"SGI members are all Buddhas" -- SGI Teaching
"Suppose someone declares that he has already attained the most perfect enlightenment. When asked for the reason, [he replies] 'It is because [the tathagata teaches that all sentient beings] have Buddha-nature. Since who ever is in possession of the Buddha-nature should have already attained the most perfect enlightenment, [I declare] that I have attained enlightenment now.' It should be understood that such a person is guilty of the pârâjikas [worst offense possible, punisheable by expulsion from the Buddhist order]." -- Nirvana Sutra
Seriously Mark, Daisaku Ikeda never spoke this kind of nonsense. Have you read some of his books like 'Unlocking the mysteries of birth and death' which is like a short version of the 'Dialogue of life' 1 and 2 then you will know what I mean. It is the fools that that have taken over the organisation who propagate these delusions. They cannot be expelled from the Buddhist order because they are not part of it in the first place
ReplyDeleteI've read Dialogue on Life.. Before you dismiss this out of hand as not coming from Ikeda, I would study his daily guidances, including the guidance memo. I don't have the time right now to dig up one or two similar quotes from Ikeda but it would surprise me greatly if I were unable to do so. He definitely teaches different things to do different audiences and to the Japanese faithful in Osaka [Kansai] and during Japanese Headquarters meetings he effusively praises SGI members as Buddhas. Of this I am sure.
ReplyDeleteHehe go to Daily Guidance and search "Buddhas"...
ReplyDeletehttp://dailyguidance.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2014-10-29T00:00:00%2B08:00&max-results=10#uds-search-results
This is a 1st footnote from the Gakkai Gosho Attaining Buddahood in Ones Present Form. They're no longer taking their own Gosho seriously
ReplyDelete"One type of overbearing arrogance is the arrogance of clinging to the theory that ordinary human beings are the same as the Buddha, thus neglecting Buddhist practice and failing to attain Buddhahood. The other is the arrogance of refusing to believe in the teaching of the Lotus Sutra that ordinary human beings who are not free from greed, anger, and foolishness are capable of attaining Buddhahood in their present form"
Shameless
ReplyDeleteThe neglect of Buddhist practice by those who say they follow the Lotus Sutra ,would be perhaps neglecting the teachings, putting them into action and not trusting them
The doctrine of the attainment of Buddhahood in one’s present form is clearly mentioned in a number of different Mahayana sutras and in the Mahāvairochana Sutra. But when persons hold that those abiding by these sutras can attain Buddhahood in their present form, they are guilty of two types of overbearing arrogance1 and will invariably fall into the hell of incessant suffering.
Volume nine of The Annotations on “The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra” states, “These two types of overbearing arrogance are not without difference in degree between them. One who supposes that ordinary human beings are the same as the Buddha is guilty of great shamelessness
Great find! I would only caution that there are dozens of conflicting teachings, messages, and understandings in the SGI. Those leaders, including Ikeda who state, "you, the members, are all certainly Buddha's" will never understand because they have not encountered the Three Obstacles and Four Devils as has Nichiren and his disciples [on nearly a daily basis].
ReplyDeleteAs an example, please see the assertions of long time members and Senior Leaders Tim Janakos, and Easydaimoku and Thomas Pass the Doobie on the Chanting Growers Group who makes dozens of such assertions: For example:
ReplyDelete"I am the Buddha from time without beginning" -- Tim Janakos-Kobayashi ["Energetic Emotional Healer"], SGI Senior Leader and graduate of Soka University of America
http://markrogow.blogspot.com/2014/03/sgi-and-tim-janakos-confuses-general.html
and most importantly his assertions on my post Can You Believe It:
http://markrogow.blogspot.com/2012/03/can-you-believe-it.html
Regarding the Chanting Growers Group and their more than a 1100 pages of posts, you can find hundreds if not thousands of such assertions by Easydaimoku and Thomas Pass the Doobie
"Although the Tathagata Shakya came forth into the world with the intent to preach the Hokekyo, he, at first, hid the name of the Hokekyo and established the expedient teachings of the Hokekyo from age thirty until more than seventy and at age seventy-two called out the Title for the first time. Therefore, one cannot compare the titles of the other Sutras to the Title of the Lotus Sutra. The doctrines of "One thought Is Three Thousand Realms" and the "True Attainment of Buddhahood in the Distant Past" are derived from the Chapters of Expedience and the Measure of the Life. They are the very essence of the Hokekyo and are the Two Characters "Myo Ho" (Sublime Dharma).
