Figures [why SGI salaried senior leaders are so ignorant about Buddhism]

I think it's natural to be distrustful of religious organizations in general, and there is nothing wrong with wanting to know why the Gakkai works the way it does. It has peculiarities, no question. And it has areas where it needs to grow. But I have been in this organization my whole life and I have seen it grow exponentially and I am very confident the growth will continue. 

As for how I study--well, here at the SGI-USA plaza we study one chapter of the human revolution per week, and also I am a contributing editor for the World Tribune, so I get to pay particular attention to the articles. I've learned a lot that way. 

Study of Buddhism is easier for some than for others. I'm one of the "easy" ones. Of course, there is the downside of it too--the risk of becoming overly theoretical. Like Shariputra. But I try to practice consistently. That's my big struggle, consistancy. 

For me, a really good source of info was President Ikeda's three books on Buddhist history: The Living Buddha, Buddhism: The First Millenium and the Flower of Chinese Buddhism. If you can get your hands on those three, I strongly suggest you read them. Not too many people are familliar with them, which is unfortunate. They're excellent.

And of course, the Gosho. "On Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime", the very first one in "The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin" is simply amazing. I think that everything one needs to know about Buddhism is right there. 

But--pardon me if I'm pontificating here--Buddhism is all about action and behavior, and so study should be too. I think the greatest form of study is to incorporate Buddhism into your life and then observe your life. Too many people feel a disconect when it comes to study because they view it as an academic pursuit, you know? They don't necessarily put it into practice. But really, faith, practice and study are three ways of looking at the same thing. Make sense?