relatives (mother, sisters, wife, daughters), if they could not be left in the care of lay relatives. Mee, for example, tried to change this state of affairs at the beginning of the 13th century: he not only gave instructions to women, but also founded a new temple of Zammyoji - for women who were widowed during the troubles of 1221 and became monks. Later, Monk Eizon (120-290) and his associates started reviving the women's community as it should be according to Buddhist regulations, began to train nuns and give them full monastic initiations [Trubnikova, 2012].

A prominent role in Japan in the 13th century and earlier was played by" nuns in the world " - women who took vows, but still lived with their families. Both in the capital's official families and in the eastern military, such a monastic path was common for widows and frequent for older women who had already raised children. Often it was the "nuns in the world" who were engaged in the ritual affairs of their family: they decided what offerings to make to churches, which monks to invite to perform rites, etc.Both teachers of old schools and preachers of new teachings tried to attract these listeners to their side. In The Collection of Sand and Stones, Muju Ichien writes about such women, including his oldest relative, Lady Kano. In story VIII 23, this woman, the widow of a noble warrior, and the monk Eisai (1141-1215), one of the founders of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit.-

7 From the " Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch "(Chinese: "Liuzu Tan-ching", Japanese: "Rokuso Dan-kyo:") [Taisho:..., vol. 48, N 2008].

page 112
They talk about the law of retribution and how a wife can help her husband find a better life after death.

In Japan, two main points of view on women's Buddhist asceticism were known and quite influential (see: [Women and Religion in Japan, 1983; Cabezón, 1992; Faure, 2003]). On the one hand, women are more susceptible to delusions and passions, so the Buddha gave more precepts for nuns than for monks. A woman may be an ascetic and eventually be reborn as a man, but she will not be able to advance so far on the Path of the Buddha as to become a Buddha 8, God Brahma, god Indra,a righteous ruler or a demon king in the near future. On the other hand, any living being can become a Buddha in the present birth - regardless of gender, tribe, or other characteristics inherent in the world of impermanence. All these are the "fruits" of previous deeds, received according to the law of retribution, and they can be overcome: either by their own efforts, or thanks to the "power of Another", i.e., the help of one of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas.

As a rule, Japanese teachers did not try to coordinate these two approaches or choose one of them, but used one or the other depending on the context of the sermon. The depravity of women was emphasized when it was said that they should try especially hard, since they would have to improve for a longer time than men, or when some miraculous remedy was offered that would save even women. In addition, women as more sinful beings were discussed in texts addressed to men when they discussed the importance of male chastity. In The Mirror of Wives, Muju gives one of the lists of female vices belonging to Tao-hsuan, China's leading expert on Buddhist rules: women are by nature lustful, jealous, duplicitous, lazy, deceitful, shameless and unclean. The first six vices can still be overcome, but the impurity associated with the structure of the female body cannot be eliminated except by a miracle.9
Does Muju himself accept this "misogynistic" view (see [Jnanavira Dharmacari, 2004])? Apparently, only partially. In the Collection of Sand and Stones, there are many contrasting examples: straight and honest women are described in stories IX-1 and IX-3, loving and devoid of jealousy in stories VII-1; daughters are devoted to caring for their elderly parents (IV-3, IX-10), mothers are ready to sacrifice for the sake of children (III-6, Vb-1, etc.); wives give wise advice to their husbands (IX-11), beauties compose poems and exhort excessively passionate men with them (Vb-2). As for adultery, stupidity, greed, and other vices, they are equally common to women and men. So to speak of a particular female depravity is to show a one-sided "partiality" of henshu: which Muju warns against again and again.

That a woman can achieve the ultimate goal of asceticism, Muju, like other Japanese authors, speaks mainly in two cases: when discussing the path of universal salvation indicated by Shakamuni Buddha in the Lotus Sutra, and the path of rebirth in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha. The two main examples here are the Daughter of the Dragon King and Queen Vaidehi (see the translation and notes to it). The very "Buddha nature" that a person carries within himself and cultivates so that one day it will be revealed is often called the "Buddha embryo", and then all asceticism can be described as pregnancy, taking as a model that very" impure "female body (as in the"Sutra about Queen Srimala" 10). Muju in The Mirror of Wives perhaps ironically refers to this image, showing that the teaching about the "bud of the Buddha" is also relative (the story of a woman who invented that the Buddha was her lover and she was pregnant with him).

If there is any misogyny in The Mirror of Wives, then this book should be called "anti-clerical" to a much greater extent, because Muju tells much more about bad monks here than about women. In my opinion, he also acts as a "rite mentor", quito: si. He examines questions that are important for such a mentor, including whether people can help another person with prayers and rituals to be reborn in a Pure Land,or whether it is necessary to pray yourself. Speaking of monks,

8 Here and below, "Buddha" with a lowercase letter is a general concept, and Buddha with a capital letter is Shakyamuni, the founder of the teaching.

9 She defiles the earth and water with her blood during menstruation and childbirth, and no domestic precautions protect her from this. In Japan, such arguments were associated with a special purification rite for women, developed in the" Blood Bowl Sutra "(, "Katsubon-kyo:" [Takemi Momoko, 1983]); however, it is unclear whether this rite was already known in the time of Muju.

, 10 jap. " Se:man-ge."[Taisho:..., vol. 12, N 353].

page 113
When performing rituals, Muju again tries to avoid biased one-sidedness. He says that lay people should not choose a monk to preach or perform a rite (for reasons of kinship, prestige, or otherwise).: it is more correct to turn to any monk if necessary and in his person seek refuge with the entire Buddhist community as a whole. At the same time, Muju points out that often monks only pretend to be ascetics, and they themselves seek glory and self-interest, and turning to such teachers does not benefit, but harms.

Of the Buddhist paths, Muju discusses four in detail in The Mirror of Wives: following the precepts, praying to Buddha Amida, "contemplation" and"the sacraments." In this way, it maintains a balance between the old schools and the new movements. As far as one can judge from the writings of Muju, the "sacraments", i.e. rites addressed to various Buddhas and gods and aimed at "benefit and profit in the local world", as well as the teachings about them developed in the Shingon and Tendai schools, formed the basis of Buddhism at that time: most lay people resorted to such rites, and most lay people resorted to them. the monks had to see them off. The return to the precepts of the Buddha was the most influential of the renewal movements in the old schools (it was represented by Mee, Eizon, and other famous monks of the Kamakura era). Radical Amidaism and Zen Muju in The Mirror of Wives do not discuss, but show both prayers to Amida and "contemplation" as ways that are already well known to the Japanese and do not necessarily exclude other types of asceticism. As a mentor, Muju offers his disciples and female disciples, both those who lead an ordinary worldly life and those who are monks in the world, a wide range of ways to walk the Path of the Buddha and shows that in the impermanent world you can always find the right means for liberation.

MIRROR OF WIVES (TSUMA KAGAMI)1

Muju Ichien

It is difficult to be reborn in a human body 2. Now we have been born as human beings - but although we see with our own eyes the painful impermanence of birth and death, we are not horrified in our hearts, and therefore we are almost like trees or stones. It is difficult to meet the Buddha's teaching. We have now encountered it , but although it touches our ears, we do not master it, and therefore we are almost like animals dressed in human skin. We do not know ourselves; we wander in the midst of thoughts with our thoughts.3 So the drunken themselves do not know that they are drunk, and laugh at those who are not drunk; 4 Those who sleep in the long night do not know in their dreams that they are dreaming, and they are delirious in their sleep, 5 and so are we. We were raised, and we will eventually melt with the dew in the North Cemetery; 6 we were raised, and we will needlessly disperse with the smoke of the campfire over the Eastern Hills.7
For the sake of our present body, we cut off the lives of living beings and taste their meat, foolishly wishing for wealth, inventing tricks to get clothes and food. Such wealth is like sweet poison. Intoxicated by it, we do not follow the Path of the Buddha. The sweet dewdrop of the present age will become a red-hot iron ball in the next life, 8-so it is said. Stupid! In order to feed the present body, which we only have for a day, we destroy our own bodies and hearts in many births, in endless centuries! So the celestials and immortals wring their hands in shame for us, and the Buddhas and gods grieve for us, burning in their hearts. The happy people who have been rewarded in heaven enjoy their joy and do not have bitter thoughts about dirty lands, while the unfortunate ones who have walked in bad ways and who have been rewarded with grief on the three roads 9 are tormented by suffering and forget about the search for the Buddha's Path.

