The Mission to Kyoto

Nichizo (1269-1342) was the half-brother of Nichiro, and he became Nichiro's disciple in 1275. On his deathbed, Nichiren Shonin commissioned Nichizo with the task of converting the emperor in Kyoto to the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Flower Teaching. From November 1, 1293 until February 10, 1294 he chanted the Jigage 100 times every night at Yuigahama Beach. This was the inspiration for the practice of Aragyo which occurs annually at Nakayama Hokekyoji. After completing these prayers and a pilgrimage to the important places in Nichiren's life, Nichizo finally arrived in Kyoto on April 1, 1294. Due to pressure from the Tendai sect, Nichizo was exiled in 1307, 1310, and in 1321. None of these exiles were very severe. The first exile lasted two years, but Nichizo spent them in the suburbs of Kyoto. Nichizo was quickly pardoned from the other two exiles. After the third exile, the Emperor Godaigo permitted the propagation of Odaimoku and Nichizo was allowed to found the Myokenji Temple. In the following years, the Emperor Godaigo and his son Prince Morinaga intrigued to overthrow the shogunate and restore the imperial family to power. In 1333, Myokenji Temple joined in the pray for Emperor Godaigo's success. Fortunately for Nichizo, the emperor was successful and the Kamakuran Shogunate fell in 1333. In 1334, the emperor recognized Myokenji Temple as an Imperial Prayer Temple. In this way, Nichiren Buddhism was finally given official recognition. Nichizo's lineage would later be known as the Shijo Lineage due to the location of Myokenji Temple in Kyoto. The Myokenji Temple was burned down by Tendai sohei (soldier-monks) from Mt. Hiei in 1387. It was rebuilt in 1398 and renamed Myohonji. It took the name Myokenji again in 1519.

Daigaku Myojitsu (1297-1364) carried on Nichizo's work. In fact, Daigaku may have been instrumental in winning the favor of the Imperial Court since he was a member of the Konoye family which was a noble family with close connections to the court. In 1358, Daigaku was asked to pray for rain during a drought. His prayers were so successful that he was given the title Chief Abbot (Daisojo) of the Nichiren Sect by the emperor. In addition, the emperor officially recognized Nichiren Shonin as a great bodhisattva, and Nichiro and Nichizo as bodhisattvas. In addition, Daigaku began missionary work in Osaka, Okayama.

Nichizon (1265-1345) was a disciple of Nikko, who travelled to Kyoto with Nichimoku and Nichigo who were also Nikko's disciples. Unfortunately, Nichimoku died on the way and Nichigo returned to Fuji with his ashes. Nichizon alone went on to Kyoto. In 1339, he established the Jogyo-in Temple. The Jogyo-in was later renamed Yoboji Temple.

Nichijo (1298-1369) was a disciple of Nichiin, one of the Nine Senior Disciples of Nichiro. Both Nichiin (1264-1328) and Nichijo were known for teaching that the essential section of the Lotus Sutra is superior to the theoretical sections, a doctrine known as shoretsu. He was also the uncle of Ashikaga Takauji, the first Ashikaga shogun. Ashikaga Takauji became the shogun in 1336 when he chased Emperor Godaigo out of Kyoto and enthroned Emperor Komyo instead. Nichijo came to Kyoto in 1341 and founded the Honkokuji Temple there in 1345 under the patronage of his nephew, the new shogun Ashikaga Takauji. Nichijo's lineage is known as the Rokujo Lineage because that is the name of the location of Honkokuji Temple in Kyoto.

By the early 15th century many monks split from the earlier Kyoto temples such as Myokenji and Honkokuji. They objected to the compromises made by the earlier temples with the aristocracy and the shogunate. They hoped to restore the purity of Nichiren Buddhism and they also emphasized the shoretsu doctrine. "Shoretsu" is a term that refers to the doctrine of the superiority of the essential section of the Lotus Sutra over the theoretical section of the sutra. Rather than relying on their own insights or innovations, the Nichiren Buddhist monks strove to prove their orthodoxy by appealing to the authority of the Lotus Sutra and the writings of Nichiren Shonin. They also refused to compromise with others in order to maintain their doctrinal integrity. Many of them ended up founding lineages which still exist today as minor schools of Nichiren Buddhism. Nichijitsu, Nichijo, Nichiju, Nichijin, Nichiryu, and Nisshin were among the most notable of those who split from the earlier Kyoto temples.

