The Story of Ōhashi no Tarō

Background

Nichiren Daishonin wrote this letter at Minobu in the intercalary third month of the second year of Kenji (1276) to Nanjō Tokimitsu, who lived in Ueno Village, in Suruga Province. Tokimitsu’s father, Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō, had died in 1265, when he was seven years old and his mother was pregnant with his younger brother Shichirō Gorō. The death of his father and, later, of his elder brother forced Tokimitsu to assume the duties of steward of Ueno while still in his teens. He was about eighteen years old when he received this letter from the Daishonin.

In the seventh month of 1274, immediately after the Daishonin moved to Minobu, Tokimitsu went to visit him there. Inspired by that reunion—Tokimitsu had met the Daishonin with his parents when he was a child—Tokimitsu devoted himself to faith with renewed earnestness. In the first month of 1275, Nikkō visited the grave of the late Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō on the Daishonin’s behalf; from that time on, Tokimitsu looked up to Nikkō and aided him in propagating the Daishonin’s teachings.

About thirty letters addressed to Nanjō Tokimitsu are extant, no less than eleven written during the two-year period between the Daishonin’s retirement to Minobu and the date of the present letter.

At the beginning of this letter, the Daishonin praises the sincerity of Tokimitsu’s faith, expressed in his offerings of an unlined robe, salt, and oil. Such earnestness, the Daishonin says, ultimately reflects Tokimitsu’s father’s deep faith in the Lotus Sutra and surely must please the late Nanjō.

Next, the Daishonin recounts the tale of Ōhashi no Tarō and his son. According to this story, Ōhashi no Tarō, a general in Kyushu and a descendant of the Taira clan, for some reason incurred the wrath of the shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo and was imprisoned in a cell in Kamakura for twelve years. When his son recited the Lotus Sutra out of his ardent desire to save his father, the power of his recitation moved Yoritomo to stay the execution of and pardon his father. With this story, the Daishonin points out that Tokimitsu’s sincere attitude in faith is the highest expression of filial devotion and will surely save his late father.

In conclusion, the Daishonin addresses the rumor of an impending attack by the Mongols. He emphasizes that only firm faith in the Lotus Sutra will serve as protection against this threat, and points out that, although he himself earnestly wishes to safeguard his followers, the crucial thing is whether or not they develop their own faith.

 

 

Chapter1(On the Meritorious Effects of Offerings)

I HAVE received from you one unlined robe,¹ one horseload of salt, and five shō of oil.

A robe serves to protect one from the cold and the heat, to hide one’s nakedness, and to adorn one’s body. The “Medicine King” chapter in the seventh volume of the Lotus Sutra says, “. . . like a robe to one who is naked,” meaning that one [who obtains the Lotus Sutra] will be as delighted as a naked person who obtains a robe. Among the Buddha’s successors was a man named Shānavāsa who was born wearing a robe.² This came about because, in a previous existence, he had donated a robe for the sake of Buddhism. And so it says in the Lotus Sutra, “Gentleness and patience are the robe.”³

In the K’un-lun Mountains, there are no stones, and in the Mount Minobu area, no salt. In a place where there are no stones, stones are more valuable than gems, and in a place where there is no salt, salt is more precious than rice. The gems for the ruler of a nation are his ministers of the left and right,⁴ and these ministers of the left and right are called the “salt and vinegar”⁵ of his rule. If we have no miso or salt, it is hard for us to get along from day to day, and if the nation is without ministers of the left and right, it will be poorly governed.

As for oil, the Nirvana Sutra states, “In the wind, there is no oil, and in oil, there is no wind.”⁶ Oil is the best medicine for curing illnesses caused by the wind.

I do not know how to thank you for the sincerity you have shown in sending these articles. In the end, it must be an indication of the depth of the late Nanjō’s faith⁷ in the Lotus Sutra. This is what is meant by the statement that a minister proclaims his ruler’s sincerity, while a son proclaims his father’s sincerity. The late Nanjō is probably delighted.

 

Notes

1. An unlined robe for summer use, made of hemp cloth or crinkled silk.

2. Shānavāsa was a wealthy man in Rājagriha, Magadha, who was the fourth of the twenty-four successors of Shakyamuni Buddha. This story is mentioned in A History of the Buddha’s Successors.

3. Lotus Sutra, chap. 10. This chapter says that those who wish to expound the Lotus Sutra after the Thus Come One’s extinction should “enter the Thus Come One’s room, put on the Thus Come One’s robe, sit in the Thus Come One’s seat . . .” The “Thus Come One’s robe,” says the sutra, “is the mind that is gentle and forbearing.” A gentle and forbearing mind enables one to uphold the Law while bearing insult with grace and equanimity. The sutra also says, “Gentleness and patience are the robe.”

4. Officials of the imperial court, responsible for protecting the imperial family and helping the emperor administer the affairs of state.