The boundary between suffering and joy, the gap between good and evil, is life in the human world. To find such a life is as rare as little land can fit under your fingernail. And the cycle on other, bad paths is as long as the whole great earth is vast-so it is said 10. Throughout our lives, our thoughts follow only the bad and neglect the good, and the consequences of bad deeds alone accumulate inside our hearts. By greed, we create a reason for ourselves to be born into the world of hungry spirits, and therefore, when the present body is destroyed, the greedy person appears in the body of a hungry spirit. With anger, we create a reason to be born in the future.

page 114
so when a man dies, his wrath becomes a hellfire and burns him up. By foolishness we create a cause for rebirth as an animal, and in the next life the fool takes on the form of an animal and suffers when he is tortured and killed. Those who started quarrels, loved war, fell into the path of the demons of sura 11 and endured constant torment. Those who have occasionally kept the five commandments 12 will be reborn again in the human world, but those who are stingy in the present life will be born poor, the arrogant will be born despicable, the slanderers and detractors will be rewarded with muteness, the unbelievers with blindness and deafness, and those who break the commandments will receive bodies whose fundamental properties 13 all are flawed. And for those who strictly observed the commandments, all six basic properties will be perfect. Those who do not forget to give alms to the poor will be born into a rich family; those who remember to respect people will be born noble; those who are compassionate will be born long-lived; those who are patient will be born healthy. And those who are used to killing the living will have a short life and many diseases. Those who have had the two virtues of being faithful to the commandments and steadfast in contemplation will be rewarded in heaven, but those who have previously been strong in their delusions and passions, those who are in heaven, when their heavenly joy is exhausted, will experience suffering, show the five signs of decline, 14 and may eventually descend into the dungeons of the underworld. There is such a comparison: an arrow is shot into the sky and flies, but when the power given to it by the bowstring is exhausted, it will fall back to the ground.

All those people who are good in the world, who take care of their father and mother, build pagodas, and strengthen their good roots with all their merits, 15 get a good birth in the human world or in heaven, and at least for a while live in joy. But this is one thing, and quite another - true asceticism, which is rewarded with the fruit of the Buddha, enlightenment. Yet those people do not suffer, do not fall into bad paths, but instead are born in good places, and can approach and relate to the Law of the Buddha. 16 What is called asceticism for enlightenment will be discussed below.

Who gets the best fruits of reward and who gets the worst depends on who kept the commandments in a previous life. In the present life, all people lament that they have been grievously rewarded for their former deeds, but they do not plant seeds from which good fruits can grow in the Hereafter. A person is called intelligent if he supports his own life, helps other people, cares about the present life, cares about the future life, honors his former fathers and mothers, wherever they are reborn now, and pays for the favors received in each of the past births.17 And of course, a person who cultivates the good, the family thrives, and the one who nurtures the bad, the gate collapses 18. When you do not commit sins-what is there to grieve about?

Good people sometimes give all their possessions for the funeral rites for their father and mother, or for their mentor, or for their master, take care of the commemoration of their elders, accumulate merits, and at the same time one - seventh of the merit goes to the benefit of the deceased, and six-sevenths-to the benefit of the person who does this. But others think that after our death there will be children and grandchildren, so they should take care of our future birth, and they do not follow the Law of the Buddha. Not to seek the Path of the Buddha is utter stupidity! It also happens that people zealously fulfill the duty of caring for their elders, but at the same time they either want fame and try to please people's rumor, or they neglect nearby monks and call for distant ones, reject outsiders and choose those with whom they are connected, reject strangers and prefer relatives. This is contrary to the impartial and equal charity of the Buddhas, and is therefore called a "special invitation": it is not just a lack of merit, but, on the contrary, it turns out to be a sin, as it is said 20.

And some people, who are happy because of the deeds of their ancestors, sometimes take refuge in the monastic community, 21 order a recitation-a recitation of the wonderful writings of the eight scrolls of the Flower of Law Sutra, 22 or, having distributed the reciters by hour, arrange a continuous prayer to the Buddha Amida, 23 and truly, this gives excellent merit.

page 115
Therefore, such a connection is not insignificant, and in the future these people will be rewarded with worldly happiness and will have such a connection with the Law of the Buddha that it will not be interrupted for a long time-there is no doubt!

In addition, in the spirits of the dead 24-father, mother, teacher, master-when we have the determination to help them, grave sins turn to light ones, a bad birth becomes a good birth. A person can acquire such merits in order to achieve this, but it does not happen that both the benefactor and the spirit of the deceased find a direct path to rebirth in a Pure Land.

Here's the reason. As stated, all living beings are Buddha-like, and each person has a seed from which to grow a Buddha fruit. People who understand the True words 25 understand and reveal the Buddha nature within their own heart, and in reality they reach the point where they become a Buddha in their current body 26. And the many people who read and recite the Flower of Law Sutra are more likely to advance to the point where the six root abilities are pure and the miraculous powers freely manifest. 27 By performing the five kinds of activities, these people achieve success, the fullness of perfection that the Buddhas possess; as a result, these people enter the path of the Buddhas. All the Buddhas of the three times who have come their own way, 29 who are in the ten directions, 30 have fully understood and revealed the Buddha nature, and have made their heart a lotus platform for it.31 People who have not achieved such enlightenment can get on the chariot of the Original Amida Buddha Vow 32 and be reborn in the Pure Land, receiving their share of benefits when their flower opens , and already there think about how to achieve enlightenment. In the people named here, who have "received their share of the benefits of opening the flower," their lotus heart, their beginningless, primordial nature is revealed by the unfathomable power of the Original Vow, by the recitation of the name and the power of the Other. 33 And if this is so, then our own prayer - remembering the Buddha-leads to our own rebirth and not to the rebirth of another person. It should not be assumed that recitation-recitation and prayer-remembrance can directly lead to the reciter himself and those who are targeted by his determination - father, mother, teacher, master, and others - being reborn in the Pure Land and becoming Buddhas. However, if a person has a deep determination to send good after the dead 35, thanks to it, heavy sins turn into light ones, deeds bring happiness, and help the deceased to find a good birth. And yet, in some cases, they float out, and in others they sink. After all, the deceased's own actions, which involve them in the cycle, are not exhausted by this.

<...>

Fools say: "Behold, a man is called a wise man, and yet his insides are restless, and his thoughts have a craving for wealth. When it's cold, it looks for clothes, when it's hungry, it wants food. He has a heart full of greedy desires, just like a worldly fool." There are two kinds of sages. For some, the main thing is glory and profit, from the very beginning they have no thoughts about the Path. For the sake of prosperity in the present life alone, they fool the crowd of fools and madmen - lay people left at home 36; to quench their thirst for profit, they study the Law of the Buddha, recite difficult books by heart, and receive the glory of the wise. Leading an impure preaching of the Law, they desire offerings, flatter the laity, pray for a happy reward for themselves, perform difficult tasks, painful tasks, appeal to the main revered, live alone in forest abodes 37, appear in the guise of wise, kind, holy people. But their actions are inwardly dirty, empty, temporary, untrue, and their thoughts are originally and by nature full of strong desires, so they are inwardly restless, desire wealth, and are even more stupid than the worldly fools. They taint the pure Law of the Buddha with worldly impurity, and therefore they are even worse than fools.

The latter are originally and by nature moderate, their mercy is deep; these people remember the Path and care about one great work of life and death, 38 they follow the Path

page 116
Buddhas, seeking wise friends, following the teachings of the Buddha, observing the precepts of the Buddha, and therefore it does not happen that they harm themselves, harm others, harm their present life, harm the future age. Such are the hundred transformations of a wise friend: he is angry when crowds of the worst people do as they please, follow the calls of false passions, succumb to demoniac tricks, pile one act on top of another, add evil to evil. The wise man grieves for them and uses a trick to stop them, trying to warn them. The Buddha himself takes on a formidable appearance, puts on armor, like the celestials-from the Bright sovereigns 39 to the gods from the outer circle of the mandala 40, is armed with a bow and arrow and appears in angry guises.