Nichijitsu (1318-1378) and Nichijo (d.1415) were two brothers who left Myokenji Temple after the death of Daigaku Myojitsu's successor Rogen. Together they founded the Myokakuji Temple in Kyoto in 1378. In 1413, Nichijo set forth a series of regulations that forbid giving services to or receiving donations from slanderers of the Dharma. This was the beginning of fuju fuse (no giving and no receiving). This was in reaction to what he felt was the overly conciliatory policies of Myokenji Temple.

The Kyoto Lineages

Nichiju (1314-1392) was originally a Tendai monk who learned about Nichiren Buddhism from Nichiin, a monk connected with Taisekiji Temple. In 1379 he read the Kaimoku Sho and the Nyosetsu Shugyo Sho and was so impressed that he converted to Nichiren Buddhism. Because Nichiin had already passed away at the time of his conversion, he went to study with Nisshu of Guboji Temple in Mama. Nichijo was even appointed the head of the school there by Nisshu. Later, Nichiju visted Nisson, the Chief Priest of Hommyoji Temple in Nakayama and later went to Kyoto as Nisson's deputy to convert the emperor in 1381. He was well received but unable to convert the emperor, so he went again as Nisson's deputy in 1382. He travelled to Kyoto a third time in 1383 and stayed. On that third occasion he was not acting as Nisson's deputy and there seems to have been a break in their relations. In 1388, after Nisshu passed away, Nichiju declared that he had inherited the Dharma directly from the scrolls of the Lotus Sutra and the teachings of Nichiren. Nichiju followed the shoretsu doctrine. In fact, he taught that only the 16th chapter contained the true teaching. He founded the Myomanji Temple in Kyoto in 1385. It is now the head temple of the Kempon Hokke Shu (founding date 1384).

Nichijin (1339-1419) was a disicple of Nichijo of Honkokuji in Kyoto. He became the head priest of Honjoji Temple in 1369. In 1397 he began to preach the shoretsu doctrine and opposed the Honkokuji Temple which was preaching the doctrine of the unity (itchi in Japanese) of the essential and theoretical sections of the Lotus Sutra. The Honjoji Temple would become the head temple of what is now called the Hokke Shu Jin-Monryu (founding date 1406).

Nichiryu (1385-1464) was originally a disciple of the Chief Priest Nissei at Myohonji Temple (the rebuilt Myokenji Temple). When Nissei died in 1405 the monk Gatsumyo took over. Nichiryu did not approve of Gatsumyo's lax ways and even bested him in a debate. Gatsumyo then forced Nichiryu and his faction out of the temple. Nichiryu then established new temples and taught the doctrine of shoretsu, emphasizing that the true teaching is found only in chapters 15-22 of the Lotus Sutra. For this reason, the school he founded was called the Eight Chapter School (Happon-ha). The Honnoji Temple in Kyoto which Nichiryu founded is now the head temple of the Honmon Hokke Shu (founding date 1423)
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Nisshin (1407-1488) of the Nakayama lineage came to be known as the "Pot Wearing Saint" because of the tortures he endured at the hands of Shogun Yoshinori. In 1439 he attempted to convert the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshinori. As Nisshin was writing his own version of the Rissho Anokoku-ron, he was arrested. For two years he was tortured in prison in an effort to force him to renounce the Odaimoku. On one occasion, it is said that a red-hot iron kettle was jammed on his head. This is known as the Takehara Persecution. In the end, Nisshin was released when Ashikaga Yoshinori was assassinated. Nisshin is credited with founding thirty temples, memorializing high officials on eight occasions, and winning sixty religious debates. Nisshin exemplified the spirit of shakubuku (to break and subdue false views)and fuju fuse even at the risk of his own life and in the face of terrible suffering.

