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The Sado Exile 1. The events leading to the Sado exile Nichiren Daishonin encountered numerous persecutions while he propagated his teachings. The Tatsunokuchi persecution , which occurred on the twelfth day of the ninth month in the eighth year of Bun’ei (1271), was one of the most significant persecutions he underwent. Hei-no Sae mon-nojo Yoritsuna and his retainers attempted to behead the Daishonin on that day. At the moment the executioner raised his sword , a shinning object as large as the moon suddenly darted across the sky. All of the soldiers and guards became very frightened , and they were unable to carry out the execution. The Daishonin was detained at the residence of Homma Rokuro-zaemon in Echi (Kanagawa Prefecture) for twenty some days. Afterward, it was decided that he would be exiled to Sado during the severe, cold winter. In those days, exile to Sado meant certain death. The Daishonin stated: As we all know, exiles to this island are seldom able to survive. Even if they do, they never return home. (Gosho, 1064; MW-1, p. 187)
The Daishonin’s disciples and believers who knew
he would be exile d
to Sado
began to vacillate in their faith.
They
knew of the many Nembutsu believers on Sado who m
the Daishonin
had
strictly refuted. They
worried that he might be killed by them or die
from starvation
or exposure to The Daishonin left Echi on the tenth day of the tenth month (1271) and arrived at Teradomari in the province of Echigo (Niigata Prefecture) on the twenty-first day. Crossing rough waters, the Daishonin arrived at the province of Matsugasaki on Sado on the twenty-eighth day. 2. The Tsukahara Debate The Daishonin was taken to a small hut, called the Tsukahara Sanmaido , that stood in a field. The hut was only six feet square , and was located in a place where corpses were abandoned. The roof and walls were full of holes. The snow fell and piled up, never melting away. The Daishonin spent his days there wearing a straw cape to help him endure the cold. The re were several hundred Nembutsu believers including Yui-amidabutsu and Shoyu-bo on Sado . They conspired to kill the Daishonin because he was refuting various Buddhist sects. The se Nembutsu believers went to the Constable's Office of Lord Honma Shigetsura and asked him to behead the Daishonin. Lord Honma, however, had closely witnessed the Daishonin’s behavior in Echi and held him in awe. He addressed the several hundred Nembutsu believers at his Constable's Office saying:
An official letter has arrived from the government directing that the
priest shall not be executed. This is no ordinary, contemptible criminal,
and if anything happens to him, I will be guilty of grave dereliction. In As a result, the Nembutsu priests and believers decided to debate the Daishonin on the sixteenth day of the first month in the ninth year of Bun’ei (1272) at the Tsukahara Sanmaido. The people who gathered at Tsukahara were not only from the provinc es of Sado . They also came from the province of Mutsu (Northeast region in Japan). Homma Shigetsura, his brothers , and his entire clan were also there on that day. As the debate started, the Daishonin exposed the fals ity of the Nembutsu and Shingon doctrines. The Nembutsu priests were not only poorly versed in Buddhism — they also contradicted themselves. They confused sutras with treatises and commentaries with treatises. The Daishonin discredited the Nembutsu teaching by telling the story of how Shan-tao fell out of a willow tree. He exposed the falsity of a story told by the Shingon sect that Kobo had cast a scepter into the sea on his way back from China that later appeared on Mount Koya. He also refuted the contention that Kobo transfigured himself into Dainichi Buddha. As the Daishonin demonstrated the errors of each sect, some of the priests cursed, some were dumbstruck, while others turned pale. There were Nembutsu adherents who admitted the errors of their sect; some discarded their robes and beads on the spot and pledged never to chant the Nembutsu again. Thus, the Daishonin completely won the debate. When the debate was over, the Daishonin told Honma Shigetsura, as he was leaving, “Fighting is about to break out in Kamakura. You should hasten to distinguish yourself in battle.” Lord Honma wondered if this could be possible. Later on, his feelings of awe toward the Daishonin deepened, because this prediction came true. An internal revolt broke out in Kamakura, and then in Kyoto, in the second month (1272). 3. Abutsu-bo’s service to the Daishonin The people in Sado who were moved by the Daishonin’s dignity became his disciples or believers, such as Sairen-bo Nichijo, Ichinosawa-nyudo, Abutsu-bo, Sennichi-ama, and Kou-ama. At the same time, many Nembutsu believers who hated the Daishonin were watching his activities. Sennichi-ama had her husband Abutsu-bo secretly deliver meals to the Daishonin at night. They sincerely served and protected the Daishonin at the risk of their lives. Thus, t he Daishonin spent his days in Sado supporting his believers who had strong faith. The Daishonin was innocent; however, a letter of pardon was issued on the fourteenth day of the second month in the eleventh year of Bun’ei (1274). Two years and four months had passed since the Daishonin was exiled to Sado. It was decided that the Daishonin would return to Kamakura. The Nembutsu believers who found out about the pardon were vexed. They still plotted to kill the Daishonin, this time while he was on the way to Kamakura. If the sea of Sado had been stormy, it would have taken several months to cross from Sado to Echigo. The Daishonin left his place of residence, Ichino-sawa, on Sado on the thirteenth day of the third month. Fortunately, his boat was able to cross the sea in three days and arrived at Kashiwazaki in the province of Echigo (Niigata Prefecture) on the sixteenth day. Samurai guards protected the Daishonin from Kashiwazaki to Kamakura; therefore, the Nembutsu believers could not carry out their plans to attack him. Thus, the