As for the sage's wealth, initially none of the things has its own nature, so he does not have deep desires in his heart. However, he collects things without becoming attached to them, propagates the Law of the Buddha, maintains his life, takes care of the bodies of the Buddhas 41-and for this purpose temporarily collects property. To foolish people, in this he is equal to a layman, but in the wise thoughts of a sage, all this turns out to be useful - the transformation of others - and there is nothing here but the works of the Buddha. Some mentors demand strictly, others give indulgences, but all these are tricks of the Great Saint 42. Such should be those who know the line between wisdom and folly.

Let's compare: a certain person came to the shore of a deep abyss. Three people are standing over the cliff. One of them was told: "Jump down!"He did not hesitate to jump, sank into the water and lost his life. He is like a child or a drunkard, like a madman or a fool. He does not distinguish between "yes" and "no", is confused in the causes and consequences. He does not know that the water is deep, does not understand that he will drown. We fools are like him. When we meet bad friends, we do bad things, commit sins, and give in to sins, we lose our lives; or we desire riches, and in the Hereafter we fall into bad ways, like one who does not know how to swim out. Another person was told:"Jump!" "and he didn't jump." Such a person is well aware of the guiding principles of the world, knows the basics of getting out of the world, understands that if he jumps into the abyss, he will certainly perish, and if he does bad deeds, he will certainly descend to bad paths. He knows the saying: avoid the bad and practice the good 43, he understands the words: cut off desires and bear witness to the ground 44. These people clearly see what passes before the eyes of fools, and the laity appreciate them. And the third person was told:"Jump!" and he leaped at once, and was as free in the water as a water bird, like Fuso's fire mouse in the flames. Even though he had fallen into the water, it was as if he had stayed on dry land. And when he was on land, it was like being in water. Such is the heart of a wise man. He does not care at all about such two things as good and evil, he does not care whether the water in the great sea is clean or dirty. He is like those who do not suffer from the impurity of the great earth. In the midst of all impurity, out of stupidity and folly, he creates the First Meaning of 46. The ancients said: "The sin committed by a sage is like an iron pot. Although heavy, it doesn't sink. The sin committed by a fool is like a pebble: it sinks, even though it is small. " 47
The Empress Matsuri, the mother of Gida, 48 violated only one commandment: not to get drunk; Vasyumitta, 49 was profligate, but performed ascetic acts of Bona, 50 if they were not both wise, their actions could not be understood. Shakamuni, who came his own way, the only one worshipped in the three worlds, was a Buddha forever, and yet he had three sons by three wives, these are the monks-biku Ubama, Ragora and Good Star 51. But we cannot say that the Buddha was impure. Prince Shotoku 52 was the footprint of the Hearkener of Sounds, the Savior of the World 53, who appeared in a transformed body in our country to spread the Law of the Buddha. And at the same time, he had five children. In addition, he destroyed Moriah 54, committed the sin of killing a living person, but it cannot be said that the prince was lawless. Their actions are all great asceticism of Bodhisattvas, merits that bear the fruit of the Buddha, designed as tricks for the benefit of the living. The sages say: deeds are liberation 55, they comprehend and reveal the rule that is good

page 117
and evil is not two; they understand the basis that delusion and enlightenment have the same essence, and therefore they say that every color and every smell are on the Middle Path 56. Everything, even nonsense, crazy words, flowery reasoning 57, can become a condition for turning the wheel of Law. In general, Buddhas both benefit the living with good and evil - their actions are clear and do not have the properties of evil - but for the ordinary person, yes and no are dark, he gets confused even in those things that are in front of his eyes.

The deeds of a fool are clear to all people. And the deeds of a sage cannot be understood without being a sage. In ancient times, two monks lived in the Southern Capital: Tiko and Raiko 59. They swore an oath worth more than gold, and their friendship was as fragrant as an orchid, and so they passed their lives. For many years, Tiko did difficult things, painful things, constantly sat up and did not lie down, prayed in memory of the Buddha, read sutras, made offerings to Buddhas, burned incense, and did not waste a moment. And Raiko did not care about reading the sutras or worshipping the Buddhas, lying on the bed, sleeping day and night, sitting on the bed, doing nothing all his life. However, it is difficult to avoid a pattern: all living things inevitably die, and Raiko, breaking a friendly oath, died first. Tiko grieved for him, because Raiko had been lazy all his life, had not succeeded in asceticism - what bad path had he fallen on and what suffering was he suffering? Tico prayed to the gods and Buddhas to find out where his friend was reborn. He prayed and mourned, and one night in a dream Raiko appeared to him and said:

"I have spent my whole life contemplating and understanding the true nature of things, and because of this, I finally gained the witness of enlightenment, the fruit of the Buddha. It is in vain that you have spent your entire life in asceticism with qualities, but you have not witnessed the unconditioned fruit of the Buddha, and you have not exhausted the fruits of retribution in the world of birth and death.

So he said, and Tico woke up. From then on, Tiko also entered the gate of unqualified contemplation and also testified to enlightenment.

Taite 61 was a disciple of the Great Teacher Kobo, who gave him an amazing nickname: "the recumbent ascetic". He was like Raiko.

The frivolous words of people in the world also say: a wise man's dream is better than tens of thousands of fool's deeds. The meaning must be the same. Let's say that someone doesn't waste a single moment in all the twelve guards. By prayer and recitation of sutras, he gains merit, by offering flowers and burning incense, multiplies offerings, or fulfills the rules of asceticism of the three sacraments 63, exercises, observing the three terms 64. But if at the same time he does not understand that the difference between himself and other people is empty, if he turns his affairs to his own benefit, then his asceticism it has properties, which means that it gives no other merits than worldly ones that have properties. And although the fame of such an ascetic is spread far and near, his virtues are clearly visible to both the noble and the simple, but not that he necessarily testifies to enlightenment, the fruit of the Buddha. In the eyes of the foolish and insane laity, an ascetic who is outstanding for his deeds, famous for his virtues, is as valuable and venerable as a Buddha, but his virtues do not necessarily determine whether he can move away from birth and death, or attain enlightenment.

This also does not always depend on a wise understanding and clear understanding. Although Tedatsu 65 recited eighty thousand teachings, he did not escape hellfire and the three bad roads. The holy sage of the Shiga Temple, although he gained merit through the asceticism of the three sacraments, became a green - skinned demon due to a darkening of his thoughts that lasted only for a moment, 66 say. Even if a person accumulates ascetic deeds, feeds on them, learns them, even if his strength and virtue are extreme - but if his heart is dark and not in proportion to the original share of life, not in proportion to his own nature, then he does not receive the fruit of the Buddha. Because he performs ascetic activities, he no longer moves in the six paths. He rises above the crowd of fools and madmen, and because of this, he gradually increases his arrogant thoughts, and in the end he becomes a fool.

page 118
can descend to the path of demons. However, the connection with the Law of the Buddha is not in vain, and then, after suffering for a long time on the demon path, he eventually ascends to the Path of the Buddha - so they say.

It is easy for a wise man to observe and break the commandments, and it is difficult to understand where the sin is and where the good is. It's hard to measure his thoughts! But the monks are fools, a crowd whose minds are clouded: these people somehow shave off their hair, put on dark clothes, and for this they are conventionally called "monks". However, they do not observe any of the rules of the regulations of the Great and Small Chariots. Of the two doctrines, conditional and true, not a single school is studied 68. The thoughts of worldly desires and passions of these monks are exactly the same as those of the lay people who stayed at home, their debauchery and unbelief are even worse than those of the Sendai outcasts. 69 Such monks turn to the gods and Buddhas, accept people when they seek refuge, and willingly accept gifts offered with faith, like a fool who tried to stab himself with a sword point in the ground, or summer midges when they are attracted by bright light and fly to the fire.

