Nichiren Shu Beikoku Betsuin 
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Excerpts from theManual of Nichiren Buddhism
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 | Schooling |
| The Daimoku |
| The Risshô-Ankoku-Ron |
| Persecutions |
| Tatsunokuchi Incident |
| Exile to Sado Island |
| Seclusion in Minobu |
| Rokurôsô or the Six Senior Disciples of Nichiren |
| Kurôsô or the Nine Senior Disciples of Nichirô |
Nichiren was born in Kominato, a fishing village in the Province of Awa (Chiba-ken), on February 16, 1222. His given name was Zennichimaro. His father was a functionary of the manor where Kominato was located. The owner of this manor was a lady, with whom Nichiren's family retained friendly relations. Toki Tsunenobu (1216-1299), a samurai in the Province of Shimousa (Chiba-ken), also had some relation with his family.
In 1233, the lady of the manor entered Zennichimaro into Kiyosumidera (Seichôji), a temple of the Tendai Sect, as a page to Chief Priest Dôzen. The temple was the largest center for education in the locality. Zennichimaro would advance to study as a novice priest under Dôzen. in 1237. He was given the monk name, Renchô.
Renchô realized that the library of the temple was too small to satisfy his desire for learning. In 1241, he went to Kamakura and studied at the library of Hachimangûji Temple. In those days Kamakura was the seat of the de facto Government of Japan, whose leader was Hôjô Yasutoki. The name of his post was Shikken or Regent, whose duty was to work under the Shôgun Fujiwara-no-Yoritsune. But the Shôgun was only a child, and thus a puppet. The Kamakura Government was first established by Minamoto-no-Yoritomo in 1192. Yoritomo was the first Samurai to become a Shôgun in the history of Japan. He purposely established a samurai government outside of Kyoto, from where the Imperial family and nobles monopolized the government of Japan for the past four centuries. But the lands occupied by the Imperial family as well as by nobles, temples and shrines were still under the control of the Imperial family. After the last Minamoto Shôgun Sanetomo was assassinated in 1219, the Imperial family attempted to overthrow the Kamakura Government headed by Hôjô Yoshitoki, who had served Shôgun Sanetomo as Regent. Although he defeated the Imperial Army in 122 1, Hôjô Yoshitoki realized that the Samurai Shogunate was too weak to control the whole nation. So he invited a child born of a noble family from Kyoto, to be Shôgun, and manipulated under him as Shikken.
Hachimangûji Temple was the Buddhist name of Hachimangû Shinto Shrine. In those days, Hachimangû Shinto Shrine was completely decorated with Buddhist furnishings. Hachimangûji Temple was affiliated with Onjôji in the Province of Omi (Shiga-ken). Onjôji in turn, was primarily affiliated with Enryakuji on Hieizan (Mt. Hiei) in the same province, but declared its independence from Enryakuji in 993, and called itself the Head Temple of the Tendai Shû Jimon Ha.
In 1242, Renchô entered Enryakuji to study. Enryakuji was the head temple of the Tendai Sect of Japan. The Tendai Sect was founded by Tendai Daishi (538-597) in China, and then introduced to Japan by Saichô (Dengyô Daishi, 767-822). It was also called Hokke Shû or the Hokke (the Lotus Sûtra) Sect because the Lotus Sûtra was its fundamental text. Since Buddhism's introduction, the Lotus Sûtra has been one of the most popular sûtras in Japan. Shôtoku Taishi (Crown Prince Shôtoku 574-622) wrote a commentary on the sûtra. The Emperor Shômu (701-756) would found a monk temple and a nun temple in each province, and ordered monks to chant the Konkômyôkyô, and nuns to chant the Hokekyô. The Konkômyôkyô is very similar in contents to the Hokekyô. The Lotus Sûtra was recited and lectured more often than any other sûtra in the Heian Period. The Hokke-hakkô or the Eightfold Lecture on the Eight Volumes of the Lotus Sûtra) was ceremonially held in the Imperial Court quite often. What was popularly called shakyô or sûtra-copying was invariably meant to copy the Lotus Sûtra and not any other sûtra.
Soon after Saichô, however, the Tendai Sect of Japan introduced other elements of Buddhism. Ennin (Jikaku Daishi, 794-864) introduced Esoteric Buddhism and Pureland Buddhism from China, and founded Taimitsu or the Tendai Esoteric School and Tendai Jôdo Kyô or the Tendai Pureland School on Hieizan. Sâkyamuni Buddha of the Lotus Sûtra was identified with Amitâbha Buddha, and the chanting of the Nembutsu was encouraged together with the chanting of the Lotus Sûtra
Besides this syncretic tendency of the Tendai Sect, the sacred mountain of Hieizan suffered from secularism in the course of time. As early as the beginning of the tenth century, a monk army was organized to fight with monk armies of other temples for political purposes. The battles intensified especially after Onjôji Temple seceded from Enryakuji. In 1081, the Hieizan Monk Army burned Onjôji It was restored but was burned again by the same army in 1121. Enryakuji was, in turn, burned by the Onjôji Monk Army in the same year. Onjôji would be burned many times over, in 1140, 1163 and again 1214. The founders of many new sects in the Kamakura Period all studied at Hieizan, but left it because they were disappointed about the realities of the mountain. Eisai left Hieizan in 1160; so did Hônen in 1175, Shinran in 1201, and Dôgen in 1213.
Renchô stayed at Hieizan for eleven years till the beginning of 1253. What he found most regrettable was that the Pureland Buddhists led by Hônen utterly refused to chant the Lotus Sûtra. They believed that the Lotus Sûtra was too difficult for the people of the Age of Degeneration; that the only way to save them was the chanting of the Nembutsu. Renchô wished to replace the Nembutsu by the Daimoku to restore the glory of the Lotus Sûtra and Sâkyamuni Buddha.
Renchô left the mountain early in 1253 and returned to Kiyosumi-dera, his home monastery. On the morning of April 28, he stood on the top of Senkôzan Hill in the compound of Kiyosumi-dera Temple, and chanted the Daimoku for the first time, while facing the rising sun. Here he proclaimed his new faith, and he changed his name to Nichiren. In his first sermon, which he delivered in the temple that day, Nichiren criticized the practice of the Nembutsu. Governor Tôjô Kagenobu, a strong supporter of the Nembutsu, happened to be in the audience, and got angry at hearing Nichiren's criticism.
Nichiren then traveled to Kamakura and stayed at Matsubagayatsu, the downtown district of the city. During his absence from Kamakura for eleven years, three remarkable events took place in the city. First, the construction of the Great Buddha was completed in 1252. The project to erect a Daibutsu or Great Buddha was initiated by Minamoto-no-Yoritomo, who intended to decorate the new capital of Japan with a Great Buddha like the one founded in the oldest Capital City, Nara. It may be mentioned here that the Great Buddha of Kamakura was an image of Amitâbha Buddha while that of Nara was an image of Vairocana Buddha.
The second significant event was the visit of Dôryû to Kamakura in 1246. Dôryû (Tao-lung, 1213-1278) was a Chinese Rinzai Zen priest, who came from Central China. At the time, North China was occupied by Mongols, and the Government of the Sung Dynasty, which once ruled all of China from Pien in North China, was driven to Central China in 1127. Dôryû was warmly received by Hôjô Tokiyori. The Rinzai Zen Sect had already been introduced to Kamakura by Eisai in 1200. At that time, the Regency of the Kamakura Government was vacant, and Masako, widow of Minamoto-no-Yoritomo, was running the government. She built Jufukuji Temple for Eisai, but did not allow him to use the temple exclusively for Zen only. She requested that he teach the tenets of the Tendai and Shingon Sects together with Zen. Similarly, Jôrakuji, another Zen temple, which was founded by Gyôyû under the patronage of the Shikken Hôjô Yasutoki in 1237, was also a temple for the study of Zen, Tendai and Shingon.
