Wednesday, January 28, 2015

SGI leaders inwardly despise their father and disregard their mother

No individual or group has ever slandered the Law (Myoho renge kyo) more than Daisaku Ikeda and the Soka Gakkai. They are even greater slanderers than Mahadeva and his followers. That is why their dreams remain unfulfilled, their understanding shallow, and their practice base. I have given dozens of examples of the misfortune of their leaders and members both individually and collectively. Not aware that these terrible, untimely, and untoward events are happening to them as retribution in this present life for their slander of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha, and Nichiren Daishonin, they continue to make the same mistakes over and over again.

Their hatred of me is particularly perverse but understandable. They are absolutely powerless to defeat me either in debate or in an actual proof challenge, such as a Buddhist rain challenge. Hatred is the world of Hell.

Since I foresaw that these difficulties from the SGI would occur, I resolved that, whatever they might say or do to me, I would not bear any hatred towards them. They mistake my compassion to point out their faults as hatred. This is more actual proof that their faith and practice is bereft of benefit, the benefit of seeing clearly.

The SGI says that they highly respect Nichiren. Incredulously they ask, how could I ever say that they hate Nichiren? They hate Nichiren because they change his teachings and destroy his life's work of spreading faith in the Lotus Sutra and reverence for Shakyamuni Buddha. Never forgetting that the Gohonzon exists in the heart, ostensibly, they take Buddha Shakyamuni out of the Gohonzon and replace him with Daisaku Ikeda, an unenlightened worldling. Sensei Ikeda is in the heart of every last SGI leader and member while Shakyamuni Buddha and even Nichiren Daishonin is an afterthought. Nichiren states: "Hell is in the heart of a person who inwardly despises his father and disregards his mother."

Their father is Shakyamuni Buddha and their mother is the Lotus Sutra. They disregard the teachings of the Lotus Sutra [except those that suit Daisaku Ikeda]. They inwardly despise their father Shakyamuni Buddha, calling him the "Easter Bunny" or "the Buddha of the harvest" while groveling before Daisaku Ikeda. They are ill. They are the Buddhas sick children and they are therefore my sick children. I will continue to prescribe the good medicine of the Lotus Sutra to them so that even their scorched seeds will sprout.

Prayers for rain

My prayer for rain challenge has been criticized on the basis of the following passages from Nichiren Daishonin's seminal writing, Repaying Debts of Gratitude:

"Answer: I, too, admire and believe in these various accomplishments of his. There are other men of old who possessed such uncanny powers. But the possession of such power does not indicate whether that person’s understanding of the Buddhist teaching is correct or not. Among the nonBuddhist believers of India there have been men who could pour all the waters of the Ganges River into their ear and keep it there for twelve years, or those who could drink the ocean dry, grasp the sun and moon in their hands, or change the disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha into oxen or sheep. But such powers only made them more arrogant than ever and caused them to create further karma to confine themselves in the sufferings of birth and death. It is men like these whomT’ien-t’ai is referring to when he says, “They seek after fame and profit and increase their illusions of thought and desire.”

The Chinese priest Fa-yün of Kuang- che-ssu temple could make it rain suddenly or cause flowers to bloom immediately, but Miao-lo writes of him, 'Though he could bring about a response in this way, his understanding still did not accord with the truth [of the Lotus Sutra]. 'When the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai read the Lotus Sutra, soft rain began to fall in an instant, and the Great Teacher Dengyo caused sweet rain to fall within the space of three days. However, they did not say that because of such powers their understanding of the truth coincided with that of the Buddha.

Regardless of what unusual powers the Great Teacher Kobo may have had, he described the Lotus Sutra as a doctrine of childish theory and wrote that Shakyamuni Buddha was still in the region of darkness. Persons of wisdom and understanding should have nothing to do with such writings." (Repaying Debts of Gratitude)

Since I too, along with T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo, do not say that possessing such powers prove that my understanding of the truth coincides with that of the Buddha and, unlike Kobo, I have never described the Lotus Sutra as a doctrine of childish theory, this passage neither refers to me nor any votary of the Lotus Sutra. In addition, in The Three Tripitaka Masters Pray For Rain, Nichiren Daishonin praises Dengyo for defeating Gomyo in their prayer for rain challenge in which Dengyo succeeded in proving the power of the Lotus Sutra.

The talk and the walk

We do not allow SGI to criticize us [here] because they have already been defeated by the cowardice of their leaders. This is an oasis where we pour the water of Law. Their criticisms can be likened to a new recruit criticizing the commanding general of the army. No one wants to hear their whining. Face it, Soka Gakkai leaders and brainwashed members talk the talk but fail to walk the walk.

The talk: 1). "Only through face to face dialogue can one create value."; 2). "We will debate even an emperor to prove the righteousness of President Ikeda and the Soka Gakkai."; 3)."Nothing is more important than actual proof and actual proof is found only in the Soka Gakkai."; 4). "We are the sole inheritors of the heritage of the Law through the Three Presidents." 5). "If it weren't for President Ikeda and President Toda, you wouldn't have even heard of the Law." 6) "In the Soka Gakkai no prayer goes unanswered." 7). Citing over and over again, "The purpose of the appearance in this world of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, lies in his behavior as a human being."

The walk: 1). Refusal to sanction face to face dialogues, for example, pressuring members of the orthodox sects to leave SGI community centers. 2). The cowardly refusal of Al Albergate and Greg Martin to debate even one common lay believer of Nichiren, let alone an emperor. 3). "The failure of SGI to acknowledge that faith in the Lotus Sutra itself constitutes actual proof. 4). Failure to follow the Lotus Sutra and the Gosho which are explicit that the heritage is received through the Law and not the person. 5). The SGI's lack of faith in the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin which teach that we receive the Law from the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni and are always born with our masters (Shakyamuni and Nichiren) throughout the universe. 6). The lack of even such basic powers of discrimination by SGI leaders to perceive that the true nature of actual proof is a bodily reading of the Lotus Sutra and their duplicity and cowardice regarding our actual proof challenge; 7). Being actually in the Worlds of Animality and Anger [Soka Group] while asserting that they are all Buddhas.

We are the Tom Bradys of the religious realm

"In the sixteenth chapter, "Duration of the Life of the Buddha," the sutra also declares: ‘As I said before, it is immeasurably long since I, Sakyamuni Buddha, obtained Buddhahood. My life spans an innumerable and incalculably long period of time. Nevertheless, I am always here and I shall never pass away.’" -- The True Object of Worship

"Finally in the sixteenth chapter, the Buddha sometimes appears as a Buddha in the realm of Buddha but other times appears as some of the others who reside in the other nine realms. This indicates that the ten realms are included in the realm of Buddha." [ibid]

"Born to the human world, Prince Siddhartha, young Sakyamuni, became the Buddha. This evidence should be enough to convince you to believe that the realm of Buddhas exists in the realm of men." [opcit]

"In fact Sakyamuni began to preach, planting the seed of Buddhahood in the eternal past... Sakyamuni Buddha continued to guide His disciples until they were all sure to attain Buddhahood during the preaching of the Lotus Sutra in His present life, completing the series of His preaching which began in the eternal past."

"It means that Sakyamuni Buddha, within our minds, is an ancient Buddha without beginning, manifesting Himself in three bodies, and attaining Buddhahood in the eternal past described as 500 dust-particle kalpa ago." 

