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日蓮大聖人『御書』解説

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2022年 05月 18日

53. Tokimune Decides to Pardon


Taira no Yoritsuna and a samurai in armor were arguing in the samurai quarters of Kamakura.

The samurai were warriors who had been dispatched to Kyushu to prepare for an attack by the Mongols. They were called "foreign security”. The samurai had come all the way from Kyushu to return to Kamakura as envoys.

Taira no Yoritsuna was annoyed.

The partner warrior, his cheeks depressed and his armor worn, showed the harshness of his task. Behind him was another tired-looking warrior.

Yoritsuna replied in a tone of annoyance.

“I've told you many times that you just have to be patient.”

The samurai bites back with a steely gaze.

“The Samurai General, the warriors in Kyushu are getting tired of this. When will the Mongols arrive? It has been six years since the book of state arrived. But no matter how long we wait, they have not shown themselves. What on earth is going on?"

"So far, there's nothing flippant about it. I will let you know as soon as I find out. Do you not trust us?"

 The messenger was annoyed.

“We are running out of food. There is a lot of talk among us that the Mongols will not attack, and that we are just wasting our time and energy on the warriors. If we wait any longer for a foe who will not come, we will never get anywhere."

 The passionate Yoritsuna scolded him.

"I'm telling you to wait. Are you still a samurai? Those who do not obey orders will have their lands confiscated and their titles revoked. The Mongols will attack with a large army, and that is why I have sent you. Don't you understand that?"

"Then what is the Shogunate doing now?"

He had hit a sore spot. Yoritsuna let it slip after a while.

"The Yin Yan fortune teller is telling its fortune. That is all. That is all I can do for now."

 

In a corner of the building, a Yin Yang master was taking a divination tree.

Tokimune, Adachi Yasumori, Hojo Nobutoki, Mitsutoki and other shogunate officials looked on. And a large number of vassal members stared breathlessly at the yin-yang master's fingers.

Divining war through divination. It is the feeling of modern people that this is ridiculous.

Divination was a common practice not only in Japan but everywhere in the world.

In ancient Rome, bird divination was famous. Roman legions used fortune-telling to predict good and bad fortune, to plan their campaigns, and to fight the Gauls.

In Greece, the Delphi oracle is well known. The famous Greek polis sent messengers to the temple of the Delphoi to listen to the oracle of the priestess.

China is known for its turtle divination. A turtle's shell was burned to determine whether it was good or bad. If it was good, the turtle would attack, if it was bad, it would restrain itself.

The opposite of fortune-telling is science, but science is not as all-powerful as we think it is today. Weather forecasting has become more accurate, but it is not always correct. When it comes to predicting earthquakes, it is no exaggeration to say that science is completely powerless.

Tokimune was meditating as usual. He was only twenty-three years old, but he had experienced the February riots and the difficult task of dealing with the Mongols, and he had developed an appearance befitting a warrior.

Yasumori, who was more than twenty years older than Tokimune, stared at Yin Yang.

 Leading actor yin-yang master was sweating and staring nervously at the divination tree, but unintentionally dropped it on the floor.

They all fell to their knees.

The yin-yang master fell flat on his face, shaking.

“I'm sorry. It is a failure."

Yasumori stood up and complained.

“What a mess! How could a yin-yang master of the shogunate fail in divination? How is it that a man who tells the fortunes of the year cannot foresee an attack by another nation?"

Yasumori put his hand on his sword, but Tokimune stopped him with his eyes closed.

"You can't blame him. The Yin Yang master is the one who predicts the future of this country. It is impossible for them to predict the future of other countries."

Yasumori said without looking at the Yin Yang master.

"Get back."

The yin-yang master nodded and left the room.

The heads of samurai sank into pondering. Yasumori exclaimed.

"I had high hopes for him, but I was wrong.

 Yoritsuna said.

"It is said that shipbuilding is in full swing in the ports of Goryeo. However, there is no sign of Mongolian soldiers moving south. When will they arrive? The point is that no one knows at this point."

 Everyone folded their arms and pondered. The cost of defense is already enormous, and it was a headache for the Shogunate.

After a while, Tokimune spoke to himself.

“What are you thinking about? We have spies on the ground in Koryo. The ship will be completed soon. Then it is obvious that the Mongols will invade.”

In a rare moment of clarity, Tokimune issued a proclamation, but all of them still kept their arms crossed.

 The next moment, as if he had made up his mind, Tokimune spoke out a thought that he had been secretly keeping in his heart.

