Letter of Petition from Yorimoto
On the twenty-fifth day of the sixth month I respectfully read your
official letter of the twenty-third, which I received through the
intermediaries Shimada no Saemon Nyudo and Yamashiro no Mimbu
Nyudo. In the letter you state: "I am shocked to hear that all those
present on that occasion are unanimous in saying that you behaved
in a disorderly manner at the place where Priest Ryuzo was
preaching. They say you interrupted with a group of your cohorts, all
wearing weapons."
That is a groundless falsehood. I do not know who told you so, but
surely it would be fitting if, out of pity for me, you were to summon
them to confront me in your presence and inquire into the truth or
falsehood of their accusations.
Briefly, the root of this matter is as follows. On the ninth day of the
sixth month, Sammi-ko, who is a disciple of the sage Nichiren, came
to my residence and said: "Recently a priest named Ryuzo-bo has
arrived from Kyoto and settled in Kuwagayatsu, west of the gate of
the Daibutsu-den. He preaches day and night, urging those who
have questions about Buddhism to come and hold discourse with
him in order to settle their doubts about this life and the next. All the
people in Kamakura, high and low, revere him as they would
Shakyamuni Buddha. However, I hear that no one has ever actually
debated with him. I want to go to Kuwagayatsu to debate with him
and clarify whatever doubts the people might have about their next
life. Won't you come and listen?"
At that time I was busy with official matters, so I did not originally
intend to accompany him. However, I had heard that it concerned
the Buddhist teachings, and I often went to hear preaching on that
subject. Being a lay believer, however, I never said a single word.
Therefore, I believe that a strict investigation on your part should be
sufficient to reveal that I was not in any way abusive.
In any event, during his sermon, Ryuzo-bo said, "If anyone among
you has a question about the Buddhist teachings, please do not
hesitate to ask." Thereupon Sammi-ko, the disciple of the priest
Nichiren, raised the following question: "That death is inevitable from
the time of birth is certainly no cause for surprise; in addition,
especially in recent times, countless people in Japan have perished
in calamities. No one can fail to realize this transience, which lies
before our very eyes. Under these circumstances I heard that you, a
respected priest, had come from Kyoto to dispel the doubts of the
people, so I came to listen. I was feeling hesitant, thinking it rude to
ask a question in the middle of your sermon, so I am happy that you
have invited anyone who has doubts to speak freely.
"What puzzles me first of all is this: I am a lowly person, born in the
Latter Day of the Law in a remote land [far from the birthplace of
Buddhism]. Yet fortunately Buddhism, which originated in India, has
already been introduced to this country. One should embrace it by all
means. However, the sutras amount to no less than five or seven
thousand volumes. Since they are the teachings of a single Buddha,
they must essentially be one sutra. But Buddhism is divided into
eight sects, if one includes Kegon and Shingon, or ten sects, if one
includes Jodo and Zen. Although these sects represent different
gates of entry, I would presume that their truth must ultimately be
one.
"However, the Great Teacher Kobo, the founder of the Shingon sect
in Japan, said, 'The Lotus Sutra, when compared to the Kegon and
Dainichi sutras, not only represents a different gate but is a doctrine
of childish theory, and the Buddha who expounded it is still in the
region of darkness.' He also stated, 'The Great Teacher T'ien-t'ai of
the Hokke [Lotus] school and others have vied with one another to
steal the ghee [of the Shingon].' The Great Teacher Tz'u-en, the
founder of the Hosso school, said, 'The Lotus Sutra is expedient
while the Jimmitsu Sutra is true; those sentient beings without the
nature of enlightenment can never attain Buddhahood throughout
eternity.'
"Ch'eng-kuan of the Kegon school said, 'The Kegon Sutra
represents the root teaching and the Lotus Sutra, the branch
teachings.' He also said, 'The Kegon Sutra is the teaching of
enlightenment for the people of the sudden teaching, and the Lotus
Sutra, the teaching of enlightenment for the people of the gradual
teaching.' The Great Teacher Chi-hsiang of the Sanron school said,
'Of all the Mahayana sutras, the Hannya sutras are supreme.' Priest
Shan-tao of the Jodo or Pure Land school said, 'Of those who
practice the Nembutsu, ten persons out of ten and a hundred
persons out of a hundred will be reborn in the Pure Land. However,
not one in a thousand can be saved by the Lotus and other sutras.'
