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Postscript to the Rissho
Ankoku Ron
- Rissho Ankoku Ron Okugaki -
I compiled the above work in the first year of the Bunno era (1260), when the reverse marker of Jupiter was in the sector of the sky with the cyclical sign kanoe-saru. That is, I began the work during the Shoka era (1257-1259) and completed it in the first year of Bunno.
In the first year of the Shoka era, cyclical sign hinoto-mi, on the twenty-third day of the eighth month, at the time when the hour of the dog gives way to the hour of the boar (around 9:00 P.M.), there was a severe earthquake. Observing this event, I conceived the work. Later, in the first year of Bunno, cyclical sign kanoe-saru, on the sixteenth day of the seventh month, I presented it to His Lordship, the lay priest of Saimyo-ji1 who is now deceased, by way of Yadoya Zemmon.2 Still later, in the first year of the Bun’ei era (I264), cyclical sign kinoe-ne, on the fifth day of the seventh month, when a great comet appeared, I became even more certain of the origins of these disasters. Then, on the eighteenth day of the intercalary first month of the fifth year of Bun’ei, cyclical sign tsuchinoe-tatsu, nine years after the first year of Bunno, [when I submitted the "Rissho Ankoku Ron,"] an official letter came from the great kingdom of the Mongols that lies to the west, threatening to attack our country. Again, in the sixth year of the same era (1269), a second letter arrived. Thus the prediction that I made in my memorial [the "Rissho Ankoku Ron"] has already proved to be true. In view of this, we may suppose that the predictions I made will continue to come true in the future as well.
This work of mine has now been substantiated by fact. But this has in no regard happened because of my powers. Rather it has come about as a response to the true words contained in the Lotus Sutra.
I copied this work on the eighth day of the twelfth month in the sixth year of Bun’ei (1269), cyclical sign tsuchinoto-mi
Yadoya Zemmon: Yadoya Mitsunori, a lay priest and majordomo to Hojo Tokiyori.
Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Vol. 2.
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