This is another in a series of daily articles concerning Kishio Satomi's book, "Japanese Civilization; Its Significance and Realization; Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles," which details the foundations of Chigaku Tanaka's interpretation of Nichiren Buddhism and Japan's role in the early 20th century.
Senchu Murano, in his introduction to Bruno Petzold’s book, Buddhist Prophet Nichiren–A Lotus In The Sun, mentions that Kishio Satomi’s description of Nichiren’s life incorporates legends into the life story of Nichiren, but, Murano adds, these legends “do not adversely affect his outline of Nichiren Buddhism.”
Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p127-130Nichiren started for Kamakura on missionary work and he founded a cell at Matsbagayats of Nagoe in Kamakura. He was looking out for a good opportunity there.
At the outset, he was used to going out to preach his new doctrine on one of the crossroads named Komachi, which was one of the gayest places in Kamakura. Sometimes he preached the truth of the Hokekyo, sometimes he denounced Buddhist fallacies, and sometimes he would criticize politics, etc. A crowd of people always surrounded him. Most of them turned persecutors on the spot, while some took advantage of the extraordinary instruction. He was now hated by almost all the citizens. He was stoned, he was beaten with sticks, he was abused every day whenever he appeared before the public.
At that time people were panic-stricken by famines, comets, fearful epidemics and earthquakes, etc., which followed one another incessantly. The miserable condition was such that people could hardly bear to look at it. Nichiren pondered over what might be the root of these calamities, so he went to the library of the Zisso temple not very far from Kamakura in order to reread all the Scriptures.
He wrote an essay in order to get his idea into shape and entitled it “Rissho Ankoku Ron.” It is written in a flowery style with care for rhetoric and much more dialogue in the original than in the following translation. The title means “The Establishment of Righteousness for the Security of the Country.” (The Japanese Emperor conferred an honorable title on Nichiren as The Great Master Risshō on the thirteenth of October in the eleventh year of Taisho, A.D. 1922). [Rissho Ankoku Ron] begins thus:
“A visitor came forth unto me bewailing that: From a few years ago to this very day, there have been calamities and catastrophes in heaven and in earth, famines and plagues accompanied with misery throughout the land. Horses and cattle are dying on the roadsides, and the skeletons are scattered on the road; more than one-half of the population have died, and there is no one who does not mourn it” (Works, p. 1).
Out of compassion, not only for the sake of the people who were suffering as a result of these calamities, but also in consequence of the superstitious practices to which they resorted, Nichiren turned the question over in his mind and exclaimed: What are the causes of these evils, and how can they be remedied? After examining All the Scriptures, especially the significant letters of those Scriptures, viz. the Konkōmyokyo (Śuvarṇa Prabhāsa), Daishukkyo, Ninnōkyo, Yakushikyo (Bhesajyaguru-sūtra), etc., he considered the causes of these calamities. As a result, he reached the final conclusion that these calamities were caused by the people’s negligence of the righteousness of the Hokekyo. Thereupon he described with the authority of the Scriptures what he thought, in other words he gave his ardent warnings in his powerful letters. The calamities are nothing but a great warning from heaven to human beings concerning their adhesion to heresy; so he believed. Thus, he sent this essay to the Hōjōs Government, and also laid it before the public. He prophesied in this book. According to it, if the Government and the nation would not turn to the Truth of the Hokekyo, the country would experience foreign invasions and internal disturbances (Works, p. 19). He presented this essay to the Government authorities on the 16th day in the seventh month of 1260. But most of the authorities of the Government were the believers or converts of the Zen or Nenbuts Sects, and they were influenced by some other priests who were opponents of Nichiren. The Government ignored his warning and said nothing openly about it, while they tacitly permitted the people’s plot of attack on Nichiren’s life; not only the common people, but even men of honor and high position joined together.
Satomi offers some (for me) new perspectives on the players in the drama around Nichiren’s first exile.
Nichirenism and the Japanese National Principles, p147When he dispatched [Rissho Ankoku Ron] letter to Hei no Saemon, the course to be pursued by the government towards Nichiren had already been decided upon. Probably soon after reading this letter Hei no Saemon in person set off to seize Nichiren, and he was in command of about three hundred armed soldiers under Shōbō’s guidance, who was one of Nichiren’s disciples, and whom we may compare with Judas who betrayed Christ. All of a sudden, the troops broke into Nichiren’s hut and destroyed whatever came within their reach (Works, pp. 529-30, 394). Nichiren did not show the least agitation, but exclaimed in a loud voice:
” How strange is the madness of Hei no Saemon! Behold! You are now going to let the Pillar of Japan fall” (Works, p. 394).
This “Judas” plays an important role in Nichiren’s telling of the events:
At that moment, Shō-bō, a ranking vassal of Saemonnojō, rushed at me, snatched the fifth fascicle of the Lotus Sūtra from my bosom, beat my face with it three times, and tore it to pieces.
Shuju Onfurumai Gosho, Reminscences: from Tatsunokuchi to Minobu, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Biography and Disciples, Volume 5, Page 1
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