In 1632, Nissei (1600-1683) became the seventeenth high priest of Taiseki-ji, where he enjoyed rare privileges in the shogun’s court through the patronage of Kyodai-in (1592-1666). Kyodai-in wielded influence as the widow of Hachisuka Yoshishige, an influential governor of Awa province on Shikoku Island. The high priest left Taiseki-ji abruptly, in fact, following an argument with the powerful patron. Taiseki-ji was without a high priest for three years from 1638 to 1641 until Nisshun, the nineteenth high priest, arrived to assume the office. The biographical account of Nisshun states:

Because of his discord with the Venerable Priestess Nissho [Kyodai-in], a great patron, Teacher Nissei of the head temple left Mount Fuji and moved to Jozai-ji at Shitaya in Edo, thus leaving the head temple without its chief priest. At that time, with the appointment of a new shogun, the government had to reissue the deed [for the head temple’s property], yet there was no chief priest, so the head temple was about to be condemned. Distressed by this, priests and lay believers entreated Venerable Priestess Nissho for her help regarding the appointment of the next chief priest. The venerable priestess was to choose one. Nikkan, then chief priest of Hosho-ji temple, told her that there was no one like Nisshun. Thus the venerable priestess invited Teacher [Nisshun] to the head temple. (Essential Writings of the Fuji School, Vol. 5, p. 269)

Nisshun assumed the office of high priest in 1641. Put simply, the powerful lay patron Kyodai-in had appointed the high priest. With Nisshun in place, the head temple renewed the deed to its property and maintained its status as a head temple. If Taiseki-ji had remained without a high priest, the Fuji School would have lost its independent status and become a branch temple of some other sect.

The transfer of the office of high priest from Nissei to Nisshun, however, did not take place until October 27, 1645 – four years after Nisshun assumed office. The biographical account of Nisshun states:

Later a reconciliation between Teacher Nissei and the venerable priestess [Kyodai-in] was realized, and the trust and respect between them were restored as it was before. So in the second year of Shoho [1645], Teacher Nissei went to the head temple and, on the twenty-seventh day of the tenth month of the same year, [Teacher Nisshun] received from Teacher Nissei the great transmission of the Golden Utterance of the Buddha and thus officially became the nineteenth high priest. (Essential Works of the Fuji School, Vol.5, p.270)

As mentioned here, Nisshun was a “high priest without the lineage” for about four years. It is also recorded that Nisshun transcribed Gohonzon in January and February of 1645. So it is noteworthy that without the formal transfer of the lineage of high priest, one could assume the office and conduct its various administrative responsibilities, including transcription of the Gohonzon. This contradicts the current Nichiren Shoshu priesthood’s assertion that only a legitimate high priest can transcribe Gohonzon and confer them upon believers.

(To be continued to part two)