But this combination of study disappeared when Kenchôji was built for Darya in 1253. It was most probably due to the Japanese people's respect for Chinese priests. When Dôryû came to Kamakura, the Shikken Hôjô Tokiyori offered Jôrakuji to him as his temporary residence, and began to build a new temple for him. The building was completed in 1253, and was named Kenchôji after the name of the year.
The third event which took place during Nichiren's absence from Kamakura was the installation of an Imperial Shôgun which the Kamakura Government had long desired in order to control the whole nation more efficiently. On March 19, 1252, Prince Munetaka, the first son of the Emperor Gosaga, had entered Omiya Palace in Kamakura, accompanied by a gorgeous procession.
Nichiren encouraged everyone he met to chant the Daimoku and criticized the Nembutsu, which caused many persecutions against him. In the course of time, however, his believers increased one after another. The people who followed him were mostly townspeople. The samurais who followed him were not high officials of the government but local officials who came from various provinces to the Capital City on business.
Soon after Nichiren came to Kamakura, a Tendai priest visited him, and became his disciple. The name of the visitor was Jôben, a classmate of Nichiren at Hieizan. Nichiren named him Nisshô (1221-1323). Nisshô was one year older than Nichiren. Born of a samurai family in the Province of Shimousa (Chiba-ken), it is said that, while he was at Hieizan, he was adopted as a yûshi (an adopted son without succession right) by Konoye Kanetsune, the third head of the Konoye family of the Kyoto nobility. In 1254, Kichijômaro, a nephew of Nisshô would become a disciple of Nichiren. He was named Nichirô (1245-1320).
The City of Kamakura suffered a great earthquake in 1257. Plagues were rampant in 1259, and famines followed them. Nichiren ascribed these calamities to the disregard of the Lotus Sûtra and Sâkyamuni Buddha by the government and the nation. He said that, unless the Lotus Sûtra and Sâkyamuni Buddha be treated properly, civil wars and foreign invasions would take place. This reminds us of Tyndale, who said three centuries later than Nichiren that England would be destroyed by "war, famine and plague" unless the English nation "keep the Law of God."
Nichiren decided to remonstrate with the government in writing. For the purpose of preparing for the writing, he visited the library of Jissôji Temple at Iwamoto in the Province of Suruga (Shizuoka-ken) in 1259. Jissôji belonged to Enryakuji on Hieizan. He did not use the library of Hachimangûji Temple because he knew that Ryûben, the chief priest of the temple, was one of the leading priests of the Tendai Shû Jimon Ha.
While he stayed at Jissôji Temple, a priest came to see him from a nearby Tendai temple called Shijûkuin. The visitor became a follower of Nichiren and was named Nikkô (1246-1333). Nikkô was born of a samurai family in the Province of Kai (Yamanashi-ken).
Nichiren returned to Kamakura and wrote the Risshô-ankoku-ron as a remonstrance to the government. In preparation, he visited Daigaku Saburô (Hiki Yoshimoto, 1201-1286) for linguistic advice about his writing. Daigaku Saburô lived in Hikigayatsu. Though a member of the Hiki family, he refrained from using his family name because the Hiki family officially ceased to exist when Hiki Yoshikazu, the last head of the Hiki family, was killed in 1203. Saburô Yoshimoto was Yoshikazu's son. Saburô was put into Tôji Temple in Kyoto after his father's death, and grew up to become a scholar of Chinese rhetoric by the name of Daigaku Saburô He accompanied the Ex-Emperor Juntoku when he was exiled to Sado Island in 1221. He had a niece called Yoshiko, who married the Fourth Shôgun Fujiwara-no-Yoritsune in 1230. At the request of the Shôgun, Yoshimoto returned from Sado Island to Kamakura, and served the government as a civil official. He was given the old residence of the Hiki family at Hikigayatsu. Daigaku Saburô was deeply impressed with the Risshô-ankoku-ron, and soon became a follower of Nichiren.
Another thing to be mentioned here took place in the Imperial Court in 1259. The Ex-Emperor Gosaga had three sons. The first son Munetaka became the Kamakura Shôgun The second son became the Emperor Gofukakusa in 1246. His father, the Ex-Emperor Gosaga, favored his third son more than his second son, and dethroned the Emperor Gofukakusa in favor of his third son, who became the Emperor Kameyama in 1259. This originated the problem of succession, which later culminated in the War of Succession between the Two Dynasties. This problem also greatly influenced religious organizations, where the orthodoxy question brought forth many secessions and births of new sects.
Nichiren submitted the Risshô-ankoku-ron, to Hôjô Tokiyori through the office of Yadoya Mitsunori, secretary to Tokiyori, on July 16, 1260.
Tokiyori had already retired from the Regency but was still holding the reins of the government. In brief, Nichiren wrote that Japan would suffer from civil wars and foreign invasions unless the Japanese nation worship Sâkyamuni Buddha and chant the Daimoku.
Persecutions
The Risshô-ankoku-ron, would cause Nichiren to be persecuted. Nichiren brought notice in the Risshô-ankoku-ron to the exile of three Emperors in 1221, and criticized the Hôjô Regency for this. This reference offended Hôjô Shigetoki, the only surviving member of the government staff who was responsible for the Imperial Banishment. The Hôjô family were satisfied in having an Imperial prince as the Shôgun in expiation of their maltreatment of the Imperial family in 1221. The incident of 1221 was now a prohibited subject among the Hôjô family. Shigetoki was the father of the Shikken Hôjô Nagatoki, and the father of the wife of Hôjô Tokiyori. Because of these connections, the burning of Nichiren's hermitage at Matsubagayatsu on the night of August 27 of that year was believed to be carried out by outlaws apparently hired by Hôjô Shigetoki. Nichiren would flee to the residence of Toki Tsunenobu at Nakayama in the Province of Shimousa.
Nichiren's hermitage of Matsubagayatsu was later restored by the combined efforts of his increasing followers. But on Hôjô Shigetoki's urging, the government decided to exile Nichiren to Ito in the Province of Izu (Shizuoka-ken). On the morning of May 12, 1261, Nichiren was arrested and sent from Yuigahama Beach to Ito by ship.
Nichiren was detained at Ito for about one year and a half During his stay there, he wrote intently many works, including the Kyôki-jikoku-shô, in which he dealt with Gokô or the Five Categories of Teaching. He was pardoned and returned to Kamakura on February 22, 1263.
During Nichiren's stay at Ito, Gokurakuji Temple of the Shingon Ritsu Sect was founded in Kamakura. The temple was originally built at Fukasawa in Kamakura by a Nembutsu priest sometime between 1257 and 1259. The temple did not belong to any particular sect when it was founded. Hôjô Shigetoki moved this temple to the present site, two kilometers west of Fukasawa at the advice of Ryôkan, a priest of the Shingon Ritsu Sect. Shigetoki died at this temple on November 3, 1261. After his death, the temple became affiliated with the Shingon Ritsu Sect.
Eizon, the Chief Priest of Saidaiji Temple at Nara, and the founder of the Shingon Ritsu Sect, visited Kamakura on the invitation of Hôj Tokiyori on February 27, 1262. He stayed in Kamakura till July 18 of that year. During his five months' stay in Kamakura, about ten thousand people followed him to receive Buddhist precepts from him. His followers included the Shôgun, Prince Munetaka, Tokiyori and other members of the Hôjô family, and other samurais and townspeople.
