Interview with Nagasaki Yoritsuna
On the tenth of the ninth month of 1271, Nichiren was called by Nagasaki Yoritsuna. His autobiography goes on:
“I was called to the court and asked whether I had said this or not. I replied that I had never said that the late Saimyqji-nyudo-dono and Gokurakuji-nyudo-dono were in hell, but that I had said some of the other things. I said to Hei-no-saemon-no-jo, ‘I said all this for the sake of our country. If you want to secure the peace of our country, call those priests and have them debate with me. If you do wrong by following their advice, you will regret later. To punish me means to ignore the messenger of the Buddha. If you banish or kill me, all the gods including Brahman, Sakra, the Sun-god, the Moon-god, and the Four Quarter Kings will blame you, and some members of the Hojo family will revolt against the government and our country will be invaded from all sides, especially from the west within a hundred days, a year, three years, or seven years.”
Two days later Nichiren sent a letter to Nagasaki Yoritsuna, in which he said:
“Nowadays the people of Japan are following the Government of Kanto (Kamakura) and respect samurais. I was born in this country. How can I do without thinking of my country? I wrote the Rissho-ankoku-ron and submitted it to the late Saimyoji-nyudo through the hands of Yadoya-no-nyudo. Recently the western barbarians have been disturbing the peace of our country. This shows that my prophecy told in that treatise is coming true. An excellent statesman knows what is to take place in his country in the future. A person who propagates the Lotus Sutra is the messenger of the Buddhas. I am fortunately endowed with the privilege of reading the Lotus Sutra and of understanding the teachings of the Buddha. I made a prophecy according to the sutra, and the prophecy is proving true now. I may not be so great as the sages in ancient times, but am convinced that I am among the few persons to appear in the future. I think I deserve praise because I know the Dharma and think of my country, but the reality is that I am reported falsely to the government by the people of wrong views. For a long time I have been vainly making efforts to do something for my country. Worse still, I had to have an unpleasant interview with you the day before yesterday. I am afraid that it is quite difficult to improve the situation. We do not know how high the heaven is unless we climb up the top of the highest mountain. We do not realize how thick the earth is unless we go down to the bottom of an abysmal glen. I now submit to you a copy of the Rissho-ankoku-ron. I wrote in this treatise only a small portion of what I am thinking of. You are the leader of the people of Japan. How can you miss able men in this country? Be quick in taking measures to dispel the enemies. To practice loyalty to our country means to secure the peace of our country. I say this not for myself but for the sake of the Emperor, for the sake of the Buddha, for the sake of the gods, and for the sake of all living beings in our country.”
Nichiren Arrested
The arrest of Nichiren on that day must have been a purge political as well as religious, which the government deemed necessary in order to control the nation in emergency because the following day a government order was issued to dispatch the warriors of Kamakura to the west.
How he was arrested is described in his autobiography as follows:
“I was arrested on the twelfth of the ninth month of the eighth year of Bunnei. The arrest seemed quite unusual and unlawful. Hei-no-saemon-no-jo came with hundreds of armed men. With the glaring eyes and harsh voice, he had me arrested. I thought, ‘This is what I have been thinking of for a long time. How happy I am that I am now going to give up myself for the sake of the Lotus Sutra! To exchange my stinky head with the Lotus Sutra is to buy gold with sand, or to trade stone for treasures. Shoubo, an attendant of Hei-no-saemon-nojo, came running to me, and took a scroll of the Lotus Sutra before me, and beat me with it three times. Some other soldiers trampled on the other scrolls or scattered them over the floor. I said in a loud voice, ‘How interesting! Look! Hei-no-saemon-no-jo has got crazy. He is now felling the pillar of Japan.’ Hearing this, they were put in dismay because they did not think that I was so calm at the punishment. They lost color. They must have realized that they did wrong.”
