The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra

Chapter4(The Second Remonstration and the Wrath of the Authorities)

Main Text

On the twelfth day of the ninth month in the eighth year of Bun’ei (1271), cyclical sign kanoto-hitsuji, I was arrested in a manner that was extraordinary and unlawful, even more outrageous than the arrest of the priest Ryōkō, who was actually guilty of treason, and the Discipline Master Ryōken, who sought to destroy the government.⁷ Hei no Saemon led several hundreds of armor-clad warriors to take me. Wearing the headgear of a court noble, he glared in anger and spoke in a rough voice. These actions were in essence no different from those of the grand minister of state and lay priest, who seized power only to lead the country to destruction.

Observing this, I realized it was no ordinary event and thought to myself, “Over the past months I have expected something like this to happen sooner or later. How fortunate that I can give my life for the Lotus Sutra! If I am to lose this worthless head [for Buddhahood], it will be like trading sand for gold or rocks for jewels.”

Shō-bō, Hei no Saemon’s chief retainer, rushed up, snatched the scroll of the fifth volume of the Lotus Sutra⁸ from inside my robes, and struck me in the face with it three times. Then he threw it open on the floor. Warriors seized the nine other scrolls of the sutra, unrolled them, and trampled on them or wound them about their bodies, scattering the scrolls all over the matting and wooden floors until every corner of the house was strewn with them.

I, Nichiren, said in a loud voice, “How amusing! Look at Hei no Saemon gone mad! You gentlemen have just toppled the pillar of Japan.” Hearing this, the assembled troops were taken aback. When they saw me standing before the fierce arm of the law unafraid, they must have realized that they were in the wrong, for the color drained from their faces.

Both on the tenth [when I was summoned], and on the twelfth, I fully described to Hei no Saemon the errors of the True Word, Zen, and Nembutsu schools, as well as Ryōkan’s failure in his prayers for rain. As his warriors listened, they would burst into laughter, and at other times become furious. But I will not go into the details here.

Ryōkan prayed for rain from the eighteenth day of the sixth month to the fourth day of the following month, but I blocked his prayers so that no rain came. Ryōkan prayed himself into a sweat, but nothing fell except his own tears. There was no rain in Kamakura, but on the contrary, strong gales blew continually.

At this news I sent a messenger to him three times, saying: “If a person cannot manage to cross a moat ten feet wide, how can he cross one that is a hundred or two hundred feet? Izumi Shikibu,⁹ a licentious woman, violated one of the eight precepts by writing poetry, but still she made it rain with a poem. The priest Nōin, although he broke the precepts, was successful in bringing rainfall with a poem. How is it possible then that hundreds and thousands of priests, all of whom observe the two hundred and fifty precepts, gather to pray for rain and can do no more than raise a gale, even after one or two weeks of prayer? It should be clear from this that none of you will be able to attain rebirth in the Pure Land.” Ryōkan read the message and wept in vexation, and to others he reviled me.

When I reported what had happened with Ryōkan, Hei no Saemon attempted to defend him, but it was hopeless. In the end he was unable to utter a word. I will not record all of our conversation as it was too detailed.

Notes

7. Ryōkō and Ryōken plotted against the Kamakura government; their plots were discovered, and they were put to death. Ryōkō was executed in 1251, and Ryōken in 1261.

8. The fifth volume includes chapters twelve to fifteen; the thirteenth, or “Encouraging Devotion,” chapter says the votary of the Lotus Sutra will be attacked with swords and staves. The “nine other scrolls of the sutra” that appears in the sentence after next indicates those of the other seven volumes of the Lotus Sutra, plus the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra in one volume and the Universal Worthy Sutra in one volume. These two sutras are regarded as, respectively, the prologue and epilogue to the Lotus Sutra.

9. Izumi Shikibu (b. c. 976) was a poet of the Heian period, noted for her passionate love affairs. Nōin (b. 988), who appears in the following sentence, was a poet-priest who lived in Kyoto. The works of Izumi Shikibu and Nōin both include poems praying for rain.

