The Fourteen Slanders

Table of contents

Background
Chapter1(The Conditions at Minobu and Gratitude for Your Correspondence)
1. Main Text
2. Lecture
  1. The Daishonin’s Life at Mount Minobu
  2. The Conditions of Mount Minobu

Background

Written near the end of 1276, this letter was a reply to the lay priest Matsuno Rokurō Saemon. Four in his family received letters from Nichiren Daishonin—he, his wife, son, and daughter-in-law. One of his daughters married Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō and gave birth to Nanjō Tokimitsu, a staunch supporter of the Daishonin and his disciple Nikkō. It is thought that Matsuno was converted to the Daishonin’s teachings through this connection with the Nanjō family.

This letter explains the fourteen slanders, citing Miao-lo’s Annotations on “The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra.” These slanders are referred to originally in the “Simile and Parable” chapter of the Lotus Sutra. Asked if there is a difference in benefits derived when a sage chants the daimoku and when an ordinary person chants it, the Daishonin answers in the negative. “However, there is a difference,” he continues, “if one chants the daimoku while acting against the intent of this sutra.” He explains “the intent” of the sutra by referring to the fourteen slanders.

The first ten of the fourteen slanders concern one’s attitude and action toward the Law, that is, the Buddha’s teachings; the last four concern those toward people who believe in and practice that Law.

Emphasizing the importance of unity among believers, the Daishonin says, “Always remember that believers in the Lotus Sutra should absolutely be the last to abuse one another.” The reason he gives is that “all those who keep faith in the Lotus Sutra are most certainly Buddhas, and one who slanders a Buddha commits a grave offense.” In other words, he warns against the last four of the fourteen slanders: “despising, hating, envying, and bearing grudges against” fellow believers.

The Daishonin next recounts in detail the story of the boy Snow Mountains, who offers his body to a fierce demon in order to learn a Buddhist teaching. He encourages Matsuno to make this bodhisattva’s spirit a model for his own faith and practice. He further clarifies that a priest who lacks the spirit to study and practice Buddhism diligently, and to strive to refute its slanderers, is “no better than an animal dressed in priestly robes,” a thief who has stolen the title of priest.

The Daishonin concludes by instructing Matsuno how to practice his teaching as a lay believer. He encourages the lay priest to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, provide support for the priests, and, in accord with the Lotus Sutra, put effort into spreading the Law. Clearly, in light of the preceding paragraphs, “priests” here indicates not any priest, but the Daishonin’s disciples—those who are practicing in accord with the spirit elucidated in this letter.

Chapter1(The Conditions at Minobu and Gratitude for Your Correspondence)

Main Text

IHAVE received the string of coins, the horseload of polished rice, and the white quilted robe that you sent.

Rolling fields and hills stretch out more than a hundred ri to the south of this mountain. To the north stands lofty Mount Minobu, which joins the peaks of Shirane farther off. Jutting sharply up to the west is a mountain called Shichimen. Snow remains on these peaks throughout the year. There is not a single dwelling other than mine in the area. My only visitors, infrequent as they are, are the monkeys that come swinging through the treetops. And to my regret, even they do not stay for long, but scurry back to where they came from. To the east run the surging waters of the Fuji River, which resemble the flowing sands of the desert. It is extraordinary indeed that you send letters from time to time to this place whose inaccessibility makes visitors rare.

Lecture

This writing is attributed to Nichiren Daishonin on December 9, 1276, after he had entered Mount Minobu, though the original manuscript is no longer extant. Due to its content, it is also known as “The Writing on the Fourteen Slanders” (Jyuyon Hibō-shō).

The essence of this letter is a response to Lord Matsuno, who had asked about the relative merits and the presence or absence of benefit in chanting the Daimoku. The Daishonin first cites various sutras and commentaries to list and warn against the fourteen slanders. He encourages a seeking spirit by detailing the story of the Boy Snow Mountains (Sessen Dōji), who offered his life for the sake of half a Buddhist verse. Furthermore, he strictly forbids priests from engaging in idle play or aimless gossip, equating such attitudes to those of “animals” or “thieves.” Drawing from the Theoretical and Essential teachings (Hon-jaku Nimon) and the Nirvana Sutra, he expounds on the propagation of the Law with a spirit of “not begrudging one’s life” (fujishaku shinmyō). For lay followers, he explains the importance of chanting Daimoku and making offerings, ultimately revealing the true state of life for attaining Buddhahood.

