(Nichren Fighting with the Swordmen)

Buddhist priest Nichiren (1222-1281) founded the Nichiren sect of Buddhism in response to the reigning sects of Pure Land Buddhism in 13th-century Japan. Based on the Lotus sutra, this sect was highly controversial at the time. Nichiren and his followers were often taunted and ridiculed. In this scene, Nichiren holds his glowing rosary in the air. The light emitting from the rosary blinds his attackers, allowing his disciple to escape at the left of the scene. This print calls to mind Nichiren’s failed execution, in which a large glowing orb appeared in the sky, blinding and confusing Nichiren’s executioner.