Priest Honen urged people to 'discard, close, ignore and abandon'
the Lotus Sutra in favor of the Nembutsu, and also likened the
votaries of the Lotus Sutra to 'a band of robbers.' And the Zen sect
declares itself to represent 'a special transmission outside the
sutras, independent of the written word.'
"Shakyamuni, the lord of teachings, said of the Lotus Sutra, 'The
World-Honored One has long expounded his doctrines and now must
reveal the truth.' And Taho Buddha declared of Myoho-renge-kyo, 'All
that you [Shakyamuni] have expounded is the truth.' The sutra also
states that the various Buddhas of the ten directions, who were
emanations of Shakyamuni, extended their tongues to the Brahma
Heaven.
"The Great Teacher Kobo wrote that the Lotus Sutra is a doctrine of
childish theory. Yet Shakyamuni Buddha, Taho Buddha and all the
Buddhas of the ten directions unanimously declared that all its
teachings are true. Which of all these statements are we to believe?
"Priests Shan-tao and Honen said of the Lotus Sutra that 'not one in
a thousand can be saved by it,' and that one should 'discard, close,
ignore and abandon' it. However, Shakyamuni Buddha, Taho Buddha
and all the Buddhas of the ten directions, who are emanations of
Shakyamuni, assert that [of those who embrace the Lotus Sutra,]
none shall fail to attain Buddhahood, and that all shall achieve the
Buddha Way. Shakyamuni, Taho and all the other Buddhas, and
Priests Shan-tao and Honen, are in their statements as far apart as
fire and water, or clouds and mud.
"Which of them are we to believe? Which of them are we to reject?
"In particular, of the forty-eight vows of the monk Hozo mentioned in
the Muryogi Sutra, which both Shan-tao and Honen revere, the
eighteenth vow states, 'Should I attain Buddhahood...excepting only
those who commit the five cardinal sins or who slander the True
Law.' Surely this means that even if Amida Buddha's original vow is
true and enables one to attain rebirth in the Pure Land, those who
slander the True Law are excluded from rebirth in the land of Amida
Buddha."
"Now the second volume of the Lotus Sutra reads, 'One who refuses
to take faith in this sutra [and instead slanders it]...After they die,
they will fall into the Avichi Hell.' If these scriptural passages are
true, then how can Shan-tao and Honen, who both regarded the
Nembutsu sect as representing the essence of Buddhism, escape
falling into the great citadel of the Avichi Hell? And if these two
priests fall into hell, there can be no doubt that the scholars,
disciples and lay believers who follow in their footsteps will also as a
matter of course fall into the evil paths. These are the matters >
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Transfer interrupted!
What is your opinion, Priest Ryuzo?" In this manner, Sammi-ko
posed his question.
Priest Ryuzo answered, "How could I doubt the worthies and learned
men of high antiquity? Ordinary priest that I am, I believe them with
profound reverence." Then Sammi-ko retorted, saying, "These words
do not impress me as those of a wise man. Everyone believes in
those Buddhist teachers who were revered in their own time. But the
Buddha enjoins us in the Nirvana Sutra as his final instruction, 'Rely
on the Law and not upon persons.' The Buddha taught us to rely on
the sutras if the Buddhist teachers should be in error. You say those
teachers could not possibly be in error, but between the Buddha's
golden words and your personal opinion, I am committed to the
former."
Then Priest Ryuzo asked, "When you speak of the many errors of
the Buddhist teachers, to which teachers do you refer?" Sammi-ko
answered, "I refer to the doctrines of the Great Teacher Kobo and
Priest Honen, whom I mentioned before." Priest Ryuzo exclaimed,
"That is impossible! I would not dare discuss the teachers of our
nation. The people in this audience all follow in their footsteps. If
they are angered, they will surely create an uproar. That would be a
fearsome thing."
