Nichiren | Lord Toki | The six priests | Nikko Fuji School | index.html
When Nichiren returned to the mainland, in 1278, Nitcho won a debate with the chief priest of Guboji Temple (by some accounts with the help of his step-father) and shortly after took over that temple. At the time, Nichiren Buddhism was not a recognized sect, so Guboji Temple remained nominally a Tendai temple. Indeed all the temples in the Nichiren school control were nominally related to Tendai. Later this having a base of operations qualified him for elevation to being one of Nichiren's "six senior disciples."
Though Nitcho's had the same mother named "Myojo" their father was different. Their mother was an early disciple of Nichiren, who's first husband had been an important convert early on in Nichiren's ministry. This "Jito," in the Fuji Area died while young. After her first husband died, she remarried Toki Jonin who adopted Iyobo as his own. His name "Nitcho" meant "Sun Summit." She also bore Lord Toki a son, later also called Nitcho, only with chinese characters that meant "Sun clear." He also is referred to as "Jakusenbo" Nitcho. This younger brother Nitcho (with different characters) also became Nichiren's disciple, but as a junior disciple he was Nikko's disciple as well. Nitcho (Sun Summit) had been adopted by Toki Jonin after his natural father died. She must have been a remarkable woman. For example in 1279 she received the Gosho titled On Prolonging life" which mentions the concern that her son had for her. The disciple he was referring to was referred to as "Iyo-bo" which has to be the older brother.
It was upon the recommendation of his step-father, Toki Jonin, and on the basis of his winning a debate in 1278, that Nitcho had became a direct disciple of Nichiren DaiShonin in 1267. In any case he remained a junior disciple. On the basis of age his position was 5th out of six disciples. He was younger than Niko and older than Nichiji.
All of Nichiren's disciples were technically Tendai Monks. Nissho, Nichiro, and even Nikko Shonin himself were all nominally Tendai Monks. As wandering monks they had a complicated interplay of relations, senior and junior, master/disciple, and family wasn't supposed to be part of it -- but was. These monks lived a fairly footloose life but most of them were centered on preferred areas -- usually where they had family. Having temples and buildings available was important to the goal of Kosenrufu as the monks needed centers of teaching, operations and places of rest. Such places had been important since the founding of the first monasteries by Shakyamuni himself as a place to gather and learn during the rainy season. The cycle of monastic life was to wander and gather, study and preach. When Nichiren moved to Minobu Kuon-ji it was because he needed to establish a sheltered base of operation and pass on his legacy to future generations. He envisioned a place where his monks could gather and study and meditate and draw strength for their preaching and propagation.
The Nitcho's had the interesting position of being half in the Fuji area and half on the other side of the Kanto in Shimosa. Prior to his retirement, Nichiren had often taken refuge in Shimosa, with Toki Jonin and other important officials, one of his leading converts. He had written the Rissho Ankoku there with the help of court nobles like Toki and others. Thus both Nitcho's, as Toki's sons and Nichiren's disciples, were important to the future of Nichirenism, and them winning over temples in debates was extremely important. Nitcho had done an important thing winning this debate in 1278.
Nichiren appointed Nitcho Sun Summit one of his six "elder priests" when he was about to die. Nitcho had been a loyal disciple and was a leader at his Guboji temple in Shimosa/Chiba. He was looking for six so they could do their own ordinations of "new buddhas" and induct new priests into the Sangha. Nitcho with his own base temple and his ties to both the Fuji area and Shimosa was an obvious choice. With his own base of operations and the support of his lay-priest uncle, who was also an important person in the Government, Nitcho anchored Nichiren's efforts in the Kanto region where Lord Toki lived. Nichiren obviously expected unity from his priests and so each of them had a base of operation, with the exception of Nikko who was spending most of his time at Minobu having failed to bring about a debate at either Shijuku-in Temple or "Ryusen-ji" temple at Atsuhara. Instead of a debate he'd managed to galvanize the common people at Atsuhara and thus bring about something more important- which was a movement of people towards the Lotus Sutra. (See sanmibo.html for discussion).
When Nichiren got sick and was about to die. Unfortuantely neither Sadobo Niko who had his own temple in Mobara, nor Nitcho, were able to arrive in time to attend his funeral. And apparantly they also were not at the meeting on the 100 day anniversary of his death where, at Minobu, the other disciples decided to create a rotation to tend his grave. This was immediately after the great struggle with the Mongols, so I suspect these Samurai priests were still detained there at the time of Nichiren's death -- but whatever the reason no one was upset with this.
