"So many of you say you rarely go for guidance. I know what they'll say; chant. I want to encourage you to change that attitude.
The purpose of guidance is to send you back to the Gohonzon with a new attitude. We can't always do that for ourselves because we are too close; just like the part [of the Gosho] about the eyebrows. We can't see it. And, we think we already know what they are going to say...chant! One of my leaders said, "The act of opening our life to another human being is the cause to cut the karma in half." We need each other. We need at least a minimum of one good friend; someone you could share your most painful dirt with, and it ís OK, you know that person will never reject you. We need somebody who can always help us stay on the straight and narrow. We can't see our own negativity until we are so off-track that to come back takes tremendous effort. If we are just one step off, it ís much easier. We must challenge ourselves to grow. We need someone to be strict with us and challenge us to grow." -- Leading By Example
I had very caring guidance and horrible, damaging "guidance" in my yrs. with the SGI. It can do so much damage. These "leaders" are not trained professional counselors and can do tragic damage to a member or a family. I cringe when I remember that!!
ReplyDeleteRather stray far from the path than to seek guidance within Sgi....
ReplyDeleteAll the guidance you need is to read the Gosho and study the Lotus Sutra. Interesting that they urge you to go for guidance .Two reasons for this is .
ReplyDelete1) Because they are doing a slanderous practice and not getting anywhere or having to suffer the effects.
2) A very good way to find out delicate information about someone which could be used against them later if necessary.
linda is sick; just like all the upper leaders.
ReplyDeleteanother fine example of how the gak distorts what the buddha and nichiren taught. indeed it is fortunate to have a "good friend" in buddhism. a good friend is someone that follows and lives the teachings as they were taught. ie ,nichiren. to linda and the gak it means some ridiculous chapter chief or to support some silly event. very weak. i fired them back in '87.
ReplyDeleteJust saw your comments True all!
ReplyDeleteIT’S A TRAP!!!!
ReplyDeleteLike dishing the dirt that you’ve been reading Anthony Elmore’s website which leads one to getting
many calls from members who want to administer the “Soka Attitude Adjustment.” Be forewarned that snitching is also widely encouraged in the SGI.
I have been reading this blog for a long time. I certainly defend to the death the right to say whatever you want--for or against any organization etc. But geeze---get a life. There is more to talk about than a life long anger and hostility to that with which you do not agree. All that angry energy has you all by the balls. Let it go once and for all. Like I said---get a life. Nobody anointed any one of us as the soothsayers of Buddhism. Prime example is that now you can attack me since I do not totally agree with your thinking. Hmmm, sounds like the old NSA. I have noticed throughout history that those who think they are the liberators become the dictators and refuse to allow any other thought or dissention. And of course you can always quote the Gosho---like so many Bible thumping Christians. There is a quote to support whatever position you want to take pro, or con. Seems to me that Kosen Rufu or world peace or whatever else you want to call it will never have a chance until people get off their high horses and seek deeply to find their own enlightened self that is connected with all of humanity. OK--go ahead---now you do your number and call me brainwashed and a robot and any other name that will enable you to feel righteous about your position. It doesn't sound any different from that which you are complaining about. I am not here to defend nor attack anyone or any particular organization. I see the positive and negative in all groups. Continual attack will not solve anything. We will all be dead and gone and things will continue on so it seems to me that forgiveness and tolerance are some modern day principles worth examining and self examining. Although a simple "thank you for sharing your point of view" would show some enlightenment, please feel free to launch whatever vitriolic attacks on me that you feel will make you "a more righteous" Buddhist. And I do not need to quote anyone at all. And you can quote me on that :) .
ReplyDeleteYou didn't tell me anything about yourself or your core beliefs. Basically you argue the merits of a Western age of reason/new age/christian forgiveness "theology", not the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin. Toda himself lamented there are some things that can not be forgiven and he had a special place reserved for those who would ever again use nuclear weapons. Nichiren also taught that that there are some people and practices beyond forgiving. How does your view jive with "correcting others mistakes" or is that no longer our job as disciples of Nichiren Daishonin? Keep on reading the blog. There must be something that attracts you to our righteous anger or is it something else that keeps you coming back?
