The Workings of Brahmā and Shakra

Background

This letter, written at Minobu in 1277, is entitled The Workings of Brahmā and Shakra, because it contains the passage, “The time will certainly come when, by the workings of Brahmā, Shakra, and other gods, the entire Japanese nation will simultaneously take faith in the Lotus Sutra.” In this letter Nichiren Daishonin encourages the nineteen-year-old Nanjō Tokimitsu, who succeeded his father as steward of Ueno Village in Fuji District of Suruga Province, to maintain his faith. He also advises Tokimitsu on how to respond to those who attempt to threaten or deceive him into discarding his faith. For if they succeed in their attempt, the Daishonin warns, they will use him “as a means for making many others abandon their faith.”

 

 

Chapter1(Instruction by Citing Historical Precedents of Wise Men）

Main Text

I RECEIVED on the fourteenth day of the fifth month the horseload of taros that you took the trouble to send me. Considering the labor involved in producing them, taros today are as precious as jewels or medicine. I will comply with the request you made in your letter.

Once there was a man named Yin Chi-fu. He had an only son, whose name was Po-ch’i. The father was wise, and so was the son. One would have thought that no one would try to estrange them, but Po-ch’i’s stepmother frequently slandered him to her husband. However, Chi-fu would not listen to her. Undaunted, she continued for several years to contrive a variety of plots against her stepson. In one such scheme, she put a bee into her bosom, rushed to Po-ch’i, and had him remove the insect, making sure as she did so that her husband would observe the scene. In an attempt to have her stepson killed, she then accused him of making advances to her.

 

Lecture

On May 14, 1277, Nanjō Tokimitsu sent a horse-load of yam heads as an offering to Nichiren Daishonin at Minobu. Along with this offering, he submitted a letter reporting that several individuals had been pressuring him with various opinions in an attempt to make him abandon his faith.

This letter is the Daishonin’s reply, in which he expresses his appreciation for the offering and encourages Tokimitsu to maintain a faith that never yields to adversity.

In this writing, the Daishonin explains that those who practice the Lotus Sutra in the period after the Buddha’s passing are destined to encounter hardships even more severe than the “nine great ordeals” faced by Shakyamuni Buddha. He points out that even the Great Teachers T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō did not meet such trials, yet he himself is now facing the very persecutions described in the Lotus Sutra one after another. He provides detailed guidance on how to deal with these challenges, instructing his disciples that although various people will emerge to interfere with or persecute them for their faith, they must never give in and backslide.

The original manuscript of this letter is preserved at Taiseki-ji temple.

In this section, the Daishonin begins by thanking Tokimitsu for the offering and acknowledging the contents of his letter. He then proceeds to recount the story of Yin Jifu.

Yin Chi-fu, who was highly renowned as a wise man during the Zhou dynasty in China, was deceived by the machinations of his second wife. Consequently, he turned against his beloved son, Po-ch’i, and eventually drove him to suicide. By sharing this story, the Daishonin illustrates how even a wise person can easily be misled by the schemes of the wicked. He admonishes that the obstacles arising in the realm of Buddhism are far more intense, and thus one must approach them with a firm resolve and a prepared mind, never allowing oneself to be swayed by such influences.

 

 

Chapter2(Instructing Practitioners by Citing Shakyamuni’s Great Ordeals)

Main Text

A king named Bimbisāra was a worthy ruler and the greatest lay supporter of the Buddha within the entire land of Jambudvīpa. Moreover, he reigned over Magadha, the state where the Buddha intended to preach the Lotus Sutra. Since the king and the Buddha were thus united in mind, it seemed certain that the Lotus Sutra would be expounded in Magadha. A man named Devadatta wished to prevent this by any means possible, but all his attempts ended in failure. After much thought, he spent several years befriending King Bimbisāra’s son, Prince Ajātashatru, and gradually obtained his confidence. Then he set out to estrange father and son. He deceived the prince into killing his own father, King Bimbisāra.

Now that Ajātashatru, the new king, had become of the same mind as Devadatta and the two had banded together, non-Buddhists and evil men from all five regions of India swarmed like clouds or mist gathering into Magadha. Ajātashatru flattered them and won them over by giving them land and treasures. Thus the king of the state became an archenemy of the Buddha.

Seeing this, the devil king of the sixth heaven of the world of desire descended with his innumerable followers to Magadha and possessed the bodies of Devadatta, Ajātashatru, his six ministers, and others. Therefore, although these people were human in appearance, they wielded the power of the devil king of the sixth heaven. They were more boisterous, frightful, and alarming than a high wind flattening the grasses and trees, a gale stirring up waves upon the sea, a great quake jolting the earth, or a huge fire devouring one house after another.

A king named Virūdhaka, incited by Ajātashatru, put hundreds of Shakyamuni Buddha’s clan to the sword. King Ajātashatru unleashed a herd of drunken elephants and let them trample to death countless disciples of the Buddha. He also had many other disciples killed by concealing his soldiers in ambush at the roadsides, defiling well water with excrement, or persuading women to bring false charges³ against them. Shāriputra and Maudgalyāyana were severely persecuted.⁴ Kālodāyin was buried in horse dung.⁵ The Buddha was forced to survive for ninety days, one whole summer, on horse fodder.

