Tatsunokuchi Persecution-Discarding the Provisional Identity and Revealing the True Identity
On September 12th of the eighth year of Bunnei (1271), Nichiren Daishonin was taken from his hut in Matsubagayatsu and dragged through the streets of Kamakura. He was treated like someone who had committed a serious crime. Then, the Daishonin was taken to the Supreme Court, where he was sentenced to “exile on Sado Island” by Hei-no saemon-no-jo. This “official verdict,” however, was nothing but a cover-up. In reality, the government officials true intention was to behead the Daishonin. In fact, at midnight the Daishonin was taken under guard to the Tatsunokuchi execution grounds.
On their way to the site, the Daishonin dismounted from his horse in front of the Hachiman Shrine at Tsurugaoka (refer to the map on p. 59), and loudly called out to Bodhisattva Hachiman:
Great Bodhisattva Hachiman, are you truly a guardian deity?
(On the Buddha’s Behavior [Shuju onfurumai-gosho], Gosho, p. 1059)
He reprimanded Great Bodhisattva Hachiman for not protecting the votary of the Lotus Sutra. Then, after passing Yuigahama Beach, the Daishonin sent a boy named Kumaomaru to inform Shijo Kingo of what was happening. Shijo Kingo immediately rushed to the Daishonin’s side and accompanied him to the execution grounds with the resolution to follow his master to the grave. Upon arrival at the site, Shijo Kingo could not control himself and began to sob. The Daishonin chided him, saying:
Why can you not understand! You should be delighted at this great fortune. Have you forgotten what I told you?
(On the Buddha’s Behavior [Shuju onfurumai-gosho], Gosho, p. 1060)
At the moment the exccutioner raised his sword,a luminous orb as a full moon At the moment the executioner raised his word, a luminous suddenly shot across the sky from bas bright e direction of Enoshima Island. The intense light blinded the ecutioner, causing him to fall down to the ground. The soldiers rrounding the Daishonin were terrified and ran about. Some threw emselves in prostration on the spot. In the end, they were not able take the Daishonin’s life.
This persecution at Tatsunokuchi has an important meaning that the Daishonin discarded his provisional identity as the incarnation of Bodhisattva Jogyo and revealed his true identity the True Buddha of the infinite past of kuon-ganjo with the roperty of intrinsically perfect wisdom. This is called “discarding the rovisional identity and revealing the true identity.”
Concerning this matter, the Daishonin states:
A man by the name of Nichiren was beheaded [as a common mortal] between the hours of the Rat and the Ox31” on the twelfth day of the ninth month of the previous year. His soul reached Sado Island…
(The Opening of the Eyes [Kaimoku-sho], Gosho, p. 563)
The word “soul” refers to the soul of the Buddha of the infinite past of kuon-ganjo with the property of perfect wisdom. In other words, in the midst of the great persecution at Tatsunokuchi, where the Daishonin had to risk his life, he revealed his life state as the True Buddha of the infinite past of kuon-ganjo.
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31 The hours of the Rat and the Ox: The hours between 11 p.m. and 3 am
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