After returning to Kamakura, Nichiren visited Kominato, his home town, in October 1264. Kudô Yoshitaka, Lord of Amatsu, would invite Nichiren to come to his home on November 11. When Nichiren and some of his followers were passing through Komatsubara Grove on their way to Amatsu, they were surprised by armed men who were waiting in ambush. The men were led by Tôjô Kagenobu, Governor of Tôjô County, who had been hostile to Nichiren since he heard Nichiren's first sermon at Kiyosumi-dera Temple more than eleven years before. Kudô Yoshitaka, who thought that something must have happened because Nichiren did not come at the appointed time, came to the scene of the melee with his men. The fighting which ensued between Kudô and Tôjô resulted in the martyrdom of Yoshitaka and one of Nichiren's disciples, Kyônimbô. Nichiren also incurred a cut on his forehead. Tôjô Kagenobu would die of a fever a few days later.
From 1264 to 1267, Nichiren traveled through Provinces of Awa, Kazusa and Shimousa, preaching. In 1265, a samurai at Mobara in the Province of Kazusa (Chiba-ken) would become a follower of Nichiren. He had a son, who was already a novice priest at Hieizan. The father called his son back from Hieizan, and made him a disciple of Nichiren. Nichiren named the young monk Nikô (1253-1314).
Another young monk closely followed Nichiren during this time. He was a son-in-law of Toki Tsunenobu. Toki Tsunenobu's wife was a widow of a samurai at Omosu, Kitayama, in the Province of Suruga. When she remarried Toki Tsunenobu, she had two sons left by her deceased husband. Toki Tsunenobu adopted them as his sons, and entered the elder one into a nearby Tendai temple called Guhôji as a novice priest in 1259. This novice priest became a disciple of Nichiren, and was named Nitchô (1252-1317).
Nichiren returned to Kamakura early in 1268. On January 18 of that year, a Korean emissary came to Dazaifu in Kyushu, bringing letters from the kings of Korea and Mongolia. The whole nation of Japan was astonished that a Mongolian invasion was imminent. Nichiren's followers were, instead, proud of their master's foresight. The Daimoku-chanting people increased in number day after day, year after year. They criticized the government and the Nembutsu-chanting Buddhists, saying that the nation should chant the Daimoku to save Japan. The government then decided to suppress the Nichiren Buddhists to control religion in the country.
It was unlucky for the Nichiren Buddhists that then the Samuraidokoro-shoshi or War Minister Nagasaki Yoritsuna was so arrogant and despotic that he was doomed to be killed in 1294 when he failed in his attempt to have his son usurp the Regency of Kamakura Government.
Before relating the suppression of Nichiren Buddhism, another disciple of Nichiren is to be introduced here. In 1270, when Nikkô came from the Province of Suruga to Matsubagayatsu in Kamakura to see Nichiren, he brought with him, his disciple, Nichiji (1250-?). Nichiji was born of a samurai family at Mimatsu in the Province of Suruga. From a very young age, he became a novice priest at Jissôji Temple, where Nichiren once stayed in 1257. In 1270, he met Nikkô and became his disciple. He was named Nichiji. When he later met Nichiren, Nichiji became a disciple of Nichiren with the consent of Nikkô.
On September 12, one day before the government issued an order to dispatch the government's army to Kyushu to defend Japan against the Mongols, War Minister Nagasaki Yoritsuna, representing the government, arrested Nichiren and sentenced him to exile to Sado Island. Nichirô and four others also were arrested and put into a dungeon in the compound of the residence of Yadoya Mitsunori. Nagasaki Yoritsuna intended to execute Nichiren that night in spite of the official sentence of exile. Nichiren was taken to the Execution Ground at Tatsunokuchi, but the execution was suspended by a messenger from the Regent Hôjô Tokimune, who had sensed the illegal plot.
Nichiren was taken to the residence of Homma Shigetsura at Echi in the Province of Sagami (Kanagawa-ken). He left Echi on October 10, and was detained in a shack called Sammaidô at Tsukahara on Sado Island on November 1, 1271.
Nichiren wrote the Kaimokushô at Tsukahara in February 1272, and sent it to Shijô Kingo, who was a faithful lay follower of Nichiren in Kamakura. Shijô Kingo was a servant of Hôjô Mitsutoki, a noted member of the Hôjô family. Hôj Mitsutoki, however, was a believer of Ryokan, Chief Priest of Gokurakuji Temple.
Nichiren was moved to the residence of Kondô Kiyohisa at Ichinosawa on Sado Island in 1272. There he wrote the Kanjin-honzon-shô, and sent it to Toki Tsunenobu on April 26, 1273. On July 8 of that year, he wrote the Great Mandala for the first time.
Nichiren was pardoned on March 8, 1274. On March 13, he left Sado Island, where he had stayed for two years and a half, and returned to Kamakura on March 26.
During his absence from Kamakura, the Nichiren Buddhists in the city had decreased considerably in number. Nichirô stayed at the residence of Daigaku Saburô Yoshimoto after he was released from prison. He had visited Nichiren on Sado Island more than once. Nisshô was not arrested on the occasion of the Tatsunokuchi Incident probably because he was connected with the Konoye family. He was permitted to live in the old residence of a samurai at Hamado in Kamakura. Tradition says that the samurai was Kudô Suketsune, who had some connection with Nisshô's mother. Kudô Suketsune was a noted vassal of Minamoto-no-Yoritomo. Nisshô's residence was large enough to conduct a lecture meeting. Nichiren in exile was glad to hear that, and encouraged Nisshô in observing the Daishikô on the 24th day of every month. The Daishikô was a monthly service for Tendai Daishi, who passed away on November 24, 597. Nisshô held the service regularly, and lectured on the Lotus Sûtra and Tendai's Makashikan. Nichirô also held this monthly service at Hikigayatsu.
Hearing of Nichiren's return to Kamakura, War Minister Nagasaki Yoritsuna summoned him, and asked him when the Mongolian forces would invade Japan. Nichiren answered that they would come within that year.
After his return from Sado, Nichiren stayed for only five weeks in Kamakura, where he had spent most of his prime. He left Kamakura with a few followers on May 12, 1274, and entered deep into a mountainous district called Minobu at Hakii in the Province of Kai (Yamanashi-ken) on May 17. Hakii Sanenaga, Lord of Hakii, was a follower of Nichiren. Nichiren would never leave Minobu for almost nine years until September 8,1282.
During this time many events took place in Japan. In October 1274, the Mongolian force landed at Chikuzen in Kyushu. But their 200 ships were capsized by a storm, and only a few soldiers fled alive to Korea. This news once again encouraged the Nichiren Buddhists, and the Daimoku-chanting people increased more and more.
Nagasaki Yoritsuna was displeased with the revival of Nichiren Buddhism, and looked for a chance to suppress them. In those days Nikkô was active in disseminating the Daimoku in the Province of Suruga. Many Tendai priests as well as farmers followed him. In 1279, Gyôchi, Chief Priest of Ryûasenji, a Tendai temple at Atsuwara in the Province of Suruga, arrested twenty Daimoku-chanting farmers, and sent them to Kamakura on the false charge of crop stealing. Nagasaki Yoritsuna tried them in public. They were not questioned about the stealing at all. They were requested only to chant the Nembutsu. Jinshirô and two other farmers were instantly beheaded only because they refused to chant the Nembutsu.
In June 128 1, the Mongolian forces invaded Japan again. They marched into Shiga Island and the Province of Nagato (Yamaguchi-ken), but their ships were again destroyed by storm.
In the same year, a temple was built at Minobu, which was named Kuonji. On November 24, 128 1, the ceremony of celebrating the completion of the building was held.
