窪之坊の由来
(窪之坊)当山の開山は、日蓮聖人の本弟子六老僧の一人、日持上人(蓮華阿闍梨)なり。
上人は駿河の人、日蓮聖人滅後14年1月元旦、日蓮聖人の宿願たる本化の妙法法華信仰を遠く漢土(中国)月氏(印度)に帰す使命を果たすべく、単身四十六才にして、故郷を後に路を北にとり、奧州・蝦夷(北海道)に至り、更に大陸に至ったと伝えらる。
没年未詳のため、宗門では上人の日本出発日即ち永仁三年(1295A.D)正月一日を以て御命日といたせり。
惟うに、吾が国に佛教は旧く中国、朝鮮を経由して伝来せしもの、従って、之を学びに海外に赴いた学僧はあれども、反対に日本から佛法を広めるべく海外に渡った僧は、日本佛教史上 日持上人を措いては他にひとりも無き先駆けなり。
今日、日蓮宗門では挙げて、日持上人を海外伝導の鼻祖と稱える所以なり。
尚、当山には虚空蔵菩薩を祭つれり、日蓮聖人幼少の折一生の誓願を立てられた逸話をはじめ寅年、丑年生れの守護神としても有名なり。
又、腰病守護の神として、日辰上人を祭る。
住職 堀 一陽

窪之坊めぐり
日持上人の生涯
【海外布教の始祖】
仏教は、従来、インド、中国、朝鮮半島を渡って伝来しましたが、日本の僧侶で仏教や経典を求める為に渡ったものは決して少なくありませんが、仏法を広めるために大陸に進出したのは、日本仏教史上日持上人を先駆者とします。
【日持上人(1250~)】
日蓮上人の本弟子六老僧の一人甲斐公・蓮華阿闍梨と号す。静岡県本山蓮永寺開山
その所伝は、概ね駿河庵原群松野の松野六郎左衛門の第2子として誕生し、幼名を松千代といい、幼少より志して和漢の典籍を読破し、文章・和歌にその才を発揮したとされる。
虚空蔵菩薩
日蓮聖人は幼少12才にして、千葉は清澄の山に登り、道善御坊を師として出家の生活に精進しました。
当時清澄寺は、安房、上總、下總の三ヶ郷一帯の總鎮守として有名でありました。
而かも後に日蓮聖人が「日蓮をして日本第一の智者たらしめ給え」と誓願遊ばさしたる清澄寺のご本尊、虚空蔵菩薩は伝に依れば、光仁天皇の宝亀2年に不思議法師なる熱烈なる修行者が此の山に籠り、修行中山中の老伯樹を切り、虚空蔵菩薩の佛体を彫刻して、山中のお堂に奉納しました。
後、仁明天皇の承和3年(836A.D.)比叡山の慈覚大師が東国遊化の際に来りて清澄寺の中興を計りました。
歴史移り替わって、昭和24年に眞言宗清澄山は大改宗の後、日蓮宗清澄山となり今日に至っております。
当山の虚空蔵菩薩は曽って国宝に擬せられたる事もあり、そのお姿の荘重さは、他に比類無く、智慧の守護神として或いは又、寅年丑年の守護神としても有名です。
Temple Stay: Kubono-Bo
Origin of Kubono-Bo
The founder of Kubono-Bo was one of the six principal disciples of Nichiren Shonin, Nichiji Shonin (Renge Ajari).
On New Year’s Day 14 years after Nichiren Shonin’s death, the shonin, who was originally from Suruga (present day Shizuoka), is said to have gone north to Oshu (in Iwate) , to Ezo (present day Hokkaido) and then to the mainland to fulfil his master’s long-cherished dream of reinvigorating the true Buddhist teachings in China and India.
Because the year of his death is unknown, in Nichiren Sect, his death is taught as the day he left Japan on January 1st, 1295.
Because Buddhism was initially introduced to Japan via China and Korea, many Japanese monks had gone overseas to study Buddhism, but Nichiji Shonin is believed to be the first one to go abroad as a missionary in the history of Japanese Buddhism.
Hence Nichiren Sect honors Nichiji Shonin as the father of overseas propagation.
This temple enshrines Kokuzo Bosatu (Akasagarbha Bodhisattvas), to whom Nichiren Shonin famously vowed his devotion when he was a 12 year old boy and is also considered a guardian deity for those born in the year of the Tiger and the Ox.
Also enshrined in Kubono-Bo is Nisshin Shonin (42nd Chief Priest of Minobusan) as the guardian deity for back pain.
Kazuharu Hori, Chief Priest
Background of Kubono-Bo
Life of Nichiji Shonin
【Father of overseas propagation】
Buddhism was introduced to Japan through India, China, and the Korean Peninsula, so many Japanese monks had gone overseas to deepen their understanding of Buddhism and the sutras but no one had gone overseas to promote Buddhist teachings as a missionary until Nichiji Shonin.
【Nichiji Shonin (1250-)】
Nichiji Shonin is known as Kaiko Renge Ajari, one of the six principal disciples of Nichiren Shonin and founder of Honzan Ren’eiji Temple in Shizuoka. Second born to Rokurosaemon Matsuno in Matsuno in Suruga Province (present day Shizuoka) given the childhood name of Matsuchiyo, he read through many Japanese and Chinese books as a young boy and was talented in writing and reading poems.
Back to “The Origin of Kubono-Bo”
Kokuzo Bosatsu
Nichiren Shonin was only 12 years of age when he climbed the mountain of Kiyosumi in Chiba, to devote his life to Buddhism under the master Dozen Gobo.
Kiyosumi Temple enshrined a well-known master protector of three regions of Awa,Kazusa, and Shimousa.
Moreover according to legend, the chief object of worship (Honzon) of Seichoji Temple, Kokuzo Bosatsu, to which Nichiren Shonin later makes a vow that he will be ”the wisest man in Japan”, was carved out of an old Malva nut tree in 770 A.D. by a fervent monk known as “Mysterious Priest”
Later in 836 A.D., Jikaku Daishi of Mt Hiei restored Seichoji Temple when he visited the temple during his missionary trip.
After a millennium, in 1949 after a major conversion, Shingon-Buddhist Seichoji Temple became Nichiren-Buddhist Seichoji Temple, as it is known today.
The Kokuzo Bosatsu in our temple, which is the Bodhisattva of Wisdom and the guardian deity of those born in the year of the Tiger and the Ox, was once considered a National Treasure as it has an extraordinarily majestic form.