The Six Senior Disciples of Nichiren Daishonin

On October 8, 1282 at the house of Munenaka Ikegami, Nichiren Shonin designated the Six Senior Disciples (Roku Roso) to carry on his work after his death. These six were: Nissho (1221-1323), Nichiro (1245-1320), Nikko (1246-1333), Niko (1253-1314), Nitcho (1252-1317), and Nichiji (1250-1305?).

Nissho

Nissho (1221-1323) had once been a fellow student with Nichiren Shonin at Mt. Hiei. Though he was one year older, he was so impressed with Nichiren Shonin that he joined him in Kamakura when Nichiren Shonin first began preaching there in 1253. It is said that Nissho had been adopted by Konoye Kanetsune, the third head of the Konoye family of the Kyoto nobility. This connection would become important later on in the propagation of Nichiren Buddhism.

After the Tatsunokuchi Incident, Nissho took up residence in Hama, Kamakura. In 1284, the Hamado hermitage became the Hokkeji Temple. Because Nissho’s lineage was first based at Hama, it is known as the Hama Lineage. In 1317, Nissho transferred Hokkeji Temple to his disciple Nichiyu. The Hokkeji Temple was moved to Tamazawa, Izu in 1621 and renamed Myohokkeji Temple.

Nissho and his nephew Nichiro had a very difficult time in Kamakura after the death of Nichiren Shonin. In 1284, Nissho submitted a revised version of the Rissho Ankoku-ron to the Kamakuran Shogunate. The new version extended Nichiren’s criticism of slander to Shingon and Tendai esotericism. Just as with Nichiren Shonin’s original submission, this one also brought out a mob which tried to burn down the Hamado hermitage. Nissho calmed them down by telling them that he was a loyal Tendai priest who simply wanted to reform Tendai Buddhism. Nissho and Nichiro also used the argument that they were simply Tendai reformers and were not trying to establish an illegal sect when the War Minister Yoritsuna again tried to suppress Nichiren Buddhism in 1285. War Minister Yoritsuna demanded that they join the other sects in praying for the peace of the Hojo family (who controlled the Kamakuran Shogunate). In order to protect the fledgeling Nichiren Buddhist community in Kamakura, Nissho and Nichiro relented and participated in the prayers, though they did petition for a debate with the other schools.

Nissho and his disciples probably did see themselves as Tendai reformers. The Hama Lineage maintained good relations with the Tendai school for a long time, and even sent students to Mt. Hiei to study Tendai philosophy and even to receive their ordinations.

Nissho also founded the Myohoji Temple in Nase, Sagami in 1306. This temple was transferred to Nissho’s disciple Nichijo in 1307. Myohoji Temple was moved to Murata, Echigo when it’s main patron, Nobuaki Kazama, moved back there.

Nichiro

Nichiro (1245-1320) was Nissho’s nephew, and he became a disciple of Nichiren Shonin in 1254. Nichiro was extremely devoted to Nichiren Shonin and is often called the “beloved disciple.” When Nichiren Shonin was being taken away to Izu, Nichiro charged into the water in an attempt to acompany him. The samurai beat him away with oars which permanently crippled his hand. Nichiro was also arrested at the time of the Tatsunokuchi Incident. He was thrown into a dungeon in Kamakura where he received a famous letter of encouragement from Nichiren Shonin. He later became a favorite of the jailer, who actually allowed him to leave in order to visit Nichiren Shonin on Sado Island. Nichiren Shonin was very touched but also very upset that Nichiro had possibly endangered the jailer and so sent him back. Finally, Nichiren Shonin was pardoned and Nichiro was sent to bring the news. His eagerness, however, almost got him killed. Because he did not stop to rest in the frigid winter weather, he collapsed in the snow and almost died of frost bite. Fortunately, he was found and was able to complete his mission.

Upon returning to Kamakura in 1274, Nichiren Shonin put Nichiro in charge of a new temple at Hikigayatsu, Kamakura. This was the Myohonji Temple. Because it was Nichiro’s main base of operations in Kamakura, Nichiro’s lineage is also known as the Hikigayatsu Lineage.

Nichiro also started a practice hall at the home of Munenaka Ikegami after Nichiren died there in 1282. In 1288, this became the Honmonji Temple. The adminstrative headquarters of the Nichiren Shu are now located there. For this reason, the lineage of Nichiro is also called the Ikegami Lineage.

Nichiro designated Nine Senior Disciples (Kurosu) to continue his propagation efforts. The nine were: Nichizo, Nichirin, Nichizen, Nichiden, Nichihan, Nichiin, Nitcho, Nichigyo, and Rokei. Of these nine, Nichizo was especially noteworthy for bringing Nichiren Buddhism to Kyoto and gaining it official recognition from the imperial family. He will be discussed later. Nichirin later took over Myohonji Temple and Honmonji Temple. Nichiden co-founded the Hondoji Temple in Hiraga, Shimofusa with Nichiro.

Nikko

Nikko (1246-1333) met Nichiren Shonin at Jissoji Temple in 1257. Nichiren Shonin was there doing research and writing the Rissho Ankoku-ron. Later, Nikko had many followers in the provinces of Suruga, Kai, and Izu. Nichiji, another of the Six Senior Disciples, was originally Nikko’s disciple before becoming Nichiren Shonin’s disciple. The Atsuwara Persection in 1279 was directed against Nikko’s followers in Suruga Province. After Nichiren’s death, the Six Senior Disciples and twelve junior priests were to take responsibility for tending his grave at Mount Minobu by using a rotation system (the Rinban). Of the twelve junior disciples, eight of them were the direct disciples of Nikko.