Nichiren became ill in health in 1278. He wanted to recover his health by bathing in the hot springs at Kakurai in the Province of Hitachi (lbaraki-ken). He left Minobu on September 8. He refrained from passing through the City of Kamakura, from where he started for Minobu eight years before. He reached the residence of Ikegami Munenaka at Ikegami in the Province of Musashi (Tokyo) on September 18. On October 8, he designated the Rokurôsô or the Six Senior Disciples: Nisshô Nichirô Nikkô Nikô, Nitchô and Nichiji, from among his disciples. He passed away at Ikegami on October 13, 1282, at the age of sixty.
Rokurôsô or the Six Senior Disciples of Nichiren
(1) Nisshô (1221-1323). Born of a samurai family in the Province of Shimousa (Chiba-ken). Nichiren's classmate at Hieizan. He visited Nichiren at Matsubagayatsu, Kamakura, in 1253, and became his disciple. After Nichiren's hermitage at Matsubagayatsu was destroyed in the Tatsunokuchi Incident in 1271, he moved to Hama (Zaimokuza), Kamakura. His hermitage at Hama became Hokkeji Temple in 1284. The temple was moved to Kadono in the Province of Izu (Shizuoka-ken) in 1593, and again to Tamazawa in the same province in 162 1, with the name changed to Myôhokkeji.
(2) Nichirô (1245-1320). Nephew of Nisshô Became a follower of Nichiren in 1254. When Nichiren was arrested in the Tatsunokuchi Incident in 1271, Nichirô was imprisoned at Hase, Kamakura. After he was released, Nichirô was taken in by Daigaku Saburô who lived at Hikigayatsu, Kamakura. Daigaku Saburô was a civil official of the Kamakura Government, and rhetorical advisor to Nichiren when he wrote the Risshô-ankoku-ron. Daigaku Saburô had already expressed his faith in Nichiren since 1260. He built a Hokkedô Hall beside his residence, which was later developed into Myôhonji Temple.
After Nichiren died at the residence of Ikegami Munenaka in the Province of Musashi (Tokyo) in 1282, Nichirô founded a Hokkedô Hall beside the residence of Ikegami Munenaka. Ikegami Munenaka was a relative of Nichirô The Hokkedô Hall was remodeled into Hommonji Temple in 1288.
(3) Nikkô (1246-1333). Born of a samurai family in the Province of Kai (Yamanashi-ken). He became a novice priest at a Tendai temple called Shijûkuin in the Province of Suruga (Shizuoka-ken). Nikkô became a follower in 1257 when Nichiren visited Jissôji Temple at Iwamoto which was near Shijûkuin. Jissôji was also a Tendai temple, famous for its library. Nichiren had been preparing to write the Risshô-ankoku-ron. Risshô-ankoku-ron. Although Nichiren had once used the library of Hachimangûji Temple in Kamakura, he chose to travel all the way from Kamakura to Iwamoto because of the ensuing feud between Enryakuji and Onjôji Hachimangûji. The temple at that time, belonged to Onjôji of Mii, not to Enryakuji of Hieizan. Jissôji of Iwamoto later became a Nichiren temple in 1278.
While Nichiren stayed at Minobu from 1274 to 1282, Nikkô propagated the Daimoku among the samurais and countrymen mainly in the provinces of Suruga and Kai. After Nichiren died in 1282, Nichiren's disciples met and decided that his tomb at Minobu be taken care of by one or two of them at a time in two-month shifts. Nikkô acted as secretary at the conference, and the minutes written by him are preserved today. The agreement was observed for the first year or so, but was soon neglected because the priests in Kamakura became too busy to attend Minobu. After Nichiren's death, the Kamakura Government renewed its suppression of the Daimoku-chanting Buddhism. They ordered Nichiren priests in Kamakura to pray for the peace of the government together with the priests of other sects. Otherwise, they warned that the Nichiren temples in Kamakura would be destroyed and the priests, banished from the city. Nisshô and Nichirô appealed to the government and barely saved Nichiren Buddhism from annihilation. This suppression continued till about 1285. Nikkô and his followers lived mostly in the provinces of Suruga and Kai. Nikkô began to stay at Minobu constantly since 1285 where the tomb of Nichiren was taken care of by Nikkô and his followers. Nambu Sanenaga, Lord of Minobu, began to treat Nikkô as the chief priest of Minobusan Kuonji Temple.
Nikô came from Mobara to Minobu in 1285 and worked under Nikkô But Nikkô was displeased by Nikô, who was favored by Nambu Sanenaga. Nikkô then moved from Minobu to his mother's old home at Fuji, Ueno, in the Province of Suruga on December 5, 1288. Nambu Sanenaga made Nikô, the chief priest of Kuonji.
Nikkô would found Taisekiji Temple at Fuji, Ueno, under the patronage of Nanjô Tokimitsu in 1290. He also founded Hommonji Temple at Omosu, Kitayama, in the same province in 1298, and spent the rest of his life there.
After Nikkô died in 1333, many forgeries were made by the followers of Nikkô claiming that Nikkô was the direct successor of Nichiren as the chief priest of Minobusan Kuonji Temple. They called themselves Nikkô Monryû (Branch), and became independent of the main body of the Nichiren Sect. The name of their sect was at first Fuji Ha (Subsect) because most of their temples were founded at the foot of Mt. Fuji. The name of the sect was changed several times thereafter and was finally settled on Nichiren Shôshû in 1912, with Taisekiji Temple as its head temple. Hommonji at Kitayama was transferred to the Nichiren Sect in 1941.
Nikkô did not make any new doctrine. He remained a faithful disciple of Nichiren. The Nichiren-hombutsu-ron or the "Nichiren-Is-True-Buddha" theory was created by Nichigen of the Nikkô Monryû in 1380.
(4) Nikô, (1253-1314). Born of a samurai family at Mobara in the Province of Kazusa (Chiba-ken). He met Nichiren when Nichiren visited his own home town, Kominato, in the province of Awa (Chiba-ken) in 127 1. After Nichiren died in 1282, Nikô, founded a Hokkedô Hall in his home town, Mobara. The Hokkedô Hall was later remodeled to become Sôgenji Temple. Nikô resided in Minobu since 1285. After Nikkô left Minobu in 1288. he became the Chief Priest of Minobusan Kuonji Temple.
(5) Nitchô (1252-1317). Born of a samurai family at Omosu, Kitayama, in the Province of Suruga (Shizuoka-ken). After his father died, his mother remarried Toki Tsunenobu, a samurai at Wakamiya in the Province of Shimousa (Chiba-ken), and Nitchô was adopted as his son. Nitchô entered a nearby Tendai temple called Guhôji as a novice priest. Soon afterwards, Nitchô became a disciple of Nichiren at the recommendation of his father-in-law. When Nichiren was exiled to Sado Island, Nitchô accompanied him. In 1278, Nitchô debated with Ryôshô,
Chief Priest of Guhôji Temple. Refuted by Nitchô Ryôshô eventually left, and Guhôji became a Nichiren temple, with Nitchô as the chief priest. Nitchô tried to approach the Kamakura Government for remonstrance in 1291. To this end, he also requested a public debate with a priest of the Jôdo Sect in 1292. Nitchô's aggressive attitude seemed to displease Toki Tsunenobu. Nitchô left Guhôji in 1292, and returned to his home town, Omosu, which was near Fuji, Ueno, where Nikkô had already founded Taisekiji Temple in 1290. He joined Nikkô and helped him found Hommonji Temple at Omosu, Kitayama, in 1298.
