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The temple is near the Shonin's birthplace of
Kominato, quite a steep climb up Mt. Kiyosumi by car. The
bracing air is filled with a sense of austerity and profundity
appropriate
for a sacred place of training. Even though the elevation
is only 383 meters,
Mt. Kiyosumi is the second highest mountain in the Boso Peninsula.
As its slopes rise directly out of the shoreline, the mountain
gives the majestic impression of Mt. Hiei. This is no wonder,
as Mt. Kiyosumi was once revered as one of the most sacred
mountains for Tendai Shu, and was the grounds for a large
temple. The principal deity is Kokuzo Bosatsu, Akasa-garbha-bodhisattva,
who performs miracles for good fortune and success.
 On
May 12th, 1233, at the age of 12, Nichiren Shonin climbed
the mountain accompanied by his father. Here, he studied the
esoteric Buddhism of the Tendai Shu. On October 8th, 1239,
at the age of 16, he entered the priesthood under the guidance
of Dozen-bo, and changed his name to Rencho.
The Shonin once prayed to Akasa-garbha-bodhisattva to make
him the wisest man in Japan. On the twenty-first day of prayer,
he received a precious jewel from an old monk (actually the
personification of Akasa-garbha-bodhisattva) in a dream. From
that day forward, he gave himself over to his studies and
training, the path that would lead to his finding of the true
teachings of the Lotus Sutra.
 While
always keeping Seicho-ji Temple as a base, Nichiren Shonin
went on to study at places such as Kamakura, Mt. Hiei, Mii
Temple, Nara and Mt. Koya. He studied many things, including
esoteric, Jodo, Zen and Ritsu Buddhism, but could not discover
the true teaching. He continued to study many scriptures,
and finally realized that the only true teachings lay in the
Lotus Sutra. The Shonin returned to his mountain, with the
intent of correcting the wrongs of the many different sects,
and spreading the truth of the Lotus Sutra. After much thought,
he made the firm decision to spread the teachings of the Lotus
Sutra far and wide, and in the early morning of April 28,
1253, at the age of 32, he chanted "Namu Myo-ho Renge
Kyo" to the rising sun. This was the Rikkyo Kaishu declaration.
At that time, he also changed his name to "Nichiren."
The name, based on the Lotus Sutra, represents the brightness
of the sun and the moon (Nichi) and the purity of the lotus
(Ren).
However, the people's reactions were cold. Lord Kagenobu Tojo,
a devout believer in Amitabha Buddhism, was especially enraged,
and not only had the Shonin banished from the mountain, but
also planned his murder. While in hiding at Renge-ji Temple
in Hanabusa, the Shonin made the decision to leave Kiyosumi,
his physical and spiritual home, and go to Kamakura. He bid
his parents farewell, and headed for the west coast of the
peninsula.
Origin
 This
historic temple was built in 771A.D. Restored by the priest
Jikaku-daishi in the Heian era, it flourished as the Tendai
Shu's largest temple in the Boso peninsula. It was converted
from a Tendai to Shingon Shu temple after receiving devotions
from the shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa in the early Edo era, and
received a status equal to one hundred thousand goku (a unit
used to measure the value of a Daimyo (lord) or Samurai's
fiefdom in the feudal era). As a branch temple of Daigo-ji
Sanpo-in, Seicho-ji Temple was also ranked first out of three
primary monasteries in the Kanto region, and was granted the
crest of the chrysanthemum. The temple was converted to Nichiren
Shu on February 16, 1949, on the anniversary of the founder's
birth.
Present Status
Starting with the Mani-den, the temple's main
hall (the statue of the principle deity Akasa-garbha-bodhisattva
housed here is one of three in existence in Japan), the temple
grounds hold the Dai-soshi-do, a grand hall of the founder,
built in 1971 in celebration of the 750th anniversary of the
founder's birth, the Kyaku-den built in 1921 in celebration
of the 700th anniversary of the  founders
birth, the Kuri built in 1647, the training hall built in
1999 in celebration of the 750th anniversary of the Rikkyo
Kaishu, and the Inner Gate (prefectual cultural property)
built in 1646. The large bronze statue of the founder in Asahi-ga-mori,
the burial place of Dozen-bo, the government protected cedar
and the temple bell (prefectural cultural property) from 1392
are equally important. In addition, a sacred statue of the
founder donated by the Lady Oman-no-kata and the founder's
ink stone (in a lacquered box) are enshrined in the Dai-soshi-do
hall.
The main annual events are the Rikkyo Kaishu-e service
on April 27 - 28, the ceremony for entering the priesthood
on May 12, the Akasa-garbha-bodhisattva Festival on September
13 and the Oeshiki on October 27-28. The ceremony of granting
the docho (presentation of certificate of priesthood) is performed
in January, April, July and October, and acts as the first
passageway to becoming a minister of Nichiren Shu.
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