"In the same chapter, another passage reads: ‘The duration of My Life, which I obtained through the practice of the way of bodhisattvas, has not yet expired. It is twice as long as the length of time stated above: 500 dust-particle kalpa.’ This reveals the bodhisattva-realm within our minds. The bodhisattvas described in the fifteenth chapter, ‘Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground,’ who have sprung out of the great earth, as numerous as the number of dust-particles of 1,000 worlds, are followers of the Original Buddha Sakyamuni who resides within our minds."  -- [the preceding passages are from the True Object of Worship

These passages mean that Sakyamuni Buddha, Taho Buddha, and all Buddhas are in our minds, and that we, the upholders of the Lotus Sutra, follow in their footsteps and inherit all their merits.

"Now , when the Eternal Buddha was revealed in the essential section of the Lotus Sutra, this world of endurance (Saha-world) became the Eternal Pure Land, indestructible even by the three calamities of conflagration, flooding, and strong winds, which are said to destroy the world. It transcends the four periods of cosmic change: the kalpa of construction, continuance, destruction and emptiness. Sakyamuni Buddha, the Lord-preacher of this pure land, has never died in the past, nor will He be born in the future. He exists forever throughout the past present and future. All those who receive His guidance are one with this Eternal Buddha." -- The Opening of the Eyes

"How lucky I am to be able to go to the Pure Land of Mt. Sacred Eagle and extinguish within one life my sin of slandering the true dharma ever since the eternal past! How glad I feel to be able to go to the Pure Land of Mt. Sacred Eagle and wait on Lord Sakyamuni Buddha, whom I have not yet seen! May I guide first of all those rulers of this land who have persecuted me. May I tell Sakyamuni Buddha about my disciples who have assisted me. May I present this great merit to my parents, who gave birth to me, before I die." -- On the buddhas Prophecy

"I, Nichiren, of Awa Province graciously received the teaching of the Lotus Sutra from three masters (Sakyamuni, T’ien-t’ai, and Dengyo) and spread it in the Latter Age of the Decadent Dharma. -- [ibid]

Taking guidance directly from Sakyamuni Buddha who resides in our mind, we reveal the truth of Buddhahood in the world of men. Those who chant Namu Myoho renge kyo with a correct faith in the Gohonzon, Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha, and Nichiren Daishonin, are the Tom Bradys of the religious realm. Does Tom Brady takes guidance from the local high school football coach? He may be civil when listening to the coach's advice but in his heart he knows that he is Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback who ever lived. We are the greatest living beings who ever lived when we fully embrace the Three Great Secret Laws inherited from the Original Buddha.

I am a disciple of the foremost practitioner of the Lotus Sutra in Japan, the priest Nichiren

"I, Nichiren am the foremost practitioner of the Hokekyo in Japan. If among Nichiren's disciples and lay donors you come later than me, then even before the God Brahma, the Emperor Shakra, The Four Great Celestial Kings or the Emperor of the Dharma Yama, proclaim, 'I am the disciple of the foremost practitioner of the Lotus Sutra in Japan, the priest Nichiren,' and you shall pass.

This Lotus Sutra becomes a ship on the rivers of the Three Paths, the Great White Ox Cart on the Mountain of going Forth in Death, becomes a lamp on the paths of the underworld, and is a bridge to take us to the Spiritual Mountain. When you are at the Spiritual Mountain, seek at the ushitori (northeastern) gallery. I will certainly await you. But it depends on the mind of faith of each one. If just the mind of faith is weak, no matter how much you call yourself a disciple or lay donor of Nichiren, by no means will you be accepted. If one is of two minds and merely the mind of faith is weak, think of it as the stone from a mountain rolling down into a valley or the rain from the sky falling to the great earth: There can be no doubt of the Great Avici Hell. At that time do not resent me, Nichiren: It really depends on the faith of each one. The fact that those who formed conditional links under Daitsu Buddha fell to hell and passed through kalpas more than the dust of lands in an easterly direction touched or untouched by ink drops made from the elements of a great trichilocosm (sanzen jintengo) and the group that put down the seeds of Buddhahood under the Original Buddha in the Most Distant Pass fell to hell and passed through kalpas more than the dust of five hundred thousands of tens of thousands of tens of millions of nayutas of asamkheyas of great trichilocosms (gohyaku jintengo) is because they met evil spiritual friends and believed in the Lotus Sutra in a neglectful manner. Really having the mind of faith, indeed, when you go to the Spiritual Mountain, seek for me, Nichiren. At that time I shall tell you in detail." -- Reply to lord Hakii (KHS, p. 541)

Rissho Kosei cult is SGI sans Nichiren

"Whenever Founder Niwano gave us guidance at the Great Sacred Hall, he did not always have the manuscript at hand. Still, he often introduced the scripture, as he effortlessly quoted line after line from the Threefold Lotus Sutra. In other words, the practice of ‘expounding’ – he was always sharing the teaching of the Lotus Sutra with us. When we adapt this to our own practice, we may not be able to quote exactly from the scripture. Yet, we use words and expressions such as the following: “You’re taking it the wrong way. Your husband is angry because he’s actually worried about you.”; “The branch leader’s words are actually Buddha’s words. Don’t take what she’s saying lightly.”; “Did you discuss and receive guidance from the district leader before you did that? If you act without guidance, your action will not be blessed with divine protection.” With so many numerous words and expressions, we are expounding the teaching of the Lotus Sutra."

Rissho Kosei-kai cult's group "counseling" [hoza]

"One of the most important of Rissho Kosei-kai's religious activities is a unique form of group counseling known as hoza, which is guided by experienced lay leaders. The origin of hoza is found in Shakyamuni's method of teaching his disciples. Rissho Kosei-kai has adapted and revived it for people today so that they can solve their problems and learn how to make practical use of the Buddha's teachings in everyday life. As in Shakyamuni's day, the counsel benefits all the members of the group, not only an individual with a specific problem.

The members of a hoza group usually sit together in a circle, creating a warm, intimate atmosphere for open discussion. The range of problems and questions raised in hoza varies from personal problems at home or office, through problems of human relationships, to questions of religion and ethics. As a member of the hoza circle speaks about his or her problem, the other members of the group listen and respond with compassion, trying to understand his or her problem, situation, and emotions.

In order to help people solve the various problems that arise in daily life, hoza leaders need to have a thorough, practical knowledge of all the Buddhist doctrines embraced by Rissho Kosei-kai, especially the Four Noble Truths. The leaders need to be able to relate and apply the doctrines to individual problems without using dry technical terms in their counsel.

For hoza leaders the Law of the Four Noble Truths is the key to the problem-solving process. First, the troubled person and other members of a hoza group take on as their own his or her problem (the Truth of Suffering). Second, they work together to find the cause of the problem (the Truth of Cause). Third, they reach a conclusion about the right way of living (the Truth of Path) so that fourth, he or she will achieve peace (the Truth of Extinction).

Although Buddhist doctrines are unquestionably important for hoza counseling, the true spirit of hoza is firmly rooted in a major concept of Mahayana Buddhism: all living beings possess the buddha-nature, or the potential to attain perfect enlightenment (buddhahood). They reveal and develop their buddha-nature by working together with compassion to solve the problems of someone who is troubled. When genuine sharing and mutual understanding are achieved, troubled people very often express their suffering, disclose their true selves (buddha-nature), and acknowledge their mistaken thoughts and acts. When people can truly realize that they have the buddha-nature, they come spontaneously to recognize that others equally possess it. In hoza, participants try to find the buddha-nature in others; respect it as far as possible; and by doing so, make others become aware of it both in themselves and in others.

