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The True Meaning of the Crane Emblem and Why I Am So Eternally Grateful To High Priest Nikken That I Am Spared the Unbelievable Embarrassment of Being A Nichiren Shoshu Member !!!
A report by Charles Johnson
The crane emblem has been the symbol of Nichiren Shoshu, since it was called Nichiren Shu Komon School (the Fuji School of Nikko Shonin) during the Tokugawa Shogunate in the 17th century (Edo Period). The question is: what does it really signify? Not just now, in our minds, but the thought that was the intent of the creator, at the time of it’s creation.
Although the intent of the crane symbol is buried in the ages, some associated things are well known, and supply some evidence.
The Crane and the Tortoise
The crane, the tortoise and the lotus are seen together in some traditional Confucian symbolic art associated with the good fortune of longevity:
The crane on the back of the tortoise is the symbol of longevity, seen mostly in temples dedicated to Confucius, emperors and local spirits. In principle, the symbol of crane is not used in Buddhist pagodas. The tortoise is believed to live ten thousand years, and the crane one thousand years; thus, the presence of this symbol means, a "May you be remembered for one thousand years, and may your cult endure for ten thousand years. (http://coombs.anu.edu.au/WWWVLPages/VietPages/coatarms.html)
Of course, what is historically true in Japan often runs contrary to what is historically true on the subcontinent of Asia. Also, the association of the phrase with “ten thousand years” (and more …) is definitely Nichiren Buddhism. There is not, however, a single association of the turtle or tortoise and the term “ten thousand years” in Nichiren Daishonin’s Gosho, even though the tortoise symbol appears on many Nichiren Shoshu artifacts. Nor is there a single association of the crane and the term “thousand years” in the Gosho, although the crane appears on the Nichiren Shoshu butsugu and the border of Nichiren Shoshu Gohonzon. This has the appearance of an accretion or addition to Nichiren’s Buddhism by Nichiren Shu Komon School: The Fuji School (of which there are many, from the early days of recruiting High Priests from the Tendai sect, of Temple Yoboji).
Furthermore, the crane emblem of Nichiren Shoshu does not appear to be holding a lotus in it’s mouth, and has it’s wings arranged in what might be a significant way. More on that later …
Events Leading to the Edo Era
First, let’s review some of the pertinent history of 16th through 18th century Japan.
In a historic progression, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and then finally Tokugawa Ieyasu centralized the power of the warring Daimyo, Buddhist sects and the Court into a single civil and religious entity under the power of the Tokugawa Shogunate. By the time Nichikan the 26th High Priest of the Fuji School came on to the scene, the damage had been thoroughly done.
Nichiren’s Buddhism had been folded under a state run Buddhist denomination with an Emperor as the religious center, a Shogun (Jodo Sect) as the Priestly King, Daimyo and Samurai as the enforcers (Zen Sect), with a class structured culture based on copious formalism and ritual (as in Shingon), with little humanity.
Quite literally, the Fuji School was included into a Danto structure which mixed the Daishonin’s Buddhism with the very Buddhisms representing the Four Dictums which were explicitly proscribed by Nichiren. And they were assembled into a sharing structure, both giving and receiving from the parent denomination, by operating as a tax collector for Danto, under Jodo Shogunate authorization, to operate as a Danto subject sect, on land given by the Jodo Shogun, doing gongyo in a hall donated by the Jodo Shogun’s niece.
This, in spite of the Daishonin’s clear and unmistakable admonition in the Rissho Ankoku Ron, to neither give alms (fuse) to the Icchantika (incorrigible disbeliever), nor to receive alms from the Icchantika (fuju). The slander which Makiguchi and Toda fought against (state religion), was actually perpetrated successfully upon Nichiren Buddhism in the 1600s, without any holdouts, in complete domination. How did this come to pass?
In a Sociological study of the times, Abukama writes: Article: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/moriyuki/abukuma/moriyukis/japan/jp_ruler/jp_ruler_frame.html
Bibliography: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/moriyuki/abukuma/moriyukis/japan/jp_ruler/jp_ruler_bib.html
Cache:
Both salvational Pure Land and prophetic Nichiren Buddhism formed the voluntary community of lay people which was once prohibited by the previous Yamato state. Their beliefs spread over the land of Japan. In particular, the Ikko sect, a sect of Pure Land Buddhism, developed a powerful hierocratic authority over the lay people.
