Published by Soka Spirit Editor
Posted on August 11, 2009
Nikken Says That the Dai-Gohonzon Is Counterfeit.
In December 1979, right after Nikken took the office as new high priest, Jitoku Kawabe (1930-2002) was upset at Nikken’s decision to promote Giko Hayase to the position of General Affairs’ Bureau director. He called Nikken to come to his temple (Kyodai-ji temple in Shikoku) and said, intimidatingly, “I’ll hold a press conference and reveal to mass media that you once said that the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary is counterfeit. I’ll also reveal the truth of how you usurped the position of high priest.”
This incident eloquently shows the relationship of Nikken and Kawabe. Kawabe was the most likely person to have information about Nikken’s two weaknesses: his past remark that the Dai-Gohonzon and how Nikken failed to obtain the heritage.
In his anger, Kawabe threatened Nikken, saying, “Shut up! I’ve taught you everything. I am, in effect, your mentor. Call me ‘my mentor.'”After a short silence, what came out of Nikken’s mouth was: “Sir, My mentor.”
This story shows how faint-hearted Nikken is toward Kawabe and that it was only natural that Nikken could not reprimand him for leaking the memo. If Kawabe had confronted Nikken and decided to say everything he knew, the impact would have been big enough to terminate Nikken’s power as high priest of Nichiren Shoshu. Since Nikken was in a position to treat Kawabe kindly, promoting Kawabe to Daigan-ji temple to stop him from damaging Nikken further was the only choice open to Nikken.
Who was Jitoku Kawabe ?
Kawabe became a Nichiren Shoshu priest in 1940, and first served as an acolyte at the head temple. His mentor was Nikkyo Shonin, the 62nd high priest of Nichiren Shoshu who, succumbing to the power of the military government before and during the war, slanderously acquiesced in erasing some Gosho passages, revising the silent prayers, worshipping Shinto shrines, and accepting the Shinto talisman. And Kawabe became assistant secretary before the high priest died his tragic death.
In June 1945, right before the end of the war, there was a fire in the priests’ quarters of Taiseki-ji, which caused high priest Nikkyo to die in the flames. In the turmoil of this fire, Kawabe took out a fairly large bag out of Nikkyo’s possessions, and it is said that this bug contained many items that the high priest cherished, including his writings.
Based upon what he obtained at that time, Kawabe taught Nikken about what a high priest should know. Because Nikken did not actually receive the heritage, Nikken made it a practice to ask Kawabe whenever he had a question about the protocol that he should know as high priest.
For example, Kawabe would openly say, “It is I who taught Nikken how to transcribe the Gohonzon.” Kawabe even went on to criticize Nikken’s way of transcribing the Gohonzon, saying, “The way he transcribes it is different what I taught him.”
Kawabe also made shocking statement at a teachers’ seminar at the head temple that was held right after Operation C was revealed in 1992. Kawabe, as usual, skipped Nikken’s boring lecture and went to the lobby area of the Grand Lecture Hall to talk with several other priests who were enjoying a smoke break. On that occasion, he talked with Setsudo Miura (of Koan-ji temple in Miyagi) and other priests. Kawabe said: “We need to write him off from the annals of the successive high priests of Nichiren Shoshu” and “We’ll have no 67th high priest.”
The Kawabe Memo
Kawabe was well-known for his habit of taking precise notes. The Kawabe’s Notes, revealed Nikken’s past statements and deeds, which shook up Nichiren Shoshu time and again. One of those shocking news was the existence of Operation C within Nichiren Shoshu. Moreover, there was more shocking news, as reported on July, 1999.
On February 7 in 1978, one and half a years before he took office as 67th high priest of Nichiren Shoshu, Nikken asserted that the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of True Buddhism, which is supposed to be the life essence of Nichiren Shoshu, was counterfeit.
The Kawabe Memo reads:
“February 7, 1978, Meeting with A (Nikken Abe) at Imperial H.
“Abe’s statements:“Re: Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of True Buddhism
‘The Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of True Buddhism is counterfeit. I have found this out through various forms of analysis (such as examining the brush strokes of the Chinese characters) on the Dai-Gohonzon. Perhaps the daimoku part and the Daishonin’s signature are based upon the Gohonzon that was originally conferred (by the Daishonin) upon Nichizen and lately dedicated to Taiseki-ji through Hodo-in temple. The original Gohonzon given to Nichizen contains evidence that shows this Gohonzon was once used to reproduce a copy.’“G (Geika or the high priest) is totally no good.
‘Under the leadership of the high priest, new capable people will not be promoted and order will not be restored in Nichiren Shoshu.‘The high priest thinks (in an easy-going manner) that we will restore harmony with the Gakkai in a matter of a few years, even if we should once sever ties with it.'”
“A” in this memo signifies Abe (Nikken). Imperial H. means Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. “G” is the first character of geika, which is an expression to mean the high priest and it refers in this case to High Priest Nittatsu Shonin. Judging from the strokes of the Chinese characters that appear in this memo, the memo’s contents, the particular style of sentences in this memo where only core information is referred to without showing any sign of subjective judgment or personal emotions, this memo was clearly written by none other than Kawabe himself. Kawabe once said, “My notes are as precise as tape-recorded information.” His description of Nikken’s statement about the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of True Buddhism is unbelievably concrete and real.
The references to “through various forms of analysis” and “by examining the brush strokes of the Chinese characters” indicate that Nikken actually took some action to discern whether that the Dai-Gohonzon is a forgery. In other words, his conclusion was not a casual statement. Rather, it clearly shows that his doubts about the authenticity of the Dai-Gohonzon were situated deep in his heart.
The Gohonzon conferred upon Nichizen refers to the object of devotion that was given to Shobo Nichizen on May 9, 1280. He was one of the six senior priests that Nikko Shonin chose among his disciples. Nichizen founded Minamino-bo lodging temple on the grounds of the head temple, Taiseki-ji.
This particular Gohonzon, after being lost for a while, came to be possessed by Kitayama Honmon-ji temple around 1539. When it was on sale in June 1910, Nichio, founder of Hodo-in temple in Tokyo, purchased it and kept it at his Hodo-in temple. And it was dedicated from Hodo-in temple to Taiseki-ji in March 1970. These facts about the Gohonzon given to Nichizen would only be known to those who are deeply versed in Nichiren Shoshu matters. It was Nikken, then the study department chief of Nichiren Shoshu, who examined this Gohonzon, when it was taken to Taiseki-ji for permanent storage.
However, Nikken, although he placed himself within Nichiren Shoshu, developed doubt about the integrity of the Dai-Gohonzon and even went ahead to examine its authenticity. His conclusion was that it was a case of forgery. No high priest in Nichiren Shoshu has ever asserted that the Dai-Gohonzon, the life essence of Nichiren Shoshu, was counterfeit.
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.