Nichiren

(1222 - 1282)

The monk Nichiren conducted a study of the various sects of Buddhism, declaring in 1253 that The Lotus Sutra was the only true path. For predicting impending disasters in Japan if the country did not accept the sutra’s teaching, he was exiled to the island of Sado, where he wrote an account of his enlightenment. The government pardoned Nichiren in 1274, fearing that his prophecies were coming true.