Militarization of Buddhist Communities
Economic autonomy of monastery led not just to the independence of its religious authority but also to claim its supremacy over secular power. Weber states an unavoidable tension between the religious charisma of the monk and the religious authority of the caesaro-papist ruler:
Their [monks] charismatic religiosity rejects all caesaro-papist intervention in religious affairs much more vigorously than does any regular priesthood, and their strict ascetic discipline permits them to establish a very strong power position. Once monasticism has gained strength, it will clash sooner or later with caesaro-papist claims (1968, 1171).
During the frequent wars and power struggles, the monastery became militarized. Weber describes:
Given the thoroughly feudal character of the country, this competition [feudal lords and Buddhist orders] often gave the monastic communities of Japan the character of military communities of crusaders, of monastic orders of knights, especially as long as the monks, or at least the abbots, were recruited from noble strata. They fought at the same time for their own position of power in the population (1958, 280).
In addition to the monastery, sectarian and independent community of the laypeople also became militarized. The militarized followers of the Ikko (Jodo Shin) sect even overthrew the Togashi House, the military lord of Kaga domain, in 1468 and established a hierocratic rule for a century. Thus, the monastery and the sectarian community of the lay people became formidable religio-political authorities against the secular power of the warrior lords.
Oda's Destruction of Buddhist Communities
The death-struggle between the caesaro-papist authority and the hierocratic authority was unavoidable, and it came to climax with Nobunaga Oda (1534-82), a rationalist feudal lord. His introduction of disciplined warfare and gun powder changed the power-position between the secular lords and the Buddhist communities. Oda destroyed the Enryakuji, the most militarized and prestigious monastery, in 1571, 55 the Ikko sect, the most powerful Buddhist sect, in 1580 56 and other strongholds of the militarized Buddhist community. 57 Furthermore, he supported the spread of the Catholic Christianity in order to weaken the traditional and spiritual authority of the Buddhist monk and priest. Weber writes:
Oda Nobunaga, restored political sovereignty and restricted this power of the ecclesia militants [militarized Buddhist communities]. An enormous massacre broke the politico-military power of the Buddhistic monk orders forever, and the victors had no scruples about making use of the assistance of Christianity, above all, of Jesuit missionaries, for this purpose (1958, 280).
Thus, the power-struggle between Oda and the Buddhist community was the watershed of Japanese caesaro-papism. And the Buddhist hierocracy was rooted out.
Tokugawa's Religious Policy
Once the Shogunate destroyed the military power of the Buddhist communities, the spread of Christianity was also unfavorable for the caesaro-papist interest. To the Tokugawa Shogunate, the demilitarized Buddhist sects were easier to control than hierarchical Catholic Church. The Shogunate banned, persecuted, and finally terminated Christianity by the 1660, 58 which once counted over 300,000 believers. 59 Weber writes:
The religious edict of 1614 and the subsequent persecution of Christians finished the Christian mission in Japan and its establishment. Therewith, all clericalism in Japan was broken (1958, 280).
The persecution was targeted not just to Christianity but also to non-conformist Buddhist sects, especially, the Fuju-fuse ("No receiving and no giving") group of the Nichiren sect. The edict of 1614 denounced Christianity and the Fuju-fuse who were alike in insisting on having their own rites and temples and in refusing to support the worship of the parishes where they might reside. The Shogunate called them "enemies of the Empire and the objects of the people's hostility" (quoted in Eliot, 282). The Shogunate banned the Fuju-fuse and banished the leaders such as Nichio (1565-1630) and Nikko (1626-98). 60 Shogun's caesaro-papist interest had taken any opportunity to break the prestige and authority of the Buddhist sects. 61 To weaken the strong hierarchical organization of the Ikko (Jodo Shin) sect, the Shogun, Ieyasu Tokugawa (1542-1616), interfered with the succession of the chief priest in 1602, and caused the division of the sect. 62
Finally, the Shogunate instituted the state Buddhist church. 63 Every household was ordered to become affiliated with a parish temple (danka-dera). Every denomination of the Buddhist church was organized into hierarchy (hon-matsu ji). The parish temple issued a certificate (tera-uke) to prove that an individual was not a member of a forbidden sect. Those temples which had no hierarchical affiliation were demolished. Weber writes:
The Buddhist church was restored and for the first time systematically organized. But this occurred entirely under the auspices of the state.... Since the Tokugawa Iemitsu, no priest was allowed to officiate without having passed an examination in the Chinese manner (1958, 281).