5. The two essential ingredients whose proper balance makes a delicious soup. In China and Japan the correct balance of salt and vinegar was compared to the proper functioning of ministers in aiding the ruler to govern well.

6. The Nirvana Sutra recommends the consumption of oil for treatment of illnesses caused by “the wind’s poison,” that is, by foul air. Headaches, pain in the limbs, and difficulty in moving were regarded as representative of such illnesses.

7. Nanjō is Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō (d. 1265), a lay follower of Nichiren Daishonin and the father of Nanjō Tokimitsu.

 

Lecture

This writing is a letter composed by Nichiren Daishonin at Minobu on the intercalary third month, twenty-fourth day, of Kenji 2 (1276), and addressed to Nanjo Tokimitsu. Because it cites the anecdote of Ōhashi Tarō and his son, it is also called the “Ōhashi Tarō Gosho” or simply the “Ōhashi Gosho,” and is likewise known under the title “Letter to Nanjo Shichirō Jirō.” The original manuscript in the Daishonin’s own hand is preserved at Taiseki-ji.

In content, the Daishonin first expresses his gratitude for the offerings from the Nanjo family—curtains (garments), salt, oil, and so on—stating that these are an expression of Tokimitsu’s faith, and, more fundamentally, that they manifest the faith of his late father, Nanjo Hyōe Shichirō, through the person of Tokimitsu. He praises him, saying that the deceased must be rejoicing greatly. Then he cites in detail the story of Ōhashi Tarō, who had been convicted and imprisoned, and of how his son, through the benefit of reciting the Lotus Sutra, moved the heart of the shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo and succeeded in saving him. This is presented as an example showing that Tokimitsu’s diligent practice of faith constitutes the highest form of filial devotion to his late father.

Finally, the Daishonin states that the Mongol invasion is unavoidable, since the Kamakura shogunate not only failed to heed his admonitions but actually persecuted him, and he urges Tokimitsu to strive all the more in strong and vigorous faith.

Nanjo Tokimitsu, shortly after Nichiren Daishonin retired to Minobu, climbed the mountain to meet him in the seventh month of Bun’ei 11 (1274), and from that time on, earnestly exerted himself in pure faith. After Nikkō Shōnin, as the Daishonin’s representative, visited the grave of Tokimitsu’s father Hyōe Shichirō in the first month of the following year (1275), Tokimitsu sought Nikkō Shōnin’s guidance and assisted him in his propagation efforts.

Moreover, in the less than two-year period between the seventh month of Bun’ei 11 (1274) and the intercalary third month of Kenji 2 (1276), no fewer than eleven letters to Tokimitsu that are still extant were bestowed upon him, from which we can see that he made many offerings.

In this writing as well, at the beginning, the Daishonin mentions the offerings of curtains, salt, and oil from the Nanjo family, enumerates the benefits of each, and rejoices in them as an expression of Tokimitsu’s faith.

“Curtains” (katoi) here means a simple hemp garment, summer clothing. Since the intercalary third month in the old calendar corresponds to early summer, the curtain was probably offered in anticipation of the coming heat. The Daishonin lists the benefits of clothing, saying, “Garments ward off cold and also heat, they conceal the body and adorn the body.”

Then he quotes the passage “like a naked man who has obtained clothing” from the “Former Affairs of the Bodhisattva Medicine King” (chapter 23) and says, “The gist of the passage is that it speaks of something joyful.” He explains that, in the original meaning of the Medicine King chapter, this is given as one metaphor among many to show how the Lotus Sutra benefits all living beings and fulfills their wishes; it is cited as a representative example of something that brings joy to living beings, and the Daishonin uses it here to express his gratitude for Tokimitsu’s offering of the curtain.

Next, he cites the story of Śāṇakavāsin, the third in the lineage of those who inherited the Law. For details on Śāṇakavāsin, one should consult “Reply to the Nun Myōhō” (letter no. 1406), where he is discussed at length.

In essence, clothing is a precious treasure for human beings, and while praising the sincerity of Nanjo Tokimitsu who offered such clothing, the Daishonin also cites the great good fortune obtained by Śāṇakavāsin when he offered robes to a pratyekabuddha, thereby teaching how unimaginably great will be the benefit gained by Nanjo Tokimitsu, who in the Latter Day offered a curtain to Nichiren Daishonin, the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra.

Furthermore, he notes that in the “Teacher of the Law” chapter (chapter 10) of the Lotus Sutra there appears the phrase “the robe of gentleness and forbearance,” indicating that the gentle and forbearing virtues a practitioner of Buddhism should possess are likened to a robe, and thus emphasizing the importance of clothing.

 

“In the K’un-lun Mountains, there are no stones … Oil is the best medicine for curing illnesses caused by the wind.”

Next, the Daishonin enumerates the benefits of salt and oil.