Then Sammi-ko attacked him, saying, "Because you asked me to
specify which teachers were in error, I mentioned those whose
teachings contradict the sutras and treatises. But now you suddenly
have reservations and refuse to discuss the matter. I think that you
merely perceive your own dilemma. In matters of doctrine, to fear
others or stand in awe of society's opinion, and not expound the true
meaning of the scriptural passages in accordance with the Buddha's
teaching, is the height of foolishness. You do not appear to be a
wise man. As a priest, how can you not speak out when evil
doctrines spread throughout the land, when the people fall into the
evil paths and the country stands on the brink of ruin? That is why
the Lotus Sutra reads, 'We do not hold our own lives dear,' and the
Nirvana Sutra says, '...even though it may cost him his life.' If you
are a true sage, how can you begrudge your life in fear of the world
or of other people?
"Even in non-Buddhist literature we find mention of a man named
Lung-p'eng, who was beheaded, and of the worthy Pi Kan, who had
his chest torn open. But because Lung-p'eng remonstrated with King
Chieh of the Hsia dynasty and Pi Kan admonished King Chou of the
Yin dynasty, their names have been handed down in history as
those of worthy men.
"The Buddhist scriptures tell us that Bodhisattva Fukyo was beaten
with staves, the Venerable Aryasimha was beheaded, the monk Chu
Tao-sheng was banished to a mountain in Suchou, and the Learned
Doctor Fa-tao was branded on the face and exiled to the area south
of the Yangtze River. Yet because they propagated the True Law,
they gained the name of sages."
The Priest Ryuzo replied, "Such people cannot possibly appear in
the latter age. We are the sort who fear society and dread the
opinions of others. Even though you speak so boldly, I doubt that
you actually live up to your words."
Priest Sammi-ko retorted, "How can you possibly know another's
mind? Let me tell you that I am a disciple of the sage Nichiren, who
is now widely known throughout the country. Although the sage, my
master, is a priest in the latter age, unlike the eminent priests of our
day, he neither seeks invitations, nor does he flatter people, nor has
he earned the slightest bad reputation in secular matters.
"He simply declares, in light of the sutras, that because the evil
teachings of such sects as the Shingon, Zen and Jodo as well as
slanderous priests fill this country, and everyone from the ruler on
down to the multitudes of common people has taken faith in them,
the people have all become archenemies of the Lotus Sutra and
Shakyamuni, the lord of teachings. In this life they will be forsaken
by the gods of heaven and earth and suffer invasion by a foreign
country, and in the next life they will fall into the great citadel of the
Avichi Hell.
"He has said that if he declares such a thing, he will incur great
enmity, but that if he does not, he cannot escape the Buddha's
condemnation. The Nirvana Sutra says, 'If even a good priest sees
someone slandering the Law and disregards him, failing to reproach
him, to oust him or to punish him for his offense, then that priest is
betraying Buddhism.' Realizing that if in fear of the world's opinion he
did not speak out, he would fall into the evil paths, my master has
risked his life for more than two decades, from the Kencho era
through this third year of the Kenji era (1277), without slackening in
the least. Therefore he has undergone countless persecutions at the
hands of individuals, and twice he has even incurred the ruler's
displeasure. I myself was one of those who accompanied him when
the wrath of the authorities fell upon him on the twelfth day of the
ninth month in the eighth year of the Bun'ei era (1271), and I was
considered equally guilty and came close to being beheaded myself.
Despite all this, do you still say that I hold my own life dear?"
As Ryuzo-bo closed his mouth and turned pale, Sammi-ko persisted:
"With such paltry wisdom it is unwarranted for you to declare that
you will dispel the people's doubts. The monks Kugan and Shoi
thought they knew the True Law and intended to save the people,
but they fell into the hell of incessant suffering along with their
disciples and lay believers. If you, with your limited knowledge of
Buddhist doctrines, preach in an attempt to save many people, then
surely you and your followers will fall into the hell of incessant
suffering. You had better reconsider such preaching from this day
forth. I had not felt that I should speak in this way; but I, too, cannot
be exempted from the Buddha's warning that if one sees a
misguided priest sending others into hell with his evil teachings and
fails to reproach that priest and expose his errors, then he himself is
an enemy of Buddhism. Moreover, I feel pity that all those, both high
and low, who listen to your preaching will fall into the evil paths.