On the way to the execution-ground, Nichiren commanded the God Hachiman to protect him. He described this in his autobiography as follows:
“I was put on horseback. On my way to Tatsu-no-kuchi, where I was to be beheaded, I reached the Wakamiya-koji Street. I said to my guards, ‘I am getting off for nothing but to say a few words to the god Hachiman Daibosatsu. Do not be excited!’ Then I alighted from the horse, and said in a loud voice, facing the Hachimangu Shrine, ‘Hachiman Daibosatsu! Are you really a god? When Wake-no-Kiyomaro was about to be beheaded, you transformed yourself into a shining thing ten feet long to save him. When Dengyo Daishi expounded the Lotus Sutra, you offered him a purple robe. I am the greatest practicer of the Lotus Sutra in Japan. I have no fault with me. The people of Japan are now slandering the Lotus Sutra. Because of this, they will go to the hell of incessant suffering in their next lives. All I say is for the purpose of saving them. If the forces of the Great Mongolia invade our country, how will it become of you and Tensho Daijin? Will you be still peaceful at that time? When Buddha Sakyamuni expounded the Lotus Sutra, all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and gods of the worlds of the ten quarters came to him. It is needless to say that the Buddhas included the Many-Treasures Buddha, and that the gods included those of India, China, and Japan. Buddha Sakyamuni requested them to protect the practicers of the Lotus Sutra. All of them vowed to do so. Be quick in fulfilling your vow. Why do you not appear now? I am going to be beheaded tonight. When I go to the Pure Land of Mt. Sacred Eagle, I will report to Buddha Sakyamuni that you and Tensho Daijin did not keep their vow. If you do not want to be reported so, do something quickly.’ ”
Shijo Kingo was a devout follower of Nichiren. Nichiren sent for him on his way to Tatsu-no-kuchi. The autobiography runs:
“I proceeded with my guards along the Yuigahama Beach, and reached the front of the Goryosha Shrine. I dispatched a boy called Kuma-o to Nakatsukasa-saburozaemon-no-jo (Shijo Kingo) who lived in the neighborhood. Nakatsukasa hurried to me with his three brothers. I said to him, ‘I am going to Tatsu-no-kuchi to be beheaded tonight. This is what I had supposed for years. A pheasant is killed by a hawk, a rat by a cat. Many people die in order to protect their families or properties, but no one dies for the sake of the Lotus Sutra. I am too poor to help my parents or to serve my country. I shall be given some merits when I offer my head to the Lotus Sutra. If so, I will offer a portion of the merits to my parents and distribute the rest of them among my followers.’ ”
Nichiren referred to this also in his letter to Shijo Kingo:
“I cannot forget that you wept holding my horse when I was on my way to the execution-ground of Tatsu-no-kuchi. If you go to hell in your next life, I also will go there with you. Even if Buddha Sakyamuni invites me to his world, I will not go there.”
Nichiren reached Tatsu-no-kuchi. It says in the autobiography:
“I reached the place as I had thought it to be. Many soldiers stood around me. Saburozaemon-no-jo wept, saying, ‘Now I must part with you.’ I said, ‘What a fool you are! Rejoice! This is my greatest pleasure. Why do you break your promise? No sooner than I had said this, a ball of light as bright as the moon flew from the Enoshima Island to the southeast, and all the people became visible although the moon of the twelfth day already set. The executioner got dizzy and fell to the ground, and the soldiers ran away a hundred yards. Some of them got off their horses, and the others prostrated themselves on horseback. I said, ‘Why do you run away? You think I am a felon. Come !’ But no one came. I said again, ‘Behead me quickly! When the day breaks, it will not be good to see me beheaded.’ But no one answered. After a while I was told to go to Echi in the Province of Sagami.”
To Nichiren, Tatsu-no-kuchi was the Pure Land of Buddha Sakyamuni. In his letter to Shijo Kingo he says:
“Tatsu-no-kuchi in the Province of Sagami is the place where I gave up my life. How can it be inferior to the Buddha-world? For the cause of the Lotus Sutra my life stays at Tatsu-no-kuchi, Katase, the Province of Sagami, Japan, in the Saha-World. Therefore, it may be called the World of Tranquil Light.”
Nichiren reached Echi. The autobiography runs:
“I reached Echi at noon that day, and was put in the house of Homma-rokuro-zaemon. I treated my guards to some drinks. When they were leaving, they drooped their heads before me and said, ‘We hated you because you spoke ill of Buddha Amitabha whom we worshipped. But now we know that you are quite a saint. We have now given up the chanting of the Nembutsu.’ Some of them took the rosaries of the Nembutsu from their fling-bags and threw them away.”
When Nichiren was arrested, his disciple Nichiro was also arrested and put in a dungeon. Nichiren was told to be exiled to Sado Island. The day before his departure for Sado, Nichiren wrote to Nichiro as follows:
“I, Nichiren, am now leaving for the Province of Sado tomorrow. It is cold tonight. You being put in the dungeon must be suffering from severe cold. I am sorry for you. You are reading the Lotus Sutra with your mind and body. So you will be able to save not only your parents and relatives but also all the other living beings. Some people read the Lotus Sutra only orally, not with their minds. Others read it with their minds, but not with their bodies. You did with both of them. You are excellent. In the Lotus Sutra it says, ‘He will not be cut with the sword or beaten with a stick or poisoned.’ Nothing particular will happen to you. When you are released, come to see me as soon as possible. I shall be glad to see you again.”