76.—Sangai ni kaki nashi;—Rokudō ni hotori nashi.
There is no fence to the Three States of Existence;—there is no neighborhood to the Six Roads.[[62]]
[62] Within the Three States (Sangai), or universes, of Desire, Form, and Formlessness; and within the Six Worlds, or conditions of being,—Jigokudō (Hell), Gakidō (Pretas), Chikushōdō (Animal Life), Shuradō (World of Fighting and Slaughter), Ningendō (Mankind), Tenjōdō (Heavenly Spirits)—all existence is included. Beyond there is only Nirvâna. “There is no fence,” “no neighborhood,”—that is to say, no limit beyond which to escape,—no middle-path between any two of these states. We shall be reborn into some one of them according to our karma.—Compare with No. 74.
77.—Sangé ni wa sannen no tsumi mo hōrobu.
One confession effaces the sins of even three years.
78.—San nin yoréba, kugai.
Where even three persons come together, there is a world of pain.[[63]]
[63] Kugai (lit.: “bitter world”) is a term often used to describe the life of a prostitute.
79.—San nin yoréba, Monjū no chié.
Where three persons come together, there is the wisdom of Monjū.[[64]]
[64] Monjū Bosatsu [Mañdjus’ri Bodhisattva] figures in Japanese Buddhism as a special divinity of wisdom.—The proverb signifies that three heads are better than one. A saying of like meaning is, Hiza to mo dankō: “Consult even with your own knee;” that is to say, Despise no advice, no matter how humble the source of it.
80.—Shaka ni sekkyō.
Preaching to Sâkyamuni.
81.—Shami kara chōrō.
To become an abbot one must begin as a novice.
82.—Shindaréba, koso ikitaré.
Only by reason of having died does one enter into life.[[65]]