Nichiren was uncompromising towards slander of the Law and towards slanderers. It didn't matter if it was the Shogun [bakufu] or one of his disciples gone bad, he employed almost exclusively the forceful practices. Towards his faithful disciples and believers, he employed almost exclusively the gentle practices. Nichiren rarely [if ever] scolded his faithful disciples and believers, unlike the Soka Gakkai leaders who not only scold the faithful believers of the other Nichiren schools but also their own members. Also, unlike the Soka Gakkai and their mentor who perform the gentle practices towards provisional Buddhist and non-Buddhist slanderers alike, Nichiren would have performed the forceful practices. This is a factual account of the practices of Nichiren Daishonin and those of the Soka Gakkai.
Nichiren's practice is also a representation of the practices we employ. We perform the forceful practices in respect to slanderers and we are gentle towards our fellow believers. We give a wide birth regarding the transgressions of our fellow believers since Nichiren taught that slander may be minor or major and that the minor slander of faithful believers does not always require correction [as mirrored in your quote from the Baddali Sutta]. Still, it is wise to keep in mind the admonition Nichiren gave regarding Sammibo one of his most erudite disciples, "I should have corrected him more forcefully at the first signs of his errancy." Jacqueline Stone's latest thesis. The Sin of Slandering the True Dharma in Nichiren's Thought, is an excellent synthesis of Nichiren's thoughts on the grave matter of slander of the Law:
You wrote: "We live in a world where faith in the Buddhadharma is extremely rare. What advantage is there in taking the little faith that there is and scolding it until it is lost?"
The Sutra and Nichiren teach, regarding expedient or skillful means [upaya], "Honestly discarding expedient means, I preach only the unsurpassed Way." Add to this the doctrine of reverse relationship [Poison Drum] and it becomes apparent that one should say what needs to be said, regardlesss of the immediate consequences. What is important is not whether one forms a positive or negative relationship to the Sutra but that the relationship is profound. in the United States, the Soka Gakkai employed [and still employs] almost exclusively expedient means and the gentle practices. Yet, more than 550,000 of their members abandoned their faith thanks to SGI's misunderstanding the concepts of shoju, shakubuku, and expedient means. The vast majority of those who left the Gakkai have no strong feeling either way about the Lotus Sutra. It will be countless lifetimes before they again encounter the Law or the Buddha. It is far better to teach what and how Nichiren taught. Though we may be few, our faith is strong and correct.
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