People thought that perhaps not even the Buddha’s power could match that of those evil persons. Even those who believed in him swallowed their words and said nothing, and closed their eyes so that they might not see. They could only wave their hands helplessly,⁶ speechless with dismay. Finally, Devadatta beat to death the Thus Come One Shakyamuni’s foster mother, the nun Utpalavarnā,⁷ and then caused the Buddha’s body to bleed. Under these circumstances, there was no one who would side with the Buddha.

 

Notes

3. In an attempt to disgrace and create animosity against the Buddha’s followers, Ajātashatru persuaded women to pretend to have been impregnated by these followers.

4. According to The Monastic Rules on Various Matters, Shāriputra and Maudgalyāyana, leading disciples of Shakyamuni, while on their travels to spread Buddhism in Rājagriha, once refuted the master of a group of Brahmans. As a result, they were attacked with staves, and Maudgalyāyana is said to have been beaten to death.

5. According to The Ten Divisions of Monastic Rules, Kālodāyin, a disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha, was given offerings by a woman when he was going about begging for alms in Shrāvastī. Her jealous husband killed Kālodāyin and buried his head in horse dung.

6. This indicates a gesture of advising others not to speak out.

7. According to most accounts, Shakyamuni’s foster mother was his maternal aunt, Mahāprajāpatī, under whose guidance the nun Utpalavarnā is said to have attained the state of arhat. The story of Utpalavarnā is found in The Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom.

 

Lecture

Following the example of Yin Jifu being deceived by his second wife, this section cites how King Ajatashatru was misled by Devadatta during the lifetime of Shakyamuni Buddha, and how King Virudhaka and others were in turn deceived by Ajatashatru to become enemies of the Buddhist Law. It explains that these events occurred because the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven descended with his followers to enter the bodies of Devadatta, King Ajatashatru, the six ministers, and others, inflicting persecutions such as the “nine great ordeals” upon Shakyamuni in order to prevent him from preaching the Lotus Sutra.

In “On Prayer” (Kito-sho), the Daishonin records the reason why the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven entered the bodies of all living beings to persecute Shakyamuni as follows:

“The Buddhas, because they were enlightened by the Lotus Sutra, were able to attain Buddhahood. Therefore, if they should fail to preach the sutra to others, they would be withholding from others the seeds of Buddhahood and would be committing a fault. For this reason, the Thus Come One Shakyamuni made his appearance in this sahā world and prepared to preach it. But the devil king of the sixth heaven, otherwise known as the fundamental darkness, took possession of the bodies of all the people and caused them to hate the Buddha and impede his preaching.

Thus the king known as Virūdhaka killed five hundred people of the Shākya clan; Angulimāla chased after the Buddha; Devadatta rolled a huge stone down on him; and Chinchā, the daughter of a Brahman, tied a bowl to her belly and claimed to be pregnant with the Buddha’s child.

The lord of a Brahman city proclaimed that a fine of five hundred ryō of gold should be levied against anyone who invited the Buddha into the city. As a result, the people of the city blocked the road with thorns, threw filth into the wells, built a barricade of spikes at the gate, and put poison in the Buddha’s food, all because of their hatred of him.

The nun Utpalavarnā was murdered, Maudgalyāyana was killed by Brahmans of the Bamboo Staff school, and Kālodāyin was buried in horse dung, all because of animosity toward the Buddha.” (WND-1, p. 338)

The Lotus Sutra is the scripture through which all Buddhas of the three existences and ten directions attained enlightenment; it is the unique teaching capable of developing the Buddha nature of all living beings and leading them to Buddhahood. Therefore, Shakyamuni appeared in this world specifically to preach this Lotus Sutra. However, because the preaching of this sutra would enable all living beings to attain Buddhahood and escape the cycle of the threefold world and the six paths, the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven—manifesting as fundamental darkness—entered the bodies of the people to obstruct Shakyamuni’s preaching.

As stated in the “Encouraging Devotion” (Kanji) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, “Evil demons will take possession of others,” Devadatta and King Ajatashatru, possessed by the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven, continued to persecute Shakyamuni and his disciples at the command of that demonic power.

First, Devadatta drove a wedge between King Bimbisara—a wise ruler and a great patron of Shakyamuni—and his son, Ajatashatru, eventually inciting Ajatashatru to commit the crime of parricide. From birth, Ajatashatru had harbored deep-seated resentment toward his parents, leading people to call him “Unborn Enemy” (Misho-on). Approaching the young Ajatashatru, Devadatta revealed the secrets surrounding his birth, manifesting the resentment that had been submerged in the depths of his life since infancy and driving him to murder his father.