These people study monasticism, do not serve the master and do not repay the favor of the sovereign, they are busy studying asceticism, but do not perform ascetic acts. They lack merit either for internal witness or external application. So they are neither monks nor laymen. In the present birth, they spend their whole life seeking offerings from the laity, fooling stupid people, and nothing more; in the next birth, they descend into bad paths and suffer misery. These people are like shooters who take aim at the great land 70. Those who accept gifts offered to the light gods are likely to be reborn as serpents. And those who accept the gifts offered to the Three Treasures 71 will certainly descend into the path of animals.

One person said: it was during the time of the abdicated sovereign Sanuki-no ina. The venerable Shogetsu, which means Bright Moon, was a worthy monk. He was sophisticated in wisdom and excellent in ascetic services, and neither in the Southern Capital nor in the Northern City could any of the monks compare with him. He became the mentor of the abdicated sovereign and passed on his good influence to the cities and villages. But such is the custom: all that is born is sure to perish; death does not distinguish between the wise and the foolish. The Venerable One fell seriously ill and eventually went to other worlds.

Three or four years passed. Then one night this monk appeared in a dream to the abdicated sovereign and said:

"I'll come to you tomorrow. Please be merciful to me, the insignificant one. The emperor was very much surprised and answered:

"I've relied on you as a teacher from the very beginning, you've always been nice to me, and that's never going to change.

Strange! - thought the sovereign, waiting for the dawn. And in the morning, a white horse, well-fed and stately, was brought from the land of Mutsu 74. The emperor remembered his dream and thought: this world is incomprehensible! And then he asked: what is the horse's name?

"The horse's name is Terutsuki, Bright Moon 75," they answered respectfully.

But Terutsuki is written in the same characters as the name Shogetsu! The master said: I will arrive tomorrow, it turns out that this is him, - the emperor thought with sadness and ordered to take care of the horse especially carefully.

This is out of proportion to our own nature. Monks with a darkened heart because of their sinful deeds, because of the vain acceptance of gifts offered with faith, eventually go to the path of animals. Here is one of the evidences of this.

And another man said: already at the time when the lords of the Sagami land began to rule in the lands east of Outpost 76, the nobles of the Mutsu land gathered at the headquarters, and one of them said:

"These days, Mutsu no longer brings the ruler such fine horses as in the old days. Why?

page 119
He was answered:

"That's right. There must be no decent monks in the Middle Kingdom right now, that's why.

The man who answered remembered the words: worthy monks, if they do not have wisdom and do not follow the Path, will certainly be reborn with good horses. Often, when such people become monks and accumulate merits in the human world, they take every possible care of their fellow members of the church, of their families, 78 feed and educate them, and this is their partial charity. They don't have equal mercy for everyone without distinction, and yet they care about their loved ones, so they say. Therefore, they have little wisdom, remain stupid and stupid, do not achieve enlightenment, the fruit of the Buddha, give shelter to people in vain, seek gifts from believers, and therefore descend on the path of animals. But because of their own merits - after all, they have mercifully taken care of some people, fed and raised them-such monks become oxen that their masters carefully feed, or horses for a gift to their master, and then they are also fed to their heart's content. This is an unavoidable pattern. Clearly, there's no doubt about that. After understanding these guiding principles, people who have a heart should be careful!

Here is another recent case, it was about twenty years ago. In the land of Ettu 80, a monk named Timebo 81 lived in a temple called Shinheiji. He was greedy for offerings, concerned about how to live out his life here. One day, he gathered a large community of lay donors and led them on a pilgrimage to meditate on the top of Mount Tateyama. On the way, you had to climb a cliff, holding on to an iron chain. When the pilgrims got up and looked around, they saw that their guide, Timebo, who was walking ahead in a white katabir jacket and dark cloak, had turned into a bull, looking down and rushing around as if he was lost. The laity were taken aback: what nonsense is this? They called the monk's name in a few voices, but he only bellowed like a bull, and then disappeared altogether.

The pilgrims still visited the oratory on Tateyama and set off on their way back.

"That's where we lost our monk!" they spoke with sadness and pity. And when Timebo's name was called again, he came up out of the valley in the shape of a piebald bull, lowed again, and then walked away and was lost to sight.

Another person said that in the land of Sanuka there lived a monk who had neither wisdom nor thoughts about the Path. One day he was sitting by the fire with a monk disciple, and he fell asleep, bowed his head, and bit the edge of the Sanuk mat two or three times.82 The disciple sitting across from him thought: this is weird! And he asked:

"What did you dream while you were sleeping?"

"Here's what," the teacher said. "I think I was walking along a road, and I tasted the grass that grew there, and it was surprisingly good. I wanted to grab two or three more bunches, but I woke up.

This is further evidence of how in the present body people descend on the path of animals. If, although it is rare, it happens to experience this in the present body, then in the future life it will happen-there is no doubt!

<...>

If we look back on our past, on the cycle of many interminable centuries, which of the fruits of retribution in the three worlds on the six paths have we not already reaped? We have lived in heaven for a long time, and have been gods, Taishaku, Bon, and the Spinner of the Wheel of Law 83, and how many times have we been burned down in the flames of hell! We were birds and flew in the sky, we were fish and swam in the water, we were mountain deer and field worms, we lived on three levels of existence 84 and were born in four ways 85, we were rich and we were poor. All of us have had obstacles that have kept us off the Path, which are also images of the conditioned, and so all those lives have been difficult.

page 120
they were like a one-night stand for a wanderer, like the trifling games of small children.

<...> Why are we drawn to the already familiar cramped dwelling and not looking for a high destiny, the fruit of the Buddha, which is still unknown to us? Suppose we were in the place of the sovereigns: what good would it do us? For that lotus, where a crowd of saints takes a person, coming at the hour of death, it does not matter if the person lived behind the doors of the vine 86. Indeed, it is not the custom on the Dark Road to decide who is king and who is servant.87 There they are not ashamed to torment the weak, nor are they afraid of the strong. Infernal guardians, whose image is angry, torment the person and sentence: he who has not committed evil deeds will not suffer any suffering. Because of our own sins, we suffer, and so do all living beings, so it is said.

One person said, " Can't you scream even if you don't want to?" Such are the courts of torment of the bull-headed torturers of hell 88. Can't you smile even if you don't want to? These are the vine doors where the crowd of saints comes. Let's say there is a ruler of a certain land. But if you compare him with the sovereign of an entire great country, he is like a servant before a master. And if someone has obtained the fruit of retribution by becoming a Wheel Spinner, Bon, or Taishaku, still compared to the levels of equal enlightenment and miraculous enlightenment, they are like dirt under the clouds.

Consider the length of human life in comparison with the life of the celestials in the higher worlds: it is even shorter than the life of insects called mayflies, which are born in the morning and do not live to see the evening. Our insignificant body is inferior even to that of an ant, even to that of a frog. To love such a human body, to remain attached to the human world, not to seek the peace and joy of a Pure land, is to be like an insect that eats bitter grass and does not know what sweetness is. Joy and suffering are separated from each other only for a single moment of thought, and therefore they are like yesterday's dreams.90 The moonlight is fading easily, the sun is sinking, and we don't realize that we are approaching the answer in a world of impermanence. Some crowd the city, others hide among the rocks - but no one escapes the pattern: all life is bound to die. Those who have learned the wondrous art of the immortals-climbing into the clouds, hiding in pots - still belong to the life-loving breed and still lose their lives.91 Truly, whether the dew on the branches or the moisture near the roots will dry up first, whether the old man or the young man will die first, who will follow whom as a guide, is not determined in advance. It's just the way it is: the wise die, and the fools don't stay in this world. This is the law of the conditioned, the impermanent, and if you pretend to know all this, why aren't you afraid?

The impermanence of life and death is this: we are used to living as we please, and it is rare for anyone to be born again in the human world after death. Those who grow old will not grow young again; storerooms may be full of supplies, caskets may be full of jewels, but life cannot be bought, and there is no one to bribe for forgiveness of deeds. The art of the immortal Drum ancestor 92, the divine skill of the sages of the Southern District 93, remain within the limits of the conditioned in vain, the miraculous longevity of the Body of Law is unattainable for them. After living for a thousand years, the pine tree eventually rots. Do not be proud of your flowering, one-day, like a bindweed!

Rakuten 94 says:

An old grave. A man of what age is buried here?
Its nickname is unknown, it was transformed and became the earth.
What is the beauty of Seishi 95 now?
Spring wind among a hundred herbs...

