6. The great persecution of Tatsunokuchi.

6. The great persecution of Tatsunokuchi.

The Kamakura Shogunate gave Ryoukan of the Gokurakuji temple the order to pray for rain in June 1271 when three years passed from the arrival of the letter of Mongolia. Japan's farm had been hit by a drought that year. Gokurakuji Ryoukan was the high priest of the shogunate recognition and has been criticizing Nichiren opposing in a doctrine intensely.

Nichiren offered the confrontation of praying for rain to this Ryoukan. Result, Ryoukan was defeated miserably at this game and began a plan to entrap Nichiren into for self-protection. Ryoukan gained the favor of wives of Shogunate officials and poured obstinate defamatory words. This voice spread out in the Shogunate, and the air which shall investigate Nichiren happened.

On September 10, Nichiren was summoned to Yoritsuna Taira of the chief vassal of the Shogunate. Yoritsuna was overseeing the military and police of shogunate, and he was the existence to be able to be called the right-hand man of regent Tokimune. Yoritsuna asked about the truth of defamatory words, but because Nichiren had insisted the shogunate should prepare to Mongolia by the correct Law, Nichiren provoked a rage of Yoritsuna.

On the night of September 12 after two days, Yoritsuna Taira attacked the thatched hut of Nichiren. Yoritsuna intended to assassinate Nichiren without receiving permission of the regent Tokimune. Nichiren shouted while receiving a wound to the forehead, “You guys are right now trying to overthrow the pillar of Japan!" and foretold the calamity of revolt and the calamity of invasion from foreign country again. (The second warning to the government).

“The second time was that the twelfth day of September of the eighth year of the Bun'ei era (1271), in the hour of the monkey (from 3:00 p.m to 5 :00 p.m.), I said to Heino Saemonnojo: ‘Nichiren is the pillar of Japan. Being bereaved of me, Nichiren, is that the pillar of Japan topples down. Immediately, an intense fight which is called ‘the calamity of revolt within own domain' breaks out between the clan, and also there will be ‘the calamity of invasion from foreign country. Not only will the people of our nation be killed by foreign invaders, but many of them will be taken prisoner. You should burn the temples such as Kenchji Temple, Jufukuji, Gokurakuji, the Hall of the Great Buddha, and Chorakuji to the ground, and you should take the Nembutsu and Zen priests to Yui Beach to cut off their heads. If this is not done, then Japan is certain to perish!’”.

Nichiren was to be beheaded in Kamakura coast called "Tatsunokuchi (dragon's mouth)". (Persecution of Buddhists in Tatsunokuchi). But enforcement of the death penalty was aborted by the luminous object that suddenly appeared between the hours of the Ox and the Tiger (from a.m. 1:00 to a.m.5:00).

“An orb as bright as the moon burst forth from the direction of Enoshima Island, going across the sky from southeast to northwest. It was almost before dawn on 12th day and still too dark to see anyone's face, but the radiant object clearly illuminated everyone as like a bright moonlight. The headsman fell feeling blind. The soldiers were filled with panic. Some ran off distantly, or some jumped down from their horses and huddled on the ground, or others crouched on their saddles.”

Continued

Life of Nichiren. Compact edition.