Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter at Minobu in the last month of 1281 to Kubo-no-ama, thanking her for the offerings that she had sent him. Little is known about Kubo-no-ama, a widow who lived with her daughter in Fuji District of Suruga Province. From the contents of the several Gosho addressed to her, she appears to have been a believer of pure faith who frequently sent offerings to the Daishonin. The original letter no longer exists, but a copy made by Nikko Shonin has been preserved. 

In response to Kubo-no-ama's gifts, the Daishonin comments in this letter on the traditional practice of making offerings for the sake of Buddhism as a way of planting "good roots" or accumulating merit and good fortune. In the opening passage, he explains that the benefit gained from donations depends upon the time, the place and the person to whom they are offered. Moreover, one's sincerity in making the offerings and the worth of the person or teaching to which they are made are also vital. A large donation may appear admirable, but if it derives from wealth obtained by harming or exploiting others, it will 
never produce benefit, even though offered for the sake of Buddhism. Furthermore, even if one offers honestly obtained wealth with a pure heart, such donations will not produce merit if they are given to a teacher of erroneous doctrines. Kubo-no-ama's gifts, the Daishonin says, were offered not only with a pure heart but for the sake of the Lotus Sutra. Therefore only the Buddhas themselves can fathom the great merit she deserves. 
 

Back to Gosho

Ničiren Dajšonin je napisao ovo pismo na Minobuu poslednjeg meseca 1281. godine, Kubo-no-ami, zahvaljujući joj na ponudama koje mu je poslala. Malo se zna o Kubo-no-ami, udovici koja je živela sa svojom kćerkom u okrugu Fuđi u provinciji Suruga. Iz sadržaja nekoliko Gošoa upućenih njoj, izgleda da je bila vernik čiste vere i da je često slala ponude Dajšoninu. Originalno pismo više ne postoji, ali je kopija koju je napravio Nikko Šonin sačuvana. 

U odgovoru na Kubo-no-amine poklone, Dajšonin u ovom pismu komentariše tradicionalnu praksu nuđenja poklona za dobro budizma kao način zasađivanja "dobrih korena" ili prikupljanja zasluga i dobre sreće. U uvodnom pasusu, on objašnjava da dobrobiti stečene darovanjem zavise od vremena, mesta i ličnosti kojoj su ponude učinjene. Štaviše, iskrenost u činu ponude i zaslužnost ličnosti ili učenja kojima su ove ponude upućene su takođe od vitalne važnosti. Obimno darovanje može izgledati vredno divljenja, ali ako ono proizlazi iz bogatstva pribavljenog povređivanjem i iskorišćavanjem drugih, onda nikada neće proizvesti dobrobit, čak i ako je ponuđeno za dobro budizma. Osim toga, čak i ako se nudi pošteno stečeno bogatstvo, čista srca, takva darovanja neće proizvesti zaslugu ako su učinjena nekom učitelju pogrešnih učenja. Kubo-no-amini pokloni, Dajšonin kaže, behu ponuđeni ne samo čistog srca već i za dobro Lotos Sutre. Prema tome, jedino bude same mogu premeriti veliku zaslugu koju je zaslužila. 
 

Nazad u gošo