September 06, 2007
Gohonzon Shu Study: Mandalas 124
This is part II of the Gohonzon Shu Study.
Mandala numbers 124 & 125 were inserted in the catalog in 1999, well after the first edition was published. That is why they appear last. They are actually the oldest known Nichiren Mandalas; from the & Kencho Era {#24314;長} of Japan, which was March 18 1249 - October 5 1256. So I am going to start with those. I am looking at the LBIS Gohonzonshu Index. There are some entries out of order at the bottom of column two, The third row from the bottom reads: 建長年間. That appears to translate as something like: these were lost for a long time, or a long time between buildings? Literally, 'building long of year.' That applies to the next two rows of column two. The next row is: 不動明 王図. That translates as Fudo 不動 {non-moving}; Myo/vidy a明 {esoteric knowledge}; On 王 {King}; Picture 図. This links to Mandala 124. We can find this same mandala at the Nichiren's Coffehouse Gohonzonshu here: Nichiren Visited by Aizen 25 June 1254. That page provides us with this information:
The deity on the horse is Aizen Myo'o (Sanskrit Ragaraja). ichiren is recording the formal visitation of Aizen and Fudo dated the 25th day of the 6th month of the 6th year of Kencho (1254). Newly authenticated and added to the Gohonzonshu in the 1999 edition. Paired with #125.
As we see from the date, this should be first. However, because it was not authenticated until 1999, it was tacked on at the end. That is why it is out of order. That page also has some scans of text from Don's Gohonzonshu book. I am hot linking those here. There are no translations savailable, and these do not necessarily relate to Mandala 124. You can find more discussion about Mandala #124 in my archives here: Aizen & Fudo Kankenki of 1254 . I was told a copy o Fudo Kankenki has been kept at Hota Myohon-ji for centuries. The original only turned up in the possession of Honmon Shoshu fairly recently. I shall discuss this forther in the next entry, which will be on Mandala #125. Here is some background related to the date when this picture was drawn:
In 1253, the Monk Rencho returned to Seichoji Temple, near his home village at Boso Peninsula, after more than a decade of study in the Kansai region, changed his name to Nichiren, and announced the founding of the Dharma Flower School (Hokke Shu), as a sub-school of Tendai. This is known as the Rissho Declaration. He proclaimed the Invocation of the Title of the Lotus Sutra, Namu Myo Ho Renge Kyo, as the Mantra for the Latter Days. He also denounced the popular fiorms of Rinzai-Zenshu and Jodo Shu, as well as the esoteric Shingon Shu. This act of perceived arrogance got him nearly killed, and effectively exiled from his home turf.
Nichiren then fled to Kamakura, where he set up a small hermitage in Matsu-baga-yatsu Valley, of the developing Nagoe Hills area. Soon after Nichiren had settled in Kamakura, Joben, a Tendai Minister and former fellow student of Nichiren at Mt. Hiei, came to visit him. He became Nichiren's first disciple Nissho. In 1254, Nissho's young nephew, Nichiro, also became Nichiren's disciple; and Toki Jonin, a prominent samurai, became a lay follower. It was around that time that Nichiren drew the Fudo & Aisen Mandalas.
The inscriptions {translation by Eddy} read:
“Behold worshipfully, the living embodiment of Fudo Myo-o.
From Dainichi Nyorai, culminating in Nichiren,
twenty three eras of legitimate inheritance.
The twenty fifth day of the sixth month, the sixth year of Kencho ( 1254 ).
Nichiren confers to the New Buddha.”