In September 1285 Nikko took up permanent residence on Mount Minobu because the rotation system had broken down. The other senior disciples lived further away and were having difficulties maintaining their communities in the face of government persecution. Nanbu Sanenaga, the Lord of Hakii, recognized Nikko as the chief priest of Kuonji Temple at Mount Minobu. Later in 1285, Niko came to Mount Minobu to assist Nikko. Unfortunately, relations between them all broke down soon afterwards due to Nikko’s uncompromising nature and Niko’s flexibility. The first problem occurred when Lord Hakii commissioned a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha for his home shrine. Nikko objected that the statue should be accompanied by the Four Great Bodhisattvas of the essential section of the Lotus Sutra if it was to represent the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha. Niko, however, said that putting a copy of the Lotus Sutra in front of it would suffice. Another time, Lord Hakii made offerings at the Mishima Shrine. Nikko objected to this because according to the Rissho Ankoku-ron, the Shinto gods had abandoned the country because of it’s slander of the Lotus Sutra. Niko, however, argued that the gods would surely protect the votary of the Lotus Sutra, and that Nichiren Shonin himself had prayed to them. Finally, he supposedly offered a horse and lumber to a stupa of the Pure Land sect at Mt. Fuji, but he argued that he had merely made a donation out of charity and did not know that it was going to support the Pure Land sect. In each case, Niko supported Lord Hakii while Nikko admonished him. In the end, Nikko no longer felt welcome and decided to leave for his mother’s old home in Fuji, Ueno on December 5, 1288.

In 1290, the Lord of Ueno, Nanjo Tokimtsu, built the Taisekiji Temple at Oishigahara for Nikko. Nanjo Tokimitsu, the Lord of Ueno, was the uncle of Nikko’s disciple Nichimoku.

In 1291, Nikko moved to the town of Omosu in Kitayama where he founded the Honmonji Temple in February 1298 with the help of Nitcho. He spent the rest of his life at this temple. His lineage is referred to as the Fuji Lineage.

Nikko appointed two sets of six senior disciples to take over for him after his passing. The first set consisted of: Nikke, Nichimoku, Nisshu, Nichizen, Nissen, and Nichijo. The second set consisted of: Nichidai, Nitcho, Nichido, Nichimyo, Nichigo, and Nichijo.

Niko

Niko (1253-1314) was the son of a samurai from Mobara, Kazusa. He was a novice priest at Mt. Hiei at the time his father met Nichiren Shonin in 1265. His father was so impressed that he had Niko brought back from Mt. Hiei in order to become a disciple of Nichiren Shonin. Niko taught the Lotus Sutra in his home town Mobara, but when he found out about Nichiren Shonin’s exile he joined him on Sado Island. For this reason, he is known as the Sado Master.

After Nichiren Shonin’s death, Niko founded the Myokoji Temple in Mobara. In 1285, he left Mobara to help Nikko at Mount Minobu. Unfortunately, he and Nikko were not able to reconcile their differences regarding the conduct of Lord Hakii, and so Nikko left in 1288. Niko was then solely in charge of Mount Minobu, but he continued to make trips back to Mobara. For this reason, Niko is considered the founder of two lineages: the Mobara Lineage and the Minobu Lineage.

Niko left his disciple Nisshin in charge of Mount Minobu, and his disciple Nisshu in charge of the Myokoji Temple in Mobara. The Myokoji Temple is now known as Sogenji Temple.

Nitcho

Nitcho (1252-1317) was the step-son of Nichiren Shonin’s important lay disciple, Toki Jonin (1214-1299). He was a novice priest at a Tendai temple called Guboji in Mama, Shimofusa. Upon the recommendation of his step-father, Toki Jonin, he became the disciple of Nichiren Shonin in 1267. He also joined Nichiren Shonin in exile on Sado Island.

In 1278, Nitcho won a debate with the chief priest of Guboji Temple and shortly after took over the temple. At the time, Nichiren Buddhism was not a recognized sect, so Guboji Temple remained a Tendai temple, at least nominally. Unfortunately, relations between Nitcho and Toki Jonin broke down. In 1292, Nitcho left for Omosu, Kitayana where he had been born. At Omosu, he joined Nikko and helped him to establish Honmonji Temple.

After Nitcho left, Toki Jonin ordained himself and took the name Nichijo. He founded the Hokkeji Temple at his home in Wakamiya. The Hokkeji was next to the residence of Ota Jomyo, another important lay follower of Nichiren Shonin. Ota Jomyo’s son, became a disciple of Nichijo and was given the name Nichiko. When Nichijo died, Nichiko made the residence of his father at Nakayama into a temple named Hommyoji. In 1545 the Hokkeji and the Hommyoji were united as the Nakayama Hokekyoji. Today, Nakayama Hokekyoji is well known as the location of the 100 day ascetic practice known as Aragyo. Nichijo is also noted for collecting and cataloging the writings of Nichiren Shonin. The lineage begun by Nichijo is known as the Nakayama Lineage.

Nichiji

Nichiji (1250-1305) was also the son of a samurai. He became a novice at Jissoji Temple, where Nikko met Nichiren Shonin. In 1270, he met Nikko and became his disciple. Nikko then took Nichiji to see Nichiren Shonin in Kamakura, and allowed him to become Nichiren Shonin’s direct disciple. In 1280 he founded a practice hall in Mimatsu, his home town. This would later become the Reneiji Temple. After Nichiren Shonin’s death, he decided to go overseas to fulfill his master’s dream of restoring the true teaching of the Buddha to China and India. On October 13, 1294 he attended Nichiren Shonin’s memorial service at Kuonji for the last time. On January 1, 1295 he began his jouney to China. He is believed to have passed away in Senka, China. Nichiji did not found a lineage, but he is considered the patron saint of foreign missionaries by the Nichiren Shu.