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日蓮大聖人『御書』解説

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2020年 07月 25日

14. Admonition to the shogunate and the persecution in Matsuba Valley.

          Japanese edition

ote設計図 が含まれている画像自動的に生成された説明

From Biography of Nichiren Daishōnin


The Big Festival was held in the Kamakura Hachiman shrine in August in the Buno era first year (1260).

'Taiheigaku' in Noh is held.

The Generalissimo for the Subjugation in the Kamakura Shogunate, the people of a noble, a court noble, and the samurai are dressed in their finery. This generalissimo came from Kyoto, but he was a mere decoration. The status of the generalissimo is above the regent, but he does not have the political ability at all.

The Hojo Shogunate invited the infant who was the blood relative of Yoritomo Minamoto as a general, from Kyoto to Kamakura, but they repeated what let him return to Kyoto when he reached the age of discretion. A Generalissimo for the Subjugation of Barbarians was just a puppet of the Shogunate only in name.

On the other hand, the mansion of Tokiyori of the same Kamakura has been guarded by a large number of samurais as usual.

Tokiyori sits down on the tatami mat of the room. He is 33 years old. The documents are set on a desk in front, and a person in charge carries documents in sequence.

Seeing documents, Tokiyori wrinkled his brow.

There are brothers of Tokisuke and Tokimune aside. Childishness was still left. Tokisuke became 11 years old, Tokimune became 9 years old. Furthermore, there are Yasumori Adachi, Yadoya Nyudo, Shigetoki Hojo. Here was the center of the Shogunate.

Tokiyori looked at the documents for a while, but he threw it suddenly.

“This is troublesome. Why must I take a look at such things? Nagatoki must do this work. Nagatoki is the regent now. Was I not the situation of the retired person, was I?”

30-year-old Yasumori soothed him. Yasumori is the third son of Yoshikage Adachi. He performed a meritorious deed in the battle with the Miura clan, and he is the leader of the outside feudal lord.

“You, the lord, is the representative ruler of Hojo. Detail is the business of Nagatoki, but sir, it should be your work, about the serious problem.”

Tokiyori spits it out.

"'How will I build the shogunate palace that fell down in an earthquake?' 'Who is fit for the military guard of Kyoto and Kamakura?'. Is there nothing else that attracts interest? There is a festival outside. We're in the middle of the festival to liberate living creatures (note)."

The aide Yadoya Nyudo appeared.

“Our lord, there is something rare here.”

Tokiyori answers languidly.

“What, say it.”

The lay priest Yadoya held out a scroll. The surface is written as 'The Rissho-Ankoku-Ron'.

“My lord, a monk in Kamakura named Nichiren, remonstrated with the Shogunate.”

Tokiyori looked away in disgust.

“Well, I know it. 'I want you to build a temple to pray for peace and security of our Hojo. I want money in connection with this matter. Please choose when and where'. I have had enough of their talk.”

“No, it is not so, sir. Nichiren says that there is a method to prevent disasters such as extraordinary phenomena of Heaven and the famine of Japan of these past several years."

All the members stared at Yadoya.

They tried all possible means. What should we do further?

Tokiyori spoke for them.

“Hum, what does he want me to do? Does he say that we should collect rice paid as tax more and increase building and construction? We did our best. We have done everything we could do”.

“No, sir, he says there is another way of the solution.''

“Well, I cannot believe it immediately. What is that way?”

“Nichiren says that there is a problem inside of the Law of Buddha.”

Shigetoki Hojo butted in talking. He was 63 years old at that time. Shigetoki of mature years got angry.

“It is stupid! The Shinto shrine and Buddhist temple stand side by side in Japan. Is there the cause of the disaster inside of Buddha's Law? Is it that he says that it is where?”

Yadoya said it like a formal speech.

“Nichiren says the Nembutsu sect has the root of various evils.”

All the members were surprised. Shigetoki, supporting Gokurakuji Temple, yells threateningly.