Regarding salt, as he says, “In the height of Minobu there are no tides … in a place without salt, salt surpasses even rice,” obtaining salt in the mountains of Minobu, far removed from the sea, was difficult, and salt was a precious commodity.

On this point we may also note another letter to Nanjo Tokimitsu, dated the ninth month of Kōan 1 (1278), where he writes:

“It has rained every day since the first month this year. Particularly since the seventh month, it has poured down without stop. Not only do mountains surround this place, but the Hakiri River runs to the south, the Haya River to the north, the Fuji River to the east, and deep mountains lie to the west. Thus as the incessant rain and downpours continue hour after hour and day after day, mountains crumble and bury valleys, stones surge and block paths, rivers rage and boats are forced to abandon their crossings. Without wealthy men to bestow them，the five kinds of grain are scarce. Without merchants to offer goods, people never gather. In the seventh month, for instance, one shō of salt cost one hundred coins, and we also traded one to of wheat for five gō of salt. But now there is no salt anywhere. What can we use to buy it? Our miso has also run out. We are like a baby longing for its milk.” (wnd2, One Horseload of Salt, p.783)

Salt is indispensable to human life. When salt is lacking, serious physical and mental disorders occur, and people have made extraordinary efforts to obtain it.

In prehistoric times, sea coasts, salt lakes, and places where rock salt could be obtained became important centers of trade, and even trade routes devoted to salt were opened.

One of the oldest methods of producing salt in Japan was to sprinkle seawater on seaweed, dry it, then burn the seaweed and take the salt from the ashes. Later, boiling seawater to obtain salt was also practiced, but this was inefficient and uneconomical, and so salt fields (salt pans) were developed to collect concentrated brine. However, it is said that such salt fields only developed after the Kangen era (from 1303 onward), and in the Daishonin’s lifetime the primitive method of “burning seaweed for salt” was likely still in use.

The salt offered by the Nanjo family would have been salt produced on the coast of Suruga Bay, or possibly salt obtained from Mikawa and Owari—provinces adjacent to Suruga that had long been major salt-producing areas.

On this occasion they offered “one load of salt,” and later, in the ninth month of Kōan 1 (1278), again “one load of salt,” in the eighth month of Kōan 2 (1279) “one sack of salt,” in the ninth month of Kōan 4 (1281) “one load of salt,” and in the first month of Kōan 5 (1282) “one bale of white salt.” From these references to repeated offerings of salt by the Nanjo family and the intervals between them, we may infer that they regularly sent about two bales of salt to Minobu each year.

The Daishonin then cites a Chinese anecdote that likens the right and left ministers who assist a king to salt and ume (plum), saying: “The king’s treasures are his right and left ministers; these right and left ministers are called ‘salt and plum.’ Just as one can hardly live without miso and salt, a realm cannot be governed without the ministers on left and right.” In this way he shows that, just as seasonings such as miso and salt are indispensable to daily life, salt is extremely precious.

“Anbai” (seasoning) literally means salt and plum vinegar. An ancient Chinese text states: “Hot soup must have salt and plum vinegar adjusted just right; in the same way, a ruler must necessarily receive the guidance of sages. If the soup has too much salt, it is too salty; if too much plum vinegar, it is too sour; only when the salt and plum vinegar are in balance does it become proper soup. Likewise, when ministers assist their lord, they must balance gentleness and firmness, approve and disapprove appropriately, harmonizing left and right to bring his virtue to completion.”

Miso is made by steaming soybeans, rice, or wheat, crushing them, then mixing them with kōji mold and salt to ferment. Miso at that time seems to have been essentially the same as today, but it was eaten directly as “namemiso” (miso used as a dipping or licking condiment).

As for oil, since the Nirvana Sutra says it is “the foremost medicine for subduing the wind,” the oil in question was probably cooking oil.

 

“The sincerity you have shown in sending …. it is impossible to express in a letter.”

The Daishonin views these various offerings as an expression of Tokimitsu’s faith, saying that “there is no end to what could be said of how they reveal your heartfelt sincerity,” and then adds, “Ultimately, is this not the manifestation of how profound Lord Kōnan-dō’s faith in the Lotus Sutra was?”—praising them as an expression of the deep faith of his late father, Hyōe Shichirō.

He says: “The sovereign’s heart is expressed by his ministers; the parents’ heart is recalled by their children—such is this. How delighted he must feel!” Thus he reflects on the pure faith of Tokimitsu and his offerings to the Daishonin, explaining that these are the true fulfillment of his late father’s will and imagining how greatly Hyōe Shichirō must be rejoicing in his heart.

In this we may understand that the Daishonin is teaching that the offerings made by Tokimitsu constitute the highest form of filial devotion to his deceased father.

 

 

Chapter2(Citing the Story of Ōhashi no Tarō and His Son)

In Tsukushi there was a daimyo called Ōhashi no Tarō.⁸ Having incurred the wrath of the shogun, he was imprisoned in a cell dug into the hillside at Yui Beach in Kamakura for a period of twelve years.

