Robin Beck

Nichiren Image at Taisekiji

Updated 06-07-2006
Fujimon

Statues, Drawings, & Paintings of Nichiren
This image of Nichiren is housed at Taiseki-ji Temple in Fujinomiya City of Shizuoka Prefecture.

Nichiren's Gohonzon for Practicing Kanjin

There are no authenticated Nichiren Mandala Gohonzon{s} listed as kept at Taisekiji. However, it appears they have possession of at least one; a Ten Worlds Great Mandala that Nichiren drew for Sho-bo Nichizen {?-1331} in 1280. Circumstances indicate it would not be in the Gohonzon Shu. The existence of the Nichizen Mandala was disclosed by the infamous Kawabe Memo.

Nikko's comments on Images of Nichiren circa 1310-1330:

These comments are from Nikko's notes on the "Fuji isseki monto zonchi no koto" {Guidelines for Believers of the Fuji School}. This work was started by Jakusen-bo Nitcho (1262-1310), the first CP of Omosu Seminary, in 1309, but never completed. IIRC, the manuscript, with Nikko's annotations, survives.

1. About the images of Shonin. Five priests or lay believers have made images and statues (of Nichiren Shonin). So there are a lot (of such images and statues) in various places. All of them have different features from each other.

I, Nikko, say that the objective of drawing the image (of Nichiren Shonin) is to let people in the future know (the visage of Nichiren Shonin). So we should draw it as it is without considering it is good-looking or not. Thinking like this, the lay persons or monks following Nikko and persons who met Shonin once discussed together and drew ( figures of Nichiren Shonin). As a whole the drawings were not so different from the features of Nichiren Shonin but mostly of poor quality. So I made notes on the back of the drawings.

Any of them could not be told to have resemblance, but one piece in Nichijun's book of drawings which was drawn in the second year of Sho-wa (1313) had the visage (of Nichiren Shonin) when compared to other drawings, though I cannot say it has a resemblance. So I made a note "Doesn't have resemblance" on the back of the drawing in order to make people in the future judge rightly among a lot of images. ("Fuji isseki monto zonchi no koto", Gosho Zenshu pp. 1603-1604,translated by K.K)

The Portrait

"That image on your page here is the one kept at Taiseikiji and which is displayed each year at Omushibarai-e. In real life when you view it it is very brown and almost impossible to detect anything I am afraid. Next time I attend Omushibarai I wil try and see it better. I did think it was done during the Daishonin's lifetime but I cn't remember off the top of my head. I have somewhere a sheet with all the info I received about it at Omushibarai-e but would have to search for it." -- Posted by: jussi at February 5, 2006 08:02 PM

My Questions & Comments.

1. How was it made, medium etc? Is it a drawing, wood block print etc?

2. The perpective, looking to our right {his left}, indicates it is a portrait done while Nichiren was alive. However, this convention was not strictly observed.

3. It is somewhat similar to the original 13th Century Nichiren Mizukagami Portrait kept at Joko-in of Hokekyoji Temple, Nakayama, Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture.

Posted by rbeck at June 15, 2006 12:00 AM