Nichiren was born in Kominato, a fishing village in the Province of Awa (Chiba-ken), on February 16, 1222. His given name was Zennichimaro. His father was a functionary of the manor where Kominato was located. The owner of this manor was a lady, with whom Nichiren's family retained friendly relations. Toki Tsunenobu (1216-1299), a samurai in the Province of Shimousa (Chiba-ken), also had some relation with his family.

In 1233, the lady of the manor entered Zennichimaro into Kiyosumidera (Seichôji), a temple of the Tendai Sect, as a page to Chief Priest Dôzen. The temple was the largest center for education in the locality. Zennichimaro would advance to study as a novice priest under Dôzen. in 1237. He was given the monk name, Renchô.

Renchô realized that the library of the temple was too small to satisfy his desire for learning. In 1241, he went to Kamakura and studied at the library of Hachimangûji Temple. In those days Kamakura was the seat of the de facto Government of Japan, whose leader was Hôjô Yasutoki. The name of his post was Shikken or Regent, whose duty was to work under the Shôgun Fujiwara-no-Yoritsune. But the Shôgun was only a child, and thus a puppet. The Kamakura Government was first established by Minamoto-no-Yoritomo in 1192. Yoritomo was the first Samurai to become a Shôgun in the history of Japan. He purposely established a samurai government outside of Kyoto, from where the Imperial family and nobles monopolized the government of Japan for the past four centuries. But the lands occupied by the Imperial family as well as by nobles, temples and shrines were still under the control of the Imperial family. After the last Minamoto Shôgun Sanetomo was assassinated in 1219, the Imperial family attempted to overthrow the Kamakura Government headed by Hôjô Yoshitoki, who had served Shôgun Sanetomo as Regent. Although he defeated the Imperial Army in 122 1, Hôjô Yoshitoki realized that the Samurai Shogunate was too weak to control the whole nation. So he invited a child born of a noble family from Kyoto, to be Shôgun, and manipulated under him as Shikken.

Hachimangûji Temple was the Buddhist name of Hachimangû Shinto Shrine. In those days, Hachimangû Shinto Shrine was completely decorated with Buddhist furnishings. Hachimangûji Temple was affiliated with Onjôji in the Province of Omi (Shiga-ken). Onjôji in turn, was primarily affiliated with Enryakuji on Hieizan (Mt. Hiei) in the same province, but declared its independence from Enryakuji in 993, and called itself the Head Temple of the Tendai Shû Jimon Ha.

In 1242, Renchô entered Enryakuji to study. Enryakuji was the head temple of the Tendai Sect of Japan. The Tendai Sect was founded by Tendai Daishi (538-597) in China, and then introduced to Japan by Saichô (Dengyô Daishi, 767-822). It was also called Hokke Shû or the Hokke (the Lotus Sûtra) Sect because the Lotus Sûtra was its fundamental text. Since Buddhism's introduction, the Lotus Sûtra has been one of the most popular sûtras in Japan. Shôtoku Taishi (Crown Prince Shôtoku 574-622) wrote a commentary on the sûtra. The Emperor Shômu (701-756) would found a monk temple and a nun temple in each province, and ordered monks to chant the Konkômyôkyô, and nuns to chant the Hokekyô. The Konkômyôkyô is very similar in contents to the Hokekyô. The Lotus Sûtra was recited and lectured more often than any other sûtra in the Heian Period. The Hokke-hakkô or the Eightfold Lecture on the Eight Volumes of the Lotus Sûtra) was ceremonially held in the Imperial Court quite often. What was popularly called shakyô or sûtra-copying was invariably meant to copy the Lotus Sûtra and not any other sûtra.