When he met with the humiliation of being arrested and was leaving his domain in Tsukushi, he said to his wife: “Having taken up bow and arrow to serve my lord, I do not lament the fact that I have incurred his wrath. It is unbearably hard for me to part from you, since we have been so close to each other from the time of our childhood, but I will say no more of that either. I regret, however, that we have had no children, neither a boy nor a girl. Now you tell me that you are pregnant, and I feel very sorry that I cannot be here to see whether the child is a girl or a boy. It also distresses me to think that when the child grows up it will have no one to call father. I wish there were something I could do about this, but I am powerless.” So saying, he took his leave.

The days and months passed, and in time his wife was safely delivered of a male child. When the boy was seven years old, she entrusted him to a temple in the mountains, but the other boys who were his companions in the temple made fun of him because he had no father. He returned to his home and asked his mother to tell him about his father, but she was unable to speak and could do nothing but weep.

The boy pressed her, saying: “Without the sky, the rain does not fall, and without the earth, plants do not grow. Even if I have a mother, without a father, I cannot become an adult. Why do you hide my father’s whereabouts from me?”

Confronted in this manner, his mother replied, “I did not speak of the matter because you were too young. But this is what happened.”

Weeping copiously, the boy said, “Did my father leave no mementos behind when he went away?”

“There are these,” said his mother, producing a written record of the Ōhashi family ancestors and a letter that the father himself had written for the child who was still in his mother’s womb. Seeing these, the boy longed more than ever for his father, and, unable to do anything but weep, said, “What am I to do now?”

“When your father set out from here,” his mother replied, “he was accompanied by many retainers, but because he had incurred his lord’s wrath, they all deserted him and went away. Now there is not even anyone to send me word whether or not he is still alive.”

At this the boy flung himself face down and wept harder than ever, and would not stop even when chided.

The mother said, “The reason I sent you to the mountain temple was so that you could repay your filial obligation to your father. You must offer flowers before the Buddha, read a scroll of the sutra, and in this way fulfill your duty!”

The boy accordingly hurried back to the temple and abandoned all thought of returning home. Day and night he read the Lotus Sutra, so that in time he not only became able to read it with ease, but even committed it to memory.

When the boy turned twelve, he did not enter the priesthood, but, binding up his hair, somehow managed to run away from Tsukushi and journey to the city of Kamakura. There he went to pay his respects at Hachiman Shrine.⁹ After bowing low in reverence, he said: “Great Bodhisattva Hachiman was the sixteenth ruler of Japan, and his true identity is Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, who preached the Lotus Sutra in the pure land of Eagle Peak.¹⁰ In order to grant the wishes of the people, he has manifested himself as the deity Hachiman, and I pray that he will now grant my wish as well. I wish to know whether my father is alive or dead.”

At the hour of the dog (7:00–9:00 p.m.), he began reciting the Lotus Sutra, and continued reciting through the hour of the tiger (3:00–5:00 a.m.). His beautiful childlike voice echoed through the sacred hall of the shrine and struck the hearts of all those who heard it, so that those who had come to pay their respects all forgot to take their leave, but instead gathered around like a crowd at a marketplace. When they looked to see who was reciting, they discovered it was neither a priest nor a woman, but a young boy.

Just then, Lady Kyō-no-nii¹¹ arrived to visit the shrine. She had come in secret to avoid the eyes of others, but because the recitation of the sacred scripture was even more beautiful than usual, she remained listening until the end. Then she returned home, but she was so reluctant to depart that she left an attendant behind. When she reported to the shogun what had happened, he had the boy summoned, and set him to reciting the Lotus Sutra in the image hall attached to his residence.

The following day the boy was once more ordered to recite the sutra for the shogun. Just then, some people began making a commotion at the western gate of the shogun’s palace. When it was asked what was the cause, a harsh voice shouted, “Today the prisoner is to be beheaded!”

The boy, hearing this, thought to himself, “Alas, I do not suppose that my father is still alive, but when I hear this talk of cutting off someone’s head, I cannot help feeling as though it were some personal sorrow of my own!” And tears sprang to his eyes.

The shogun, observing this and thinking it strange, said, “Come, boy, tell me the truth—who are you?” The boy thereupon revealed all the events of the past just as they had happened. The greater and lesser lords who were in attendance, and the ladies hidden behind their curtains of bamboo, all wet their sleeves with tears.

The shogun then summoned Kajiwara¹² and said, “Have the prisoner Ōhashi no Tarō brought here!” But Kajiwara replied, “He has just now been led away to Yui Beach to have his head cut off. The execution is probably taking place right now.” At this the boy, though in the presence of the shogun, could not help collapsing in tears.

“Kajiwara!” said the shogun. “Go in person as fast as you can, and if the execution has not yet taken place, bring the prisoner back with you!”