The spontaneous confession brought up by awareness of the buddha-nature is essential. At hoza, the troubled person can reflect on and acknowledge his or her own mistaken thoughts and acts, and other members can do so as well when considering the problems of the troubled person. The surface of our buddha-nature is covered with various illusions acquired in the course of our daily lives. But reflection and acknowledgment help to purify our minds and refresh us by removing such illusions from our buddha-nature. Further, we can develop our buddha-nature by being engaged in bodhisattva practice.

Hoza, a manifestation of living Buddhism in action, differs from ordinary group counseling in several respects. First, the members of a hoza circle come together in a situation where they can practice the compassion taught by Shakyamuni Buddha and learn to extend it beyond that circle. Second, they learn to think of other people's suffering and problems as their own. Third, together they pray for a troubled person and seek solutions for his or her problems that are based on application and practice of the Buddha's teachings.

Members of hoza circles meet daily or weekly, not only to learn how to employ the Buddha's teachings as a guide for living or to obtain relief from suffering but also to gain insight and to achieve spiritual growth."

Destroying Nichiren's vision of the rain not falling hard enough to break a clod.

The exclusive faith and practice of the Lotus Sutra in Mappo is a narrow path with one door (Lotus Sutra Chapter 3). If one could become enlightened and create kosen-rufu through, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, the Soka Gakkai, the Pali Cannon, or the Three Vehicles, the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren would have taught the path wide with many doors. Those who assert otherwise are devils to be repudiated.   

The reason the world is in the state it's in, a state of sadness, greed, anger, stupidity, impurity, and prejudice (rather than joy, equanimity, magnanimity, compassion, purity, and empathy), is precisely because of the establishment of mistaken beliefs and inferior teachings that leave the people prostrate on the ground. Unless and until the Lotus Sutra alone flourishes, we will never have a world based on the enlightened life of the Buddha and the Law of Namu myoho renge kyo.

This belief is fundamental to the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin and the forceful practices are the way to Establish the Right Law. Declaring that the Lotus Sutra alone leads to Supreme Enlightenment and these other teachings lead to hell, one is a disciple and believer of Nichiren Daishonin. It is self apparent to the disciples and believers of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin, those with clear minds who are keenly able to observe the world, that it is Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, secular humanism, belief in the sanctity of science, and heretical provisional Buddhism which has brought us to the brink. The elimination of these diseased religions and philosophies is what will bring about the land of eternal quiescent light

Blind, lazy, cowardly, Nichiren priests and SGI leaders who promote tolerance towards evil and interfaith dialogue as the cause for establishing an enlightened peaceful society are the enemies of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishnin. If we look at the state of India and Pakistan and Israel and Palestine, despite the best intentions of such men as Gandhi, Sadat, and Begin, we see that good intentions alone will never solve the problems facing mankind (nuclear weapons, war, pollution, famine, drought, the destruction of the natural environment, the energy crisis and so on). Eliminating the root cause of these problems, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and provisional Buddhism is the way. The last and only great Buddhist empire was Ashoka the Great's in which he outlawed the faith and practice of heretical teachings. His society was as close to a worldly paradise in the annals of human history. He didn't tolerate inferior teachings. He outlawed them. The people were happy and at ease and they learned the art of leading long valuable lives. The cowardly SGI leaders and Nichiren priests who proclaim tolerance and interfaith in the face of mankind's historic problems and suffering are not only destroying this loftiest of teachings but any chance for Nichiren Daishonin's vision of the rain not falling hard enough to break a clod.

Shoju practice is using last year's calender

"There is doubt that we should not read the provisional teaching because of my sentence in the 'True Object of Worship'. This is a wrong view. As a result, I sometimes wrote that you must discard the provisional gate. The provisional gate [I referred to] is not the provisional teaching [of the Hoben chapter] we now read. I refuted the provisional teaching of the Mt. Hiei Tendai sect as a teaching whose time is past. If you practice* according to T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo in the Latter Day of the Law, it is like using last year's calendar." (Gosho Zenshu, p. 972)

*Practice shoju instead of shakubuku

Reggie the Bear by Auntie

Be on guard, little ones.
The charms of Reggie the Bear can be hard to resist.
He's what some call a charismatic narcissist.

He's soft and cuddly with the gift of gab.
"Happy are they who pick up my tab."
So says Reggie.
He's here to save us all.
On a mission. For your sake. So be grateful.

He's a bear
and you're a sheep.
He's awake
and you're asleep.
He's not a bad bear,
but he just doesn't care
in the slightest
about your welfare.
Remember that.

He'll coax you out on a limb
to serve his every whim.
He's paranoid.
He has his reasons.
It's all about him.

Call him a cab. Be rid of him quick.
Do not fall for his holy-rolling shtick.
Heed the warning that Little Wanda ignored:
Don't trust a bear who claims to speak for the Lord Shakyamuni Buddha.

Little Wanda wanted to serve a higher purpose.
So Reggie told her: "You are smart and sincere."
It was true.
It was what she wanted to hear.
She was more credulous than some --
easily flattered, easily won.

She had hopes and dreams
which were somewhat vague and undefined.
She wanted to use her life well.
She wanted to expand her mind.
She was searching for truth.
She was a soft target for Reggie's spell.

She wanted so much to believe
in something
positive.

"Make your dreams come true. Save the world. Fulfill your potential. All you must do is believe in me. Do not doubt. And never leave me."
So says Reggie.

Reggie was cuddly and cute, not a threat or a worry.
Danger could not lurk in something so furry.
So Wanda agreed to the deal
and cooked Reggie a meal
of tasty morsels and fine wine.
But to Little Wanda's dismay
Reggie invited ten friends to dine.
"Thank you, Reggie," they said. "You're the best."
They ate and belched like trumpets,
then went out to play
while Little Wanda cleaned up the mess.

Little Wanda chanted the secret words Reggie taught her.
She washed his laundry.
She read his books.
She tried to feel as blissful and blessed as Reggie told her she should feel.
But she was lonely.
One by one, Little Wanda's friends drifted away.
They didn't like how Reggie held sway.
"Demagogue," they called him.
"Misunderstood," Little Wanda said in his defense.
Although she, too, was losing confidence.

Little Wanda tried not to doubt
as she took more money out
to pay Reggie his fee.
"A gift of gratitude for me. Because my wisdom is not free."
So says Reggie.

Little Wanda wondered where she had gone wrong.
She agonized and prayed and stewed.
Reggie felt entitled to her money and her food.
Would it harm her spiritual development to tell him he was rude?
She had made a deal to believe and never leave.
She didn't want to break her vow.

Besides, what if she were wrong somehow?

Then one day she snapped out of her mood.
Little Wanda came right out and kablooed:
"If the truth is within me, as you say, why must I pay?"

Reggie looked as if he would cry.
"You're turning against me. Why?"

"I'm not your foe, I just want to know. The truth is within me. That's what you taught. Is it true, or is it not?"

"I am truth! You need me." Reggie stomped and swatted the air. "Believe me. Never leave me. So says Reggie! So says Reggie!"

Little Wanda saw something new:
Reggie was not the arbiter of what is true.
He had claimed a special connection to the divine.
She had swallowed it hook, sinker and line.

Reggie was a hopping mad phony.
A mendacious charlatan, if you will, thought Little Wanda.
Clearly no good.
Then she suddenly understood.

"You have kept our bargain!" Little Wanda cried.
"You have made me wise. You have opened my eyes."

"I did?" said Reggie, surprised.

"In spite of yourself, you have taught me what I need to know. Our deal is complete. Now you must go."

Once they get wise, it's really no fun.
So Reggie left to find a new seeker of the way.
And Little Wanda learned a lesson that day:

Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on anyone.

