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).
"Though the parents love all their children equally, they worry most about their sick child and to show this concern will resort to childish name-calling." (taken from Dr. Rogow's Gosho Zenshu)
ReplyDeleteI confess my knowledge of the Lotus Sutra and Gosho is not as in-depth as yours, but I can't remember a sutra in which Shakyamuni refers to King Ajatashatru as "King Has-A-Shit-ru" or a letter or treatise in which Nichiren Daishonin writes about King Ajatashat₹. (where ₹ is the monetary symbol for RUpee)
At the end of the day, it's your blog, your rules, but I just feel that your assertions of the hypocrisy of the SGI and its leaders is severely undermined when you claim yourself (and other members of the Lotus Sutra Buddhism group) to be followers of Shakyamuni and Nichiren who practice in accordance with their teachings, but then resort to cheap shots such as "Daisicko Ikeda" or "Dai$aku".
its simple, we don't like or respect him for what he has done to real buddhism.
ReplyDeletewho would possible respect a man who would do what he did to gmw and virginia. how low can you go.
When you write "we don't like or respect him" are you speaking for you and Mark, or for all members of the Lotus Sutra Society?
DeleteFor someone who claims to be a Lotus Sutra Nichiren Buddhist who are you to treat someone in a manner that goes against the teachings of Nichiren and Shakyamuni, especially the teaching embodied in the quote that Mark has selected for this blog post?
Similarly, “who would possible respect a man who would do what he did to gmw and virginia. how low can you go."
You don't need to respect someone’s actions, but out of concern you can express yourself by trying to point out any perceived errors or slanders and lead them to a correct understanding of the Gosho and Lotus Sutra.
Is President Ikeda worse than King Ajashatru? As an occasional reader of this blog, I can see that according to Mark and yourself, President Ikeda could be compared to the “sinful man who slays his parents [Shakyamuni the father and the Lotus Sutra the mother] and becomes an enemy of the Buddha and the sutras” but surely this would make him a sick child.
So while he may not be worthy of respect (according to you), Shakyamuni would love him as he loves all his children equally, but he would also be the most concerned about President Ikeda as a parent would a sick child.
You can’t love all your children equally if you treat some with dislike and a lack of respect. I find it hard to believe, in light of this quote, that both yourself and Mark can doubt the greatness of Shakyamuni's wisdom and compassion by asking “who could respect such a man?”
Surely you are disparaging your own faith and your potential to reveal your wisdom, courage and compassion. Or perhaps out of compassion and concern, you would treat one of your own children with dislike and lack of respect if they became sick.
Ok. He is a flatterer, slanderer, and smiling backstabber who embraces crooked principles. He makes priests "double fire" Ryokan and the "octopus"* Nikken look like Buddhist saints.* Is that better?
ReplyDelete*Soka Spirit web site
Brilliant.
DeleteI know that the Soka Gakkai have vilified Nikken in the past (and may continue to do so in some parts of the world or districts) and I also know you have had your share of being on the receiving end of name-calling and insults by SGI members that disagree with your comments.
But are you seriously expecting me to believe that it is okay for you to behave in this way because SGI members or an SGI web-site do the same?
By justifying your own inability to treat a sick child with dignity and compassion by pointing to the bad behaviour of others only confirms that you have a lot more in common with the SGI than you care to admit.
There is minor good, major good, minor evil, and major evil. The SGI and your abominable mentor are major evils and those who follow the Law and Nichiren Daishonin are major good so be careful who you slander or even criticize.
ReplyDeleteThis should become one of your TOP TEN posts as it exposes the followers of the Lotus Sutra Society as hypocrites who claim to follow the teachings of Shakyamuni and Nichiren Daishonin, and use their teachings and writings to justify behaviour, but then choose not to follow it when it suits them, treating others with disrespect and resorting to name-calling. One of your many criticisms of the Soka Gakkai.
DeleteI have no problem with you continuing to point out the errors of the SGI as you see them, and in September 2013 you explained on my blog that you repay your debt of gratitude to Daisaku Ikeda by pointing out his errors.
But, Nichiren's explanation for why YOU single out Daisaku Ikeda for rebuke states "the sinful man who slays his own parents and becomes an enemy of the Buddha and the sutras is like the sick child" - a sick child that you love equally to all your children but with greater concern.