Soon after Saichô, however, the Tendai Sect of Japan introduced other elements of Buddhism. Ennin (Jikaku Daishi, 794-864) introduced Esoteric Buddhism and Pureland Buddhism from China, and founded Taimitsu or the Tendai Esoteric School and Tendai Jôdo Kyô or the Tendai Pureland School on Hieizan. Sâkyamuni Buddha of the Lotus Sûtra was identified with Amitâbha Buddha, and the chanting of the Nembutsu was encouraged together with the chanting of the Lotus Sûtra

Besides this syncretic tendency of the Tendai Sect, the sacred mountain of Hieizan suffered from secularism in the course of time. As early as the beginning of the tenth century, a monk army was organized to fight with monk armies of other temples for political purposes. The battles intensified especially after Onjôji Temple seceded from Enryakuji. In 1081, the Hieizan Monk Army burned Onjôji It was restored but was burned again by the same army in 1121. Enryakuji was, in turn, burned by the Onjôji Monk Army in the same year. Onjôji would be burned many times over, in 1140, 1163 and again 1214. The founders of many new sects in the Kamakura Period all studied at Hieizan, but left it because they were disappointed about the realities of the mountain. Eisai left Hieizan in 1160; so did Hônen in 1175, Shinran in 1201, and Dôgen in 1213.

Renchô stayed at Hieizan for eleven years till the beginning of 1253. What he found most regrettable was that the Pureland Buddhists led by Hônen utterly refused to chant the Lotus Sûtra. They believed that the Lotus Sûtra was too difficult for the people of the Age of Degeneration; that the only way to save them was the chanting of the Nembutsu. Renchô wished to replace the Nembutsu by the Daimoku to restore the glory of the Lotus Sûtra and Sâkyamuni Buddha.

The Daimoku

Renchô left the mountain early in 1253 and returned to Kiyosumi-dera, his home monastery. On the morning of April 28, he stood on the top of Senkôzan Hill in the compound of Kiyosumi-dera Temple, and chanted the Daimoku for the first time, while facing the rising sun. Here he proclaimed his new faith, and he changed his name to Nichiren. In his first sermon, which he delivered in the temple that day, Nichiren criticized the practice of the Nembutsu. Governor Tôjô Kagenobu, a strong supporter of the Nembutsu, happened to be in the audience, and got angry at hearing Nichiren's criticism.

Nichiren then traveled to Kamakura and stayed at Matsubagayatsu, the downtown district of the city. During his absence from Kamakura for eleven years, three remarkable events took place in the city. First, the construction of the Great Buddha was completed in 1252. The project to erect a Daibutsu or Great Buddha was initiated by Minamoto-no-Yoritomo, who intended to decorate the new capital of Japan with a Great Buddha like the one founded in the oldest Capital City, Nara. It may be mentioned here that the Great Buddha of Kamakura was an image of Amitâbha Buddha while that of Nara was an image of Vairocana Buddha.

The second significant event was the visit of Dôryû to Kamakura in 1246. Dôryû (Tao-lung, 1213-1278) was a Chinese Rinzai Zen priest, who came from Central China. At the time, North China was occupied by Mongols, and the Government of the Sung Dynasty, which once ruled all of China from Pien in North China, was driven to Central China in 1127. Dôryû was warmly received by Hôjô Tokiyori. The Rinzai Zen Sect had already been introduced to Kamakura by Eisai in 1200. At that time, the Regency of the Kamakura Government was vacant, and Masako, widow of Minamoto-no-Yoritomo, was running the government. She built Jufukuji Temple for Eisai, but did not allow him to use the temple exclusively for Zen only. She requested that he teach the tenets of the Tendai and Shingon Sects together with Zen. Similarly, Jôrakuji, another Zen temple, which was founded by Gyôyû under the patronage of the Shikken Hôjô Yasutoki in 1237, was also a temple for the study of Zen, Tendai and Shingon.

But this combination of study disappeared when Kenchôji was built for Darya in 1253. It was most probably due to the Japanese people's respect for Chinese priests. When Dôryû came to Kamakura, the Shikken Hôjô Tokiyori offered Jôrakuji to him as his temporary residence, and began to build a new temple for him. The building was completed in 1253, and was named Kenchôji after the name of the year.

