Introduction
This letter is dated on the 13th day of the 5th month without any mention of the year of writing, but it is thought that it was written in the second year of Kōan (1279). The final page of the original manuscript exists in the Jōsenji Temple in Tokyo. Nichiren makes a strong plea in the letter, but its meaning is not entirely clear as the preceding part of the document is unavailable.

A Letter of a Matter of Importance

(heretofore missing) Please speak earnestly. This is a matter of importance to me, Nichiren.

On the 13th day of the fifth month

Nichiren (signature)

Above I’ve reproduced the entirety of page 116 of Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Biography and Disciples, Volume 5. I’m using the Ichidaiji Gosho as an example to illustrate Ven. Kenjo Igarashi’s explanation of why so many of Nichiren’s letters are in pieces (like the one above) or are disputed as forgeries.

Rev. Igarashi offered this explanation during the Sacarmento Nichiren Buddhist Church service April 8. The subject of Nichiren Shōnin’s letters came up in the context of Rev. Igarashi’s studies after talking his original vow to become a monk 50 years ago on April 28, 1968. I’m paraphrasing and rearranging things a bit.

During the Edo Period (between 1603 and 1868), Nichiren’s letters were thought to have medicinal value. It was widely believed that Nichiren was able to extend the life of his mother several years by writing out the entire Lotus Sūtra, burning the pages and having his mother drink the ashes from a glass of water. As a result, people who were seriously ill would take small clippings from Nichiren’s letters, burn them and drink the ashes. The market for Nichiren’s letters exploded, making them extremely expensive, which in turn attracted opportunistic forgers to meet the demand.

(For another view of medicinal value of the Lotus Sūtra, see Day 52 of 100.)
100 Days of Study

This letter was written in 1277 by Nichiren on behalf of Shinjō Yorimoto and submitted to the lord of the Ema family, for whom Shinjō Yorimoto worked. At this point Yorimoto is recalling what Sammi-kō, a disciple of Nichiren, said in debate with Ryūzō-bō, a priest from Mt. Hiei:

“Master Shan-tao of the Pure Land Sect in China said that ten out of ten or 100 out of 100 of those who practice the nembutsu will be able to be reborn in the Pure Land through the power of the original vow of Amitābha Buddha, but not even one out of one thousand persons who practice the holy way gate such as the Lotus Sūtra will be able to attain Buddhahood. Priest Hōnen of the Pure Land Sect in Japan urged his followers to abandon, close, set aside, and cast away the Lotus Sūtra, the holy way gate, calling the practicers of the holy way gate a school of bandits. Zen Sect insists that Śākyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment is transmitted to practicers only through the mind (special transmission without scriptures or preachings) and therefore sūtras are needless.

“The Buddha Śākyamuni, however, states in the Lotus Sūtra: ‘I will reveal the Truth after an extensive period of preaching.’ The Buddha of Many Treasures also verified that ‘The Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma is entirely true,’ and the Buddhas manifested in the worlds throughout the universe also testify to the truth of the Lotus Sūtra. Which should we believe between the two: Śākyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of Many Treasures and the Buddhas manifested in the worlds throughout the universe who prove the truth of the Lotus Sūtra, or Grand Master Kōbō of Japan who says that the Lotus Sūtra is a sūtra of no merit? Śākyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of Many Treasures, and the Buddhas manifested in the worlds throughout the universe preach that all without exception will attain Buddhahood through the Lotus Sūtra, but Master Shan-tao and Priest Hōnen said that no one could attain Buddhahood through the Lotus Sūtra, which we should abandon, close, set aside, and cast away. The teachings of Śākyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of Many Treasures, and the Buddhas in manifestation and those uttered by Master Shan-tao and Priest Hōnen are as different as fire and water or clouds and mud. Which should we put faith in? Which should we discard? …

To this question put forth by Sammi-kō, Ryūzō-bō replied: “How can I have any doubts about such senior masters as Shan-tao and Hōnen? The only thing that ordinary monks like myself can do is to pay respect and venerate them.”

Then, Sammi-kō asked again: “Such an answer does not sound like your teaching. Although everybody respects their senior masters or men of virtue, it is willed in the Nirvana Sūtra, preached last by the Buddha, ‘Rely on the dharma, not on masters.’ This means that since masters may have made mistakes, one should depend upon the sūtras the Buddha expounded.

Yorimoto Shinjō, Yorimoto’s Letter of Explanation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Biography and Disciples, Volume 5,
Pages 101-102

Since I brought up the idea yesterday that “Nichiren frequently admonished listeners to focus on the Dharma, not the man,” I felt it useful to offer this example.

I am sorry to trouble you, but I would like to inform you of one thing in advance. This master, Nichiren Shōnin, is the one and only master of virtue and is a sagacious and irreplaceable person. If the worst should happen, you would surely be sorry. It is rather foolish for you not to believe in him just because the people in the world do not believe in him. When the rulers of Japan put faith in him, everyone will believe in him. It will be useless for you to believe in him then. Putting faith in him because the rulers of Japan believe in him means that you believe in a man, not the dharma. The people in the world think that children must obey their parents, retainers obey their lord, and disciples follow their masters, but this is a wrong idea held by those who know neither Buddhism nor non-Buddhist teachings. In the Filial Piety, a Confucian classic, it is stated that when a father makes a mistake, his son should remonstrate with him, and that when a lord makes a mistake, his retainer should admonish him. In Buddhism it is preached: “He who enters Buddhism, discarding the favors of his parents, is one who truly compensates the favors received from his parents.”

