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The
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In about 1278 (the first year of the Koan Period), Nichiren Daishonin began to entrust many of his doctrines to Nikko Shonin by conferring upon him many of his documents on transmission, including “One Hundred and Six Articles” (“Hyaku rokka-sho”) and “On the True Cause” (“Honnin myo-sho”). Then in the ninth month of 1282 (the fifth year of the Koan Period), the Daishonin transferred the entirety of his Buddhism to Nikko Shonin in a writing referred to as “The Document for Entrusting the Law that Nichiren Propagated throughout His Life” (“Nichiren ichigo guho fuzoku-sho”). In this writing, the Daishonin appointed Nikko Shonin the Great Master of Propagation of the Essential Teaching. After formally entrusting his lifetime teachings to Nikko Shonin, Nichiren Daishonin left Minobu to bathe at the Hitachi Hot Springs. On the way, however, the Daishonin stopped to rest at the manor of Ikegami Munenaka. There, on the 13th day of the tenth month, the Daishonin appointed Nikko Shonin chief priest of Minobu-san Kuonji Temple in a document entitled, “The Document for Entrusting Minobu-san” (“Minobu-san fuzoku-sho”). With his life’s work accomplished, the Daishonin peacefully passed away that same day. In “Record of the Founder’s Passing,” Nikko Shonin recounts the events of the Daishonin’s funeral, which was conducted with great solemnity and was attended by many of the Daishonin’s disciples and lay followers. After concluding the Daishonin’s funeral rites, Nikko Shonin returned to Mt. Minobu with his master’s remains on the 25th day of the tenth month, and took up his responsibilities as chief priest of Kuonji Temple. At the memorial service held 100 days after the Daishonin’s passing, in the first month of 1283 (the sixth year of the Koan Period), Nikko Shonin’s “Notebook on the Vigil Kept over the Master’s Grave” records that 18 disciples were appointed to maintain the Daishonin’s grave in a monthly rotational system. However, a number of them failed to honor the agreement, including the five elder priests: Nissho, Nichiro, Niko, Nitcho and Nichiji, who lived in the Kamakura area. The five elders also failed to attend the memorials commemorating the first and third anniversaries of the Daishonin’s passing. The task of maintaining and protecting the Daishonin’s grave thus fell to Nikko Shonin and his disciples.
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