I think most of your criticisms against President Ikeda can be summarised such that you see him as “a sinful man who slays his own parents” (Shakyamuni and Lotus Sutra) and is an "enemy of the Buddha and the sutras", and yet you fail to treat him as a parent would view a sick child in accordance with your own quote.
I know doctors can resort to black-humour to deal with the horrors of their job, but as a doctor would you talk about sick children by calling them names?
"Misfortune comes from one’s mouth and ruins one, but fortune comes from one’s heart and makes one worthy of respect." ("Mushimochi gosho", WND-1, p1137)
I think you'd soon lose your reputation as an outstanding physician if you did resort to calling sick children names, rather than caring for them from the heart.
Incidentally, was King Ajatashatru minor good, major good, minor evil or major evil?
"Now when an age comes to its end, only twisted trees remain on the mountainside, only low grasses grow in the fields. In the world wise people are few, while foolish ones abound. They are like cows and horses, which never know their fathers, or like hares and sheep, unable to pick out their mothers."
ReplyDelete"This Lotus Sutra, which declares that all living beings can attain the Buddha way, this wonderful text that states emphatically that if one once hears the Lotus Sutra, one will be certain to attain enlightenment—Shan-tao would demolish it with a single word, asserting that it is a false and empty teaching by which “not even one person in a thousand” can be saved. He says it is a teaching that will never allow one to attain the way, pronouncing the vast benefits to be won through this great wisdom of equality to be false and empty. He would have us believe that the testimony given by the Thus Come One Many Treasures when he declared, “All that you [Shakyamuni Buddha] have expounded is the truth!”11 was in fact a lie. He would reject the evidence given when the Buddhas of the ten directions extended their long broad tongues until they reached the Brahma heaven.
He is a deadly enemy to all the Buddhas of the three existences. He has committed a grave offense, that of grossly slandering the Law, for he would destroy the seeds by which the Thus Come Ones of the ten directions attain Buddhahood. He will suffer the direst punishment, for he has committed acts that condemn him to the great citadel of the hell of incessant suffering.
Because this was the case, Shan-tao suddenly went mad and, climbing a willow tree in front of the temple where he was residing, tied a rope around his neck and threw himself down, thus ending his life. The curse of his erroneous teachings met with its destined and inescapable punishment in this form...."
"Just before he met his end, he said, “This body is hateful to me! I am tormented by pain and have not a moment of rest!” And when he had climbed the willow in front of the temple where he resided, he faced to the west and said, “May the Buddha through his divine might receive me, and may Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World’s Sounds and Bodhisattva Great Power come to aid me!” And when he had finished reciting these words, he threw himself down and ended his life.
ReplyDeleteIt was the seventeenth day of the third month when he put the rope around his neck and jumped down. But, perhaps because the rope broke or the limb of the willow tree snapped, he fell down upon the ground, which was hardened from a severe drought, and shattered his hip bone. For seven days and seven nights, till the twenty-fourth day of the month, he remained in the utmost torment, dragging himself this way and that and crying out in pain, until at last he died. Thus it would appear that even so eminent a patriarch as this was unable to be among those who gain rebirth in the Pure Land.
These things are by no means mere slander invented by the other schools of Buddhism, nor are they falsehoods spread by members of the Lotus school. They are recorded in the section on the Reverend Shan-tao in The Biographies of the Patriarchs. Those who choose to follow a particular line of teaching should not forget how it originated, and those who practice a particular doctrine should follow in the footsteps of its earlier leaders. Are we to conclude, therefore, that those who embrace the Pure Land doctrine are to follow in the footsteps of their leader and conduct themselves as Shan-tao did in his last hours by committing suicide? For if the Nembutsu practitioners fail to hang themselves by the neck, they will be guilty of going against the example of their leader, will they not?"
"Next, they have abandoned their father, Shakyamuni Buddha, and hence stand accused of the five cardinal sins. How can they escape falling into the hell of incessant suffering? And finally, they have turned their backs on their teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha, and thus are to be numbered among those who commit the seven cardinal sins. How could they fail to sink into the evil paths of existence?"
