The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra

Chapter16(The Greatest General Punishment: Head Split into Seven Pieces)

Main Text

Some people may be perplexed at this point and object that, although those who do harm to the votary of the Lotus Sutra are supposed to have their heads split into seven pieces, there are people who slander the priest Nichiren and yet do not have broken heads. Are we to conclude, they may ask, that the priest Nichiren is not a true votary of the Lotus Sutra?

I would reply by saying that, if Nichiren is not a votary of the Lotus Sutra, then who is? Is Hōnen a votary, who in his writings ordered people to throw the Lotus Sutra away? Is the Great Teacher Kōbō a votary, who said that Shakyamuni Buddha was still in the region of darkness? Or are Shan-wu-wei and Jikaku votaries, who taught that, although the Lotus Sutra and the Mahāvairochana Sutra are equal in terms of principle, the latter is superior in practice?

Again, this matter of the head being split into seven pieces—one need not imagine the kind of split made by a sharp sword. On the contrary, the Lotus Sutra says that the split is like that of the “branches of the arjaka tree.”³⁷ In a person’s head there are seven drops of liquid, and outside there are seven demons. If the demons drink one drop, the person’s head begins to ache. If they drink three drops, his life will be endangered, and if they drink all seven drops, he will die. People in the world today all have heads that have split apart like the branches of the arjaka tree, but they are so steeped in evil karma that they are not even aware of the fact. They are like persons who have been injured while they were asleep or in a state of drunkenness, and have not yet become conscious of their injury.

Rather than saying that the head is split into seven pieces, we sometimes say that the mind is split into seven pieces. The skull bone under the scalp cracks or even breaks apart at the time of death. Many people of our own period had their heads split open in the great earthquake of the Shōka era (1257) or at the time of the appearance of the great comet in the Bun’ei era (1264). At the time their heads split open, they had a severe coughing condition, and when their five solid internal organs³⁸ failed to function correctly, they suffered from dysentery. How could they have failed to realize that they were being punished because they slandered the votary of the Lotus Sutra!

Notes

37. Ibid. The arjaka tree grows in India and other tropical places. It is said that, when a branch of this tree falls to the ground, it splits into seven pieces.

38. The lungs, heart, spleen, liver, and kidneys.

Lecture

Regarding the Concept of “Head Split into Seven Pieces”

This chapter clarifies the Buddhist doctrine of “actual proof” (gensho). In particular, it demonstrates the phenomena that befall those who slander the Lotus Sutra—the essence of Buddhism. This is what Buddhism refers to as the theory of punishment (negative retribution).

In the “Dharani” (26th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, it is stated:

“If they fail to heed my spells and trouble the preachers of the Law, their heads will be split into seven pieces like the branches of the arjaka tree”.

The “Peaceful Practices” (14th) chapter states:

“If a person should speak ill of [the practitioners] or curse them, his mouth will be closed and stopped”.

Furthermore, the “Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra” (Vol. 4) mentions “the head being split into seven pieces” as one of the “ten pairs of sighs”.

These scriptural references reveal the severe punishment for slandering the Lotus Sutra. In the present age of the Latter Day of the Law, those who slander the practitioners who believe in the Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret Laws will bring this phenomenon of punishment upon themselves.

The Meaning of “Head Split into Seven Pieces”

“Head split into seven pieces” does not mean that the physical head is literally cut into seven parts by a blade. Rather, it refers to mental derangement and spiritual fragmentation, where one’s thoughts become incoherent and chaotic. Consequently, such individuals neglect the true purpose of life—the pursuit of happiness, which is the inherent desire of humanity. Lacking a firm perspective or a solid philosophy of life, they fall into a state of suffering, groping in the dark.

