The History and Founding of Taisekiji
The Nichiren Shoshu Head Temple Taisekiji dates from the fall of the 3rd year of Sho'o (1290), when the first temple building was constructed. by Nikko Shonin at, Oishigahara, a plain at the foot of Mt. Fuji That year was the ninth year after the passing of Nichiren Daishonin. Nichiren Daishonin passed away on October 13th of the 5th year of Ko'an (1282). Before his passing,from among His many disciples the Daishonin solar.ted Nikko Shonin as the Great Master of Propagation in Mappo. He also bestowed upon Nikko Shonin all authority with regard to His Buddhism and with regard to the Gohonzon. The existence of the two transfer documents (1) and the fact that nikko Shonin became the head priest of Kuonji Temple on Mt. Minobu show that there is no room to doubt that. Nikko Shonin was the legitimate successor to Nichiren Daishonin.
Nikko Shonin immediately returned to Minobu after the funeral ceremonies for Nichiren Daishonin, carrying the Daishonin's ashes. As the second head priest of Kuonji and as the Great Master of Propagation of the Essential Teachings, Nikko Shonin assumed the position of leader of all the Daishonin's followers, in accordance with the Daishonin's will.
Mt. Minobu and its atmosphere had been temporarily desolated by the passing of the Daishonin but after Nikko Shonin was greeted upon his return the temple regained its vigor as activities began under his direction. The mountain temple became filled with the sound of the recitation of the sutra and chanting of the Daimoku and busy with lectures and training. The person who rejoiced the most at Nikko Shonin's return and was the happiest to see Nikko Shonin become the second, head priest of Kuonji was Hagiri Sanenaga, the lord of the Minobu area, who had originally converted to the Daishonin's teachings as a disciple of Nikko Shonin. The other five of the six senior disciples of the Daishonin departed from Minobu to return to their respective areas after the 100th day memorial services for the Daishonin. After that, none of them made pilgrimages to Minobu to express their gratitude to the Daishonin, not even for the memorial services for the third anniversary of the Daishonin's passing in the 7th year of Ko'an (1284). However, one of the senior disciples, Minobu Niko, suddenly made a pilgrimage to Minobu in March of the 8th year of Ko'an (1285).
It was owing to the instruction of Nikko Shonin that Lord Hagiri Sanenaga renounced his belief in Nembutsu and took faith in the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin. This conversion took place around the 6th year of Bun'ei (1269). Sanenaga was frequently in Kamakura because he had a position in the Kamakura shogunate. Although he took faith in the Daishonin's teachings, his faith did not seem to be based on strong conviction. Nor did he have a firm easy of the principles of Buddhism. The Daishonin commented on Hagiri Sanenaga's faith in a letter to Shijo Kingo:
"Hagiri Sanenaga seems to believe my teachings, but..." (MW 2-206, Shinpen p. 1118)
This indicates that Sanenaga did not have real conviction in the Daishonin's Buddhism, having been unable to completely escape from his attachment to Nembutsu. The Daishonin actually foresaw that Sanenaga would eventually turn against the true teachings and instructed Nikko Shonin accordingly. Nikko Shonin mentioned this in one of his letters:
"I have always kept in mind the Daishonin's last instruction that, "when the land owner goes against the Law, the life of Nichiren will no longer dwell at Minobu." (Seiten, p. 555)
During the Daishonin's lifetime, Hagiri Sanenaga apparently did not commit any acts that were overtly in violation of the Daishonin's teachings. After the Daishonin's passing, however, under the influence of Minobu Niko, Sanenaga lost his pure trust in Nikko Shonin. His innate pride emerged, his arrogance took over, and he started to act as if being the lord of the area entitled him to judge matters pertaining to Buddhism, He then started to commit various acts that were in direct opposition to the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin. We call such acts "slanders" since they show disrespect to the true teachings.
First, even though the object of worship in the Daishonin's Buddhism is the mandala of the five or seven character of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Hagiri Sanenaga wanted to use a set of Buddha statues as the object of worship, using the kind of statues most popular in society at that time. Sanenaga consulted with Minbu Niko about this desire, instead of putting a stop to the idea, Niko told Sanenaga that it would be permissible to set up a single standing statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. (A standing Buddha statue represents a Buddha who is still in training.)
