Old Japanese Story - The miracle at Botamochi-dera

Approx. 1 km south-east of Kamakura Station, you can find the Jo-eiji Temple, known also as Botamochi-dera.

Here, on September 12 1271, a strange drama took place, considered a miracle by the adepts of Nichiren Buddhism.

The monk Nichiren, the founder of the Nichiren sect, was a controversial figure of that epoch, because his teachings conflicted with the teachings of other Buddhist sects. Nichiren considered that his school, based on Lotus Sutra, was the only correct form of Buddhism and all the other forms where heretical or unfit. He also criticized the government and the religious leaders, and eventually was arrested by the shogunate and sentenced to death.

On the day of his execution, when he was taken towards the place of execution, he passed by the Jo-eiji Temple.

Here, a woman from his sect offered him botamochi, cookies made from rice flour and sweet azuki bean covered with sesame.

During his execution, the executioner’s sword was apparently stricken by a lightning bolt. The terrified executioners stopped, considering this was a divine intervention and the witnesses said that the botamochi was what saved Nichiren’s life.

Since then, the Temple is known as Botamochi-dera and, on every September 12th, a celebration for Nichiren takes place and the visitors receive “lifesaving botamochi” as charm against bad luck.

La aproximativ un kilometru sud-est de staţia Kamakura se află templul Jo-eiji, cunoscut şi cu numele de Botamochi-dera.

Aici, pe 12 septembrie 1271, a avut loc o întâmplare deosebită, considerată un miracol de adepţii şcolii budhiste Nichiren.

Preotul Nichiren, fondatorul şcolii budhiste Nichiren, a fost un personaj controversat al vremii respective, deoarece învăţăturile sale au intrat în contradicţie cu învăţăturile celorlalte secte budhiste. Nichiren susţinea că şcoala lui, bazată pe Lotus Sutra, este singura formă corectă de budhism şi că celelalte şcoli ar trebui interzise. Drept urmare, a fost arestat şi condamnat la moarte de către shogunat.

În drum spre locul de execuţie, s-au oprit la templul Jo-eiji.

O călugăriţă din şcoala lui i-a adus preotului botamochi, prăjituri din faină de orez şi pastă azuki acoperite cu susan.

În timpul execuţiei, sabia călăului a fost lovită de un fulger. Călăul, îngrozit, a oprit execuţia, considerând că a fost o intervenţie divină. Martorii evenimentului au spus că botamochi primit de la femeie i-au salvat viaţa lui Nichiren.

De atunci, templul a rămas cunoscut cu numele de Botamochi-dera. În fiecare an, pe 12 septembrie, aici are loc o slujbă pentru preotul Nichiren, iar cei care vin la templu primesc botamochi, ca talisman împotriva ghinionului.