In “The Hybrid Lotus Sutra” (Horen-sho), it is recorded:

“But King Ajātashatru, gathering together evil men from the sixteen great states of India, plotting with non-Buddhists from all around, and acknowledging Devadatta as his teacher, turned numberless hordes of evil people loose, causing them to curse, attack, and kill the Buddha’s disciples. Not only that, but he turned against his father, a worthy ruler who was guilty of no fault, pinning him down in seven places with foot-long spikes. He also approached the queen consort—the mother who gave him birth—snatched away her jeweled hairpins, and held a sword to her head. Because of these terrible crimes, his body broke out in virulent sores in seven places.” (WND-1, p. 509)

While there are strong theories suggesting King Bimbisara died of starvation, the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven extended his influence not only to Bimbisara but to the persons of Shakyamuni himself and his disciples. Consequently, Shakyamuni encountered the “nine great ordeals,” and his disciples faced various life-threatening hardships.

Concerning the Nine Great Ordeals

Regarding the nine great ordeals, the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra (Daichido-ron), Volume 9, states: “Question: If the Buddha’s divine power is immeasurable and his dignity is beyond description, why did he undergo these nine retributions? First, the slander of the Brahmin woman Sundari… second, the slander of Chincha, the Brahmin woman… third, Devadatta pushing a mountain to crush the Buddha… fourth, a wood splinter piercing his foot… fifth, King Virudhaka raising an army and killing the Shakyas… sixth, eating horse grain at the invitation of the Brahmin Agidatta… seventh, back pain caused by cold wind… eighth, six years of asceticism… ninth, entering a Brahmin village and receiving no food, returning with an empty bowl. Furthermore… eight nights of bitter cold around the winter solstice… and suffering from heat while Ananda fanned him. The Buddha underwent all such minor worldly hardships.”

High Priest Nikkan summarized this passage in his “Exegesis on The Opening of the Eyes” (Kaimoku-sho Guki) as follows: “These are scattered throughout various texts, but are clear in the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra and the Sutra of the Buddha’s Explaining His Former Retributions. 1. Sundari’s slander; 2. Chincha’s slander; 3. Devadatta rolling a rock; 4. Wood splinter piercing the foot; 5. Virudhaka killing the Shakyas; 6. Agidatta’s horse grain; 7. Back pain from cold wind; 8. Six years of asceticism; 9. Empty bowl while begging. Others include cold, heat, the slander of Shamyavat, joint pain, etc.”

In “The Opening of the Eyes” (Kaimoku-sho), Nichiren Daishonin writes:

“Even the Buddha himself was on nine occasions forced to suffer major hardships.

Thus, for example, Devadatta hurled a great stone at him, and King Ajātashatru loosed a drunken elephant on him. Failing to receive alms from King Agnidatta, the Buddha was forced to eat horse fodder, and at a Brahman city, he was offered stinking rice gruel. Again, Chinchā, the daughter of a Brahman, tying a bowl to her belly, claimed to be pregnant with his child.

Needless to say, the Buddha’s disciples were likewise forced to suffer frequent hardships. Thus, countless numbers of the Shākya clan were killed by King Virūdhaka, and ten million of the Buddha’s followers were trampled to death by drunken elephants that were set upon them. The nun Utpalavarnā was killed by Devadatta, the Venerable Kālodāyin was buried in horse dung, and the Venerable Maudgalyāyana was beaten to death by members of a Brahman group named Bamboo Staff.” (WND-1, p. 246)

Let us examine the nine great ordeals cited by Nichiren Daishonin in relation to the text of this Gosho:

1. The slander of Sundari: A beautiful heretic woman named Sundari, incited by heretics, spread rumors that she had a physical relationship with Shakyamuni.

2. The Golden Spear (and the smelly rice water): While Shakyamuni was begging in a Brahmin city, a servant girl offered him smelly rice water. When Shakyamuni preached on the karmic reward of this act, a heretic slandered him, claiming it was a lie.

3. Horse Grain: At the invitation of King Agidatta, Shakyamuni went to the town of Viramja with five hundred disciples. However, the king became preoccupied with pleasure and forgot the Buddha’s arrival. For ninety days, no food was provided, and they had to survive by eating barley intended for horses. This Gosho notes, “The Buddha was harassed and for ninety days of one summer was forced to eat horse grain.”

4. Virudhaka’s slaughter of the Shakyas: King Virudhaka of Kosala annihilated the Shakya clan due to a past grievance. This Gosho states, “King Virudhaka was won over by King Ajatashatru and killed several hundred of the Shakya clan.”

5. The empty bowl while begging: When Shakyamuni attempted to beg in a Brahmin city, the king forbade the people from making offerings or listening to his teachings, leaving the Buddha with an empty bowl.

6. The slander of Chincha: The Brahmin woman Chincha slandered Shakyamuni while he was preaching by placing a wooden bowl inside her clothing and claiming she was pregnant with his child. It is said that Shakra, using his divine powers, turned into a mouse and bit the string holding the bowl, causing it to fall and exposing the lie. This Gosho mentions, “Or he [the devil king] won over a woman and made her speak lies.”

7. Devadatta pushing a mountain: Devadatta attempted to kill Shakyamuni by rolling a huge rock down from Mount Griddhrakuta. A splinter from the rock hit the Buddha’s toe, causing it to bleed. This Gosho refers to this as “causing the Buddha’s person to bleed.”

8. Searching for robes in the cold wind: During the eight nights around the winter solstice, a bitter wind blew so fiercely that Shakyamuni had to seek three extra robes to protect himself from the cold.