The third event which took place during Nichiren's absence from Kamakura was the installation of an Imperial Shôgun which the Kamakura Government had long desired in order to control the whole nation more efficiently. On March 19, 1252, Prince Munetaka, the first son of the Emperor Gosaga, had entered Omiya Palace in Kamakura, accompanied by a gorgeous procession.

Nichiren encouraged everyone he met to chant the Daimoku and criticized the Nembutsu, which caused many persecutions against him. In the course of time, however, his believers increased one after another. The people who followed him were mostly townspeople. The samurais who followed him were not high officials of the government but local officials who came from various provinces to the Capital City on business.

Soon after Nichiren came to Kamakura, a Tendai priest visited him, and became his disciple. The name of the visitor was Jôben, a classmate of Nichiren at Hieizan. Nichiren named him Nisshô (1221-1323). Nisshô was one year older than Nichiren. Born of a samurai family in the Province of Shimousa (Chiba-ken), it is said that, while he was at Hieizan, he was adopted as a yûshi (an adopted son without succession right) by Konoye Kanetsune, the third head of the Konoye family of the Kyoto nobility. In 1254, Kichijômaro, a nephew of Nisshô would become a disciple of Nichiren. He was named Nichirô (1245-1320).

The Risshô-Ankoku-Ron

The City of Kamakura suffered a great earthquake in 1257. Plagues were rampant in 1259, and famines followed them. Nichiren ascribed these calamities to the disregard of the Lotus Sûtra and Sâkyamuni Buddha by the government and the nation. He said that, unless the Lotus Sûtra and Sâkyamuni Buddha be treated properly, civil wars and foreign invasions would take place. This reminds us of Tyndale, who said three centuries later than Nichiren that England would be destroyed by "war, famine and plague" unless the English nation "keep the Law of God."

Nichiren decided to remonstrate with the government in writing. For the purpose of preparing for the writing, he visited the library of Jissôji Temple at Iwamoto in the Province of Suruga (Shizuoka-ken) in 1259. Jissôji belonged to Enryakuji on Hieizan. He did not use the library of Hachimangûji Temple because he knew that Ryûben, the chief priest of the temple, was one of the leading priests of the Tendai Shû Jimon Ha.

While he stayed at Jissôji Temple, a priest came to see him from a nearby Tendai temple called Shijûkuin. The visitor became a follower of Nichiren and was named Nikkô (1246-1333). Nikkô was born of a samurai family in the Province of Kai (Yamanashi-ken).

Nichiren returned to Kamakura and wrote the Risshô-ankoku-ron as a remonstrance to the government. In preparation, he visited Daigaku Saburô (Hiki Yoshimoto, 1201-1286) for linguistic advice about his writing. Daigaku Saburô lived in Hikigayatsu. Though a member of the Hiki family, he refrained from using his family name because the Hiki family officially ceased to exist when Hiki Yoshikazu, the last head of the Hiki family, was killed in 1203. Saburô Yoshimoto was Yoshikazu's son. Saburô was put into Tôji Temple in Kyoto after his father's death, and grew up to become a scholar of Chinese rhetoric by the name of Daigaku Saburô He accompanied the Ex-Emperor Juntoku when he was exiled to Sado Island in 1221. He had a niece called Yoshiko, who married the Fourth Shôgun Fujiwara-no-Yoritsune in 1230. At the request of the Shôgun, Yoshimoto returned from Sado Island to Kamakura, and served the government as a civil official. He was given the old residence of the Hiki family at Hikigayatsu. Daigaku Saburô was deeply impressed with the Risshô-ankoku-ron, and soon became a follower of Nichiren.

