Robin Beck

First Gohonzon at Echi 1271

Life and legends of Nichiren
On Nichiren's Gohonzon for Practicing Kanjin

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Revised & Updated 11-28-2005

Nichiren inscribed this mandala on October 9, 1271 at the residence of an official named Honma Rokuro Zaemon Shigetsura {Lord Honma Rokuro}, at Sagami Province, {present day Kanagawa Prefecture}, in the village of Echi, which is the modern Atsugi City. Nichiren was there from September 13 to October 10.

"Nichiren wrote many copies of the Great Mandala, of which 125 copies are preserved ... The earlist copy is dated the ninth day of the tenth month of 1271, within a month of the Tatsu-no-kuchi Incident, ... The eight earliest copies, supposed to have been written before the eighth day of the seventh month of 1273, which is said to be the date of his first writing of the Great Mandala, are considered to have been written as a study {actually, there are 11 or 12, Murano apparently refers to the 8, 003-010, which are undated}." -- Senchu Murano from the Manual of Nichiren Buddhism pp. 57-59. "1271 Oct. 9: Inscribes preliminary Mandala Gohonzon." -- Timeline of Nichiren Daishonin's Life

Gohonzon 001 in the Gohonzon shu is dated Oct 9, 1271 (Bunei 8): This is apparently the one that several Nichiren Shu sources refer to as the first 'study' or 'preliminary' Gohonzon. Nichiren inscribed this mandala on October 9, 1271. He was being detained at the residence of an official named Honma Rokuro Zaemon Shigetsura {Lord Honma Rokuro}, at Sagami Province, {present day Kanagawa Prefecture}, in the village of Echi, which is the modern Atsugi City. Nichiren was there from September 13 to October 10.

Even though his Echi Village residence was near Sagami Bay & Kamakura, a good 12 day journey from Echigo Province, Lord Honma was the steward of Niiho {Niibe. Niibo} District {Sado Island} of Echigo, where Nichiren was to be exiled. Niibo was granted to the Honma clan of Honshu during the Kamakura Era, and they continued to dominate Sado until 1589.

Kamakura officials of the Hojo Clan had conspired with leading ministers of local establishment temples, such as Rankei Doryu, to have Nichiren charged with libel. He was brought up on charges, convicted in a sham hearing, sentenced to exile at Sado Island, and taken into cutody at Tatsunokuchi beach. An official named Hei-no-Saemon decided to have him executed instead, resulting in the infamous Tatsunokuchi incident.

To make a long story less long, the attempt to behead Nichiren failed. He then received an official order of reprieve from the Shikken (regent to the Shogun), Hojo Tokimistsu. But rather than releasing him, authorities had him taken to Echi, while they sorted things out. After arriving in Echi, Nichiren went to the garden of Honma's compound, and recited the verse portion of the Life Span Chapter of the Tahagata Chapter from the Lotus Sutra {jigage}. He later described what happened as follows:

"Then, as though in answer, a large star bright as the Morning Star fell from the sky and struck a branch of the plum tree in front of me. The soldiers, astounded, jumped down from the verandah, fell on their faces in the garden, or ran behind the house. Immediately a fierce wind started up, raging so violently that the whole island of Enoshima seemed to roar. The sky shook, echoing with a sound like pounding drums."

Hojo Clan authorities eventually decided to enforce the original sanction, and exile Nichiren to Sado. The Shonin left Echi Village on October 10, en route to Echigo Province, excorted by several of Honma's warriors.