Priests like Nisshin were not the only ones willing to offer their lives for the Lotus Sutra nor were the persectutions confined to Kyoto. In 1436 the Nichiren priests Nisshin (not the "Pot Wearer") and Nichimyo publicly debated a Tendai priest named Shinkai in Kamakura. Ashikaga Mochiuji, the governor of Kamakura, was so incensed that he destroyed all the Nichiren Buddhist temples in the city, exiled the priests, confiscated the lands of any samurai practicing Nichiren Buddhism, and threatened to execute any commoner who did not renounce the Odaimoku. He relented, however, when 60 people volunteered to be executed rather than give up practicing the Odaimoku. This event is known as the Eikyo Persection.

The Machishu Culture & the Hokke Ikki

After Nisshin, the various Nichiren Buddhist lineages within Kyoto struggled with each other. Each faction claimed that it alone truly upheld Nichiren Shonin's teachings. Many of these factions took up the practice of fuju fuse and vigorous shakubuku. In 1451, for instance, Myomanji Temple created a set of regulations even stricter than those set forth by Nichijo of Myokakuji Temple back in 1413. Eventually, the various Nichiren Buddhist temples realized that they would need to set aside their conflicts in order to present a united front against the forces of the warrior monks of Mt. Hiei which threatened them. This resulted in the Kansho Accord of 1466. The Kansho Accord contained six principles on which all the temples of Kyoto agreed, with the exception of Honpoji Temple of Nisshin's lineage. The six principles were:

1. The identity of the theoretical and essential sections of the Lotus Sutra, though one or the other may be considered superior depending on people's capacities and level of understanding. This principle attempted to reconcile the shoretsu (superiority of the essential section) and itchi (harmony of both sections) doctrines.
2. All Nichiren Buddhists, both monastic and lay, should practice shakubuku.
3. Nichiren Buddhists are prohibited from making pilgrimages to the temples or shrines of slanderers.
4. Nichiren Buddhists are not to receive offerings from slanderers, unless those offerings are made for secular reasons.
5. Though shakubuku (the way of subduing slander) and shoju (the way of embracing what is true) are both ways to teach the Dharma, shakubuku is now the proper one to use. This is a reiteration of point two.
6. Lay followers should not forsake their original teachers, though they may give offerings to more than one temple if those temples all agree to it.

The Kansho Accord did not last for very long. The Onin War of 1467-1477 was particularly destructive, and in 1469 the Tendai warrior-monks burned down much of the aristocratic northern part of Kyoto. The Nichiren temples were in the southern part of the city, so they became rallying points for the merchants who lived there. The townspeople (machishu) formed their own militias to protect themselves from the warrior-monks of Mt. Hiei, peasant rebellions, and warlords from the provinces. Since many of them were Nichiren Buddhists, the temples became virtual fortresses. At this point, the temples resumed their struggle for power.

Nisshin (1444-1528) was a monk who studied at Myohonji Temple (the former Myokenji Temple). He was an adherent of shoretsu, and in particular he emphasized the superiority of the 16th chapter. Eventually he left Myohonji and founded Honryuji Temple in Kyoto in 1489. The Honryuji Temple is now the head temple of the Hokke Shu Shin-Monryu (founded 1488). With the creation of a new sect by Nisshin, the Kansho Accord was shown to be totally ineffective in ending sectarianism.

Despite the power struggles and doctrinal conflicts, the Kyoto temple militias gained in strength as the Ashikaga Shogunate's power waned and Japan descended into anarchy. When the Nembutsu based peasant rebellions threatened the city of Kyoto in the summer of 1532, the militias came out in force to defend the city, and for the next four years they ruled the city of Kyoto. This brief rule of the Nichiren Buddhist townspeople is known as the Lotus Uprising (Hokke Ikki) in contrast to the Pure Land Buddhist peasant rebellions known as the Single-minded [Faith in Nembutsu] Uprisings (Ikko Ikki).

The Lotus Uprising ended disastrously in 1536 when a Nichiren Buddhist lay follower challenged and then defeated a Tendai monk in a public debate. Incensed, the warrior-monks of Mt. Hiei descended upon the city in force and burned down all 21 of the Nichiren Buddhist head temples in Kyoto as well as the whole southern half of the city and a good portion of the northern half. This event is known as the Tenmon Persecution.

