The Letter of Petition from Yorimoto

Chapter5(The Refutation of Ryokan)

In your official letter you also state, “I revere the elder of Gokuraku-ji temple as the World-Honored One reborn,” but this I cannot accept. The reason is that, if what the sutra states is true, the Sage Nichiren is the envoy of the Thus Come One who attained enlightenment in the remote past, the manifestation of Bodhisattva Superior Practices, the votary of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, and the great leader in the fifth five-hundred-year period [following the Buddha’s passing]. In an attempt to have this sage executed, the Honorable Ryōkan submitted a letter of petition to the authorities proposing that he be beheaded; but for some reason the execution was not carried out, and he was instead exiled far away to Sado Island. Was this not the doing of the Honorable Ryōkan? I am sending you a copy of his petition together with this letter.

Even though the priest Ryōkan preaches day and night on each of the six days of purification²¹ against killing even a blade of grass, he actually proposed that the priest who propagates the correct teaching of the Lotus Sutra be beheaded. Has he not contradicted his own words? Is the priest Ryōkan himself not possessed by the heavenly devil?

Let me explain how this situation came about. Whenever the priest Ryōkan preached, he would lament: “I am endeavoring to help all people in Japan become ‘observers of the precepts’²² and to have them uphold the eight precepts so that an end can be put to all the killings in this country and the drunkenness in the entire land; but Nichiren’s slander has prevented me from achieving my desire.” Hearing of this, the Sage Nichiren declared, “Somehow I must overturn the delusion of his great p.808arrogance and save him from the agonies of the hell of incessant suffering.” Hearing this, I, Yorimoto, and his other disciples all anxiously advised him, saying, “Even though you speak out of profound compassion as a champion of the Lotus Sutra, since the Honorable Ryōkan is revered throughout Japan, especially by the samurai in Kamakura, perhaps you should refrain from making strong statements.”

Notes

21. The six days of purification are six days each month on which lay followers purify body and mind by observing the eight precepts (see Glossary). They are the 8th, 14th, 15th, 23rd, 29th, and 30th days of the month.

22. The “observers of the precepts” refers here to those who observe the eight precepts, that is, followers of Ryōkan’s Precepts school.

Lecture

Up until the previous chapter, the author had explained the actions of Yorimoto through the details of the Kuwagayatsu Debate in order to clear his lord’s misunderstanding, while simultaneously appealing to the lord to investigate the true facts of the matter.

However, when reflecting on the fact that the lord demanded Yorimoto submit a kishomon (a written oath) vowing to renounce his faith in the Lotus Sutra, it becomes readily apparent that the incident of the Kuwagayatsu Debate could not be the direct cause for writing such an official decree (kudashibumi). This is because the matter of the debate should have been settled and resolved once the truth was clarified and Yorimoto’s immediate actions were vindicated. Why, then, did the problem complicate to such an extent, creating a rift in the master-disciple relationship so deep that it forced a choice between submitting the written oath or facing the confiscation of his estate and banishment?

The conflict did not stem from a clash over court service, but rather from a confrontation over religious faith. That is to say, the lord was a devout follower of Ryokan of Gokuraku-ji temple, whereas his retainer, Yorimoto, was a renowned and stalwart believer of Nichiren Daishonin. This confrontation began when Yorimoto attempted to remonstrate with his lord to convert to his faith (shakubuku). This took place in the autumn of Bun’ei 11 (1274), when the Daishonin was pardoned from his exile to Sado Island, as documented in the writing “On the Retainer’s Attainment of Buddhahood” (Shukun mimiire kono homon men-to-dozai-ji). In addition, friction between Yorimoto and his colleagues intensified day by day, causing the master-disciple relationship to steadily deteriorate, until the Kuwagayatsu Debate brought the situation to an irreversible crisis. Therefore, this chapter and the next are dedicated to breaking down the contradictions in the deeds of Ryuzo-bo’s mentor, Ryokan of Gokuraku-ji temple—whom the lord profoundly revered—thereby urging the lord to reach a deeper understanding of the truth. This chapter in particular describes how erroneous public reputation can be, exposes Ryokan’s blatant self-contradictions (jigo-soi), and declares that far from being a reincarnation of Shakyamuni Buddha, he was a heretical priest possessed by the heavenly devil (tenma). The reasons for this assertion are elaborated in the latter half of this chapter and continue into the next.

