"Dosho Domyo Gosho" Gosho Zenshu pp. 1114-1115
Read this letter repeatedly with Toshiro's wife. The sun dispels even utter darkness. A woman's heart can be likened to such darkness, and the Lotus Sutra to the sun. Although babies may be unaware of their mothers, mothers can never forget their children. Sakyamuni Buddha is like a mother, and women are like children. If both the mother and her children keep each other in mind, they shall never be separated in anything they do. However, if only one of them thinks of the other, they may be united at times but separated at others. The Buddha is like one who always thinks of others, while women are like those who do not. If we should truly think of the Buddha, can there be any reason why we shall not see him?
Even if you call a stone a jewel, it will never become one. Nor will a jewel become a stone just because you say that it is. The sects such as Nembutsu which follow the provisional teachings are like so many stones. Even though they assert that the Nembutsu doctrine is the Lotus Sutra, nonetheless it is not the Lotus Sutra. Then too, even though they slander the Lotus Sutra, it remains just as it is, just as a jewel does not change into a stone.
Not long ago an evil king lived in China who was called Emperor Hui Tsung. Instigated by a Taoist priest, he destroyed all of the Buddha's statues and sutras. He ordered the Buddhist priests and and nuns to renounce their priesthood, and all obeyed, except for a priest named Fa Tao, who continued his Buddhist practice uncowed by the imperial command. For this he was branded on his face and exiled to the south of the Yangtze. Nichiren is quite similar to Priest Fa Tao, since he has met great persecutions in an age when the people depend on the Zen sect, which is every bit as evil as the teachings of Taoism.
I feel that it is singular for you to live in Kamakura and, though having no high position in society, to be practicing your faith in the Lotus Sutra without worrying about what others may say about you. You do not even begrudge your own lives. To my mind this is like a mystic jewel which, when put into muddy water, makes the water clean. Or it is like a person who is taught something he did not know by a good man and, trusting the man's words, perceives them to be reasonable. Could Sakyamuni Buddha and Bodhisattvas Fugen, Yakuo and Shukuoke be dwelling in your hearts? The Lotus Sutra states that people throughout the world can believe in this sutra owing to the power of Boddhisattva Fugen.
A man is like a pine tree and a woman like a wisteria, which cannot stand for a second if they are separated. Therefore in a world as troubled as this, for you to send your husband here to Sado Island when you even lack for reliable servants shows that your faith is thicker than the earth. Since this is so, the gods of the earth must certainly know of it. Your faith is loftier than the sky and therefore Bonten and Taishaku must also be aware of it. The Buddha explained that people are attended by two messengers named Dosho and Domyo from the moment of their birth. Following as closely as one's own shadow, they never leave the person for an instant. In turns they report each person's greater and lesser evil acts as well as his major and minor virtues to the heavens without forgetting the slightest detail. Therefore, the heavens must already know about your having sent your husband to me. How indescribably joyous!
Nichiren (seal)
April, 9th year of Mon'ei (1272)