After the Tenmon Persecution, many of the Nichiren Buddhist clergy and lay followers took refuge in Sakai near Osaka. In 1542 they were finally allowed to return to Kyoto. By 1545, 15 head temples had been reestablished. Once again, the temples were forced to put an end to sectarianism in order to present a unified front against Mt. Hiei and their other enemies. In 1564 the 15 temples signed the Eiroku Accord in which they attempted to reconcile the shoretsu and itchi factions of Nichiren Buddhism. This agreement was extended by the Tensho Accord of 1575. In spite of their new found unity, and the razing of Mt. Hiei by the dictator Oda Nobunaga in 1571, the Nichiren Buddhist temples of Kyoto would never regain the power and prestige they had attained at the height of the Lotus Uprising.

Oda Nobunaga's destruction of Mt. Hiei was not done as a favor to the Nichiren Buddhists of Kyoto. In fact, Nobunaga was determined to bring all of the Buddhist schools under his firm control. In 1579, he decided to teach the Nichiren Buddhists a lesson they would not soon forget. In that year he demanded that a debate be held in Azuchi Castle between representatives of Nichiren Buddhism and Pure Land Buddhism. Despite the superior arguments of the Nichiren Buddhist monks, Nobunaga declared the Pure Land monks the winners and condemned the three main Nichiren Buddhist representatives to death. He then demanded that the Nichiren Buddhists pay reparations to the Pure Land school, sign an admission of defeat, and cease all proselytizing in Kyoto. This is known as the Azuchi Persecution. After the Azuchi Debate, the major schools of Nichiren Buddhism emphasized the shoju method of propagation rather than the shakubuku method.

The Fuju Fuse Debate

Nichio (1565-1630) was the leading figure in the last important development of Nichiren Buddhism in the fuedal era. In 1595, the dictator Hideyoshi requested that 100 representatives from each of the major Buddhist schools attend monthly memorial services for his ancestors before the Great Buddha that he had commissioned. The leaders of the Kyoto temples believed that to refuse would mean the destruction of their temples and communities. In addition, while they agreed in principle that one should not give services for slanderers or receive donations from them (the fuju fuse doctrine), they argued that the secular authorities were exceptions to this rule. Only Nichio, the head priest of Myokakuji Temple refused to compromise. In protest, he left Myokakuji Temple. In 1599, Tokugawa Ieyasu, at that time one of the five regents appointed to lead the country after Hideyoshi's death, invited Nichio to debate his views with the leaders of the Kyoto temples at Osaka Castle. The outcome was foreordained by Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Nichio was sent into exile to Tsushima Island the next year.

In 1608, a new blow was dealt to Nichiren Buddhism by Tokugawa Ieyasu who was now the new shogun. In that year, Nikkyo, the chief priest of Myomanji Temple, was invited to the Tokugawa Castle in the new capital of Edo to debate Shakudo of the Pure Land school. The night before the debates, intruders broke into Nikkyo's quarters and beat him so badly that he was unable to debate the next day even though the Tokugawa Ieyasu ordered him carried in on a stretcher. The Shogun declared Shakudo the winner by default and sentenced Nikkyo and five of his followers to have their noses and ears removed.

Tokugawa Ieyasu also demanded that the Nichiren Buddhists cease their propagation efforts. Nichion, head priest of Kuonji Temple at Mount Minobu refused to go along with that order and he was arrested and sentenced to crucifixion. Fortunately for him, one of the Shogun's concubines, the Lady Oman, threatened to kill herself in front of her children if Nichion was executed. The Shogun relented and Nichion was released, though he did not return to Kuonji Temple for fear of not being able to propagate Nichiren Buddhism if he should resume his position as chief priest. This event is called the Keicho Persecution, after the era in which it occured.

Nichio was finally pardoned in 1616 and allowed to return to Myokakuji Temple. By this time, those who supported the fuju fuse stance had become quite numerous. In 1623, the fuju fuse movement was even officially permitted by the shogunate. Such permission, however, was subject to the convenience of the Tokugawas. The debate about whether to attend a government sponsored memorial service came up again in 1626 when the wife of Shogun Hidetada died. Two factions arose. The Minbou led faction decided to attend the ceremony, whereas the Ikegami led faction decided not to attend. Naturally, Nichio was on the Ikegami side of the debates which followed. In 1630 the Tokugawa Shogunate sponsored a debate between the two factions and subsequently declared the more accomodating Minobu faction the winners. Nichio was sentenced to another exile, but he had already died. With the debate of 1630, fuju fuse was forbidden by the Tokugawa Shogunate.