"Now, because the Hokekyo gathers the sutras of the more than forty years (of the Buddha's Lifetime) into the One Sutra and gathers together the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three ages perfectly endowed with the Three Bodies and speaks of them as Branch (Divided) Bodies [of the One Buddha Shakya], the One Buddha is all Buddhas. Therefore, the Buddhas [as well as the Sutras] are all gathered into the Two Characters "Myo Ho" (Sublime Dharma). That being the case [that the Buddhas and the Titles of the Sutras are opened and assimilated by the Hokekyo and the Myo Ho (Sublime Dharma) is precisely that which opens and assimilates], one should chant the Title (the Daimoku) of the Hokekyo." -- Sho Hokke Daimoku Sho, pg 203
"Volume nine of The Annotations on “The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra” states, “These two types of overbearing arrogance are not without difference in degree between them. One who supposes that ordinary human beings are the same as the Buddha is guilty of great shamelessness.” -- Nichiren
My wife has a question for you
ReplyDeleteCan any life forms (Human beings, and other animals, murderers, cockroaches, aliens etc. have the possibility to attain the same level of enlightenment in the future as Shakyamuni Buddha who appeared in India 3,000 years ago. And have the same mission to teach the Law anywhere throughout the uni-multiverse ?
Of course. One moment of profound faith is all that is required. A sugar ant on the altar during Gongyo and Daimoku can form one moment of profound faith and understanding.
ReplyDelete"The scripture known as the Nirvana Sutra lists the beings that have been able to attain the way through the Lotus Sutra, and the list includes such filthy creatures as dung beetles, vipers, and scorpions. To express the wonderful power of the Lotus Sutra, Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna says that it enables even such creatures as dung beetles to attain Buddhahood."
Conversely, Shakyamuni Buddha takes on the form of any and all beings in order to transmit his Law. An ordinary human being or Bodhisattva may see a sugar ant tirelessly bringing back bits of food to the larvae in the ant colony and attain realization.
"What matters is that the spirit of the great philosophy of peace expounded in the Lotus Sutra, with its teaching that all people are Buddhas, be given full play in society as a whole." A portion of Ikeda's guidance Oct. 19th 2014.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hosshakukempon.com/weekly-guidances
Her reply
ReplyDeleteYes ,all lives have a Buddha-nature , so any animate and inanimate life forms will be able to attain Buddhahood.
But my question is particularly , is there still any distinction between Shakyamuni and other beings when they attained Buddhahood ?
In other words, can you call them eternal Buddha as well, when they express their mission to transmit the law( not his law as owner ship of historical Shakyamuni Buddha person) and that the Law has always existed - that Shakyamuni Buddha exists thanks to the Law and not the other way around.
If this is the way that Nichiren Shu , Keppon Hokke and you understand what Nichiren says, then I agree to disagree
Me: She is focusing from the field of pure awareness down to quantum particles, quarks, Higgs Boson etc. as having the blueprints of the ultimate doctrine of ichinen sanzen. Like its the code of life,in saying that just about anything is possible as long it is based on this formula.
An Aspect of this formula says we all share the same infinite potential and in manifesting that potential there will be High distinctions,(Buddha)
Distinctions,(Bodhisattva) Credit (learning and realisation), Pass,(Rapture and Humanity) Fail (Animality, Anger Hunger Hell) these are the cultivation states we manifest as the dominant tendencies as we evolve and regress throughout the never ending cycles of birth and death in eternal life, so when we look at it from this perspective no one is greater or more eternal than anyone else when we see it from the viewpoint of eternity. Unless we want to create the person Shakyamuni into a greater power that exists outside of ourselves like Jesus and Krsna a special being that we can never be
The NS and KHK idea sound like the Japanese Term Gedo which means non- Buddhist, if it is right in what I'm saying, in this case they are as slanderous as the SGI and NST but in a different way.
