The Spirit of Primordial Buddhism, HBS (April and Butsuryu Damashii)

April and Butsuryu Damashii (the Spirit of Primordial Buddhism, HBS)

In April, we have been sharing the account of the profound incident that occurred on April 3, 1993 (Heisei 5), when my father, the previous Head Priest, suffered a life-threatening injury and received a miraculous, visible benefit through faith.

Next year marks the 30th anniversary of the publication of Butsuryu Damashii (the Spirit of Primordial Buddhism, HBS). We must never allow this sacred event to be forgotten or be belittled to merely a tale of the past. The true meaning of what happened has yet to be fully conveyed, and the lessons it holds remain to be realized and acted upon.

The origin of “The Flying Monk” lies in this very incident. The Head Priest, in front of the eyes of many, taught us living Buddhism—by becoming critically injured, he revealed the power of the Odaimoku, the strength of Ojogyo (the devotional practice of aiding those in need), and the spirit of Primordial Buddhism, HBS.

It happened within the premises of Myoshinji Temple, adorned in full cherry blossom bloom. Amid the cheerful bustle of preparation for a Buddhist service, the Head Priest, while riding a bicycle down a slope brakeless, collided with a fence and fell headfirst six meters below.

He suffered a fractured skull, cerebral contusions, a basilar skull fracture, brain edema, and intracranial hemorrhaging. Clear cerebrospinal fluid flowed from his nose. The frontal and occipital lobes were both severely damaged. The doctors hoped to relieve the cranial pressure by opening the skull, but due to injuries near the brainstem, surgery was not possible. He had lost the ability to breathe on his own. A tracheotomy was performed, and he was kept alive through mechanical ventilation. It was a catastrophic medical emergency.

Immediately, we began Ojogyo. “If we stop chanting the Odaimoku, the Head Priest will die!” With this resolve, we took shifts around the clock and continued our chanting and prayers without ceasing.

For 49 days, the Head Priest remained unconscious. There were moments of hope and despair, but we continued Ojogyo with all our strength. Then, on the 49th day, an earthquake struck Kanagawa Ward, Yokohama—the very location of Myoshinji Temple—with a seismic intensity of 4.

At that very moment, the Head Priest opened his eyes.

We have often shared in our sermons how he awakened with the tremor. Remarkably, the Japan Meteorological Agency’s database records this earthquake on May 21, 1993.

Everything aligns. This was not fantasy, not wishful thinking, not a fabricated myth. It was the truth, and I want everyone to know it.

Here is the official link:

https://www.data.jma.go.jp/eqdb/data/shindo/index.html#19930521113637

At exactly 11:36:37–38 a.m., the epicenter was in southern Ibaraki Prefecture, at a depth of 61 kilometers, magnitude 5.4. The unusual feature of this earthquake was that the tremors were stronger in distant locations than near the epicenter. While nearby cities like Kakioka (Ishioka) and Sakuramachi (Kumagaya) registered intensity 3, more distant areas like Akebonocho (Utsunomiya), Ōtemachi (Tokyo), and even farther away—Yamatecho in Naka Ward, Yokohama—registered a stronger intensity of 4.

In fact, contemporary reports stated that Kanagawa Ward—not just Naka Ward—experienced seismic intensity 4. That means Myoshinji Temple, located in Mitsuzawa-Kamicho, Kanagawa Ward, Yokohama, was directly struck by this localized tremor.

Please refer to page 164 of “Butsuryu Damashii”. It begins as follows:

⸻

May 21st.

That morning, after returning from the hospital and completing my morning prayers, I went back to the temple residence. I spoke briefly in the kitchen, then went to my sister’s room and lay down on the bed. I’m not sure what time it was. Just as I was dozing off—

Suddenly, the whole room shook violently.

“Oh, an earthquake,” I said, springing up and looking around, but it was pitch dark—I had closed the storm shutters. It must have been about seismic intensity 4. Nothing fell, but the tremor was strong.