"What! It must be some kind of mistake? As for the Nembutsu, both I and either the people in the country are believing. Does he say that it is the root of evil? Yadoya, arrest the Buddhist priest, examine him in detail.".

Tokiyori kept back Shigetoki.

“My uncle, please wait for a while. Yadoya, we must do what? Does he say that we should punish the priest of Nembutsu?”

Yadoya answers carefully.

“No, he says that we do not punish them and should stop the financial support for them”.

Shigetoki was enraged.

“This is ridiculous! Anyone does make an offering to the temple of Nembutsu. It is a real irrational opinion.”

Tokiyori lost interest.

“Let him alone. There is a strange monk in the world, too. Even the people who say destroying our Shogunate are rampant in this Kamakura. If we thought about such a thing one by one, trouble would happen in politics. Besides, he must be a vulgar Buddhist priest who is not famous.”

Yadoya who prostrated himself raised a face.

“There is a matter that I am wondering about. A priest called Nichiren tells that a bigger misfortune is caused if we do not accept this warning.”

“A further misfortune. What is it?”

“The disaster of foreign invasion and the disaster of revolt from within.”

“What!”

All members buzzed with excitement.



屋内, テーブル, 木製, 切る が含まれている画像自動的に生成された説明

 The Kanei-tsuho of one kan in 17 Centuries. The weight of the 1000 coins is 3.75kg. By Wikipedia.


Nichiren returned from Iwamoto Jissoji Temple in Suruga with Hokibo, who had just entered the faith. The Disciples gathered in the thatched hut of the Matsuba valley. The disciples, Nichiro, Kyonin-bo, Sanmi-bo and others, the Shijo Kingo, Toki Jonin and other supporters came, too. There is Kumao of the boy, too.

After a long absence, a figure of Nichiren looks shining and they cannot talk to him.

Nichiren who understood it said to them first.

“It's been a long time. S0rry that I made you worried. The earthquake triggered something that I really needed to inform Kamakura-dono about, and although it took me a long time to write the Rissho Ankoku Ron, I was finally able to finish it. Come what may, I will never leave you from now.”

Nichiro asked uneasily.

“Shonin, a rumor is spreading in the town about the writings of the shonin.”

Elder Nissho is restless, too.

“There is a bad rumor between the groups of Nembutsu.”

Kyoninbo appeared in front.

 "Master, they are saying, 'the shonin will be summoned to the Shogunate, and is closed in a dungeon and is banished to an island.'"

 Nichiren smiles contrary to the worry of all members.

 “Even when the Buddha was living, there was persecution. It is the truth of the text of the Lotus Sutra. In addition, this is the time of the Latter Day of the Law. There is no way that persecution will not befall us. Now is the time to rouse up strong and enthusiastic faiths.”

 Young disciples brighten their eyes. However, only one person, Sanmi-bo Looked at him with doubtful eyes.

 Nichiren called Hoki-bo then and smiled.

 “Please rejoice, everybody. This time one disciple joined me. Hoki-bo, come here.”

 Hoki-bo stepped forward and put a hand on the floor.

 “I am Hoki-bo of Iwamoto Jitsusoji Temple. Fate wills it and I became the disciple of shonin. Thanks in advance.”

 Nichiren looked at Hoki-bo.

 “I name thou as Nikko by a Buddhist name, from today. The disciple of our sect adds the word of Nichi to all Buddhist names other than child priests. Also, after passing away from me, in the future, understand that you receive Law punishment of nature, if you did not add the Buddhist name of Nichi. Is this all right?”

 The look of Hoki-bo was full of the joy that entered the sect of Nichiren.

 Nichiren looks around.

 “Everybody, we should not stay only in Kamakura now. I intend to widen propagation from now to Kyoto, where the Emperor and a court noble are. About this matter, you, Sanmi-bo”.

 Sanmibo brightened eyes.

