Robin Beck

The Jinshiro Memorial Daimandara of 1308

The Jinshiro {神四郎} Memorial Daimandara was inscribed by Nikko Shonin in 1308. According to Eddy; its memorandum indicates that Jinshiro was beheaded in April of 1279. Other accounts say Jinshiro and two others were beheaded a year later, in April of 1280. According to that version, they were taken to Kamakura, faced a sham trial, and executed. Taisekiji puts the date of this event on October 15 1279. Some at Taisekiji also believe that this Shiro is the same person whose name appears as Yashiro, in a note on their Board Mandala dated October 12 1279. That is the one kept in the Hondo at Taisekiji Temple.

The memorandum on the Jinshiro Memorial Daimandara apparently indicates that Hei-no-Saemon was killed '14 years later' in 1293. This 1293 date is confirmed by other sources. By the Japanese method of counting anniversaries, 'fourteen {14} years later' could put Jinshiro's execution in April of 1280; a year after the attack at the archery contest.

The Jinshiro who was executed in April of 1280 may well be the same Shiro who was stabbed in April of 1279, as mentioned in the Ryusenji Petition. The Yashiro who was executed in August of 1279, as is also mentioned in the Ryusenji Petition, may very well be the same person as the Yashiro Kunishige, whose name appears in a note on the Board Mandala dated August 12 1279.

"Gyochi incited the official in charge of the Shimokata administration office to attack Shiro, a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra, with a knife and wound him at the time of the religious rites in the fourth month. And in the eighth month h had the head of Yashiro cut off, spreading word around that this was the work of Nisshu; and the others." -- The Ryusenji Petition

"A study of Nikko honzons [is] at this blog page:

Link

This mandara contain following memorandum:

「徳治三年卯月八日 駿河國富士方熱原郷住人神四郎号法華衆為平左衛門尉被切頚三人之内也 左衛門入道切法華衆頚之後経十四年企謀反間被誅畢 其子孫無跡形滅亡畢」

右図は、その北山本門寺蔵日興本尊である。

Translation:

徳治 Tokuji 三年 third year 卯月 fourth month 八日 eight day 駿河國 Suruga province 富士方 Fuji area 熱原郷 Atsuhara village 住人 resident 神四郎 Jinshiro 号 name 法華 Hokke 衆 (member of) community 為 for the sake of (a dedication). 平左衛門尉 Hei no Saemon no Jo 被 got 切頚 beheaded 三人之内 one of three persons 也 is. 左衛門 Saemon 入道 Nyudo 切 cut 法華 Hokke 衆 (member of) community 頚 neck 之後 thereafter 経 passed 十四年 fourteen years 企謀 plot 反間 revolt 被 got 誅 killed 畢 utterly. 其 his 子孫 descendants 無跡形 without trace 滅亡 erased 畢 completely.

右図は right drawing その at 北山本門寺 Kitayama Honmonji 蔵 depository number 81 日興 Nikko 本尊 Honzon である exist.

Rephrased:

8th day of the 4th month in the 3rd year of Tokuji (1308). [This mandara] for the sake of (is dedicated to) a dweller (or resident) at Atsuhara Village, in the Fuji area of Suruga province named Jinshiro [a member] of the Hokke community. [He is] one of three persons beheaded by Hei-no-Saemon-no-Jo. Fourteen years after Saemon beheaded the Nyudo of the Hokke community, [he] plotted a revolt and got killed. His descendants erased completely without trace.

The picture [of the Jinshiro mandara] on the right exist in the archives of Kitayama Honmonji, [and] is No.81 in the catalogue of honzons by Nikko." --Posted by sun eye at September 8, 2007 12:51 AM

Posted by rbeck at September 5, 2007 05:06 AM