Kempon Hokke-Shu (顕本法華宗) sutra on tsuba

[Kurikata]

Hi translator friends,

 

When I purchased this tsuba some years ago, the seller told me that the kanji on it was expressing a sutra from the Hokke Nichiren Buddhist sect. I strongly wish to know exactly what is said as a pray on my tsuba. Would someone be kind enough to translate it ?

 

Thank you on advance

 

Best regards

 

[SteveM]

It is from the Lotus Sutra. I had to lean heavily on the modern Japanese translation found at the sites  below

 

或値怨賊繞    Or should you be surrounded by villains
各執刀加害    With their swords drawn in anger
念彼観音力    Pray to the Buddha
咸即起慈心    So that their hearts may be filled with mercy

 

若悪獣圍繞    Or should you be surrounded by evil beasts
利牙爪可怖    And become fearful of their fangs and claws
念彼観音力    Pray to the Buddha
疾走無辺方    So that they may disperse and retreat

 

https://www.zen-essay.com/entry/kannongyou

https://www.daizouin.com/妙法蓮華経-観世音菩薩-普門品-第二十五/

 

You might want to change the words "pray to the Buddha" to something like "reflect on the Buddha" or maybe "meditate on the Buddha". Anyway, pray works fine, but may have some unwanted connotations that aren't intended in the original. The Buddha in this sutra is the Kannon Boddhisatva.

 

 

[SteveM]

A Japanese copy of the Lotus Sutra can be found here on the entry for Kannon (Guanyin).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanyin

 

The passages on the tsuba are circled in red below

 

[Kurikata]

Woua! Steve! It was quick! I am so impressed! Thank you su much for having found this sutra translation. 

[Bazza]

WOW!!!  VIVA STEVE M...