Nichiren Daishonin—His Lifelong Vow and Great Compassion

He also expresses Kingo’s unchanging loyalty, describing how, for two generations, Kingo and his father staked their lives to serve the Ema family. He then has Kingo state his wish that both he and his lord be able to attain Buddhahood.

The letter also states that based on the teachings of Nichiren, who is “the emissary of the Thus Come One Shakyamuni—Bodhisattva Superior Practices” (WND-1, 811), Kingo has begun practicing the Lotus Sutra. Not only does Kingo refuse to submit a written oath discarding faith in the Lotus Sutra, but he also ends the letter of petition by urging his lord to summon those who are falsely accusing him and asks that he judge for himself who is being truthful. 

Thus, Nichiren took up his writing brush on behalf of his disciple who found himself in a desperate situation to convey Kingo’s devotion to his lord and emphasize his innocence. 

Along with the petition, Nichiren sent Kingo a letter known as “A Warning against Begrudging One’s Fief” (WND-1, 823). In it, he speculates that Ryokan and Ryuzo-bo likely schemed in the shadows, prodding lord Ema’s retainers to make false claims about Kingo to force him to write an oath discarding his faith. 

He goes on to point out that if these two corrupt priests first succeed in making Shijo Kingo, the leader of Nichiren’s disciples in Kamakura, forsake his faith, they will then pressure other disciples to do the same (see WND-1, 824). 

Nichiren then instructs Kingo to have disciples such as Daigaku Saburo, Taki no Taro or Toki Jonin ^[1] make a clean copy of the petition. He indicates that if Kingo can then present the document to his lord, the matter will likely be resolved. Nichiren then states: “As for the others, let them clamor against you far and wide. Then, if you submit the petition, it may spread throughout Kamakura, and perhaps even reach the regent [Hojo Tokimune] himself. This would be misfortune changing into fortune” (WND-1, 824).

Nichiren sought to publicly debate priests of other schools, Ryokan among them. By exposing the priests’ true colors through the submission of “The Letter of Petition from Yorimoto,” he expected that it would afford the sovereign (the regent acting as the shogun’s proxy) an opportunity to know the truth of Ryokan’s embarrassing reality.

Providing Detailed Instructions

According to “The Three Kinds of Treasure” (WND-1, 848), which Nichiren wrote on the eleventh day of the ninth month in 1277 and addressed to Kingo, lord Ema had taken ill and directed Kingo, who was skilled in medicine, to treat him. Owing to Kingo’s efforts to cure his ailment, it seems, Ema got over his misunderstanding of Kingo caused by the false accusations lodged against him. Ema came to depend on Kingo once again.

Meanwhile, Nichiren states, “Ryuzo-bo, whom these people count on as their pillar of strength, has already been toppled, and those who spoke falsely of you have contracted the same disease as your lord” (WND-1, 848). Moreover, regarding Ryokan, who was thought to be operating in the background, he states that “surely he will not escape unharmed” (WND-1, 848). 

All of this transpired within three months of the crisis brought on by the Kuwagayatsu Debate. Although Kingo was able to improve his relationship with lord Ema, Nichiren still worried, stating: “As things stand now, I have a feeling you are in danger. Your enemies are sure to make an attempt on your life” (WND-1, 848–49). 

To guard against those who do not take kindly to Kingo, Nichiren gives him detailed advice. For example, he instructs Kingo not to go out by himself, stating, “Do not let them [your younger brothers] leave you alone even for a moment” (WND-1, 848), and tells him to keep his anger in check, warning, “Your face bears definite signs of a hot temper” (WND-1, 849). 

Nichiren provided specific guidelines for victory to Kingo who had to endure a tense situation. He states, “Live so that all the people of Kamakura will say in your praise that Nakatsukasa Saburo Saemon-no-jo is diligent in the service of his lord, in the service of Buddhism, and in his concern for other people” (WND-1, 851). 

He counsels Kingo that cultivating his humanity and polishing his character to win trust in society are essential for victory, whether it’s achieving a relationship of trust with his lord or having an unyielding spirit as a practitioner of Buddhism.

He then guides his disciple, stating: “More valuable than treasures in a storehouse are the treasures of the body, and the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all. From the time you read this letter on, strive to accumulate the treasures of the heart!” (WND-1, 851). Nichiren explains that more important than gaining material wealth or physical advantages like enjoying health or gaining special skills is accumulating “treasures of the heart.” That is, the basis of victory in all matters is making one’s Buddha nature shine ever more brightly through faith. 

He concludes by observing, “The purpose of the appearance in this world of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, lies in his behavior as a human being” (WND-1, 852). Respecting others and behaving wisely is the ultimate standard for Buddhists.

Such behavior constitutes one important form of actual proof of the power of Buddhism. In “Nine Thoughts to One Word” (WND-2, 730), a letter written in the first month of the following year, 1278, Nichiren notes a report he had received from the priest Enkyo-bo. Observing Shijo Kingo among the samurai in the Ema family, Enkyo-bo said of him: 

In imposing stature, in countenance, as well as in his mount and the subordinates attending him, no one can compare to Nakatsukasa Saemon-no-jo [Shijo Kingo]. The boys of Kamakura, gathering at the crossroads, all exclaim, “Ah, there’s a fine fellow, a fine fellow indeed! (WND-2, 730) 

Ryokan Incites the Ikegami Brothers’ Father

In 1277, the same year that Shijo Kingo was in danger of losing his fief, the Ikegami brothers^[2] of Ikegami in Musashi Province,^[3] ran into difficulties. Their father had disowned Munenaka, the older brother, for a second time.