9. King Ajatashatru loosing wild elephants: Incited by Devadatta, King Ajatashatru loosed elephants made drunk on wine into Shakyamuni’s procession to trample him. This Gosho states, “King Ajatashatru loosed wild elephants and had them trample countless disciples to death.”

In this Gosho, the nun Utpalavarna, who was beaten to death by Devadatta, is referred to as “the foster mother of Shakyamuni.” However, she is a different person from Mahapajapati, the Buddha’s actual foster mother. It is possible that the Daishonin referred to her this way because the Buddha cherished her as dearly as a mother.

 

 

Chapter3(Demonstrating That Great Persecutions Befall the Votary of the Lotus Sutra)

Main Text

And yet somehow, despite all these many persecutions, the Buddha at length managed to preach the Lotus Sutra. A passage from this sutra states, “Since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world, how much more will this be so after his passing?”⁸ This passage means that, even while the Buddha was alive, the enemies of the Lotus Sutra offered fierce opposition; all the more will they harass those who, in the latter age, preach and believe in a single character or even a single brushstroke in the Lotus Sutra.

In light of this passage, it would seem that no one during the more than 2,220 years since the Buddha expounded the Lotus Sutra has lived it as the Buddha himself did. Only one who has met with great persecution can be said to have mastered the Lotus Sutra. The great teachers T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō would appear to have been votaries of the Lotus Sutra, but they did not meet persecutions as severe as the Buddha did in his lifetime. They encountered only minor opposition—T’ien-t’ai from the three schools of the south and seven schools of the north, and Dengyō from the seven major temples of Nara. Neither of them was persecuted by the ruler of the state, attacked by sword-brandishing multitudes, or abused by the entire nation. [According to the Lotus Sutra,] those who believe in the Lotus Sutra after the Buddha’s passing will suffer obstacles more terrible than those of the Buddha. Yet neither T’ien-t’ai nor Dengyō met oppression as harsh as what the Buddha did, let alone persecutions that were greater or more numerous.

When a tiger roars, gales blow; when a dragon intones, clouds gather.⁹ Yet a hare’s squeak or a donkey’s bray causes neither winds nor clouds to arise. As long as the foolish read the Lotus Sutra and the worthy lecture on it, the country will remain quiet and undisturbed. But it is stated that, when a sage emerges and preaches the Lotus Sutra exactly as the Buddha did, the nation will be thrown into an uproar, and persecutions greater than those during the Buddha’s lifetime will arise.

Now I am not a worthy, let alone a sage. I am the most perverse person in the world. However, my actions seem to be in exact accord with what the sutra teaches. Therefore, whenever I meet great difficulties, I am more delighted than if my deceased parents had returned to life, or than one who sees the person one hates meet with some mishap. I am overjoyed that I, a foolish man, should be regarded as a sage by the Buddha. Suppose there are wise persons who strictly observe the two hundred and fifty precepts and are revered by the entire nation more than the lord Shakra is by all heavenly beings. Yet what if, in the eyes of Shakyamuni Buddha and the Lotus Sutra, they are as sinister as Devadatta? They may appear respectworthy now, but what horrors await them in their next life!

 

Notes

8. Lotus Sutra, chap. 10.

9. This refers to a traditional Chinese saying. According to popular belief, the roaring of a tiger causes the wind to arise, and the chanting of a dragon produces rain. Nichiren Daishonin cites these beliefs to indicate that a great action invites repercussions of the same magnitude.

 

Lecture

In this section, in contrast to the numerous persecutions Shakyamuni faced during his lifetime, the Daishonin cites the phrase “how much more after his passing” from the “Teacher of the Law” (Hosshi) chapter of the Lotus Sutra. He demonstrates that those who preach the Lotus Sutra after the Tathagata’s passing will face even greater persecutions than those encountered during Shakyamuni’s lifetime. He declares that he himself is the only one undergoing such great trials exactly in accord with the sutra’s text, expressing his profound joy at reading the Lotus Sutra with his very life.

The fact that there will be hardships greater than Shakyamuni’s nine great ordeals after his passing is described in the “Peaceful Practices” (Anrakyu) chapter, which states that this sutra “arouses much enmity in the world and is difficult to believe,” and is also recorded in the “Encouraging Devotion” (Kanji) chapter as the onslaught of the three powerful enemies.

However, during the more than 2,200 years from the Buddha’s passing until the appearance of the Daishonin, even the Great Teachers T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō, who were hailed as practitioners of the Lotus Sutra, encountered hardships that did not come close even to Shakyamuni’s nine great ordeals.

In the case of the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai, although he was resented by the leaders of the three schools of the south and seven schools of the north, he was never hated by the ruler of the nation or ordinary laypeople. Furthermore, those leaders eventually recognized the correctness of T’ien-t’ai’s teachings and submitted to him, and the people throughout the country came to revere him.

In the case of the Great Teacher Dengyō as well, his hardships remained minor trials, consisting merely of being envied and slandered by the high-ranking priests of the seven great temples of Nara. Neither the ruler nor the laypeople became his enemies. Moreover, after an official debate in the imperial court, these high-ranking priests also eventually submitted to Dengyō.

