Nichiren's Letter To Mongol Envoys

Nichiren’s religious vision is competitive, harsh, critical and aggressive. In his letter to Nishiyama Nyudo in 1275, Nichiren discusses the execution of Mongol envoys, and the possible Mongol invasion to come. Nichiren writes, “I have also received your news about the beheading of the Mongol envoys. How pitiful that they have beheaded the innocent Mongol envoys and yet failed to cut off the heads of the priests of the Nembutsu, Shingon, Zen, and Ritsu sects, who are the real enemies of the country…Among all grave matters, the ruin of the nation is the most serious. The Saishōō Sutra states, ‘Among all forms of harm, none is heavier than the loss of the ruler’s authority.’ This passage means that among all evils, the worst is to become the ruler, misgovern the country, and meet defeat at the hands of another kingdom” (qtd from Yampolsky, 443-44). It is apparent that Nichiren expresses a greater concern for other existing Buddhist sects than he does an eventual move of aggression from the Mongols. In Dialogue IX of the Risshōankokuron, titled …show more content…
In fact, I would argue that in these statements, we may uncover a level of national pride and patriotism in Nichiren’s views. Nichiren falls under the category of a religious nationlist because, simply put, he utilizes his dogma to try and influence governmental change. Additionally, in the second excerpt, Nichiren explicitly calls on the “people” to partake in “saving” Japan by engaging in prayer. Perhaps it is a common trend in nationalist figures to call on the power of the people to affect change, and while the entirety of the Risshōankokuron is itself a treatise demanding religious reform, Nichiren also makes a direct link between national wellbeing to religious affiliation. From here, I would argue that Nichiren’s patriotism for Japan also heavily manifests itself through the disapproval he espouses for other religious groups and Buddhist