Therefore I am speaking out in this way. A wise man is so called
because he admonishes the ruler when the country is endangered or
because he corrects others' mistaken views. But in your case I can
do nothing, because, no matter what error you may see, you will no
doubt refuse to correct it for fear of society's reaction. Even if I had
Monju's wisdom and Purna's eloquence, they would be wasted on
you." So saying, Sammi-ko rose to leave; but the members of the
audience, rejoicing, joined their palms together and sought to detain
him, imploring him to teach them the Buddhist doctrines for a little
while. However, Sammi-ko left.
I have no further details to add, so you may surmise what really
happened. How could a person who believes in the Lotus Sutra and
aspires to the Buddha Way possibly contemplate misbehavior or
deliberately use foul language when the Buddhist teaching is being
expounded? However, I leave this to your judgment.
Having declared myself to be a follower of the sage Nichiren, I
returned home and reported to you exactly what had happened
during the debate. Moreover, no one was present on that occasion
whom I did not know. What you heard must have been the
fabrication of those who harbor jealousy against me. If you quickly
summon them to face me in your presence, the truth of the matter
will be brought to light.
In your official letter you also state, "I revere the elder of Gokuraku-ji
temple as the World-Honored One reborn," but this I cannot accept.
The reason is: if what the sutra states is true, the sage Nichiren is
the envoy of the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remote
past, the provisional manifestation of Bodhisattva Jogyo, the votary
of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, and the great leader in
the fifth five-hundred-year period [following the Buddha's passing]. In
an attempt to have this sage executed, Priest Ryokan submitted a
letter of petition to the authorities proposing that he be beheaded;
but for some reason the execution was not carried out, and he was
instead exiled far away to Sado Island. Was this not the doing of
Priest Ryokan? I am sending you a copy of his petition together with
this letter.
Even though Priest Ryokan preaches day and night on each of the
six days of purification against killing even a blade of grass, he
actually proposed that the priest who propagates the true teaching
of the Lotus Sutra be beheaded. Has he not contradicted his own
words? Is Priest Ryokan himself not possessed by the Devil of the
Sixth Heaven?
Let me explain how this situation came about. Whenever Priest
Ryokan preached, he would lament, saying, "I am endeavoring to
help all people in Japan become 'observers of the precepts' and to
have them uphold the eight precepts so that an end can be put to all
the killings in this country and the drunkenness in the realm; but
Nichiren's slander has prevented me from achieving my desire."
Hearing of this, the sage Nichiren declared, "Somehow I must
overthrow the delusion of his great arrogance and save him from the
agonies of the hell of incessant suffering." Hearing this, I, Yorimoto,
and his other disciples all anxiously advised him, saying: "Even
though you speak out of profound compassion as a champion of the
Lotus Sutra, since Priest Ryokan is revered throughout Japan,
especially by the samurai in Kamakura, you should perhaps refrain
from making strong statements."
Then, at the time of the great drought, the government ordered
Priest Ryokan to perform a ceremony for rain on the eighteenth day
of the sixth month in the eighth year of the Bun'ei era (1271),
cyclical sign kanoto-hitsuji, in order to save the people. Hearing this
news, the sage Nichiren said, "Although prayers for rain are a trifling
matter, perhaps I should take this opportunity to demonstrate to
everyone the power of the Law that I embrace." He sent a message
to Priest Ryokan's place, saying: "If Priest Ryokan brings about
rainfall within seven days, I, Nichiren, will stop teaching that the
Nembutsu leads to the hell of incessant suffering and become his
disciple, observing the two hundred and fifty precepts. But if no rain
falls, that will show clearly that Priest Ryokan is deliberately
confusing and misleading others, though he appears to be observing
the precepts. In ancient times there were many instances in which
the supremacy of one teaching over another was determined
through prayers for rain, such as the challenge between Gomyo and
the Great Teacher Dengyo, or between Shubin and Kobo."