I'll let you know [when I attain Buddhahood]. Nichiren Daishonin says yes but it is not a discourse to be bandied about lightly. Also, I suggest you think in terms of "two but not two, one but not one" which is a Buddhist paradox.
ReplyDeleteYou say, "and not the other way around". An imperfect example is, the Law of gravity. It always existed but without Newton no one knew of it nor knew how to utilize it. Newton was the first on earth to realize his Law and Shakyamuni was the first in the entire multiverse to realize his Law. Another difference between Shakyamuni Buddha and Newton is that Newton realized his Law four hundred years ago at a fixed point in time while Shakyamuni Buddha realized his Law in the beginningless past.
There is no doubt that Nichiren Daishonin had reverence for Shakyamuni Buddha above all other Buddhas and beings. This is Nichiren accepting the Buddha as "one but not one" among us. When Nichiren states he and his disciples are themselves the Three Bodied Tathagata from beginningless time, he is speaking of the Buddha as "two but not two" in relationship to us.
One sect or the other focuses on one one aspect or the other, the "one but not one" aspect or the "two but not two" aspect. I prefer to focus on the Middle Way aspect of both.
"one(myo) but not (I would say "not just") one" and " two(ho) but not(I would say "not just") two " .
DeleteMy understanding of " two" refers to the distinctions in all phenomena include those opposing ideas such as good and bad, body and mind, environment and self. But the true aspect of all phenomena is "one" which is " myo" .and the middle way such as "one but two" and "two but one "is the law of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.
What then does myō signify? It is simply the mysterious nature of our life from moment to moment, which the mind cannot comprehend or words express. When we look into our own mind at any moment, we perceive neither colour nor form to verify that it exists. Yet we still cannot say it does not exist, for many differing thoughts continually occur. The mind cannot be considered either to exist or not to exist. Life is indeed an elusive reality that transcends both the words and concepts of existence and nonexistence. It is neither existence nor nonexistence, yet exhibits the qualities of both. It is the mystic entity of the Middle Way that is the ultimate reality. Myō is the name given to the mystic nature of life, and hō, to its manifestations. Renge, which means lotus flower, is used to symbolize the wonder of this Law. If we understand that our life at this moment is myō, then we will also understand that our life at other moments is the Mystic Law.4 This realization is the mystic kyō, or sutra. The Lotus Sutra is the king of sutras, the direct path to enlightenment, for it explains that the entity of our life, which manifests either good or evil at each moment, is in fact the entity of the Mystic Law (On Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime)
I think my view ["our view" whomever that may be] is closest to Nichiren's view. Namu myoho renge kyo. Namu Shakyamuni Buddha. Namu Nichiren Daishonin.
ReplyDeleteI think a Buddha never says, Namu myself, Namu Mark Rogow [except in the SGI, of course].
This statement 'Shakyamuni Buddha realized his Law in the beginningless past' doesn't line up with Gohyaku-jintengo which means how long ago (remote past) when Shakyamuni originally attained enlightenment. So it was a point in time that makes a huge difference from beggingless past that has no point in time
ReplyDeleteThat is a Nichiren Shoshu teaching [that Gohyaku Jintengo is a fixed point in time] but not according to the Lotus Sutra itself. Nichiren Daishonin never wrote Kuon Ganjo as taught by NST and SGI but, in the Kaimoku Sho, the Daishonin writes and explains the concept of "Kuon-Jitsujo" (the eternal life of the Buddha) revealed in the essential section (hommon) of the Lotus Sutra.
ReplyDeleteThe Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin teach that, "Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment at a time even more distant than gohyaku jintengo." (MW, Vol.2, p.268)
Here are more than a dozen additional passages from Chapter 16 of the Lotus Sutra which you recite every day:
"But forever here preaching the law."
And:
"I forever remain in this [world]"
And:
"And then I tell all creatures
That I exist forever in this world"
Therefore, once expedients are abandoned:
"I [Shakyamuni] tell all creatures that I [Shakyamuni] exist forever in this world."
"By the power of tactful methods
Revealing [myself] extinct and not extinct"
"[If] in other regions there are beings
Reverent and with faith aspiring
Again I am in their midst"
"other regions" means everywhere, means past present and future and means eternal:
"I behold all living creatures
Sunk in the sea of suffering
Hence I do not reveal myself"
Beholding all living beings means omnipresent.
