The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra

Chapter1(Fulfillment of the Prophecy and Persecution)

Main Text

ON the eighteenth day of the intercalary first month of the fifth year of Bun’ei (1268), an official letter arrived from the great Mongol empire in which those barbarians of the west¹ declared their intention to attack Japan. My prediction in On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land, which I wrote in the first year of Bunnō (1260), cyclical sign kanoe-saru, has been fulfilled to the letter. My admonitions have surpassed even those set forth in the yüeh-fu poems of Po Chü-i,² and my prophecies are not inferior to those of the Buddha. Can there be anything more wondrous in this latter age? If our land were governed by a worthy ruler or sage sovereign, then the highest honors in Japan would be bestowed upon me, and I would be awarded the title of Great Teacher while still alive. I had expected to be consulted about the Mongols, invited to the war council, and asked to defeat them through the power of prayer. Since that did not happen, however, I sent letters of warning to eleven of our country’s leaders in the tenth month of the same year.

If there were a worthy person in this country, he would immediately think, “What a wonder! This is surely no ordinary matter. The Sun Goddess and Great Bodhisattva Hachiman must be offering a way to save Japan through this priest.” In actuality, however, priests of the other schools cursed and deceived my messengers. The government officials ignored or refused to reply to my letters, and even when they did reply, they deliberately neglected to report the content of my letters to the regent. Their behavior was highly irregular. Even if the letters concerned only some personal matter of mine, the government officials should nevertheless pass them on to the ruler for his due attention, this being the proper way of government. But in this case, the letters were a warning of dire things to come that would affect the destiny not only of the regent’s government but of every other official as well. Even if the officials did not heed my warning, to slander my messengers was going too far. This came about because all Japanese, high and low, have for a long time now shown hostility toward the Lotus Sutra. Thus they have piled up great offenses and become possessed by demons. The official letter from the Mongols has deprived them of the last remnants of sanity. In ancient China, King Chou of the Yin dynasty refused to heed the admonitions of his loyal minister Pi Kan and instead cut out Pi Kan’s heart. Later his dynasty was overthrown by the kings Wen and Wu of the Chou. King Fu-ch’a of the state of Wu, instead of listening to the remonstrances of his minister Wu Tzu-hsü, forced the latter to commit suicide.³ Eventually Fu-ch’a was killed by King Kou-chien of the state of Yüeh.

Thinking how tragic it would be if our country were to meet with a similar fate, I risked my reputation and life to remonstrate with the authorities. But just as a high wind creates great waves, or a powerful dragon brings forth torrential rains, so my admonitions called forth increasing animosity. The regent’s supreme council met to discuss whether to behead me or banish me from Kamakura, and whether to confiscate the estates of or execute my disciples and lay supporters, or to imprison or exile them to distant places.

Notes

1. The “barbarians of the west” is the set phrase that the Chinese invented to describe the tribes in the west, and the Daishonin applied it to the Mongols.

2. Po Chü-i (772–846) was a Chinese poet-official noted for his Hsin Yüeh-fu, “New Yüeh-fu,” a series of poems in yüeh-fu or ballad form criticizing social and political ills of the time.

3. Fu-ch’a (d. 473 b.c.e.) was the twenty-fifth ruler of the state of Wu. His father was killed by Kou-chien, king of the state of Yüeh, and Fu-ch’a took revenge two years later by defeating him in battle. Kou-chien proposed a peaceful settlement with Fu-ch’a, but really planned to attack the state of Wu again. Wu Tzu-hsü, a loyal minister of Fu-ch’a, discovered the plot and urged the king to kill Kou-chien, but the king would not listen. Instead, he compelled Wu Tzu-hsü to commit suicide in 485 b.c.e.

Lecture

The Mongol Threat and the Prophecy Fulfilled

In 1260, the year Nichiren Daishonin submitted “On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land” (Rissho Ankoku Ron) to Hojo Tokiyori, Khubilai Khan ascended as the emperor of the Mongol Empire. This coincidence is deeply significant. Upon his accession, Khubilai issued orders to Goryeo (modern-day Korea) to prepare for an invasion of Japan. Simultaneously, the Daishonin issued a stark warning in his treatise regarding the “calamity of invasion from abroad.”

