Reply to the Honorable Kōnichi Chapter3
Some while ago, at the time of the Jōkyū Disturbance, completely uninformed court ladies such as Lady Kyō-no-nii met in the presence of the Retired Emperor of Oki and encouraged him to start a war.2 Yoshitoki defeated him, however, and panic reigned over them.
Look carefully at the present situation. Is it due to the offense of slandering the Lotus Sutra, or is it punishment for belittling Nichiren, or is it because of the great offense of slandering the three treasures—the Law, the Buddha, and the Order? Because of these circumstances, in their present existence these people have brought the world of asuras into this country, and in their next existence they will without fail fall into the hell of incessant suffering.
This situation is also solely the result of the offense of slander against the Lotus Sutra by the three great teachers, Kōbō, Jikaku, and Chishō. It is due too to the offense of slander of the one vehicle by those such as Bodhidharma, Shan-tao, and the Precepts priests. And to the offense of the rulers, who have supported these people. There is also the great offense of not only ignoring, but actually harming one who, out of compassion for his country and concern for his homeland, has for some time now been considering the matter and warning people about this situation.
Let us look at some similar cases from the past. King Fu-ch’a of the state of Wu refused to heed the warnings of his minister Wu Tzu-hsü, and was destroyed by King Kou-chien of the state of Yüeh.3 King Chou of the Yin dynasty had nothing but contempt for the warnings of Pi Kan, and he lost his kingdom to King Wu of Chou.
Notes
2. Kyō-no-nii was a title of Fujiwara no Kenshi (1155–1229), who had served as nurse to Emperor Gotoba and later exercised influence in political affairs. The Retired Emperor of Oki refers to the Retired Emperor Gotoba. He attempted to overthrow the Kamakura government but was defeated by Hōjō Yoshitoki, the leader of the government. Gotoba was exiled to the island of Oki, and came to be called the Retired Emperor of Oki.
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 refused to listen. Instead, he compelled Wu Tzu-hsü to commit suicide in 485 b.c.e.