"Hence I [Shakyamuni] do not reveal myself" (although "I" am always present.)
"Till, when their hearts are longing,
I appear to preach the Law:"
"I therefore appear to all living creatures."
All living creatures include those who have existed since time without beginning, those who now exist, and those who will exist in the infinite future.
"[I am] always on the Divine Vulture Peak
And in every other dwelling place".
This is self explanatory.
"Tranquil is this realm of mine,
Ever filled with heavenly beings,"
Parks, and many palaces
With every kind of gem adorned,
Precious trees full of blossoms and fruit,
where all beings take their pleasure"
Again, "ever" is forever [eternal] and "all" is all throughout the Three Existences. This passage brings up a very important point: Not only the Buddha Shakyamuni who teaches all beings the eternity of life is eternal but so is his land and so are the masses of beings.
''But all who perform virtuous deeds
And are gentle and upright
These all see that I exist."
Again, "all" is all. Those who existed, exist and will exist(from the standpoint of the Truth of Temporary Existence) who perform virtuous deeds and are gentle and upright, these beings see that Shakyamuni always exists. Does that mean that those who don't see the Buddha, those such as Nikken, Ikeda, and yourself, are not virtuous and upright?
"For the Buddha's words are true, not false.
Like the Physician who with clever device,
In order to cure his demented sons,
Though indeed alive, annonces his own death
Yet can not be charged with any falsehood,
I, too, being father of this world,
Who heals all misery and affliction,
For the sake of the perverted people,
Though truly alive, say [I am] extinct;
Who is the father of this Saha world who heals all misery and all affliction? There can not be two fathers. This would have been an opportune time for Shakyamuni to announce a Buddha more original than himself [as the father of the world] but, as we see, the Buddha Shakyamuni, consistent from beginning to end, again announces, "I".
continued....
"I, ever knowing all beings"
ReplyDeleteAgain, the words "I", "ever" and "all".
"Expound their every Law"
Buddha Shakyamuni [as He, Nichiren Daishonin, and the Kempon Hokke state]. teaches every Law.
"Ever making this my thought:
How shall I cause all the living
To enter the Way supreme
and speedily accomplish their buddhahood."
The Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin teach that, "Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment at a time even more distant than gohyaku jintengo." (MW, Vol.2, p.268)
Here are more than a dozen additional passages from Chapter 16 of the Lotus Sutra which you recite every day:
"But forever here preaching the law."
And:
"I forever remain in this [world]"
And:
"And then I tell all creatures
That I exist forever in this world"
Therefore, once expedients are abandoned:
"I [Shakyamuni] tell all creatures that I [Shakyamuni] exist forever in this world."
"By the power of tactful methods
Revealing [myself] extinct and not extinct"
"[If] in other regions there are beings
Reverent and with faith aspiring
Again I am in their midst"
"other regions" means everywhere, means past present and future and means eternal:
"I behold all living creatures
Sunk in the sea of suffering
Hence I do not reveal myself"
Beholding all living beings means omnipresent.
"Hence I [Shakyamuni] do not reveal myself" (although "I" am always present.)
"Till, when their hearts are longing,
I appear to preach the Law:"
"I therefore appear to all living creatures."
All living creatures include those who have existed since time without beginning, those who now exist, and those who will exist in the infinite future.
"[I am] always on the Divine Vulture Peak
And in every other dwelling place".
This is self explanatory.
"Tranquil is this realm of mine,
Ever filled with heavenly beings,"
Parks, and many palaces
With every kind of gem adorned,
Precious trees full of blossoms and fruit,
where all beings take their pleasure"
Again, "ever" is forever [eternal] and "all" is all throughout the Three Existences. This passage brings up a very important point: Not only the Buddha Shakyamuni who teaches all beings the eternity of life is eternal but so is his land and so are the masses of beings.
''But all who perform virtuous deeds
And are gentle and upright
These all see that I exist."
Again, "all" is all. Those who existed, exist and will exist(from the standpoint of the Truth of Temporary Existence) who perform virtuous deeds and are gentle and upright, these beings see that Shakyamuni always exists. Does that mean that those who don't see the Buddha, those such as Nikken, Ikeda, and yourself, are not virtuous and upright?