Another thing to be mentioned here took place in the Imperial Court in 1259. The Ex-Emperor Gosaga had three sons. The first son Munetaka became the Kamakura Shôgun The second son became the Emperor Gofukakusa in 1246. His father, the Ex-Emperor Gosaga, favored his third son more than his second son, and dethroned the Emperor Gofukakusa in favor of his third son, who became the Emperor Kameyama in 1259. This originated the problem of succession, which later culminated in the War of Succession between the Two Dynasties. This problem also greatly influenced religious organizations, where the orthodoxy question brought forth many secessions and births of new sects.

Nichiren submitted the Risshô-ankoku-ron, to Hôjô Tokiyori through the office of Yadoya Mitsunori, secretary to Tokiyori, on July 16, 1260.

Tokiyori had already retired from the Regency but was still holding the reins of the government. In brief, Nichiren wrote that Japan would suffer from civil wars and foreign invasions unless the Japanese nation worship Sâkyamuni Buddha and chant the Daimoku.

Persecutions

The Risshô-ankoku-ron, would cause Nichiren to be persecuted. Nichiren brought notice in the Risshô-ankoku-ron to the exile of three Emperors in 1221, and criticized the Hôjô Regency for this. This reference offended Hôjô Shigetoki, the only surviving member of the government staff who was responsible for the Imperial Banishment. The Hôjô family were satisfied in having an Imperial prince as the Shôgun in expiation of their maltreatment of the Imperial family in 1221. The incident of 1221 was now a prohibited subject among the Hôjô family. Shigetoki was the father of the Shikken Hôjô Nagatoki, and the father of the wife of Hôjô Tokiyori. Because of these connections, the burning of Nichiren's hermitage at Matsubagayatsu on the night of August 27 of that year was believed to be carried out by outlaws apparently hired by Hôjô Shigetoki. Nichiren would flee to the residence of Toki Tsunenobu at Nakayama in the Province of Shimousa.

Nichiren's hermitage of Matsubagayatsu was later restored by the combined efforts of his increasing followers. But on Hôjô Shigetoki's urging, the government decided to exile Nichiren to Ito in the Province of Izu (Shizuoka-ken). On the morning of May 12, 1261, Nichiren was arrested and sent from Yuigahama Beach to Ito by ship.

Nichiren was detained at Ito for about one year and a half During his stay there, he wrote intently many works, including the Kyôki-jikoku-shô, in which he dealt with Gokô or the Five Categories of Teaching. He was pardoned and returned to Kamakura on February 22, 1263.

During Nichiren's stay at Ito, Gokurakuji Temple of the Shingon Ritsu Sect was founded in Kamakura. The temple was originally built at Fukasawa in Kamakura by a Nembutsu priest sometime between 1257 and 1259. The temple did not belong to any particular sect when it was founded. Hôjô Shigetoki moved this temple to the present site, two kilometers west of Fukasawa at the advice of Ryôkan, a priest of the Shingon Ritsu Sect. Shigetoki died at this temple on November 3, 1261. After his death, the temple became affiliated with the Shingon Ritsu Sect.

Eizon, the Chief Priest of Saidaiji Temple at Nara, and the founder of the Shingon Ritsu Sect, visited Kamakura on the invitation of Hôj Tokiyori on February 27, 1262. He stayed in Kamakura till July 18 of that year. During his five months' stay in Kamakura, about ten thousand people followed him to receive Buddhist precepts from him. His followers included the Shôgun, Prince Munetaka, Tokiyori and other members of the Hôjô family, and other samurais and townspeople.

After returning to Kamakura, Nichiren visited Kominato, his home town, in October 1264. Kudô Yoshitaka, Lord of Amatsu, would invite Nichiren to come to his home on November 11. When Nichiren and some of his followers were passing through Komatsubara Grove on their way to Amatsu, they were surprised by armed men who were waiting in ambush. The men were led by Tôjô Kagenobu, Governor of Tôjô County, who had been hostile to Nichiren since he heard Nichiren's first sermon at Kiyosumi-dera Temple more than eleven years before. Kudô Yoshitaka, who thought that something must have happened because Nichiren did not come at the appointed time, came to the scene of the melee with his men. The fighting which ensued between Kudô and Tôjô resulted in the martyrdom of Yoshitaka and one of Nichiren's disciples, Kyônimbô. Nichiren also incurred a cut on his forehead. Tôjô Kagenobu would die of a fever a few days later.