The head of Buddhist church was the Shogun, and the department of temple and shrine (jisha-bugyo) controlled religious matters. Compared with other caesaro-papist regimes, however, the Shogunate could not control Buddhism completely like in China nor destroy like in Korea because Buddhism had established social prestige and intellectual authority, and formed the communities of the lay people.
The number of Buddhist temples increased more than 30 times before the institutionalization at the cost of the autonomy and prestigious authority. 64 Weber writes:
The number of Buddhist monasteries and temples increased tremendously, but the social power of the monks declined. The purchase of priestly offices seems to have been widely practiced (1958, 281).
"Buddhism became nothing more than a department of the feudal regime" (Kitagawa 1966, 175). State Buddhism became ritualized and democratized, and thereby lost prestige and religious authority. Weber continues:
In the monastic schools in general, they acquired only what was necessary for the practical management of the cult. Therewith the prestige of monasticism and Buddhism decreased; socially to a considerable extent (1958, 281).
Thus, the Tokugawa Shogunate successfully turned salvational and prophetical Buddhist sects into ritualistic and magical cult of the Buddhist church. 65
Under the pacification of the land, however, the feudal rulership was stereotyped. The Shogun could not demonstrate its military charisma against the threat of foreign power in the later 19th century. On this occasion, the disciplined local army destroyed Shogun's feudal rulership in 1868.
So Oda Nobunaga, then Hideyoshi, and finally Tokugawa Ieyasu centralized power. Along the way, they all had to contend with a powerful Daimyo, Takeda Shingen. Ieyasu was even defeated by the Takeda in the Battle of Mikatagahara in 1572 (http://www.orange.ne.jp/~hosoeone/english/e-mikata.htm), although he preserved his honor in a successful series of skirmishes the night following the defeat.
In the Fourth Battle of Kawanakajima (very famous) Takeda faced Uesugi Kenshin (http://www.rit.edu/~mlc8826/the%20clan/Takeda%20story/takedastory3.html), and in spite of being caught completely by surprise, survived and won, due to a strategic formation known as the Kakuyoku, or “Crane’s Wing”:
So the Takeda formed their kakuyoku, which Yoshihiko
Sasama (1968) tells us is the best formation for surrounding an
advancing enemy. A screen of arquebusiers and archers protect the
vanguard (in this case under the command of Shingen's younger
brother, Takeda Nobushige) while the main body of samurai, forming a
second and a third division, are spread out behind them like the
swept-back wings of a crane.
The general's headquarters
occupy the center, protected on both sides by hatamoto, the
particular chosen samurai, who are 'under the standard', which is the
translation of hatamoto. A squadron of reserve troops stand on each
side, slightly to the rear of the hatamoto. There is a rearguard,
with more archers and arquebusiers.
Ieyasu and his heirs would come to admire Takeda Shingen, and emulate many of his policies, although not his brutality:
His domestic policies demonstrate the duality of Takeda Shingen. On one hand, he kept two iron cauldrons on hand to boil alive certain criminals (a practice considered sufficiently cruel enough to provoke Tokugawa Ieyasu to have the cauldrons destroyed years later). On the other, he did away with corporal punishment for most minor offences, instituting in it's place a system of fines - an act that earned him considerable praise from the peasants and townspeople of Kai. Shingen's law was not considered overly harsh, and his was one of the few Sengoku Period administrations prior to 1582 to tax most of his subjects evenly (most exempted powerful samurai families and/or religious establishments) and with the option of payment in either gold or rice (a forerunner, in some ways, to the later Kandaka system).
Perhaps the greatest praise paid Shingen was by
Tokugawa Ieyasu himself. Following the defeat of Katsuyori in 1582
and the death of Oda Nobunaga, Ieyasu assumed control of Kai, and
borrowed freely from Shingen's style and techniques of governance,
which he later included in his model for the Tokugawa Shôgunate.