(6) Nichiji (1250-?). Born of a samurai family at Mimatsu in the Province of Suruga (Shizuoka-ken). At a young age, he became a novice priest at Jissôji Temple, which was visited by Nichiren in 1257. In 1270, he met Nikkô and became his disciple. Nikkô took Nichiji to Nichiren, who was then living at Matsubagayatsu, Kamakura. On this occasion, Nichiji became a disciple of Nichiren with the consent of Nikkô In 1280, Nichiji founded a Hokkedô Hall at his home town, Mimatsu. It would become the forerunner of Ren-ei-ji Temple.
Nichiji would attend the 13th memorial service held for Nichiren at Minobusan Kuonji on October 13, 1294. Then, on January 1, 1295, he started on an overseas mission. He went northwards, founded two temples in the Province of Mutsu (Aomori-ken), and three temples in Yezo (Hokkaido). Then he crossed the strait over to Karafuto (Sakhalin), and then went upstream of the Amur River. There are few but no definite accounts as to what happened to Nichiji beyond this point.
Kurôsô or the Nine Senior Disciples of Nichirô
Kurôsô or the Nine Senior Disciples of Nichirô were
| Nichizô (1269-1342), |
| Nichirin (1272-1359), |
| Nichizen (?-?), |
| Nichiden (1277-1341), |
| Nichihan (1201-1320), |
| Nichiin (1264-1328), |
| Honjôbô Nitchô (1239-1326), |
| Nichigyô (1267-1330), and |
| Rôkei (?-1324). |
All these priests were very active in propagating the Daimoku. Nichizô was especially outstanding.
Nichizô was a half brother of Nichirô In 1275, he became a disciple of Nichirô who was then the chief priest of Myohonji Temple, Kamakura. In 1293, he made a vow to propagate the Daimoku in Kyoto. He chanted the Jigage 100 times every night at Yuigahama Beach for one hundred cold days. After completing that practice in February 1294, he visited places connected with Nichiren such as Kominato, Kiyosumi, Minobu and Sado. On his way from Sado to Kyoto, he founded temples in the provinces of Noto (Ishikawa-ken), Kaga (Ishikawa-ken), Wakasa (Fukui-ken) and Omi (Shiga-ken). He reached Kyoto on April 1, 1294.
He preached on the street, and lived on alms. At that time, Kyoto was quickly becoming the commercial center of Japan, and many rich merchants were gaining power. Nichizô was supported by some of them.
The Daimoku-chanting people were increasing in number day after day, year after year; and in ten years they were numerous enough to attract the attention of the monk army of Hieizan, who suppressed any new movement of Buddhism. In 1307, the Chief Abbot of Hieizan, instigated by the monk army, appealed to the Imperial Court in Kyoto for suppression of Nichizô's brethren. The Imperial Court still maintained jurisdiction over the land owned by the Imperial family, nobles, and temples.
As a result, Nichizô was sentenced to exile to the Province of Tosa (Kôchi-ken) that year. But the sentence was nominal. When Nichizô reached Yamasaki in the suburb of Kyoto on his way to Tosa, the monk army became silent. Nichizô stayed there for two years. He was pardoned and allowed to return to Kyoto in 1309. But soon afterwards he was again banished to the Province of Kii (Wakayama-ken). In 1310, he was pardoned, and once again returned to Kyoto.
In 1313, Myôjitsu (1297-1364) became a disciple of Nichizô Myôjitsu was a member of the Konoye family which was closely connected with the Imperial family. This shows how attractive Nichizô had become, so much so, as to attract the attention of the nobility. In 1321, Nichizô was deported from the city of Kyoto for the third time, but within two weeks, he was again pardoned and the propagation of the Daimoku was officially permitted by the Imperial Court. Nichizô founded Myôkenji Temple in Kyoto that year.
The Emperor Godaigo (1288-1339), who ascended the throne in 1318, wished to restore the Imperial regime by overthrowing the Kamakura Government. He made his son Prince Morinaga (1308-1335) a priest in 1326, and appointed him Chief Abbot of Enryakuji Temple of Hieizan in 1327 for the purpose of controlling the monk army of the temple. Thus the head temple of the Tendai Sect of Japan was transformed into the headquarters of the Imperial army. In 1331, the Emperor poised his army against the Kamakura Government, but soon was defeated. He fled to Kasagi in the Province of Yamato (Nara-ken), but was caught and brought to Kyoto in the same year. He would be exiled to Oki Island in 1332.
Prince Morinaga abandoned the priesthood in 1332, and raised his army at Yoshino in the Province of Yamato. He dispatched messengers to temples including Myôkenji, and ordered them to pray for the return of the Emperor to Kyoto. In April 1333, Ashikaga Takauji, a general of the Kamakura army, betrayed the Kamakura Government and sided with the Emperor. This effort returned the Emperor to Kyoto in June 1333. In 1334, Myôkenji was granted the rank of Chokuganji or the "Imperial Prayer Temple."
1. Nikkô Wrongly Designated as the Founder of the Nichiren Shôshû
No Person Designated as Chief Priest of Kuonji Temple by Nichiren
Nichiren selected the Six Senior Disciples: Nisshô Nichirô Nikkô Nikô, Nitchô and Nichiji, on his deathbed at Ikegami on September 8, 1282. He requested them to bury his relics at Minobu, and to take turns in taking care of his tomb and Kuonji Temple in two-month shifts.
Nichiren entered Parinirvâna on the 13th day of next month. His ashes were buried at Minobu on October 26. On January 23, 1283, the one hundredth day memorial service was held for Nichiren at Minobu. Many disciples and lay followers of Nichiren assembled there, but Nikô, and Nitchô were absent. The disciples present discussed their duties at Minobu. The problem was the location of Minobu. Nikkô lived within 60 kilometers from Minobu; and Nichiji, within 80 kilometers. But all the other Senior Disciples lived in farther districts. Kamakura, where Nisshô and Nichirô lived, was 200 kilometers from Minobu; Mama, the residence of Nitchô 280 kilometers; and Mobara, the abode of Nikô, 330 kilometers. In those days travelling was very hard work. It took four days to transport Nichiren's ashes from Ikegami to Minobu. The disciples talked over the problem and decided that twelve more fellow disciples be added to the list of priests on duty, and that the term of shifts be shortened to one month. Thus the schedule of attendance was arranged as follows: January, Nisshô February, Nichirô March, Echizenkô and Awajikô; April, Nitchô May, Nichiji; June, Shimotsukekô and Echigokô; July, Igakô and Chikuzenkô; August, Nichiji and Izumikô; September, Nikkô October, Nikô, November, Nichijitsu and Nichimoku; and December, Jakunichibô and Tambakô. The document of this schedule, which was signed by Nisshô Nichirô Nikkô and Nichiji, is still preserved today. Nikkô signed his name as he was the secretary of the meeting.
The assigned priests attended at Minobu regularly for about one year, but later the priests living in Kamakura were adamant to leave town because they had to defend themselves against the suppression of Nichiren Buddhism which was resumed by the Kamakura Government after the death of Nichiren.
Nichiren Buddhism in Kamakura Threatened to Be Eliminated
Nagasaki Yoritsuna attempted to eliminate the Daimoku-chanting Buddhists from the city of Kamakura upon the occasion of Nichiren's death. He requested the temples of various sects in Kamakura, including Nichiren temples, to pray for the defense of Japan against another possible Mongolian invasion and also for the peace of the Hôjô family. There were only two Nichiren temples in Kamakura at that time: Nisshô's Hokkeji at Hamado, and Nichirô's Myôhonji at Hikigayatsu.