 “Thou, go to Kyoto, preach this doctrine and tell a court noble it. Even if there is much trouble because these are stories not to fit an ear, you should sow the seeds of the excellent Law. Please take this with you.”

 Nichiren gave copper money of one kan to Sanmibo. There was a hole in the center of the copper money, and one kan meant that it was 1,000 pieces by a string. The money at that time was all imported from China. Although the product was made in Japan too, it was bad in quality, and no one paid attention to it.

 “These collect until now offerings and are the money which I saved. Please use this carefully. The crops are not growing due to the drought this year. Please be careful very much while on a journey.”

 Propagation of Kyoto was appointed by Nichiren, Sanmi-bo was full of a sense of superiority.

 “Sir, I will do whatever I can to convey the teachings of the Lotus Sutra.”

 ホワイトボードに書かれた文字自動的に生成された説明

    'Writings of the Meeting with the Late Saimyoji Nyudo.'

Moonlight lit up the small hermitage of Nichiren.

The disciples were fast asleep.

Nichiren was comfortably asleep, feeling a sense of accomplishment after having first completed his admonition to the government. There was not yet the reaction of the 'Rissho-Ankoku-Ron'.

Has Tokiyori Hojo already read my treatise? There are no notices.

Nichiren thinks in bed.

If Tokiyori was a wise lord, there would surely be something. He will answer with persecution if foolish.

“A truth wins in the times of a wise King. Unreasonable precedes the times of the foolish ruler. You should be aware that the actual meaning of the Lotus Sutra will be manifested in the age when the saints appear.” ‘Book Opening One's Eyes’.

By the way, was Nichiren able to meet Tokiyori Hojo? Nichiren writes down in 'the writing of the meeting with the late Saimyoji Nyudo', which were jotted down in 1269.

“Because the Zen sect intended to let people abandon the faiths of old temples of the Lotus Sutra such as Enryakuji Temple all together in Japan, I told the deceased Saimyoji Nyudo about this at the time of meeting that Zen was the acts of the evil spirit."

Furthermore, he wrote it in “About Having to Say the Doctrine" in December 1270 either.

“I said to the deceased Saimyoji Nyudo, ‘The Zen is an act of the evil spirit’. I informed him about it by the warning letter later.”

Nichiren strengthened blame particularly Nembutsu which spread among the common people out of the four sects of "Ritsu, Nembutsu, Zen, Shingon" and wrote it in the warning letter, but Zen Buddhism was believed among samurais generally. Therefore, it is thought that Nichiren spoke a fault of the Zen Buddhism directly when Nichiren met Tokiyori, the leader of the samurai.

The persons that making an effort for a meeting Nichiren and Tokiyori are thought to be Mitsunori Yadoya who passed on the warning letter to Tokiyori from Nichiren as the commissioner of Shrines and temples, and Daigaku Saburo, who was a Shogunate official of Confucianist, and converted to Nichiren immediately after founded the sect. Before Nichiren gave his thesis to the late Saimyoji Nyudo, he is said to have shown it beforehand to Daigaku Saburo. In addition, Mitsunori Yadoya will be converted to Nichiren from the strange coincidence of the presentation of the treatise.

In any case Nichiren achieved responsibility as a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra, and the feeling of satisfaction that accomplished the caveat to the nation was deep.

It is said that the person who does not tell a ruler while one knows the slander the Buddha's law falls into the dungeon of the hell of incessant sufferings along with the bad person.

However, the result of the warning to the nation became, 'unreasonable precedes the times of the foolish ruler'.

In addition, the populace of Kamakura also became like this later as follows in "Letter to Nakaoki Nyudo" which Nichiren wrote down.

“At first, when I alone chanted the title, those who saw me, ran across me, or heard me covered their ears, glared at me with furious eyes, contorted their mouths, clenched their fists, and ground their teeth. Even my parents, brothers, teachers, and friends became my enemies. Then the land steward and the lord of the manor where I was residing turned against me. The whole country made a fuss later, and all the people were astonished after.” 'Letter to the Lay Priest Nakaoki'.


