Shadow of death (死相)
The shadow of death is described as follows:
Lineaments when one is coming to death. A look.
A look after one dies, that is, a look of a dead person or a dead face.
Buddhism
In Buddhism, without distinction of a lesser vehicle or a greater one, it is a prevailing view to judge, by seeing one's face of death, whether there is good nature or evil within.
"Daichidoron" (Commentary on the Great Wisdom Sutra) says as follows:
One with bad nature always has temperament of big wind, so one's body is restless.'
The one has temperament of big fire, so the one's body is hot.'
One with good nature always has temperament of great earth, so one's body is quiet.'
The one has temperament of big amount of water, so the one's body is cold.'
Also in 19 of "Shokyoyoshu" (The Collection of Sutras), the following six Gen (omen) (sansho, three norms to be used for discrimination between right and wrong in religion) are explained as the shadow of death leading to the Gozanze (previous world, this world and next world) depending on the Yugaron (a Buddhism scripture written in India around the fourth century).
To see whether one is reborn as a human; when one who does the right thing for Buddhism is just about to die, if the feet begin to become cold, then the navel does, but if the parts of top of it remain warm until one's life ends, then one will be reborn as a human. To see whether one is reborn in heaven; as for one who does the right thing, if the entire top of the head remains warm until one's life ends, then one will be reborn in heaven. To see whether one is reborn as a hungry demon; if the top of the head begins to become cold and the navel does, but the parts lower than the hips remain warm until one's life ends, then one will be reborn as a hungry demon. To see whether one is reborn as a beast; if the top of the head begins to become cold and finally the knees do, but the parts lower than the knees remain warm until one's life ends, one will be reborn as a beast. To see whether one is reborn in hell; if the top of the head begins to become cold and finally the feet do, but the soles remain warm until one's life ends, then one will be reborn in the hell. To see whether one enters into Nirvana; if arhat shonin (saint) enters into Nirvana, the heart or the top of the head remains warm for a few days.
And in 3 of "Yushikiron" (a Buddhism scripture written by an Indian priest from four to five centuries), it says, 'When one is just about to die, a line separating the hot part and cold part gradually appears on the body to show whether one is good-natured or evil-natured.'
In addition, in 10 of "Kusharon" (sutra of the Kusha Sect) and so on, the look of one's death is explained.
Based on these Buddhist scriptures, Nichiren blamed founders of other sects such as Shingon Sect or Ritsu Sect, and claimed superiority of his own sect. Therefore, ideological threat by some sects which propagate advocating exclusive and self-righteous dogmas, succeeding his teachings, has been regarded as a problem.