Nichiren told his two disciples that he respects Buddha a great deal, but moreover he respects his motherland Japan. He confessed that he went to Ise Jingu(The Grand Shrine of Ise) before he began his journey to swear he would lead the nation to reconnect with Amaterasu-Ohomikami through the Hokkekyo.
He showed them the mandala he had written where Amaterasu-Ohomikami was placed in the center of the scroll. And said that he wanted to lead his followers to believe in worshipping Amaterasu-Ohomikami, the Goddess of Japan, and asked his two top disciples if they could support him on this idea.
The two disciples were shocked to hear this. For a very long time, regarded as heretics, they have sacrificed their time and effort believing that Hokkekyo was the ultimate teaching of Buddhism. They have propagated and gathered many followers and donations. They believed that it was done all through their effort and Nichiren did not know how much work they had sacrificed to reach this far. Even for the sake of the founder, they just could not allow the organization to fall down because of Nichiren’s (the founder), drastic act. So the two top disciples both agreed on something. They decided to put a small amount of poisonous herb in Nichiren’s food every day. Nichiren became weaker and weaker as the time went by.
Nichiren knew that his food was poisoned but he did not stop eating. He felt that it was his way of repentance towards many of his disciples who had been killed through the act of propagation. Until the end of his time, he thought more for his disciples and the nation than his own life.
Nichiren had written three mandalas with Amaterasu-Ohomikami in the center and a pronouncement for his belief in Amaterasu-Ohomikami. But after his death, the disciples had burned them all leaving no trace.
The two disciples continued to develop the Buddhist sect. However, later the two had some disagreements and decided to make two different paths. Even after the separation, they were constantly in fear about the fact that they killed the founder and erased the documents with his true intention. From this fear, they strictly prohibited their followers to visit a Shinto shrine.
The god spirit who had given me this information clearly mentioned the disciples’ names, but I had decided not to reveal it. But I can say that what they did at that time, still reflect on their descendents or followers of today.
Nichiren’s grand goal through the teachings of Hokkekyo was to lead the nation to reconnect with the Sun.
I sincerely wish that the successful religious sects of today who are the followers of Nichiren would have the chance to read this to know the truth of Nichiren’s intention and to follow it. To ackowledge the fact that Nichiren had visited Ise Jingu for a hundred days before he began his propagation and the fact that he had written the name of the sun goddess in the center of his hand made mandala.
This story is dedicated to Nichiren who lived his life with great passion towards his beloved motherland Japan.
Ikashite-itadaite Arigato-gozaimasu
Thank you for letting us live
Saturday, April 11, 2009
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