Shijo Kingo Yorimoto

Shijo Kingo Yorimoto 

Yorimoto (Shijo Kingo), who at age twenty-seven had heard the 

preaching of Nichiren Shonin on the street corners of Kamakura, 

entered the faith of Lotus Sutra about the first year of the Kogen 

era, or 1256, and thereafter repeatedly visited the Matsubagayatsu 

hermitage of Nichiren Shonin to receive the teaching. 

In the fifth month of the eighth year of Bun'ei (1271) Yorimoto's wife 

requested an amulet for a safe birth from Nichiren Shonin and he was 

overjoyed: 

"Both husband and wife are keepers of the Hokke (Lotus Sutra). A child 

like a jewel who inherits the seed of spreading the Lotus Sutra will 

be born. How auspicious I think it is!" 

Subsequently on hearing the news of a safe birth he sent 

congratulations: 

"What you desired has been [fulfilled] like the tide coming in, like 

flowers opening in the spring." (STN, v. 1, 485) and bestowed the name 

"Lady Tsukimaro".  On the twelfth day of the seventh month of the same 

year Yorimoto sent by messenger a peck of white rice, a tube of oil, 

and a donation of one string of cash as offerings for the Obon 

Festival. 

The Saint at once wrote a letter of thanks and explained the reason 

for the Obon or Urabon: 

"Now 'Urabon' arose from the fact that when the woman called 'Lady 

Shodai', the mother of the Venerable Mokuren (Maudgalyayana), fell to 

the Way of the Hungry Ghosts for five hundred lives because of the 

karma of greed Mokuren rescued her." 

With such an opening line he was praising Yorimoto whose filial 

feeling was deep. 

"In particular the Holy Soul Myoho [commemorated] on the twelfth day 

of this month was a practicer of the Hokekyo, a lay donor to 

Nichiren.  How could she fall to the Way of the Hungry Ghosts? 

Certainly she will be be before Shakya, Taho, and the Buddhas of the 

Ten Directions: with one mind these very ones will be praising and 

rejoicing and stroking her head. And she will say to the Buddha Shakya 

'Oh, what an excellent son I have!'" (STN, v. 1, 495) 

Yorimoto receiving this heartfelt letter was overjoyed. Even later 

Nichiren Shonin praised the depth of his filial feeling: 

'"Concerning your filial nurture of your father and mother. Beyond your 

repeated letters, in your letter of today the tears did not stop 

either. Ah, your sadness when you lament, 'Are my father and mother in 

hell?'." (STN, v. 2, 1185) 

"And concerning your lordship's late father and mother, I appeal to 

Heaven, 'The Saemonnojo laments too much.' Certainly the reasons are 

before the Buddha Shakya." (STN, v. 2, 1394) 

On the twelfth day of the ninth month of the same year (1271) Nichiren 

Shonin was arrested and was to have his head cut off at Tatsunokuchi. 

Yorimoto and his brothers hearing the report at once came to accompany 

the Saint. When at last they came to the execution ground at 

Tatsunokuchi Yorimoto wept in spite of himself: "Now we must part." 

The Saint said, "Irresolute sirs! Smile at a joy such as this!" 

Fortunately his head was not cut off but if he had been beheaded, 

Yorimoto had been resolved to be martyred and accompany him in death. 

Nichiren Shonin rejoiced at his feeling and praised him: 

"Now then, I cannot express how inconceivable it is that at the 

persecution on this twelfth day past the fact you came along as far as 

Tatsunokuchi and, not only that, you said you would disembowel 

yourself." (STN, v. 1, 504) 

Thereafter any number of times he praised his determination to be 

martyred at the time of the Tatsunokuchi incident. To mention one 

example, in a letter six years afterward in the third year of Kenji 

(1277) he also says: 

"What I truly do not forget now is that when I was about to have my 

head cut off, you came along, holding the horse's bit, weeping in 

sorrow: in what world could I ever forget that? Even if you enter hell 

because your sins are deep, even though the Buddha Shakya invites me, 

'How about becoming a Buddha?', I would not take Him up on it. I would 

be in hell the same as [you]. If I, Nichiren, and you enter hell, 

would not the Buddha Shakya and the Hokekyo also be in hell?" (STN, v. 

2, 1394) 

If you fall to hell, Nichiren also will go with you. At that time both 

Lord Shakya and the Hokekyo will go into hell: could such a thing be? 

It could not. When the Saint was exiled to Sado, Yorimoto sent 

messengers any number of times to inquire after him and deliver things 

for his daily needs as well as offerings of money. In the second month 

of the ninth year of Bun'ei (1272) the Saint composed "On Opening the 

Eyes" (Kaimoku sho ). This work, written with the fervor that 

"Nichiren has inconceivably survived" was entrusted to Yorimoto's 

messenger. He let his kindred spirit Yorimoto, who had accompanied him 

in life and death, be the very first to read this important letter. In 

the fourth month of the same year at last Yorimoto himself visited 

Sado and met with the Saint. Nichiren thanked his wife Nichigennyo for 

the feelings that brought her husband to Sado and taught her about the 

state of live of husband and wife: 

"Woman is like the wisteria and the man like a pine tree: They never 

stand upright if they apart for a moment. Your generosity in sending 

this personage in such a disordered worid when you lack even a 

dependable servant is greater than the great earth and the Earth Deity 

would certainly know it." (STN, v. 1, 633) 

"The character 'anna' we read 'kakaru' (hang upon). Even as the 

wisteria hangs upon the pine and woman upon man, now take the 

Saemonnojo as your teacher and let yourself be led to the Hokekyo ." 