マップ自動的に生成された説明

From Biography of Nichiren Daishonin


It was a quiet night. That was August 27, 1260 when approximately one month passed after he gave 'the Rissho Ankoku-Ron'.

The approximately 100 crowds who were led by a Nembutsu priest of black clothes gathered in the open air without a sound and surrounded the thatched hut of the Matsuba Valley.

The faces are lit up by a burning torch, and, in darkness, only eyes shine glaringly. They raised the torch which they held in a hand before long and set fire to the thatched hut of Nichiren.

Immediately there was a crackling sound and a fire broke out. The reaction of the warning letter revealed the worst result.

When Nichiren was awakened by a sound outside , a bedroom had been wrapped in gray smoke.

“Get up, everybody, there is a fire!”

The disciples stood up in a hurry and were going to go out, but they were astonished that a crowd blocked them.

A crowd yells equally.

“The enemy of Nembutsu. Murder him!”

Disciples pushed their way through the crowd and intended to secure the road of retreat of Nichiren desperately.

Nichiren was at a loss among the smoke around.

Hoki-bo led Nichiren by the hand at this time.

“Over here, please. Shonin!”

Hoki-bo goes to the back entrance. The disciples followed.

The crowd of Nembutsu cheered to the flame which blazed. The house is wrapped in flame and is burnt and falls apart.

The town official rushed here.

“What's going on here? An arson is a grave offense that deserves a form of capital punishment in Kamakura. I will capture all of you. All of you are my prisoners!”

The crowd who surrounded a thatched hut panicked like scattering sparks literally and ran away.

When the force of the fire calmed down, a fire brigade began to break the thatched hut of Nichiren.

Two masked samurais stare at this scene distant. Two samurais were the father and son of Shigetoki Hojo and Nagatoki Hojo.

Nagatoki is working as the regent now. His father Shigetoki was called Gokurakuji who was a wealthy supporter of the temple of Gokurakuji Ryoukan.

Nichiren was an enemy of Nembutsu for Shigetoki and was an enemy of Ryokan.

Nichiren comments on Shigetoki Hojo in a letter addressed to Munenaga of the younger brother of Ikegami brothers as follows later.

“Lord Gokurakuji was a respectable person. However, he himself and his clan became extinct because he was tempted by people of Nembutsu and bore a grudge against Nichiren.” Letter to Munenaga Ikegami’.

The voice of the crowd sounded.

“Nichiren escaped!”

The crowd of Nembutsu chases Nichiren.

The Buddhist priest of black robe leads them and runs after him with a long-handled sword. The fire of the torch runs darkness.

One samurai stood in front of Nichiren who was running. It was Shijo Kingo who appeared from the dark.

Nichiren was relieved.

"Oh, Lord Kingo."

"Shonin, please follow me."

Kingo guided them to the small road which descended to the valley.

“A thousand thanks!”

Then the crowd rushed in.

Kingo shuts it out and opens both hands.

“Stop!”

The crowd was at a high pitch of excitement.

"Who are you? Are you a pawn of Nichiren?”

Kingo shouts out.

“I do not know what there was, but what is it to attack only several people in great numbers? There is a monk there. He is a Buddhist priest of wherever? What is the Buddhist priest who should forbid killing?”

The Buddhist priest of black robe shrank, but instead supporters rebuked Kingo.

“Shut up! We will exterminate the enemy of Nembutsu. Get out of our way!”

A crowd threatened Kingo with a torch, but he drew his sword quickly, and cut a torch. The torch was cut and floated in the air, and sparks spread on crowds.

A crowd screams. Kingo saw it and escaped.

The party of Nichiren lay hidden in the small cave at the foot of a mountain.

There is a hurt disciple.

Nichiren dropped a voice and encouraged them.

“Is the body all right? Is there not an injury? Everybody succeeded in escaping well!”

In Nichiro, a face looked pale, and a quiver did not stop. Hoki-bo ran over and hugged Nichiro on the shoulder.