ReplyDeleteMostly curiosity. I am always interested in all sides of any issue or thought pattern or discourse or disagreement. Unlike either you or SGI I am not trying piously and righteously to pretend I know the answer just because I read someone's words. As I mentioned earlier, quotes can be found to support any position pro or con depending how you want to slant things or string them together. Christians quote documents that are so old the parchment is crumbling. Look at the whole thing with the Duck Dynasty partriarch. Ideas that may or may not have ever had any merit but are certain very silly in today's world. I often wonder how Nichiren would conduct himself in the modern world and what he would have to say today not just being stuck in a small country with a small population. Of course that would all be speculation, but I do wonder. Just so I get things clear---you and your 20 or 30 cohorts believe your interpretations are "the law" while all the other 14 or 15 million people are dupes and idiots who will fall into the hell of incessant suffering---is that pretty much the way you see it? Sheesh---talk about self delusion and thoughts of grandiosity. I still say it is no different than Christian Bible thumpers who can quote you scripture after scripture supporting their noncompassionate stance of some issue. Nothing like a Buddhist Gosho thumper to really win friends and influence nonbelievers, eh? And if all else fails, well then just call the person who disagrees with you some silly names---hell, why not kill them while you are at it. That always works, doesn't it :)
DeleteCertainly, arguments based on scripture are important. Nichiren was a scriptural Buddhist or haven't you noticed? In fact, generally it is argued that religions based on scriptures are not cults.
ReplyDeleteOther criteria for assertaining truth that you may be familiar with are theoretical proof [reasonableness of argument] and actual proof. The Nirvana Sutra also lists four criterias such as following the Law and not the person, the meaning of the words and not their literality, and one's own experience, for example.
Pretty much they are dupes and idiots, especially remaining in the SGI or NST after the truth is pointed out to them.
Nonsense about quotes and scriptures useful to support any position. For example, were one to make a grandiose claim, for example about Nichiren inscribing one sole true Gohonzon at the expense of all others, but without an iota of proof, we may conclude the argument is without merit. If there is nothing in support of a claim, there is nothing,
Since we are now entering the realm of name calling and righteous judgment, I will wait for a more appropriate time to comment. Since you are so attached to and fond of quotes, I will just iterate "A passage in the Six Paramitas Sutra says to become the master of your mind rather than let your mind master you." (From Letters to the Brothers). It is not for me to judge who is being mastered by their mind, but rather for me to be ever vigilant within myself that I am doing the best job possible of allowing my mind to remain subservient to my life. I still feel that it is not in anyone's interest for any particular person or group to keep harping on scriptures by rote, but rather to master the spirit of those writings and then compassionately apply them to assisting other suffering human beings. There are very few truly heretical practitioners of Buddhism in the US that we need to rail against in order to destroy their evil intent. I prefer to think that there are many in body who are struggling to know how best to become one in mind. Continual condemnation will not ever further the goal of one in mind---rather it will continue the mentality of I am right and I can prove it and you are wrong and I can prove it----therefore we can never be one in mind unless you do things exactly as I say they are supposed to be done. There is nothing worse than a fundamentalist Christian except for a fundamentalist Buddhist. And if you don't believe me I will happily cut off your head to prove the point :) :)
ReplyDeleteI know, I know, "its a different time", the Three Poisons have disappeared contrary to the teachings of Ichinen Sanzen, its now correct to throw out Shakyamuni Buddha, and the SGI and NST are Nichiren's pure and perfect teachings. If you want to believe contrary to the Three Proofs and the writings, then you might be a Buddhist but you are not a Nichiren Buddhist and you are wasting your time here.
ReplyDeleteI believe we should each be concerned about eradicating the tree poisons from our own life rather than preaching to everyone else. Your ranting about NST, SGI is not any different than if they are ranting about you. One should be able to read Sakyamuni, Nichiren, Ikeda, Rogow, etc., take in the information and assimilate that which is valuable, and say no thank you (in a kind and compassionate manner) to the rest of the information. And yes it is a different time. The principles are all valid---it is the wisdom of application the evolves and changes. Also it is very presumptive of you to summarily decide I am wasting my time here, or anywhere. That seems like more of the mentality of "if you don't do it exactly my way then just get out here". Hmmmm, where else have I seen and heard this before. If you are so disgusted with Ikeda, NST, KHK etc. then why don't you do something that will attract many suffering people to the ideas of Nichiren. Find a better, more compassionate and effective way to do it---rather than just throw sand toys at the other kids in the sandbox. Sounds like your mother needs to take you home and put you to bed without any supper tonight :) until you can learn to play nicely with the other children in the sandbox.
DeleteOne other thing. Anyone and everyone who takes Sensei "jesus" Ikeda into their heart and allows others to lie to them about nearly everything both secular and religious, not only is heretical but deserves what he or she gets.