Reggie the Bear continues to roam,
Preaching his vision,
Going from home to home.
Be on guard, little ones.
Always beware
of the bear
with the lovebombing banter
and the hypnotic stare.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

We obtain Buddhahood only through our relationship with the Lotus Sutra

"Thus when we discuss these matters of doctrine, we must realize that, unless and until the essential teaching is revealed, it is impossible through the sutras preached prior to the Lotus or through the theoretical teaching of the Lotus to free oneself from the six paths. How then could one ever free oneself from the nine worlds [and enter the tenth, that of Buddhahood]?"

Nichiren calls for a public debate with Gonin

"You must not allow the towering pride of your present lifetime to plant the seeds of deluded wandering for endless kalpas to come. Let us make all haste to appeal to the authorities, make haste to meet face-to-face before them, and to put an end to these erroneous views!"

On dealing with bands of deluded persons

"Answer: Your lack of understanding is great indeed! I am reminded of the words of clear warning that the Scholar Manoratha gave to his disciple, Bodhisattva Vasubandhu, as is written [in The Record of the Western Regions]. “Manoratha said, ‘Do not attempt to argue over important principles with the supporters of the various cliques; do not try to define what is doctrinally correct when dealing with bands of deluded persons!’ After he had delivered these words, he died.”

Your lack of understanding is like that of the groups he mentions. But as it happens, the Buddha, the World-Honored One, when he was preaching the Lotus Sutra, in the course of that one sutra twice gave instructions regarding its transmission.

Moreover, when preaching another sutra, the Nirvana Sutra, he indicated how the Lotus Sutra was to be transmitted. Thus in theNirvana Sutra he stated: “If even a good monk sees someone destroying the teaching and disregards him, failing to reproach him, to oust him, or to punish him for his offense, then you should realize that that monk is betraying the Buddha’s teaching.” The two Tripitaka masters, Shan-wu-wei and Chin-kang-chih, and the two great teachers, Jikaku and Chishō, were doing just that, using the Mahāvairochana Sutra, which is one of the sutras embodying the provisional teachings, to destroy the Lotus Sutra, a sutra of the true teaching.

Therefore if I, Nichiren, fearful of the world, should fail to speak out, I would be the enemy of the Buddha. Hence the Great Teacher Chang-an has delivered his warning to students of the latter age, saying: “One who destroys or brings confusion to the Buddha’s teachings is betraying them. If one befriends another person but lacks the mercy to correct him, one is in fact his enemy. But one who reprimands and corrects an offender . . . is acting as his parent.”

I have taken these words of Chang-an’s commentary thoroughly to heart, and therefore I risk my life to speak out in reprimand. I remember that Āryadeva, the fourteenth successor to Shakyamuni’s teachings, was murdered, and Āryasimha, the twenty-fifth successor, had his head cut off."

Deluded and shameless are SGI leaders

"Deluded and shameless as the mind is, to declare that “the mind itself is the Buddha” is to be a person who supposes he has attained what he has not attained, who supposes he has understood what he has not understood, is it not?" -- Nichiren

Same with Toda's and SGI's notion that "life" itself is Buddha.

"The Japanese [SGI] Myths of The Latter Half of The Twentieth Century"

A Critique of Soka Gakkai by Hirotatsu Fujiwara, 1970 Nisshin Hodo Co. Tokyo, Japan Chapter Four: 

The Seven Damning Sins of Soka Gakkai-Komeito The Ever Increasing Danger--Blind Obedience 

The most dangerous aspect of Soka Gakkai's behaviour style is the to make a kind of blind obedience the principle upon which their organization is built. Just here because of the similarity to the leader principle used by Hitler, it is necessary to make reference to his tactics. In order to regiment the support of the masses, Hilter indoctrinated them with the myths which he manufactured and which he constantly emphasized and reiterated and he directed attention to the fact that the power of a political party was created and sustained by the blind obedience of its members to their leader. In a fascist syled political party the larger the number of blind followers, the better it is for the party. Watching the Komeito and Soka Gakkai in action, we must say their tendency in this direction is indeed great. They always say: "This has been decided by means of discussion", "this decision arose spontaneously among the party rank and file," but it is quite doubtful as to how much of the rank and file supports or had any part in those decisions. All final decisions pertaining to matters of the interpretation of Buddhism, or doctrines of Nichiren Shosha, which interpretations are the processes by which they intend to build a Utopia, are all made by the top leaders, never by the rank and file. Considering this attitude, it is obvious that the basic condition in Soka Gakkai-Komeito's activities is the blind obedience of their members. It is quite natural that there are no factions under the leadership of President Ikeda, since if a faction should be formed, it would mean the end of Soka Gakkai, therefore, through their daily educational activities they thoroughly inculcate blind obedience. Soka Gakkai appropriately camouflages these tendencies with nice sounding, coined words such as "Buddhistic Democracy". To use the term "Guided Democracy" of Sukarno, Daisaku Ikeda is is the "leader of a guided democracy", and he is the authoritative leader and the interpreter of Buddhism. Their Buddhistic Democracy should be interpreted as the Democracy which has such a leadership. 

Furthermore, there is in religion a domain which lies outside the scientific method. Within its religious domain, since it is revelational and absolute, the relationship between the leader and the laity is one in which the leader is given a carte blanche by the laity. If this idea is adapted to politics it would result in the creation of some bizarre political myths. Hitler wrote, "Myths of the Twentieth Century", so it might be said that Daisaltu Ikeda is going to write "The Japanese Myths of The Latter Half of The Twentieth Century" because the same kind of blind obedience taught by Hitler exists to a high degree in Komeito and we can say that the danger of the possibility their becoming fascists is very great.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Not "this Myoho renge kyo is not Shakyamuni's Mystic Law" but rather this Ongi Kuden is not Nichiren's teachings

The Ongi Kuden states:

"This Myoho-renge-kyo (Lotus Sutra) is not Shakyamuni's Mystic Law, because at the time this chapter was preached, he had already entrusted it to Bodhisattva Jogyo. (Gosho, p. 1783)

But the Kanjin Honzon Sho (The True Object of Worship) states:

"Having thus manifested the ten divine powers, Sakyamuni Buddha transmitted the five characters of Myo, Ho, Ren, Ge, and Kyo to his original disciples since the eternal past, who had sprung up from under ground." Kanjin Honzon Sho, pp 122 to 140, NOPPA 1991.

and the Lotus Sutra:

"At that time the Buddha spoke to Superior Practices and the others in the great assembly of bodhisattvas, saying: "The supernatural powers of the Buddhas, as you have seen, are immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable. If in the process of entrusting this sutra (Myohorengekyo) to others I were to employ these supernatural powers for a measurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of asamkhya kalpas to describe the benefits of the sutra, I could never finish doing so. To put it briefly, all the doctrines possessed by the Thus Come One, the storehouse of all the secret essentials of the Thus Come One - all these are proclaimed, revealed, and clearly expounded in this sutra (Myoho renge kyo). -- Lotus Sutra Chapter 21

Not only is the Ongi Kuden wrong in light of the Lotus Sutra and the the most important authentic Gosho, it makes no sense.

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Why single out SGI and Daisaku Ikeda?