In 1665, the Tokugawa Shogunate ruled that all temples would have to report the land which had been granted to them by the government for worship. This meant that all the temples had to admit that they had received their land as a donation from the government for religious purposes. Those who still clung to the fuju fuse doctrine could not do this without compromising their principles, and so the new rule effectively ended the fuju fuse movement. They could no longer receive any recognition from the government, and without that recognition they could not operate their temples. Without membership in a government recognized temple the fuju fuse adherents became outlaws. The fuju fuse movement would remain illegal until 1876. The movement is now called the Nichiren Shu Fuju Fuse-Ha (founding date 1595).

The Modern Reformers

Udana-in Nichiki (1800-1859) was a great scholar and reformer of Nichiren Buddhism who helped to establish the modern education system of the Nichiren Shu. He also taught that the present age demands the practice of shoju rather than shakubuku. He argued that the Rissho Ankoku Ron was no longer applicable to the times and that a new method of propagation would need to be used in a time when religious debate was no longer a convincing or effective means of converting others.

Nagamatsu Seifu Nissen (1817-1890) was originally a priest of the Honmon Hokke Shu, but he left that school due to his disgust with the corruption of the clergy. In 1857, he founded the Butsuryu-Ko in Kyoto. This became the Honmon Butsuryu Shu.

In 1868 the Tokugawa Shogunate fell and the Meiji emperor was restored to power in the Meiji Restoration. Unfortunately, the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate brought with it a backlash against the Buddhist temples which the Tokugawa's had made into an arm of their bureaucracy. The new government was determined to abolish the ideological underpinnings of the Tokugawas and replace it with their own. This meant the suppression of Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism and the promotion of Shinto which became the state religion in 1870. The government destroyed Buddhist temples as part of its violent anti-Buddhist movement which peaked in 1871. The government even demanded that Hachiman and Tensho be removed from the Omandalas of Nichiren Buddhism in their attempts to seperate Buddhism and Shinto. The anti-Buddhist movement also removed the civil laws against Buddhist monks and nuns marrying or eating meat in their attempts to secularize the clergy. They even prohibited the Nichiren Buddhist practice of marching with drums.

As part of their attempts to consolidate and thereby control Buddhism, the government was instrumental in the formation of the modern Japanese Buddhist sects. In 1876, the Itchi Ha lineages formed the Nichiren Shu. The Shoretsu Ha lineages became the Myomanji Ha, Komon Ha, Happon Ha, Honjoji Ha, the Honryuji Ha, and the Fuju Fuse Ha. In 1898, the Myomanji Ha became the Kempon Hokke Shu, the Happon Ha became the Honmon Hokke Shu, the Honryuji Ha became the Honmyo Hokke Shu, and the Honjoji became the Hokke Shu. In 1899, the Komon Ha became the Honmon Shu. In 1900, Taisekiji became independent from the Honmon Shu and called itself the Nichiren Shu Fuji Ha. In 1912, they changed their name again to Nichiren Shoshu. In 1941, the Nichiren Shu, Kempon Hokke Shu, and Honmon Shu were united, but this only lasted until after the war.

Arai Nissatsu (1830-1888) was a disciple of Udana-in Nichiki who became the first superintendent of the Nichiren Shu. In line with the shoju approach, Nissatsu was a member of the Intersectarian Cooperative League which formed in 1868 to resist the suppression of Buddhism by State Shinto. He later helped to form the Society for Harmony and Respect to promote intersectarian understanding, and he also helped to found intersectarian welfare projects. Nissatsu is also said to have taught a revisionist version of Nichiren's Four Admonitions which reads: "Because we contemplate the Buddha, ceaselessly devils are quieted; because our words are true, traitors who would destroy the nation are subdued."