"Don't worry. There is one person who knows when the Mongols will attack.

They all looked up.

"One..."

Everyone looked at each other. Who is it?

Yasumori shook his head.

"My lord, no one. Not even a yin-yang master can predict the time of an attack."

Tokimune's eyes remained closed.

"Try to remember. Who predicted the Mongol invasion? Who brought rain to drought-stricken Japan? Two years ago, we suffered through the rebellion. Who foretold this?"

Yasumori and Yoritsuna said as they squeezed.

 "Nichiren, is he that?"

 Tokimune's eyes widened.

"If we are to avert this great calamity, we must have the help of that priest. If it were not for the Priest Nichiren, we would not be able to prevent the calamity of the whole country. We must be released from exile and summoned to Kamakura to pray for the safety of the nation. Without him, the nation of Japan would be in danger. Of course, the same applies to Hojo."

 Yasumori reacted immediately.

"Please don't do this, my lord. That man is dangerous, that he is. If the Shogunate takes in Nichiren, there is no telling what he will say. We even tried to cut off Nichiren's head, and then sent him to the island. I'm sure he has his grudges."

Mitsukoki Nagoe agreed with him. He is Kingo Shijo's lord.

"That's right. That monk is less a warrior than a samurai, that he is. There are believers among my men, but it is not right to slander other sects, that it is not right to slander other sects. Do our lord tell us that you will abandon other sects to believe in the Lotus Sutra?'

Tokimune did not answer.

Yoritsuna pondered and then opened his mouth.

"Our lord do not say that. We will use Nichiren. Let's use Nichiren's divine power for the sake of the Shogunate. Let Nichiren and the Mongols confront each other. As our lord said, let us first inquire about the time of the Mongolian attack."

As expected, Yoritsuna was quick to see an opportunity.

Yasumori also understood.

"Nichiren and the Mongols. I see. Poison conquers poison."

 They all smiled wryly, but Tokimune did not smile.

"At any rate, we must now meet the Priest Nichiren with sincerity. If you will stop criticizing other sects and cooperate with the shogunate, I will issue an imperial decree praying for the extermination of the Mongols. In return, I will donate the land of Kamakura to the Priest Nichiren to build his temple. The Shogunate will prepare 100,000 kans for this purpose."

According to historical documents, the large temple to be donated to Nichiren was to build a large cell in the west gate of Kamakura. It is said that Nichiren was scheduled to be appointed as the separate head of this Aizen Hall. (Nissei, "Biography of Nichiren Shonin. 1657")

In the face of Tokimune's unprecedentedly strong decision, they all had no choice but to agree, as they could not come up with a counterproposal.

Yoritsuna gave his approval.

"It's a good idea. If we gain power and prestige, Nichiren will bow to us. But I never thought that the priest would become an ally of the Shogunate. Time flies, it does."

Some of them laughed at Yoritsuna's sudden change. However, only one person, Hojo Nobutoki, was dejected.

Tokimune gave him the order.

"Nobutoki, immediately ask Priest Nichiren to come to Kamakura. In addition, pardon all those who are guilty among his believers. In addition, ask the priest Ryoukan of Gokuraku-ji Temple to do fundraising.”

Nobutoki's reply was feeble.

"In fact, I heard that Nichiren had been wronged, and I have just issued a decree to punish those who are involved..."

Tokimune immediately stood up and shouted angrily like an arrow.

"You fool! Send troops to Sado at once. We must bring the Priest Nichiren safely back to Kamakura!"

Overcoming the opposition of those around him, Tokimune pardoned Nichiren.

Originally, Nichiren's exile to Sado was not his intention, but to quell the confusion. He even ordered the execution at Tatsunokuchi to be stopped in a panic. In addition, Tokimune's father, Tokiyori, whom he adored as a god, had pardoned Nichiren from exile in Izu. Tokimune had no ill will toward Nichiren. Later, Nichiren would learn this.

“Though the water may be muddy, it will again become clear, and though the moon may hide behind the clouds, it will surely reappear. Similar to this reason, in time my innocence became apparent, and my predictions proved not to have been fiction. Perhaps on that account, although the members of the Hojo family and influential lords insisted that I should not be pardoned, I was finally released from my sentence of exile at the sole decision of the lord of the Sagami Province and returned to Kamakura."'Letter to Nakaoki Nyudo' 

The lord of Sagami Province was, of course, Tokimune. He decided to pardon and exonerate Nichiren on his own initiative, ignoring the verdict of the shogunate's top officials.

