Buddhist Psalms Part 9

333. It is a token of this evil age that in this world the priests, together with the people,

In secret serve strange G.o.ds,

While bearing the appearance of the devout sons of Buddha.

334. Sad and corrupt is it that the priests and people, following after the superst.i.tions of auspicious times and days, seek sooth-saying and festivals

And wors.h.i.+p the G.o.ds of heaven and earth.

335. Though I have heard that the names of priest and monk are honourable,

Yet now are they held as light as the five shameless precepts of Devadatta.

336. Being of one accord with the many minds of the heathen,

They bow in wors.h.i.+p before devils,

While yet wearing the robe of the Buddha.

337. Sad and sorrowful is it that all the priests and people now in the land of Yamato should wors.h.i.+p the devils of heaven and earth, in the name of the holy mysteries of the Buddha.

338. It is a mark of the downward way of this evil age that men despise the name of priest or monk as a mean thing, considering them like unto slaves.

339. May they yet bring offerings with homage unto the priests, even as you do unto Saliputra or Mahamonugalyayana, those two great servants of the Lord; though they are priests but in name and without discipline, for this is the time of degeneration and of the last days.

340. Though sin hath no substance in itself, and is but the shadow of our illusion, and soul is in itself pure, yet in all this world is there no sincere man.

341. Great sorrow is it that, in the wicked world of this age now so near its end, the high priests who are born in the palankin, and the monks who bear it now in Nara and Mount Hiyei, desire high secular rank as the greatest honour.

342. That they consider the monk and nun as their slaves, and mock at the honourable t.i.tle of priest and minister, even as at the mean name of slave, gives testimony that they despise the teaching of the Buddha.

These sixteen psalms written above are written by me, Gutoku, with lamentation, to be a record. To me even the honourable priests and monks of the Central Temples seem now to be despised.

ADDITIONAL PSALMS

343. Having fulfilled forty and eight of the Divine Promise,

He attained unto the supreme enlightenment, and was manifest as the Buddha of Infinite Light.

Whoso seeketh refuge with Him shall be certainly born into the Land of Purity.

344. Into the Promised Land-the Paradise of the Great Calm.

He who practiseth the righteous deeds of the mingled motive hath no claim of birth,

Therefore He that is Infinite would have us follow the deeds of the single practice that is chosen of Him as teaching that is at the root.

345. The merit of His holy austerities throughout the myriads of Kalpas is fully declared in his name of Amida (the Infinite).

And the Holy Name, after the consideration of five Kalpas,

Will be accorded unto us who are alive in this degenerated age.

346. Because action, speech, and mind of the Infinite Life and the believer in the Holy Name are welded as into a diamond, therefore shall he certainly be one with the men that return no more unto birth and death.

347. He that hath much knowledge and keepeth the Pure Land is not chosen,

And whoso breaketh the Holy Law and sinneth is not disdained.

Only he that seeketh refuge in the Eternal Father shall enter into Buddhahood as a pebble is trans.m.u.ted into gold.

348. Our faith that endureth as the diamond cometh from the mind of the Buddha that eternally endureth.

Lacking the aid of the Divine Power, how should we attain unto the unchanging mind?

349. In the great ocean of the Divine Promise

Is there no ripple of illusion.

If we enter into the ark of the Holy Vow,

The spirit of mercy shall take part with our self-endeavour.

350. Since we have believed the Divine Promise,

How is it possible we should be in the power of life or death?

Unchanged may be our sinful body,

But our heart is in the Paradise for ever.

[Transcriber's Note: Numbering went 307, 308, 307, 310 . . . fixed]