Thursday, October 20, 2011

Three Nichiren Buddhism temples in the Matsuba-ga-yatsu area in Kamakura

Ankokuron-ji temple

Myoho-ji Temple

Chosho-ji Temple

In Kamakura there is a district named Matsuba-ga-yatsu where Nichiren(1222-1282) completed his thesis ' Rissho-ankoku-ron'. Three temples claim that his hermitage was in their precincts.
Nichiren, who founded his own sect of Buddhism, criticised other sects as evil creeds, so he was often attacked by the priests and believers of the other sects. To avoid those attacks Nichiren had to change dwellings. I guess he lived in all these three temples.

Nichiren's hermitage at Ankokuron-ji Temple
One at Myoho-ji Temple
 Temple bell at Chosho-ji Temple, it is said his hermitage used to be around this bell
 On October 10 in 1260, 40 days after Nichiren submitted his treatise to Tokiyori (Hojo) who was the then heir apparent of Hojo Clan and the former regent of the Kamakura Government on August 31, Nichiren's hermitage was attacked and set fire  by the other sects' priests. Nichiren narrowly escaped from the attack. It is said that a monkey led him to a cave and saved him.
 


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