Nisshin (日親)

Nisshin (1561 - 1617) was a high priest of the Nichiren sect of Buddhism during the periods of Warring States (in Japan) and Azuchi-Momoyama period. He was the son of Kunimitsu HIROHASHI who belonged to the Hino line of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan. His brothers included Kanekatsu HIROHASHI and Terusuke HINO. His title was Kyukyoin. He was the 16th abbot of the Honkoku-ji Temple (which was then written as 本國寺 rather than the present 本圀寺) and later founded the Jojakko-ji Temple.

In his early ages he entered the ministry as a disciple of Nissei, the 15th abbot of Honkoku-ji Temple and became the 16th chief abbot at the age of 18. In 1595 he did not attend the ceremony of thousand priest mass at the Great Buddha Hall of the Hoko-ji Temple built by Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI, observing the doctrine of fujufusegi (that required the followers of Nichiren Buddhism neither to give any alms to, nor to take any alms from the non-followers of the sect). In April 1596 he resigned from the Honkoku-ji Temple and made a pilgrimage to the sacred site on the Sado Island associated with Nichiren the founder of the sect. On his return to Kyoto in the same year he founded the Jojakko-ji Temple on Mt. Ogura and became a hermit. Having gained the profound trust of the townspeople in Kyoto, he was given the land in Mt. Ogura in Saga by Ryoi SUMINOKURA who was a wealthy merchant. Later he supported Ryoi who undertook it upon himself to carry out improvements on the Oi river.

[Original Japanese]