Nichiren publicly declared the chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo at Seichō-ji (Awa Province, present-day Chiba), marking the beginning of his independent movement centered on exclusive devotion to the Lotus Sutra.
Nichiren submitted Risshō Ankoku Ron ("On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land") to retired regent Hōjō Tokiyori, arguing that national calamities stemmed from reliance on “incorrect” Buddhist teachings and urging state support for the Lotus Sutra.
A mob attacked Nichiren’s dwelling at Matsubagayatsu in Kamakura, attempting to kill him; he escaped. The incident became one of the major early persecutions shaping Nichiren’s self-understanding as a persecuted Lotus Sutra advocate.
Nichiren was arrested and sent into exile to Izu, an early major state sanction against his preaching and criticisms of other Buddhist schools; the exile helped consolidate a committed circle of supporters.
Nichiren and companions were ambushed at Komatsubara (Awa/Chiba area). Two disciples were killed and others injured, making it one of the most severe attacks on Nichiren’s community during his lifetime.
Nichiren was arrested by Hei no Saemon-no-jō (Hōjō Yoritsuna) and taken to Tatsunokuchi for an attempted execution, which was called off. The event became a decisive turning point later used to frame his mission amid persecution.
After detention near Kamakura, Nichiren was sent into exile to Sado Island. The severe conditions of Sado became the setting for major doctrinal writings and the strengthening of his movement’s institutional identity.
In exile on Sado, Nichiren completed Kaimoku-shō ("The Opening of the Eyes"), a major treatise defending his role as a Lotus Sutra practitioner and addressing the problem of persecution and “lack of divine protection.”
Nichiren drafted Kanjin no Honzon Shō ("The True Object of Worship") during the Sado exile, setting out core principles about the proper object of devotion grounded in the Lotus Sutra and Tiantai/Tendai doctrine.
Nichiren was pardoned from exile and returned to Kamakura, where he renewed remonstrations with authorities in the context of the Mongol threat and internal political tensions.
Nichiren left Kamakura and entered Mount Minobu (Kai Province), where a hermitage (later associated with Kuon-ji) became the movement’s key center for training disciples and composing major works.
Nichiren wrote Letter to the Brothers to encourage the Ikegami brothers, important lay supporters. The letter illustrates how Nichiren’s movement relied on committed household networks and samurai patrons to endure pressure.
At Minobu, Nichiren composed Senji-shō ("The Selection of the Time"), arguing that the era of the Latter Day of the Law was the proper time to propagate devotion to the Lotus Sutra and Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
After learning of his former teacher Dōzen-bō’s death, Nichiren wrote Hō’on-shō ("On Repaying Debts of Gratitude"), a major statement of doctrine and ethical obligation that also sought to repay his debt to his teacher and lineage.
Nichiren died in Ikegami (near present-day Tokyo) after illness, leaving disciples to carry forward his teachings and community organization. His death catalyzed succession arrangements and later sectarian developments within Nichiren Buddhism.
Nichiren: Teachings, Persecutions, and Movement Formation (1253–1282)