It was raining heavily on Sado Island.

The envoy from Kamakura arrived at the port. The messenger was soaking wet, and his disheveled armor indicated his urgency.

The messenger immediately mounted his horse and rode off down the island road.

In the midst of thunder and rain, the horse dashed into the residence of Shigetsura Honma, Protector of Sado.

At the house, Shigetsura Honma was drinking sake in a carefree manner.

A servant came up to him.

"My lord, a messenger from Kamakura has just arrived. He has something important to do.”

Honma was depressed. He had once been a follower of Nichiren, but by order of the Shogunate, he had to be turned against them. Because he was a samurai, he had to bend his faith. However, it would have been easy enough if he had just let go of his beliefs, but could he really be so perverse? The conflict in his mind manifested itself as fatigue. He couldn't help but drink.

"What is it, so late? Does the shogunate want me to punish Lord Nichiren again? What more do you want me to do?"

The messenger was huddled in the mud room. Shigetsura came out with an annoyed look on his face.

The messenger spoke up.

"I will give you the letter from Kamakura."

"Thank you for your efforts."

The messenger handed over the letter.

"This is..."

Shigetsura sobered up and gathered all of his men around the lamp.

"A letter from Kamakura has arrived. We thought that the Priest Nichiren was to be punished again, but it is not so, for he is to be released immediately and returned to Kamakura. He also asked that all captured followers be pardoned."

They all shouted in astonishment.

"Isn't it a mistake to say that the Priest Nichiren should be released?"

They were in disbelief. The subordinates were dismayed.

“The order is to take the Priest Nichiren to Kashiwazaki in Echigo by boat as soon as possible.”

"I can't believe it. Is this letter a forgery?"

This day was March 8. The date on the letter of pardon was February 14. It took nearly a month from Kamakura for the letter to reach Honma's hands. No wonder he was suspicious.

Shigetsura clenched his fist.

"I do not know why he was suddenly released. However, it bears Lord Tokimune's signature. There is no doubt that this calligraphy is authentic. The previous letter must have been a forgery. Anyway, the policy had changed. The captured members of Nichiren's party must be acquitted of all charges."

"What will you do, Priest Nichiren?"

"Until yesterday, we blamed him, but from today on, we must protect him. If the priest Nichiren is pardoned, the Nembutsu practitioners on the island will not stand idly by. They will surely attack. I want you to get off the island safely, no matter what it takes. If you don't, my head will be in danger this time. Now, don't tell anyone about this. I will go tell the priest Nichiren right away."

However, one of them reported the incident to the Nembutsu monks.

A bolt of lightning flashed in the sky.

Nichiren and the others were asleep. They were all exhausted. The food for offerings had run out after the capture of Abutsu-bo and Kou Nyudo.

 The sound of horses roaring outside the mansion cut through the heavy rain.

Nichiren woke up.

 Hoki-bo was also awake.

"There's a lot of noise outside," he said.

"There's a sign of people. Do you think someone has come to attack us?"

Hoki-bo hurriedly lit a lamp and took a wooden sword.

The room became brighter and the disciples began to wake up.

A voice shouted at the entrance.

"It is Honma Shigetsura, that it is."

The disciples became anxious, wondering what was going on.

When the door was opened, Honma, wearing a hat and a cloak, and several attendants carrying luggage came in.

The room was brightly lit by torches, and Honma presented them with steamy rice balls and freshly picked fruit. He also offered them a brand new robe in a bag.

The disciples looked at each other in disbelief.

Honma sat upright in front of Nichiren.

"I have just received a messenger from lord Tokimune from Kamakura. He asked me to forgive the Priest Nichiren's exile and bring you to Kamakura as soon as possible. It is a joyous occasion."

The disciples lost their voices at the news.

But Nichiren did not change his expression.

"Lord Honma. What is the meaning of this, that I do not understand? What do you mean, lord Honma, that you forgive my sins as if you had changed your mind? I can't believe it."

Shigetoshi's reply was stern.

"As I have stated before, I am a man who moves on the basis of orders. I received a letter from Kamakura this evening, and the situation is urgent. Please understand it at all costs."

Nichiren did not respond, but said to Shigetsuren, who was sitting on the floor and prostrating himself.

"Lord Honma, what will happen to the captured believers? Even if I am pardoned alone."

"All of them will be acquitted, and their wives, children and fields will be restored."