"For the Buddha's words are true, not false.
Like the Physician who with clever device,
In order to cure his demented sons,
Though indeed alive, annonces his own death
Yet can not be charged with any falsehood,
I, too, being father of this world,
Who heals all misery and affliction,
For the sake of the perverted people,
Though truly alive, say [I am] extinct;
continued....
Who is the father of this Saha world who heals all misery and all affliction? There can not be two fathers. This would have been an opportune time for Shakyamuni to announce a Buddha more original than himself [as the father of the world] but, as we see, the Buddha Shakyamuni, consistent from beginning to end, again announces, "I".
ReplyDelete"I, ever knowing all beings"
Again, the words "I", "ever" and "all".
"Expound their every Law"
Buddha Shakyamuni [as He, Nichiren Daishonin, and the Kempon Hokke state]. teaches every Law.
"Ever making this my thought:
How shall I cause all the living
To enter the Way supreme
and speedily accomplish their buddhahood."
The Original Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni always and exclusively practices the True Law and has been doing so since time without beginning. Nichiren, on the other hand, by his own admission, practiced the Nembutsu. The passage you cite, taken in the context of the entire Lotus Sutra and the commentary by Nichiren, is nothing more than an affirmation of Ichinen Sanzen. It means that even the Buddha from time without beginning contains the other nine worlds and manifests in different guises in order to preach the True Law. If you don't believe the Lotus Sutra and me, here is what Nichiren says in the True Object of Worship, explaining this passage of the Sutra:
"The Juryo chapter states: "Once I also practiced the
bodhisattva austerities and the life which I then
acquired has yet to be exhausted. My life will last
yet twice as many aeons from now." He was speaking of
the world of Bodhisattva within ourselves."
The Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin teach that, "Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment at a time even more distant than gohyaku jintengo." (MW, Vol.2, p.268)
Here are more than a dozen additional passages from Chapter 16 of the Lotus Sutra which you recite every day:
"But forever here preaching the law."
And:
"I forever remain in this [world]"
And:
continued....
"And then I tell all creatures
ReplyDeleteThat I exist forever in this world"
Therefore, once expedients are abandoned:
"I [Shakyamuni] tell all creatures that I [Shakyamuni] exist forever in this world."
"By the power of tactful methods
Revealing [myself] extinct and not extinct"
"[If] in other regions there are beings
Reverent and with faith aspiring
Again I am in their midst"
"other regions" means everywhere, means past present and future and means eternal:
"I behold all living creatures
Sunk in the sea of suffering
Hence I do not reveal myself"
Beholding all living beings means omnipresent.
"Hence I [Shakyamuni] do not reveal myself" (although "I" am always present.)
"Till, when their hearts are longing,
I appear to preach the Law:"
"I therefore appear to all living creatures."
All living creatures include those who have existed since time without beginning, those who now exist, and those who will exist in the infinite future.
"[I am] always on the Divine Vulture Peak
And in every other dwelling place".
This is self explanatory.
"Tranquil is this realm of mine,
Ever filled with heavenly beings,"
Parks, and many palaces
With every kind of gem adorned,
Precious trees full of blossoms and fruit,
where all beings take their pleasure"
Again, "ever" is forever [eternal] and "all" is all throughout the Three Existences. This passage brings up a very important point: Not only the Buddha Shakyamuni who teaches all beings the eternity of life is eternal but so is his land and so are the masses of beings.
''But all who perform virtuous deeds
And are gentle and upright
These all see that I exist."
Again, "all" is all. Those who existed, exist and will exist(from the standpoint of the Truth of Temporary Existence) who perform virtuous deeds and are gentle and upright, these beings see that Shakyamuni always exists. Does that mean that those who don't see the Buddha, those such as Nikken, Ikeda, and yourself, are not virtuous and upright?
"For the Buddha's words are true, not false.
Like the Physician who with clever device,
In order to cure his demented sons,
Though indeed alive, annonces his own death
Yet can not be charged with any falsehood,
I, too, being father of this world,
Who heals all misery and affliction,
For the sake of the perverted people,
Though truly alive, say [I am] extinct;
continued.....