The entrance bell, right next to the room, jingled loudly. Reverend Senyo rushed in, loudly proclaiming:

“Let’s see if this earthquake brings good or ill. A sign is coming!”

Yes, the earth had moved. The Lotus Sutra teaches of the “six kinds of earthquakes,” stating such miraculous signs will always precede the expounding of great Dharma. Earthquakes are deeply significant in the context of faith.

In the Hōren-shō, our Founder Nichiren Shonin taught:

“Because the practitioner of the Lotus Sutra is resented by kings, vassals, and the people, the guardian deities who vowed to protect the practitioner at the assembly of the Lotus Sutra shake the earth in rage, and heavenly beings shine forth light from their bodies to make a threat to the nation.”

I believe Reverend Senyo’s “good” or “ill” referred to this very teaching. The earthquake was, in fact, an unusually localized event, with only Tokyo and Yokohama registering seismic intensity 4. It was an incident that defied explanation.

Immediately after Reverend Senyo’s words, I went to the kitchen and said:

“I hope the hospital is okay. I wonder if the instillator didn’t topple.”

As we were speaking, the phone rang.

“Come quickly to the hospital! It’s incredible! The Head Priest understands everything!”

Chinobu was shouting on the other end.

My mother took the call. I didn’t fully understand what was going on, but I rushed to the hospital. There was no time to think. What happened? What did she mean by “incredible”? I had no time to process it—I just ran, my mother at my side, hearts racing.

The hospital room—so familiar. How many nights had we spent there? How many times had we opened that door—sometimes crying, sometimes fearing, often crushed by despair?

That moment—I will never forget for the rest of my life.

I know I repeat that phrase, “I will never forget.” But it’s because this experience contained countless moments one could never forget. Moments that shaped the rest of my life. That taught me the very foundation of faith. Please forgive the repetition.

The room was strangely bright. Those present were overcome with emotion, crying, shaking with joy. I cautiously approached the Head Priest.

“Papa, can you hear me? It’s Seijun. It’s Nobuhiro. Do you understand?”

My eyes, already full of tears, trembled with both fear and hope.

“Yes. Thank you.”

He responded.

For 49 days, my father had shown no reaction. But now—he had spoken. Can you imagine this? Could this really happen?

I’m not a neuroscientist. I don’t know how the mind or brain works. But such a thing—was it truly possible?

Yes, the Head Priest had regained consciousness. He understood words. He recognized people. He responded.

If this is not a miracle, then what is?

If this is not goriyaku (a visible benefit), then what is?

This was the benefit we had received.

“Pray, and pray again.”

Because we never gave up. Because we continued our Ojogyo. I cried and cried. Tears of joy beyond words.

“Oh, Papa… you understand… You’re back!”

Again and again I called to him, through tears.

The one I loved most—my father, the Head Priest—had come back to life.

⸻

This must never become a tale of the past. It was real. It was the truth—so real it almost seems like fiction.

This is my origin story. An impossible event.

The spirit of Primordial Buddhism, HBS.

At the beginning of Butsuryu Damashii, the Spirit of Primordial Buddhism, HBS, the following passage from the Lotus Sutra is cited:

When I look at living beings

I see them drowned in a sea of suffering;

therefore I do not show Myself,

causing them to thirst for Me.

Then when their minds are filled with yearning,

at last I appear and preach the Law for them.

Such are My transcendental powers.

— The Lotus Sutra, Chapter 16: The Life Span of the Thus Come One

The Eternal Original Buddha, Bodhisattva Superior Practice (Jōgyō), our Founder Nichiren Shonin, and our previous masters appeared just as promised and revealed undeniable, visible proof. I can never forget it. It was a great sign—and it changed my life forever.

It is estimated that the epicenter of the earthquake was near Yasaka Park, 3162-3 Iwai, Bandō City, Ibaraki Prefecture, northwest of Lake Sugaonuma. One day, I hope to visit the place.

Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō

With deepest gratitude,

Seijun Nagamatsu