From 1264 to 1267, Nichiren traveled through Provinces of Awa, Kazusa and Shimousa, preaching. In 1265, a samurai at Mobara in the Province of Kazusa (Chiba-ken) would become a follower of Nichiren. He had a son, who was already a novice priest at Hieizan. The father called his son back from Hieizan, and made him a disciple of Nichiren. Nichiren named the young monk Nikô (1253-1314).

Another young monk closely followed Nichiren during this time. He was a son-in-law of Toki Tsunenobu. Toki Tsunenobu's wife was a widow of a samurai at Omosu, Kitayama, in the Province of Suruga. When she remarried Toki Tsunenobu, she had two sons left by her deceased husband. Toki Tsunenobu adopted them as his sons, and entered the elder one into a nearby Tendai temple called Guhôji as a novice priest in 1259. This novice priest became a disciple of Nichiren, and was named Nitchô (1252-1317).

Tatsunokuchi Incident

Nichiren returned to Kamakura early in 1268. On January 18 of that year, a Korean emissary came to Dazaifu in Kyushu, bringing letters from the kings of Korea and Mongolia. The whole nation of Japan was astonished that a Mongolian invasion was imminent. Nichiren's followers were, instead, proud of their master's foresight. The Daimoku-chanting people increased in number day after day, year after year. They criticized the government and the Nembutsu-chanting Buddhists, saying that the nation should chant the Daimoku to save Japan. The government then decided to suppress the Nichiren Buddhists to control religion in the country.

It was unlucky for the Nichiren Buddhists that then the Samuraidokoro-shoshi or War Minister Nagasaki Yoritsuna was so arrogant and despotic that he was doomed to be killed in 1294 when he failed in his attempt to have his son usurp the Regency of Kamakura Government.

Before relating the suppression of Nichiren Buddhism, another disciple of Nichiren is to be introduced here. In 1270, when Nikkô came from the Province of Suruga to Matsubagayatsu in Kamakura to see Nichiren, he brought with him, his disciple, Nichiji (1250-?). Nichiji was born of a samurai family at Mimatsu in the Province of Suruga. From a very young age, he became a novice priest at Jissôji Temple, where Nichiren once stayed in 1257. In 1270, he met Nikkô and became his disciple. He was named Nichiji. When he later met Nichiren, Nichiji became a disciple of Nichiren with the consent of Nikkô.

On September 12, one day before the government issued an order to dispatch the government's army to Kyushu to defend Japan against the Mongols, War Minister Nagasaki Yoritsuna, representing the government, arrested Nichiren and sentenced him to exile to Sado Island. Nichirô and four others also were arrested and put into a dungeon in the compound of the residence of Yadoya Mitsunori. Nagasaki Yoritsuna intended to execute Nichiren that night in spite of the official sentence of exile. Nichiren was taken to the Execution Ground at Tatsunokuchi, but the execution was suspended by a messenger from the Regent Hôjô Tokimune, who had sensed the illegal plot.

Exile to Sado Island

Nichiren was taken to the residence of Homma Shigetsura at Echi in the Province of Sagami (Kanagawa-ken). He left Echi on October 10, and was detained in a shack called Sammaidô at Tsukahara on Sado Island on November 1, 1271.

Nichiren wrote the Kaimokushô at Tsukahara in February 1272, and sent it to Shijô Kingo, who was a faithful lay follower of Nichiren in Kamakura. Shijô Kingo was a servant of Hôjô Mitsutoki, a noted member of the Hôjô family. Hôj Mitsutoki, however, was a believer of Ryokan, Chief Priest of Gokurakuji Temple.