Actual Proof in the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin

In “The Sage Perceivers the Three Existences of Life,” Nichiren Daishonin explains the actual proof of Buddhism from his standpoint:

“Nichiren is the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra. Furthermore, since I inherit the practice of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging (Fukyo)—who spread the twenty-four-character Lotus Sutra during the Middle Day of the Law of the Buddha Awesome Sound King—those who look down upon or slander Nichiren will have their heads split into seven pieces, as mentioned in the words of the Great Teacher Miao-lo. Conversely, the fortune of those who believe in the Lotus Sutra—namely, the Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret Laws—will be as vast as Mount Sumeru” (Ref: WND-1, 974).

This chapter also addresses the question: “Why does the actual proof of ‘head split into seven pieces’ not appear as immediate punishment for those who act as enemies to Nichiren Daishonin and inflict various persecutions upon him?”

Regarding this, the following is stated in “The Selection of the Time” (Senji Sho):

“The reason why the actual proof of ‘heads splitting into seven pieces’ or ‘mouths being closed’ does not appear is based on reason. Such punishments are minor and affect only one or two individuals. Nichiren is the foremost practitioner of the Lotus Sutra in the entire world. Therefore, those who side with those who slander or hate Nichiren will encounter the world’s greatest disasters. This actual proof appeared as the Great Earthquake of the Shoka era, which shook the nation of Japan, and the Great Comet of the Bunei era, which punished the heavens. Look at these events. Since the passing of Shakyamuni Buddha, there has never been a great disaster like those in Japan today. This is because no one before had ever caused all living beings to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Who could possibly stand equal to Nichiren, who propagates the Three Great Secret Laws that no one has ever spread before?” (Ref: WND-1, 266).

Interpretations by High Priest Nikkan

In his commentary on “Selections on the Time,” High Priest Nikkan interpreted this passage as follows:

“If there were only one or two slanderers, their heads might split or their mouths might be closed. However, today, from the sovereign down to the common people, everyone in Japan is a slanderer. For instance, if there are only one or two gray hairs, they can be pulled out. But when the entire head turns gray, they can no longer be discarded. Similarly, because the entire nation is composed of slanderers, it is logical that individual ‘heads splitting’ or ‘mouths closing’ did not occur. However, because Nichiren is the foremost practitioner of the Lotus Sutra in Jambudvipa (the world), those who hate him suffer the foremost punishments in Jambudvipa—namely, the Shoka Earthquake and the Bunei Comet. These great punishments for the slanderers serve to demonstrate the greatness of Nichiren’s virtue”.

Furthermore, in his commentary on “The Opening of the Eyes” (Kaimoku Sho), he discusses the presence or absence of immediate punishment:

“Because Japan is an evil country of slander, the protective deities (Shotzen-zin) have abandoned the nation. Consequently, there is no immediate punishment for the slanderers. If this were a country where the correct teaching flourished and the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra had no slander from past lives, the slanderers would receive immediate punishment. However, the Daishonin possessed slander from past lives (as a provisional manifestation), and the people of that time were destined for hell. Furthermore, since the deities had abandoned the evil nation, the Shogunate that slandered him remained at peace while the Daishonin’s followers faced great hardships. The reason the Buddha assumed a life with ‘past slander’ was, first, to ‘manifest as a common mortal’ (shido bonpu). To lead the people of that time, he had to show the same form and behavior as a common mortal to save them from suffering. Second, because it was a time filled with slanderers who could only be saved by the Mystic Law, he manifested as a common mortal despite being a Buddha”.

Conclusion: The Modern Condition

Modern society can be described as being in a state of “head split into seven pieces.” The confusion of thought and the disorder of ideology are extreme, making it seem like a “mad society.” People have lost the capacity for normal rational thought; they are submerged in the massive tides of the era and spend their days in anxiety toward an opaque and dark future. Ultimately, the turbidity of life itself creates cracks in human thinking and the systems of thought derived from it.

This was supposed to be the Age of Reason. However, human reason itself has lost its luster, giving rise to a cold-blooded and bloody world. It can be said that the time has come for humanity to open its eyes to Buddhism—the teaching that shines the great light of truth into the very depths of life, which lies one step beyond reason.