The Fuji Lineage

The history of the Fuji Lineage of Nikko is a convoluted story all on its own. It is an important one, however, because the Nichiren Shoshu sect derives from this lineage, and through its one-time lay organization, the Soka Gakkai, the Nichiren Shoshu teachings have spread more widely inside and outside of Japan than any of the other Nichiren sects. Because of this, the idiosyncratic views of Nichiren Shoshu are the only ones commonly known outside Japan, though the major Nichiren schools in Japan view them as misreprentations of the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Shonin. A careful examination of the history and claims of Nichiren Shoshu reveal that these teachings are, in fact, based upon a tapestry of unsubstantiated claims. These idiosyncratic views cannot be traced back to Nikko himself, but one must understand the history of Nikko's Lineage and especially the history of Taisekiji Temple to see how Nichiren Shoshu developed.

To recap, in 1290, the Lord of Ueno, Nanjo Tokimtsu, built the Taisekiji Temple at Oishigahara for Nikko who had left Mt. Minobu because of his disputes with Lord Hakii and Niko. Nanjo Tokimitsu, the Lord of Ueno, was the uncle of Nikko's disciple Nichimoku.

In 1291, Nikko moved to the town of Omosu in Kitayama where he founded the Honmonji Temple in February 1298 with the help of Nitcho. He spent the rest of his life at this temple. His lineage is referred to as the Fuji Lineage.

Nikko appointed two sets of six senior disciples to take over for him after his passing. The first set consisted of: Nikke, Nichimoku, Nisshu, Nichizen, Nissen, and Nichijo. They were based at Taisekiji Temple, and Nikko transferred that temple to Nichimoku (1260-1333). The second set consisted of: Nichidai, Nitcho, Nichido, Nichimyo, Nichigo, and Nichijo. They were based at Kitayama Honmonji, and Nikko transferred that temple to Nichidai (1294-1394).

Nikko's relationship with Nissho, Nichiro, and Niko was adversarial. He obviously disapproved of Niko's lax standards and resented being forced to leave Mt. Minobu in 1289. Though he was sympathetic to the plight of Nissho and Nichiro in 1284 when they were being persecuted in Kamakura, he ended up accusing them of betraying Nichiren Shonin by returning to the Tendai fold. Nichiro even visited Nikko at Kitayama Honmonji in an attempt at reconciliation, but his attempt failed. After 1298, Nikko had nothing more to do with Nissho and Nichiro. Of the other two of the six senior disciples, Nitcho joined Nikko at Kitayama Honmonji and Nichiji left to spread the Odaimoku overseas and was never heard from again.

Nichizon (1265-1345) was a disciple of Nikko, who travelled to Kyoto with Nichimoku and Nichigo who were also Nikko's disciples. Unfortunately, Nichimoku died on the way and Nichigo returned to Fuji with his ashes. Nichizon alone went on to Kyoto. In 1339, he established the Jogyo-in Temple. When Nichizon passed on the Jogyo-in to his disciple Nichi-in, his other disciple Nichidai (not Nikko's disciple) left and founded Juhonji Temple in 1363. Both temples were burned down in 1536 during the Tenmon Persecution. They were united and rebuilt as Yoboji Temple in 1548.

After the death of Nikke (1252-1334), one of the first set of Nikko's disciples, Nanjo Tokimitsu turned his residence in Shimojo into Myorenji Temple.

When Nichimoku left Taisekji Temple for Kyoto, he left Nichido (1283-1341) in charge of the temple. When Nichigo (1272-1353) returned with Nichimoku's ashes he fully expected to take back control of the temple. This resulted in a dispute between Nichigo and Nichido, and eventually Nichigo was forced to leave Taisekiji Temple. He went to Hota where he founded Myohonji Temple around 1343.

Another dispute arose at Kitayama Honmonji because the patron of the temple, Ishikawa Sanetada, wanted to remove Nichidai. He eventually succeeded and replaced him with Nichimyo. Nichidai went to Nishiyama and founded a new temple with the name Honmonji in 1343. That temple is known as Nishiyama Honmonji as opposed to Kitayama Honmonji.

In an attempt to upstage Kityama Honmonji Temple, the Myohonji Temple founded Kuonji Temple in the town of Koizumi in the Fuji District in 1406.

