May 20, 2006
Takeda Katsuyori ate my Transfer Dox?
The originals of a number of Nikko Shonin's most important documents are kept at Honmon Shu Nishiyama Honmon-ji. These include, but are not limited to:
*The "Shuso Gosenge Kiroku" {Record of the Passing of the Founder}.
*The "Hakasho Mamorubeki Bancho no Koto" {The Shift for Protecting His Mausoleum}.
*A letter dated February 19th, 1285 written by Hakiri Sanenaga to Nikko.
So what is Nishiyama Honmonji and how did they acquire all these original documents? Here is a little history:
Nikko died on February 7 1333. Iyo Nichidai (1294-1394), who was Nikko's nephew, and one of six major discpiles at Omosu, succeeded him as CP/Abbot at Omosu Hokke Honmonji Kongen {present day Kitayama Honmonji Temple}. In 1334, Iyo Nichidai defeated Joren-bo Nissen (1262-1357), a Taisekiji Elder, in an early "Itchi versus Shoretsu" debate. Nissen argued an extreme "Shoretsu" position; that the Shakumon is useless and should be discarded completely. In defending the Shakumon, Iyo Nichidai argued an extreme "Itchi" position; he proposed that the Shakumon and Honmon are equal.
Joren-bo {or Hyakkan-bo} Nissen (1262-1357} lost the debate. He then left for Takase in Sanuki province. Meanwhile, the perceived extreme nature of Iyo Nichidai's views cost him credibility with his peers; he was ousted within a decade, and replaced by another of Nikko's 6 major Omosu disciples, one named Nichimyo. Around 1343, Iyo Nichidai settled at Nishiyama, where he founded Hokke-do, which later became Nishiyama Honmonji. Nishiyama was a village near Ueno, Omosu, & Koizumi. Today, all 4 of those villages are part of Fujinomiya City.
I suppose that Iyo Nichidai may have taken all those important documents with him when he left Omosu. However, there are problems with that. For one thing, there would have been a row, and I suspect we would have heard about it.
Also, from 1470 -1479 Nichigen (?-1486) at Nishiyama Honmonji developed an early version of the "Nichiren as the Hon-Butsu Theory." He also may have forged the first versions of the infamous "Two Transfer Documents." It appears that he used these apparent forgeries to press a legal claim, a claim that the Nishiyama Honmonji lineage was not only the valid successor of Nikko, but also the sole valid successor of Nichiren himself.
Nichigen apparently failed in this coup, but his views regarding "Nichiren as the Hon-Butsu Theory" and the "Two Transfer Documents" were taken up by the then Chief Priest of Taisekiji. At any rate, given these circumstances, it seems unlikely that Nichigen at Nishiyama Honmonji had possession of the "Shuso Gosenge Kiroku" aka "The Real Transfer Documents."
From what I can gather, sometime around 1500, the Hokke Shu was renamed Nichiren Shu. Then, in 1515, Omosu Honmonji Kongen officially took the name Omosu Honmonji. The Nichiren Shu Komon Ha was officially founded the same year, based at Omosu Honmonji.
Around 1581, it looks like Nishiyama might have made another legal claim to be the legitimate Honmonji. This time, they were evidently supported by the Takeda Clan, who were, at the time, the ruling Kanto Region warlords. The Nishiyama claim was likely based on a "Nikko to Iyo Nichidai Heritage Theory." It appears that Taisekiji sided with the Head Temple of Komon Ha at Omosu.
Talk of the two transfer documents seems to have resurfaced. Nishiyama still stands accused, by Taisekiji, of stealing the original transmission documents from Omosu/Kitayama. Taisekiji alleges these were never recovered.
"Both transfer documents were stored at Omosu Seminary {sic} (present day Kitayama Honmonji Temple of the Nichiren-shu sect of Mount Minobu {sic}). On March 17th, 1581, many sacred treasures including The Two Transfer Documents were violently stolen by the followers of Nishiyama Honmonji Temple and the lord of Kai Province, Takeda Katsuyori, and his vassals and soldiers, who supported Nishiyama Honmonji Temple and antagonized Kitayama Honmonji Temple." -- Reverend Shoshin Kawabe of Nichiren Shoshu.
Note that he calls Omosu Hokke Honmoji Kongen Temple "Omosu Seminary," which is a typical Taisekiji slur on an estranged sister Temple.
There is maybe a very tiny kernel of truth in that tale. This may be how Nishiyama Honmonji obtained the "Shuso Gosenge Kiroku." But it certainly makes no sense that they would 'lose' "Two Transfer Dox"; documents that would have supported a claim that the Nishiyama Honmonji lineage was not only the valid successor of Nikko, but also the sole valid successor of Nichiren himself; while retaining documents which tend to disprove those same claims.
1874: The Meiji Government merged the Komon Ha with the Nichiren Shu Shoretsu Branch.
1876: Eight Major Temples of the Komon Ha, including Nishiyama Honmonji, withdraw from the Shoretsu Branch.
1899: Komon Ha of Nichiren Shu officially became Honmon Shu, based at Kitayama Honmonji. A "Ha" is a sub-school, rebel sect, or faction; a "Shu" is an actual school recognized by the Central Authority. Kitayama is the modern name of Omosu Village.
1941: Honmon Shu rejoins Nichiren Shu
1949: Honmon Shu, led by Nishiyama Honmonji. withdrew from Nichiren Shu. Kitayama Honmonji, Koizumi Kuonji, and Jitsujoji Temple at Aizu remained with Nichiren Shu. Shimojo Myorenji at Ueno joined Nichiren Shoshu. Taisekiji had left Honmon Shu in 1900, and founded Nichiren Shoshu in 1912. Yoho-ji seceded from Nichiren Shu and became Nichiren Honshu.
1992: "In Heisei 4 [1992], November, the Gosenge Kiroku (in the archives of Nishiyama Honmonji that was written by Nikko, was designated an important national property, and its [contents] made open to the public. It was written in Koan 5 [1282] Oct 16." -- Nichiren Buddhism Modern Religious Institute
1997: The Go-ibutsu-haibun-cho" {Distribution of the Mementos} and Minobusan-shuban-cho" {Minobusan Guard Rotation} were discredited as they contradict and are not included in the Kiroku. Some unrevised scholarly works still cite those as valid parts of the "Record of the Passing of the Founder}."
Posted by rbeck at May 20, 2006 04:25 PM