Nichiren wrote several letters while at Echi. The following have been published by Soka Gakkai International, and are available on line: {Page nos. refer to "The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin" Soka Gakkai Gosho Translation Committee, ed., trans. Tokyo: Soka Gakkai, 1999. }
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Letter from Echi (p. 194). Written to Toki Jonin on 14 September 1271 from Echi
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The Persecution at Tatsunokuchi (p. 196 - 197). Written to Shijo Kingo on 21 September 1271 from Echi
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Lessening One's Karmic Retribution (p. 199 - 200). Written to Ota Saemon, Soya, Dharma Bridge Kimbara Hokyo on 5 October 1271 from Echi
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Banishment to Sado (p. 202). Written to Enjo-bo in October of 1271 from Echi
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Letter to Priest Nichiro in Prison (p. 204). Written to Nichiro on 9 October 1271 from Echi
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Originally Posted by rbeck at April 23, 2005 03:21 PM
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Mandala 001 appears to kept at Ryuhon-ji Temple in Kyoto. Others housed there: # 040, # 048, # 069
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Comments
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Excerpts of Letters to Don Ross at Gohonzonforum dated May 10 2005:
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"Nichiren wrote many copies of the Great Mandala, of which 125 copies are preserved ... The earlist copy is dated the ninth day of the tenth month of 1271, within a month of the Tatsu-no-kuchi Incident, ... The eight earliest copies, supposed to have been written before the eighth day of the seventh month of 1273, which is said to be the date of his first writing of the Great Mandala, are considered to have been written as a study. {actually, there are 11 or 12, Murano apparently refers to the 8, 003-010, which are undated}" -- Senchu Murano from the Manual of Nichiren Buddhism pp. 57-59. "1271 Oct. 9: Inscribes preliminary Mandala Gohonzon." -- Timeline of Nichiren Daishonin's Life

In the Gohozon Shu Index, Gohonzon Galleries, at the Coffeehouse, I found the following Link: First Gohonzon Inscribed by Nichiren. This is one of two things threw me off track while I was looking for Nichiren's first Gohonzon. The other was not realizing that there is a first Gohonzon, the one dated October 9, 1271; and the first 'Daimandara' Gohonzon, dated July 8, 1273. At any rate, that link takes one to #010. That Gohonzon is undated; the dimensions are 4.7 inches x 8.9 inches. I can find no other information on #010. It is apparently not Nichiren's first Gohonzon.

Note that #'s 3-10, and #12, in the Gohonzon Shu are undated. I assume these were most likely written at Teradomari, Tsukuhara Niibo, or Ichinosawato-Sawata. If anyone has information about their history, or can translate what is written on these mandalas, or in the notes, please post in the comments. I am also curious why there is 003a,b, & c? Are these copies of the same Mandala; all inscribed by Nichiren? I have some limited answers; but mostly, good
questions.

Gohonzon 001 in the Gohonzon shu is dated Oct 9, 1271 (Bunei 8): This is apparently the one several Nichiren Shu sources refer to as the first 'study' or 'preliminary' Gohonzon. Nichiren inscribed this mandala on October 9, 1271. He was being detained at the residence of an official named Honma Rokuro Zaemon Shigetsura {Lord Honma Rokuro}, at Sagami Province, in the village of Echi, Sagami Province {present day Kanagawa Prefecture}. Nichiren was there from September 13 to October 10. Echi is the modern Atsugi City. Lord Honma was the steward of Echigo Province, or modern Niiho {Niibe. Niibo} District of Sado Island, where Nichiren was to be exiled.

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One thing that threw me was this link in your Index:

"First Gohonzon Inscribed by Nichiren" That link takes one to:

That Gohonzon is undated; the dimensions are 4.7 inches x 8.9 inches. I can find no other information on #010.

In the last week or, I have veriried that that:
is actually accepted as the First Gohonzon Inscribed by Nichiren. It bears the date mentioned in numerous Nichiren Shu sources; Oct 9, 1271 (Bunei 8), as the first Gohonzon inscribed by Nichiren, at Echi, Sagami {now Atsugi City Kanagawa}; while he was detained at Lord Honma's residence.
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In GohonzonForum, Don Ross wrote:

Hello Robin,
I think I understand why you were confused... It seems you found a Mandala a day or two older than the one I was told is the oldest (by Bruce, if I remember correctly). If you look closely at #10, it was not written with a brush. The story I heard is that this halograph was inscribed by Nichiren when he was standing on the beach, waiting to get into the boat to cross over to Sado Island into his 2nd exile.

He picked up stick from the ground, dipped it in ink, proclaiming his homage to the Lotus Sutra, his awareness of his mission to propagate the Lotus Sutra far into the future.

http://nichirenscoffeehouse.net/GohonzonShu/001.html

http://nichirenscoffeehouse.net/GohonzonShu/010.html

Anyway, back to my point, that is how I think of #10. So now it seems you have identified #1 as his first Mandala. That may well be so and you provide convincing evidence and so I will change that in the Coffeehouse.
Posted by: robin at May 12, 2005 04:22 AM

Posted by rbeck at November 28, 2005 06:41 AM