Heard a crowd howling in the distance.

Then, they heard footsteps that somebody approached them.

Who are they? Disciples strain their ears.

Nichiren was prepared for it. Sanmi-bo drops his head.

But the person of footsteps was not an enemy. Jonin Toki was searching for Nichiren under moonlight.

Jonin whispers it in a low voice.

“Priest, priest.”

Eyes of Nichiren shined.

“That voice is Lord Toki.”

Nichiren met again with Jonin Toki, at the entrance of the cave.

Jonin confirmed the safety of Nichiren and was finally relieved.

“I am glad that you are safe. I am ready to go with you.”

“Where to?”

“If the priest was in Kamakura, it would be dangerous. Let's evacuate to my residence in Shimousa for the time being.”

Nichiren put hands together unintentionally.

“Grateful!”

Shijo Kingo ran out of breath and rushed to them.

Nichiren spoke to Kingo.

“I'm surprised you were able to get through it! Lord Kingo is really admirable.”

Jonin tells it to Shijo Kingo.

“Lord Kingo, the shonin leaves from Kamakura with us, we evacuate to Shimousa temporarily.”

“It is a happy idea. Leave Kamakura to me. Lord Toki, I asked for the Shonin. Now then, quick!”

All members left Kingo and left under cover of darkness.

Nichiren turned and looked back at Kingo. Kingo stomped on the earth with both feet and looked away with ease.

Kingo supposed at this time that the believers of the Lotus Sutra would fall into much difficulty in the future. At the same time, he made up his mind to protect teacher Nichiren of the mind, even at the risk of life throughout the life.

The morning sun shone on the mountain pass.

The voice of the cicada is noisy in the mountains.

With Jonin in the lead, a party of Nichiren advances and is drenched with sweat.

The rumor that Nichiren was burnt to death spread in Kamakura. Should leave before it is too late. If the people of Nembutsu knew Nichiren's safety, it would definitely be dangerous this time.

They overlooked Kamakura from the mountain pass.

Disciples wipe sweat dripping to a brow. Nichiren made Kamakura a back and left for Shimousa.

Strong sunlight attacked them on the country road to Shimousa.

The fields are drying up.

Farmers plow by a hoe, but the soil does not have a response like the sand at all.

They were tearing their hair out overseeing the seedling which died.

A drought began on the farm.

 The party of Nichiren goes the road while being careful of neighboring people. A pursuer might come. All members are bathed in sweat.

Daishin-bo, one of the disciples, groaned.

“Will you not give me any water to drink?”

However, Kyonin-bo, the senior disciple blocked him.

“The water is precious. Hold it out.”

Everybody walked in silence.

Kamakura was under the blazing sun.

The sun of the midsummer glared down relentlessly.

The women bathed in sweat are going to draw water from a well in the town, but there is nothing even if they take down a bucket deeply.

“This well has run dry too.”

Women were discouraged.

“This is beyond hope too, isn't it? I wish it would rain.”

“Nothing is good, is it? Only dead people go on increasing.”

“Did you hear? Prayer by praying for rain seems to be done by the priest Ryokan of Gokurakuji Temple”.

“It is an order of lord Kamakura. But you shouldn't get your hopes up. That Buddhist priest does various things. He makes a road and cures a sick person. But to make it rain...”

“Seems to be good at money making, too. His belly. Seems to eat a lot of delicacies.”

All members laughed, but they turned into a sigh immediately.

In the precincts of Gokurakuji Temple, townsmen and samurais crowded.

The sun is glaring here too. The crowd was already sweaty.

Priest Ryoukan came and sat straight in the center of the temple grounds.

The platform of the prayer is provided, and the statue of Amida is put there.

The golden bowl which water was poured into was put.

The priests of the black robe line up behind Ryoukan. They sat straight on a plank spread in the temple grounds.

The priest Ryoukan puts hands together and says grace to the statue.

