Published by Soka Spirit Editor
Posted on August 11, 2009
What is in the transfer box anyway?
According to Hossu Sasho, a memoir written by Nichiren Shoshu reformist priest, the 59th High Priest Nichiko Hori once described the contents as:
“Documents related to the ‘One Hundred and Six Articles (Hyaku Rokka Sho)’ and ‘On the True Cause (Hon’nin-myo Sho)’ and a piece of paper that carries the names of the successive high priests who participated in their respective transfer ceremonies.
Here, the piece of paper Nichiko Hori refers to is something like a lineage chart that specifies who transferred the heritage to whom.
Then, our next question is whether this piece of paper carries the name of Nikken Abe as 67th high priest of Nichiren Shoshu?
The answer is “No” according to the memoirs. There could not be any mention of Abe Nikken in the document contained in the transfer box. Here’s the reason why.
Nikken claims that he informally received the heritage on April 15, 1978. At that point in time, Nikken’s name was Shinno Abe. His Nichiren Shoshu priesthood hierarchy class was daisozu, which means he was below the class of noke and that he did not qualify to openly use his “nichi-go” title.
What is a “nichi-go” title then? It is the name that each priest receives from the high priest when he becomes entitled to wear a kesa robe. He can activate it or use it openly as his name only after he ascends to the class of noke or gonnsojo in the school’s hierarchy.
Nikken began to use his own nichi-go title only after he obtained the highest position of daisojo (high priest) in the turmoil after Nittatsu Shonin’s sudden death. And the nichi-go title that Nikken originally had was not Nikken. But it was “Nichiji.”
The memoirs introduced a behind-the-scenes story about Nikken’s renaming by a priest who was versed in the situation surrounding the sudden death of the former high priest:
“After a temporary wake was over for the deceased high priest, I went to a dormitory lodging of the head temple where Nikken stayed, to ask him about his nichi-go title. I needed to know about it for the announcement in the next day’s Seikyo Shimbun. At that time, Nikken said to me, ‘As a matter of fact, I am in trouble, as my nichi-go title is Nichiji, which is the same as that of Rev. Hayase [68th high priest Nichinyo’s father] of Hodo-in.’ Then I said to him, ‘Unless you decide upon your nichi-go title tonight, your nichi-go name won’t make it in tomorrow’s issue of the Seikyo Shimbun.’ Then Nikken said, ‘Oh, no.Mr. Hayase is now on the way back to Tokyo, so, I can’t contact him now.’ Nikken said, ‘Anyway, please give me a little more time,’ and I left him, expecting I would get his nichi-go title later.”
The priest continues:
“Just before midnight I received a phone call from Shin’ei Yagi who was in the same dormitory lodging. Yagi said to me, ‘The high priest has decided on his new nichi-go title. It’s Nikken. According to him, since his father’s nichi-go title was Nikkai, he has chosen the name Nikken after the Buddhist term kaiken, which means to open and reveal.”
This story raises questions. Nikken must have long been aware that his nichi-go title was Nichiji, the same one as Hayase’s. If he had truly received the heritage from Nittatsu, there would be a statement within the transfer box, to the effect that “I hereby transfer the heritage to Shinno Abe or Nichiji Abe.” There would have been no problem if there were a description of “Nichiji Abe” on the piece of paper in box, even if Nichiji is the same as Hayase’s nichi-go title. All Nikken had to do was to proudly take office as Nichiji Abe.
And even if Nikken had chosen to be very considerate toward Hayase and used a different nichi-go title, Nikken would have to bring up the subject with Nittatsu, especially at the point when he received the heritage. He should have changed it on that occasion.
What Nikken actually did, however, was just before he took office, he impatiently abandoned the nichi-go title that he had originally received from his mentor and renamed it on his own.
His renaming himself reflects his denial of and opposition to his mentor’s intent. Nikken’s last minute change also eloquently suggests that he was a fraudulent high priest.
This article is based on Hossu Sasho (Self-Appointed High Priest) by Nichiren Shoshu Yushu Goho Domei (League of Concerned Priests for Protecting the Law) published in 2003.