Who is the father of this Saha world who heals all misery and all affliction? There can not be two fathers. This would have been an opportune time for Shakyamuni to announce a Buddha more original than himself [as the father of the world] but, as we see, the Buddha Shakyamuni, consistent from beginning to end, again announces, "I".
ReplyDelete"I, ever knowing all beings"
Again, the words "I", "ever" and "all".
"Expound their every Law"
Buddha Shakyamuni [as He, Nichiren Daishonin, and the Kempon Hokke state]. teaches every Law.
"Ever making this my thought:
How shall I cause all the living
To enter the Way supreme
and speedily accomplish their buddhahood."
The Original Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni always and exclusively practices the True Law and has been doing so since time without beginning. Nichiren, on the other hand, by his own admission, practiced the Nembutsu. The passage you cite, taken in the context of the entire Lotus Sutra and the commentary by Nichiren, is nothing more than an affirmation of Ichinen Sanzen. It means that even the Buddha from time without beginning contains the other nine worlds and manifests in different guises in order to preach the True Law. Here is what Nichiren says in the True Object of Worship explaining this passage of the Sutra:
"The Juryo chapter states: "Once I also practiced the
bodhisattva austerities and the life which I then
acquired has yet to be exhausted. My life will last
yet twice as many aeons from now."
"He was speaking of the world of Bodhisattva within ourselves."
and in the Opening of the Eyes we read:
"Thus, in the various sutras other than the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni does not assemble those Buddhas who carry out different austerities and practices and who possess the three bodies nor does he identify them as emanations of himself. Only in the Hoto chapter of the Lotus Sutra does he do so. This chapter then, is intended as an introduction to the Juryo chapter that follows later. Shakyamuni Buddha who was believed to have attained enlightenment for the first time only some forty and more years previously, calls together Buddhas who had become enlightened as long ago as one or even ten kalpas in the past, and declares that they are emanations of himself. This is a far cry indeed from the Buddha’s usual preaching on the equality of all Buddhas [in their Dharma bodies], and in fact a cause of great astonishment. If Shakyamuni had attained enlightenment for the first time only some forty years earlier, there could hardly have been so many beings in the ten directions who had received his instruction. And even if he was privileged to possess emanations, there would have been no benefit in his showing them to his listeners. T’ien-t’ai, describing what went on in the astonished minds of the assembly, stated: "It was evident to them that Shakyamuni Buddha possessed numerous emanations. Therefore, they understood that he must have attained enlightenment in the far distant past."
Did you read this reply from your November 10, 2014 at 5:54 AM Blog
ReplyDelete"one(myo) but not (I would say "not just") one" and " two(ho) but not(I would say "not just") two " .
My understanding of " two" refers to the distinctions in all phenomena include those opposing ideas such as good and bad, body and mind, environment and self. But the true aspect of all phenomena is "one" which is " myo" .and the middle way such as "one but two" and "two but one "is the law of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.
What then does myō signify? It is simply the mysterious nature of our life from moment to moment, which the mind cannot comprehend or words express. When we look into our own mind at any moment, we perceive neither colour nor form to verify that it exists. Yet we still cannot say it does not exist, for many differing thoughts continually occur. The mind cannot be considered either to exist or not to exist. Life is indeed an elusive reality that transcends both the words and concepts of existence and nonexistence. It is neither existence nor nonexistence, yet exhibits the qualities of both. It is the mystic entity of the Middle Way that is the ultimate reality. Myō is the name given to the mystic nature of life, and hō, to its manifestations. Renge, which means lotus flower, is used to symbolize the wonder of this Law. If we understand that our life at this moment is myō, then we will also understand that our life at other moments is the Mystic Law.4 This realization is the mystic kyō, or sutra. The Lotus Sutra is the king of sutras, the direct path to enlightenment, for it explains that the entity of our life, which manifests either good or evil at each moment, is in fact the entity of the Mystic Law (On Attaining Buddhahood in this Lifetime)
Keeping in mind that this is from an early period of the Daishonin's teachings when he still retained remnants of Tendai's [not to be confused with Tientai's] Medieval Original Enlightenment teachings.
ReplyDelete