Nichiren Shônin passed away on the morning of October 13th at about 8 AM (in 1282, called the fifth year of Koan in Japanese terminology ) at the residence of Ikegami Munenaka at Ikegami, in the province of Musashi
(Tokyo). At that time, he was 61 calendar years old.
 
  On October 8th, just before his death, the Shônin chose the leading six
  disciples who would take his place. They were thereafter known as the Six
  Senior Disciples (Rokurôs in Japanese). His intention was to continue the
  propagation of his teachings by his faithful followers, with these six senior
  disciples as their leaders, after his death. These six chief disciples, according
  to tradition, were:
 
  1) Ben Ajari (Yamato-ajari) Nisshô (62 years old at the time of Nichiren's
  death)
 
  2) Daikoku-ajari (Chikugo-k ) Nichirô (40 years old at the time of Nichiren's
  death)
 
  3) Byakuren-ajari (Hoki-k ) Nikkô (37 years old at the time of Nichiren's
  death)
 
  4) Sado-kô (Mimbu-ajari) Nikô (30 years old at the time of Nichiren's death)
 
  5) Iyo-k (Iyo-ajari) Nitchô (31 years old at the time of Nichiren's death)
 
  6) Renge-ajari (Kai-k ) Nichi-ji (33 years old at the time of Nichiren's death)
 
  This list is traditionally compiled in the order of when each disciple became a
  follower of Nichiren.
 
  Nichiren's funeral was held at noon on the 14th of October, according to the
  "Shusô Gosenge Kiroku" written by Nikkô . In this record, the official seals
  of four of the six senior disciples, namely Nisshô , Nichirô , Nikkô and Nichi-
  ji, are affixed on the separations of the pages. These seals give the document
  a quasi-legal status.
 
  At the head of the funeral procession was a torch bearer, followed by bearers
  of flowers, flags and incense. Nichiren's coffin was the center of the
  procession. Nichir led the front procession and Nissh led the rear procession
  in their capacity of the principal leaders, followed by other disciples and lay
  believers. Based on the record of Nikkô , the order of the procession was
  written as follows:
 
 
  Jiju-kô <Picture>
 
  Shimotsuke-kô
 
  left Renge-ja (Nichi-j )
 
  Front Procession Daikoku-ajari (Nichirô )
 
  right Dewa-kô
 
  Izumi-kô
 
  Tajima-kô
 
  Kyo-kô
 
  Shinano-kô
 
  Iza-kô
 
  Settsu-kô
 
  left Byakuren-ajari (Nikkô )
 
  Rear procession Ben-ajari (Nisshô )
 
  left Tamba-kô
 
  Dayu-kô
 
  Chikuzen-kô
 
  Suke-kô
 
 
 
  For some reason, Nikô and Nitch were not present at Nichiren Shônin's death
  or funeral. The probable reason for their absence was the difficulty, in those
  days, to easily and quickly communicate with outlying areas. Nikô and Nitchô
  were propagating in far away districts hence they could not be notified in time
  of Nichiren's death and funeral.
 
 
 
    Nikko wrote about Nichiren's distribution of mementos to his disciples.
  They are quoted from Nikko's record as follows:
 
 
 
  Distribution of the mementos:
 
 
 
  The Lotus Sutra, (with notes in Nichiren's own hand), one set to Ben-ajari
  (Nisshô )
 
  (This annotated Lotus Sutra is called the "Chô Hokekyô ).
 
 
 
  Object of Worship, one figure, a statue of Shakyamuni, to Daikoku-ajari
  (Nichirô)
 
 
 
  One horse and one cloak to Sado-kô (Nikô)
 
 
 
  One horse, including saddle, a pair of tabi (socks), a hat and a cloak to
  Byakuren-ajari (Nikkô )
 
 
 
  A waist sash (obi), money in the amount of three yen to Iyo-ajari (Nitchô)
 
 
 
  One horse, one cloak, one staff to Renge-ajari (Nichi-ji)
 
 
 
  (Gifts to the remaining recipients are omitted here for sake of brevity.)
 