ReplyDelete"When the Buddha predicted that Painfully Acquired, a follower of the non-Buddhist teachings, would within seven days die and turn into a vomit-eating spirit, Painfully Acquired was enraged. Within seven days, however, he did indeed turn into a vomit-eating spirit. The non-Buddhist followers immediately covered this up and told people that they had better purchase the relics of this practitioner who had attained the way.
ReplyDeleteThere is no end to the number of strange incidents like this. But since I have not seen Dōryū’s remains, I wonder what has become of them. Moreover, the teachings Dōryū has been spreading originate in the provisional teachings. But the fact that until now he had been saying that the true teachings of the Buddha were transmitted apart from the sutras shows that he himself had gone mad and that he himself had admitted that his teaching is non-Buddhist.
Besides, the situation at Kenchō-ji temple is plain to see this very moment. Though it can be said that Kenchō-ji is the enemy of all the monasteries and temples in Japan, since it hides matters under the cloak of authority, people are afraid and say nothing. The reason is that they place importance on their present existences and think lightly of future ones. Such being the case, in my present existence I have been saying that because of that temple our present country will be brought to ruin. This has come true. My knowing about these things and time and again speaking out about the offenses of the priests and lay believers in Japan has invited calamity in this lifetime, but it means good fortune in my next.
Moreover, even though the priests and lay believers of Japan are aware of the conduct of Dōryū, still, because they are frightened of the authorities, they are outwardly respectful. But in their hearts, I think, everyone shuns him. Though due to their ignorance, they may not know what is correct or incorrect in the Buddhist teachings, I think they understand the affairs of the world since these are the facts before their very eyes.
And though one may not follow Buddhist teachings, it is a simple enough matter to discover whether a person’s bones have changed to a Buddha’s relics. A Buddha’s relics will neither be burned by fire nor dampened by water, and even when they are struck with a diamond hammer are uncrushable. Try just once to crush Dōryū’s bones and see what happens. Nothing could be easier."
"Answer: There are 136 hells.13 Into 135 of these hells people fall like raindrops, for it is easy to commit the kind of offenses that cause one to do so. But it is rare that a person falls into the great citadel of the hell of incessant suffering. This is because it is rare for anyone to commit any of the five cardinal sins that condemn one to this hell.
ReplyDeleteBefore the Buddha appeared in the world, there were no five cardinal sins, but only the two sins of killing one’s father and killing one’s mother. And in the time before the Buddha even these two cardinal sins, killing one’s father and killing one’s mother, never destined one to fall into the hell of incessant suffering. They were simply regarded as two sins that might be committed by a beast.
Now, however, the people of Japan no longer fall into the 135 other hells. The people of Japan, though differing from one another in appearance, are all alike in being slanderers of the Lotus Sutra. Though the people of Japan differ from one another, they are all alike slanderers of the Lotus Sutra because their principles can be traced back to the three great teachers other than Dengyō."*
Today we may say, "other than Nichiren.", men like Nichikan, Toda, Nikken, and especially your mentor.
ReplyDelete'The Ikeda and Nikken factions war with each other incessantly; the latter-day followers of Nichikan in Tokyo and those of Nikken at the head temple of Mount Fuji. They wrangle back and forth like asura demons, fight like so many monkeys and dogs. Is this not what comes of Ikeda's dream?"
"We are troubled by revolt in our own country, thieves and bandits fill the land, enemies come from abroad to attack us, and all our thoughts are of armed conflict. The people’s hearts are lacking in filial piety and they look on their own parents as strangers. Priests and nuns, embracing erroneous views, quarrel with one another like dogs and monkeys. Because of the lack of pity and compassion, the heavenly deities cease to guard this country of ours. Because of the prevalence of erroneous views, the three treasures of Buddhism cast it aside."
ReplyDelete"They are like dogs that tag after the servants [forgetting their master]. They pay honor to apes and monkeys, considering them like the god Shakra; they revere shards and rubble, looking on them as bright gems. With such ignorant and benighted persons, how can one discuss the way?”
