36. Conviction as the Root Buddha in the latter days of the Law. (1)

　　Japanese edition

There will be no one who becomes an imprisonment or a banishment and is not discouraged. In the midst of a situation that would have devastated anyone, Nichiren was alone and unconcerned.

Living in Sado will be severe. It will be difficult even to survive. But there is the mission that Nichiren should still do.

He must remain the thing which he acquired by experience of his life. With brush and paper, he must leave behind to the disciples and believers of all the years of the Latter Day of the Law. He felt a sense of mission rise in his breast. Therefore, he looks to the future. He was not able to grieve for a moment.

For the past twenty years, Nichiren was the only one among countless wise and ignorant priests who stood at the forefront of the propagation of the Lotus Sutra in Japan, a country filled with the teachings of Shakyamuni before the Lotus Sutra. In saying the harshness of that fight, there were the attack with fire of Matsuba Valley, the Izu banishment, the persecution of Komatsubara, the persecution of Tatsunokuchi and the death sentence, and Sado banishment. These three great hardships and the two banishment experiences speak eloquently. But he doesn't leave a writing that preaches the essence of the Lotus Sutra during this time. For instance, though he wrote down the "Rissho Ankoku-Ron", it was critical of the Nenbutsu sect and the contents there included many sutras which were preached before the Lotus Sutra. Then, he quoted it and warned the Shogunate. This was not the writing, which preached depth of the Law of Buddha of the Lotus Sutra itself. The disciples learned that they advocated a title of "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo", but they did not understand the real meaning.

People criticizing Nichiren attacked him in this matter in those days.

“A certain person criticizes me, saying, ‘Nichiren does not understand the abilities of the people, but goes around preaching in a rough doctrine, so he encounters persecution’. Other people say, “The practice in the chapter of the ‘recommending a devotion' is used for the bodhisattvas of high status and this is different from the chapter of the 'Comfortable ascetic practices'”. Others say, ‘I, too, know the Lotus Sutra is supreme, but I say nothing about it to the perfect stranger.’ In addition, other people point out that Nichiren preaches merely the teachings without preaching the basic principles.” ‘Letter from Teradomari’.

Nichiren must answer these difficult questions. This is a difficult question. How does he answer this denunciation? This was greater persecution than Tatsunokuchi. It is insignificant that he himself is in danger. It is more serious that one's doctrine is defeated than losing a life. It was for this purpose to have let disciples carry a lot of sutra scrolls, writing brushes, and paper beforehand.

“Here I will make a great vow. ‘Will offer you the rulership of Japan if you abandon the Lotus Sutra. You accept the teachings of the Meditation Sutra and should look forward to rebirth in the Pure Land. We will cut off the necks of your father and mother if you do not recite the Nembutsu’. Whatever these great persecutions I might encounter, so long as persons of wisdom do not break my teachings, I will never yield! The other great persecutions are the same as dust in front of the wind. ‘I will become a pillar of Japan, I will become the eyes of Japan, I will become a large ship of Japan’. This wish I had vowed is never broken!” ‘Opening the Eyes. Part Two’.

　

There is the existence of Nichiren in the essence of these difficult problems. Who is Nichiren? What kind of existence is he? Nichiren himself should answer this.

Nichiren, who had demonstrated that "a saint does not die unexpectedly" at the beheading at the mouth of the dragon, was certain of it. He was convinced that he was the fundamental Buddha in the Latter-Day of the Law.

The fundamental Buddha is a person who embraces the three virtues of a sovereign, a parent, and the teacher to himself. Nichiren made a vow; "to become a pillar" means a virtue of a sovereign, "to become the eyes" means a virtue of a teacher, and "to become a large ship" means a virtue of a parent.

Respecting the mercy of Shakyamuni Buddha of the teachings' master and blaming brutality of Honen, Nichiren declares loudly that he is the root Buddha of the Latter-Day of the Law.

“When we see the ‘Treasure Tower’ chapter of the Lotus Sutra, we find there are Shakyamuni Buddha, Taho Buddha, and the ten directions' Buddha who are incarnations. Why had they gathered? ‘Came here to let the Law continue for a long time’. When we guess three Buddha minds trying to propagate the Lotus Sutra and give to all the children of the Buddha of the future, we understand that their concern and compassion are even greater than those of a father and mother who see their only child inflicted with great suffering. Honen, however, shows not the least concern about their compassion, and he had tightly shut the gates of the Lotus Sutra so that no one the Latter-Days of the Law would have access to it. Like a person who tricks a crazy child into throwing away a treasure, he tries to let them discard the Lotus Sutra. How cruel this mind is! If someone is about to kill your father and mother, don't you try to inform your father and mother? If an unfilial son who got drunk is about to kill his father and mother, shouldn't you try to stop him? If an evil person is about to set fire to the temples and pagodas, shouldn't you try to stop him? If your only child is gravely ill, shouldn't you try to cure a child with moxibustion? The people who leave Japanese Zen and Nembutsu followers as it is will be said as follows. ‘If the person feigns oneself and gets familiar without pity, namely this person is his enemy’. I, Nichiren, am ruler, teacher, and father and mother for all the people of Japan!”

Why does declaring, "I am the Lord, the Master, and the Parent to the people of Japan" mean that one is the Buddha of the fundamental? Shakyamuni Buddha has never declared 'I am Buddha' while preaching the Lotus Sutra. Preaching he 'became a father of all sentient beings' in the Lotus Sutra, he often preaches that he is a 'father.' In the other words' father of all sentient beings is the other name of the fundamental Buddha.

In addition, in the Lotus Sutra, there is no scene where bodhisattvas preach that they are the father of all creatures. Places preaching that Buddha himself is a father of all sentient beings exist in many places in the Lotus Sutra as follows.

“My disciple Sariputra, Buddha finished watching this and held this thought. 'I am the father of all sentient beings.'” ‘The 3th chapter of simile and parable in the Lotus Sutra’.

“Disciple Sariputra, there is a Nyorai also in this way. In other words, he is the father of all sentient beings”. ‘The 3th chapter of simile and parable in the Lotus Sutra’.

“I, too, am the father of the world. I save people who are troubled. I said that I had a nirvana in spite of existing to help an ordinary mortal falling down.” ‘The 16th chapter of the life span of the Nyorai in the Lotus Sutra’.

Then, Nichiren shouts fervently.

"Abandoning all difficulties, I wish to demonstrate it for people who earnestly ask for faith. You must understand that it is rarer than the peaches that grow only once in 3000 years in the garden of the West Queen Mother, or the udumbara flower that blooms only when the sacred king of the golden wheel appears. Moreover, the eight years that the duke of P'ei and Hsiang Yu battled for China. The seven years that Yoritomo and Munemori fought in the land of Japan. The struggles between Teishaku and the asuras. And the battle in the Anavatapta Lake between the dragon king and the grand golden bird. The degree of these fights cannot surpass my vehemence. This doctrine has appeared twice in the country of Japan. Should Know that it was preached by the Dengyo Daishi and Nichiren!". 'Opening the eyes. Part Two'.

Continued

Life of Nichiren. Vol. 2. Contents