The sage Nichiren sent this message to the priest Ryokan through
the intermediaries Suo-bo and Irusawa no Nyudo, who are
Nembutsu believers. This priest and lay priest are Ryokan's
disciples, as well as Nembutsu believers, and do not yet believe in
Nichiren's teaching. So the sage Nichiren said to them: "We will
decide whose teachings are correct through this prayer for rain. If it
rains within seven days, you can believe that you will be reborn in
the Pure Land by virtue of the eight precepts and the Nembutsu,
which you already uphold. But if it does not rain, you should place
your faith in the Lotus Sutra alone." Delighted to hear this, the two
delivered the message to the priest Ryokan at Gokuraku-ji temple.
With tears of joy, the priest Ryokan, along with more than 120 of his
disciples, offered prayers, with the sweat of their faces rising up in
steam and their voices resounding to the heavens. They chanted
the Nembutsu, the Shou Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, and Ryokan
preached on the eight precepts in an effort to produce rainfall within
seven days. When no sign of rain appeared after four or five days,
he grew frantic and summoned hundreds of his disciples from Taho-ji
temple to join him, exhausting all his powers of prayer. But within
seven days not a drop of rain fell.
At that time, the sage Nichiren sent a messenger to him on no less
than three occasions, saying: "A wanton woman called Izumi Shikibu
and a priest named Noin who broke the precepts were each able to
cause rain immediately with just a thirty-one-syllable poem that
made little sense and was full of excess flourishes. Why is it, then,
that Priest Ryokan - who observes all the precepts and rules, has
mastered the Hokke and Shingon doctrines and is renowned as the
foremost in compassion - cannot produce rainfall within seven days,
even when assisted by hundreds of his followers? Consider this: if
one cannot cross a moat ten feet wide, can he cross one that is
twenty or thirty feet? If you cannot bring about rainfall, which is
easy, how can you attain rebirth and enlightenment in the Pure
Land, which is difficult?
"Accordingly you should from this point on revise your prejudiced
views which lead you to hate Nichiren. If you fear for your next life,
come to me immediately as you have promised. I will teach you the
Law that causes rain to fall and the path that leads to Buddhahood.
Have you not failed to produce rain within seven days? The drought
intensifies and the eight winds blow all the more violently, while the
people's grief grows deeper and deeper. Stop your prayers
immediately." When the messenger conveyed Nichiren's message
word for word at the Hour of the Monkey (3:00 - 5:00 P.M.) on the
seventh day, Priest Ryokan wept and his disciples and followers
also cried aloud in their chagrin.
When the priest Nichiren incurred the wrath of the Kamakura
government and was asked about this matter, he told the story as it
really happened. So he said: "If Priest Ryokan had had any sense of
shame, he would have disappeared from public view and retired to a
mountain forest. Or, if he had become my disciple as he had
promised, then he would have shown at least a little seeking spirit.
But in actuality, he made endless false accusations against me in an
attempt to have me executed. Is this the conduct of a noble priest?"
I, Yorimoto, also personally observed the situation. Where other
affairs are concerned, I would not dare to address my lord in this
fashion, but in this matter alone, however I may consider it, I find I
cannot remain silent.
You state in your official letter, "After meeting the priest Ryuzo and
the elder of Gokuraku-ji temple, I look up to them as I would to
Shakyamuni or Amida Buddha." Addressing this statement, too, with
the utmost respect, I must point out that while in Kyoto, Priest Ryuzo
was feeding morning and evening on human flesh; and when this
became known, the priests of Enryaku-ji temple of Mount Hiei rose
up against him, saying: "The world has entered the latter age and
evil demons are rampant throughout the country. We must subdue
them with the power of the Mountain King." They burned down his
residence and intended to punish him, but he quickly escaped and
no one knew of his whereabouts. Now he has reappeared in
Kamakura and is again eating human flesh, causing right-minded
people to tremble in fear. Nevertheless, you say you respect him as
a Buddha or a bodhisattva. How can I, as your retainer, refrain from
pointing out my lord's error? I wonder what the level-headed people
in our clan think about this matter.