Impartiality is one aspect of Buddhahood. The Buddha rebukes all those who alter the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin whether handsome, ugly, glib, tongue-tied, illiterate, or the author of four hundred books. Those who enjoy the "Merits of Joyful Acceptance" and the "Merits of the Preacher" [Chapters 18 and 19 of the Lotus Sutra] are also impartial. Nichiren writes, referring to these two chapters of the Lotus Sutra:

"Moreover, as life does not go beyond the moment, the Buddha expounded the blessings that come from a single moment of rejoicing [on hearing the Lotus Sutra]. If two or three moments were required, this could no longer be called the original vow of the Buddha endowed with great impartial wisdom, the single vehicle of the teaching that directly reveals the truth and leads all living beings to attain Buddhahood." (Questions and Answers About Embracing the Lotus Sutra)

and

"If a vessel is free of these four faults of overturning, leaking, being defiled, and being mixed, then it can be called a perfect vessel. If the embankments around a moat do not leak, then the water will never escape from the moat. And if the mind of faith is perfect, then the water of wisdom, the great impartial wisdom, will never dry up."(Akimoto Gosho)

Question: Then, why do you single out SGI and Daisaku Ikeda for rebuke?

Answer: I will let Nichiren Daishonin supply my answer: 

"At the time of his extinction, the World-Honored One of Great Enlightenment lamented, 'Now I am about to enter nirvana. The only thing that worries me is King Ajatashatru.' Bodhisattva Kashyapa then asked him, 'Since the Buddha’s mercy is impartial, your regret in dying should stem from compassion for all living beings. Why do you single out only King Ajatashatru?' The Buddha replied, 'Suppose that a couple has seven children, one of whom falls ill. Though the parents love all their children equally, they worry most about the sick child.' T’ien-t’ai, commenting on this sutra passage in his Great Concentration and Insight, said, 'Even if the parents of seven children are never partial, they are still particularly concerned about the sick one.' In essence, the sutra is saying that, even if there are many children, the parents’ hearts are with the child who is ill. To the Buddha, all living beings are his children. Among them, the sinful man who slays his own parents and becomes an enemy of the Buddha and the sutras is like the sick child." (Winter Always Turns to Spring).

SGI is embarrassed by the real Nichiren

No matter what, we will not compromise Nichiren Daishonin's teachings, not for converts, not for a peaceful and secure existence in this lifetime, not to appease the authorities, nor to make friends and influence people. 

Nichiren is finally mentioned in the fourth paragraph of the SGI's document for public consumption in Brazil. They are embarrassed by the real Nichiren and that is why they rely on the questionable texts, those most likely authored by those with the same appeaser mentality.

Nichiren was correct about the nature of the Lotus Sutra in Mappo and the Rissho Kosekai, HBS, NST, Nichiren Shu, and especially the SGI is wrong. Many so-called Nichiren priests and members, possibly a majority, especially in the Nichiren Shu, and in the Kempon Hokke Japan are wrong. The way to establish the Buddha's land is to transmit the teachings exactly as laid down by Nichiren Daishonin. The Dharma, the truth of the teachings is what is important. We see how the SGI teachings on the Third Great Secret Law culminated...in abject ruin. That is because the Dharma which they propagate is not the Lotus Sutra for Mappo. They are a disgrace.

Social programs too were eschewed by Nichiren Daishonin who believed in personal liberty, ultimate responsibility of the individual, and the belief that the Buddhist gods would absolutely protect those who embrace the True Dharma. There are no exceptions. the Buddhist gods in the form of family members or rulers will protect those who are disabled. All others must fend for themselves which is as easy as spreading honey on bread to someone who embraces the Right Law. The Lotus Sutra promises that none of those who embrace the True Law will want for food, clothing, and shelter. Nichiren Daishonin also promises that a great collection of believers will activate all the protective functions of the universe and the Buddha's land will manifest as the Land of Eternal Quiescent Light.

Believe in the Lotus Sutra, Buddha Shakyamuni, and Nichiren Daishonin.

Seriously....For those who remain in the SGI or who are thinking about joining

"I have never known Petry to ever say anything worthwhile or truthful. He is like an intellectual gnat attacking an intellectual giant (John Ayres). What Petry mistakes for the truth is his own inability to deal with facts that he does not like.  He simply makes up "facts" that are more suitable to him.This is the best that the Minobu sect has to represent themselves. Typical. His ignorance of his own sect and Nichiren’s Buddhism is very helpful  for orthodox Nichiren sects." -- Terry Ruby SGI leader
I suggest you research John Ayres on Google Groups Alternate Religion Buddhism of Nichiren. Then we can most easily judge the perception of SGI leader Terry Ruby. Were it found to be deficient, it is a warning to those who remain in the Soka Gakkai or to those who are thinking of joining. A good search term would be John Ayres and Reginald Carpenter and go down to the 5th post. Thomas Pass the Doobie's perception is not much better than Terry Ruby's. Should Thomas wish to come here and argue SGI's doctrine that we are all Buddhas, I would be more than happy to host him. We can have a hundred day debate.

RJ Peters truly powerful comment on Greg Romero's facebook page


Rj Peters: Wow. Once upon a time NSA was a noble and inspiring movement. We all know that. But when the Gakkai took it over, what ensued was a Schism. It became a corporate money-making political organization - not that the Hokkeko is any much better. And anyone who was there knows this. 

And Patty, you pretty much used the same format in an open note in a public forum to me as you did with Greg. For whatever your reason, you you drag perfectly good laundry into a public forum. That's not at all correct.

And I for one resent your trying to manipulate anyone. You have no right to do that; despite the perverse training you and Jim passed on to the rank and file.

We disagree. I strongly disagree with the SGI and the Hokkeko and Shu and almost all religions, be they western or eastern.

But aside from the brainwashing and conditioning that NSA pushed on all of us, the effort was more than doubled down when the SGI took over; and you know that.

The SGI makes Manchurian Candidates in all levels of society. Doctors - remember the one that allowed Bill Goldman to die without medical tests or care and told him it was just a headache? What about others who've committed suicide like Carol? Lawyers - Beverly Hills is rife with them. Actors - don't even get me started. Security professionals - I was one, many of my Shakubuku were turned against me. For what? For speaking out?

You have no right to reach out and admonish Greg for speaking his mind. None. That's not even close to being a correct practice.

South Bay Chapter brainwashed it's members and when it couldn't do that, it humiliated them or denied them access to family, friends of different beliefs and even wouldn't allow them into meetings, arranged marriages that couldn't work, made people spend thousands and thousands of their own money to support a staff of Japanese administrator's life-styles and stole people's personal identities and lumped them into a horde of zealous fanatics prowling the streets, airports and malls for inductees.

This is a public forum. Here adults speak their mind. This is not a Jewish Synagogue where dissent is trounced with humiliation tactics and mind control or the SGI where brainwashing is standard practice.

And as you've probably noticed, mind control and manipulation simply doesn't fly with freedom-of-thought loving people.

You're not chanting for Greg's happiness. You're chanting for him to think like you.


http://www.csj.org/.../studymindctr/study_mindctr_singer.htm

Not so fast Ted [a top ten post]

Ted Morino: "After Shakyamuni's death, his followers split into two groups. One group was the Therevada school [Teaching of the Elders], which consisted of old conservative monks emphasizing monastic practice and strict adherence to precepts and literal interpretation of doctrine. This school was later introduced to Sri Lanka and became known as Southern Buddhism or Hinayana Buddhism. Another group was established around the first century BC and the beginning of the first century AD, by believers who were dissatisfied with what they saw as the self-complacency and monastic elitism of the earlier schools. The new group aimed at the salvation of all people based upon the bodhisattva practice, and called their teaching the Mahayana school. Coincidently, it was the time when Jesus apeared in Jerusalem and emphasized the salvation of all people through his bodhisattva-like behavior. The Lotus sutra was compiled by the Mahayana group.

