December 22, 2005
Omosu & Taisekiji
The Fuji School
This is from Wikipedia:
After his involvement with the founding of Taisekiji, Nikkō named his disciple Nichimoku (1260–1333) as his successor and retired a few miles away to Omosu, where he founded a seminary and concentrated on training disciples until his passing in the second lunar month of 1333 at the age of 87. --Nikko (priest) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
And this from the now out dated English version of the Soka Gakkai Dictionary:
Omosu Seminary: A seminary that Nikko, Nichiren's successor, established in Omosu Village of Fuji District, Suruga Province, Japan, 1298. ... In 1483 the seminary severed its ties with Taiseki-ji and became affiliated with Koizumi Kuon-ji* temple, the origin of which was the dwelling inhabited by Nichigo during his dispute over the possession of part of Taiseki-ji with its fourth chief priest, Nichido. In 1515 it was renamed Hommon-ji and returned to the Nikko school (based at Taiseki-ji). In 1899 it was renamed Kitayama Hommon-ji and the school connected with it became the Hommon (Essential Teaching) school. In 1941 it merged into the Minobu school in response to a government order. --Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism
The mainstream account of the founding of Omosu Temple and Seminary differs radically from that taught in America by SGI and Nichiren Shoshu. Unfortunately, the Nichiren Shoshu version is widely accessible in English, so it appears to a casual reader to be "mainstream." Meanwhile, the actual mainstream view has largely been pieced together in English by Independent and often amateur researchers.
SGI and NST have been somewhat disingenuous about the entire matter. They made it appear that the Honmonji Temple at Omosu was a mere Seminary that belonged to Taisekiji. SGI's "Great Dictionary of Buddhist Philosophy (the 3rd edition)" modifies that position. Translation from KK:
Omosu: Omosu Village of Fuji District of Suruga Province. Today's Kitayama in Fujinomiya City of Sizuoka Prefecture. After one year since Nikko Shonin left Minobu, Taisekiji was founded on the twelfth day of the tenth month in the third year of Sho-ou (1290). Next day the Law was entrusted from Nikko Shonin to Nichimoku Shonin. [the Ozagawari Gohonzon was inscribed and transferred to Nichimoku Shonin].
At the request of the steward, Ishikawa Magozaburo Yoshitada, of the next village, Omosu, Miei-do of Nichiren Daishonin and Suijaku-do of Tensho Daijin were built at Omosu on the fifteenth day of the second month in the sixth year of Ei-nin (1298).
Nikko Shonin moved to Omosu at this occasion and instructed students and tried to train disciples (the opening of Seminary). Soon he appointed Jakusen-bo Nitcho who had broke with Niko and came to him to the first chief instructor. After Nitcho died young, he appointed San-mi Nichijun to the second chief instructor. In this way he promoted the learning of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism and make efforts to study it. A lot of disciples gathered around him. The disciples in Taisekiji also, old and young, walked two kilo meters to and from Nikko Shonin. Omosu Seminary together with other halls was called "the temple at Omosu" or "Omosu" from its location.
At the beginning two temples were united as one. In the fourteenth year of Bun-mei (1482) there occured a debate about the heritage of the Law between Taisekiji and Koizumi Kuonji*. Nichijo of Omosu gave his approval to Kuonji and became agaist Taisekiji. In the twelfth year of Ei-sho (1515), Nikkoku of Omosu named the temple 'Honmonji' under the permission of Imagawa Ujichika (the feudal lord of Suruga province --K.K) and became Komon sect of Nichiren Shu ('Komon' means the disciples of Nikko --K.K).
In the thirty-second year of Meiji (1899) the sect was renamed as 'Honmon Shu'. They call their temple 'Kitayama Honmonji' from its location. Since the sixteenth year of Showa (1941) it has been united with Minobu Sect of Nichiren Shu. (from SGI's Great Dictionary of Buddhist Philosophy, the 3rd edition) -- From: Kawai Kazuo > Date: Fri Dec 16, 2005 12:02 pm
This is considerably different than the Nichiren Shoshu version of history that SGI parroted in the "Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism." Still, contrast that revised SGI version with this from the Kitayama Honmonji web-site:
"Nikko Shonin left Minobu in December in the first year of Sho-ou(1288), the sixth anniversary of Nichiren Daishonin's death. He moved to Ueno at the invitation by Nanjo Tokimitsu and made a hermitage at Oishi-ga-hara in October in the third year of Sho-ou (1291--this is wrong. correctly 1290, K.K).
But he loved the scenery of Omosu Maruyama and was donated a piece of land by two stewards, Ishikawa Yoshitada of Omosu and Najo tokimitsu of Ueno. Then he began the construction with the help of Hokke believers in Ueno and Koizumi(a place name --K.K) in the first year of Ei-nin (1293). In the sixth year of Ei-nin(1298), Hondo(the main hall), Mieido(the Image hall) and Suijakudo(a kind of hall --K.K) were built.
