A Civil War
Nichiren reached Sado on the first of the eleventh month. He was put in a cemetery hall at Tsukahara. Around this time he seemed to have the conviction that he found himself different from what he had been before the persecution at Tatsu-no-kuchi. In the second month of 1272, he wrote the Kaimokusho, in which he says:
“A man called Nichiren was beheaded at midnight on the twelfth of the ninth month of last year. The writer of this article is the soul of the man. His soul came to this Province of Sado and wrote this article in the snow of the second month of this year. This is to be sent to my disciples. This is an extraordinary writing. The readers will be shocked at this.”
In the letter addressed to his followers he says:
“Nothing is more valuable than life. Therefore, you will be able to become a Buddha when you study the teachings of the Buddha at the cost of your life.”
On the sixteenth of the first month of 1272, the priests of other sects living in the island came to assault him only to give him a chance to propagate the Lotus Sutra. His autobiography runs:
“I debated with the priests of other sects. I explained the faults of the founders and other leaders of those sects to them. Some of them abused me. Others shut their mouths or lost color. Some said that the Nembutsu was wrong, and vowed that they would never chant the Nembutsu anymore, throwing their robes and rosaries away.”
On this occasion he said to the Government Officer } Homma Rokuro-zaemon that a civil war would break out in the near future. This came true. Hojo Tokisuke, the elder brother of the then Shikken Hojo Tokimune, was suspected of conspiracy and killed by the order of the Shikken on the fifteenth of next month. Hojo Tokiaki and his brother Noritoki were also killed by the same suspicion. The news reached the island to the surprise of the government officer. Nichiren’s autobiography runs:
“Rokuro-zaemon joined his hands together towards me, saying, ‘Your prophecy of the sixteenth of the first month has come true. Your prophecy about the Mongolian invasion will also turn out true in the future. Judging from this, I believe that the followers of the Nembutsu will go to hell as you say. I shall never chant the Nembutsu anymore.’ I said to him, ‘Unless Sagami-no-kami-dono (Hojo Tokimune) accepts my advice, the people of Japan will not follow me. Unless they follow me, Japan will be destroyed. I am just an insignificant monk, but since I am propagating the Lotus Sutra, I am the messenger of Buddha Sakyamuni. Tensho-Daijin and Sho-Hachiman may be important gods in this country, but when compared with Brahman, Sakra, the Sun-god, the Moon-god, or the Four Quarter Kings, they are just petty gods. Since I am the messenger of the Lord Teacher Sakyamuni, Tensho-Daijin and Sho-Hachiman should bow to me, join their hands together towards me, and prostrate themselves before me. I am the practicer of the Lotus Sutra. I am guarded by Brahman and Sakra on the left and right, and by the Sun-god and the Moon-god in front and the rear. But if you respect me in a wrong way, you will destroy Japan, The civil war which has now taken place is a punishment brought by the Buddha on the too obstinate government. Until now Japan has barely maintained peace because I appealed to the gods for their leniency. If I did not, this country must have already been destroyed because the government had allowed hundreds of people to hate me, and banished me as often as twice. If the government does not accept my advice this time either, the Great Mongolia will send forces and Japan will be ruined. This is the trouble Hei-no-saemon-no-jo likes to have. You will not be peaceful then. This island will not be either.”
Nichiren advised his followers that they should keep the Lotus Sutra in spite of persecutions. He says in the Shijo-kingo-dono-gohenji:
“Many people hear this sutra, but few keep it when they are persecuted. It is easy to receive it, but difficult to keep it. If you wish to become a Buddha, you should keep it. Bear in mind that you will be persecuted when you keep it. To keep this sutra means to chant Namu-myohorengekyo. The Namu-myohorengekyo is the most important Law of the Buddhas of the past, present, and future.”
The Disciples of the Original Buddha
Those who propagate the Lotus Sutra in the Age of Degeneration are the disciples of the Original Buddha. He says in the Shoho-jisso-sho:
“Those who propagate the Myohorengekyo in the Age of Degeneration are the Bodhisattvas from underground, that is, the disciples of the Original Buddha, whether they are men or women. It is difficult for the people other than the Bodhisattvas-from-underground to chant the Sacred Title. At first the Sacred Title was chanted by me only. Now more and more people are chanting it. I am sure that all the people of Japan will chant Namu-myoho-renge-kyo in the future.”