Kajiwara raced off as fast as he could to Yui Beach. Even before he reached the spot, he began shouting for the execution to be stayed. He arrived just as the executioner had drawn his sword in preparation to strike.

Kajiwara brought Ōhashi no Tarō, still bound with ropes, to the palace and seated him in the courtyard. The shogun ordered the prisoner to be handed over to the boy. The boy rushed down into the courtyard and untied the ropes. Ōhashi no Tarō, not realizing that this was his own son, could not understand why he had been spared.

The shogun summoned the boy to his side again and presented him with various gifts. He not only released Ōhashi no Tarō into the boy’s custody, but also restored the family domains.

The shogun said: “From times past I have heard various reports regarding the power of the Lotus Sutra, and on two instances I myself have received proof of that power. The first was when my father was beheaded by the grand minister of state and lay priest.¹³ My misery was beyond expression. I did not know what god or Buddha to appeal to, but the nun Myōhō¹⁴ of Mount Izu taught me to read the Lotus Sutra. When I had read it a thousand times, the priest Mongaku¹⁵ of Takao brought me the head of my late father and showed it to me. After that I was able not only to revenge myself on my father’s enemies, but to become the military commander of all the warriors in Japan. All of this was due solely to the power of the Lotus Sutra.

“The second instance is this strange event today in which this boy saved his father. I personally looked upon this Ōhashi no Tarō as a thoroughly despicable fellow. I would have had him beheaded even if it had meant violating an imperial decree. So great was my hatred for him that I kept him shut up in a cell dug into the side of a hill for no less than twelve years. And yet this strange event has occurred. The power of the Lotus Sutra is marvelous indeed! As a commander of warriors I have piled up a great many sins, yet I put my faith in the Lotus Sutra, and so I believe I will be spared punishment.” He spoke these words with tears in his eyes.

Notes

8. Ōhashi no Tarō is not mentioned in any documents or records of the Kamakura period (1185–1333). A tradition dating from the Edo period (1600–1867) identifies him with Taira no Michisada, a general who lived toward the end of the Heian period (794–1185). Michisada was the son of Taira no Sadayoshi, governor of Higo of Kyushu and a close associate of Grand Minister of State Taira no Kiyomori. With the ruin of the Taira clan, however, his family gradually lost its influence in the Kyushu area. Tradition has it that in 1186 Michisada incurred the wrath of Minamoto no Yoritomo, the founder and first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate, and was imprisoned; he was rescued, however, as a result of his son’s strong faith in the Lotus Sutra. Tsukushi is an ancient name for the southern island of Kyushu.

9. A shrine to the god Hachiman built by Minamoto no Yoritomo in Kamakura in the latter part of the twelfth century.

10. Around the beginning of the Heian period (794–1185), Hachiman was given the title Great Bodhisattva by the imperial court, an early instance of the fusion of Buddhist and Shinto elements. Also during the Heian period, Hachiman became identified with the legendary Emperor Ōjin, the sixteenth ruler of Japan. “His true identity is Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings” refers to the widespread belief that indigenous Japanese deities were local manifestations of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. The Daishonin here associates Hachiman with Shakyamuni Buddha.

11. 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. Judging from the context, however, Kyō-no-nii refers not to Fujiwara no Kenshi but to Hōjō Masako (1157–1225), the wife of the shogun, Minamoto no Yoritomo.

12. Kajiwara Kagetoki (d. 1200), a general of the Minamoto clan who had gained the confidence of the shogun, Yoritomo.

13. The grand minister of state and lay priest refers to Taira no Kiyomori, the leader of the Taira clan. By winning two brief campaigns in 1156 and 1160, he gained absolute military power; Minamoto no Yoritomo’s father, Yoshitomo, was killed fighting against Kiyomori in the first of these campaigns.

14. Myōhō (n.d.) was a nun who lived at the shrine of the deity of Mount Izu in Izu Province and practiced the Lotus Sutra. The Mirror of Eastern Japan, a historical account of the Kamakura shogunate, mentions a nun of Mount Izu who gave religious instruction to the shogun’s wife, Hōjō Masako.

15. Mongaku (n.d.) was a priest of the True Word school who initiated the rebuilding of Jingo-ji temple on Mount Takao in Kyoto. In an attempt to raise funds for this purpose, he insisted that the Retired Emperor Goshirakawa provide financial assistance. His unruly requests caused him to be exiled to Izu, where he met and won the respect of Minamoto no Yoritomo. The account of Mongaku urging Yoritomo to raise an army against the Taira by showing him his deceased father’s head appears in The Tale of the Heike.

 

Lecture

In connection with Nanjo Tokimitsu’s filial devotion toward his late father, Nichiren Daishonin here cites in detail the story of a Kyushu feudal lord, Ōhashi no Tarō, who had fallen under the censure of Minamoto no Yoritomo and been imprisoned, but was saved by his son through the merit gained from reciting the Lotus Sutra.

