The Life of Nichiren Daishonin
Part Seven - The Rissho Ankoku Ron

From the time Nichiren Daishonin began his propagation of True 
Buddhism based in the Matsubagayatsu area of Kamakura city, 
natural disasters such as earthquakes, epidemics, massive fires, 
famine and other abnormal occurrences continued as had never 
before been seen. The feelings of the people turned to that of 
desolation as crime abounded, and they were confronted each day 
with anxiety.  
Nichiren Daishonin described the conditions in his "Rationale for 
Submitting the Rissho Ankoku Ron" when he wrote:
In the first year of the Shoka era (1257), when the reverse marker 
of Jupiter was in the sector of the sky with the cyclical sign hinotomi, 
on the twenty-third day of the eighth month, at the time when the 
hour of the dog gives way to the hour of the boar, (9:00 P.M.) there 
occurred an earthquake of unprecedented magnitude. In the second 
year of the same era (1258), cyclical sign tsuchinoe-uma, on the first 
day of the eighth month, there was a great wind. In the third year 
(1259), cyclical sign tsuchinoto-hitsuji, a major famine occurred. In 
the first year of the Shogen era (1259), cyclical sign tsuchinoto-
hitsuji, disease was rampant, and throughout the four seasons of the 
second year (1260), cyclical sign kanoe-saru, the sickness continued 
to rage without abating. By this time, more than half the ordinary 
citizens of the nation had been laid low by death. (Shinpen, p. 367; 
M.W., Vol. 2, p. 61)
From the standpoint of Buddhist reasoning, the root cause of these 
disasters was that the established religions did not recognize the 
Lotus Sutra as the highest and only suitable teaching for the Latter 
Day of the Law. 
Nichiren Daishonin entered the sutra storehouse of Jissoji temple at 
Iwamoto in the Province of Suruga (present day Shizuoka Prefecture) 
and read all the sutras one more time in order to precisely explain 
these occurrences using Buddhist principles and literary proof. 
Nichiren Daishonin further explained in "Rationale for Submitting the 
Rissho Ankoku Ron" when he wrote:
I, Nichiren, observing the state of affairs, proceeded to consult the 
various Buddhist scriptures. There I discovered the reason why these 
prayers are without effect, and on the contrary, actually make the 
situation worse, along with passages of proof to support it.
While at Jissoji Temple, Nichiren Daishonin was served by a thirteen 
year old boy named Hokiko who was studying at one of the forty-
nine temples1 near Jissoji temple. Impressed by the reverent 
composure of the Daishonin, Hokiko decided to become his disciple. 
This young acolyte was later named Nikko Shonin and received the 
transmission of the Living Law of True Buddhism directly from 
Nichiren Daishonin.
At Jissoji Temple, Nichiren Daishonin, composed such Goshos as "The 
Great Importance of All the Teachings of Shakyamuni," "The Doctrine 
of Ichinen Sanzen," "On the Ten Factors of Life" and others. In 1259, 
he authored "Treatise on Protecting the Nation."
On July 16th, 1260, Nichiren Daishonin, who had returned to 
Kamakura, submitted his Rissho Ankoku Ron, (Treatise for Securing 
Peace in the Land Through the Establishment of True Buddhism) to 
the most powerful authority within the Kamakura Shogunate, Regent 
Hojo Tokiyori. This treatise was the first of three remonstrations that 
Nichiren Daishonin would make to the national government of Japan.
The Rissho Ankoku Ron first mentions the occurrence at that time of 
changes in the climate, natural disasters, famine, and epidemics. This 
document then discusses the pitiful situation of how all the Buddhist 
and Shinto sects together with all of their religious rituals and 
prayers had no effect in alleviating this situation. Nichiren Daishonin 
then proposed the importance of considering why these incidents 
had come about in the first place.
In the initial passages of the Rissho Ankoku Ron, Nichiren Daishonin 
asserted that:
I have pondered the matter carefully with what limited resources I 
possess, and have searched rather widely in the scriptures for an 
answer. Every one of today's people turns away from the True Law 
and instead follows evil teachings. That is the reason why the 
benevolent deities have abandoned the nation, why sages leave and 
do not return. That is why instead devils and demons, disasters and 
calamities arise one after another. (Shinpen, p. 234; M.W., Vol. 2, p. 5)
Throughout Japan, the people embraced only Honen's teachings of 
the Jodo (Nembutsu) sect of Buddhism. It was for that reason, 
Nichiren Daishonin explained to Hojo Tokiyori that:
Rather than offering up ten thousand prayers for remedy, it would 
be better simply to outlaw this one evil doctrine that is the source of 
all the trouble! (Shinpen, p. 241; M.W., Vol. 2, p. 24)
Nichiren Daishonin underlined the utmost importance to Hojo 
Tokiyori of banning the "one evil doctrine" of Honen. The Daishonin 
also emphasized in the conclusion,
Therefore you must quickly reform the tenets that you hold in your 
heart and embrace the one true vehicle, the single good doctrine of 
the Lotus Sutra. If you do so, then the threefold world will all 
become the Buddha land." (Shinpen, p. 250; M.W., Vol. 2, p. 43)
Nichiren Daishonin then continued by predicting to Hojo Tokiyori that 
if he did not, "put an end to these slanders of the Law," the yet 
unseen disasters described within the Yakushi and Ninno Sutras of 
"internal strife" and "invasion by a foreign nation" would 
undoubtedly come about. 
Nichiren Daishonin had profoundly clear insight into the causes for 
the occurrence of calamities, and their role as omens of the advent of 
the True Buddha and the greatness of the Buddhism he preached.

Footnote:
1. One of the forty-nine temples; Denotes Shijoku-in temple, a Tendai 
temple closely affiliated to the Tendai temple of Jissoji.  

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