(STN, v. 1, 857) 

Already about this time Yorimoto was whole-heartedly urging faith in 

the Lotus Sutra to those around him. Nichiren Shonin encouraged him: 

"You likewise follow Nichiren and speak as a practicer of the Hokekyo. 

How could this not be Diffusion? Hold fast to the mind of faith in the 

Hokekyo. When you have put out a fire, you can get fire if you sleep. 

Put forth the power of fervent great faith and be extolled, 'Shijo 

Kingo, Shijo Kingo of the Hokke Sect', in the mouths of the myriad 

people above and below in Kamakura and even of all the beings in the 

country of Japan. (STN, v. 1, 637) and he emphasizes the oneness of 

the faith of husband and wife like "the sun and moon, two eyes, a pair 

of wings: instruct your lady carefully on this." 

Even after the Saint entered Minobu Yorimoto made offerings of things 

for his daily needs and money. In the ninth month of the eleventh year 

of Bun'ei (1274) Yorimoto remonstrated face to face with his lord Ema 

Mitsutoki to embrace the faith of Lotus Sutra. Because Mitsutoki was a 

devoted believer in the priest Ryokan, he would not listen and shunned 

Yorimoto. Associates jealous of Yorimoto and colleages who were not 

friendly towards him took advantage of this stroke of fortune to 

slander him to his lord. Hearing this report, Nichiren Shonin wrote a 

reply in which he said, "It is a noble thing to bring this doctrine to 

your lord's hearing. Now he will not listen but you have avoided the 

sin of complicity (the sin of overlooking blasphemers against the 

Dharma). From now on please hold your longue, And Heaven also will 

certainly protect your lordship." 

"Those who hate you will try to get you more and more. Completely stop 

your drinking parties at night. How could you be dissatisfied with 

just drinking with your lady? You should not be off guard ar others' 

daytime drinking parties. Apart from sake there could be no occasion 

to get you." (STN, v. 1, 834) 

He lovingly counseled his kindred spirit Yorimoto like a beloved 

younger brother: 'Those who hate you are going after you. Please stop 

your drinking fests with acquaintances at night. Is there anything 

unsatisfactory with drinking with your wife? You must not be remiss at 

daytime drinking parties at others' houses." In the first month of the 

eleventh year of Bun'ei (1274) the Saint instructed Yorimoto's wife: 

"The more all people hate you, as long as the Buddha Shakya, the 

Buddha Taho, the Buddhas of the Ten Directions and so on to the God 

Brahma, the Emperor Shakra, the Sun and the Moon and so on take pity 

on you, what is sorrowful? As long as one is praised by the Hokekyo 

what sorrow would there be...... However, Lord Saemon among the laity 

in Japan is a believer in the Hokekyo without parallel. You who are 

matched with this one are the foremost woman in Japan. Because of the 

Hokekyo the Buddha would think of you as the Dragon Girl herself." 

(STN, v. 1, 857) He encouraged her: though you are bad mouthed and 

maligned for believing and spreading the Hokekyo, would you not be 

pitied by the Buddha Shakya? Your husband is the unparallelled 

believer in the Lotus Sutra in Japan and you, his wife, are the 

foremost woman in Japan. Make your mind of faith firm. 

It is interesting that I have propagated the teaching with all my 

strength and when the wife enters the faith her husband necessarily 

enters the faith. However, when the wife remains opposed even though 

the husband enters the faith, in many cases the faith is gradually 

weakened. The power of women is great. And because of that women the 

Saint, too, gave strict guidance to women. In the third month of the 

same year he instructed her be faithful for life: 

"There are many who hear and receive this Sutra. Though great difficulties come as if they truly hear and receive, those who 'keep it mind and do not forget it'* are few. Receiving is easy; keeping is difficult. So attaining Buddhahood lies in keeping. The persons who shall keep this Sutra keep it with the understanding that they shall encounter difficulties. There is no doubt that they 'then will quickly obtain the Supreme Buddha Way.'**" (STN, v. 1, 894) 

"keep it mind and do not forget it'. meaning that they take it to 

heart and do not forget: a phrase of the Sutra of Contemplating the 

Bodhisattva Fugen (T.390a) "then will quickly obtain the Supreme 

Buddha Way': from the "Chapter of Jewelled Stupa" 11 (T.9.34b: Kempon 

Hokke Seiten, p. 98) 

Rev. Tetsujo Kubota 

August 1997