While the Japanese people could not have imagined the storm brewing across the sea, the Mongol plans were already in motion. Khubilai, a leader of unprecedented ambition, had built the largest empire in human history, spanning Asia and Eastern Europe. In 1266, he dispatched envoys to Goryeo with a letter demanding Japan’s submission.

The letter was a mixture of diplomatic overtures and veiled threats, asserting that “all nations should seek harmony” with the Mongol Empire and warning the King of Japan to “consider this well” before the use of arms became necessary. Though the initial envoys were deterred by the treacherous seas, Khubilai’s fury led to a second mission in 1267. By 1268, the message finally reached the Kamakura Shogunate.

This event marked the precise fulfillment of the prophecy the Daishonin had made eight years prior. In response, he wrote “On the Origin of the Ankoku Ron,” declaring that among all the high-ranking priests in Japan, he alone possessed the “method to counteract this evil.” However, the Shogunate, blinded by their devotion to the Nembutsu, Zen, and Ritsu schools, ignored his sincere warning.

Superiority to Secular Verse and Prophecy

“ My admonitions have surpassed even those set forth in the yüeh-fu poems of Po Chü-i, and my prophecies are not inferior to those of the Buddha. Can there be anything more wondrous in this latter age?“

The Daishonin emphasizes that the Rissho Ankoku Ron is not merely a political critique but a profound work of prophecy. While the Daishonin authored many vital doctrinal works like the Opening of the Eyes or The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind, the Ankoku Ron stands alone in its external impact and historical weight.

High Priest Nikkan explained three reasons why this work surpasses the secular wisdom of poets like Bo Juyi:

1. Immediate Warning: Unlike poets who used the past to mirror the present, the Daishonin pointed directly to the causes of impending disaster.

2. Forceful Admonition: While secular writers might be ignored or used selectively, the Daishonin spoke with absolute conviction and “strong words” to awaken the nation.

3. Spiritual Rectification: It did not merely correct political errors but identified the root cause of suffering in slander of the Law, offering a path to eternal peace.

The Eleven Letters and the Spirit of Compassion

In October 1268, facing the indifference of the authorities, the Daishonin sent eleven letters to the Shogunate’s top officials and the heads of major temples, demanding a public debate to determine the truth of Buddhist teachings.

He knew this act would invite life-threatening persecution. To his disciples, he wrote: “Do not be alarmed… Do not think of your wives or children. Fear not authority. In this life, sever the bonds of birth and death and attain the fruit of Buddhahood.” His motivation was never self-interest; it was a gushing spring of great compassion for the suffering of all living beings. This spirit of “not begrudging one’s life” (fujishaku shinmyo) was later mirrored by the first president of the Soka Gakkai, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi. During WWII, when the military dictatorship demanded the nation embrace State Shinto, Makiguchi stood firm, declaring that only the Mystic Law could save the nation. Just as the Shogunate’s persecution of Nichiren led to the Mongol invasion, the wartime government’s imprisonment of Makiguchi and Josei Toda resulted in the unprecedented devastation of Japan in the Pacific War.

The Principles of Governance and Reason

The Kamakura Shogunate’s legal foundation was the Goseibai Shikimoku (the Joei Code), established in 1232. It was inspired by Prince Shotoku’s Seventeen-Article Constitution and Chinese legalism but was fundamentally rooted in reason (dori).

The Daishonin pointed out that if those in power truly respected the spirit of the law and the “way of governance,” they would have an obligation to hear his warnings. He argued that the safety of the state depends on the integrity of its politics, and the integrity of Buddhism depends on the clarity of the sutras.

Tragically, then as now, when power becomes tyrannical, the law is no longer a tool for the protection of the people but a weapon for the rulers. The Daishonin’s struggle was to restore the “law of reason” to society, ensuring that the voice of truth was never silenced by the arrogance of power.