Nichiren was moved to the residence of Kondô Kiyohisa at Ichinosawa on Sado Island in 1272. There he wrote the Kanjin-honzon-shô, and sent it to Toki Tsunenobu on April 26, 1273. On July 8 of that year, he wrote the Great Mandala for the first time.

Nichiren was pardoned on March 8, 1274. On March 13, he left Sado Island, where he had stayed for two years and a half, and returned to Kamakura on March 26.

During his absence from Kamakura, the Nichiren Buddhists in the city had decreased considerably in number. Nichirô stayed at the residence of Daigaku Saburô Yoshimoto after he was released from prison. He had visited Nichiren on Sado Island more than once. Nisshô was not arrested on the occasion of the Tatsunokuchi Incident probably because he was connected with the Konoye family. He was permitted to live in the old residence of a samurai at Hamado in Kamakura. Tradition says that the samurai was Kudô Suketsune, who had some connection with Nisshô's mother. Kudô Suketsune was a noted vassal of Minamoto-no-Yoritomo. Nisshô's residence was large enough to conduct a lecture meeting. Nichiren in exile was glad to hear that, and encouraged Nisshô in observing the Daishikô on the 24th day of every month. The Daishikô was a monthly service for Tendai Daishi, who passed away on November 24, 597. Nisshô held the service regularly, and lectured on the Lotus Sûtra and Tendai's Makashikan. Nichirô also held this monthly service at Hikigayatsu.

Hearing of Nichiren's return to Kamakura, War Minister Nagasaki Yoritsuna summoned him, and asked him when the Mongolian forces would invade Japan. Nichiren answered that they would come within that year.

Seclusion in Minobu

After his return from Sado, Nichiren stayed for only five weeks in Kamakura, where he had spent most of his prime. He left Kamakura with a few followers on May 12, 1274, and entered deep into a mountainous district called Minobu at Hakii in the Province of Kai (Yamanashi-ken) on May 17. Hakii Sanenaga, Lord of Hakii, was a follower of Nichiren. Nichiren would never leave Minobu for almost nine years until September 8,1282.

During this time many events took place in Japan. In October 1274, the Mongolian force landed at Chikuzen in Kyushu. But their 200 ships were capsized by a storm, and only a few soldiers fled alive to Korea. This news once again encouraged the Nichiren Buddhists, and the Daimoku-chanting people increased more and more.

Nagasaki Yoritsuna was displeased with the revival of Nichiren Buddhism, and looked for a chance to suppress them. In those days Nikkô was active in disseminating the Daimoku in the Province of Suruga. Many Tendai priests as well as farmers followed him. In 1279, Gyôchi, Chief Priest of Ryûasenji, a Tendai temple at Atsuwara in the Province of Suruga, arrested twenty Daimoku-chanting farmers, and sent them to Kamakura on the false charge of crop stealing. Nagasaki Yoritsuna tried them in public. They were not questioned about the stealing at all. They were requested only to chant the Nembutsu. Jinshirô and two other farmers were instantly beheaded only because they refused to chant the Nembutsu.

In June 128 1, the Mongolian forces invaded Japan again. They marched into Shiga Island and the Province of Nagato (Yamaguchi-ken), but their ships were again destroyed by storm.

In the same year, a temple was built at Minobu, which was named Kuonji. On November 24, 128 1, the ceremony of celebrating the completion of the building was held.

Nichiren became ill in health in 1278. He wanted to recover his health by bathing in the hot springs at Kakurai in the Province of Hitachi (lbaraki-ken). He left Minobu on September 8. He refrained from passing through the City of Kamakura, from where he started for Minobu eight years before. He reached the residence of Ikegami Munenaka at Ikegami in the Province of Musashi (Tokyo) on September 18. On October 8, he designated the Rokurôsô or the Six Senior Disciples: Nisshô Nichirô Nikkô Nikô, Nitchô and Nichiji, from among his disciples. He passed away at Ikegami on October 13, 1282, at the age of sixty.