Nisshô and Nichirô refused to pray for the peace of the Hôjô family because the Hôjôs did not chant the Daimoku but persecuted Nichiren Buddhists. Yoritsuna had anticipated their refusal and intended to make it a pretext for suppressing them. He said that, if they disobeyed the government order, they would be banished from the city, and their temples would be destroyed. For fear that Nichiren Buddhism would be eradicated from the city, Nisshô and Nichirô finally yielded to the order. In 1285 with the petition that the priests of all the sects in Kamakura be assembled to conduct a public debate with Nichiren priests as to what teaching of the Buddha should be considered the most excellent one.
When Nikkô heard of the suppression of Nichiren Buddhism in Kamakura, he sympathized with Nisshô and Nichirô and made up his mind to take care of Nichiren's tomb and Kuonji Temple on their behalf. He wrote to Mimasakabô, one of his friends, on October 18, 1284:
Nikkô stayed at Minobu continuously since late 1285. Soon afterwards, Nikô, came to Minobu to help. Nambu Sanenaga, Lord of Minobu, favored Nikô In time, a rift formed between Nikkô and Sanenaga, forcing Nikkô to leave on December 5, 1288.
Nikkô had a disciple called Nichimoku. Nanjô Tokimitsu, Nichimoku's uncle, invited Nikkô to his residence at Taiseki-ga-hara, Ueno, in the Province of Suruga (Shizuoka-ken), and built Taisakiji Temple for Nikkô in 1290. He also helped to build another temple, Hommonji for Nikkô at Omosu, Kitayama, only two kilometers away from Taisekiji Temple, with the cooperation of Ishikawa Yoshitada and others in 1298. Nikkô moved to Kitayama Hommonji in 1298, and spent the rest of his life there.
Taisekiji Temple preserves the so-called "Two-Transfer Documents." According to the Dictionary of Buddhist Terms and Concepts, published by Nichiren Shôshû International Center in 1983, these documents are: 1. Nichiren Ichigo Guhô Fuzoku Shû written by Nichiren at Minobu in September 1282, in which Nichiren transferred the entirety of his teachings to Nikkô and entrusted him with the mission of propagating true Buddhism, and 2. Minobusan Fuzoku Shû written by Nichiren at the residence of Ikegami Munenaka on October 13, 1282, in which Nichiren appointed Nikkô as the High Priest of Minobusan Kuonji, and proclaimed that all the disciples of Nichiren should follow Nikkô. The two documents are given as the Minobu Sôjô and the Ikegami Sôjô respectively in the Nichiren Shû Shûgaku Zensho, Vol. 11.
The existence of the two documents was mentioned for the first time in the Hyakugojikkajô, written by Nikkyô (1428-1489) in 1480, but the contents of the two documents in this mentioning are different from what are preserved at Taisekiji Temple today. This shows that several forgeries had already been made by the time of Nikkyô. It is interesting to see that Nichidô (1283-1341), the fourth Chief Priest of Taisekiji Temple, clearly states in his Nikkô Shônin Goden Sôan (The Biography of Nikkô) that Nikkô stayed at Minobu for three years, not for six years.
The Minobu Sôjô bears the statement that the Hommon no Kaidan (the Precepts Platform of True Buddhism) should be established at Fujisan Hommonji. Fujisan Hommonji is another name for Nishiyama Hommonji, which was founded by Nichidai (1294-1394), who had been ousted from Kitayama Hommonji because of a succession dispute. The Minobu Sôjô may have been created by a successor of the chief priesthood of Nishiyama Hommonji. At one time, Nishiyama Hommonji was friendly with Taisekiji. Therefore, Taisekiji had no objection to keeping the document although the place of the Kaidan was assigned to Nishiyama Hommonji, and not to Taisekiji. The two temples became hostile with each other after Taisekiji produced the Ita-honzon. Incidentally, the dictionary published by the Nichiren Shôshû on-tits the statement about Fujisan Hommonji in the Minobu Sôjô that the Hommon no Kaidan should be established at Fujisan Hommonji.
These forgeries were made not by Nikkô but by some of his successors who wished to justify their schools by claiming that it was orthodox while the other branches of Nichiren Buddhism were not. The orthodoxy question was an outcome of the unstable political condition of the time. There were two factions in the Imperial family in those days. The split was fomented as early as 1259, when the Ex-Emperor Gosaga dethroned the Emperor Gofukakusa, his first son, in favor of his second son, who became the Emperor Kameyama. Gofukakusa became the head of the Jimyôintô House; and Kameyama, that of the Daikakujitô House. When the Emperor Godaigo of the Daikakujitô House fled to Yoshino, south of Kyoto, in 1336, the Daikakujitô House was called the Southern Dynasty, and the Jimyôintô House, who installed the Emperor Kômyô in Kyoto, was called the Northern Dynasty. Kitabatake Chikafusa (1293-1354) wrote the Jinnô-shôtô-ki in 1339, in which he contended that the Southern Dynasty was the orthodox lineage of the Imperial family. The Southern Dynasty was amalgamated into the Northern Dynasty in 1392, but some people were still active in their attempts to restore the Southern Dynasty.
Nichiren Identified with the True Buddha
Nichiren was first identified with the True Buddha by Nichigen (-1486) of Nishiyama Hommonji.
According to the Lotus sûtra Sâkyamuni Buddha, who was in the Stûpa of Prabhûataratna Buddha, transmitted the Dharma to Visistacâritra Bodhisattva (Jôgyô Bosatsu). Nikkô held that Nichiren was the reincarnation of (Jôgyô Bosatsu. So did his disciple Nichizon (1265-1345), who founded Jôgyô -in Temple in Kyoto, the temple being named after the Bodhisattva. But his disciple Hongaku Nichidai (1309-1369), went so far as to say that Nichiren himself entered the stûpa and received the Dharma directly from Sâkyamuni Buddha. This misinterpretation of the Lotus Sûtra) finally culminated in the creation of the Nichiren-Is-True-Buddha theory by Nichigen.
According to Nichigen, Sâkyamuni Buddha saved people by the teachings of the Lotus Sûtra The Lotus Sûtra) was good only for the people living in the lifetime of Sâkyamuni Buddha. We are now in the Age of Degeneration. The True Dharma, which is applicable to the people of this age, is not the Lotus Sûtra but the word Myôhô Renge Kyô. The word Myôhô Renge Kyô is the seed of Buddhahood to be sown in the minds of people by the Original Buddha. The Nichiren Shôshû holds that only Nichiren sowed the seed of Buddhahood in the minds of people, and therefore, that Nichiren is the Original Buddha, the True Buddha.
Those of the Nichiren Shôshû Sect never refer to Nichiren as "Nichiren Daibosatsu (Great Bodhisattva)" because they hold that Nichiren is the Buddha. We, on the other hand, worship Nichiren as the representative of the Samgha. They replace Nichiren with Nikkô as the representative of the Samgha.
In those days usurpation was frequent. The lower dominated the upper very often. The Emperor Gokomatsu was enthroned in 1382. His father, the Ex-Emperor Goenyû, died in 1393. The Gokomatsu's mother died in 1406. It was believed to be ill-omened to hold an official Imperial funeral twice during the regnal years of an emperor. There was a regulation that, if the Empress Dowager died after the Ex-Emperor during the regnal years of an emperor, a lady of the Imperial family should be installed as the mother-in-law of the emperor, and that the funeral of the natural mother of the emperor should be held unofficially. The Shôgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu violated this regulation. He appointed his wife, who was not a member of the Imperial family, as the mother-in-law of the Emperor Gokomatsu. Thus, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu became the father-in-law of the emperor. On April 25, 1408, Yoshimitsu held a ceremony of manhood for his second son Yoshitsugu. The ceremony was exactly the same as that performed when one is appointed Crown Prince. If Yoshimitsu had not died three days later, he would have obtained the title of Emperor or Ex-Emperor. He failed in his plot, but Nichigen succeeded in making Nichiren the True Buddha.