Edo Era and Fuji School Timeline
Combining generally liberal policies with focused harshness, typifies “hammering the nail that stands up”. The Hatamoto identifies the safest place in the Kakuyoku: “under the standard”. This also has a significance beyond military strategy, as the Buddhist sects would soon come to see. Inserted below is the following integrated timeline, collected from various sources: (http://academic.evergreen.edu/users6/smiwil07/, and also from the timeline presented on “Heritage and Slander in Nichiren Shoshu (1253-1979): http://members.aol.com/nichiheret/nichiren_shoshu/shoshuht.htm)
Timeline:
1568- Oda Nobunaga marches his powerful army into Kyoto and creates a puppet Shogunate.
1582- Oda Nobunaga is murdered. Toyotomi Hideyoshi inherits full power over clan.
1596-1682 From Yoboji temple in Kyoto (one of 8 Head temples; this particularly followed heretical doctrines, all HP (from 15th HP to 23rd HP) were scouted.
1598- Hideyoshi dies. Japan returns to war as Hideyoshi’s lieutenants fight for control.
1600- Tokugawa Ieyasu, one of Hideyoshi’s vassals, defeats rivals at Sekigahara and becomes Shogun.
1613- Trade expanded with the English and the Dutch. Tokugawa Ieyasu, believing Christianity to be a political threat to the Shogunate, expels Christian missionaries from Japan and outlaws Christianity. These laws are not strictly enforced because Tokugawa does not wish to seriously hamper the foreign trade.
1614- Danto system were formalized by Tokugawa Shogunate in which everyone had to belong to a temple as Danto. All temples became an administration agency.
1615- Hideyoshi’s son, Hideyori, accepts into his
castle at Osaka, the services of ronin who fought against Tokugawa
during the war. Tokugawa orders Hideyori to not accept the ronin.
Hideyori refuses and the Shogun’s army destroys Osaka castle.
Hideyori commits seppuku and the Toyotomi clan is no more. Tokugawa
now has no rivals.
Ieyasu dictates the Buke Sho Hatto (Laws for
Military House) restricting the conduct of the samurai class.
1616- Ieyasu dies. His son, Tokugawa Hidetoda, claims the Shogunate and further restricts trade and begins to enforce anti-Christian laws.
1623- The English close their factories and leave Japan. 50 Christians are executed in Edo.
1632- Tokugawa Hidetoda dies and his son, Tokugawa
Iemitsu, is given the Shogunate. Iemitsu begins to rigorously
suppress Christianity.
17th HP Nissei (came from Yoboji) opened
the Dai-Gohonzon to public viewing.
1635- All outgoing overseas Japanese shipping and travel
prohibited.
Entire Taisekiji was burned down by a fire. Great
evil at Taisekiji was always accompanied by temples burning (source:
Reformist Priests). The five buildings where the 5 separate prayers
of gongyo were done, were now gone.
1636- Famine breaks out all over Japan.
1638- Tokugawa Iemitsu crushes a ronin and peasant revolt on the Shimabara peninsula.
1639- Blaming Christianity for the Shimabara revolt, Tokugawa Iemitsu orders all daimyo to destroy Christianity in their clans. He issues the Final Isolation Edict. The Portuguese are expelled from Japan.
1640-All other Europeans are expelled from Japan. Portuguese envoys from Macao are beheaded.
1641-The Dutch are moved from Nagasaki to Dajima. Japan
is now completely closed to foreigners.
17th HP Nissei accepted
the order of Iemitsu, 6th Tokugawa Shogun, to discard the principle
of Fuju (not to receive the offering from heretical religious
believers, which had been set by Nichiren Daishonin ).
1642- Famine breaks out all over Japan.
1651- Tokugawa Iemitsu dies.
1654- Zen Priest Ingen arrives in Nagasaki from Ming and founds the Obaku Sect of Zen.
1657- Great Fire in Edo (Great Fire of Meiriki).
1678- Great Edo Earthquake.
1707- Mt Fuji erupts.