Daishonin safely returned to Kamakura on the twenty-six day of the third month (1274), as his disciples and believers rejoiced. In the Rissho ankoku-ron, the Daishonin had warned that the disaster of foreign invasion, predicted in the sutras, would soon occur. Anxious about the future of his country, the Daishonin remonstrated with Hei-no Saemon-nojo Yoritsuna on the eighth day of the fourth month, even though he had just been pardoned from his exile on Sado. This was his third remonstration with the government. Hei-no Saemon refused to heed this remonstration. The Daishonin stated: Altogether I 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. (Gosho, p. 960; MW- 4 , p. 160) Thus, the Daishonin made his decision to retire and reside at Mt. Minobu. Abutsu-bo was yearning to see the Daishonin. H e made a pilgrimage to Mt. Minobu three times between the eleventh year of Bun’ei (1274) and the first year of Ko’an (1278). Abutsu-bo was 90 years old in the first year of Ko’an (1278). He had to cross rough waters and go to Mt. Minobu on foot, traveling through areas infested by bandits. We can only imagine how tremendously difficult it was for a man of that age to travel from Sado to Mt. Minobu during the Kamakura period. Abutsu-bo was able to make his pilgrimages because Sennichi-ama, his wife, had strong faith. The story of their pure, seeking mind to see the Daishonin has been told until today as a model of the spirit of Tozan. 4. The writing of the Goshos, “The Opening of the Eyes” (Kaimoku-sho) and “The True Object of Worship” (Kanjin-no honzon-sho) When the Daishonin was exiled to Sado, Nikko Shonin accompanied him. He earnestly served the Daishonin as he underwent the hardships in Sado. Nikko Shonin was the only senior disciple who fully understood the Daishonin’s true identity as the True Buddha. This set him apart from the other five senior priests. Shijo Kingo and Oto Gozen visited the Daishonin in Sado. However, t here were those among the believers who had wea k faith and didn’t visit the Daishonin. S ome of them quit their practice. While the Daishonin stayed on Sado, he wrote more than fifty Goshos, including “The Opening of the Eyes” (Kaimoku-sho), “The True Object of Worship” (Kanjin-no honzon-sho), “The True Entity of Life” (Shoho jisso-sho), and “The Entity of the Mystic Law” (Totaigi-sho). He penned these writings de spite the small quantity of paper he had. In “The Opening of the Eyes,” t he Daishonin stated: On the twelfth day of the ninth month of last year, between the hours of the Rat and the Ox (11:00 P.M. to 3:00 A.M.), this person named Nichiren was beheaded. It is his soul that has come to this island of Sado and, in the second month of the following year, snowbound, is writing this to send to his close followers. The description of the evil age in the Kanji chapter seems terrifying, but because I have dedicated myself to the True Law, I, Nichiren, have nothing to be terrified about. (Gosho, p. 563; MW-2, p. 177) Thus, the Daishonin declared that at the Tatsunokuchi persecution, he had discarded his provisional identity as Bodhisattva Jogyo and revealed his true identity. This is hosshaku kempon —Discarding the Provisional Identity and Revealing the True Identity. He sent “The Opening of the Eyes” from Sado to his close followers from the standpoint of the True Buddha of the Infinite Past of kuon-ganjo. The Daishonin stated: Although I and my disciples may encounter various difficulties, if we do not harbor doubt in our hearts, we will as a matter of course attain Buddhahood. Do not have doubts simply because Heaven does not lend you protection. Do not be discouraged because you do not enjoy an easy and secure existence in this life. This is what I have taught my disciples morning and evening, and yet they begin to harbor doubts and abandon their faith. Foolish men are likely to forget the promises they have made when the crucial moment comes. (Gosho, p. 574; MW-2, p. 205) The Daishonin encouraged his followers to carry through with their faith and practice and attain Buddhahood, no matter what persecutions they may encounter. The Daishonin stated: I, Nichiren, am sovereign, teacher, father and mother to all the people in Japan. (Gosho, p. 577; MW-2, p. 212) The Daishonin declared for the first time that he was the True Buddha in the Latter Day of the Law who possessed the Three Virtues of Sovereign, Teacher and Parent. The Daishonin revealed the Object of Worship in terms of the Law for the Latter Day of the Law in his Gosho, “The True Object of Worship. ” And, in the “Letter to Misawa” he stated: As for my teachings, regard those before my exile to Sado as equivalent to the Buddha's pre-Lotus Sutra teachings. (Gosho, p. 1204; MW-3, pp. 254-255) The Daishonin explained that the doctrines he taught after his exile to Sado were extremely important . He revealed the difference between the teachings that he taught before his exile to Sado (sazen) and those after his exile to Sado (sago). The Daishonin inscribed the Gohonzon for the first time after the Tatsunokuchi persecution. Afterward, he inscribed many Gohonzons on Sado. Finally, the Daishonin inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon, the purpose of his advent in this world, on the twelfth day of the tenth month in the second year of Ko’an (1279), after he was pardoned from the Sado exile. The Dai-Gohonzon will lead all the people in the world to enlightenment. We must understand the significance of Nichiren Daishonin’s noble behavior as the True Buddha and his propagation of True Buddhism during his exile to Sado. Let us emulate the followers who protected the Daishonin at the risk of their lives, and acquire the strong faith that will enable us to overcome any difficulties. As we look toward the “750th Anniversary of Revealing the Truth and Upholding Justice through the Submission of the Rissho ankoku-ron” in 2009, let us exert ourselves in doing shakubuku, following the guidance of our Sixty-eighth High Priest Nichinyo Shonin and yearning to visit our Head Temple Taisekiji. |