There are no records of this Ōhashi no Tarō in historical chronicles such as the Azuma Kagami or in surviving documents, and because of this, some have held that he was not a historical figure. In the Edo period, however, a person claiming descent from the Ōhashi family asserted, based on his family genealogy, that a certain Tadamichi, son of Tadanori Taira—lord of Higo and a retainer of Taira no Kiyomori—was known as Ōhashi Tarō Saemon-no-jō, and that he was the same Ōhashi Tarō mentioned in the Gosho. He also claimed that his son Sadatsune, whose childhood name was Ichimyōmaro, matched the description of the father and son in the Daishonin’s writing. This became the accepted view thereafter, though there is no conclusive evidence to support it.

Another theory holds that a certain Kubota Tarō, a daimyo of Kanzaki in Hizen Province (present-day Saga Prefecture), who was captured by Minamoto forces according to a document dated Bunji 2 (1186), may in fact be the same person. Since the place name “Ōhashi” remains in the Kanzaki district, it is thought that “Ōhashi” refers to that locality, and that “Ōhashi no Tarō” and “Kubota Tarō” were one and the same.

In any case, given how detailed and concrete the Daishonin’s description is, we can infer that the story of this father and son was well known at the time and often told vividly as an example of the wondrous benefit of reciting the Lotus Sutra.

The phrase “fell under the censure of the general” refers to having incurred the wrath and imprisonment ordered by Minamoto no Yoritomo, the shogun who established the Kamakura shogunate. Referring to Yoritomo as “the general” (Taishō-dono) or “the Right Commander” (Udaishō-ke) derives from the fact that, after Yoritomo destroyed the Taira clan at Dan-no-ura, Emperor Go-Shirakawa granted him the posts of Right Commander of the Palace Guards and Acting Major Counselor—the highest regular military offices of the court—though not the title of Seii Taishōgun. Yoritomo accepted these posts but resigned three days later, and from then on he was commonly called “the former Right Commander.” Even after he was formally appointed Seii Taishōgun following Go-Shirakawa’s death, this title continued to be used.

If Ōhashi no Tarō was indeed Taira no Tsūjō, then his father, Taira no Tadanori, had served as governor of Higo Province and was a prominent general of the Taira. After the Taira’s downfall, Tadanori disappeared, but in the seventh month of Genryaku 2 (1185) he became a monk under Utsunomiya Tomotsuna, surrendered, and was pardoned by Yoritomo, who placed him under Tomotsuna’s custody. Tsūjō may thus have later rebelled against the shogunate and been captured.

If, on the other hand, he was Kubota Tarō of Kanzaki in Hizen, this might relate to a court decree issued in Bunji 2 (1186) suspending the delivery of tribute rice from Kanzaki Estate, as well as Yoritomo’s order to Amano Tōnai Tokikage to suppress the misconduct of the warriors in Kanzaki—both of which are recorded in the Azuma Kagami.

In any event, the facts that Ōhashi no Tarō was imprisoned for twelve years and about to be executed, and that Yoritomo is quoted as saying, “That fellow Ōhashi Tarō—he thinks he can deceive me! Even if an imperial decree were issued, I would defy it and cut off his head. My hatred was so great that I had him confined underground for twelve years…” show how deeply Yoritomo’s anger toward him ran.

The son of this condemned man had been born after his father’s imprisonment and had never seen his face. Yearning for him, the boy set out from Kyushu to Kamakura at the age of twelve. There, at Tsurugaoka Hachimangū Shrine, he prayed to learn his father’s whereabouts and recited the Lotus Sutra. His voice moved Yoritomo’s wife, Lady Masako, who happened to be present. She invited him to recite the Lotus Sutra before Yoritomo in his private Buddha hall. During the recitation, the boy heard that a criminal was about to be executed, and he wept. When Yoritomo asked him the reason, he explained his situation. Moved by this, Yoritomo pardoned the father at the last moment and spared his life.

Yoritomo said that, just as through his own recitation of the Lotus Sutra he had been able to destroy the Taira—enemies of his father—and become leader of the warriors of Japan, so too was the boy’s act proof of the same benefit derived from faith in the Lotus Sutra.

The phrase “My late father’s head was cut off by the Retired Chancellor” refers to how Yoritomo’s father, Minamoto no Yoshitomo, after losing the Heiji Rebellion, fled as far as Owari Province and sought refuge with his former retainer Osada Tadamune, who betrayed and killed him on the order of Taira no Kiyomori. Because of this, Yoritomo regarded the Taira clan as mortal enemies. As the Azuma Kagami records, Yoritomo—the third son of Yoshitomo, spared due to his youth and exiled to Izu—vowed to recite one thousand copies of the Lotus Sutra for his father’s repose, and when he had completed eight hundred, he raised an army to overthrow the Taira.