The break down in relations between Iyyobo Nitcho and Toki Jonin is the subject of a mix of oral legends, written materials, oral legends written later and some of them seem to be selective spins on a broader story. One has to take them all with a lot of salt. When the Daishonin died, neither Nitcho nor Niko were able to attend the funeral. According to some accounts Nitcho had been appointed in absentia. For the next two years he was unable to make it to Minobu. We have records of this in Nikko's complaints about the subject. This may have been Toki's reason for disowning him in 1292.
Another candidate for why is in a story that claims that Toki caught him drinking and that his "unfitness" was a reason for him taking over Guboji. True or not, Nitcho later basically acknowledged that he'd been remiss in not tending Nichiren's grave. As a disciple of Nichiren's, he had a moral duty to attend to Nichiren's grave and no legitimate reasons for not doing so -- at least according to Nikko. Also as a former disciple of Nikko he had a duty to respect the lead that Nikko took, which would have argued against him forming ranks with Nissho and Nichiro. Thus the falling out between Toki and Nitcho may have been related to the general schism occuring at the time.
Another version of the reason for their falling out reverses the causality and put the blame on Toki's ambition to become a full scale priest. According to that version Toki's actions would have put Nitcho into a bind. As chief priest it was his job to ordain new Priests. As his son in law Toki outranked Nitcho and it would be shameful for him to act as a superior. Whatever reasons Lord Toki had for ordaining himself he created a "confucian" bind for his step-son. He may have done this himself due to the influence of Confucian beliefs which held that no child could ever be superior to his/her parent. This would have driven him to instead of working with his senior in formal ranking, but junior in informal status and age, step-son, Toki decided to use the "Meditation Sutra's" self ordination ceremony to perform the rite of ordination on himself. The same confucian values would have made this even more humiliating to the younger priests -- because confucian values also respect "rank" and Nitcho was already a priest, available for ordinations, and that should have been respected. (See my mentor page for a discussion of how Confucian and other authoritarian ideas influence the practice of Buddhism).
Thus Toki's action in ordaining himself also would have violated confucian principles for his son. His not doing so might have done so for himself. That he did this without asking for any kind of consensus or letting his step-son (or son) perform the ceremony3 probably made their relationship untenable. That could have driven nearly any medieval confucian believer to drink. In any case Page 157-158 of "Fire in the Lotus" tells us that Lord Toki took vows and became a full scale priest. And began to take over the operations of Gyoboji Temple, doing so until his death in 1299. (See nichiji.html) Unity within the Nichiren groups was breaking down for other reasons too. And after Lord Toki took over he adopted a son of a rival clan as his successor. Subsequent relations between Taisekiji and Shimosu thus had the quality of a blood feud.
In 1289 Nikko Shonin departed Minobu. Nikko first went to Kawai in Suruga, and then to Oishigahara where "Taiseki-ji" was built in 1290. Nitcho also travelled to the Fuji area around this time. And since he was related on his mother's side to the Local Lords, it was he who made it possible to acquire Omosu Seminary. Nikko was looking for a place where he could acquire a temple where there'd be a minimum of "Jito" interference. In 1291 he moved to a hermitage in Kitayama where both Nanjo and Ishikawa Yoshitada built him a hermitage. The Ueno family of Nanjo Tokimitsu would be subsequently intimately involved in the history of Taiseki-ji, which would develope into Nichiren Shoshu, while the Ishikawa family would remain involved in the temple in Kitayama, on which a seminary was built in 1298. The monks of all the Nichiren lineages were all highly mobile. The efforts to pin them down to a single location reflect the prejudices and needs of later generations, when many of these temples had become head temples with rival systems of branch temples of their own. Thus Kitayama, remodelled and renamed "Kitayama Honmon-ji" would have a long rivalry with Taiseki-ji, and both would have a rivalry with Ikegami Honmon-ji, built by the rival Nichiro and with Nishiyama Honmon-ji, which claimed orthodoxy after the Ishikawa family forced out Nichidai (1294-1394) who moved to Nishiyama and founded his own temple there. (see sixpriests.html,nikko.html,Fujischool or nichijo.html)
This made for a multidimensional struggle. As Niko was now feuding with Nikko at Minobu. According to some accounts Nitcho left his temple in 1292 to join Nikko. In others he isn't said to have finally left Gubo-ji until 1302. His step-father is said to have died in 1299. Nichijo founded two temples nearby Gubo-ji. It could well be that Nitcho never gave up control of Gubo-ji and merely left it to wander. After 1302 it probably finally came into the hands of Nichijo's disciples, and they wouldn't be interested in admitting that he kept control all that time. Thus the final departure after returning and finding someone else running things.