They hung out the tablet written "Hokke Honmonji Kongen"('Kongen' means 'root'--K.K) meaning that the temple was the root to achieve the building of the Honmon Kaidan (ordination platform--K.K) which was the oath of Nichiren Daishonin. Nikko Shonin who spent thirty-six years in this temple, raised Omosu Dansho (Seminary--K.K) and tried to educate young men and to spread daimoku until his death on the seventh day of the second month in the third year of Gen-ko(1333), at the age of eighty-eight." from CP of Kitayama Honmonji, originally in Japanese.From: Kawai Kazuo > Date: Fri Dec 16, 2005 1:13 am
SGI seems to have scrapped the Nichiren Shoshu claim that Kitayama/Omosu was a mere sub-temple Seminary of Taisekiji, that 'rebelled' in 1483. The revised SGI account admits that "Hokke Honmoji Kongen" was, from the start, a separate Temple from Taisekiji, but still has the two more interdepedent than Kitayama's own account.
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*Koizumi Kuonji. Koizumi was/is a town near Ueno & Omosu. Nichigo built a Temple there. It may have been the original Renzo-bo. Koizumi Kuonji is not related to Minobusan Kuon-ji. The 1482 debate was Taisekiji {Nichiu} and Nishiyama Honmon-ji-{Nichigen} versus Kitayama Honmon-ji & Koizumi Kuon-ji. Nichigen & Nichiu were proponents of an early form of Nichiren as True Buddha Doctrine.
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Honmon Shoshu has something to say about the original location of Taisekiji/Oishigahara. One might wish to check that out.
"Oishigahara is today's Edahara village in Fuji-city. That's where Taisekiji got its name. O (kun pronunciation) = Dai (on pronunciation).
Ishi (kun pronunciation) = seki (on
pronunciation). O-ishi = Dai-seki Oishi or
Daiseki = Big rocks or boulders. Gahara = flat land or plains. Oishigahara (Plains of great boulders) is the domain of Onodera Niida Goro Shigetsuna, the father of Nichimoku Shounin.
Taisekiji was built and maintained by the Onodera clan.
According to the "Nichimoku Shounin Go-den Do-dai" the Onoderas are descended from Fujiwara Michinaga. Being Fujiwarasalso,they were court
officials. In the Gosenge Kiroku, Nichimoku is mentioned as "Kimi-no-kyou" (Court Noble). Nichimoku, Nichido, Nichigyo, Nichiji, Nichiei are in fact, all Onoderas.
The original Taisekiji at Oishigahara Fuji-city is now a Nissan automobile plant. The proof is in the Fuji-city land register, which has got
Taisekiji's name on it. See a copy here: http://www.aory.net/new4.html --Eddy
Robin, as Dave points out, those locations are all less than two miles from one another. And Omosu and Kitayama are nearly a stones throw away.
Let me give another timeline:
Nikko goes to Taisekiji/Fuji area. He stays with the Ueno clan, who build Taisekiji, he gets neighbors to build Omosu. Gets other neighbors to build Honmonji. First Nitcho the younger comes to join him, he makes him teacher of students at Omosu. Then Nitcho the older comes, he welcomes him back and has him staying nearby on land donated from a relative. When Nitcho dies his older uncle, becomes "teaching rector." Then he dies and Nichijun Sammi takes over as instructor. Finally Nikko dies and Nichimoku is prepared to take over -- but he dies too.
Meanwhile politics is rising. War and insurrection break out and battles are fought all around. People flee, old families are broken up or take the opposite sides in various battles. Nikko is related to both Ueno's and Niida's -- at some point both are at odds. Stories are made up that explain these rivalries, and each one has to account for the past. And hence we get all these competing legends. How do we make heads or tails out of them?
Posted by: chris at December 15, 2005 07:00 PMAnother account has both of the Nitchos being Chief Instructors -- one at Omosu, the other at Kitayama.
At present, Kitayama is an old town or village of Fujinomiya City, Shizuoka Prefecture, as well as an industrial district.
Taisekiji is also in Fujinomiya City. But some say it was moved there from land belonging ro the Niida Clan, between 1630 & 1680.
Another account appears to have Koizumi Kuonji being the original Renzo-bo {Nichimoku's residence temple} that was occupied by Saisho Nichigo circa 1334.
Interesting post Robin. I was under the impression that Iyo-bo Nitcho died in 1310 and that Jakusen-bo Nitcho died in 1317, but if what you are saying is true (and it's the other way around) that would explain some of the discrepancies in the accounts -- and why some of them are so vague. Iyobo was older than Jakusen-bo. Jakusen-bo was Toki's son by the same mother as Iyobo. Iyobo's maternal family was from the Fuji area.
Another Fuji account talks about Iyo-bo Nitcho assisting Nikko from his own temple nearby Omosu, but doesn't say what that help was. So it is a plausible speculation that Iyo-bo could have been the second "Chief Instructor" at Omosu after the death of his younger brother.
And there are discrepancies in this period about Lord Toki and Iyo-bo. I've become confused about when Lord Toki took his vows and ordained himself -- and when Iyo-bo left what became Nakayama. The accounts seem to disenfranchise both Lord Toki's son from even being associated with Nakayama. But I wonder what relationship that Lord Toki had with Nikko, whether there was an equal break there to the one that occured between Nikko and Niko and whether that break was ever patched.
Finally Omosu Seminary and Kitayama may be different places, but they are walking distance from one another and at one time were linked.
Posted by: chris_holte at December 14, 2005 07:56 AM