You fools! Although we hear the evening bell, we are not afraid of the voice of impermanence. Today, the day has gone dark again, and all for nothing, we have not progressed on the Path of the Buddha,

page 121
they did not take care of the reserve for the future life. As a result, for the sake of our present life, for the sake of one present birth, until our existence ends, we adapt to our age, take care of our body, and do not grieve that we accumulate deeds that involve us in the cycle. And at dawn, the voices of birds do not frighten us. So another night ended in vain, and we did not accumulate merit by remembering the Buddha, reading the sutras, or taking time for sitting contemplation and exercise. We have followed others in worldly pursuits and exhausted our hearts with glory and profit , but we do not grieve for this. We hear the sound of a drum striking the clock, the rays of the sun and moon soon replace each other, we move forward without looking back, and we ourselves grow old. People do not understand the basis of impermanence, do not correct the hearts whose impulses are false. In every moment thoughts are impermanent, no thing has its own nature 96. The one whose eyes are clear, sees the whole period from birth to death, understands what the words mean: from birth to death-one moment. And when he sees through his heart to the finer points, then in his thoughts, going through thought after thought, and in his deeds, sorting out case after case, he will not be able to name a single thing that does not return to impermanence. Ten thousand things are all born according to dependence and destroyed according to dependence. What has a beginning has an end. Every moment of thought has a beginning and an end. Where can thoughts that are at least somewhat constant come from?

In ancient times, a man called the Northern Elder lived in the state of To. He understood the impermanence of the world, and therefore did not think about serving the sovereign, about striving for glory and profit; looking back on himself, he also did not think about increasing wealth. He settled to the north of the capital, made a home for himself by weaving a hut made of vine, wore clothes made of hemp and so protected himself from the cold, gathered herbs, plucked fruits and so satisfied his hunger. So he spent his days and nights, years and months. When he saw something happy, he smiled a little; when he heard something sad, he smiled a little. This is because he well understood the law of impermanence: both joys and sorrows are not eternal, and good and bad-everything passes like a dream. Today's people call such a slight smile "Hokuso grin" and must be referring to the Northern Elder. Thus the monk-emperor Gotoba-in lamented his exile to the island of Oki in the highest song.:

Itsu-something naku Suddenly
Kita no okina-ga to the Northern Elder
I became like Gotoku seba,
Kono kotowari-I'm The Reason for this
Wash irenama I ponder and grieve

All actions are subject to the law of causes and consequences, the law of retribution for deeds inherited from previous lives, and therefore there is no need to grieve inconsolably or rejoice too much. These are the guiding principles of the inevitability of consequences: good and bad fruits are necessarily born from causes, good and bad. These two - good and bad - together constitute acts that involve in the cycle of rebirth, they inevitably have consequences, and they are rewarded in proportion. And if you achieve worldly goods, you will be rewarded with worldly happiness, and if you perform asceticism according to the Law of the Buddha, you will achieve enlightenment, the fruit of the Buddha. They say: small causes - big consequences. One act, whether good or bad, can produce many good or bad fruits. So a grass or tree grows from one tiny seed, and bears hundreds and thousands of fruits.

So, ordinary people are all stupid, but among them the sins of women are more severe - this is often said in the holy teaching. There are many such instructions, and there is no time to recount them in detail here. Charter teacher Nanzan Dosen 99 says: "Basically, women commit seven types of sins. First, they develop a love interest for men,

page 122
insatiable as the sea, which swallows ten thousand rivers and is never satiated. Second, observing women in the family, you can see that their jealous thoughts never stop. In words, they are kind to each other, but in their hearts there is hostility. They don't care about others, they only think about their own affairs. Third, because of their deceitfully amiable thoughts, when they meet other people, they smile in advance, while they have not yet said anything. In words, they seem to agree with the other person, but in their hearts they hide angry and hostile thoughts. They lean towards us with their bodies, but turn away with their thoughts, and this is called false courtesy. Fourth: they are lazy, think about how to dress in several layers of good dresses, take care of their appearance, and want others to remember them with love. Greed is deep in their hearts, and they do not distinguish between near and far. Fifth: they rarely speak the truth, but mostly lie. They often swear to do harm to people and are not afraid to multiply their sins. Sixth: burning in the fire of desire, they are not ashamed in front of people. Wandering with their hearts, they are not afraid of swords and sticks. Like drunks, they know no shame. Seventh: Their body is constantly impure, often it oozes blood. Pregnancy and childbirth are unclean, menstruation and afterbirth are unclean, and seeing this, evil demons compete for women, but good deities avoid them, stupid people love them, and they are disgusting to the wise."

In ancient times, when the Buddha was in this world, there was a woman named Senjia 100. From the very beginning, she belonged to a family of followers of the outer path, and her heart was deeply envious of the Buddha. And one day she said: I will disgrace the Buddha! I tied a rope around the pot, hung it around my neck so that it hung at the level of my stomach, and covered it with clothes. I went to the place where the Buddha preached the Law, made my way through the crowd of bodhisattvas, listeners to the voice of the Buddha, people and gods, as thick as a thicket of rice or hemp, bamboo or reeds, stood in front of the Buddha, slapped my stomach and shouted in a loud voice:

"Look at this! I'm pregnant with Buddha's child!

She swore that if she gave birth, it would disgrace the Buddha. A disciple of the Buddha, the first in miracles, revered Mokuren 101, seeing this, turned into a mouse, chewed the rope, and the pot fell in front of the Buddha. The woman's belly was scorched, and the Buddha was not shamed, but Senja herself was so ashamed that she turned pale.

There was also a woman in India named Ennyadatta 102. Her heart was extremely restless and frantic, like a monkey's. One day she picked up a mirror to look in, but she was too busy to see the reflection of her face-and screamed:

"I lost my head! What should I do?!

She called to heaven, called to the earth, lamented and suffered, but she only had more crazy thoughts, and she could not see her head. All sentient beings are originally Buddha-like and have never lost it, but it is obscured from us by a thick fog of false thoughts, and we cannot see the moon, the nature of our heart; so we think of ourselves as constantly darkened, unenlightened people. Although Ennyadatta did not lose her head at all, her heart was troubled, the mirror of her heart was clouded, this was the "loss of her head".

It is said that in the country of Sintan, disasters for the entire power began because of three women.103 In our country, too, the sovereign monk 104 started a riot because of female incitement and eventually ended up in exile. But even though it happens, there are many women who have deep compassion, who have thoughts about the Path. The Contemplative Sutra begins with the story of Queen Idai, 105 and the Flower of Law Sutra tells how the dragon King's daughter became a Buddha in an incomprehensible way. 106 If you understand that the sins of women are heavy, you will be able to control your thoughts, give up the desire for fame and self-interest in a world like a one-night dream, and turn to asceticism according to the Law of the Buddha, which saves us from life to life, from age to age.

page 123
In the course of a lifetime, we move forward in the bad and move away from the good, only these are our thoughts. It is as if we are entering from the darkness into greater darkness, from the depths we are sinking into the depths, only these are our deeds. Acts are like scales: they are drawn in the direction where it is heavier. Let's say here are the bad and good deeds that a person has done in his entire life, or good and evil deeds in a year, in a month, in a day, in an hour. If they are compared and it turns out that the bad outweighs, then a person will descend into evil ways, and if he outweighs the good, he can get a good birth. All this is written on the tablets of the gods who accompany us all our lives, 107 indelibly, down to the smallest misdeeds. In Cessation and Comprehension 108, it is said: "Heaven knows our hidden sins; how can we not be ashamed of Heaven? People will know the sin if it is revealed. So we'll have to be ashamed of people, too." Let's say we haven't cut off anyone's life or appropriated other people's possessions, but there isn't one of our thoughts that isn't sinful. During each day and night, a person changes eight hundred and forty thousand times a thousand thoughts. As it is said, they are all acts that lead to three bad paths. At the same time, without doing evil directly, thinking about how to move forward in the good and move away from the bad, we can not keep such thoughts for a long time. One time we swim out and the other time we sink. If this is the case, with our hearts attuned to stop the evil and practice the good, we must establish ourselves in such activities this time, so that we can definitely distance ourselves from birth and death and bear witness to enlightenment.