Thus, the persecutions faced by T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō did not even equal those of Shakyamuni, and were far removed from the scripture’s prediction of “how much more after his passing.” The Daishonin alone has read this prophecy of the Lotus Sutra with his very life.

The reason for this is that when an ignorant person merely recites the Lotus Sutra or a wise person simply lectures on it, all living beings do not escape the threefold world and six paths to attain Buddhahood; therefore, the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven does not inflict severe persecutions.

However, when a sage appears and preaches the Lotus Sutra just as the Buddha did, all living beings are able to attain enlightenment. Consequently, the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven descends into the threefold world and six paths with his followers to cause obstacles far greater than the nine great ordeals, persecuting the sage and hindering the preaching of the Lotus Sutra.

Therefore, the Daishonin states that he himself, though regarded by the people as the most perverse person in the world, is indeed the “sage” who meets persecutions greater than Shakyamuni’s, exactly in accord with the passage “how much more after his passing” in the “Teacher of the Law” chapter, and he regards this as his greatest joy.

The phrase, “though I am an ignorant man, to be regarded as a sage by the Buddha,” signifies nothing less than that Nichiren Daishonin, while appearing as an ordinary priest, is the True Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law.

In contrast, he cites the example of Ryōkan, who opposed and persecuted the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day, showing that Ryōkan is identical to Devadatta during the Buddha’s lifetime and that his fall into hell is absolutely certain.

The person described here as “reputed to be a wise man, strictly observing the two hundred and fifty precepts…” is unmistakably Ryōkan.

Regarding how Ryōkan was “revered by the myriad people more than they revere Shakra, the king of the gods,” “Conversation between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man ” (Shougu Mondō-shō) similarly states: “In particular, there is the Honorable Ryōkan of Gokuraku-ji temple. Everyone, from the supreme ruler on down to the common people, looks up to him as a living Thus Come One.” (WND-1, p.101)

That Ryōkan was a figure who would “be viewed with wonder by Shakyamuni Buddha and the Lotus Sutra as being just like Devadatta” is due to his persecution of Nichiren Daishonin using every possible means.

“Letter to Shimoyama” (Shimoyama Go-shōsoku) states the following:

“Here is this priest called Two Fires. On his body he wears his three robes like a hide that he can never take off, and he has his one alms bowl that he guards as closely as he does his own two eyes. He meticulously observes the two hundred and fifty precepts and abides by the three thousand rules of conduct. The ignorant priests and nuns and lay persons of our time, from the rulers of the nation on down to the common people, all look upon him as though they thought he were the Venerable Earth Repository who had made his appearance from Mount Kharadīya, or the Venerable Mahākāshyapa who had come down from the holy mountain of Eagle Peak. I myself have read the “Encouraging Devotion” chapter in the fifth volume of the Lotus Sutra, which tells how, when the world enters the latter age, the three great enemies of the Lotus Sutra will appear. And I have concluded that the third of these three enemies is none other than this man.” (WND-2, p.692)

Furthermore, “The Letter of Petition from Yorimoto” (Yorimoto Chinjo) describes how Ryōkan persecuted Nichiren Daishonin, the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra, and manipulated political authority in an attempt to take his life:

“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 purification 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?” (WND-1, p.807)

Just as Devadatta sought to take Shakyamuni’s life, Ryōkan attempted to end the life of Nichiren Daishonin, the True Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law. Therefore, just as Devadatta fell into hell, Ryōkan’s fall into hell is absolutely certain.

In contrast, the Daishonin declares that even if the people of the world view him as a perverse and ignorant man, because he has read the prophecies of Shakyamuni and the words of the Lotus Sutra with his very life, he is “regarded as a sage by the Buddha.”

Here, “perverse person” (hekijin) means a twisted or eccentric individual. Nichiren Daishonin was viewed as a perverse man by ordinary people, and this was particularly the shared perception among the members of the shogunate.

The Daishonin himself explains the reason for this in “The Swords of good and Evil” (Yagenta-dono Go-Henji):

“I NICHIREN is the most perverse person in Japan. The reason is this: Nichiren proclaims that, because the people revere the Buddha Amida, the Thus Come One Mahāvairochana, Medicine Master, and other Buddhas even more than their own parents and lords, the three calamities and seven disasters are occurring in greater magnitude than in any previous age, and the unusual disturbances in the heavens and strange occurrences on earth are now more terrible than ever. I am forever reminding them that they will not only ruin themselves and destroy the country in this lifetime, but fall into the great Avīchi hell in the next. Hence I have suffered this severe persecution. I might be compared to a summer insect that flies into a flame, or a mouse that dashes in front of a cat. I am like an animal that knows it is in danger and yet pays no heed. But I risk my life as a matter of conscious choice; therefore, I am a perverse person.” (WND-1, p.451)

Nichiren Daishonin denounced all erroneous sects as the root of disasters and the cause for falling into the hell of incessant suffering, and for this, he faced severe persecutions. In the eyes of ordinary people, he appeared only as a perverse person who deliberately brought disasters upon himself.