 
 
  The Shônin's mementos were given to the Six Senior Disciples and other
  believers, numbering about 35 people in all. According to the "Ganso kedo-
  ki" of Nitchô , Nichiren Shônin said before his death, "After I die, put my
  body in a cauldron and send it to Minobu." However, Nichirô answered him,
  "If we could make it to Minobu in a day or half a day, we could do as you
  say. But it's very far to Minobu. Please let us cremate you. We'll place your
  remains in Minobu without fail." To this, the Shônin replied, "You're
  absolutely right. Then, make it so, Nichirô ." Thus, Nichiren Shônin was
  cremated at Ikegami on the 21st of October. His ashes, guarded and
  transported by his disciples, left Ikegami and arrived at Minobu on the 25th of
  October.
 
 
 
  According to the Shônin's last wishes, the disciples were to serve at Kuonji
  Temple on Mt. Minobu in a monthly rotation system. They decided to take
  turns in the following way: January (Nisshô ), February (Nichirô ), March
  (Echizen-kô and Awaji- kô), etc. But, when they tried to stick to this
  schedule, the monthly rotation system didn't work well due to harsh seasonal
  weather and the great distances that most disciples had to travel. Their
  centers of propagation were located far from Mt. Minobu. In the winters the
  snow at Minobu was so deep that Nichiren wrote on one occasion that "for
  one or two hundred meters, the depth of the snow is from about three to six or
  seven meters". And another time Nichiren said, "This is a place where snow
  is so deep that nobody visits." In the summers there was a heavy rainy
  season. Once again, Nichiren wrote: "The long and heavy rains cause many
  landslides from the mountains into the valleys. Heavy stones would roll down
  the mountains and block the road." Both in summer and winter the roads
  would become damaged, the bridges would be swept away by floods and the
  way would become impassable, bringing the comings and going of people and
  goods to a halt.
 
 
 
  In addition to this, Nisshô and Nichirô had their bases of propagation in
  Kamakura, specifically the sections of town called Hamado and
  Matsubagaya- tsu. Nikô and Nitchô carried out their propagation in Mobara
  and Nakayama respectively. Nikkô and Nichiji had their base of operations in
  the Fuji and Suruga districts. Even if they climbed Mt. Minobu to fulfil their
  duties of rotation, their individual time of service was very short-term. It
  seems that the system didn't last for more than half a year or so. Nikkô had
  his base of propagation closest to Minobu. Since he had been responsible for
  converting Hakii Sanenaga, the jito of Minobu, during Nichiren's lifetime, it
  was natural that Nikkô began to spend more and more time at Minobu to
  conduct the temple affairs.
 
 
 
  In a letter from Nikkô to Misaku-bô , dated October 18th, of the seventh year
  of Koan (1284), the former lamented, "Though this year is the third
  anniversary of the Shônin's death....worst of all, the Shônin's grave by the
  creek of Minobu has become so badly dilapidated. If it were not for the
  footprints of deer and other animals, I could not even distinguish where it is."
  In just three short years after the Shônin's death, the conditions had
  deteriorated that much.
 
 
 
  Because of these various conditions, the rotation system at Minobu had many
  problems. On the seventh anniversary of the Shônin's death, the jito,Hakii
  Sanenaga, proposed the following plan to the Six Senior Disciples:
 
  "Though this is the will of the Daishônin, the rotation system is not working
  well. How about appointing a full-time temple priest...?"
 
  Five of the six major disciples agreed with thejito but Nikkô firmly opposed
  the idea because the rotation system had been the Shônin's dying wish.
 