Lecture

The Fifth Volume of the Lotus Sutra

When Shoshibo, a high-ranking retainer of Hei no Saemon-no-jo, snatched a scroll of the Lotus Sutra from the Daishonin’s robes, it was—mystically enough—the fifth volume. This volume contains four chapters: “Devadatta” (12th), “Encouraging Devotion” (13th), “Peaceful Practices” (14th), and “Emerging from the Earth” (15th). The “Encouraging Devotion” chapter is particularly significant because it contains the verse describing how the “three powerful enemies” will appear to obstruct the propagation of the sutra after the Buddha’s passing.

The Daishonin writes in his letter:

“Nichiren has met with both types of persecution, by the sword and by the staff… I was struck in the face with the fifth volume of the Lotus Sutra… Being struck with the fifth volume is a mystical fulfillment of the prophecy… How could I possibly disregard the debt of gratitude I owe to Shoshibo for helping me attain Buddhahood?”

From the perspective of Observation of the Mind (Kanjin), the Daishonin explains in The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings (OTT):

“‘Encouraging’ means teaching others; ‘Devotion’ (Holding) means one’s own practice. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo encompasses both practice for oneself and others. Now Nichiren and his followers encourage others to hold to Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.”

In our modern age, we do not face the “sword and staff” or exile as the Daishonin did. We have the Soka Gakkai, a harmonious community advancing toward Kosen-rufu like a ship with its sails full of wind. For us, the spirit of “Encouraging Devotion” lives on in the practice of Shakubuku—sharing the Law with others. The “Encouraging Devotion” chapter was a prophecy for Shakyamuni, a proof of identity for the Daishonin, and for us, it is the clear mirror of our faith and the “Will and Decree” for achieving Kosen-rufu.

Toppling the Pillar of Japan

As he faced execution, Nichiren Daishonin roared at Hei no Saemon-no-jo, the mastermind of the persecution:

“How amusing! Look at Hei no Saemon-no-jo gone mad! You men are now toppling the pillar of Japan!”

This was a cry that only the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law could utter. To admonish the most powerful man in the land with such a “great voice” while being led to his death is beyond the capacity of an ordinary person. As the Daishonin noted, the soldiers turned pale, realizing the illegality and gravity of their actions.

This declaration of being the “Pillar of Japan” is echoed in The Opening of the Eyes:

“I will be the pillar of Japan. I will be the eyes of Japan. I will be the great ship of Japan. This is my vow, and it shall never be broken.”

When compared to the Daishonin’s majestic behavior, the final moments of other religious leaders seem like a flickering firefly before the sun. While traditional accounts of Jesus say he cried out in exhaustion, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, the Daishonin stood with absolute conviction, protected by the heavenly deities. We should advance bravely on the great path of Kosen-rufu, carrying the Daishonin’s “Lion’s Roar” in our hearts.

Ryokan’s Failure to Bring Rain

During the great drought of 1271, the priest Ryokan publicly claimed he would save the people through his prayers for rain. The Daishonin challenged him:

“If you can bring rain within seven days, I will become your disciple… but if you cannot, it will be clear that your ‘strict observance of precepts’ is a great deception.”

Ryokan was delighted and gathered over 120 disciples to pray. However, despite their desperate efforts, not a drop fell. He asked for a seven-day extension, but the result was even worse: a severe drought accompanied by violent winds that never ceased.

Despite this clear defeat, Ryokan did not repent. Instead, he deepened his resentment and used his influence to plot the Tatsunokuchi Persecution. The Daishonin rebuked him, saying:

“One who cannot cross a trench that is one foot wide can hardly expect to cross one that is ten or twenty feet wide. If you cannot even bring about a simple thing like rain, how could you possibly lead people to the difficult goal of Buddhahood?”

Crossing the One-Foot Trench

In this analogy, the “one-foot trench” refers to bringing rain, while the “ten or twenty-foot trench” refers to attaining Buddhahood. If Ryokan’s teachings were powerless in a worldly matter, they certainly could not lead to eternal enlightenment.

Applying this to our lives:

• The 10 or 20-Foot Trench: The establishment of absolute happiness (Buddhahood) and Kosen-rufu.

• The 1-Foot Trench: Our daily life, actions, and behavior.

Whether our daily lives are rooted in the Gohonzon or something else determines our future. In Buddhism, victory is decided in each moment. By winning over small challenges today, we secure the glory of a great victory tomorrow. Even a massive mountain is an accumulation of tiny specks of dust. Similarly, the great goal of Kosen-rufu is won through a steady, persistent, and “grassroots” struggle in our daily reality.