霊山の釈迦の御前に契りてし
真如朽ちせず相見つるかな
真如朽ちせず相見つるかな
- Roma-ji
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Ryōzen no Shaka no mimae ni chigiriteshi shinnyo kuchisezu aimitsuru kana
- English Translation
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On Vulture Peak,
before the Buddha himself,
we made our vow,
and the truth has not decayed,
for we meet each other now.
- Meaning
- The vow we made before the Buddha on Vulture Peak, the bond of eternal truth, has not decayed, and so we meet once more.
- Commentary
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Book Twenty Lament Poems 1348
Headnote: "Composed when Bodhi came ashore at the beach, having come from southern India to attend the dedication of Tōdaiji"
The poet says that the bond of truth they vowed before the Buddha on Vulture Peak has not decayed, and they meet again. The headnote shows it was composed when Bodhi came ashore at the beach of Naniwa, having come from southern India to attend the dedication of Tōdaiji. Bodhi was Bodhisena, who came to Japan in Tenpyō 8 (736) and later led the eye-opening ceremony of the Great Buddha of Tōdaiji. Gyōki welcomes Bodhi, who has crossed the sea from afar, as one with whom he made a vow at the Buddha's preaching in a former life. The next poem, 1349, is Bodhi's reply.
The author, Archbishop Gyōki, was a priest of the Nara period. He traveled the provinces building roads and bridges and devoting himself to the relief of the people, and having helped in raising the Great Buddha of Tōdaiji, he became archbishop.
First line, "Ryōzen no," means "of Vulture Peak," the mountain where the Buddha is said to have preached the Lotus Sutra.
Second line, "Shaka no mimae ni," means "before the Buddha."
Third line, "chigiriteshi," means "where we made our vow," with "teshi" perfective and past auxiliaries. It answers the second line of the next poem, 1349, "tomo ni chigirishi," in singing of a vow from a former life.
Fourth line, "shinnyo kuchisezu," means "the truth has not decayed," "shinnyo" being the eternal, unchanging truth.
Final line, "aimitsuru kana," means "we have met," with "kana" exclamatory. It shares this line with the final line of the next poem, 1349.
- Author
- Gyōki
- Source
- Shui Wakashu
- Prev Poem
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Momokusa ni yasokusa soete tamaiteshi chibusa no mukui kyō zo waga suru
- Next Poem
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Kabirae ni tomo ni chigirishi kai arite Monju no mikao aimitsuru kana