 
 
    Nevertheless Nikkô 's opinion was rejected and Sado-b Nikô was chosen as
  the head priest of Minobu. Soon afterwards, Nikkô departed from Mt.
  Minobu with his disciples. Relying on the support of Nanj Tokumitsu in the
  Fuji area Nikkô built Taisekiji temple in Ueno village. Shortly afterward, in
  an authentic letter to Lord Hara, Nikkô wrote:
 
 
 
    "I can hardly tell you how ashamed I was and how sorry I was for leaving
  Minobu creek [where Nichiren's tomb is located]. However, on further
  consideration of the matter, it's not important where I am; it is important to
  accede to the teachings of Nichiren Shônin and to spread it all over the world.
  All of the [other] disciples are against the Master. They disobeyed the teacher
  [i.e. Nichiren Shônin]. I believe that only I, Nikkô , am the one who protects
  the Shônin's doctrine and practices according to His original intention..."
 
 
 
    Nikkô 's sorrow and regret at leaving Minobu moves our hearts when we
  read it, even now, after seven hundred years. In addition, it is honorable that
  he tried to keep the doctrine of Nichiren Shônin pure, no matter where he
  was. We should emulate his example.
 
 
 
    Concerning these general conditions after Nichiren Shônin's death, I am
  relying on generally accepted historical information. However, the Kômon
  Branch (Nikkô School), and especially the Taisekiji faction, has its own very
  different viewpoints. Taisekiji claims that:
 
 
 
  1) On October 12th of the second year of Koan (1279), Nikkô was given a
  special gohonzon(supposedly inscribed for "all the people of the world"--"
  [ichienbudai or all of "Jambudvipa"]) from Nichiren Daishônin. (This is
  widely known as the "Ita Honzon" or Plank Mandala, inscribed on a large
  piece of camphor wood. This "Ita Honzon" is actually a forged mandala made
  some hundred and fifty years after Nichiren's death.)
 
 
 
  2) Nikkô was given the "Transmission Documents" [or "Transfer
  Documents"] from Nichiren Daishônin; the first document is supposedly
  dated September 12th in the fifth year of Koan (1282) at Minobu and the
  second document is dated October 13th [1282], the day of the Shônin's death,
  at Ikegami. They pride themselves on the possession of these so-called "Nika
  S j " [Two Transmissions]. Like the "Ita Honzon", these documents are also
  forgeries. These documents disgrace the virtue and integrity of Nikkô .
 
 
 
    Here are the reasons why these two "Transmission Documents" are
  considered forgeries:
 
 
 
  1) If Nikkô was singled out by the Daishônin with so great an honor as these
  "Two Transmissions" would impart, then Nikkô should have been designated
  as the principal leader of the procession at the Shônin's funeral. But the fact is
  that, according to Nikkô 's own written testimony, the principal leader of the
  front procession was Nichirô ; and Nisshô was the principal leader of the rear
  procession.
 
 
 
  2) If the Two Transmission Documents are true, then it would not have
  meaningless for Nichiren Shônin to designate the Six Senior Disciples as
  leaders after his death. In the designated order of senior disciples in the
  funeral cortege, Nikkô should have been the most honored among the six.
  Though the Six Senior Disciples were not listed in any particular order, they
  were actually ranked according to the time when they became disciples of
  Nichiren.
 
 
 
  3) The Two Transmission Documents say, "If the Lord [i.e. Emperor] of the
  country supports this teaching, build the Kaidan [Ordination Platform] of
  Hommonji at Mt. Fuji." But according to the authentic record of Nikkô ,
  entitled "Fuji Itseki Mon to Zonchi-no-koto", Nikkô writes, "The Master [i.e.
  Nichiren] who preceded me had not decided on any country or any particular
  place. It is customary, at least in Buddhism, to choose the most scenic spot
  and build a temple there. Then, Mt. Fuji in Sugaru (Shizuoka Prefecture) is
  the supreme mountain in Japan. We should build our temple there." As we
  can see, the Master, Nichiren, had not decided where to build the Kaidan of
  Hommonji. This indicates that the Two Transmission Documents are
  obviously forgeries.
 