In the same letter you also state, "To defer to one's lord or parents,
whether they are right or wrong, is exemplary conduct according
with the will of Buddhas and gods and also with social propriety." As
this matter is of the utmost importance, I will refrain from expressing
my own opinion and instead cite authoritative works [of sages and
worthy men]. The Classic of Filial Piety states, "[In a case of moral
wrong,] a son must admonish his father, and a minister must
admonish his lord." Cheng Hsuan says, "If a lord or a father behaves
unjustly and his minister or son fails to remonstrate with him, then
the state or the family will come to ruin." The Shinjo states, "If one
fails to remonstrate against his ruler's tyranny, he is not a loyal
minister. If one fails to speak out for fear of death, he is not a man
of courage."
The Great Teacher Dengyo states, "In general, where
unrighteousness is concerned, a son must admonish his father and
a minister must admonish his lord. Truly one should know this: as is
the case with lord and minister or with father and son, so it is with
master and disciple. A disciple must speak out when his master
goes astray." The Lotus Sutra states, "We do not hold our own lives
dear. We value only the supreme Way." The Nirvana Sutra reads,
"For example, if an envoy who is skilled in discussion and knows
how to employ clever expedients should be sent to a foreign country
to carry out a mission for his sovereign, it is proper that he should
relate the words of his ruler without holding back any of them, even
though it may cost him his life. And a wise man should do the same
in teaching Buddhism." The Great Teacher Chang-an says, "'[He
should relate the words of his ruler] without holding back any of
them, even though it may cost him his life.' This means that one's
body is insignificant while the Law is supreme. One should give his
life in order to propagate the Law." He also states, "He who
destroys or brings confusion to the Buddhist Law is an enemy of the
Law. If one befriends another person but lacks the mercy to correct
him, he is in fact his enemy. But he who is willing to reprimand and
correct the offender...makes it possible for the offender to rid himself
of evil, and so he acts like a parent to the offender." My fellow
samurai may think that I, Yorimoto, am lacking in propriety [toward
you], but in all other, worldly, affairs, I will resolutely heed the words
of my lord and my parents.
I can only lament when I see my lord, to whom I am so profoundly
indebted, being deceived by those who embrace evil teachings and
in danger of falling into the evil paths. Because King Ajatashatru
took Devadatta and the six non-Buddhist teachers as his mentors
and opposed Shakyamuni, the lord of teachings, all the people of the
kingdom of Magadha became enemies of Buddhism, and the
580,000 clansmen of the king also opposed the Buddha's disciples.
Among them, only Minister Jivaka was the Buddha's disciple. The
great king disapproved of his minister's devotion to the Buddha just
as my lord disapproves of me, Yorimoto. But in the end he discarded
the heretical doctrines of the other six ministers and took faith in the
true teaching that Jivaka espoused. Perhaps, in the same way, I will
save you in the end.
When I speak thus, you may wonder how I dare compare you to
Ajatashatru, who committed the five cardinal sins. But it is clear in
the light of the sutra that your offense is a hundred, a thousand, ten
thousand times more grave than his, though I hesitate to say such a
thing.
The Lotus Sutra states, "Now this threefold world is all my domain.
The living beings in it are all my children." If this scriptural statement
is correct, then Lord Shakyamuni is the father and mother, teacher
and sovereign of all the people in Japan. Amida Buddha does not
possess these three virtues. However, you ignore the Buddha of the
three virtues and invoke the name of another Buddha [Amida] day
and night, morning and evening, sixty or eighty thousand times a
day. Is this not an unfilial deed? It was Shakyamuni Buddha himself
who originally taught that Amida had vowed to save all people; but in
the end he regretted it and said, "I alone can save them." After that,
he never again taught that there are two or three Buddhas who can
save the people. No one has two fathers or two mothers. What
sutra says that Amida is the father of this country? What treatise
indicates him as its mother?
