In June 1943, Soka Gakkai leaders were ordered to the head temple. The Rev. Jikkai Watanabe, on behalf of Nichiren Shoshu, suggested that the Gakkai members receive this Shinto talisman in the meantime and follow the direction of the military for a while. This suggestion was made with the current and retired high priests on hand as witnesses.

Again, Nikko Shonin writes in his "Twenty-Six Admonitions" that we should not follow even the high priest if he takes actions that oppose the teaching of the Daishonin's Buddhism. In this spirit, President Makiguchi resolutely rejected the idea of accepting the Shinto talisman and left the head temple. On the way home, he said to me: "What I lament is not that a sect will be ruined but that our nation will perish. I am afraid the Daishonin is indeed sorrowful about this plight. Isn't this the time to admonish the entire nation? I don't know what makes the head temple afraid."

We should take to heart the strictness of the Daishonin's golden teachings without fearing authority. President Makiguchi had such vehement spirit. Nevertheless the warped military government treated him like a criminal, even though he had committed no crime. Twenty-one Soka Gakkai leaders were imprisoned solely because they refused to enshrine talismans of the Sun Goddess. At that time, many believers and priests at the head temple were shocked and at a loss as to what to do. When I heard about this, I was ashamed of them. President Makiguchi, myself and our followers were barred from visiting the head temple, and the whole country criticized our families as being enemies of the nation. Those were very strange days.

Those who were imprisoned had to face a pitiable reality. Many suffered bankruptcy in their businesses, many were chased after by creditors, and still many others lost their source of income and barely survived. Their families also fell into an abyss of sorrow, discarding their faith and doubting Nichiren Daishonin's teachings because they had had little confidence in their practice and their study of the Daishonin's teachings was shallow. Many who were imprisoned gradually began to bend in faith. How cowardly they were! They had little courage or depth of faith, and sadly enough, they didn't recognize the Daishonin as the true Buddha.

The persecution [of imprisonment] was very honorable. It was noble in the eyes of the Daishonin. Being persecuted because of our faith put us in an honored position in light of Buddhism. Yet, the many who failed to perceive that they were actually showered with honor discarded their faith. Nineteen out of twenty-one of Makiguchi's followers turned away from their faith in the Gohonzon, including such senior leaders as Tatsuji Nojin-ia, Inosuke Inaba, Yozo Terasaka, Katsuji Arimura, and Shikaji Kinoshita.

Only President Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, General Director Josei Toda, and Director Shuhei Yajima remained stalwart in their faith. How difficult it is to continue to believe in the True Law! President Makiguchi died in prison from malnutrition on November 18, 1944, never losing pride in standing up to persecution.

I didn't know of the death of my mentor, Mr. Makiguchi, for a while. I last saw him in autumn 1943 at the police station where we were being processed as prisoners. After that, we were jailed separately in tiny, individual cells. We had been master and disciple since I was 20; our relationship was even deeper than that between parent and child.

Every day in the cell, I prayed: "Dai-Gohonzon, I am still young, but my master is old. He is 75. Please give me all his suffering and let my master leave prison as soon as possible." President Makiguchi must have suffered profoundly, slandering the Lotus Sutra in his previous lifetimes. The decree of the Buddha was very strict with him. On January 8, 1945, one-and-a-half years after my imprisonment began, I was told Mr. Makiguchi had died recently. When I returned to my cell, I could not stop my tears.

Just about the time President Makiguchi died, I had almost completed two million daimoku, and I experienced a profoundly mystic life-condition, thanks to the Daishonin's great compassion. After that, I spent my time in interrogations, chanting daimoku, and feeling the joy of having understood the Lotus Sutra, which had been so difficult at first.

While being interrogated, I learned that almost all our fellow members had given up their practice. I deeply deplored their weak faith, but at the same time I experienced an upsurge of appreciation to the Dai-Gohonzon from deep within my heart. I resolved to dedicate my entire life to Nichiren Daishonin.