January 20, 2025
Nichiren Shonin and His Lay Followers(1)
By Rev. Kanji Tamura
Toki Jonin (1)
Nichiren Shonin’s disciples and lay followers had tried to surmount their problems through their belief in the Lotus Sutra and Odaimoku as taught by Nichiren Shonin. Nichiren wrote many humorous, heart-warming, or heart-rending letters to his followers who had the worries of life such as relationship between the superiors, parents, and husband and wife.
The Kamakura Period was an era of samurai warriors and it was under the control of the force of arms. It was a feudal society which was organized by the strict relationship of lord and vassals, and was also a completely male-dominated society. Public peace and order were worse than today; there was no medical science to stop epidemics. Sometimes samurai warriors killed ordinary people as a matter of course. It was the time when people constantly faced death. The average life span then was about 20 to 30 years. Conversely, in the Kamakura Era people could deeply appreciate the preciousness and joy of life. Today in Japan, where the average life span is the longest in the world, the people seem to least appreciate the preciousness of life.
What does the interchange between Nichiren and his disciples and lay followers teach us? We will pursue and study the lives of Nichiren and his followers from his letters, and will explain the circumstances of his guidance concretely.
Toki Jonin (1216–99) was one of the most influential patrons of all of Nichiren’s lay followers. His residence was located in ShimousaWakamiya (Nakayama, Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture; Hokekyoji-Okunoin Temple). He was a civil servant of Chibanosuke, a powerful local leader whose family name became that of Chiba Prefecture.
Toki Jonin’s birthplace was Inaba Province (Tottori Prefecture) and his father, Rennin, moved to the Kanto district with his family. Jonin was six years older than Nichiren and their relationship was very close. He took care of Nichiren’s parents as stated in Nichiren’s letters.
The Chiba family whom Toki Jonin served had been a direct vassal (houseman) of the Kamakura Shogunate ever since the first shogun. They had a branch residence in Kamakura. When Lord Chiba was in Kamakura, Jonin followed him and lived nearby, and seems to have gone to the branch residence of Lord Chiba daily. After proclaiming the establishment of a new religion at the age of 32, Nichiren Shonin left the Seichoji Temple for Kamakura. Presumably, Toki Jonin became a devotee while Nichiren Shonin was engaged in missionary work in Kamakura. Toki Jonin was
married twice and his second wife (Toki-Ama) was from Fuji-Omosu (Shizuoka Prefecture). She had two boys. The older boy, Iyobo-Nitcho (1252–1317), became one of the Six Senior Disciples of Nichiren. The younger boy, Jakusenbo-Nitcho (1261–1310), became a disciple of Niko (one of the Six Senior Disciples of Nichiren). However, younger Nitcho later became a disciple of Nikko (one of the Six Senior Disciples of Nichiren), who made him the first principal of the Omosu-Dansho (a Buddhist seminary built in the OmosuHommonji Temple). The two brothers were outstanding and talented. Especially, Nichiren had a great hope for the elder brother, Nitcho. However, Jonin and his adopted son, IyoboNitcho, were incompatible, causing Nichiren to always worry about their relationship.
onship. (Trans. by Rev. Chisen Maeda) (to be continued)