“Namu-Amida Butsu, Namu-Amida Butsu…”

The other Buddhist priests either chanted it in chorus. And the crowd prays, too.

Priest Ryoukan sprinkled the water in the bowl to the statue in the middle of prayer.

A thunderhead swelled up in the azure sky at this time, and the sky darkened.

And suddenly thunder sounded.

A crowd cheers with a rush.

One drop of rainwater declined to a robe of Ryoukan.

It rained gently in Kamakura before long.

A crowd exulted, and a voice of admiration echoed.

The loud laughter is heard in the residence of Gokurakuji Temple in Kamakura.

A beautiful monk carried liquor.

Including Shigetoki Hojou, the Buddhist priest of the black robe surrounded Ryoukan of the master there.

Shigetoki has a cup in his hand and is very in a good mood.

“Congratulations. The chief priest, Ryoukan. Prayer for today has reached Heaven. The family of the shogunate, lord Kamakura, are joyful too.”

Monk Ryoukan is indifferent.

"A little while ago, the head priest of the Hachiman Shrine asked me to teach him how to pray for rain."

“But still, it was brilliant. I would like you to teach me this Shigetoki as well.”

Ryōkan is modest.

“No, it may be that the gods of Heaven put me under pity because I slightly did the Law of Buddha. This is also thanks to lord Shigetoki for building such a magnificent temple."

"That is worthy of priest Ryoukan. Even if you accomplished such skill, you are modest to the last. This is the thing which we should tell other priests of Kamakura. I especially wish I could have shown it to Nichiren.”

“Is it the Buddhist priest who was in the Matsuba Valley, sir? My many believers are converting to Nichiren.”

“He was cursed with cause and effect, missing from that fire. The rumor that he was burnt to death. Oh, the deed comes back upon the doer.”

While laughing, Shigetoki continues.

“However, he was a Buddhist priest who told a joke. Nembutsu believers will fall into hell, or Japan would receive an internal insurrection and the attack of other countries if we continued as is, he said. Apart from an internal insurrection, Japan is surrounded by the retaining wall of nature called the sea. Although ten or 100 people may be possible, how would one carry food with a soldier of several tens of thousands from the continent across the sea? Therefore, since the founding of the country, Japan has not received the attack of other countries. He is a funny Buddhist priest not able to understand such a thing.”

However, Ryoukan was suspicious unlike Shigetoki.

“But there are still a lot of believers of Nichiren in Kamakura, sir. Please continue to remain vigilant”.

“There is nothing to worry about. A holy person like the priest Ryokan would be not afraid of only one Buddhist priest. Nichiren has disappeared. The believers become extinct naturally too.”

Ryoukan assumed a grave look.

“Lord Shigetoki. Actually, there is a rumor that Nichiren is in Shimousa now.”

The cup of Shigetoki stopped.

“What is he in Shimousa Province? The governor is Chiba Yoritane.”

Ryoukan nodded.

“Rumor has it that he is greatly spreading the Lotus Sutra. I, Ryoukan, also feel uncomfortable with the creepy ones. I think it would be wise to take measures to prevent this from becoming a big problem.”

Ryōkan is 45 years old at this time. He was 6 years old, older than Nichiren. He was the age that has matured and mellowed, but he wants to nip off the buds of the anxiety early.

“I understood, Priest Ryokan. I'll take care of that.”

Shigetoki drank up the liquor of the cup at a stretch when he said this.


note


The festival to liberate living creatures.

 A Buddhist ceremony in which captured fish, birds, and animals are released, and the killing of them is enjoined. It is said to have originated when Emperor Temmu sent an imperial decree to the nations on August 17, 677, to release the animals. It has also been adopted into Shintoism, and is held at temples and Hachimangu shrines throughout Japan in spring or fall.




Continued



Life of Nichiren. Vol. 1. Contents



by johsei1129 | 2020-07-25 19:59 | LIFE OF NICHIREN | Trackback | Comments(0)


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