The Surpassing Magnitude of Disasters

This section evaluates the extraordinary severity of the calamities. The phrase “like great waves rising in a headwind or earthquakes occurring one after another” has several interpretations:

• Interpretation A: “Headwinds” are equated to the Shingon (True Word) school, and “great earthquakes” to the Zen and Nembutsu schools.

• Interpretation B: The occurrence of “headwinds and great waves” is compared to Shingon, and the “repeated earthquakes” to Zen and Nembutsu.

• Interpretation C: “Headwinds” represent the slander of the Law, and the “rising great waves” represent the resulting disasters.

High Priest Nikkan Shonin stated:

“Headwinds are compared to the errors of Shingon, and rising waves to the calamities caused by Zen and Nembutsu.” Furthermore, “Great earthquakes are compared to the errors of Shingon, and their repetitive nature to the calamities of Zen and Nembutsu.”

In any case, while the nation already faced the tragic fate of ruin due to the Shingon school’s erroneous teachings, the influence of the Zen and Nembutsu schools further flourished, causing the “three calamities and seven disasters” to break out in competition.

The text states, “there is no wise person to support and reveal the truth.” In the past, there was a deceptive calm because no one challenged the slander of the Law. Now, however, because Nichiren Daishonin reproaches the slander of the entire nation, the three calamities and seven disasters have manifest. This leads to the question of why the disaster was so great compared to historical examples like Mononobe no Moriya, who also destroyed Buddhism.

Why Disasters Occur

Nikkan Shonin clarified the sequence of causality behind these disasters as follows:

“When investigating the origins of disasters in general, there is a layered history. Because people who slander the Law fill the land, the benevolent deities abandon the nation. Because the deities abandon the nation, evil spirits (demons) rush in. Because evil spirits rush in, disasters occur within the land. Because disasters occur, Nichiren Daishonin offers his remonstration. Because he offers remonstration, the sovereign feels resentment and hatred. Because the sovereign feels resentment, the contemporary disasters break out even more fiercely.”

In brief, there are two primary causes:

1. The Remote Cause: Nichiren Daishonin’s remonstration.

2. The Immediate Cause: The sovereign’s resentment and persecution. Through this chain, the disasters intensify, eventually leading to the “calamity of invasion from abroad.”

The phrase “But the situation now is far worse.” clarifies why contemporary disasters are so intense. The passage starting from “But the situation in Japan today is much worse.” provides the explanation. In the case of Moriya, he was an obvious enemy of Buddhism who persecuted monks and destroyed temples. His evil was plain to see; even a foolish person could recognize it, let alone a wise one. In the present case, however, people claim to be allies of Buddhism while actually destroying it. Foolish people do not realize this, and even ordinary “wise persons” are blind to it. Because the entire nation resents the True Law under the guise of piety, the disasters are far more severe.

As stated in Condolences on a Deceased Husband:

“In India King Mihirakula burned down the temples of the five regions of India and beheaded the monks in sixteen great states. In China Emperor Wu-tsung destroyed the temples of Chinese Buddhism and smashed their Buddha images, while in Japan Moriya, kindling a fire of charcoal, melted down the bronze-gilt image of Shakyamuni Buddha and attacked and harassed the priests and nuns, forcing them to return to lay life. Yet when these events were taking place in India, China, and Japan, there were no comets or great earthquakes such as we see now. The people of today are a hundred, thousand, ten thousand times more evil than those men in the past. In the past it was simply a case of the ruler alone having evil designs; his high ministers and the others under him did not share his passion for destruction.” (WND-2, 776)

Historical Evidence and the Modern Era

Buddhism places great importance on actual proof. The Golden Light, Benevolent Kings, and other sutras all teach that if a sovereign persecutes those who practice the True Law and sides with those practicing false laws, the protective deities will enter the bodies of wise kings in neighboring countries to attack the slanderous nation.

• India: After King Kanishka, King Krrita destroyed Buddhism. King Himatala, a follower of the True Law, killed Krrita, and Buddhism flourished again.

• China: Emperor Wuzong propagated the erroneous Nembutsu teachings and destroyed Buddhism; consequently, he was attacked by the Uighurs and perished unable to quell the internal chaos.

In Japan, this pattern is even more pronounced.  As stated in the main text above “the confusion and depravity in Japan today are even greater than those in India or China in the past. During the era of Retired Emperor Gotoba, Honen spread the Nembutsu, leading to hardships for the imperial family. During the Jokyu Disturbance, the three retired emperors prayed for victory using the erroneous Shingon rituals, yet they were defeated and exiled.

Furthermore, in the Pacific War of modern times, the military authorities persecuted the first president, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, and others who upheld the True Law. As a result, Japan suffered the greatest defeat in its history and the people experienced hellish suffering. Is this not a clear “actual proof”?

Today, the entire world trembles at the threat of a third world war. If a global conflict involving nuclear weapons breaks out, both victors and losers will face total annihilation. In such an era, slandering the Soka Gakkai—which advances while upholding the True Law—is a terrifying act. We must issue a great warning. We must strongly assert that there can be no true world peace or human happiness without the Kosen-rufu of the True Law.