1718- Nichikan became 26th HP, eliminated heresy, established the authenticity of the Daishonins teachings, and rebuild temple facility.
1722- Sanmon Gate was built based upon donation of 6th Tokugawa Shogun and his wife.
1747- The Five-storied Pagoda was built by the donation of Mr. Itakura (Kameyama, Ise Prefecture) for the repose of his ancestor, who was the commander in chief dispatched to subdue the Christian Rebels at Shimabara and died.
To give you the flavor of the times and of the politics, from the Mishima City Website – with some spelling and grammar corrections (http://www2.tokai.or.jp/nut/part1.htm):
In the Edo Era, Iemitsu Tokugawa, the third Shogun, made all the feudal land lords travel to Edo and to stay there for particular period, say for one year of the coming next three years. While there, they had to build their own luxurious mansion in which their wife and retainers were living. Since then, successive shoguns had continued to force them into this system. It is said that its aim was to make the feudal land lords consume their resources, to weaken their military power, to prevent their rebellion. When feudal land lords traveled to Edo City, it took several weeks until they arrive in Edo coming from distant areas. In the case of lords who had a large domain, they used to make a very long parade by around 3,000 retainers. They forced all the owners of hotels and inns in a town to not accept travelers, in order to stay by themselves, when they pass on their way to Edo. Land lords had to undertake its heavy costs. When their parades are passing, the dwellers of the local villages and towns all had to sit on the ground and bow to the feudal lord.
One day in 1687, the parade of a land lord whose name was Naoyuki
Matsudaira was passing on the road before Mishima Taisha Shrine to
Edo. A little lovely girl named Kogiku, a daughter of Gennai Ohariya,
who was six years old, suddenly went across the road to the opposite
side as her mother accidentally was there. By the regulation in Edo
Era, any one who went across a parade of any feudal lord was arrested
and punished to death. When Kogiku walked across, a samurai walking
the head of the parade pretended that he saw a dog was passing
across, thinking to save her little life. But another retainer
arrested her. Surprised people of this place quickly called on a
buddhism priest of high rank and requested him to ask for Kogiku's
life to the Lord Matsudaira. The priest hurriedly came to there and
asked him, however, his effort was fruitless. Kogiku herself asked
the lord crying and said, "Please forgive me! I will do anything
you say to do." (The term "Gennari" means " I
will do anything you say.") Nevertheless, this young coldhearted
lord didn’t forgive her and alas she at last was killed. People
living in the place pitifully built the small shrine for her near
Mishima Taisha Shrine and prayed for her.You can see the four small
Jizoes stand , watching the small wooden shrine.
Definitely not an
era with concern for children.
Furthermore, these processionals at Edo were taken very seriously as a subjugation exercise by the Shogunate. Oda Nobunaga was murdered by a retainer, and the Tokugawas were taking nothing for granted.
Theory of the Meaning and Purpose of the Crane Emblem
To summarize, up to this point: After the Jodo sect armed itself in the 1500s and overthrew some feudal lords, in the 1600s Ieyasu Tokugawa cracked down on Buddhism itself, not just to remove Christianity, but also to make one state Buddhism, with himself as both Caesar and Pope. The removal of Christianity was an excuse (external threat) to allow complete annihilation of any threat to Shogunate rule (internal oppression). This is typical Machiavellian autocratic behavior. Notice how the Shimabara revolt, as blamed on the Christians, becomes the provocation excuse for eradicating them, just as Nero blamed the fire of Rome on them and fed them to the lions in the Coliseum in Rome. The thought easily occurs, that Iemitsu might have read some history from the Jesuits. Thus, the Christians sadly occupied their previous Roman role as a means to the empire, after being a tool of it. Notice also, that the donation for the Five-storied Pagoda at Taisekiji is based on the deceptive Shimabara story as well, bringing the tragedy full circle.
To the end of merging all of Buddhism into one state religion, the Nichiren School practice of Fuse (not to give alms to the Icchantika) and Fuju (not to receive alms from the Icchantika) stood in the way. Some adherents fought to the death, or went underground to preserve it. They were eventually all rooted out, however, since they had no protection from the correct practice, whatsoever.
