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Nikken: Self-proclaimed former
high priest (Part 4) |
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How did Nikken become high
priest? To answer this, we have to go over the day of
66th high priest Nittatsu’s funeral. According to
Hossu Sasho, a memoir written by Nichiren Shoshu reformist
priest, the following conversation took place on that
day of July 22, 1979:
In the early morning, high priest Nittatsu’s body
was delivered to the reception room of his quarters. Then,
the recitation of the sutra and chanting of daimoku was
done by his relatives and those close to him at the head
temple.
Keido Hosoi and Takudo Hosoi (high priest Nittatsu’s
sons), Jiun Sugano (high priest Nittatsu’s son-in-law),
and others were talking in the high priest’s secretary’s
west office, when General Administrator Abe (Nikken) arrived.
He was supposed to have led the recitation of the sutra
and the chanting of daimoku beside the deceased high priest
at 7:15 AM.
Upon seeing them, Abe asked, “Did you hear
anything about who will succeed him?” Obviously,
Abe was asking about the transmission of the heritage
and the office of high priest.
Jiun Sugano replied, “Aren’t you,
Mr. General Administrator, succeeding him?”
Hearing Sugano say this, Nikken murmured, “Oh,
is that right? Yes, you’re right…”
Wearing a complex expression on his face, he nodded ponderously.
It was these words uttered by Sugano that decided Nikken
would be the next high priest.
Nichiren Shoshu makes a big deal out of transferring the
heritage from high priest to high priest. But the above
statement shows in reality how the heritage had been transferred
in this case.
In those days, there were two major factions in Nichiren
Shoshu. One was the Hoki-kai group, which is the Hayase
family’s faction. The other was the Myokan-kai group,
which was Nittatsu’s faction. They were involved
in a power struggle at the head temple with each other.
Why did they choose Abe? Nichiji was the head of the Hoki-kai
group, and Nittatsu’s disciples did not like the
idea of turning the office over to this group. The Myokan-kai
is said to have been satisfied by nominating Abe for the
next high priest even though he was not from the Myokan-kai
faction. At least he wasn’t from the Hoki-kai faction.
What was the Myokan-kai group thinking when Nittatsu passed
away without designating anybody for the next high priest?
It was inconceivable in Nichiren Shoshu for a high priest
to die without selecting his successor. According to the
school’s philosophy, there must not be any form
of discontinuity in the transmission of its heritage.
Therefore, the Myokan-kai group was forced to select the
next high priest, whoever he may be. Because of the urgency,
the Myokan-kai group is said to have chosen Nikken as
the next high priest.
Later, when Nikken was dealing with the Shoshin-kai (a
group that doubted his legitimacy as 67th high priest)
he took advantage of this dilemma by stating, “If
you insist that I did not receive the heritage, it will
mean that Nittatsu Shonin, whom you respect, passed way
without transferring the heritage to anybody.”
When high priest Nittatsu passed away, the matter that
most concerned the Hosoi family and Sugano was that they
had to avoid a situation where Nittatsu Shonin had failed
to nominate his successor.
Put another way, Nikken did not become the high priest
because he received the heritage. He became one because
Sugano responded to him by asking, “Aren’t
you, Mr. General Administrator, succeeding him?”
At the executive priests’ conference held a few
hours later, Nikken brought forth his own story, stating
“As a matter of fact, I did receive the heritage
on April 15 of the previous year.” This statement
by Nikken was his way of reacting to Sugano’s decisive
words.
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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.
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