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Record
of the Orally Transmitted
Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin
- Ongi Kuden -
Chapter 22: Entrustment [Zokurui]
The sutra states, "Three times he [Shakyamuni Buddha] patted the bodhisattvas and mahasattvas on the head and spoke these words: "For immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of asamkhya kalpas I have practiced this hard-to-attain Law of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Now I entrust it to you. You must accept, uphold, recite, and broadly propagate this Law, causing all living beings everywhere to hear and understand it. Why? Because the Thus Come One has great pity and compassion. He is in no way stingy or begrudging, nor has he any fear. He is able to bestow on living beings the wisdom of the Buddha, the wisdom of the Thus Come One, the wisdom that comes of itself. The Thus Come One is a great giver of gifts to all living beings. You for your part should respond by studying this Law of the Thus Come One. You must not be stingy or
begrudging."
The entrustment of the "three pats" [on the head] symbolizes that the Buddha is entrusting to them [the bodhisattvas and mahasattvas] the three categories of action, namely, actions of the body, mouth, and mind; the three truths; and the three views or meditations made possible by the three truths" (Gosho Zenshu p. 772).
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