Nichiren Daishonin explains the reason Yoritomo gained power after the Genpei War as follows:

“But I, Nichiren, employing the little wisdom I possess… One becomes the ruler of a nation, whether a large or a small one, due to the design of Brahmā, Shakra, the gods of the sun and moon, and the four heavenly kings. If the ruler should act as archenemy of the Lotus Sutra, these deities have vowed to mete out immediate punishment.For example, when the grand minister of state and lay priest [Taira no Kiyomori] and his clan undertook to support the eighty-first sovereign, Emperor Antoku, and to overthrow Minamoto no Yoritomo, they chose Mount Hiei as their clan temple and the Mountain King as their clan god, relying on their assistance. The result was that Emperor Antoku was drowned in the sea of western Japan, Myōun [the chief priest of Mount Hiei] was killed by Minamoto no Yoshinaka, and the entire Taira clan was wiped out in one stroke.… And if we wish to see how prayers based upon it are answered in this present world, the proof lies in the fact that Minamoto no Yoritomo read and recited the Lotus Sutra.” (WND2，Questions and Answers on the Object of Devotion, p.797)

The Genpei War was the greatest civil conflict Japan had ever seen up to that time—a military struggle that split the nation in two. The once-glorious Taira perished as a result of relying on the corrupt esoteric prayers of the Shingon school, a pernicious teaching that leads to the ruin of nations, families, and individuals. Their destruction was the inevitable retribution for having used Shingon rituals to try to subdue the Minamoto, while the victory of the Minamoto was due to Yoritomo’s merit in reciting the Lotus Sutra.

Although this period had already entered the Latter Day of the Law, one might wonder whether, as the Daishonin says, “Now, in the Latter Day of the Law, neither the Lotus Sutra nor the other sutras lead to enlightenment. Only Nam-myoho-renge-kyo can do so. ” (WND1, The Teaching for the Latter Day, p.903), reciting the Lotus Sutra alone could still bring benefit. Yet since this was before the appearance of the Original Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin, the age had not yet reached the ultimate corruption; therefore, as long as the faith was pure and unsullied by the heretical Shingon practices that had tainted Tendai Buddhism, the merit of single-mindedly reciting the Lotus Sutra still remained.

Because Yoritomo himself had experienced the benefit of the Lotus Sutra, he not only pardoned Ōhashi no Tarō’s son’s father for the boy’s recitation on his behalf, sparing him from execution, but also restored to him his confiscated lands.

 

 

Chapter3(Praising Tokimitsu’s Spirit of Filial Devotion)

Now when I consider the sincere offerings that you have sent, I think that, though the late Nanjō undoubtedly loved you dearly as his son, he probably never imagined that you would in this way, through the Lotus Sutra, discharge your filial duty to him. Even if he was perhaps guilty of some offense, no matter where he may be now, your filial devotion will surely be recognized even by King Yama and the heavenly kings Brahmā and Shakra. And how could Shakyamuni Buddha and the Lotus Sutra ever abandon him? Your devotion is no less than that of that young boy who untied his father’s bonds. I am writing this through my tears.

 

Lecture

 

 

Chapter4(Foretelling the Inevitable Mongol Invasion and Urging Faith)

As to an impending Mongol attack, I have not received any word. When I mention this subject, people say that the priest Nichiren rejoices whenever he hears that the Mongols will attack our country, but this is unwarranted. Because I suggested that such a thing would happen, I have been attacked as a foe or an enemy by people everywhere. But since it is expounded in the sutras, the Mongols are sure to come. No matter what I may say, it is beyond my power to prevent it.

I was guilty of no fault and wanted simply to save my country. And yet not only was my advice ignored, but I was struck in the face with the fifth scroll of the Lotus Sutra.¹⁶ Brahmā and Shakra witnessed what happened, and Great Bodhisattva Hachiman of Kamakura likewise looked on. But now we live in an age when advice is never heeded, and so I have retired to live here among the mountains.

Under the circumstances, I feel great pity for you and the others, but there is little I can do to help. Nevertheless, I pray day and night to the Lotus Sutra. Spare no effort in offering up prayers with firm faith. It is not that my resolve [to save you] is weak. Rather, it depends on the strength of each person’s faith.

And yet in the end I fear that all the persons of high rank in Japan will surely be taken prisoner. How pitiful, how wretched!

With my deep respect,

Nichiren

The twenty-fourth day of the intercalary third month

Reply to Nanjō

 

Notes

16. On the twelfth day of the ninth month of 1271, Hei no Saemon went with his men to arrest the Daishonin. There Hei no Saemon’s retainer Shō-bō struck the Daishonin in the face with the fifth scroll of the Lotus Sutra. The “Encouraging Devotion” chapter that is included in this scroll speaks of ignorant people who will attack the votaries of the Lotus Sutra “with swords and staves.”