The truth is, all Nichiren Buddhists, up until the appearance of Nichikan, were the Icchantika, even the Nichiren Shu Komon School (Nikko's school from which Nichiren Shoshu came in the fallout from the attempts of the Meiji Restoration). The “Untold History of the Fuji School” – World Tribune Press (2000) points out that from 1596 until 1692 that all High Priests came from Yoboji Temple, where practices like enshrining statues of Shakyamuni (as they were around Taisekiji at this time) were commonplace. The events which occurred in this era reflected the corrupt nature of the Nichiren School as a whole, since they were clearly not practicing Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism correctly. And the distorted views of the Tendai school, implying that the acceptance of whatever slander was required for survival was reasonable, was merely the determinism of Tendai playing itself out.
But there was worse to come. The 17th High Priest Nissei was clearly the Great Evil that preceded the Great Good of Nichikan. The arrangement by which Nissei became a powerful figure in the Tokugawa Iemitsu Shogun's Danto Buddhism began with the burning of Taisekiji (the five buildings where the five prayers were performed) in 1635 and culminated with the replacing construction of the image hall with gifts from Jodo Pure Land Buddhist sources (Kyodain). Great evil at Taisekiji was apparently always accompanied by a fire. (One would guess that Nissei didn’t enjoy moving from building to building, to do morning and evening prayers.)
That arrangement which formed the Edo basis of the Nichiren Shu Komon School (Fuji School) under the Shogun's Danto Buddhist Church includes:
The abandonment, by the Fuji School, of the practice of Fuse and Fuju (neither giving alms to, nor receiving alms from the Icchantika), which was very clearly required for securing the peace of the land, by Nichiren Daishonin (source: Weber).
The acknowledgement by the Shogunate of the Fuji School, as being a state-authorized part of Danto Buddhism (source: Weber).
The acceptance, by the Fuji School, of a large tract of land from the Shogunate, upon which ground it is not even now clear which temple structures have been built (source: Reformist Priests).
The change of gongyo, the morning and evening prayer of the Fuji School, after the fire burned the five buildings at Taisekiji, to having all the 5+3 prayers in the image hall (source: Reformist Priests), built with donations from Jodo Pure Land Buddhist sources.
The increased status of the High Priest of the Fuji School, which included being carried by a litter at the required attendance during processionals at Edo which showed the proper support of Danto Buddhism and the Shogun at it's head, by the Fuji School (source: Reformist Priests).
The first appearance of the state-authorized Danto crane talisman which identifies the Fuji School on banners in processionals, and allows identification of temple lands, villages and holdings. Nichiren Daishonin’s parents, like other common folk, did not have a family crest (that's a Nichiren Shoshu myth – source: Reformist Priests). Crests were reserved for the nobility, and now, Danto Buddhist sects.
So, what is the source and purpose of the Danto crane talisman? It wouldn’t seem to be related to the 1000 year memory of Nichiren, since it came at the same time that his Buddhism was being distorted by Nichiren Shu Komon School (Fuji School), at the behest of the 17th High Priest Nissei.
If it is Iemitsu’s Kakuyoku Mon “crane’s wing badge”, then the closing of the wings at the top could signify complete encirclement, and the marshalling of Nichiren’s main school at processions at Edo, under the Jodo Pure Land amalgamated Buddhism of the Shogun. Mustering the High Priest of Taisekiji at the Hatamoto, “under the standard” of the Shogun, during processionals at Edo. Where it’s safe. Checkmate.
Theory of the Appearance of the Crane Emblem
Could it possibly be worse? Well … yes, it very definitely could.
In a class text on Topics in Medieval Japanese History (http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/g/j/gjs4/480/intro_main.htm):
Notice also the small line over the last vowel in Hokkaid. This line is called a macron, and it indicates that the vowel should be pronounced for an extended length of time, roughly 1.7 times the ordinary length. English does not make distinctions between the length of vowels, but it is very important in Japanese. If, for example, you are explaining to someone in Japanese that you are so-and-so's advisor, be careful about vowel length. "Komon" 顧問 means "advisor," but the default meaning of "kômon" 肛門 is "anus" (or, in certain contexts, "a disciple of Confucius" 孔門 or "school gate" 校門.)