 
 
  4) If Nikkô had the Two Transmission Documents in his possession when he
  left Mt. Minobu then he would have been delighted to go to Fuji because it
  would be fulfilling the designated mission of building the Kaidan of
  Hommonji at Fuji. But, in fact, as stated above in the authentic letter to Lord
  Hara, Nikko was disheartened to leave Minobu. For these reasons, the Two
  Transmission Documents are absolute forgeries. Even in the other temples of
  the K mon [Nikkô ] Branch apart from Taisekiji, thoughtful scholars deny the
  validity of the Two Transmission Documents. These documents are
  considered forgeries by everyone outside of the Taisekiji faction.
 
 
 
    Then we should consider the significance of the distribution of Nichiren's
  mementos. As stated in a previous section, Nisshô was given the Chô
  Hokekyô [Nichiren's Annotated Lotus Sutra]; Nichirô was given Nichiren's
  own object of worship, a statue of Shakyamuni. In contrast, Nikkô was only
  given one horse with a saddle, a pair of socks, a hat, a cloak, etc. We can
  sense that Nikkô was displeased with this distribution of mementos by merely
  reading his letter to Lord Hara wherein he wrote,
 
 
 
    "...instead of the statue of Buddha which Daikoku Ajari (Nichirô ) has
  deprived me of...." [Hara dono gohenji] Nikkô would hardly have chosen the
  word "deprive" in referring to the division of mementos if he had been
  satisfied and happy with the distribution. Certainly if Nikkô had the Two
  Transmission Documents in his possession he would not have grumbled about
  his allotment of mementos.
 
 
 
    In the letter to Lord Hara [Hara dono gohenji] Nikkô writes,
 
 
 
  "The teaching of Nichiren is the one that states that if you have abandoned
  Shakyamuni Buddha who is the Original Lord and Master of the sentient
  beings of the Triple World [Saha] and if you rely instead on Amida Buddha
  and give sole respect to Amida Buddha, then you will become a person who
  is guilty of the five deadly sins; you will fall into a hell of interminable
  suffering, [Avichi Hell] isn't that true?"
 
 
 
  Thus it is clear that Nikkô worshipped Shakyamuni Buddha as the Original
  Master; he states that Nichiren also regarded Shakyamuni Buddha as the
  Original Master. Further on in the letter, Nikko also shows deference to
  Shakyamuni Buddha, calling him:
 
 
 
  "The original intention of the appearance of Nichiren Shônin in this world, the
  Master Shakyamuni Buddha of Namu-myo-ho-renge-kyo."
 
 
 
    This is in sharp contradiction to the Taisekiji claim that Nichiren is the
  Original Buddha.
 
 
 
  At present, the "Fuji-ha" [Taisekiji faction, otherwise known as "Nichiren Sh
  shu"] of the K mon Branch [Nikkô School] asserts that Shakyamuni is merely
  the "Liberation Buddha" while Nichiren is the "Original [or True] Buddha".
  They claim that,
 
 
 
    "Shakyamuni is like the cast-off shell of a cicada [Japanese beetle], while
  Nichiren is indeed the Original Buddha."
 
 
 
  The original cause for their claim lies in Nikkô 's disgruntled resentment over
  the distribution of mementos of Nichiren. The statue of Shakyamuni Buddha
  which Nichiren had cherished throughout his life had been given to Nichirô
  and his subsequent lineage. Nikkô expressed such resentment over being
  "deprived" of this treasure that his future disciples at Taisekiji vindicated his
  sense of loss by tossing out the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha altogether.
 
 
 
  We should note that, after the death of Nichiren Daishônin, each "lineage" of
  the Six Senior Disciples lines propagated the teaching at the risk of their lives
  in various locations. A second or third echelon of the six schools often
  developed very quickly. However, as propagation progressed to later
  generations of disciples, each lineage fell into their own dogma. Claiming that
  they alone possessed the special teachings and the treasures of Nichiren
  Shônin, they each professed to be the only orthodox branch. Gradually each
  school started to advocate different viewpoints. Each school fell into disputes
  with one another. In response to this, one hundred years after the demise of
  Nichiren Daishônin, Nichi-j Shônin rose to action with the rallying cry, "Let's
  go back to Nichiren Daishônin!"