 

Lecture

In concluding this writing, the Daishonin refers to the growing rumors that a second Mongol invasion was imminent. He explains that this invasion would indeed occur because the warnings he had proclaimed—exactly as taught in the sutra—had come true. He states that the rulers not only ignored his admonitions, beginning with On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land (Risshō Ankoku-ron), but also went so far as to persecute him; therefore, the calamity could no longer be prevented. The Daishonin urges his followers that unless they strengthen their faith even more earnestly, they too will not be saved.

When he writes, “I have not yet heard of any renewed Mongol uprising,” he is referring to the report Tokimitsu sent him concerning rumors that the Mongols were preparing another invasion—after their first attack in the tenth month of Bun’ei 11 (1274).

Although the Mongol forces withdrew after the first invasion of Bun’ei, they had not abandoned their plan to subjugate Japan. In the fourth month of Bun’ei 12 (1275), they sent an envoy, Du Shizhong, to demand that Japan pay tribute and submit to their rule. The Kamakura shogunate responded by executing the five Mongol envoys at Tatsunokuchi, signaling a firm refusal. To strengthen the nation’s defenses in Kyūshū, the government intensified its “foreign-nation guard duty,” replaced local military governors, and began building a stone wall along Hakata Bay. Construction on this ishizutsumi began in the third month of Kenji 2 (1276), and such military preparations likely fueled public rumors that another Mongol invasion was near.

The Daishonin also rebuts malicious gossip that he rejoiced at the prospect of invasion, writing: “Some claim that Nichiren is glad to hear of the Mongols’ crossing the sea—this is entirely groundless.” He stresses that he had tried to prevent such a disaster by repeatedly warning the rulers—beginning with the presentation of Risshō Ankoku-ron—yet, because they ignored his counsel and instead persecuted him, the Mongol attack would inevitably come to pass, just as the Lotus Sutra prophesies in its prediction of the “calamity of foreign invasion.”

The phrase “I was struck in the face with the fifth volume of the Lotus Sutra” refers to the Tatsunokuchi Persecution on the twelfth day of the ninth month of Bun’ei 8 (1271). When Hei no Saemon-no-jō came to arrest the Daishonin, one of his retainers, the monk Shōbō, snatched the fifth volume of the Lotus Sutra from the Daishonin’s robe and struck him in the face with it. The Daishonin was then paraded through the streets like a criminal and taken at midnight to the execution ground at Tatsunokuchi.

As for the deeper meaning of being struck with the fifth volume, the Daishonin later explained:

“Only I, Nichiren, have read with my entire being the twenty-line verse from this chapter, which the eight hundred thousand million nayutas of bodhisattvas proclaimed in a single voice. . . . The verse reads, “[There will be many ignorant people who will . . .] attack us with swords and staves.” Perhaps others have been beaten with staves, but I have never heard of any who were injured by the sword. . . .I, Nichiren, have met with persecution by both sword and staff. As I mentioned before, I was attacked with a sword at Matsubara in Tōjō and later at Tatsunokuchi. No one else has met with such persecution [for the sake of the Lotus Sutra] even once, but I have met with it twice. As for being attacked with staves, I have already been struck in the face by Shō-bō with the fifth scroll of the Lotus Sutra. The fifth scroll was used as a staff to strike me, and it is this very scroll that carries the passage that [votaries of the Lotus Sutra] will be attacked with staves. What a mysterious passage of prediction! ” (WND1, Persecution by Sword and Staff,  p.964)

In other words, the Lotus Sutra states that in the Latter Day, those who propagate the true Law will inevitably encounter the three types of enemies and suffer attacks by swords and staves. The fact that Nichiren Daishonin was struck with the fifth volume—the very portion of the sutra describing these persecutions—was a striking proof that he was indeed the votary of the Lotus Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law.

When the Daishonin writes, “Brahmā and Śakra beheld this; even the Great Bodhisattva Hachiman saw it,” he teaches that although Hachiman is revered as Japan’s guardian deity, he cannot protect a nation that has become an enemy of the Lotus Sutra. Even if Hachiman were to persist in trying to defend Japan, the higher heavenly deities Brahmā and Śakra—who are themselves protectors of the Lotus Sutra—would punish him for aiding a nation that persecutes its votary. Thus, it had become impossible for Japan to be shielded from the Mongol onslaught. The Daishonin explains that he had already done everything within his power to protect the nation, but since his warnings were ignored, he withdrew to Mount Minobu.

Nevertheless, the Daishonin did not simply resign himself to watching Japan perish and its people suffer. His compassionate spirit is evident in his words: “Although I feel deep pity for everyone, it seems there is no way to help them; still, day and night I continue to recite the Lotus Sutra.”

Facing the great calamity of the impending Mongol invasion, he emphasizes that the only way to escape such misery lies in the depth and strength of each individual’s faith. Accordingly, he concludes this writing by urging Nanjo Tokimitsu to pray earnestly and wholeheartedly to the Gohonzon, strengthening his faith all the more.