However, the Daishonin refuted erroneous sects and underwent great trials solely to awaken the people to the correct teaching and enable them to attain Buddhahood. Though he appeared perverse to ordinary minds, when illuminated by the mirror of the Lotus Sutra and seen through the Buddha eye of Shakyamuni, the Daishonin is precisely the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra and the True Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law. In other words, facing great persecutions is the very proof of a true sage. Therefore, he rejoices in the hardships brought about by reading the Lotus Sutra with his very life.

 

 

Chapter4(Admonishing Believers by Citing Examples of Those Who Backslid)

Main Text

If rumor spreads that you appear to be a votary of the Lotus Sutra, both those who are close to you and those who are not will unexpectedly admonish you as if they were your true friends, saying, “If you believe in the priest Nichiren, you will surely be misled. You will also be in disfavor with your lord.” Then, because the plots that people devise are fearsome even to worthy persons, you will certainly abandon your faith in the Lotus Sutra. So it is advisable that you do not carelessly let it be known that you are a believer. Those possessed by a great devil will, once they succeed in persuading a believer to recant, use that person as a means for making many others abandon their faith.

Shō-bō, Noto-bō, and the lay nun of Nagoe¹⁰ were once Nichiren’s disciples. Greedy, cowardly, and foolish, they nonetheless pass themselves off as wise persons. When persecutions befell me, they took advantage of these to convince many of my followers to drop out. If you allow yourself to be so persuaded, those in Suruga who seem to believe in the Lotus Sutra, as well as the others who are about to take faith in it, will all discard the sutra without exception. There are a few in this province of Kai who have expressed their desire to take faith. Yet I make it a rule not to permit them to join us unless they remain steadfast in their resolve. Some people, despite their shallow understanding, pretend staunch faith and speak contemptuously to their fellow believers, thus often disrupting the faith of others. Leave such people strictly alone. The time will certainly come when, by the workings of Brahmā, Shakra, and other gods, the entire Japanese nation will simultaneously take faith in the Lotus Sutra. At that time, I am convinced, many people will insist that they too have believed since the very beginning.

 

Notes

10. Disciples of the Daishonin who later abandoned their faith. Shō-bō is said to have begun doubting the Daishonin around the time of the Izu Exile in 1261. Noto-bō is said to have lost his faith around 1271. The lay nun of Nagoe, the wife of Hōjō Tomotoki, a younger brother of the third regent Yasutoki, abandoned her faith around the time of the Tatsunokuchi Persecution in 1271.

 

Lecture

As mentioned above, it is only natural that some would try to make Nanjō Tokimitsu abandon his faith, given that he was striving in his practice as a disciple and believer of Nichiren Daishonin, whom the entire nation hated. In response to his report that certain individuals had been advising him to give up his faith under the guise of kindness, the Daishonin gives specific instructions on how to handle the situation and guides him on the mindset needed to confront such adversity.

Demons disguise themselves as friends to proffer advice and attempt to make one discard the Lotus Sutra; therefore, one must never be deceived by such words. Furthermore, the Daishonin warns that demons first try to convince a single person to backslide, and then use that person as a stepping stone to cause many others to abandon their faith. He illustrates this by citing the actual examples of those who backslid, such as Shō-bō, Noto-bō, and the nun of Nagoe. He warns that if Tokimitsu were to backslide, it would trigger a chain reaction of defection among the believers in the Suruga area. For this very reason, the Daishonin mentions that in the Kai area, he does not allow anyone to enter discipleship unless their resolve in faith is firmly determined. This is because the Daishonin foresaw that those with half-hearted faith would fall into arrogance and lead other believers astray.

The passage, “Those among Nichiren’s disciples who turned back—such as Shō-bō, Noto-bō, and the nun of Nagoe—were greedy, cowardly, and foolish, yet they claimed to be wise men. When trouble arose, they took advantage of the opportunity to lead many others astray,” is frequently cited by the Daishonin as a historical precedent of those who backslid.

In “On Persecutions Befalling the Sage” (Shonin Go-nanji), he similarly states:

“I have been repeating these things in detail day after day, month after month, year after year. Yet with the lay nun of Nagoe, Shō-bō, Noto-bō, Sammi-bō,⁵ and the like, who are cowardly, unreasoning, greedy, and doubting, my words have no more effect than pouring water on lacquer ware or slicing through air.” (WND-1, p. 998)

The common causes of backsliding cited in both this letter and “On Persecutions Befalling the Sage” are greed and cowardice.

Next, this letter points out the arrogance of claiming to be a wise man while actually being foolish, whereas “On Persecutions Befalling the Sage” highlights those who “forget what they have learned and are full of doubts.” While “forgetting what one has learned” and being “foolish” are essentially the same, there is a nuance difference between being “full of doubts” on one hand and “claiming to be a wise man” on the other. However, both stem from the same root of arrogance; thinking oneself wise leads to a failure to honestly believe the Daishonin’s teachings, which manifests as “doubt.” In either case, these expressions describe the behavior of a conceited mind that lacks a genuine seeking spirit, harbors doubts about the Daishonin’s Buddhism, interprets it through personal views, and acts as if one were a person of great wisdom.

