Life of Nichiren Daishonin Part 4: Sado Exile & Mount Minobu
From Tatsunokuchi to Sado Island
September 1271 – January 1272
After the authorities failed to execute Nichiren Daishonin at Tatsunokuchi, they decided to send him to a faraway and deserted place: Sado Island .
Nichiren Daishonin began living on Sado Island from November 1, 1271 .
His exile to Sado would become an important period in his life, during which he continued to challenge erroneous teachings, write important Gosho and deepen the understanding of his mission.
The Tsukahara Debate
In January, an attempt was made to kill Nichiren Daishonin when several hundred Buddhists gathered against him.
Rather than allowing the confrontation to become an act of violence, they were convinced to engage in a religious debate .
During the debate, Nichiren Daishonin thoroughly refuted the erroneous teachings presented by his opponents.
This debate became known as the Tsukahara Debate .
Nichiren Daishonin continued to stay on Sado Island, and his follower Nikko Shonin , who later became the Daishonin's successor, remained at his side throughout his Sado exile.
Internal Strife and the Opening of the Eyes
February 1272
In February 1272, internal strife began in the Kamakura and Kyoto regions .
This fulfilled Nichiren Daishonin's prediction of "internal strife" made in Rissho Ankoku Ron.
Can you remember when this prediction was made?
It was in 1260 , when Nichiren Daishonin submitted Rissho Ankoku Ron as his First Remonstration.
The prediction of internal strife became reality during his Sado exile.
Opening of the Eyes
In February 1272 , Nichiren Daishonin wrote the important Gosho Opening of the Eyes .
Opening of the Eyes clarified the object of devotion in terms of the Person .
It revealed Nichiren Daishonin's identity as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law , endowed with the three virtues of Sovereign, Teacher and Parent , with the mission of leading all people in the latter age to enlightenment.
The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind
April 1273
In April 1273 , Nichiren Daishonin wrote another important Gosho:
The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind
This Gosho clarified the object of devotion in terms of the Law .
Together, these two important writings presented the object of devotion from two perspectives:
Opening of the Eyes — the object of devotion in terms of the Person
The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind — the object of devotion in terms of the Law
The Return from Sado
February–March 1274
In February 1274 , Nichiren Daishonin was finally pardoned from his exile.
In March, he returned to Kamakura from Sado Island .
After returning, he again confronted Hei no Saemon-no-jo and unequivocally refuted the True Word School.
Nichiren Daishonin also predicted that a Mongol invasion would most certainly take place by the end of the year.
This became known as the Third Remonstration .
As predicted in the source material, the Mongol invasion occurred in October 1274 .
Revisiting the Three Remonstrations
It is useful to pause here and review the three remonstrations:
First Remonstration — 1260
Rissho Ankoku Ron
Second Remonstration — 1271
During the Tatsunokuchi Persecution
Third Remonstration — 1274
After Nichiren Daishonin returned from Sado Island
The First Remonstration in Rissho Ankoku Ron had highlighted two possibilities:
Internal strife
Foreign invasion
According to the chronology presented in this material, internal strife occurred in 1272 , followed by the Mongol invasion in October 1274 .
Moving to Mount Minobu
May 1274
Even after repeated remonstrations, the military government authorities did not heed Nichiren Daishonin's advice.
Nichiren Daishonin therefore decided to move away from Kamakura.
In May 1274 , he moved from Kamakura to Mount Minobu .
Although he moved away from Kamakura, he continued to propagate his teachings and write letters to his disciples.
His focus now increasingly turned toward fostering disciples for the future of kosen-rufu .
Nikko Shonin and Mount Minobu
Do you remember Nikko Shonin ?
We pay gratitude to him in our silent prayers as part of Gongyo.
Nikko Shonin had accompanied Nichiren Daishonin throughout his Sado exile .
When Nichiren Daishonin moved to Mount Minobu, Nikko Shonin also ventured into the Fuji district to propagate Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism.
During this period, Nichiren Daishonin wrote significant Gosho such as:
The Selection of Time
On Repaying Debts of Gratitude
The Three Great Secret Laws
Do you remember the line in one of the silent prayers after Gongyo that refers to the Three Great Secret Laws ?
Can you recall what these Three Great Secret Laws are?
According to the material:
Object of Devotion of the Essential Teaching — Gohonzon
Sanctuary of the Essential Teaching — the place where you chant
Daimoku of the Essential Teaching — Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
These Three Great Secret Laws were also elucidated by Nichiren Daishonin during his time at Mount Minobu .
From Sado to Mount Minobu
The period following the Tatsunokuchi Persecution was a profound stage in Nichiren Daishonin's life.
He endured exile on Sado Island , where he continued to write important Gosho and clarify his understanding of his mission.
He was eventually pardoned and returned to Kamakura, where he made his Third Remonstration .
Finally, in May 1274, he moved to Mount Minobu .
There, while continuing to propagate and correspond with his disciples, he focused increasingly on fostering disciples for the future of kosen-rufu .
Key Points to Remember
After the Tatsunokuchi Persecution , Nichiren Daishonin was sent into exile on Sado Island .
He began living on Sado Island from November 1, 1271 .
The Tsukahara Debate took place during his Sado exile.
Nikko Shonin remained at Nichiren Daishonin's side throughout the Sado exile.
In February 1272 , internal strife occurred in the Kamakura and Kyoto regions.
This fulfilled the prediction of internal strife made in Rissho Ankoku Ron.
In February 1272, Nichiren Daishonin wrote Opening of the Eyes .
Opening of the Eyes clarified the object of devotion in terms of the Person .
In April 1273 , he wrote The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind .
This Gosho clarified the object of devotion in terms of the Law .
Nichiren Daishonin was pardoned from Sado exile in February 1274 .
He returned to Kamakura in March 1274 .
His confrontation with the authorities following his return is presented as the Third Remonstration .
He predicted that a Mongol invasion would occur by the end of 1274.
The Mongol invasion occurred in October 1274 , according to the source material.
In May 1274 , Nichiren Daishonin moved from Kamakura to Mount Minobu .
At Mount Minobu, he continued propagating and writing to his disciples.
He focused on fostering disciples for the future of kosen-rufu .
Nikko Shonin also propagated Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism in the Fuji district.
The material identifies the Three Great Secret Laws as the Gohonzon, the place of chanting and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
A New Stage at Mount Minobu
The move to Mount Minobu marked a new stage in Nichiren Daishonin's journey.
After enduring persecution, exile and repeated confrontations with the authorities, his focus increasingly turned toward fostering disciples and preparing for the future of kosen-rufu .
From Sado Island to Mount Minobu, this period represents a transition from enduring persecution to developing disciples and establishing the foundations for the future .
Source-verification notes
There are a few items in your original material that I would verify against your approved source before publishing:
“On Jan 16 & Jan 17, 1271” — this appears within the Sado exile section that begins after September 1271. The year may therefore require verification. I have intentionally not inserted a specific year into that sentence.
Your original says “Risho AnkokuRon” in several places. I have standardized the presentation to Rissho Ankoku Ron for consistency with Part 2 and the title you previously used. Please use whichever spelling your approved source officially uses.
The statement that internal strife occurred “within 150 days of Tatsunokuchi” has not been repeated because the exact calculation isn't necessary to the article and the source chronology itself is sufficient. If that timing is an important exam point, we can restore it.
The Three Great Secret Laws section has been kept exactly at the conceptual level of your supplied material . I have not added external explanations of the three laws.
The phrase “Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law endowed with three virtues of Sovereign, Teacher and Parent” has been retained because it is central to your supplied explanation of Opening of the Eyes .