The teachings of Nembutsu such as the Kammuryoju Sutra were
expounded provisionally, in preparation for the Lotus Sutra. They
are like the scaffolding used when building a pagoda. Some think
that because [the Nembutsu teachings and the Lotus Sutra] are both
a part of Buddhism, they differ only in that one was expounded
earlier and one later; but these people are laboring under a profound
misconception. They are like someone foolish enough to value the
scaffolding even after the pagoda has been completed, or like
someone who says that the stars appear brighter than the sun.
Concerning such people, the sutra states, "Even though I teach and
command, they neither believe nor accept," and "After they die, they
will fall into the Avichi Hell."
All the inhabitants of Japan at present are people who reject
Shakyamuni Buddha while invoking the name of Amida Buddha, who
discard the Lotus Sutra and believe in the Kammuryoju and other
sutras. Or they are lay men and women who make offerings to these
slanderers, or renowned priests and even the ruler of the country
who revere as wise men those who in fact commit the five or seven
cardinal sins or the eight offenses. Of such people as all these, the
sutra states, "In this way they will be reborn again and again [in the
hell of incessant suffering] for kalpas without number."
Being aware to some small degree of these errors, I have ventured
to bring them to your attention. Among those in service, despite their
differences in rank, there are none who do not honor their lords,
each according to his station. If, while personally knowing that my
lord will fare badly in both this life and the next, I were to remain
silent in fear of my fellow samurai or of the world at large, then would
I not be guilty of complicity in your offense?
No one can deny that the Nakatsukasas of two generations, my
father and myself, have dedicated our lives for the sake of our lord.
When your father incurred the wrath of the authorities, his hundreds
of retainers all shifted their allegiance; among them, my late father
Yorikazu alone remained faithful to the end, accompanying him [into
exile] to the province of Izu. Shortly before the battle that took place
in Kamakura on the twelfth day of the second month in the eleventh
year of the Bun'ei era (1274), I, Yorimoto, was in the province of
Izu, but no sooner had I received word at the Hour of the Monkey on
the tenth day than I hastened alone over the Hakone pass and
joined with seven others who vowed before you to put an end to
their lives. But the world at length grew calm again, and my lord now
lives in peace. Since that time, you have included me among those
who enjoy your trust in all matters, whether trifling or significant.
How, then, could I estrange myself from you? I would obediently
follow you even into the next life. If I should attain Buddhahood, I
would save my lord as well, and if you were to attain Buddhahood, I
expect you would do the same for me.
So I listened to the sermons of various priests and inquired into
which teaching leads to Buddhahood. And I came to believe that,
according to the teaching of the Lotus Sutra, the sage Nichiren is
the sovereign of the threefold world, the father and mother of all
people, and the emissary of Shakyamuni Buddha - Bodhisattva
Jogyo.
More than four hundred years have now passed since the evil
teaching called the Shingon school was introduced to Japan. The
Great Teacher Dengyo brought it from China in the twenty-fourth
year of the Enryaku era (805), but he considered it undesirable for
this country, and therefore did not allow it to be designated as a sect
in its own right, defining it merely as an expedient teaching of the
Tendai-Hokke sect. Later when the Great Teacher Dengyo had
passed away, the Great Teacher Kobo, not to be outdone by him,
took advantage of the opportunity to establish the Shingon teaching
as an independent sect; but Enryaku-ji temple on Mount Hiei would
not accept it. However, Jikaku and Chisho were of limited insight,
and although they lived on Mount Hiei, their hearts inclined toward
Kobo of To-ji temple. Perhaps for this reason, they turned against
their teacher Dengyo and for the first time established the Shingon
sect at Enryaku-ji temple. This marked the beginning of our country's
ruin.
For the more than three hundred years that followed, some insisted
on the superiority of the Shingon teaching over the Lotus Sutra;
others, on the superiority of the Lotus Sutra over the Shingon
teaching; and still others, on the equality of both teachings. As the
dispute continued unresolved, the imperial rule remained unaffected
and did not come to an end. However, in the time of the Retired
Emperor Goshirakawa, the seventy-seventh sovereign, the chief
priest of the Tendai sect, Myoun, became exclusively committed to
the Shingon teaching and was killed by Minamoto no Yoshinaka.