ReplyDeleteYou want to talk about Christians and "bible thumping Buddhists" than look no further than those who have memorized the dear leaders sayings and know the Human Revolution, the New Human Revolution and the New New Human Revolution like the back of their hands.
"A great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a nation, and further, can even enable a change in the destiny of all mankind." -- There are ten million of these people in Japan according to Sensei. The results speak for themselves. End of Story and end of me allowing you to speak slanderously of me.
ReplyDeleteOh, poor baby. Can't take a little discussion without anger, hatred and vitriol. Well, on my end I say "Bless you brother". We can share ideas until these streams eventually flow into the ocean. Or do all other streams need to flow into yours before they can reach the ocean? Try a little therapy. It can often be very helpful at purging one's deep seated anger that has merely been transferred from one external object to another external object. Nobody is slandering you, just having a friendly discussion of a disagreement in beliefs--or isn't that allowed in your cosmology. I have read all the same stuff that you have. I have hundreds of Nichiren related books, just like you have---I just choose to not use that information to beat up other people. I try to gently assist others in their own internal recognition and awakening. Anyone can scream, threaten, jump up and down ranting and call other people names (which deny their inherit Buddha nature). However, let's see who can be a little more like "Boddhisatva Never Disparaging". This is already a world where hate and jealousy abounds----as Rodney King once said: "Can't we all just get along?" If you don't continue dialoging with people whom you disagree with and maintain an open mind, then I fear you are doomed to become a prisoner of your own ego. Lighten up brother----and as I said in the beginning----get a life. We could even go bowling together---hmmm, I wonder what Nichiren would think of bowling. :)
DeleteVery well. Who through your great compassion, misplaced, and misguided "tolerance" [towards everyone but me apparently] have you helped to overcome the[ir] fetters of anger, avarice, and stupidity? You think its OK for Nichiren priests to pay a visit on a Shingon priest and congratulate him for opening up a temple in their neighborhood? You think its OK for SGI to teach an inferior teaching that leads to the lower realms rather than to the World of Buddha? You should follow in the footsteps of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging who, through his actions, taught the people the principle of Shakubuku [rather than shoju], the people who vilified him having fallen into hell for 1000 kalpas. Still, better not to have fallen into hell and to have accepted Bodhisattva Never Disparaging's teachings. Never once in my preaching life have I denied that all beings possess the Buddha nature and neither did Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter who, in order to awaken those children gone mad, caused them to grieve. I too cause those today who have lost their original mind to grieve and thus to awaken. You actually preach a precept based Buddhism, ignoring the vital instructions of Nichiren.
ReplyDeleteinteresting, "give peace a chance", written by a beautiful soul who was murdered. what does this tell us? what does the reality and truth, that year by year the world(our country,etc) gets worse . the world is 50 times more violent than hen lennon wrote that song. do you agree? not just a little worse, a lot worse. yet give peace a chance wants us to shut up and not say too much about the truth. i.e. lets all be sweetie- pies. lets not talk too much about what the buddha/nichiren really taught, its more important to be nice to everybody. yeah, thats gonna change the world. ya make me sick dude. for those of us that believe in and practice the lotus sutra correctly and upholds it, the promise is that one in this lifetime will attain buddhahood, their life will be protected from disaster and they will manifest the life condition of the, and most importantly, the wisdom of the buddha. if enough people were to take faith in this sutra the land itself would begin to manifest the condition of buddhahood, this is not only for a select few, it is for anyone who can take faith in and uphold the lotus sutra(myoho renge kyo) in the latter age of degeneration. what the eternal buddha shakyamuni taught was simply to believe in the L.S. , nichiren, the leader of the B.O.E. concurs and teaches the same thing. the main action that one takes is to chant namu myoho renge kyo with FAITH in what the buddha taught. however, he also tells that most people will not be able to uphold faith in this sutra and that the people born in the latter age have a history of slandering the L.S. and in fact, the very reason they are born in this time , in this saha world, is because of major past slander. one can hear the sweet talk on any corner church in this country or if you can't make it to church, just turn on the tv. one can get drunk on the sweet words and phony promises that one finds out later is nothing but a stack of lies. and yet, the world gets more crazy, more violent and deeper in debt in more ways than one. sweet insults are extremely ugly. most of the nasty shit you say to mark applies more to you. wake up and look at yourself. so far, i haven't heard you mention one word about buddhism or what you up- hold. are you a phony buddhist or a self-righteously sgi-christian? lets hear your plan or what you think is the answer. better, lets talk about the lotus sutra and nichirens buddhism. why don't you share with us your knowledge of the teachings of buddhism. just talking a bunch of smart- ass talk isn't going to change or help anything.