Extreme Exclusivism
It was about this time that the Ita-honzon was created by Nichi-u (1409-1482), the ninth Chief Priest of Taisekiji Temple. The Ita-honzon is a Great Mandala engraved on a camphor wood plank. It is claimed that the Great Mandala was written by Nichiren on October 12, 1279. The Ita-honzon has a note that this Great Mandala was given to Yashiro. Nichi-u claimed that this Ita-mandala was the most legitimate Honzon that Nichiren intended to inscribe, and that all the other Mandalas written on paper by Nichiren and the other priests were worthless. Nichiren and Nikkô, however, never wrote the Mandala on a plank. Nikkô prohibited making an Ita-honzon in his Fuji-isseki-monto-zonji-no-koto, claiming that an engraving on a plank would belittle the value of handwriting.
Nichi-u also said that this Ita-honzon was transferred from Yashiro to Taisekiji, therefore making Taisekiji the only temple which preserves the most legitimate Honzon handed down from Nichiren. His claim of orthodoxy offended the other temples founded by Nikkô or his successors.
Kôzôin Nisshin (1508-1576), Chief Priest of Yôbôji Temple of the Nikkô School in Kyoto, made efforts to make peace between the temples belonging to the Nikkô School. Friendship between them seemed to be restored for some time, but after his death the Nikkô School fell into anarchy again. Under the pressure of the Meiji Government, Taisekiji joined the Nichiren Shi! Kômon Ha, which was organized by the temples of the Nikkô School, in 1876. The name of this sect was changed to Hommon Shû in 1899. Later, Taisekiji seceded from the Hommon Shû in 1900, and called itself Nichiren Shû Fuji Ha. The name of the sect was changed to Nichiren Shôshû in 1912. The Hommon Shû was amalgamated into the Nichiren Shû in 1941. Yôbôji of Kyoto, which had been one of the main temples of the Hommon Shû seceded from the Nichiren Shû in 1953, and called itself Nichiren Honshû.
The Nichiren Shôshû was a small organization of about seventy temples before the war. Now the number of temples has rapidly soared up to more than four hundred because of the explosion of the population of the Sôkagakkai, which is or was supporting the Nichiren Shoshu.
2. Myôkenji, the First Nichiren Temple in Kyoto
What Nichiren most ardently desired to realize in his life was to approach the Emperor in Kyoto for the purpose of converting him to the Faith in the Wonderful Dharma. On his deathbed, Nichiren summoned Nichizô (1269-1342), a disciple of Nichirô and commissioned him to propagate the Daimoku in the Imperial city.
Nichizô entered Kyoto on April 14, 1294. In those days Kyoto was one of the most prosperous commercial centers of Japan. Nichizô preached on the street, chanting the Daimoku. This new type of Buddhism attracted merchants and craftsmen. The group of Daimoku-chanting Buddhists led by Nichizô grew from day to day to a size remarkable enough to draw the attention of the monk army of Hieizan, who disliked new Buddhist movements. The monk army had already opposed Nembutsu-chanting Buddhists led by Hônen in 1204 in such a way that the army appealed to the Regent Ex-Emperor Gotoba to suppress them. In the same way, they appealed to the Regent Ex-Emperor Gouda to suppress Nichiren Buddhists in 1307.
Gouda issued an order to exile Nichizô to Hata in the Province of Tosa (Kôchi-ken) Nichizô left Kyoto for Hata, but when he reached Yamasaki, a suburb of Kyoto, he realized that the monk army was satisfied with Nichizô's mere disappearance from Kyoto. So he decided not to proceed further, and remained at Yamasaki, to propagate the Daimoku. In 1309, he was pardoned and returned to Kyoto. However, he was again banished from Kyoto in 1310 and sent to Shishinose in the Province of Kii (Wakayama-ken). In 1311, he was pardoned once more, and returned to Kyoto.
In 1313, Myôjitsu (1297-1364) became a disciple of Nichizô Myôjitsu was a member of the Konoye family, which was closely connected with the Imperial family. This demonstrates that Nichiren Buddhism in Kyoto had already become attractive enough to invite a member of the nobility.
In 1321, Nichizô was for the third time ousted from the city. But this banishment seemed to be only a device to avert a temporary threat by the monk army because he was pardoned only two weeks later. Contrary to the punishment, he was officially permitted to propagate the Daimoku by the Emperor Godaigo (1268-1339). Nichizô would found Myôkenji, Temple in the city that year.
Nichiren Buddhism in Kyoto rapidly developed in the reign of the Emperor Godaigo, who wished to restore the Imperial regime by overthrowing the Kamakura Government. In 1326, the Emperor had his son Prince Morinaga (1308-1335) become a priest, and next year he appointed him the Chief Abbot of Enryakuji Temple of Hieizan to seize the leadership of the monk army. With this act, the head temple of the Tendai Sect turned into the headquarters of the Imperial army. In May 133 1, the Emperor attempted to raise his army against the Kamakura Government, but the plot was revealed, and the Emperor fled to Kasagi in the Province of Yamato (Nara-ken) in August that year. In a month, the Kamakura Government enthroned a prince of the Jimyôbintô House without proper ceremony because the Sanshu-no-jingi, which was the symbol of the throne, was still in the hands of the Emperor Godaigo. In the same month, Godaigo was captured and brought back to Kyoto, and was compelled to hand the symbol of the throne to the prince, who became the Emperor Kogon. But Godaigo never gave up calling himself Emperor. Thus, this period saw the existence of two emperors. Godaigo was exiled to Oki Island in March, 1332.
In November 1332, Prince Morinaga abandoned his priesthood, left Hieizan, reached Yoshino, and raised an army against the Kamakura Government. But he was defeated in February 1333, upon which he would flee to Kôyasan. In the same month, the Emperor Godaigo escaped from Oki Island, and organized his army on the mainland.
In May 1333, Prince Morinaga dispatched messengers from Yoshino to various temples, and ordered them to pray for the return of the Emperor Godaigo to Kyoto. On this occasion, Myôkenji, was included in the list of the temples. This shows that Myôkenji, had already grown up to a temple remarkable enough to receive the order of the prince.
In the same month, the Imperial army, joined by that of the prince, marched into Kyoto. Next month, the Emperor Godaigo returned to the city, and dethroned Kogon. Prince Morinaga was appointed Shôgun On April 14,1334, Myôkenji, was given the rank of Chokuganji, or the "Imperial-Prayer-Temple" by the Emperor Godaigo.
In 1387, Myôkenji, was destroyed by the monk army of Hieizan. Nissei, the chief priest of the temple, fled to Obama in the Province of Wakasa (Fukui-ken). Through the reconciliation of the Shôgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the monk army consented that the temple would be allowed to be restored on the condition that the name of the temple be changed. Accordingly, the temple had its name changed to Myôhonji, and was rebuilt in 1397. The original name Myôkenji, was recovered as late as 1519.
3. Honkokuji and the Ashikaga Family
The second largest Nichiren temple in Kyoto was Honkokuji, which was founded in 1345. This temple was closely connected with the Ashikaga family. In order to explain the relationship between the temple and the Ashikaga family, we must go back to the story of Nichi-in (1264-1328), one of the Nine Senior Disciples of Nichirô
Nichirô died in 1320. When the first year memorial service for him was held at Myôhonji in Kamakura in 1321, Nichi-in did not attend the service but held the same service at Honshôji, which he had already founded in the same city. This meant that Nichi-in declared independence from Myôhonji
Nichi-in transferred Honshôji, to his disciple Nichijô (1298-1369) in 1327. Nichijô was Aahikaga Takauji's (1304-1358) uncle.