Shō-bō, Noto-bō, and the nun of Nagoe mentioned in this letter were all greedy and cowardly. Incapable of recognizing their own foolishness, they claimed to be wise, but they quickly backslid when confronted with the Daishonin’s great trials, such as the Tatsunokuchi Persecution, the Izu Exile, and the Sado Exile.

Regarding Shō-bō, a passage in “The Genuineness of the Daimoku” states, “In general, those among Nichiren’s disciples who go up to Kyoto forget at first, but later become possessed by heavenly devils and act like madmen, just like Shō-bō,” suggesting that he went to Kyoto to study. However, being inherently greedy and cowardly, he must have been corrupted by fame and fortune, succumbing to the delusion that he had become a man of wisdom.

Furthermore, in “Letter to Ben” the Daishonin mentions Noto-bō alongside Shō-bō, noting their greed and cowardice:

“Noto-bō was actually a supporter of mine, but out of fear of what the world might do to him, or out of greed, he not only abandoned me but in fact became my enemy. And Shō-bō has done likewise.” (WND-2, p. 661)

Regarding the nun of Nagoe, “Reply to the New Nun” states, “The landowner [the nun of Nagoe] was deceitful and foolish, believing at one time and violating the teachings at another, showing no constancy. When Nichiren incurred the shogunate’s wrath, she immediately abandoned the Lotus Sutra,” indicating that she defected during the Tatsunokuchi Persecution and Sado Exile. Later, when one of the Daishonin’s disciples met her and heard her boasting about T’ien-t’ai doctrines, the disciple strictly reprimanded her, as recorded in “The Royal Palace”:

“I have heard a great deal about the lay nun of Nagoe here, too. I was told that someone happened to meet her and took her soundly to task for praising the doctrine of theoretical endowment.” (WND-1, p.489)

She, too, played the part of a wise person by boasting of T’ien-t’ai doctrines.

Among the common causes of defection identified by Nichiren Daishonin, the first, “being greedy,” means losing one’s way due to immediate, short-term desires and thereby breaking one’s faith.

The second, “being cowardly,” means losing the courage to maintain faith due to the fear of persecution.

The third, “forgetting what one has learned,” means failing to internalize the Daishonin’s constant guidance, listening to it as if it concerned someone else, and quickly forgetting it.

Furthermore, claiming to be a wise person while being foolish means failing to perceive one’s own ignorance and laboring under the delusion of wisdom. Because such individuals lose their seeking spirit and fall into arrogance, they fail to listen to the Daishonin’s guidance with honesty and earnestness, harboring suspicions and thus becoming “full of doubts.”

From these warnings, what is vital for maintaining an unshakeable faith becomes clear:

First, one must not be swayed by shallow, short-term interests, but must fully dedicate oneself to faith with the great purpose of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime.

Second, one must summon the courage that no hardship can break. Those who maintain a courageous faith to fight against obstacles will engrave the Daishonin’s guidance into their lives and never forget it.

Third, one must continuously kindle a seeking mind, humbly seeking the Daishonin’s teachings and putting them into practice.

This devotion in faith is the ultimate key to overcoming hardships and achieving Buddhahood in this lifetime.

“Leave such people strictly alone. The time will certainly come when, by the workings of Brahmā, Shakra, and other gods, the entire Japanese nation will simultaneously take faith in the Lotus Sutra.“

This is the Daishonin’s prophecy that the time of kosen-rufu will surely arrive, when all the people of Japan will come to embrace the True Law. It shares the same meaning as the passage in “The True Aspect of All Phenomena”: ” At the time when the Law has spread far and wide, the entire Japanese nation will chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, as surely as an arrow aimed at the earth cannot miss the target.” (WND-1, p. 385)

Regarding the conditions that will bring about this time of kosen-rufu, “The Selection of the Time” states:

“At that time, Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions will speak to the great bodhisattvas who sprang up from the earth, and the great bodhisattvas will in turn report to Brahmā, Shakra, the gods of the sun and moon, and the four heavenly kings. As a result, strange occurrences and unusual disturbances will appear in abundance in the heavens and on earth.

If there are countries whose rulers fail to heed this warning, then the Buddhas and the great bodhisattvas will order neighboring countries to attack the evil rulers and evil priests of those countries. Then great struggles and disputes such as have never been known in the past will break out in Jambudvīpa.

At that time, all the people living in the land illuminated by the sun and moon, fearing the destruction of their nation or the loss of their lives, will pray to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas for help. And if there is no sign that their prayers will be answered, they will put their faith in this single humble priest whom they earlier hated. Then all the countless eminent priests, the great rulers of the eighty thousand countries, and the numberless common people will all bow their heads to the ground, press their palms together, and in one voice will chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.“ (WND-1, p.542)

These words reflect the Daishonin’s profound conviction that the time of kosen-rufu will inevitably come, as it is an absolute principle of Buddhism.

 

 

Chapter5(Teaching the Attitude of Faith and Offering Encouragement)

Main Text

If your faith is firm, then you should single-mindedly resolve: “I maintain faith not for the sake of other people but for the benefit of my deceased father. Others will not perform memorial services for him; because I am his son, I am the one who must pray for his repose. I govern one village. I will spend one half of my revenue making offerings for the sake of my deceased father, and use the other half to feed my wife, children, and clansmen. Should an emergency arise, I will give my life for my lord.” Speak in a mild manner, no matter what the circumstances.

