Explore the Account tales of persecution of this artwork, Dai Gohonzon.
The Fuji School Branch refers to the Nichiren Buddhist denominations stemming from Nichiren's disciple Nikko Shonin. These schools believe that Nichiren inscribed the Dai Gohonzon.The Fuji Branch believes that in the autumn of 1279, a number of Nichiren's laypeople in the Fuji District were targeted by Gyōchi (行 智), the chief priest of a temple where Nisshū (日 秀), one of Nichiren's disciples lived. The  peasant farmers from the village of Atsuhara had come to help Nisshū with the harvest of his private rice crop. The priest Gyōchi called some local warriors to arrest the peasants, accusing them of illegally harvesting the rice. The peasants decided to defend themselves when the warriors arrived but were no match, and several were wounded; twenty were arrested and hauled off to Kamakura for trial. When they arrived, a local police officer named Hei no Saemon Yoritsuna attempted to intimidate the peasants into renouncing their faith — on pain of death if they did not, but in exchange for their freedom if they did. Despite repeated threats and even torture, they remained steadfast. Hei no Saemon had three beheaded, but the other 17 refused to back down and he eventually freed them. The Fuji Branch believes that these events took place on 15 October 1279.The Nichiren Shoshu sect claims the following regarding the Dai Gohonzon's nature and purpose:That Nichiren Daishonin decided to inscribe the Dai Gohonzon as a result of these persecuting events. Furthermore, it taught as a doctrine that this served his purpose in entering the sahā world, (出世の本懐,  Shusse—no—Honkai). On 12 October 1279, he inscribed the Gohonzon known as the "Dai Gohonzon," which – in contrast to other Gohonzon inscribed in this period – is intended for worship by all his disciples and believers, contemporary and future, rather than just the specific individual named on it. Furthermore, only the Sovereign of Japan can enshrine the image in its permanent Temple when widespread propagation of the religion is accomplished.
The sect teaches that due to the Kamakura Shogunate refusing to heed Nichiren's prophecies on natural disasters and incoming foreign invasion, the Buddhist deities have began to abandon Japan in its natural environment, claiming the result of arson at the Tsurugaoka Hachimangū Shrine in 14 November 1280, approximately one year after the inscription of the Dai Gohonzon image.
The sect further teaches that the returning  Karma punishment from the Dai Gohonzon was imposed on the police officer " Hei no Saemon-no-jō Yoritsuna" on 29 May 1293, fourteen years after murdering three of the first Hokkeko believers during the "Atsuhara Persecutions" in Suruga province. These mystical punishments  included their political defeat and joint—suicide of his  younger son Tametsuna Iinuma (Sukemune) and eldest son Munetsuna Nagasaki who was expelled and died in Sado island (via suicide into the sea according to pious legends).
sahā Kamakura torture Suruga province Buddhist deities arson Nichiren Daishonin Nichiren Buddhist Sovereign of Japan peasant Nikko Shonin Kamakura Shogunate Nichiren Hokkeko Tsurugaoka Hachimangū behead Sado island Shogun Nichiren Shoshu Karma Japan police officer Gohonzon suicide