The Daishonin’s Life at Mount Minobu

Nichiren Daishonin repeatedly admonished the Kamakura Shogunate, beginning with the “Treatise on Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land” (Risshō Ankoku Ron). However, the military leaders failed to heed his warnings and instead subjected him to continuous persecution. Even after returning from exile on Sado Island, the Daishonin attempted a third national admonition. When his advice was once again ignored, he followed the ancient precedent—“if one admonishes the ruler three times and is not heard, one should retire to the forest”—and entered Mount Minobu.

While this appeared to be a retirement, it was in fact a vital struggle to transmit the Three Great Secret Laws, hidden in the depths of the text, to the future of the ten thousand years of the Latter Day of the Law. During this period, he dedicated himself to the writing of major treatises and the nurturing of capable disciples.

Regarding his state of mind at the time, he writes in “The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra”:

“I had been determined all along that, if after three attempts to warn the rulers of the nation my advice still went unheeded, I would leave the country. With that thought in mind, I accordingly left Kamakura on the twelfth day of the fifth month and came here to Mount Minobu.” (WND-1, p. 776).

In the “Letter to Shimoyama”, he expresses his inner feelings:

“My intention all along had been to attempt to repay the debt of gratitude I owe my country by offering such advice. If after delivering three such admonitions my words were still ignored, I had determined to withdraw to retirement in the mountain forests.” (WND-2, p. 704).

He also states in the “Letter to Kōnichi-bō”:

“I now had remonstrated with the authorities three times for the sole purpose of saving Japan from ruin. Mindful that one whose warnings are thrice ignored should retire to a mountain forest, I left Kamakura on the twelfth day of the fifth month.” (WND-1, p. 661).

The Daishonin declared that the terror of encroaching foreign invasion and the deprivation caused by years of famine were rooted in the slander of the Law (hōbō) prevalent throughout the nation. He maintained that eradicating this slander was the only way to save all people. Seeing that the ruler of the nation would not listen, he concluded that it was futile to preach to those of lower rank and thus secluded himself at Minobu.

The Conditions of Mount Minobu

As described in the text, Minobu was a remote and inconvenient land. The Daishonin illustrates its desolation in several writings. In “The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra”, he notes:

“Here I am surrounded by four mountains, Shichimen to the west, Tenshi to the east, Minobu to the north, and Takatori to the south. Each is high enough to touch the sky, and so steep that even flying birds have trouble crossing them. In their midst are four rivers called Fuji, Haya, Oshira, and Minobu. In the middle, in a ravine some hundred yards or so across, I have built my hut. I cannot see the sun in the daytime or the moon at night. In winter there is deep snow, and in summer the grass grows thick. Because so few people come to see me, the trail is very hard to travel. This year, especially, the snow is so deep that I have no visitors at all. Knowing that my life may end at any time, I put all my trust in the Lotus Sutra. In these circumstances, your letter was particularly welcome.” (WND-1, p. 779).

The phrase “during the day I do not see the sun, and at night I do not worship the moon” suggests that the trees were so densely overgrown that even light could not penetrate them. The description of summer grasses and the lack of visitors conveys just how isolated this place was.

However, despite these natural and geographical hardships, his correspondence with disciples and lay followers across the regions never ceased. Some even visited him, bringing sincere offerings. Gradually, a significant number of followers gathered at Minobu to receive guidance and listen to his lectures.

Disciples stationed in various areas developed the struggle for propagation under the Daishonin’s leadership:

Kazusa Region: Nikō.
Shimōsa Region: Sanmi-bō, Daishin-bō, Nichichō, and the Toki, Ōta, and Soya clans.
Sagami Region: Nisshō, Nichirō, and the Shijō clan.
Suruga and Kai Regions: Led by Nikko Shonin, the Nanjō, Takahashi, Matsuno, Ōuchi, and Ishikawa clans were active.

Regarding the lectures on the Lotus Sutra at Minobu, the “Chronology of Nichiren Daishonin” states:

“After his seclusion at Mount Minobu, at the request of his disciples, he gave lectures on the Lotus Sutra. Nikkō repeatedly recorded these words, forming them into a collection titled ‘The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings’ (Ongi Kuden), also known as the ‘Records of Nikkō’.”

Having surpassed the age of fifty, the Daishonin expounded the profound and vast philosophy of Buddhism to his disciples in the depths of these mountains.