If people should try to weaken your belief in the Lotus Sutra, consider that your faith is being tested. Tell them sardonically, “I deeply appreciate your warning. However, you should save your admonishment for yourselves. I know well that our lord does not approve of my faith. The idea of your threatening me in his name is simply absurd. I was contemplating visiting you all and giving you some advice, but you came here before I could follow through. You will surely join your palms together and beseech me for help when you, along with your beloved wife and children, are dragged out before King Yama.”

What you say about Niida¹¹ may well be true. I have also heard about the people at Okitsu.¹² If the occasion arises, you should behave exactly as they did. When those of rank reproach you for your faith, think of them as worthy adversaries of the Lotus Sutra. Consider it an opportunity as rare as the blossoming of the udumbara plant, or the blind turtle encountering a p.801floating sandalwood log,¹³ and reply to them firmly and resolutely.

There have been instances in which those who governed a thousand or ten thousand chō of land had their lives summarily taken and their estates confiscated over trifling matters. If you give your life now for the sake of the Lotus Sutra, what is there to regret? Bodhisattva Medicine King burned his own body for twelve hundred years and became a Buddha. King Suzudan made a bed of his own body for his teacher for a thousand years; as a result, he was reborn as Shakyamuni Buddha.

Make no mistake. If you abandon your faith in the Lotus Sutra now, you will only make yourself the laughingstock of your foes. Shamelessly pretending friendship, they will try to maneuver you into recanting, with the intention of later laughing at you and letting others ridicule you as well. Let them say all they have to say. Then tell them, “Instead of advising me in the presence of many people, why don’t you admonish yourselves first?” With this remark, abruptly rise from your seat and depart.

Please let me know in a day or two what has happened since you wrote. There are so many things I want to say that I cannot write all of them here. I will do so in my future letters.

With my deep respect,

Nichiren

 

The fifteenth day of the fifth month in the third year of Kenji (1277)

 

Reply to Ueno

 

Notes

11. Niida Shirō Nobutsuna, a follower of the Daishonin who lived in Hatake of Izu Province. He was an elder brother of Nichimoku Shōnin (1260–1333), and his mother was an elder sister of Nanjō Tokimitsu. Together with Tokimitsu and others, he endeavored to spread the Daishonin’s teachings in northern Japan. What Tokimitsu reported about him is not clear, but presumably the Daishonin means that Niida never yielded to persecution but steadfastly maintained his faith.

12. A village located on the shore of Suruga Bay. The “people at Okitsu” possibly refers to Jōren-bō, a disciple who lived here and had a close connection with the lay priest Takahashi of Fuji District, and to other followers.

13. The udumbara plant is said to bloom once every three thousand years to herald the advent of a Buddha. The analogy of the blind turtle is mentioned in chapter 27 of the Lotus Sutra which says that encountering Buddhism is as rare as a one-eyed turtle finding a floating sandalwood log with a hollow in it to hold him.

 

Lecture

This letter provides specific guidance on what attitude one should maintain toward false advisers who pretend to be allies while encouraging one to abandon their faith.

First, it advises the recipient to make up his mind, thinking: “My faith is for the sake of offering memorial services for my deceased father. Of the income obtained from my fief in this village, I will use half as offerings for my late father and the Buddhist Law, and the remaining half for my wife, children, and retainers, while dedicating my own life to my lord.”

Furthermore, the Daishonin states that toward those who try to make one abandon faith in the Lotus Sutra, one should view them as testing one’s faith and rebuke them in turn, saying: “I appreciate your advice out of concern for me, but you should worry about your own self instead. I am already well aware that the shogunate opposes the correct teaching and looks unfavorably upon those who practice it, so it is laughable of you to use that to threaten me. In fact, I was planning to visit you to teach the Buddhist Law and advise you, but you have anticipated me. When you fall into hell along with your families for opposing the correct teaching, you will surely cry out to me for help.”

Next, although the specific details regarding Nitta Shiro and Okitsu remain unclear, the context suggests that they endured hardships, maintained their faith in the Lotus Sutra, and fought against persecution. Thus, Tokimitsu is also encouraged to maintain a resolute faith.

Citing the examples of Bodhisattva Medicine King and King Shibi (Dan-o), he teaches that a faith unsparing of one’s life is the key to attaining Buddhahood, and that one should rather rejoice in facing difficulties.

Finally, the Daishonin warns that such people merely pretend to be allies to make one abandon faith so that they can mock them afterward. Therefore, one must see through their true nature, let them speak their mind fully, and then sternly refute them, saying: “Rather than advising others in the presence of a large crowd, you should advise your own self,” before standing up and leaving the room.

The third year of Kenji (1277), when this letter was written, was a time when propagation (shakubuku) was actively being carried out in the Atsuhara area under the leadership of Nikko Shonin. It is evident that the precursors to the storm of the Atsuhara Persecution, which would break out two years later, were already manifesting around Tokimitsu.