Mark: Ted Morino, echoing his mentor Daisaku Ikeda, praises the early lay movement led by Mahadeva, in order to deprecate and diminish the Buddhist order of elders [monks]. The inference is that the Soka Gakkai's “glorious achievments” in this era can be likened to those of the early Buddhist lay movement and can be contrasted to the inglorious failures of Nichiren priests and the early Buddhist monastics [elders]. Another purpose of his essay is to rationalize the acceptance of alms by laymen. Still another purpose is to put into doubt the preaching of the Lotus Sutra by Shakyamuni Buddha, a particularly devious and insidious assertion, in light of Nichiren Daishonin’s and Tientai’s teachings and the latest scholarship.
Daisaku Ikeda and Ted Morino are wrong in light of history, actual facts, and the opinion of Nichiren Daishonin. 
The actual Buddhist heros of that era were, in fact, the group composed of elders [monks].
The relation of the Soka Gakkai to early Buddhist history:
The idea of professional Buddhists was taken up as early as the second Buddhist council. One group argued that it was OK to accept monetary donations and the other group believed it would corrupt the Sangha. Guess who won out? Right, those who argued for accepting money won out after purportedly bribing the groups from the west, north, and the local monks. Anyway, the group who argued against taking money was banished, ended up in Kashmir, and became known as the Sarvisthatins. Mahayana probably arose from the influence of the Sarvisthatins (the non-money acceptors) in Kashmir. The money accepting monks became known as the Madhyamika which was led by Mahadeva who persecuted the Sarvisthatins. Daisaku Ikeda lavishes praise on Mahadeva and his movement in his book, “Buddhism the First Millenium.” Nichiren Daishonin, on the other hand, writes:
“Beside them, evil men such as Devadatta and Kokalika are as nothing. In fact they are in a class with Mahadeva and the Great Arrogant Brahman. And those who put faith in the teachings of such men— they too are a fearful lot indeed.” — Repaying Debts of Gratitude
He also states:
“True priests are those who are honest and who desire little and yet know satisfaction” — The Essentials for Attaining Buddhahood
How far Daisaku Ikeda and the high salaried Soka Gakkai leaders have strayed from the true spirit of Buddhism and Nichiren Daishonin!

Ted: It is conceivable that this new group, who aimed to revolutionize the conservative teachings of the elite Theravada School, must have met numerous persecutions. The persecutions befalling the votary of the Lotus Sutra as described in the 13th and 20th Chapters of the Lotus Sutra, and repeated emphasis to persevere against these persecutions, may be the accounts of their own experiences. In other words, Lotus Sutra had been kept added with new experiences and interpretations.”
Mark: The Sarvisthatin elders of Kashmir suffered a myriad of persecutions at the hands of the Mahadevan lay group. All faithful Buddhist practitioners suffer persecutions at the hands of the corrupt, whether these enemies of Buddhism be laymen, laywomen, monks, or nuns. However, this has nothing to do with the origin of the Lotus Sutra [from the golden mouth of Shakyamuni Buddha]. He puts forth a particularly weak argument here, citing the false history and imaginary persecutions of the lay believers at the hands of the monks. SGI is always making up history to suit its evil self-serving agenda, so we shouldn’t be surprised.

To say that Shakyamuni Buddha was no stranger to persecution is an understatement. Shakyamuni Buddha suffered more persecutions than the entire Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai in their scurrilous seven hundred year history. You would think that Ted Morino never heard of the Nine Great Persecutions of Shakyamuni. Of course, it is impossible that he doesn’t know the Nine Great Persecutions but it is inconvenient for his false argument that other(s) than Shakyamuni composed and preached the Lotus Sutra. Ted Morino and the other leaders of the Soka Gakkai will fall into the Hell of Incessent Suffering for far longer than those who persecuted Bodhisattva Neverdespise.

SGI leaders are icchantikas [men of incorrigeable disbelief] by definition

"What is the essential quality of the icchantikas? The rejection of scriptures." -- Mahayana Nirvana Sutra

Another sutra maintains that those desirous of profit [GAIN] are icchantikas. Does "Beauty, goodness, and GAIN" ring a bell?

A warm welcome to Jan Nattier world famous Buddhologist and SGI member

I welcome Jan Nattier, world famous Buddhologist and SGI member to debate the true meaning of the Nichiren faith 

I would be especially interested in debating the significance of the mentor disciple relationship and interfaith practice. Good luck [in advance] Professor. Why don't you bring along Greg Martin, Eric Toro, Bill Aiken, and Thomas Pass the Doobie?

How very strange!

How very strange that the Soka Gakkai doesn't refute Professor Kanno for teaching that Shakyamuni is the Eternal Buddha in their Journal of Oriental Studies but they call us deluded! 

The Lotus Sutra will free the oppressed people of India

The Brahmins suppressed the Lotus Sutra because it will liberate the Dalits [Untouchables].

Published Letter to the Dalit (Untouchable) Voice.

I am a disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin who would never condone the SGI's cordial relationship with the Brahmins and the SGI's compromise of the teachings of the Lotus Sutra which teaches the absolute equality of all people.

Dalits are the real voice of the oppressed people of India but the SGI and traditional Buddhists are more interested in the money, power, and influence of the Brahmins. How strange that these so-called Buddhists place Ghandi on a pedestal while abandoning the true champions of the people, Shakyamuni Buddha and his faithful disciple Nichiren Daishonin!

Your question, "How can we revive the Lotus Sutra in India?", is the most difficult to answer. I think dialogue between the voices of the Dalit and the disciples and believers of Nichiren is an excellent first step. Secondly, if the people are pure through the chanting of Namu Myoho renge kyo and belief in the True Object of Worship, Lord Shakya of the Original Doctrine, their land will be pure. There is a concept in the Lotus Sutra of the immeasurable merits and virtues of the 50th person who hears the Sutra and experiences one moment of faith and joy. How much greater are the merits of the first person! You, V.T. Rajshekar, are the first person. Your good fortune, benefits, and good name will be known for ten thousand years and from ten thousand miles afar. Tears well up and joy fills my heart. Please protect your good followers also.

I will send you 300 daily use Sutra books in English, several collectors edition Sutra books and several Tradition of Nichiren Doctrine glossy print books. I am looking forward to what you can provide about your movement and the Good Doctor Ambedkar.

India Lost Buddhism:

I have read all the copies of Dalit Voice you sent and I commend you on your deep interest in the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin, the Lotus Sutra's Supreme Votary. The Lotus Sutra will once again spread throughout India as predicted by the Great Buddhist Prophet:

"Answer: The moon appears in the west and sheds its light eastward, but the sun rises in the east and casts its rays to the west. The same is true of Buddhism. It spread from west to east in the Former and Middle Days of the Law, but will travel from east to west in the Latter Day. The Great Teacher Miao-lo says, “Does this not mean that Buddhism has been lost in India, the country of its origin, and must now be sought in the surrounding regions?” Thus, no Buddhism is found in India anymore. During the 150 years or so since barbarians from the north invaded the Eastern Capital in the time of Emperor Kao-tsung, both Buddhism and imperial authority became extinct in China. Concerning the collection of scriptures kept in China, not one Hinayana sutra remains, and most Mahayana sutras have also been lost. Even when Jakusho and other priests set out from Japan to take some sutras to China, no one was found there who could embrace these sutras and teach them to others. It was as though there were only wooden or stone statues garbed in priests’ robes and carrying begging bowls. That is why Tsun-shih said, “It [Buddhism] came first from the west, like the moon appearing. Now it is returning from the east, like the sun rising.” These remarks make it clear that Buddhism is lost in both India and China." (On the Buddha's Prophecy).