Nikko gave Nitcho a home at Mt. Fuji called "Shorinji Temple"Koshie in 1302, but he seems to have done considerable wandering between 1292 and 1302. This was true of all the Nichiren disciples and monks in general. For instance Nippo went to Kamakura and founded temples, and monks like Nitto (no relation) founded temples in Kamakura also such as Dai-Gyo-ji (http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~QM9T-KNDU/daigyoji.htm) which is also a branch temple of neighboring Myohon-ji. Since Myohon-ji is connected with the elder priest Nichiro and Nichiro's schools eventually came into conflict with Nitcho's legacy with the Fuji School, again it shouldn't be surprising that there is some mystery about this story. According to legends Nitto (not Nitcho) came to the aid of a Ghost, who had died in Childbirth, and put her spirit to rest by reciting the sutra (presumably the Lotus Sutra and its title!). The Temple is now a favorite for people seeking an easy childbirth.
Toki Jonin seems to have tried, initially, to be an intermediary in the main dispute between Nikko and other direct disciples and the other five elder priests. (see sixpriests.html or nichijo.html). But one can't totally trust the accounts. Because he had such a high status, people are unwilling to directly criticize him, but are willing to obliquely criticize him. But the first key to dissecting this story is to differentiate Nitcho, "Sun clear" from Nitcho, "Sun Summit." Perhaps that will help.
Nitcho's half brother was also one of Nikko's direct disciples. When Nikko left Minobu in 1289, he took these disciples with him. Since this was most of the younger generation being trained at Minobu, that included Nitcho, at least "Sun Clear". When Nikko needed help teaching at his new temple at Omosu, it was this bright young scholar who he put in charge of the seminary. Nitcho helped him build Omosu and then taught there from 1298 until his untimely death in 1317, when a priest named Nichijun Sammi (1294-1356) takes his place as rector of Omosu and continues in that capacity until Nichimoku's death in 1333. After that it is unclear what happens with Nichijun.
Michael Ryuei says:
In 1292, Nitcho left for Omosu, Kitayana where he had been born. At Omosu, he joined Nikko and helped him to establish Honmonji Temple.This contradicts what Daniel Montgomery says in "Fire in the Lotus" (page 155) that Nitcho;remained at Guboji temple until 1302. It was "Sun Clear" Nitcho, his half brother is said to have also helped Nikko found Omosu, but didn't arrive to stay until 1292. If Nitcho "Sun Clear" was the one at Omosu from 1292-1317. But there is another wrinkle in this story:
Another account tells us:
Of all the Six Senior Priests, Nitcho was the only one to fail to successfully carry out the assignment left to him by the Daishonin. The final straw for Nitcho's relationship with Toki, who may well have been Nichiren's closest follower (Nichiren entrusted his most important doctrinal statements to Toki such as the Kanjin Honzon Sho) was when Nitcho failed to appear for the service held on the anniversary of the Daishonin's Nirvana . This was the last straw for Toki who in effect disowned Nitcho. This is what precipitated Nitcho's need for a new place to live ( he had failed to found any temples on his own) and his request for his Dharma Brother Nikko to take him in. I also understand that his real brother was the head of the Omosu seminary and certainly would be an obvious reason for him to be able to go there to live.Now the author of the above, obviously got this story from a Nichiren monk belonging to a school that wants very definately to discredit Nitcho on account of his association with the Fuji School. But this account only mystifies the story further. There are question-marks by the date, but most accounts date Lord Toki as dying in 1299. And when Lord Toki did die he left his lineage to a priest who was a son of "Ota Jomyo" named Nichiko not to either of his sons. If he died in 1299 this sounds strange. And why would "Nitcho" not leave until 1302. Obviously something is wrong with these accounts. None of them jive with the other. He did not leave his temples to either his son or his step-son. Why would he do that? His lineage would be, by the time of its third Chief Rector, Nichiyu, was linked thoroughly to Minobu Temple. Yet both his natural born son, and this step son, Nitcho, are associated with the rival Taisekiji lineage. And by 1299 the rivalry was hot. Nikko and his disciples criticized the "five elder priests" which is also a source of confusion because the Fuji School doesn't want to claim Nitcho the fifth elder priest as the same Nitcho who was helping Nikko found Omosu Seminary in 1292. And the Minobu school doesn't want to admit the implications of admitting that!