<...>

People who follow the Path of the Buddha should never stop in the middle of the road, as if they have already found what they have not yet found, witnessed what they have not yet witnessed. The well bucket has a short rope, but you don't have to suspect that all the water from the well has already been bailed out. If you think of what you haven't achieved as what you've achieved, it's because of a lack of ability. In general, people all because of a swaggering heart do not master the Law of the Buddha, which must be mastered, do not learn the Holy Teaching, which must be learned, neglect teachers, despise other people and eventually become fools, mad blind people. And so, there is no worse enemy than swaggering thoughts, from which all our good deeds turn to nothing. <...>

I'm not afraid of future people's ridicule. Floating with the current, water grasses become coarse by themselves. I collect and write down words-leaves like floating grasses that have no place to take root, even if it turns out to be useless. But if you constantly check this record, you will see yourself in it as a person who has a heart, as a person who has thoughts about the Path. This means that this book should be called The Mirror of Wives.

This book is the work of Elder Muju Ichien of the Teboji Temple. I must say: it is good at everything and, moreover, beautifully written 109. Here lies the path to the transformation of a fool into a sage, the path of tricks for the benefit of the living.

comments

1 Translated from the publication [Kana hogoshu, 1964, p. 158-194].

2 Of the six worlds (the worlds of hell, hungry spirits, animals, demons, humans, and gods), rebirth in the human world is considered the most difficult, and it is also the best for following the Path of the Buddha and for liberation. This is stated in many texts of the Buddhist canon, including the Sutra of the Lines of the Law, Ho: ku-ke: [Taisho:..., vol. 4, N 210, 567a], also known as the Dhammapada. Translated by V. N. Toporov: "It is difficult to become a human being, the life of mortals is difficult, it is difficult to listen to the true dhamma, it is difficult to be born enlightened" (Dhammapada, 1960, p. 90).

3 "Sutra of the Lines of the Law", 563a; cf.: [Dhammapada, 1960, p. 64-65].

4 The comparison of living in a world of impermanence with intoxication is found in many Buddhist texts; Muju probably refers to Kukai's "Secret Key to the Heart Sutra of Prajnaparamita" (," Hannya singhe: hiken"): "Pitiable, oh pitiable children who sleep a long sleep! They are suffering, they are sick-intoxicated, mad people! The patient and

page 124
the insane laugh at those who are sober, the sleeping and delirious scoff at the awakened" [Trubnikova, 2000, p. 291].

5 A reference to the "Sutra on Contemplation of the Heart base "(, " Shinji kanke."[Taisho:..., vol. 3, N 159,303 s]).

6 , kit. Bei Man near Luoyang, a burial place for sovereigns and dignitaries.

7 , kit. Dong Tai, an area on the Shandong Peninsula that is famous for its spirit appearances.

nettetsugan, 8 one of the instruments of hellish torture, is mentioned in the "Sutra of Brahma's Nets" (, "Bomme: ke." [Taisho:..., vol. 24, N 1484, 1007c]). Sinners roll red-hot heavy balls and burn from their heat.

9 In the worlds of hell, hungry spirits and animals.

10 In the" Nirvana Sutra "(," Nehan-ge: "[Taisho:..., vol. 12, N 374, 809c]), the Buddha talks about how small the probability of being reborn as a person is, and explains his words by comparing: here is such a share (a grain of earth under the nail) - a human birth, and here is such (the rest of the earth) - births in other worlds.

11 Skt. asuras, warlike demons, constantly fighting among themselves.

The 12 Main precepts of the Buddha: prohibitions against killing, stealing, debauchery, taking intoxicants and lying.

13 The five senses and the mind.

14 are mentioned in the Abhidharmakosha ( , Kusaron [Taisho:..., vol. 29, N 1558, 56c] and in the Nirvana Sutra [Taisho:..., vol. 12, N 478b]). The clothes of the celestials become dirty, the flowers in their wreaths wither, their bodies begin to sweat, they smell bad, and the joy of life in the sky disappears. There is another list of five signs: the joy in the voice disappears, the radiance emanating from the body fades, the skin gets wet when bathing, the independence from external objects disappears, and the eye is clouded.

15 The makings of advancing the Buddha's Path to liberation.

, kathien -16 this connection allows you to meet the Buddha's teachings again in a future life and try to master them.

17 That is, he takes care of all living beings, because in the beginningless cycle of rebirth, each of them managed to visit his father or mother.

18 Reference to the ancient Chinese "Book of Changes" (," I-ching", Japanese" Eki-ke:"), section "Commentary on elegant utterances": "In the house where good is made, there will always be supplies for the holiday. In a house where evil accumulates, trouble will certainly happen." [I Ching..., 1998, p. 158].

19 Tj. "unbound," moeen. We may be talking about monks with whom these lay people have no connection (kinship, friendship), or maybe-about monks who generally avoid earthly ties, i.e. do not belong to any temple community, do not try to gather loyal parishioners around them.

, basse: 20 The monastic "Four-part Charter" (," Shibun-ritsu " [Taisho:..., vol. 22, N 1428, 657a]) states that monks should not encourage lay people to make such invitations: the correct invitation should not be addressed to a particular monk, but to any one, and accordingly offerings should not be given to any other person. to any of the monks individually, but to the entire community. In Japan, almost no one followed this rule.

21 To be a Buddhist is to" take refuge, " kime: with the Buddha, his Teachings, and the Community.

22 It is also the "Lotus Sutra", the full title is "The Lotus Flower Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma", " Me:ho: renge-kyo: "[Taisho:..., vol. 9, N 262]). In Japan, this sutra was especially widely revered (see: [Sutra on Innumerable Meanings..., 1998]).

23 Ceremony, fudan nembutsu, in which the monks, taking turns, say the words " Glory to Buddha Amida!" , Nomu Amida-butsu, so that the initiators of the rite or in general all living beings can be reborn in the Pure Land of Buddha Amida, the Buddhist "paradise".

24 Although Buddhist teaching denies the indestructible " soul, "Japanese Buddhist sources often refer to the" spirit, " rei, as that disembodied entity that passes from one birth to another.

, shingon, 25-mantras, verbal formulas that are attributed to miraculous power.

26 According to the Buddhist "secret teaching", a person in the present life can reveal his identity with the Buddha not only at the level of the heart, but also at the level of the body (Trubnikova, 2000).

27 , shinzu, aka "divine penetrations": abilities of clairvoyance, clairaudience, etc.

page 125
28 Alms, keeping the commandments, patience, moving towards the essence, contemplation ("ending ignorance and understanding the essence").

29 , nerai, skt. The Tathagata, the glorification of the Buddhas.

30 Four main and four intermediate cardinal directions, top and bottom.

31 The platforms on which the Buddhas sit (in the sutras and temple images) usually have the appearance of lotus flowers.

32 Amida's vow to save all who wish to be reborn in the Pure Land. This vow consists of forty-eight separate provisions, most often worshippers of Amida refer to the one that says: in the Pure Land, anyone will be reborn who "calls Amida by name", i.e., utters the words "Glory to Buddha Amida" (cf.above). The "chariot" here is an image for the vehicle that helps on the path to liberation.

33 , "Other power", here is the saving power of Buddha Amida.

34 , saying the words "Glory to Buddha Amida!".

35 That is, to accumulate merits by prayers, rituals, and good deeds, and then "convert" them and pass them on to the benefit of the dead.

36 Monks who are "out of the house" are contrasted with lay people who are " left at home."

37 , from Skt. aranya.

38 , the liberation case.

39 , me: o:, skt. vidyaraja, are revered as the guardians of the Buddhist rite.

40 Indian deities revered in Buddhism. Their images occupy the outer margins of mandalas, ritual paintings that represent the entire universe as a collection of Buddhas, bodhisattvas and other revered beings, arranged in a certain order.

41 That is, he makes statues or paintings of Buddhas and makes offerings to them, such as incense, flowers, etc.

42 That is, the Buddhas.

43 , shiaku shuzen. "To avoid evil "means to keep the commandments, and" to practice good " means to engage in contemplation and mercifully take care of all living beings.