Buddha taught that one becomes a Brahmin through virtue not birth. As the Lotus Sutra spreads in India, freeing the oppressed peoples of India from their mortal bonds, those "Brahmins" by birth are sure to rise up against the Brahmins of great virtue who embrace the Lotus Sutra and revere Shakyamuni Buddha. Your people are sure to encounter the Three Obstacles and Four Devils. 


Nichiren writes,


'The doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life revealed in the fifth volume of Great Concentration and Insight is especially profound. If you propagate it, devils will arise without fail. If they did not, there would be no way of knowing that this is the correct teaching. One passage from the same volume reads: “As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere . . . One should be neither influenced nor frightened by them. If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil. If one is frightened by them, one will be prevented from practicing the correct teaching.” This statement not only applies to me, but also is a guide for my followers. Reverently make this teaching your own, and transmit it as an axiom of faith for future generations.


The three obstacles in this passage are the obstacle of earthly desires, the obstacle of karma, and the obstacle of retribution. The obstacle of earthly desires is the impediments to one’s practice that arise from greed, anger, foolishness, and the like; the obstacle of karma is the hindrances presented by one’s wife or children; and the obstacle of retribution is the hindrances caused by one’s sovereign or parents. Of the four devils, the workings of the devil king of the sixth heaven are of this last kind.


In Japan today, many people claim they have mastered the practice of concentration and insight. But is there anyone who has actually encountered the three obstacles and four devils? The statement “If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil” indicates not only the three evil paths but also the worlds of human and heavenly beings, and in general, all of the nine worlds. Therefore, with the exception of the Lotus Sutra, all of the sutras— those of the Flower Garland, Agama, Correct and Equal, and Wisdom periods, and the Nirvana and Mahavairochana sutras— will lead people toward the paths of evil. Also, with the exception of the Tendai school, the adherents of the seven other schools are in reality wardens of hell who drive others toward the evil paths. Even in the Tendai school are found those who profess faith in the Lotus Sutra, yet actually lead others toward the pre- Lotus Sutra teachings. They, too, are wardens of hell who cause people to fall into the evil paths."


The false but powerful "Brahmins by birth", are the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven who now reside in India. Do not be swayed or frightened by them. It is proof that you embrace the true teachings. You must teach your members this night and day for many will be killed and exiled on account of their faith. 


Nichiren writes in one of his two most important writings, the Opening of the Eyes,


"Although I and my disciples may encounter various difficulties, if we do not harbor doubts in our hearts, we will as a matter of course attain Buddhahood. Do not have doubts simply because heaven does not lend you protection. Do not be discouraged because you do not enjoy an easy and secure existence in this life. This is what I have taught my disciples morning and evening, and yet they begin to harbor doubts and abandon their faith.


Foolish men are likely to forget the promises they have made when the crucial moment comes. Some of them feel pity for their wives and children and grieve at the thought of parting from them in this life. In countless births throughout many long kalpas they have had wives and children but parted from them in every existence. They have done so unwillingly and not because of their desire to pursue the way of the Buddha. Since they must part with them in any case, they should remain faithful to their belief in the Lotus Sutra and make their way to Eagle Peak, so that they may lead their wives and children there as well."


As far as violence in the Lotus Sutra, there is no exhortation to kill unbelievers. There is no need. They will have their heads split into seven pieces as a matter of course. Nichiren writes, "Thus, although one may exert one’s full effort to save others, it is very difficult to save them from the karmic retribution that they have brought upon themselves." (On Repaying Debts of Gratitude) Cause and effect is very strict.


Likewise, there is no exhortation not to protect yourself. We must protect the precious children of the Buddha at the cost of our own lives.


There is much more I wish to say to you but I will keep this letter brief. We will talk again.

They too should condemn themselves for their past errors

One's choice of honzon [object of devotion] is based on one's state of life or Realm [of the Ten Realms]. Conversely, the honzon has a power and influence on the believer, directly imbuing either merits and virtues or illusions and sufferings [effects].

The SGI chose a demon infested honzon as their banner of propagation because the leader of their movement is himself demon infested. As like is drawn to like or as a magnet attracts iron, the demon infested leader of the SGI chose a demon infested Nichikan honzon. Those pure sincere members who know no better, chanting and faithfully worshiping the Nichikan Gohonzon, soon too become demon infested [fall into the Lower Three or Four Worlds]. This is readily apparent in their words and actions. It is a pity. Nichiren Daishonin states:

"The Nirvana Sutra, referring to the Lotus Sutra, states: “Even the offense of slandering this correct teaching [will be eradicated] if one repents and professes faith in the correct teaching. . . No teaching other than this correct teaching can save or protect one. For this reason one should take faith in the correct teaching.” The Great Teacher Ching-hsi said, “The Nirvana Sutra is itself pointing to the Lotus Sutra and saying that it is the ultimate.” He further said: “It is like the case of a person who falls to the ground, but who then pushes himself up from the ground and rises to his feet again. Thus, even though one may slander the correct teaching, one will eventually be saved from the evil paths.

Bodhisattva Vasubandhu was originally a scholar of Hinayana Buddhism. In an effort to prevent Mahayana Buddhism from spreading throughout the five regions of India, he wrote five hundred treatises on Hinayana. Later, however, he encountered Bodhisattva Asanga and abandoned his erroneous views on the spot. Facing Asanga, he said that, in order to eradicate this offense all at once, he wanted to cut out his own tongue. Asanga stopped him, saying, “Vasubandhu, use that tongue to praise Mahayana.” Vasubandhu immediately wrote five hundred Mahayana treatises in which he refuted Hinayana. He also made a vow that, as long as he lived, he would never place the Hinayana teachings on his tongue. In this way he eradicated his past offense and was later reborn in the heaven where Bodhisattva Maitreya dwells.

Bodhisattva Ashvaghosha, a native of eastern India, was thirteenth among the successors of the Buddha’s teachings. At one time Ashvaghosha had been a leader of Brahmanism. When he debated with the Buddhist monk Punyayashas over the validity of their respective teachings, however, he quickly realized the superiority of Buddhist teachings. Ashvaghosha was prepared to behead himself in order to pay for his past offense, saying, “I have been my own worst enemy, leading myself to hell.” But Punyayashas admonished him, saying, “Ashvaghosha, do not behead yourself ! Use that head and mouth to praise Mahayana.” Ashvaghosha soon thereafter wrote The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana, in which he refuted Brahmanism and Hinayana. This marked the beginning of the spread of Mahayana Buddhism in India.

The Great Teacher Chi-tsang of Chia-hsiang-ssu temple was among the most outstanding scholars in China. He was the founder of the Three Treatises school, and lived on Mount Hui-chi in Wu. Believing that none could equal him in knowledge, he raised the banner of his pride to its highest. He challenged the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai to discuss the meaning of the passage that states, “Among the sutras I have preached, now preach, and will preach, [this Lotus Sutra is the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand].” In the debate Chi-tsang was soundly defeated and thereupon renounced his misguided beliefs. In order to expiate his serious offense of slander of the correct teaching and of those who uphold it, he gathered more than one hundred eminent scholars and begged the Great Teacher T’ient’ai Chih-che to lecture to them. Chi-tsang used his body as a bridge for the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai to climb [onto the preaching platform], supporting T’ien-t’ai’s feet with his head. Moreover, he served T’ien-t’ai for seven years, cutting firewood and drawing water for him. He ceased giving lectures of his own, dispersed his followers, and in order to purge himself of his great conceit, refrained from reciting the Lotus Sutra. After the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai’s death, Chi-tsang had an audience with the emperor of the Sui dynasty to pay his respects. As he was leaving, he clutched His Majesty’s knees and tearfully bade him farewell. Sometime later, Chi-tsang looked into an old mirror and, seeing his reflection, condemned himself for his past errors. All these many acts of penitence were done to eradicate his karmic disease.

