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Though born into a family of fishermen, Nichiren managed to become quite well-educated. Developing his own distinctive system of religious beliefs, centered on faith in the [[Lotus Sutra]], and invocation of its name (the chanting of ''namu myôhô renge kyô''), he traveled Japan preaching in public and gathering followers. The Nichiren sect was officially established in [[1253]].

Though born into a family of fishermen, Nichiren managed to become quite well-educated. Developing his own distinctive system of religious beliefs, centered on faith in the [[Lotus Sutra]], and invocation of its name (the chanting of ''namu myôhô renge kyô''), he traveled Japan preaching in public and gathering followers. The Nichiren sect was officially established in [[1253]].

Like [[Honen|Hônen]] and [[Shinran]] before him, Nichiren was exiled for a time for his beliefs. After his return from his exile to [[Sado Island]], Nichiren spent time at [[Hongaku-ji]], and other [[Kamakura]] temples, using them as his bases, from which he would go out to preach in the streets.

Like [[Honen|Hônen]] and [[Shinran]] before him, Nichiren was exiled for a time for his beliefs. While in exile on [[Sado Island]], in [[1272]] he wrote a treatise known as ''Kaimoku shô'' ("The Eye-Opener"), in which he writes that there are three types of people everyone should respect: parents, teachers, and sovereigns; comparing these three to aspects of the Buddha, he writes of the sovereign's ability to protect all living beings, the teacher's ability to lead others towards enlightenment, and the parent's ability to treat others with compassion, thus nurturing and sustaining them. The ''Kaimoku shô'' also speaks of two ways to spread the faith: through gentle arguments (''shôju''), and through strong refutation of wrong beliefs (''shakubuku''); the text concludes with the assertion that Japan, because of its embrace of belief systems which slander the Lotus Sutra, requires the latter.<ref>de Bary, 299.</ref>

He asserted the supreme importance of the Lotus Sutra, and the danger to Japan if other [[sutra]]s, and other modes of belief, continued to be practiced. The later years of his life coincided with the [[Mongol Invasions]], and he and his followers credited their prayers with helping cause the [[kamikaze]] which defeated the Mongol fleets.

 

Nichiren asserted the supreme importance of the Lotus Sutra, and the danger to Japan if other [[sutra]]s, and other modes of belief, continued to be practiced. In treatises such as ''Risshô ankoku ron'' ("Rectification for the Peace of the Nation"), he directly criticized the writings of Hônen and others, accusing all Buddhist sects but his own of having abandoned the correct way, thus misleading the people, and leading the country into decline. In the ''Kaimoku shô'', he goes so far as to say that Hônen was "possessed by the Devil of the Sixth Heaven."<ref>de Bary, 301.</ref> The later years of Nichiren's life coincided with the [[Mongol Invasions]], and he and his followers credited their prayers with helping cause the [[kamikaze]] which defeated the Mongol fleets.

In [[1282]], Nichiren stayed at the villa of [[Ikegami Munenaka]] while attempting to recover from an illness; he died later that year, possibly at the villa, which was then established as a temple, the [[Ikegami Honmonji]].

In [[1282]], Nichiren stayed at the villa of [[Ikegami Munenaka]] while attempting to recover from an illness; he died later that year, possibly at the villa, which was then established as a temple, the [[Ikegami Honmonji]].

==References==

==References==

*Conrad Schirokauer, et al, ''A Brief History of Japanese Civilization'', Wadsworth Cengage (2013), 80-81.  

*Conrad Schirokauer, et al, ''A Brief History of Japanese Civilization'', Wadsworth Cengage (2013), 80-81.  

[[Category:Kamakura Period]]

[[Category:Kamakura Period]]

[[Category:Religious Figures]]

[[Category:Religious Figures]]