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

　　Japanese edition

There will be no one who becomes the imprisonment or a banishment and is not discouraged. At this situation that anyone was depressed, only Nichiren stood towering.

The 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 leave the thing which he acquired by experience of his life. Must leave it for disciples and the believers of ten thousand years in the latter days of the Law with a writing brush and paper. 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.

Nichiren alone had led the Lotus Sutra propagation in Japan full of the teachings that was preached before the Lotus Sutra for these twenty years among the priests of the worthless odds and ends who existed innumerably. If 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 persecutions and two banishments show it with eloquence. But he is not leaving a writing that is preached the essence of the Lotus Sutra at this time. Though he wrote down the "Treatise for establishing the true Buddhism for the safety of the nation", it was criticism 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. Disciples learned that they advocated a title of "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo", but they did not understand the real intention.

People criticizing Nichiren attack 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 the persecution’. Other people say, “The practice in the chapter of the ‘recommending a devotion' is used for the bodhisattvas of high status. This is the 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 I preach merely the teachings without preaching the basic principles. ‘Letter from Teradomari’.

Nichiren must answer these questions. This is a real puzzler. How does he answer this denunciation? This was greater persecution than Tatsunokuchi. It is insignificant that he himself is in danger. It is serious that one's doctrine is defeated than losing 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 prove my teachings to be false, I will never yield! The other great persecutions are same as dusts in front of the wind. ‘I will become a pillar of Japan, I become the eyes of Japan, I become a large ship of Japan’. This wish I had vowed is never trounced!”. ‘Opening the Eyes. Part Two’.

Continued to (2)

Life of Nichiren. Vol. 2. Contents