52. Persecution again.

However, Ryoukan of Gokuraku-ji Temple persistently pursued Nichiren. He appealed to Nobutoki Hojo, a leading figure of the bakufu, to suppress Nichiren again. Though Nichiren was in a difficult situation again, unexpectedly he received his pardon of exile.

“When the former governor of Musashi heard this, he decided there was no need to report it to the regent. Instead he sent private orders that any followers of Nichiren in the province of Sado should be driven out of the province or imprisoned. He sent official orders. He did so three times. When I will attempt to describe what happened during this period, you can probably imagine. Some people were thrown into prison because they were said to have walked past my hut, others were exiled because they were reported to have given me donations,or their wives and children were taken into custody. The former governor of Musashi then reported this to the regent. But quite contrary to his expectations, the regent issued a letter of pardon on the fourteenth day of February in eleventh year of Bun'ei (1274), which reached Sado on the eighth day of March”.

Continued

Life of Nichiren. Vol. 2. Contents