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日蓮大聖人『御書』解説

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2020年 07月 24日

12. Outbreak of the major earthquake of Shoka that had led to the remonstration to the nation.

                 Japanese edition

12. Outbreak of the major earthquake of Shoka that had led to the remonstration to the nation._f0301354_18191519.png

The epicenters of major earthquakes in Japan in the past. Red: M7 or higher, blue: Dead in other earthquakes, purple: Maximum seismic intensity of 6 or higher. By Wikipedia.

It was this then. The floor of the thatched hut has begun to shake.

All members make noise. Kingo ordered it.

“It is the earthquake! Please be quiet, everybody. Open the window and the door!”.

Though Kingo who had flown into a rage until a while ago, he directed everybody calmly. When an earthquake was generated, people cannot escape outside if they did not open a door and a window. If a building collapsed, they would be in danger of being crushed to death.

Earthquakes were frequent in Kamakura in these days, and it was not unusual. But wavering is big among other things tonight.

Same time, the hall of the Kamakura Shogunate regent shook little by little. A paper-screen has begun to rattle.

Tokiyori Hojo stood and watched over a ceiling.

Brothers of Tokimune and Tokisuke came over here in a hurry.

“Father!”.

“This is big. Call out soldiers, gather hastily”.

The brothers leave panicking.

The floors shacked up and down then.

Tokiyori shouts.

“I s a vertical vibration!”.

The whole town of Kamakura shakes like a wave.

While inhabitants took out household effects, they screamed. They went out and clustered around a well. The voice of a person sounded then from a well. Eerie sound echoes. The inhabitants were scattered with shrieks again.

Furthermore, the ground rolled intensely again, and a private house has begun to collapse without standing.

Screaming sounds out.

The room of Nichiren greatly shook, too.

"Here is dangerous. Everybody, please escape out!".

The house was lacerated to the two pieces as soon as he said, and the ground where the crack was appeared from the bottom floor.

They scream a warning.

The scroll of sutras which Nichiren cherished rolls over. Nichiren seized it at the moment when a scroll of sutras will fall to the crack. The surrounding disciples held him and protect hard.

Under the moonlight, the thatched hut was destroyed mercilessly. The pale moonlight lights up the scene that was too horrible to look at.

Flame breaks out in the various places of the town. The people escape about the street.

The disciples of Nichiren gathered and confirmed each one.

“Is it all right? Is there an injury? Is everybody there? Is there the missing person?”.

Shijo Kingo, Toki Jonin and others who held a torch in a hand wait.

Nichiren told believers.

“Everybody, please go home as soon as possible”.

Kingo nodded.

“Certainly, let's go”.

All members leave in every direction, and Chikugobo Nichiro and other disciples remain at the place where the thatched hut has stood.

It seemed they were a little relieved and seemed to burst into tears.

“Shonin, all of us are safe. This is nothing short of miraculous”.

As Nichiren remembered it, he groaned.

“How are the children doing? Are two people safe?".

All members turned pale and searched for all the area.

“Where are you, Kumao, Takao!”.

They found boy Takao falling down on the side of the building which collapsed before long. Kumao crouches down at the side and is crying.

“Takao!”.

They rushed, but there is not the breath of Takao.

Nichiren held Takao, who is like sleeping and continued chanting the daimoku.

When an aftershock subsided, Takao was mourned by the title of the Lotus Sutra, and his body was cremated in that midnight by Nichiren and disciples.

The houses which were crushed lined up in the town of Kamakura in the morning.

Every family cried in the side of the dead body which lay on the ground.

This earthquake disaster was called the major earthquake of Shoka later. It is said that it was 7.5 magnitude from seven. Every building of Kamakura fell down without staying. The Kamakura Hachiman Shrine inclines mercilessly, too. The Mirror of the East mentions about this earthquake specially.


"August 23:The major earthquake in about 8 p.m.. Heard a sound. The Shinto shrine and the Buddhist temple broke without exception. The mountains collapsed, and the person and the house turned over. The earthen wall was perfectly damaged, and the ground of several places was split, and water springs out. The ground around the Nakageba Bridge was split, and a flame blazed from here and appeared. It is said that the color was blue".


A roof was attached to the earthen wall in those days. Because it is said that this was damaged all, we can understand how an earthquake was huge.

Disciples of Nichiro and Nissho and others have begun to tidy up the ruined house from the next morning. Boy Kumao who barely survived endures sorrow and helps them. Kumao lost Takao, who grew like brothers under Nichiren.

After they cleared up it almost, all members put hands together to a Buddhist stupa which was written Nam -myoho-renge-kyo.

However, there is not a figure of Nichiren here.

Nichiren told the disciples that he would go to the Iwamoto Jissoji temple early in the morning. He has already left by himself.


Continued to 'Rissho Ankokuron and the fateful meeting with Nikko'.


Life of Nichiren. Vol. 1. Contents



by johsei1129 | 2020-07-24 22:18 | LIFE OF NICHIREN | Trackback | Comments(0)


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