Prince Siddhārtha, who had become a monk against the wishes of His father, King Suddodana, became the Buddha to lead His parents to Buddhahood. In the end He became the most filial son in the world. Filial Pi-kan was killed for remonstrating his father, King Chou Hsin of the Yin Dynasty, and left behind the fame of being a man of wisdom. If you disregard what I say as words of a petty monk, I am sure you will regret it not only in the present life but also in the one to come.

Shimoyama Goshōsoku, The Shimoyama Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Biography and Disciples, Volume 5, Page 60

As explained in the Introduction to this letter: “In the sixth month of the 3rd year of the Kenji era (1277), Nichiren Shōnin wrote a letter of explanation in place of Inaba-bō Nichiei, a disciple of Nichiren, and submitted it to Nichiei’s father, Shimoyama Hyōgo Gorō Mitsumoto. … Nichiei and his father had been devotees of the nembutsu. Nichiei, however, was converted by Nichiren on Mt. Minobu and became his disciple, abandoning the nembutsu piety. This letter is an explanation of his religious principle to his father, Mitsumoto.”

Underscored here for me is the idea that not believing in Nichiren because of what others say or believing in Nichiren only because of what others say “means that you believe in a man, not the dharma.” Nichiren frequently admonished listeners to focus on the Dharma, not the man. After all, it is the Dharma, not the man, that will lead you to enlightenment.

One interesting aspect of this volume of biographical letters is the insight into Nichiren’s life. For example, this story of how Nichiei first heard Nichiren:

In the summer of the eleventh year of the Bun’ei Era (1274), Nichiren Shōnin, who has recently become widely known in Japan, came to live in seclusion at the foot of an isolated mountain called Mt. Minobu located in the districts of Iino, Mimaki, and Hakii in the same province of Kai, to which Shimoyama also belongs. Even those of considerably high social standing are not allowed to listen to him preach except if they have special connections.

Having heard of a certain person seeing Nichiren, I sneaked into the backyard of his hermitage and hid myself. I did not intend to become a follower but wanted just to have a glance at how things were. I could roughly hear what he preached as he answered questions.

This lengthy letter included several notes that I’ll include here for future reference:

“Jigage” of the Lotus Sutra

The sixteenth chapter on the “Life Span of the Buddha” ends with a verse. As this verse begins with the phrase “ji-ga-toku-butsu-rai, ” it is called “jiga-ge (jiga verse).” This is the most important part of the Lotus Sūtra because it teaches us that Śākyamuni Buddha is original and eternal, and that He always shows His mercy to us. In its last stanza the Buddha utters:
I am always thinking:
“How shall I cause all living beings
To enter the unsurpassed way
And quickly become Buddhas?”

Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō

“Myōhōrengekyō” is the full title of the Lotus Sūtra, the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma. With the word of “namu (I revere),” this phrase is called the daimoku, myōgendai, or gendai (wonderful title). Nichiren states in his “Shishin-gohon-shō,’ ” Myōhōrengekyō, which consists of the five Chinese characters, is neither a mere phrase nor a doctrine of the sūtra, but the soul of the Lotus Sūtra consisting of twenty-eight chapters.’ In his “Kanjin-hozon-shō ( A Treatise on the Spiritual Contemplation and Most Venerable One), Nichiren declares: “The gist of these passages is that Śākyamuni Buddha’s merit of practicing the bodhisattva way leading to Buddhahood, as well as that of preaching and saving all living beings since His attaining Buddhahood are altogether contained in the five words of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō (wonderful, dharma, lotus flower and sūtra); and that consequently, when we uphold these five words, the merits which He accumulated before and after His attainment of Buddhahood are naturally transferred to us.” It is believed by Nichiren Buddhists that chanting this sacred title or the daimoku is the only way to attain Buddhahood.

Original and Eternal Buddha

When Nichiren Buddhists adore Śākyamuni Buddha, they pray: “With reverence we adore the Buddha Śākyamuni, the Great Benefactor, the Original and Eternal Teacher who attained Buddhahood in the remotest past. (Manual of Nichiren Buddhism published by the Headquarters of the Nichiren Shū in July, 1995). Kuon-jitsujō or eternal and original: This phrase expresses that Śākyamuni Buddha has been enlightened in the eternal past as revealed in the 16th chapter of the Lotus Sūtra. According to this chapter the Buddha had already been enlightened an immeasurably long time ago, and Śākyamuni Buddha, who attained enlightenment at Buddhagayā, is merely a provisional manifestation of this Original and Eternal Buddha. This Buddha, however, is not different from the Buddha being adored at Buddhagayā. It is recommended for readers to read this chapter and some of Nichiren’s works. The Lotus Sūtra states that Śākyamuni Buddha was enlightened, not for the first time under the bodhi tree at Buddhagayā, but in the remotest past, which is usually called five hundred dust particle nayuta kalpa ago; since then He has shown mercy by taking various measures for saving beings with no discrimination.