Empathy is being able to put oneself in another person's shoes. I never found empathy in the Soka Gakkai because the organization takes precedence over the individual. They would often quote President Toda, "The organization is more important than my life" or leaders were always placing the blame on the failures of the organization by placing the blame on you: "You are the organization" or "the organization is a mirror of your own life condition." This last assertion particularly is wrong from the standpoint of the Lotus Sutra teachings of the oneness of person and the environment and of Thusness or reality as it is. SGI practices a type of Buddhism called Yogacara or Mind Only, where all phenomena are said to derive from the mind. This being the case, there can be no empathy and no acknowledgement of others because everything derives from one's own mind. It is a selfish way to view the world. Despite their rhetoric of caring, they embrace the ignoble and selfish teachings of pre-Lotus Sutra Buddhism rather than the actual caring and respect of Nichiren Daishonin towards his disciples and believers.
Proof:
"The essence of the sutras preached before the Lotus Sutra is that all phenomena arise from the mind. To illustrate, they say that the mind is like the great earth, while the grasses and trees are like all phenomena. But it is not so with the Lotus Sutra. It teaches that the mind itself is the great earth, and that the great earth itself is the grasses and trees. The meaning of the earlier sutras is that clarity of mind is like the moon, and that purity of mind is like a flower. But it is not so with the Lotus Sutra. It is the teaching that the moon itself is mind, and the flower itself is mind. You should realize from this that polished rice is not polished rice; it is life itself." -- The Gift of Rice
I have never seen it used in this way, but I personally have experienced the truth of the oneness of self and environment. My capacity to connect to and understand the organization greatly increased as I made efforts to overcome my social anxiety and ego. Now I feel a great connection and happiness at SGI events, and a capacity to express myself, instead of feeling fear and anxiety. I believe this has come about as part of my human revolution.
ReplyDeleteNobody in the SGI would claim that the organization is pristine and flawless. We are undergoing our human revolutions, at varying paces, and becoming better people. We are diamonds in the rough.
The oneness of self and environment, though, is surely indisputable as a principle of Nichiren Buddhism. What we encounter in the world is related to our own life condition and karma. By overcoming our challenges and maintaining great compassion, we can shift our life state and transform our environment. The principle of oneness of self and environment is a COMPASSIONATE one. Just as Nichiren was ready to tell Shijo Kingo, who he loved, that his face bears definite signs of a hot temper, so sometimes it is important to tell someone that they are the author of their destiny, and that blaming others won't really change their lives. I hope you are working to maintain compassion towards those you feel have done you wrong.
If it is as a result of a bruised ego that you have produced a website such as this, then that is a real tragedy. Your ego will die with your body, but the causes you make in this lifetime will create effects into the distant future.
You are not Nichiren Anonymous. You are in no position to assign blame to anyone, yet SGI leaders are always and I mean ALWAYS assigning the blame for the 95% SGI attrition rate to those who left ["THEY had weak faith", "THEY didn't do Gongyo", THEY held a grudge", "THEY had bruised egos", and not to THEY themselves. You lack a mirror so you can not see reality as it is. Get a Nichiren Gohonzon and develop a real Nichiren faith and practice and you will begin to see reality as it is.
ReplyDeleteSGI esho funi
ReplyDelete1. http://markrogow.blogspot.com/2014/05/practicing-with-correct-faith-one-is.html
2. http://markrogow.blogspot.com/2015/04/sgi-cant-even-create-beautiful-local.html