This is an example of the passage that states, "May his head be
split in seven pieces."
Then, in the time of the Retired Emperor Gotoba, the eighty-second
sovereign, the Zen and Nembutsu sects appeared and spread
throughout the land, as had the great evil teaching of Shingon. So
the vows made by the Sun Goddess and the god Hachiman to
protect one hundred sovereigns throughout one hundred reigns were
broken, and the imperial authority came to an end. Through the
workings of the Sun Goddess and the god Hachiman, affairs of state
then came to be entrusted to the Gon no Tayu, Hojo Yoshitoki of the
Kanto region.
These three evil teachings spread to Kanto, where they gained
support within the ruling clan to a surprising degree. Therefore the
two heavenly gods Bonten, Taishaku, the gods of the sun and moon,
and the Four Heavenly Kings were enraged and admonished the
rulers by means of unprecedented disturbances in the heavens and
calamities on earth. When their admonitions went unheeded, they
commanded a neighboring country to punish those who slandered
the Lotus Sutra. The Sun Goddess and the god Hachiman were
powerless to help. The sage Nichiren alone was aware of all this.
Such being the strictness of the Lotus Sutra, I have set aside all
trivial concerns and served you devotedly until this day in my desire
to lead my lord to enlightenment. Are not those who accuse me
falsely thereby disloyal to you? If I leave the clan and abandon you
now, you will immediately fall into the hell of incessant suffering.
Then, even if I myself were to attain Buddhahood, I could only
grieve, feeling that I had done so in vain.
As for the Hinayana precepts, the two hundred and fifty precepts
were expounded for the heavenly gods by the great arhat Purna; but
Vimalakirti reprimanded him, saying, "You should not place impure
food in a jeweled vessel." Angulimala reproached Monju, saying,
"You will never realize the truth of Emptiness expounded in the
Mahayana teachings through [Hinayana] practices, which are as
insignificant as mosquitoes and gadflies." Monju later set forth
seventeen flaws in the Hinayana precepts, and the Buddha likewise
repudiated them with the eight analogies. The Great Teacher
Dengyo denounced them as donkey's milk and likened them to a
toad. The later disciples of Ganjin accused the Great Teacher
Dengyo of calumny and appealed directly to Emperor Saga; but
because what Dengyo had said is clearly indicated in the sutras,
their efforts were to no avail. The petition submitted to the emperor
by the sects of Nara proved futile, and the great ordination platform
[for conferring the Mahayana precepts] was erected at Enryaku-ji
temple on Mount Hiei; so the Hinayana precepts have already long
since been discarded. Even if I, Yorimoto, should compare Priest
Ryokan to a mosquito, a gadfly or a toad, because such assertions
are clearly based on the sutras, you would have no reason to find
fault with me.
Now it is unimaginably grievous to me that you would order me to
submit a written oath [discarding my faith in the Lotus Sutra]. If I,
Yorimoto, were to follow the trend of the times, which goes against
the Buddhist Law, and write such an oath, you would immediately
incur the punishment of the Lotus Sutra. When the sage Nichiren,
the envoy of Shakyamuni Buddha, was exiled because of the false
charges leveled against him by the priest Ryokan, fighting broke out
within one hundred days, just as he had predicted - and a great
number of warriors perished. Among them were the scions of the
Nagoe clan. Is not the priest Ryokan solely to blame for their
deaths? And if you now pay heed to the views of the priests Ryuzo
and Ryokan and force me to write this oath, will you not be equally
guilty?
I am not sure whether those who slander me are simply ignorant of
this causal principle or whether they are intentionally trying to do you
harm. In any event, I urge you to summon those who are plotting to
use me in order to provoke some major incident, and have them
confront me in your presence.
With my deep respect,
The twenty-fifth day of the sixth month in the third year of Kenji
(1277), cyclical sign hinoto-ushi
Submitted by Shijo Nakatsukasa-no-jo Yorimoto