For instance a Japanese scholar, Kazuo Kawai writes:
There are some reasons Nitcho-summit was called a traitor for a period before he came to Nikko and served him. As you know, when Nichiren passed away, six senior priests decided they would take turns to go up Mt.Minobu and guard the place of their teacher's tomb, but Nitcho- summit abandoned the duty. This is one reason. He is said to be disowned by his father Toki, soon after that abandoning. Another reason is that he sent his remonstrating letter to Kamakura Shogunate by the name of the shramana ('shamon' in Japanese) of T'ien t'ai Lotus Sutra Sect. It is against their teacher's will, because even the teaching of T'ien t'ai is useless in Latter Days of the Law. This fact was criticized in "On Refuting the Five Priests" which is said to be made by Nikko or, strictly speaking, to be written by Nichijun under Nikko's order and permission. In this document several other reasons are indicated to show that five of six senior priests were against Nichiren's teaching. But,as you say, Nitcho-summit helped Nikko at Omosu for a long time, this fact seems to be contradictory with the document. Nitcho-summit died about 1317 and the document is said to have been written in 1328. If the document was really written that year, it seems that something different about Nitcho-summit should have been recorded there. Some scholars say that there might have been confrontations among Nikko's disciples and that Nichijun's antipathy against Kanto (Kamakura, Shimosa etc) group might have created this schema of five versus one.But of course Nichijun was Nitcho the younger's disciple as well as Nikko's direct disciple, it is he who had come to run Omosu after Nitcho's death in 1317. A date of 1328 would make sense if he wrote it after he'd become chief-rector. And a date after 1332 is even more likely. And it is also possible that this work was written by a disciple of Nichijun's and attributed to him. Once again we see monks claiming editorial privilages over the works of their masters. His criticizing "Sun Summit" was with the full knowledge that Nitcho had lived his last days nearby him. He may well not even have been directing this document against the late five priests (most were dead by 1328) but instead he may well have been "talking in code" about the teachings of Nichiyu (1298-1364), who by this time was a leading advocate for Nichiren and was also responsible for transcribing in 1325 (or creating) a work called the "Risshokan-jo" which also is most likely a work asserting "editorial prerogatives" or a blatent piece of "pious forgery" or "apocrypha. Indeed, since he probably also played a role in creating the 26 admonitions, both he and Nikko may have been thinking of this work when they wrote them in 1332.
But there is a reason why both Nitcho's may have gone to Taisekiji by 1292.
The whole reason for appointing six elder priests had been so that Nichiren's school could ordain its own disciples.
Whatever the reasons, In 1292, most accounts tell us that Nitcho left for Omosu, Kitayama where he had been born. At Omosu, he joined Nikko and helped him to establish Kitayama Honmonji Temple. In doing so he swallowed a lot of criticism. When Nikko Shonin made his criticisms, he included his friend and colleague in them, probably out of deference to Lord Toki's lay status and as a indirect criticism of his unauthorized ordainment. Nikko's criticisms of the five elder priests for mistaken views seems to have definately included Nichijo/Toki Jonin -- at least after 1292. And after 1299, when Toki seems to have died, those criticisms were really aimed not at Toki himself, but at Nichiko and Nichiyu. After 1323, this would also have gone for criticisms of Nissho and Nichiro as well. When Nitcho left Guboji temple Toki took it over. Because of that his formal lineage, which was to go on to become the "Nakayama" school, officially owes to Toki Jonin and Nichiren Shu basically writes Nitcho out of the story in the same way they write Nikko out of the story of Minobu5 while the Fuji School downplays the fact that one of the "evil" "five elder priests" (Goroso) helped Nikko establish the Fuji School.6
- For more
- on Toki Jonin visit nichijo.html, or for Nikko Shonin click the links.
- also Fuji School, Nichirenism
Nitcho later on
This perhaps explains another discrepancy in the record. Shoshin Kawabe writes in one of his Oko's:
"In spring of 1302, the 1st Year of Kangen, Nitcho, who was one of the five major disciples who had separated from Nikko Shonin, came to Omosu Seminary to visit Nikko Shonin. The next year, he built Shorinji Temple near Omosu Seminary, and gave unseen support for Nikko Shonin's propagation. The meaning of this, which is one of the five major disciples who defected and then returned to Nikko Shonin, has real weight. If it was Nitcho, Sun Summit, who came to join Nitcho permanently. Then he settled at Shorin-ji, leaving his half-brother to teach Omosu. If he really was kicked out in 1292 by his step-father, perhaps he had wandered for a while. In any case if one accepts the datings, his father had already taken over his temple, ejected him from Nakayama, and passed on his lineage to his relative Nichiko by then. Its a good question as to where he spent the ten years between 1292/1302 if it wasn't with Nikko. Shoshin Kawabe also says:
The letter that Nitcho sent to Ko Nyudo, who was in Sado Island on September 28th 1308, says:And then it quotes a cover letter that says:
"Nikko Shonin accepted the Inheritance of the Law, which our Master has propagated throughout his life, in the order of Nichiren to Nikko �"There are allegations that both the cover letter and the copy of the Gosho for which the letter is a cover letter for, are forgeries, but after reading the above, is anyone surprised by that? Perhaps Nitcho outlived his little brother and his father both.
The footnotes are temporarilly "hosed". I'll fix them when I get a chance.