We can see that the meaning of the Nichiren Shu Komon School name can be changed, merely by drawing out the “o” an extra 70% longer. For those with a twisted sense of humor, say people with the power of life and death over others, this could be seen as an opportunity for idle amusement, or sport, at the expense of someone who is too weak to take any action to counter that. Someone like 17th High Priest Nissei, who has just completely subjugated himself and his school to the power of a lord, under the Shogunate.
But such a person wouldn’t be too obvious. A really excellent and twisting kind of a torturous attack would never be clearly discernable as such. It needs to be subtle, so that joyful attention can be brought to it again and again, in repeated fashion over the years.
Among the innovations perfected by the corrupted men of power at this time was “nawa shibari”, the immobilization of naked women by tying them with ropes, in subjugated positions. One famous position is called “Komon Sarashi Shibari”, leaving the woman exposed for long periods of time. Time enough for an artist to be inspired to make an erotic painting.
There was much erotic artwork produced in the Tokugawa period, and it is considered the classic period for erotic torture. The Yakuza also made their appearance at this time, as townsfolk fighting off the out-of-work samurai and ronin produced by the lack of feudal conflict (the good guys in the Seven Samurai). It was a very unpleasant time, filled with corrupted and unpleasant people…
So, one could imagine the catcalls produced at the first sighting in the distance of High Priest Nissei, high on his litter, as his party drew near to Edo Castle.
“Kooomon, Kooooomon”
As they see that crane symbol from a distance, it looks differently … with less detail …
And one could imagine some powerful man, leaning over and mentioning to a courtesan, that her portrait draws near …
Thus, I am grateful to 66th High Priest Nikken, for his excommunication of all of my friends in the Buddhist Order known as the SGI, and myself, from the Nichiren Shoshu organization which is represented by that crane. Thank you for Operation “C”. Thank you for all of your faithful service to the SGI. Good and evil are truly fused in the Law. You will surely attain enlightenment for your excellent work on behalf of the Daishonin’s Buddhism.
Courageous Nichiren Buddhists had to suffer that great evil, all those years ago. 26th High Priest Nichikan was most strict due to his experience with dealing with difficult circumstances brought on by his faithless predecessors. In his writing, “on Practicing the Buddha’s teachings, he states:
If we do not ponder the four dictums and if we ignore propagation, our hearts will become accomplices in slandering the Law. If we do not accomplish propagation with our voices, they will become accomplices in the slander of the Law. If we do not face the object of devotion with prayer beads in our hands, our bodies will become accomplices in the slander of the Law. Therefore, those who ponder the object of devotion of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra face the object of devotion of the “Life Span” chapter of the essential teaching and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo of the actual three thousand realms in a single moment of life --- that is, the Buddhism of sowing contained in the “Life Span” chapter of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra --- shall be the ones propagating the Law through the three kinds of karma --- thoughts, words and deeds. (The Collection of High Priest Nichikan’s Commentaries, p. 767)
We seem to have worked our way out of that mess, and there is no need to live with a “Kick Me” sign attached to our front anymore. I like the Lotus Wheel, or just no symbol at all.
The Mito Komon Show
Oddly enough there is an ironic twist at the end of this.
A currently long-running show on Japanese TV is called “Mito Komon”. It is based (very loosely) on the life of Tokugawa Mitsukun, who was a cousin of the Shogun at the time of 17th High Priest Nissei, Tokugawa Iemitsu. He was a lord of the Mito province, hence the Komon or advisor to Mito, which is now the Ibaraki Prefecture.
The plots are all similar, he runs around the countryside incognito, solving everyone’s problems, and when the inevitable threatening confrontation occurs, he flashes the Tokugawa crest, and everyone grovels in fear of his power.
The truth is inverted. The Tokugawas came to naught, and only held power for a time. Life is burning house, but the Law is eternal.
It is time to relinquish all attachments to the subjugating elements of that time, and all objects and institutions that still serve a historical and unjust system of the past. We think that we don’t remember, but our true nature never forgets the meaning of the crane, which is embedded in it’s appearance.
Otherwise, one raises the spectre of the past, with a high priest running around the countryside incognito, creating problems and when the inevitable confrontation occurs, flashing his crest, which causes everyone to secretly know his true intentions.
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