When the Emperor Godaigo raised his army against the Kamakura Government in 1333, Aahikaga Takauji was a general of the Kamakura Government army. When the government army proceeded to Shinomura in the Province of Tamba (Kyoto-fu) to attack the Imperial army, Takauji changed his mind, sided with the Emperor, and marched into Kyoto with the Imperial army. When the Kamakura Government collapsed that year, Takauji thought that he would be appointed Shôgun Contrary to his expectation, Prince Morinaga was appointed Shôgun Seeing this, Takauji changed his mind again, and established his own government called Bugyôsho in the same city.
In order to compromise with Takauji, the Emperor Godaigo discharged Prince Morinaga from the Shogunate, and sent him as a hostage to Takauji's garrison in Kamakura under the care of his brother Ashikaga Tadayoshi (1306-1352). But the Emperor hesitated in appointing Takauji Shôgun because Takauji was not a member of the Imperial family.
In February 1335, Hôjô Tokiyuki, a surviving member of the Hôjô family, occupied Kamakura in an attempt to restore the Kamakura Government. Takauji hurried back to Kamakura and killed Tokiyuki. On this occasion, Takauji killed Prince Morinaga as well, called his brother to raise an army against the Emperor, and then marched into Kyoto in June of 1336. The Emperor fled to Hieizan, whereby Takauji enthroned the Emperor Kômyô a brother of the Ex-Emperor Kogon. Takauji captured Godaigo, and compelled him to hand the symbol of the throne to the new Emperor Kômyô. In November 1336, Takauji was finally appointed the First Shôgun of the Ashikaga Government by the Emperor Kômyô In December 1336, Godaigo escaped from Kyoto, ran to Yoshino, south of Kyoto, where he founded the Southern Dynasty. Godaigo died in 1339, and the throne of the Southern Dynasty was transferred to his last son, who was called the Emperor Gomurakami.
Nichijô entered Kyoto in 1341, and founded Honkokuji Temple in 1345 under the patronage of Ashikaga Takauji. Nichijô announced that Honkokuji was not a new temple but a new name given to Honshôji, Temple of Kamakura, which was moved to Kyoto. On this occasion, Honshôji, of Kamakura changed its name to Chôshôji.
4. Toki Tsunenobu and Nakayama Hokekyôji
Toki Tsunenobu (1216-1299), who lived at Wakamiya in the Province of Shimousa (Chiba-ken), was acquainted with Nichiren's family before Nichiren was born. He became a follower of Nichiren soon after Nichiren founded the Order of the Wonderful Dharma. Toki was a servant of the provincial governor, who was the head of the Chiba family. The office of the provincial government was at Chiba.
Toki Tsunenobu married widow of a samurai, who lived at Omosu, Kitayama, in the Province of Suruga (Shizuoka-ken). She had two sons, who were adopted by Tsunenobu. The Tsunenobu's family temple was Guhôji of the Tendai Sect at Mama in the same province. Tsunenobu entered his first son-in-law into Guhôji as a novice priest. However, after Toki became a follower of Nichiren, his son-in-law also followed Nichiren. Nichiren named the new disciple Nitchô
In 1278, Nitchô refuted the chief priest of Guhôji in a debate. The chief priest retired, and Nitchô would become the chief priest of the temple. However, in dispute with his father-in-law, Nitchô left Mama to live in his home town, Omosu, in 1292. Tsunenobu then became a priest by the name of Nichijô, and took care of Guhôji He also remodeled his residence at Wakamiya into a temple called Hokkeji. Hokkeji. was adjacent to the residence of Ota Jômyô, who was also a follower of Nichiren. A son of Ota Jômyô would become a disciple of Nichijô Nichikô by name. After Nichijô died in 1299, Nichikô made the residence of his father into a temple called Hommyôji, and became its chief priest. Nichikô also oversaw Hokkeji at Wakamiya.
Chiba Tanesada, the head of the Chiba family, would become a follower of Nichikô Since then Nichiren Buddhism in the Province of Shimousa rapidly developed under the patronage of the Chiba family. Hokkeji of Wakamiya and Hommyôji, of Nakayama were united into Nakayama Hokekyôji in 1545.
5. Nichiji and the Kempon Hokke Sect
Before becoming a member of the Nichiren Sect, Nichiji (1312-1392) was a Tendai priest called Gemmyô. He was born at Kurokawa (Aizu-Wakamatsu) in the Province of Aizu (Fukushima-ken). In 1332, he entered Hieizan for study. In 1351, he would become a nôke or teacher of the monastic school of Hieizan.
During his stay there, he was acquainted with Nichi-in, a Nichiren priest connected with Taisekiji Temple. Nichi-in was the chief priest of Jissôji Temple affiliated with Taisekiji Temple at Kurokawa, the home town of Gemmyô. Gemmyô. learned much of Nichiren Buddhism from him.
Gemmyô. returned to his home town in 1371, and became the chief priest of Tôkôji Temple of the Tendai Sect in the city. He opened a school of Tendai Buddhism in his temple, and received many students from around the district.
In 1379, Gemmyô. happened to read Nichiren's Kaimokushô and Nyosetsu-shugyô-shô, and was deeply moved by these writings. He decided to convert himself to Nichiren Buddhism, and changed his name to Nichijû. At that time he was already 67 years old. He visited Jitsujôji Temple to see Nichi-in, who had however already passed away. Hearing that Nissô of Guhôji Temple at Mama in the Province of Shimousa (Chiba-ken) was a noted scholar of Nichiren Buddhism, he visited Nissô with his six disciples in 1360. Nissô warmly received them, and appointed Nichijû as the head of the school of his temple.
Nichijû realized that remonstrance with the government was one of the most important duties of Nichiren Buddhists since Nichiren remonstrated with the Hôjô Government of Kamakura by submitting the Risshô-ankoku-ron to Hôjô Tokiyori. Many Nichiren Buddhists followed Nichiren in this respect. Nikkô wrote a letter to the Kamakura Government in 1289. So did Nitchô in 1291, Nichiben in 1293, and Nikô in 1329. In 1333, Nichimoku, a disciple of Nikkô left Taisekiji for Kyoto to see the Emperor in person, but died of illness at Tarui on his way to Kyoto.
During the time, Guhôji Temple was associated with Hommyôji, at Nakayama. Nichijô visited Hommyôji, and paid his respect to Nisson, the chief priest of the temple.
In 1381, Nichiji decided to visit Kyoto to approach the Emperor. He lodged at the residence of a merchant called Tennôji Tsûmyô. Acting as a deputy of Nisson, Chief Priest of Hommyôji, Temple, he visited the Imperial Court, and submitted a letter to the Imperial secretary, beseeching the Emperor to convert to the faith of the Wonderful Dharma. The Emperor acknowledged Nichijû's visit, and conferred a priest-rank on him. Nichijô rejoiced at the Imperial gift, and reported it to the tomb of Nichiren at Minobu on his way back to Mama although he could not confirm that the Emperor was converted.
In 1382, he founded Honkôji Temple at Umorebashi in Kamakura. In the same year, he visited Kyoto again. In 1383, he made his third visit to Kyoto, but at this time he did not act as a deputy of Nisson, but as the Chief Priest of Honkôji Temple. This signifies that he had already intended to depart from Nakayama Hommyôji, Tennôji Tsûmyô built a hermitage for him. In 1378, Nissô of Gumyôji Temple at Mama would pass away. Soon thereafter Nichiji declared independence from Nakayama Hommyôji, The hermitage built by Tennôji Tsûmyô was enlarged and made into a temple called Myômanji, which is now the head temple of the Kempon Hokke Sect.
© 1997 - Nichiren Buddhist International Center
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