Ryokan of Gokuraku-ji was a priest of the Ritsu (Precepts) school who became a disciple of Eison. He traveled throughout various provinces, dedicating himself primarily to charitable works. Upon arriving in Kamakura, he gained the devotion of Hojo Tokiyori in Hirocho 1 (1261). Furthermore, receiving the generous patronage of Shigetoki and his son Naritoki, he became the founder of Gokuraku-ji temple in Bun’ei 4 (1267). Since then, Ryokan devoted his energies to social welfare and public works, such as building roads, constructing bridges, establishing hospitals, and setting up barriers to collect customs dues (sekimai). To the common people who were ignorant of Buddhism, such activities likely made him appear to be a living Buddha. These actions must have also appeared favorable to the administrators of the government. In modern assessments of Ryokan, he is often described as a highly capable, politically minded administrator driven by utilitarianism.

Incidentally, the lord, Lord Ema, was also among those who deeply revered Ryokan. This is evident from the fact that he referred to him as the “Elder of Gokuraku-ji” (Gokuraku-ji no Choro) in his official decree. The term “Elder” (Choro) was not used merely as an honorific for an elderly person; it was employed as a title for an eminent priest of supreme Buddhist virtue, which underscores the depth and warmth of the lord’s devotion. In any case, Ryokan’s day-and-night preaching and charitable activities were ultimately nothing more than acts of self-promotion designed to make himself appear as a holy man who strictly observed the two hundred and fifty precepts. Furthermore, it was a clever means to ingratiate himself with the shogunate, and his true essence was consumed by a desire for fame and authority. In other words, Ryokan was not a priest who had accumulated rigorous study of the Buddhist teachings themselves and gained fame through his wisdom and virtue. Rather, he had built his status up to that point by using charitable works to win favor with the shogunate. The most prominent example of this can be seen in his confrontation with Nichiren Daishonin. Ryokan never sought a direct, face-to-face debate with the Daishonin. Instead of confronting him in the public arena of religion through doctrinal debate (hōron), he cunningly altered his tactics, utilizing various underhanded schemes to manipulate the authorities of the shogunate from behind the scenes in an attempt to eliminate the Daishonin, as can be observed in various writings.

In “The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra” (Shuju On-furumai Gosho), it states: “[While the regent’s government could not come to any conclusion,] the priests of the Nembutsu, the observers of the precepts, and the True Word priests, who realized they could not rival me in wisdom, sent petitions to the government.”(WND-1, p.765)  Furthermore, in “Condolences on a Deceased Husband,” it is written: “So the Sage Ryōkan of Gokuraku-ji temple, that “living Buddha,” hurries with petitions to the government offices to bring charges against me”(WND-2, p.777) Ultimately, Ryokan succeeded in manipulating Hei no Saemon-no-jo. Hei no Saemon-no-jo was a powerful figure in the shogunate at the time, wielding immense control over military and police powers. Here, Ryokan and Hei no Saemon-no-jo conspired together, leading to the direct persecution of Nichiren Daishonin. The peak of this persecution was the Tatsunokuchi Persecution, followed by his exile to the remote island of Sado. This is precisely what is referred to in this chapter where it states: “You wrote a petition calling for the decapitation of the priest who is the envoy of the eternal Buddha, the manifestation of Bodhisattva Superior Practices, the votary of the essential law of the Lotus Sutra, and the great leader of the fifth five-hundred-year period, thus seeking to execute him. Yet, by some twist of fate, the death penalty was halted and he was exiled to the remote island of Sado instead. Was this not the doing of Ryokan?”

Subsequently, while Ryokan preached day and night that “one must not harm even a blade of green grass,” thus advocating the precept against killing, he was simultaneously plotting behind the scenes to have Nichiren Daishonin executed. This conduct represents a complete self-contradiction, and by exposing this, the text vividly unmasks Ryokan’s true identity as a priest possessed by the “heavenly devil” who destroys human life. Finally, the text touches upon the background of how Ryokan plotted to eliminate Nichiren Daishonin and actually carried out those actions, which would ultimately lead to the historic contest for rain in Bun’ei 8 (1271).