With reverence, I remain 27th day, 11th month, 4th year of Bunmei (1472CE)
I am apprehensive as to what might be in the minds of the priests and lay followers, both male and female, who will come on pilgrimages in large numbers into the mountains here of Yoshizaki from the three provinces of Kashu, Noto, and Etchu starting this year. This apprehension relative to pilgrimages is caused by the central thought of this sect, which is that our rebirth into the Land of Bliss is due primarily to acquiring the Faith of the Other-Power. However, there are some followers of this sect who have not firmly grasped the state of this Faith. How can such people attain rebirth into the Land of Bliss without complication? This is the question that is of paramount importance. I am extremely uneasy as to the motives that these people might have in their innermost thoughts as they endure the long travel of twelve to fourteen miles through this heavy snow to safely make their pilgrimage to this temple. Since it is quite useless to speculate here what their true motives might have been in the past, I shall state here precisely, the condition of the understanding that they must harbor in their deepest thoughts from this day forward. Bend your ears and listen very, very carefully. You should wholeheartedly and fully be aware that if you keep the Faith of the Other-Power firmly in your hearts, and also understand that you need only to recite the Nembutsu for the purpose of expressing gratitude to Amida without respect to time or place, your rebirth (this time) is assured without fail. In the overflow of this happiness, you should visit the teacher-priest of your own temples, bearing expressive tokens of your happiness. In other words, these people are the devotees of Faith who well understand the Doctrine of this sect.
With reverence, I remain 8th day, 2nd month, 5th year of Bunmei (1473CE)
On thinking with concern this summer as to why lately I have come to be afflicted with an exceptional case of drowsiness and constant desire to sleep, I conclude (perhaps without question) the time of my death for rebirth is near at hand. In all truthfulness, I feel wretchedly un-reconciled. However, I have carefully prepared myself from the past in the thought that the occurrence of my death for rebirth might come in the very next moment. Be that as it may, the sole, heartfelt wish that I harbor continuously day and night is that following my death; there will not be a change of heart among those of this temple who will acquire Faith. Personally, though I should have no worries even if I were to experience rebirth at this very moment, I am concerned about your rebirth, of which many of you appear to be totally and sadly unconcerned. While you have life, you tend to think that life will continue as usual and this is what I must caution you against. Because our life, in particular, is one where even a tomorrow is uncertain, all the more (if this matter of life and death is not resolved) whatever is said becomes useless after that life is ended. Unless all doubts in the Primal Vow are completely dispelled while alive, (in all probability) there will only be remorse later. It behooves you all to understand this well.
With reverence, I remain P.S. I entrust this letter to the people on the other side of these shoji panels who have been taking care of me. After my death, bring it forth and read it. 25th day, 4th month, 5th year of Bunmei (1473CE)
As I recall, it may have been around the middle of the Third Month of Yayoi, in the Fourth Year of Bunmei when one or two women, accompanied by male attendants and obviously refined, were discussing things pertaining to this mountain. During their conversation, they stated: "It is said that they have built a temple on the summit of Yoshizaki, and the religious atmosphere there is reputed to be indescribable. The story is known to all that the followers of the Chief Priest there, particularly those priests and laymen, both male and female, from the seven provinces of Kaga, Etchu, Noto, Echigo, Shinano, Dewa, and Oshu, make pilgrimages to this mountain in great masses. This is a very extraordinary occurrence in this Degenerate Third Era and cannot be passed off as just a common thing of no significance. "However, in what manner are the Teachings of the Nembutsu presented to these many followers? In particular, what is this point that seems to be taught that the primary thing is what is called 'Faith', that people are talking about. . .?" They commented to a resident of this mountain that, inasmuch as they also possessed the bodies of gravely sinful and utterly hopeless females, they also would like to understand this point called "Faith" and place reliance on rebirth in the Pure Land after hearing about it in all its details. The gist of what this mountain resident pointed out to them was that they need not resort to any of the forms of self-effort, but need only realize that they were hopeless beings enmeshed in the Ten Major Evils, the Five Cardinal Sins, the Five Obstacles, and the Three Reliance’s; that they need only thoroughly believe that Amida Tathágata is the One that will deliver them from these encumbrances. He explained to them further that by the placement of trust in Amida without doubt (thus gaining Faith instantaneous with the complete reliance placed on Him), Amida will emit 84,000 rays of light and graciously embrace them. He showed them that this was what was meant by Amida Tathágata embracing the followers of the Nembutsu and that by "Sesshu Fusha" was meant "to embrace and never cast aside." He told them that the significance of this was termed "a person who had acquired Faith." When this man politely explained further that the Nembutsu of "Namu Amida Butsu" recited awake or asleep, standing or sitting, should be understood to be the Nembutsu recited as "Namu Amida Butsu" to express gratitude for the gracious deliverance by Amida, then these ladies and others said in response, "Truly, there is no way to express the shamefulness of not having believed until this day, that the Primal Vow of Amida Tathágata is the answer to the capacity of sentient beings who receive the Dharma. From this day, by placing complete trust in Amida with singleness of thought and believing without doubt that with the Faith that comes instantaneous with complete reliance on Amida that our rebirth is through the deliverance of Tathágata, we should understand that the Nembutsu, henceforth, is the recitation of Buddha's Name for the expression of our gratitude to Amida. "We know that it would be impossible to express the gratefulness and sacredness of having here experienced a fruition of incomprehensible past karma and conditions whereby we were able to encounter this wonderful Doctrine. For the present, we bid you farewell." So saying, the ladies departed with tears brimming their eyes.
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