Nichiren saw through the situation, stating, “Priests possessed by the heavenly devil, such as Ryokan and the others, deceived your father, Saemon no Tayu, and tried to destroy you and your brother” (“A Father Takes Faith,” WND-1, 845). Ryokan and other priests, he says, who are agents of the devil king, had incited the father against his sons. It is yet another example of Ryokan scheming against Nichiren’s disciples.

At the time, a child who was disowned by their father lost the right of succession to become head of the family and the right to inherit the estate.^[4] The implication was that they would lose everything, including their place in society and livelihood.

Meanwhile, if Munenaga, the younger brother, were to obey the father’s wishes and abandon his faith in the Lotus Sutra, he would become the sole heir. For Munenaga, inheriting the household would not only mean he would gain the means to a livelihood and social prestige, but he would also be fulfilling his obligation as a filial son. To choose his faith or to inherit his father’s estate—it was a crucial and consequential decision for Munenaga. 

When Nichiren heard that the elder brother, Munenaka, had been disowned for a second time, he addressed the letter “The Three Obstacles and Four Devils” (WND-1, 636) to Munenaga, the younger brother, on the twentieth day of the eleventh month in 1277. He is deliberately strict out of a desire to set Munenaga’s wavering mind straight. He teaches the attitude of faith, stating, “Something uncommon also occurs when an ordinary person attains Buddhahood. At such a time, the three obstacles and four devils will invariably appear, and the wise will rejoice while the foolish will retreat” (WND-1, 637).

By battling difficulties based on faith, one causes the life state of Buddhahood to emerge in one’s life. Indeed, Nichiren lived this idea through his personal actions and experience, having prevailed over numerous major hardships and demonstrated a triumphant state of life as a result. 

Encouraged by their mentor, the two brothers united and strove in their faith. Their wives, who themselves possessed resolute faith, undoubtedly supported them. Consequently, at long last the father took faith in Nichiren’s teachings in 1278. 

Nichiren is overjoyed at this news. He praises Munenaga who persevered in faith, unbowed before devilish functions, stating, “The efforts of you brothers have led your father to take faith in the Lotus Sutra. It is wholly due to you, Hyoe no Sakan, that matters have worked out this way” (“A Father Takes Faith,” WND-1, 845). 

That same year, he wrote Munenaga to congratulate him, saying, “You are not only wise but were also born free from greed, and thus are a person who has enabled all three of you [Munenaga, Munenaka and their father] to become Buddhas and all your paternal and maternal relations to attain enlightenment. I could fill millions of pages with quotations from the Buddha’s teachings over his lifetime attesting to this and still not be finished writing” (Tentative translation from “Hyoe no Sakan dono gohenji” [Reply to Hyoe no Sakan]; not included in WND, vols. 1 or 2).

The Ikegami brothers responded to Nichiren’s wholehearted encouragement and roundly defeated Ryokan’s scheme. 

Preparing a Disciple for a Debate

In the eighth month of 1277, just a month after writing “The Letter of Petition from Yorimoto,” Nichiren sent a letter to a disciple named Yasaburo, “Reply to Yasaburo” (WND-1, 827). Although a lay believer, Yasaburo’s circumstances led him to agree to a debate with a priest of the Pure Land school. Having received his report, Nichiren urges Yasaburo to be firm in speaking to his debate opponent and gives him detailed advice in this letter. 

Lastly, Nichiren explains the resolve one must have to engage in debate. He states: “You must simply make up your mind. Look at the world this year as a mirror. The reason that you have survived until now when so many have died was so that you would meet with this affair” (WND-1, 829). 

Although Nichiren’s disciples faced oppression and persecution from powerful people who opposed their faith, they were undaunted and engaged in a battle of words to convey the truth of the Buddhism of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. It was in 1277 that they began directly confronting such hardships head on, succeeding their mentor who had heretofore continuously shouldered that responsibility, with Nichiren providing wholehearted encouragement and guidance.

Battling devilish functions that sought to obstruct kosen-rufu, Nichiren states, “The reason that you have survived until now when so many have died was so that you would meet with this affair” (WND-1, 829). He intended this encouragement not only for Yasa-
buro, but for Nanjo Tokimitsu, Inaba-bo Nichiei,^[5] Shijo Kingo and the Ikegami brothers; indeed, for all his disciples who were fighting together with him. 

Two years later the series of acts of oppression known as the Atsuhara Persecution would reach its peak in Suruga Province.^[6]

(To be continued in an upcoming issue.)

Nichiren’s Boundless Compassion for His Disciple

Ikeda Sensei: [Nichiren Daishonin’s] expressions of concern and meticulous advice throughout [the letter “The Three Kinds of Treasure”] overflow with his boundless compassion for his disciple Shijo Kingo, who was then facing the greatest challenge of his life.

Nichiren wrote this letter as if Kingo were sitting right in front of him, as if he were speaking to him in person, weighing Kingo’s reactions to his words. In some places, he describes in detail how Kingo should conduct himself. Elsewhere, he deftly identifies key areas on which Kingo will need to focus toward carrying out his human revolution. And in still other places, he praises Kingo’s selfless and ungrudging efforts for the sake of the Law. No doubt, various images of his loyal disciple would have come to mind as he composed this letter.^[7]

• • •

[Regarding Nichiren’s strict words to Munenaga] The only way to battle devilish functions is to rouse one’s faith in the Mystic Law to overcome one’s ignorance and illusion. Here, it is as if Nichiren is taking Munenaga by the shoulders, looking him in the eye, and giving him an encouraging shake, saying, “Now is the time to summon forth even deeper faith!” I am sure his earnest words of admonition and encouragement would have penetrated deeply into Munenaga’s heart.^[8]

From the May 2025 Living Buddhism