, danvaku se: ri. 44 "To bear witness to the ground" means to reveal one's true ground, "the Buddha nature,"through asceticism.

45 , fuso:, kit. boo-shoo, a fabulous creature that lives in flames.

46 , daiitigi, the expression occurs in the Lotus Sutra and other texts: something taken "in the proper sense of the word", "as such", and hence "essence", "that which is truly".

47 The source of the quote is unknown.

48 , Japanese Matsuri, skt. Mallika, wife of King Prasenajit and mother of Prince Jeta, Japanese Guide, contemporary and admirer of the Buddha. According to legend, Mallika brought wine to her husband so that he would get drunk and forget about his evil intentions.

49 , skt. Vasumitra, a courtesan who turned her trade into a way of mercifully caring for men. Together with Mallika, it is mentioned in the work of the Chinese mentor Tien-tai Zhi-yi (, 538-597) "Mahayana cessation of ignorance and comprehension of the essence" ( , "Maka shikan", Chinese "Mo-he zhi-guan" [Taisho:..., vol. 46, N 1911, 17c]).

50 , bongyo:, skt. brahmacharya, here-acts in accordance with the precepts (all except the precept of chastity, although this is most often what is meant by brahmacharya). Buddhist teachers explain this expression as follows: pure deeds are called "Bon deeds" because they allow you to be reborn in heaven near the god Bon (skt. Brahma).

51 Biku, skt. bhikkhus, "beggar", "monk". The names of the Buddha's sons are Upavana, Rahula and Sunakshatra . Such names are given, for example, by the Chinese mentor Chi-tsang (549-623) in" Interpretation of the meaning of the Flower of the Law " (, kit. "Fahua yishou", Japanese "Hokke gise" [Taisho:..., vol. 34, N 1721, 451b]). More often there are references to one son of the Buddha Rahula.

52 Sho: Toku-taishi (574-621), revered as one of the founders of the Japanese state and as an exemplary lay Buddhist. In the thirteenth century, teachers of new Buddhist movements such as Zen and radical Amidaism traced their traditions back to Prince Shotoku (Lee, 2007).

53 Guse Kannon, Avalokiteshvara bodhisattva.

54 Mononobe no Moriya, d. 587. In the first decades of the spread of Buddhism in Japan, Moriya was one of the main opponents; so says the Annals of Japan ( ,

page 126
Nihon Seki, 720) and other sources. According to various versions, Shotoku-taishi either killed Moriya himself, or prayed for victory over him.

, ge: soku gadatsu. This is one of the formulas that indicates that things that seem to be opposite actually assume each other. Deeds, karma, and liberation are as unthinkable without each other as the cycle of rebirth and nirvana, delusion and enlightenment, good and evil, etc.

56 Reference to the " Mahayana cessation of ignorance and comprehension of the essence "[Taisho:..., vol. 46, N 1c]: "Any object created by thought cannot but be middle, true-real. < ... > There are no colors, no smells that do not stay on the middle path. This is our world, the world of the Buddhas, and all the worlds of living beings. All the aggregates of the perceived, all the senses are as they are, and there is no suffering to be overcome. The agitation of the motes of ignorance is enlightenment, and there is no cause of suffering that needs to be stopped. Extremes and false views are middle ground, true, and there is no path to follow. Birth and death are nirvana, and there is no annihilation of suffering to bear witness to. < ... > Outside of the true quality, there are no things separate from it."

57 , Chinese kuan yan qi yu, Japanese ke: geng kigo, an expression of the Chinese poet Bo Ju-yi (772-846), which became in Japanese Buddhist texts a designation of secular literature in contrast to Buddhist. Muju Ichien discusses this concept in The Collection of Sand and Stones (Va-11, Vb-9).

, muso:, 58 do not have characteristics that can be defined and that correspondingly allow for their opposite: these actions cannot be called good as opposed to evil, wise as opposed to stupid, and so on.

59 The southern capital is Nara, the capital of Japan in the eighth century. Monks Chiko: and Raiko:, who lived in the seventh century, are mentioned in several collections of setsuwa stories, starting with "Japanese Legends of Miracles" (, "Nihon ryo. iki", turn of the eighth-ninth centuries, story II-7), where Tiko appears as an envious person who offended the righteous monk Geki. In " Notes on Rebirth in the Land of Supreme Joy "("O. jo: Gokurakki", late X century, story 11), two monk friends, Chiko and Raiko, are shown to be worshippers of the Pure Land of Buddha Amida [Japanese Legends of Miracles..., 1984, pp. 140-141].

60 Reference to the Book of Changes (section "Attached Judgments"): "If two people agree in their hearts, nothing in the world can stop them" (lit. "no gold" or "no metal"); "if the hearts beat in harmony, the words are fragrant, like orchids "[I Ching..., 1998, p. 87].

61 , it is not clear about which of Ko:bo's students: - daishi Ku:kaya (, 774-835) is in question.

62 In the countries of the Far East, the day was traditionally divided into twelve "guards".

63 The "Three Sacraments" are the sacraments of the body, speech, and thought, i.e., ritual gestures, words, and images to focus on.

64 Three segments of two watches (i.e., four hours) by day and the same number by night.

65 , skt. Devadatta, the kinsman and worst enemy of the Buddha. In many traditions, it is said that Devadatta was extremely knowledgeable in all the teachings of that time and devoted himself to severe asceticism.

66 A reference to a story that was probably widely known in Muju times; it appears, for example, in The Tale of the Great World ( Taiheiki, 14th century). The same story was retold by Mishima Yukio (1925-1970) in the story "The Love of the Holy Elder from the Shiga Temple" (, "Shigadera sho:nin no koi") [http://www.litmir.net/br/?b=155390]. The elder from the Shiga temple achieved great sanctity, all his thoughts were focused on the future rebirth in the Pure Land, but one day he met a beautiful lady, fell in love, forgot his asceticism and descended to the path of demons (in Mishima, the elder is saved, and the lady turns to the Path of the Buddha after meeting him).

67 , hombun, the true nature of man, aka "buddha nature".

68 Conditional teachings - those that the Buddha expounded using a "trick" to adapt to the abilities of the listeners. In the true teaching, he revealed his knowledge as it is. The "schools" here are traditions of transmitting teachings from the Buddha through his disciples and then through their successors.

69 , sendai, skt. ichchantics, according to the teachings of some Buddhist schools, are people who cannot attain enlightenment.

70 Corresponds to the Russian expression "In the white world as a penny".

71 To the Buddha, the Teaching, and the Community.

page 127
72 Sutoku (1119-1164), 75th sovereign of Japan, reigned 1123-1141. According to the custom of that time, after his abdication, he became a monk, and after the troubles of 1156, he was exiled to the province of Sanuki on the island of Shikoku, hence his name: "sovereign monk from the land of Sanuki", Sanuki-no in. The case that Muju describes here refers to the time between Sutoku's abdication and exile.

73 Neither Nara nor Kyoto.

74 Province in the northeast of Honshu Island.

For example, reading Shogetsu "by sounds "( conventionally corresponds to the Chinese reading of the same characters), and Terutsuki "by meaning" (is a Japanese word that matches the meaning of the same characters).

76 , Kanto: lands in the east and northeast of Honshu Island (on the side facing the Pacific Ocean).

77 General Shikken rank of deputy Shoguns. Under the Kamakura Shogunate, it was the Shikken who had the real power in the military headquarters. Sagami is the province where the city of Kamakura, the headquarters of the shoguns, is located.

78 , kenzoku. We can talk about relatives or about students, acolytes and other temple people who live together with the famous monk and are connected with him in a kinship-like relationship, where he is the father of the family, and they are his children and household.

79 , kume, horses for a gift to the ruler, often not for his own stable, but for donation to the sanctuary or temple. Such sacred horses were kept in Japan in several holy places, including Ise, where the progenitor of sovereigns, the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, was honored, or in the shrines of Hachiman, the protector god of the state and patron saint of all warriors.

80 A province in the middle part of Honshu Island on the mainland side.

However , nothing is known about him except for this story.

82 Here, probably-mats, the edge of which is not covered with cloth, but simply cut off.

83 Taishaku-god Indra, Bon-Brahma, Spinner of the Wheel of Law, yap. Rinno:, Skt. Chakravartin, the righteous ruler of the entire world, is mentioned in many Buddhist texts.