At this point there were five major temples of Nikko's Lineage in the Fuji District: Taisekiji, Kitayama Honmonji, Nishiyama Honmonji, Koizumi Kuonji, and Shimojo Myorenji. These five are known collectively as the Five Fuji Temples. Outside of the Fuji area, there would eventually be three other important temples of the Fuji Lineage: Yanase Jitsujoji, Hota Myohonji, and Yoboji in Kyoto (formerly the Jogyo-in and Juhonji Temples).

The distinctive doctrines that would later characterize the Nichiren Shoshu appeared during the tenure of Nichiu (1409-1482), the ninth high priest of Taisekiji Temple. The first development was the teaching of Nichigen (?-1486) of Nishiyama Honmonji identifying Nichiren Shonin as the Buddha. This theory appeared in the Gonin-shohasho-kenmon which was written sometime between 1470-1479. Nichigen and Nichiu were friends and so it is very likely that Nichiu got the idea that Nichiren Shonin is the True Buddha from Nichigen.

The second development was the first mention of the "Two Transfer Documents" in a work called the Hyaku-gojikka-jo written by Nikkyo (1428-1489?) at Taisekiji Temple in 1480. Nikkyo was originally a priest at Juhonji, but he moved to Taisekiji and became Nichiu's disciples. The Two Transfer Documents are the Ikegami Sojo and the Minobu Sojo. In these alleged writings of Nichiren, he entrusts the Dharma entirely to Nikko. The Two Transfer Documents are considered to be forgeries by the other Nichiren Buddhist schools as well as independent scholars and there are inconsistencies between them, in terms of their content and Taisekiji claims, and in terms of the actual situation at the time of Nichiren Shonin's death.
Finally, it was during Nichiu's time as high priest of Taisekiji that the Daigohonzon first appeared there. Nichijo (d.1493) a contemporary of Nichiu and the head priest of Kitayama Honmonji actually accused Nichiu of forging the Ita-mandara (the Daigohonzon) as well as many other writings. As with the Transfer Documents, there are many reasons why the Ita-mandara is not considered an authentic Nichiren mandala outside of the Nichiren Shoshu and their erstwhile lay organization the Soka Gakkai.

It should be pointed out that the other temples of the Fuji lineage did not go along with the doctrinal innovations of Taisekiji. The Yoboji, for example, signed the Kansho Accord of 1466 along with the other Kyoto temples without saying a word about the distinctive doctrines of Taisekiji. It is worth noting that the high priests of Taisekiji Temple from 1617-1707 all came from Yoboji Temple. So it is doubtful if even all of the high priests of Taisekiji believed in the theory of Nichiren as the True Buddha, the Daigohonzon, and the transfer documents. The Ita-mandara itself was kept in storage until the Meiji Restoration.

Nichikan (1665-1726) was the 26th high priest of Taisekiji Temple and he is considered to be the one who consolidated and systematized the distinct doctrines of Nichiren Shoshu, especially the doctrine that Nichiren Shonin is the Eternal Buddha, not Shakyamuni Buddha. It is Nichikan who reclaimed Taisekiji from Yoboji and is responsible for restoring and developing the disctintive doctrines of Taisekiji which first appeared during the time of Nichiu.

In 1874, Taisekiji Temple became part of the Shoretsu Branch of Nichiren Buddhism by the decree of the new Meiji government. In 1876, the eight major temples of the Nikko Lineage seperated from the other Shoretsu Sects and became the Komon-ha. In 1899, the Komon-ha became the Honmon Shu. In 1900, Taisekiji Temple seperated from the Honmon Shu and took the name Nichiren Shu Fuji-ha. In 1912, it finally took the name Nichiren Shoshu. The Honmon Shu became a part of Nichiren Shu in 1941. In 1950, the Yoboji Temple seceded from Nichiren Shu and became Nichiren Honshu. Nishiyama Honmonji also went independent. Shimojo Myorenji and Hota Myohonji joined Nichiren Shoshu. Kitayama Honmonji, Koizumi Kuonji, and Yanase Jitsujoji temples all remained with Nichiren Shu.

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