The Lotus, the wonderful sutra of the single vehicle, is the golden words of the three kinds of Buddhas. Likened to a bright jewel, it ranks highest among all the sutras that “I have preached, now preach, and will preach.” There are passages in the Lotus Sutra that say, “Among the sutras, it [the Lotus Sutra] holds the highest place,” and “[Among those sutras] the Lotus is the foremost!”14 The Great Teacher Dengyo said that [the Lotus school is] the school founded by the Buddha himself" -- On Curing Karmic Disease

One need not pass through kalpas cycling through the Lower Worlds. One may choose to push himself off the ground he has fallen to and immediately renounce the Nichikan Gohonzon and the Soka Gakkai and embrace the One Pure Vehicle as practiced by Nichiren.

Nichiren Daishonin also states:

"Thus, T’ien-t’ai and Miao-lo, following this principle, state in their commentaries that one should persist in preaching the Lotus Sutra. For instance, a person who stumbles and falls to the ground pushes himself up from the ground and rises to his feet again. In the same way, though persons [who slander the Lotus Sutra] may fall into hell, they will quickly rise up again and become Buddhas.

The people of today in any event already turn their backs on the Lotus Sutra, and because of that error they will undoubtedly fall into hell. Therefore, one should by all means persist in preaching the Lotus Sutra and causing them to hear it. Those who put their faith in it will surely attain Buddhahood, while those who slander it will establish a “poison-drum relationship” with it and will likewise attain Buddhahood." -- Those Initially Aspiring to the Way

Do not turn your back on the Lotus Sutra as ByakurenK and the other leaders of the Soka Gakkai. There may be some solace in the "poison drum relationship" you have with the Lotus Sutra but why pass through a thousand kalpas as did those who persecuted Neverdespise Bodhisattva? Exchange your Nichikan Gohonzon now and renounce your affiliation with the slanderous Soka Gakkai.

Even the lowly Dhammapada far surpasses the Koran

Buddhism [from the Dhammapada]

” In this world hate never yet dispelled hate. Only love dispels hate. This is the law, Ancient and inexhaustible. ”
“All things, including you too shall pass away. Knowing this, how can you quarrel?
“It is better to conquer your own mind, than to win a thousand battles.”
“The mind is everything; what you think you become”
“It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.”
“Never speak harsh words. For they will rebound upon you.”
“Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth”
“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

Islam: (From the Koran)

“cast terror into the hearts of the infidels. Strike off their heads”
“Men have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other,”
“When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them”
“Believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you.”
“Believers, know that the idolaters [non-Muslims] are unclean. ”
“Jews are like pigs and monkeys”
“Reclining in paradise with bashful virgins for companions, they will call for abundant fruit and drink.”
“Women are your fields: go, then, into your fields whence you please.”


How we lose the Nichiren Buddhist debate

They cut off our nose and ears two hours before the debate.

Good morning Thomas

"Well it was a day full of happiness, compliments, appreciation and confidence. I can face anything in my life, as I have complete faith, trust in my God and Gohonzon and of course not to forget my darling My Sai [my savior Sensei]." -- SGI member Aruna

Aruna would have much to offer your Chanting Growers Group.  I'm sure he will be warmly embraced in the spirit of many in body but one in mind.

"Todos Somos Budas" - Core Soka Gakkai teaching that even they don't really believe

??? Ryokan? Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi? They who must sign the SGI code of conduct?

"It is through the use of words and letters that the Buddha saves living beings."

"It is customary among physicians to name anyone who departs from the basic practices of medicine a “practitioner of outside ways.” In human society one speaks of those relatives who are of a surname other than one’s own as “outside relatives.” And in Buddhism, that which departs from the sutras and treatises is known as an “outside way.”

The Nirvana Sutra states, “If there is any person who does not abide by the expositions of the Buddha, you should understand that this person is a servant of the devil.” And volume nine of On “Great Concentration and Insight” says, “Before the Lotus Sutra, they were disciples of an outside [non-Buddhist] way.”

The Zen school describes itself as something “not transmitted by the Buddha and patriarchs.” [What is your opinion on this?]

Answer: If that is so, then why does the Zen school talk about the “twenty-eight patriarchs of India” and the “six patriarchs of China”? If you speak in this way, you are refuting your own assertion that the teachings were entrusted to Mahākāshyapa, are you not? How do you explain this contradiction in your own words?

The Zen school says, “This superior way of ours has not been transmitted by the sages of the past.”

Answer: If that is so, then the Zen school of today can have no real understanding of this “superior way” either. And if it has no real understanding of it, then it is not true Zen!

All the Zen school does is sing about a “superior way,” resting in arrogance, never correcting its deluded views but instead boasting of “perceiving one’s true nature.” Its greatest mistake is to create gaps between people’s capacities and the Buddha’s teachings. In doing so, it impedes the enlightening process of the Buddha’s teachings and falls ever deeper into error.

The Zen followers talk about a doctrine “outside the sutras” and practice this thing “outside the sutras”; they say their doctrine is “independent of words or writing,” yet they love to take up their brushes and write about it. Their words and their hearts fail to match—how could they be other than followers of the heavenly devil, disciples of a non-Buddhist way?

It is through the use of words and letters that the Buddha saves living beings."

Several Nichiren inspired blogs since 2008.

Approaching two million views. Can any Nichiren Buddhist blogger outside of Japan make a similar claim? 

Oh my gawd [take notice Thomas]

"I have never known Petry to ever say anything worthwhile or truthful. He is like an intellectual gnat attacking an intellectual giant (John Ayres). What Petry mistakes for the truth is his own inability to deal with facts that he does not like. He simply makes up "facts" that are more suitable to him.This is the best that the Minobu sect has to represent themselves. Typical. His ignorance of his own sect and Nichiren’s Buddhism is very helpful for orthodox Nichiren sects." -- Terry Ruby SGI leader

I suggest you research John Ayres on Google Groups Alternate Religion Buddhism of Nichiren. Then we can most easily judge the perception of SGI leader Terry Ruby. Were it found to be deficient, it is a warning to those who remain in the Soka Gakkai or to those who are thinking of joining. A good search term would be John Ayres and Reginald Carpenter and go down to the 5th post. Thomas Pass the Doobie's perception is not much better than Terry Ruby's. Should Thomas wish to come here and argue SGI's doctrine that we are all Buddhas, I would be more than happy to host him. We can have a hundred day debate.


Don't flatter yourself Thomas

"And now, within hours of this morning's post, I am already being attacked on the internet!!! LFAO! 

And by a leader of his own Nichiren cult, who demonstrably has never achieved a single one of his stated goals, other than to slander others with enmity which is completely against the Daishonin's teachings!

To be slandered by a fool is no disgrace and to be praised by a fool is no honor. Go for it Mark, great leader of 45 followers! You have no idea how much I really have no problem with anything you say. I already explained it above. And I meant every word of what I said.

People perceive what they will. It has little to do with what I actually say. By the way, keep helping others hear what I have to say. I appreciate you helping me out that way, even though it is not your intention.

Hugs and deepest appreciation!

Thomas"

There is only one Supreme leader of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, that is Nichiren Daishonin and there is only one original teacher my dear Thomas and that is Shakyamuni Buddha. I follow Nichiren and seek no followers. Were I to seek followers, I would be no better than your perverse mentor. My fingers point only to the Law, Shakyamuni Buddha, and Nichiren Daishonin.