84 The three levels of creation distinguished in Buddhism are the worlds of desire, form, and formlessness (skt. kama-dhatu, rupa-dhatu, arupa-dhatu).

85 From the womb, from the egg, from the mucus, by transformation.

86 That is, in a poor hut. Worshippers of Amida Buddha often describe and depict such a picture: at the time of death, Amida himself comes to a person with numerous companions to take him to his Pure Land.

87 Reference to a poem by Tsarevich Takaoka (799-845), who visited China and intended to visit India. In the Collection of Sand and Stones, Muju quotes these verses in story (22): Iu naraku \ \ Naraku-no soko-ni \ \ Irinureba Setsuri-mo here-mo \ \ Kawarid-zarikeri. "They say that If you go down to the bottom of hell-naraka, Neither the kshatriya king nor the sudra servants can distinguish There."

88 , Japanese Abo: - rasetsu, depicted as powerful men with a human body and a bull's head; belong to the category of rakshasa demons (Japanese rasetsu).

There are two higher levels of cultivation.

90 "A reference to the" Sutra of Perfect Awakening "(, " Enkaku-kyo."[Taisho:..., vol. 17, N 842, 915a]): "From the very beginning, it should be understood that for living beings, the original state of Buddhahood, birth, death, nirvana is only something like yesterday's dream." Translated by K. Y. Solonin: [Selected Sutras..., 1999, pp. 375-462].

91 This is the Taoist art of prolonging life and mastering miraculous abilities. Such "immortals", according to Buddhist teachings, are still mortal, like all living beings, although they can live for a very long time.

92 , Japanese Ho: so, kit. Peng-tzu is revered as one of the" immortals " in the Taoist tradition.

93 , they are also sages from Huainan, whose teachings are described in the book "Huainan Tzu", one of the monuments of Taoist thought.

94 Kit. Letian, aka Bo Ju-yi (see above note). 57).

95 , kit. Xi Shi (VII-VI centuries) BC), a famous beauty of ancient China.

There is no Nature other than "buddha nature".

97 , Hokuso, kit. Bei Coy, mentioned in the "Book of the Sages of Huainan". The "Power of That" here is China.

page 128
98 Gotoba (1180-1239), the 82nd sovereign of Japan, was on the throne in 1183-1198, and then reigned until 1221 as the sovereign monk Gotoba-in. During his reign, the formation of the first shogunate falls. In 1221, Gotoba-in and his sons led a mutiny against the military headquarters, were defeated, and Gotoba-in was exiled to Oki Island.

99 Nan-shan Dao-Xuan (596-667) in" Consideration of the rules of the Precepts of a Pure Heart "(," Qingxin jie guanfa " [Taisho:..., vol.45, N 1893, 824 a-s]).

100 , skt. Chincha, the story is taken from the "Great Treatise on Transcendent Wisdom" (, "Daitido-ron" [Taisho:..., vol. 25, N 1509, 121c]).

101 , skt. Maudgalyayana.

102 , skt. Yajnadatta, the story is taken from the "Victorious Sutra" (., " Sura:gong-kyo: "[Taisho:..., vol. 19, N 949, 121b]).

103 , Sintan is the name of China in Buddhist texts (from Skt. Chinasthana). Three famous beauties who have caused disasters for the entire country are Xi Shi (see above, approx. 95), Diaochan (heroine of the novel "The Three Kingdoms", trad. III century AD) and Yang Gui-fei (VIII century).

104 Lord Gotoba, see note 98 above.

105 In the "Sutra on the Contemplation of a Buddha named Immeasurable Longevity" (," Kan Mure:ju-kyo: "[Taisho:..., vol. 12, N 365]), Queen Idai (, Skt. Vaidehi) was imprisoned by her own son; Shakamuni Buddha and his disciples visit her and tell her about the Pure Land of Amida Buddha.

106 In the Lotus Sutra, chapter XII, the young daughter of the sea dragon king is enlightened - a being who, by normal standards, cannot become a Buddha (because she is female, too small, and does not belong to the human world).

107 , Kuse: jin, they are also Gods Born Together and Named Together, Do: se: - Do: me:; observe the whole life of a person and then report to the judge of the dead, the god Yama, about every good and bad act of this person. They are mentioned in the "Flower Decoration Sutra" (, "Kegon-kyo:" [Taisho:..., vol. 9, N 278, 680c]).

108 In the treatise "Mahayana cessation of ignorance and comprehension of the essence" [Taise:..., vol. 46, 40a].

109 Reference to Confucius 'Conversations and Judgments, III-25:" It is quite beautiful and, moreover, quite moral "[Confucius, 1998, p. 325] (translated by V. M. Alekseev). Confucius speaks so about the music of the time of the ancient sovereign Shun (Shao music).

list of literature

Dhammapada / Translated from Pali, introduced and commented by V. N. Toporova, Moscow, 1960.

I Ching. "The Book of Changes" and its canonical comments / Translated from English, preface and notes by V. M. Yakovlev, Moscow, 1998.

Selected Sutras of Chinese Buddhism / Translated from Chinese by D. V. Popovtseva, K. Yu. Solonina, E. A. Torchinova. SPb., 1999.

Kana ho: gosyu: (Collection of sermons written in alphabet) / Ed. Miyasaka Yu:sho: // . Nihon koten bungaku taikei (A large collection of monuments of classical Japanese literature), vol. 83, Tokyo, 1964.

Confucius. Lun yu / Research, translated from Chinese and commentary by L. S. Perelomova, Moscow, 1998.

Muju Ichien. Collection of sand and stones / Trans. co-authored by N. N. Trubnikova; edited by A. N. Meshcheryakov // Network version 2013: http://trubnikovann.narod.ru/Mujulnd.htm.

A: Kagami. The Great Mirror / Trans. so staroyap., research. and comments by E. M. Diakonova, St. Petersburg, 2000.

The Sutra of innumerable meanings. The Lotus Flower Sutra of the Wondrous Dharma. Sutra o postizhenii dejaniy i Dharmy bodhisattva Obshcheyshaya Mudros ' [The Sutra on Comprehending the Deeds and Dharma of the Bodhisattva is a Comprehensive Wisdom]. Izdanie prepared by A. N. Ignatovich, Moscow, 1998.

(A large collection of sutras, re-compiled in the Taisho years:). Taisho: shinyu: daizo:kyo: Vol. 1-100. Tokyo, 1960-1977.

Trubnikova N. N. "Distinguishing the teachings" in Japanese Buddhism of the 9th century. Kukai [Kobo-Daishi] on the differences between secret and explicit teachings. Moscow, 2000.

Trubnikova N. N. Dvizhenie za vozrozhdenie ustavov i mitzvotey v jap'anskom buddhizme XIII v. [Movement for the Revival of statutes and Commandments in Japanese Buddhism of the 13th century]. Moscow-Blagoveshchensk, 2012. N 4.

Japanese legends of miracles. IX-XI centuries. Moscow, 1984.

Cabezón J.I. (еd.) Buddhism, Sexuality, and Gender. N.Y.: SUNY press, 1992.

Faurе B. The Power of Denial: Buddhism, Purity and Gender. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003.

page 129
Jnanavira Dharmacari. A Mirror for Women? Reflections of the Feminine in Japanese Buddhism // Eastern Buddhist Review. 2004. Vol. 4 (http://www.westernbuddhistreview.com/vol4/mirror for women.html).

Lee K.D. Y. The Prince and the Monk: Shōtoku Worship in Shinran's Buddhism. N. Y., 2007.

Morrell R. Mirror for Women: Muju lehiеn's Tsuma Kagami // Monumenta Nipponica. 1980. N 35/1.

Takemi Momoko. "Menstruation Sutra" Belief in Japan // Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. 1983. N 10/2 3.

Welter А. Yongming Yanshou's Conception of Chan in the Zongjing Lu: A Special Transmission Within the Scriptures. Oxford, 2011.

Women and Religion in Japan / Ed. Nakamura Kyōko // Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. 1983. N 10/2 3.

page 130

Permanent link to this publication: