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Thursday, August 4, 2016

Nichiren on monks of the correct teaching

“How reassuring, that those who respect the monks of the correct teaching and admonish those who are evil and in error receive such blessings as these!.”

16 comments:

  1. appreciation to the priest shinkei for going to japan and exposing the selling of buddhism by the kempon hokke. the last standing sect of buddhism, who's founding cry was , "lets return to the teachings of st. nichiren."

    in so doing he ruined his own career as a priest. however, he did what was right!.............................thanks shinkei.

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  2. I was not aware of thisI I think the story you summarized deserves a *series* of posts here. This is exactly what I meant by; "The role of the priest in propagating Nichiren's Buddhism" has not been adequately addressed, much less explained.

    I hope shinkei understands -- and does not attribute *malice* to that which can be adequately explained by *ignorance*

    And on another note, there is so much confusion and many intentional distortions that have resulted from what ex-SGI members only know as *Nichiren Shoshu*, that I hope some consideration is paid to the natural disinclination many ex-SGI members feel toward seeking out priests. In fact the NST has commanded the PR on the priesthood by being the largest and best known of Nichiren sects.

    In my prayers , I acknowledge my debt of gratitude-- qualifying *those who uphold and embody the spirit of Nichiren*-- knowing full well these priests must have always existed-- I am grateful to have more specific, current and relevant information in this important matter.

    All of us who have stood up and spoken out against corruption in Buddhism and in our secular lives-- ruined our own *careers*-- Speaking for myself, as one of those, it has recently become apparent that forbearance is key-- and that ultimately the *loss* in no way compares to the rewards for having stayed the course.

    I do what I can to communicate this to all the *naysayers* who warned me, or told me to *keep silent*-- demonstrating that upholding what is correct, especially in Buddhism and speaking out against slander, is NOT martyrdom-- those effects are transient, temporary-- Actually there is no greater joy than refusing to recant one's convictions with regard to slander of the Law in SGI., and equally so in worldly affairs when based on faith in myoho-renge-kyo.

    I hope Shinkei has realized this, which is actually a major divergence from other religious teachings, in terms of benefit and punishment. I would like to join together with those who report his courageous actions to Gohonzon-- the Lotus Sutra! I am deeply in his debt for his tenacity, and his correct understanding of the role of a, priest who is a disciple of Nichiren.

    Thank you for sharing this, Greg,

    ~Katie

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    1. all is well katie. very soon i will write a little story of explanation.

      i think i wrote about it some time ago. but i will repeat. i will share my version. i think mark should share his. different perspectives. i agree, some history is meaningful. cheers.

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    2. greg romeroAugust 5, 2016 at 5:42 PM
      i am pretty sure, in the end, dozen-bo, due to a strict scolding by nichiren, did chant the daimoku and to some degree did have a change of heart. nevertheless, as you say, nichiren never forgot his depth of gratitude for his teacher. karma?

      we share a debt of gratitude with sgi/nst. no problem. by telling them the truth to the best of our ability, we repay. however hopeless it may seem.

      for your consideration.

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  3. Shinkei went to Japan to become a Kempon Hokke priest. He was ordained and then, after witnessing and exposing the slanders of the Kempon Hokke, for example failing to follow Nichiren and Nichiju by associating with slanderers [Pure Land, Tendai, and Nichiren Shu priests]; favoring rich patrons over poor ones; accepting offerings from and selling trinkets to slanderers, he was defrocked.

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    1. just prior to shinkei leaving for japan, myself and i think some others were becoming suspicious of various things that rev tsuchiya was writing and saying. up till that time, myself, mark, shinkei and others had been very supportive toward tsuchiya and the kempon international. especially mark. we were like this because the founding of the kempon by rev nichiju and his many years ago insistence on closely following nichiren and what nichiren really taught as the founding cry and beginnings and founding of the kempon. they have done some good things and are anti-gakkai/nst. for me, i thought tushiya was a nice man but seemed to avoid speaking much about nichiren and nichiren's reading of the lotus sutra. priests and lay believers do this when they start to mix the teachings.

      around the time that shinkei was to return from japan, one day i was on the kempon Facebook page and i noticed some different question's and comments addressed there regarding the teachings of buddhism/nichiren being erased by tsuchiya.

      i commented to him asking why he had erased these questions and comments that had to do with the teachings and practice of our faith. i asked him , why are you deleting these reasonable comments and question's.....can't we openly discuss these valid topics? his reply to me was that "yes, we should be able to speak openly and that there would be no problem". i replied, great, then there is no problem and it is as it should be. thank you very much.
      the next day when i went back to the kempon Facebook page, i found that i had been blocked from asking questions or posting comments. what?$#@.

      soon the lying priest did the same to shinkei, mark and more than a few others. i believe he did this to prevent any kind of real discussion about his and the kempons bazaar practices which goes against nichirens lotus sutra buddhism. tsuchiya will quote the lotus sutra and love the flowery pretty words that can be taken in any way.....but rarely or never does he quote nichiren and nichirens real practice. why? because he does not follow nichiren and has cheapened real buddhism and like the nichiren shu , has married the provisional teaching with the true,

      so now he tells lies about mar, shinkei and others to cover his own bullsjit. he is a priest in name only.

      bottom line, shinkei went to japan , exposed the truth and corruption and has personally berated tsuchiya. in other words, rather than seek comfort, he did what was right. gassho shinkei.

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    2. the point here folks is that it is up to us. buddhism in japan is a business. too bad, too sad.

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    3. I was also blocked from the Kempon Facebook page for asking questions and posting comments about the nature of the Shakyamuni Buddha like I've done many times on Eagle Peak.

      Tsuchiya must be so insecure or a total control freak in that he has to cut people off if he feels as though he hasn't control over what they believe in, as it doesn't fit into the narrow confines of his straight jacket metaphysical universe that he has created and believes in

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  4. Yes. Also, he was outright promoting the Dammapada, silent meditation, the virtues of Islam, and hatred of homosexuals.

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  5. `The correct teacher of the Law, one who fully comprehends that the Law, the Lotus Sutra itself is the object of devotion, could not possibly aspire for his/her own worldly status or personal claim to renown apart from his/her *bodily reading* the Lotus sutra, as Nichiren himself, did. Only then is the person, as worthy of respect as the Law itself.

    What I find consistent in both SGI and NST is the automatic usurping of authority and power based on one's self proclaimed identity as a, *teacher of the Law*. Without actual proof of encountering and overcoming any of the ordeals described by Nichiren, which he himself related to the ordeals encountered by those who preceded him, and referring to the Lotus Sutra to explain the worsening of these ordeals in the latter age; self proclaimed, *teachers of the Law* insist that practitioners follow them and discard Nichiren's teachings to reduce their confusion. It has to be thus, because studying the Daishonin's teachings casts a very unsavory light on these *self-proclaimed teachers of the Law*. Should a practitioner delve further into studying the Daishonmin's teachings, it becomes clear that to continue to follow SGI/NST is a grave offense, for which the practitioner will suffer deeply.

    I believe this is all the more reason to bring Shinkei's own experience to the forefront of discussion about the debt of gratitude we owe to priests who embody the spirit of Nichiren. I say this thinking about the crucial information Shinkei has uncovered and the importance of it with regard to our adhering strictly to Nichiren's teachings ourselves. Additionally, I would personally like to hear the details of the divergence that Shinkei witnessed, described and explained with the same emphasis Nichiren employed in the Gosho. By that I mean to say that it is clear there will be crucial matters that arise as practice progresses and understanding deepens for every generation, and likewise, there will be genuine votaries of the Lotus Sutra who appear to protect and correctly propagate the Law. Witnessing this is the most sublime actual proof!

    This blog is a perfect venue for Shinkei to demonstrate the eternal truth of the Buddha's golden words. I am grateful just to know that his actions as a genuine disciple of Nichiren have profoundly encouraged and influenced Mark and Greg. The role of the good priest is, in my humble opinion, is a very significant piece of the history of this site, which for me has proven to be the most valuable experience I have had in 28 years !

    With my deepest gratitude,
    ~Katie

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  6. Presently, he is trying to translate the True Object of Worship from the original Chinese, a monumental task for a predominantly English speaker.

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    1. I will chant daimoku in support of Shinkei's efforts.
      Thanks, Mark& Greg, for the overview of his agonizing ordeal.

      ~Katie

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  7. the buddha fully explained what a good priest/monk looks like. he also fully explained what a bad or evil priest/monk/nun looks like. this is an eternal truth as the law/lotus sutra is also eternal. unfortunately, buddhism has been destroyed from the inside. of this, to one with eyes open, this is perfectly clear. as the sgi/nst/shu have destroyed the teachings, so too have they destroyed the proper relationships in life. ikeda etc are a perfect example to the wise. in real buddhism no one is above another, however, their function may differ. sgi/nst/shu have turned buddhism on its head. what we see in the world today, is the result. i am afraid it may get much worse.

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  8. It is my understanding that this is the *time* when we should rebuke slander of the Law to our best ability. This is our golden opportunity to eradicate our own sins of slander, attain Buddhahood and illicit the protection of the multitude of heavenly deities who vowed to protect the votaries of the Lotus Sutra and punish those who attack us.

    Whenever I feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of misery , the suffering of innocent, vulnerable people and the realization that the worst of it all seems to be prevalent in developed countries, where one would expect to find the opposite, I reflect on Nichiren saying "Think only of the Lotus Sutra..."-- and I focus on the Lotus Sutra as I chant daimoku, until I experience "joy from the Law".

    Setting aside all matters that arise and clearly demonstrate the benefit of chanting with this focus, I just want to share that, it is a struggle involving intense effort, for me, to actually focus exclusively and think *only* of the Lotus Sutra, but the more I do this, the more I realize that this is the opposite of the guidance of the SGI, and that there is residual brain damage from association with the SGI's hyperbole on *mission for *kosen-rufu" that I am still scrubbing out of my brain.

    The idea that we have a *mission* -- to *save all humanity** by achieving a goal or becoming great, or that in doing this we encourage or *recruit* others to join the *movement* is *cult speak*, no doubt. but it is also a gross distortion of the actual purpose and the more profound meaning of correct faith and practice.

    The SGI teaches that the human revolution of one individual can change the destiny of a nation---etc.. This concept is not to be found in Nichiren's teachings! Instead, at least according to my understanding, Nichiren teaches that the benefit attained by one person who can correctly practice and uphold the Lotus Sutra is incalculable -- and therefore, one should focus exclusively on developing correct faith and practice--- "Think only of the Lotus Sutra"--- amidst the harsh realities of this saha world in this latter age-- and rebuke slander to the best of our ability--- no matter what.

    What other information is useful?

    ~Katie

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    1. my point exactly.........even the word "mission" makes one nervous.

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