The Letter of Petition from Yorimoto

Chapter10(Concluding the Remonstrance)

No one can deny that the Nakatsukasa of two generations, my father and myself, have dedicated our lives in service to our lords. When your father³⁹ incurred the wrath of the authorities, his hundreds of retainers all shifted their allegiance; among them, my late father Yorikazu alone remained faithful to the end, accompanying him into exile to the province of Izu. Shortly before the battle that took place in Kamakura on the twelfth day of the second month in the eleventh year of the Bun’ei era,⁴⁰ I, Yorimoto, was in the province of Izu, but no sooner had I received word at the hour of the monkey on the tenth day than I hastened alone over the Hakone pass and joined with seven others who vowed before you to put an end to their lives. But the world at length grew calm again, and my lord now lives in peace. Since that time, you have included me among those who enjoy your trust in all matters, whether trifling or significant. How, then, could I estrange myself from you? I would obediently follow you even into the next life. If I should attain Buddhahood, I would save my lord as well, and if you were to attain Buddhahood, I expect you would do the same for me.

So I listened to the sermons of various priests and inquired into which teaching leads to Buddhahood. And I came to believe that, according to the teaching of the Lotus Sutra, the Sage Nichiren is the sovereign of the threefold world, the father and mother of all living beings, and the emissary of the Thus Come One Shakyamuni—Bodhisattva Superior Practices.

Notes

39. “Your father” here is thought to refer to Ema Mitsutoki. Nakatsukasa Yorikazu, Yorimoto’s father, served Ema Mitsutoki. After Yorikazu’s death, Yorimoto served both Mitsutoki, who had by that time become a lay priest, and his son Chikatoki, to whom this letter is addressed. In 1246 Mitsutoki came under suspicion of plotting a rebellion against the regent Hōjō Tokiyori and was exiled to Ema in Izu.

40. Reference is to an unsuccessful attempt by Hōjō Tokisuke, an elder half brother of the regent Hōjō Tokimune, to seize power. It actually occurred in the ninth year of Bun’ei (1272). “The eleventh year of the Bun’ei era (1274)” (the year of invasion by the Mongol forces) is probably an error. Among the chief conspirators in the rebellion were Ema Mitsutoki’s younger brothers, Noritoki and Tokiaki, who plotted to have Hōjō Tokisuke assume the regency. These two, along with Tokisuke, were eventually executed for their part in this affair. Their nephew, Ema Chikatoki, was the lord of the Ema clan at the time of the attempted coup and fell under suspicion of complicity. It would appear that Chikatoki’s faithful retainers vowed to commit suicide should their lord be executed.

Lecture

This chapter constitutes the conclusion of the remonstrance addressed to the lord. The Shijo clan had served the Ema clan for generations. However, their relationship became strained over matters of faith, and compounded by the slanders of Yorimoto’s colleagues, a rift opened between the lord, Ema Chikatoki, and Yorimoto. The Kuwagayatsu Debate further widened the gap between the two.

Therefore, in this section of the chapter, Yorimoto demonstrates his sincere devotion through historical facts, showing how the Shijo clan had served the Ema household during times of critical crisis when its very survival was at stake. This passage declares that Shijo Yorimoto harbors no duplicity toward his master, and that he offers this remonstrance solely out of his earnest desire for the lord’s attainment of Buddhahood, wishing for nothing but his lord’s enlightenment in both the present and future existences.

Examining the historical events that appear in this chapter, “the displeasure of the late lord” refers to the incident of 1246 (the fourth year of the Kangen era). At that time, a rumor circulated that a rebellion was brewing in Kamakura. Within the Hojo clan, there was a plot to reinstate the former Shogun, Yoritsune, who had been ousted from his position. Mitsutoki was among the ringleaders of this conspiracy, and as a consequence, he entered the priesthood and was exiled to the province of Izu. At this critical juncture, while almost all of Mitsutoki’s retainers abandoned him and departed, Kingo’s father, Yorikazu, alone accompanied his lord to the place of exile.

Next, the text mentions “the battle in Kamakura on the twelfth day of the second month in the eleventh year of Bunei,” but this is presumably a clerical error made during transcription; the actual event was the “Tokisuke Rebellion” that occurred in the second month of the ninth year of Bunei (1272). On this occasion, Noritoki and Tokiaki, who were Mitsutoki’s younger brothers, became the leaders of the plot, attempting to install Tokimune’s elder brother, Tokisuke, into the position of regent. However, the plot was uncovered, and Noritoki, Tokiaki, and Tokisuke were all executed.

In the Ema family, although Mitsutoki’s son, Chikatoki, was the head of the clan, Noritoki and Tokiaki were Chikatoki’s uncles. For this reason, the loyal retainers of the clan were prepared to commit suicide if their lord were to be executed. This situation can be inferred from the expression in the Gosho, “among the eight persons who were prepared to commit suicide in his presence.” The Ema clan was truly like a flickering flame before the wind, on the very brink of ruin.

Later, the regent’s suspicions were cleared, and the Ema clan was able to lead peaceful and secure days. Yorimoto explains his innermost feelings, stating that the reason he has maintained an unswerving loyalty inherited from his father’s generation and why he began to follow the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin is entirely because he desires to follow his lord into future existences and ensure his lord’s attainment of Buddhahood.