Nikko Shonin, however, firmly prohibited this. This slander was a decisive factor in Nikko Shonin's resolve to leave Mt. Minobu. Sanenaga's second slander was to make pilgrimages to Shinto shrines, a practice that was forbidden by Nichiren Daishonin. Nikko Shonin described this as follows:
"That year, he began to make pilgrimages to shrines, which had been halted during the nine years that the Daishonin was living [at Minobu]. He made pilgrimages to the two shrines (2) and Mishima." (Shinpen, 1868)
This shows that Sanenaga made pilgrimages to pray to the Shinto deities idolized in Hakone and Izu. These shrines at Hakone and Izu were viewed by the Kamakura Shogunate as having a deep relation to Minamoto Yoritomo's success in subjugating the Heike clan. (3) He also visited the shrine at Mishima, which was dedicated to the guardian deity for the warrior class. The Kamakura shogunate was deeply devoted to this shrine and it was also deeply venerated by the warriors of eastern Japan.
However, according to the true spirit of the Daishonin's "Rissho Ankoku Ron," pilgrimages to shrines are a slander of true Buddhism. The third and fourth slanderous acts committed by Sanenaga were to make donations to support the worship of the Nembutsu faith. Nikko Shonin stated:
"Under the name of soliciting contributions from the dan, he made an offering of a stupa in Fukushi in the district of Nambu. Under the name of fostering the Buddhist rites of the clan, he built and consecrated a training hall for the nine stages of Nembutsu." (Shinpen, p. 1868)
Hagiri Sanenaga built a stone stupa dedicated to Nembutsu Buddhism within his own domain, in Fukushi village, showing that he had truly lost faith in the Daishonin's Buddhism. He then contributed the land to Nembutsu. Furthermore, although Nembutsu priests had never been seen in Hagiri Sanenaga's domain in the 20 years since he took faith in the Daishonin's Buddhism, probably because they could expect no financial support there, inexplicably they began to come and go freely starting about the 10th year of Ko'an (1287).
Next, under the name of "supporting the Buddhist rites of the clan." Sanenaga made an offering for the construction of a Nembutsu hall for the preaching of the "nine categories of rebirth in the Pure land." (4) The Daishonin warned with the greatest strictness against making offerings to support slanderous teachings, because this is a grave slander of true Buddhism.
Nikko Shonin could not remain silent and overlook these slanders. When he had an opportunity, he met directly with Minbu Niko and Hagiri Sanenaga and questioned them about these errors. Through others, he admonished them to return to the true spirit of the Daishonin. However, they gave no indication that they had changed their attitude. By confusing Hagiri Sanenaga about the teachings of Buddhism and encouraging him to commit slanderous acts, Minbu Niko had become antagonistic to the spirit of the master. Nikko Shonin thereupon expelled Minbu Niko from Kuonji. In this way, Nikko Shonin tried to put a stop to the negative relationship between Sanenaga and Niko. The wording of his decision was very stern:
"From now and henceforth, the said chief instructor of priest, who has turned against the Law, is to be expelled."(Seiten, p. 558)
However, Hagiri Sanenaga did not accept the instructions of Nikko Shonin. He angrily insisted, "My master is Minbu Ajari," and ignored Nikko Shonin's admonitions. Nikko Shonin knew that the problem had become so serious that it was impossible to remain at Minobu, and determined to leave. The day when he would part from Minobu grew nearer as he deepened his resolve that he had no choice but to abandon Minobu, which had turned into a land of slander, and move to a pure location in order to protect the True Law of the Daishonin and save the people of the age of Mappo.
In the spring of the second year of Sho'o (1289), the eighth year after the Daishonin's passing, Nikko Shonin left Mt. Minobu accompanied by Nichimoku Shonin and his other disciples. Parting from the place where they had lived for so many years, they took with them the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of the Essential Teachings, the Daishonin's ashes, the Daishonin's writings, and all the other sacred treasures. They first stopped to rest at the Kawai family home on the Fuji river, where Nikko Shonin had been adopted and raised as a very young child.