ReplyDeletegive peace a chance............what a joke. never the less, i wish you the best.
I have a similar perspective Greg. Thanks so much for your input. And thank you too Give Peace a Chance. Without you there would be no Buddhahood.
ReplyDeleteas we know , the buddha shakyamuni, the parent and teacher to this saha world, warned that anyone who tries to uphold this sutra(L.S.) in the latter age(mappo), as well as teach it, will be disliked and that they and this sutra will meet hostility. nichiren concurred and lived it. give peace has a black heart and will live to regret it. my hope is that give peace will seek good and accurate translations of the teachings so he can gain some real understanding.
Deletedear "give peace" , like all sgi/nst your understanding of the never disparaging chapter is lacking. read it again but this time from nichirens perspective. he mentions it several times in his writings relating it to his own experience. then please explain to us what the true message is. thank you.
DeleteGreat point Greg!
ReplyDeletemaybe we can learn something about buddhism and the teachings from "give peace". that would be nice since he has read so much about the teachings.
ReplyDeletejust waiting. so far..........nothing. soon maybe , i will explain what that chapter teaches. or maybe not. true-fully, i doubt he cares what buddhism teaches.
still waiting.........??
DeleteHe must be getting guidance from his junior honcho.
ReplyDeleteaccording to linda, we need at least one good brainwasher for a friend. on my page petra said: "cut the karma in half, i know who said that . it was the man who bowed to his own statue on stage". he he , very good petra.
ReplyDelete"The heart of the Buddha's lifetime of teachings is the Lotus Sutra, and the heart of the practice of the Lotus Sutra is found in the 'Never Disparaging' chapter. What does Bodhisattva Never Disparaging's profound respect for people signify? The purpose of the appearance in this world of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, lies in his behavior as a human being." Irrespective of titles, affiliations, or our extensive knowledge of particular doctrines, my greatest hope is for us to all do our part in embodying the compassion, courage, and wisdom that is sorely needed in this world filled with mistrust, suspicion, and hatred. We are all humans subject to the four universal suffering. I will challenge myself daily to bring out the best of my potentials and with the spirit Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, bow to the Buddha nature in all. What a great challenge and joy all at once! I wish you all great health, long life, and true happiness :)
ReplyDelete~Julie
"Never forgive the base enemies of the Buddha, never! Be unremitting in
ReplyDeleteyour battle against them ! Fight through to the end against the
scheming verbal violence that seeks to undermine the Kosen Rufu
movement, upholding in your hearts the slogan "Adamantly Fight Back !".
Daisaku Ikeda's message to the Saitama Youth Division Cultural
General Meeting, Tokorozawa, Japan, Sept 12th 1999 (WT)
ReplyDelete
"Being fired up with anger toward evil and injustice constitutes good. When we no longer have this blazing anger toward iniquity, it is a sign that we have lost our commitment to justice and truth. It signals our spiritual death. There is no benefit, no joy, no happiness in the hearts of those who are spiritually dead. To fight passionately against injustice, to rebuke, attack and condemn it to the end -- this is Buddhism and the correct path of humanity." ( Daisaku Ikeda Oct. 29 World Tribune, p. 4; from the 38th Headquarters Leaders Meeting, held Oct. 7)
Do you have a point you wish to make Julie Anonymous?
ReplyDeleteSorry, I haven't revisited for a bit of time! I guess my point was that at the end of the day we are all human beings and what matters most is that we contribute to ourselves, our family, community, and the world at large in a positive way through our behavior. If we act according to the spirit of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, always deepening our sense of what that means, there can be no regret in this lifetime that we have acted in a way amicable to the good of all. How we embody this spirit, to each their honest journey within :)
ReplyDelete-Julie
p.s. I don't particularly intend to have "anonymous" as a sort of moniker, just don't have the other indicated accounts haha! Hope it's no issue :)
Shakubuku as practiced by Nichiren is the way to develop such a spirit. It is also important to choose one's mentors wisely and to follow the very best mentor[s]. Shakyamunii Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin are the very best mentors.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts with a prompt response!
ReplyDeleteJulie :)
Scientology auditinhg and SGI guidance serves the same purpose. To blackmail vocal former leaders into silence.
ReplyDelete