ReplyDelete"The seven schools listed above, the True Word school and the others, along with the Pure Land school, all fail to recognize Shakyamuni Thus Come One as their father. They resemble the persons in China living before the time of the Three Sovereigns who, like birds and beasts, did not know who their own father was. Among birds, neither the tit or wren nor the phoenix know their own father, and among beasts, neither the rabbit nor the lion know their own father. And in the time before that of the Three Sovereigns, neither great kings nor lowly commoners knew who their own father was.
ReplyDeleteThe Mahayana schools other than the Tendai school, the True Word school and the others are comparable to the lion or the phoenix, and the Hinayana schools are comparable to tits and wrens or to rabbits. None of them know who their own father is."
How much less do those of the Ikeda sect bfail to honor their father. They are truly lower thanj the birds and beasts.
"This means that though one may behave like a dog or a fox, one should never direct one’s mind to the lesser vehicle teachings."
ReplyDelete“If now some other Buddha should appear and declare that the Lotus Sutra is not suitable for persons in this latter age of ours, he would obviously be contradicting the sutra itself. We know, therefore, that he would be the sort of ‘devil Buddha’ that the Nirvana Sutra has predicted will appear after the Buddha has entered extinction and hence not worthy to be trusted."
ReplyDeleteReally?
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your reply, but even though those EIGHTEEN posts (!) may be worth reading, they haven’t answered my question or justified:
(i) your use of derogatory names for President Ikeda, or
(ii) why your comparison with SGI name-calling makes yours okay
I’ve already said I have no problem with you pointing out the slanders of the SGI. If you want to compare him to a dog or say he’s worse than a beast because of his actions, call him a dog and say he’s worse than a beast. If you want to say he’s a millionaire liar, call him a millionaire liar. If you want to say that his behaviour will lead him to an eternity in hell, say it will lead him to an eternity in hell.
But, based on a quote CHOSEN BY YOU about treating sinful men and slanderers like a sick child, and compassionately caring for them more than for your other children who you love equally, I just wondered why you need to use derogatory names, such as Daisicko and Dai$aku, which show a lack of respect for the person you are trying to repay your debt of gratitude to.
Your response is to copy and paste 18 posts that don’t justify the use of derogatory terms for Daisaku Ikeda. Where are the quotes where Nichiren refers to Horen as “Whore-ing” or Shakyamuni refers to Devadatta as “Diva Daft Hat”. Do you have a quote where Nichiren repays his debt of gratitude to Dozen-bo by calling him "Dozing - boy"?
(1) If you see President Ikeda as being like a sick child (who has killed his parents and is an enemy of the Buddha and the sutras) why do you not love him as you love your other children, but refer to him as Daisicko and Dai$aku?
(2) If you think your behaviour is justified because some SGI members and websites also resort to name-calling, then where are the quotes by Nichiren or Shakyamuni that say because the Pure Land school behaves like this, it’s okay for me to do the same? If you had a sick child with Tourette's Syndrome, would shouting obscenities yourself show compassionate care?.
Please remember that all phenomena manifest the ultimate reality. Nichiren used various methods based on many factors. It is up to the person to decide what actions they wish to take at any given moment. Regarding the Ikeda sgi, it is a heretical group of slanderers. this is a fact. it follows many of the doctrinal fallacies of the shoshu band of thieves. the sooner you learn that there is no sect or organization in japan that is not business, including the sgi, the sooner you will be on the path to enlightenment. gassho shinkei
ReplyDeleteHi Mark,
ReplyDeleteAfter some research over the last few days, I HAVE FOUND PROOF of Nichiren using disparaging word play with someone’s name!
So, in the spirit of not being afraid to apologise or self-correct, here is the information I found:
I don’t know if it is one of the “approved” letters, but in the Gosho “The Royal Palace” (WND-1, p488) Nichiren replies to a report from Shijo Kingo that two fires had broken out at Gokuraku-ji Temple and the Shogun’s palace.
“In this country, however, the shogun’s palace has just burned down, a sign that the good fortune of Japan is about to be exhausted. Calamities are arising with growing frequency, probably because priests steeped in slander of the correct teaching are offering up fervent prayers in an attempt to subdue me.
A name reveals the essence of a thing. The slanderous sage, Priest Two Fires, is the teacher of people high and low throughout Kamakura. One of the two fires was concentrated on his own grounds, reducing Gokuraku-ji [Paradise Temple] to Jigoku-ji [Hell Temple]. The other fire leaped over to devour the ruler’s palace.