Nanjo Tokimitsu had been watching these developments with deep anguish. He passionately requested, that Nikko Shonin move to his domain, Fuji Ueno. Accordingly Nikko Shonin departed for Fuji Ueno in order to fulfill the Daishonin's instruction to "establish the High Sanctuary of Honmonji (Temple of the Essential Teachings) at the foot of Mt. Fuji." Here is how Nikko Shonin described the location at Oishigahara where Taisekiji was founded:
"Mt. Fuji in the country of Suruga (5) is a vast land;[moreover,] first, it is in the country of Fuso,(6) and second, it is an excellent location that suits the four celestial emblems.(7) It is the best place for the Temple of the Essential Teachings (Honmonji) and the capital to be in the same location because it corresponds to the auspicious examples of the ancient capitals and because it is the place to pray for the great aspiration of the Daishonin." (Shinpen, p. 1878)
Nikko Shonin was convinced that this very spot, "Oishigahara," was the most excellent location to enshrine the Dai-Gohonzon and establish the High Sanctuary of the Temple of the Essential Teachings in accordance with the Daishonin's will.
Starting around the fall of the 2nd year of Sho'o (1289), then, under the direction of Nikko Shonin, Nichimoku Shonin and Nikko Shonin's other disciples and Nanjo Tokimitsu and his fellow believers united. together as sincere priests and lay believers and began the construction work for Taisekiji. The first building, the Mutsubo, was completed in the fall of the following year, the 3rd year of Jo'o (1290), and Taisekiji was born.
After that, temple buildings were founded in the Tatchu area by Nichimoku Shonin and other disciples. Through the single-hearted. sincere support and protection of the family of Nanjo Tokimitsu, Taisekiji acquired its dignified appearance as the fundamental training ground for faith in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, and over the centuries has developed. into the Taisekiji of today.
Starting from today, let's continue our journey into the future by making the spirit. shown by Nikko Shonin on his "path to Oishigahara" into our own "path to Kosen-rufu." (8)
Footnotes:
(1) Two transfer documents: Two documents
the Daishonin wrote shortly before His death in which He bequeathed all
of His Buddhism to Nikko Shonin and appointed Nikko Shonin the head priest
of Kuonji.
(2) Two shrines: The shrines at Hakone and Izu.
(3) Two clans battled for control of Japan the late 12th century, the
Minamoto (Genji) and the Taira (Heike). The Minamoto defeated the Taira
at the battle of Dan-no-ura in 1885. The leader of the Minamoto, Minamoto
no Yoritomo, resided in Kamakura. After he became Shogun in 1192, Kamakura
assumed great importance as the seat of actual power in Japan.
(4) In Nembutsu, practice is divided into nine stages, depending on
level of intensity. Nembutsu also teaches that those who are reborn in
the Pare Land are divided into nine categories, depending on merit.
(5) Suruga: the province where Fuji Ueno was located; part of today's
Shizuoka Prefecture.
(6)Country of Fuso: a name that indicates "a country to the ease",
one of the names of Japan. "Fuso" is the name of a sacred tree
that is said to be located in the place where the sun rises.
(7) Suiting the four celestial emblems: A standard
for choosing the best location according to traditional Chinese divination.
The "four celestial emblems" are four mythical guardian animals
in Chinese mythology that correspond to the four directions: the green
dragon of the east, the red bird of the south, the white tiger of the west,
and the black tortoise-snake of the north. The geographical features that
suit these animals are said to be flowing water to the east,a marsh to
the south, a large road to the west, and a hill to the north. Oishigahara
suited this standard as the Urtu river flows from north to south on its
eastern side and there was swampy land to the south (this area has been
developed into the area of rice fields to the south of the Head Temple
today). To the west of Oishigahara, there was a road that, ran from north
to south (the road that runs from Kariyado past Myorenji and Shinto-no-
bo Temples and down to Fujinomiya city.) Finally, to the north there was
a highland called Sengohara, which today is the location of the Shohondo.
(8) Regarding this spirit, in a decree of January 1, 1990 High Priest
Nikken Shonin said: "In this seven-hundredth anniversary of the founding
of the Head Temple, we should consider the profound significance of our
task of building an even stronger foundation for the Kosen-rufu of the
future, reverently accept the sacred principles of 'the two ways of practice
and study' and 'itai doshin,' and endeavor all the more to practice the
way of our founder and promote the prosperity of the Supreme Law."
(Dai-Nichiren, No. 527)
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