"Then let me accept the pardon. When will you leave?"

"Tomorrow."

The disciple was even more surprised.

Honma was desperate.

"Your life is at stake. If you were to return alive, there would be those who would not stand idly by. Now that he has been pardoned, Sado is the most dangerous place for the monk. There is no time to lose. I beg you to depart as soon as possible."

"I understand, but I must also prepare myself. Above all, I have to make sure that all of the Sado believers who are being held captive are safe. So, lord Honma, I leave in five days."

On March 13, in the spring of Bun'ei 11, Nichiren left Ichinotani. The sky was clear as if he was celebrating his new departure.

Nichiren mounted his horse and proceeded on the road to the port. He is protected by a group of warriors led by Shigetsura. They were followed by Hoki-bo and his disciples.

From his horse, Nichiren gazed out over the mountains of Sado. He spent more than two and a half years in this place. He is leaving that place reluctantly.

From far behind him, Nembutsu monks with naginatas and swords in their hands were chasing him. They all looked resentful.

A man named Shoyu-bo shouted bravely.

"Do not let the enemies of Amida Buddha escape. He was a slanderer against the monks Zendo and Honen, and for this crime he was exiled to this island. It would be regrettable if we let him return alive just because he happened to be pardoned this time. We must stop them at all costs and strike them down."

Insho-bo exclaimed.

"Don't worry. The ship depends on the wind. If they are stranded in the harbor, they will die by our hands."

In fact, it was impossible to reach Echigo without a favorable wind.

The Nembutsu practitioners arrived at the port hoping for such a wind, but they were too late.

They saw Nichiren's party boarding the ship.

"Can't we make it in time? Hurry."

As Nichiren boarded the ship, Honma Shigetsura saw him off.

The ship sailed out to sea.

In the harbor, the Nembutsu Buddhist monk and a warrior of Honma fought bitterly.

The ship was now far away from land. The boatman was in a good mood.

"The waves are good and we rarely have such a good wind. We'll reach Kashiwazaki soon."

 Nichiren tried to cross to Sado after the great difficulty of Tatsunokuchi, but the wind was not in his favor and he was forced to stay on land for seven days. On the way back, however, the wind was surprisingly favorable.

 While the disciples were on the boat, immersed in the joy of returning to Kamakura, Nichiren was deeply moved as he gazed at the mountains of Sado.

The two years and four months he spent on this island were turbulent days. They were like a condensed version of Nichiren's life.

Suddenly, I saw a crowd of people gathered among the rocks on the island. I saw a crowd of believers from Sado gathered there.

Hoki-bo shouted.

"What's that?"

Abutsu-bo and the nun Sennichi were holding hands in tears. Mr. and Mrs. Kou and many other believers who had joined Nichiren were holding onto the rocks and waving their hands.

They were pardoned as promised. When they heard that Nichiren Shonin had been pardoned and would be leaving the island, they gathered there. They joined hands with their prayer beads.

Nichiren also bowed his head.

Especially unforgettable were the couple of Abutsu-bo and Kou Nyudo. They had risked their lives to bring him sustenance and protection in his time of hardship. He owes them an immeasurable debt of gratitude. Nichiren later wrote of his feelings as if he were parting from his parents.

"While I was there, however, you and your husband, Nyudo, being apprehensive of the eyes of others, brought me food in the middle of the night. All did not fear even punishment from the government officials, you were persons who were ready to sacrifice yourselves for me. Thus, though it was a harsh land, when I left the island, I felt as if the hair that had been shaved from my head were being tugged from behind and as if with each step I took I were being pulled back." 'To the lay nun of Ko in Sado Province'

 Sado island became farther and farther away from Nichiren's gaze.

Nichiren changed his gaze and this time looked far to the south to Kamakura.

Nichiren later wrote a brief account of his schedule from the time he received the letter of pardon until his return to Kamakura in a letter addressed to Kounichi, a lay nun from his hometown in Awa Province.

“The letter of pardon, dated February 14, Bunei 11, had arrived in Sado on March 8 of the same year. I left the country on the 13th of the same month, arrived at a port called Manoura, stayed here on the 14th, and intended to go to a port called Teradomari in Echigo on the 15th of the same month, but a heavy wind blew and thanks to it, he arrived at Kashiwazaki in two days, arrived at Kou the next day, and returned to Kamakura 12 days later on March 26.”





by johsei1129 | 2022-05-18 19:31 | LIFE OF NICHIREN | Trackback | Comments(0)


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