Furthermore, this double fire not only ravaged the country in this existence, but foretells that the teacher and his disciples throughout Japan will in their next life fall into the hell of incessant suffering, where they will burn in the Avīchi flames. The ignorant priests did not heed the words of a man of great wisdom, and this disaster came about as a result.”
So who is “Priest Two Fires”? It’s Ryōkan-bō.
In the original Japanese, Ryōkan-bō means Priest (bō ) Good (ryō) Observation (kan)
But in this Gosho Nichiren refers to him as Ryōka-bō where “Ryo” means both and “ka” means fires giving the name "Priest Two Fires"
Daisaku Ikeda has commented on this Gosho in New Human Revolution: Vol. 8 (p182) and says:
“By calling Ryokan ‘Priest Two Fires’ the Daishonin was exposing him flat-out as a false sage. These words were not intended as mere insults. They were a relentless bombardment of truths based on Buddhist scriptures and clear reasoning.”
So, while I still think that name-calling goes against the spirit of your quote about King Ajatashatru and a parent’s compassion for a sick child, because there is documentary proof of name-calling from Nichiren (if the gosho is authentic) I have no problem with you referring to Daisaku Ikeda as Daisicko, Dai$aku, or other names, even if I still disagree with your opinion.
Nichiren also refers to Ryokan-bo as Priest Two Fires in two other gosho:
ReplyDelete"The Three Obstacles and Four Devils" (WND-1, pp 636 - 640) which was written to one of his followers Munenaga Ikegami, and "Letter to Shimoyama" (WND-2, pp 684 - 718) which is one of his ten major writings, and a treatise written to Shimoyama Hyōgo Gorō Mitsumoto.
It is totally useless to try to have a rational discussion on this blog. This is a tiny, itsi bitsi group of disaffected human beings who call themselves Buddhists or whatever they want to call themselves. There are only 45 people in this group. Considering the amount of posted writings by Mark Rogow and his vitriolic commentaries, I suspect he is either bi-polar, paranoid schizophrenic or some other equally sad personality disorder. Although I peruse this site every few months it saddens me to see the continued ranting of such a "sick child" upon whom I have sincere pity. It seems to me that this person uses the words of others to justify his own points of view and even his own existence. Sadly he lacks even the basic elements of compassion. Hitler thought he was doing a great deed for the world by eliminating all the Jews and he even had "literal" proof for his reasoning. The ego is a very dark and dangerous place when not kept in check in any way. I sincerely pray for the awaking of the few sad people who participate in this blog and spew out their deep self loathing under the guise of refutation. Peace be with you anyway. Please feel free to attack me and call me names if that will support you in your righteousness. Meanwhile I doubt if all 45 of you will ever have any real impact in this world and unfortunately you will eventually just die and leave a space that no one will miss or care about. And you being a dentist/doctor---how sad.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous lacking a clear mirror, knowing little of the teachings, and knowing even less about me, calls me "bi-polar", "paranoid schizophrenic", "personality disorder", "sick child", "Hitler", "ego", and "self loathing" and THEN, he projects unto me [transference] what he does, "feel free to attack me".
ReplyDeleteHere's what I know. You are a member of the personality cult known as Soka Gakkai and therefore practice the cult technique known as bull-baiting against the cult's critics.
When I assert, for example, that SGI is a fascist organization, I site the authority Scruton, SGI mentor's, leaders', and members' own words and compare and contrast them to the words of Rudolf Hess to prove my point:
"Ask in all that you do: What would the Führer do." -- Rudolph Hess Nazi leader
"You should continually ask yourself, what would Sensei do?" -- Tariq Hassan SGI leader
"Wherever you are, you owe thanks to the Führer, for his leadership enabled every victory." -- Rudolph Hess Nazi leader
"Having gratitude for Sensei assures us a glorious victory." -- Linda Johnson SGI leader
"You are all the scouts and the defenders of the National Socialist army of the movement. You are each indispensable and equal. Each of you is as unique in history as National Socialism itself. You are typically National Socialist." -- Rudolph Hess Nazi leader
"You are the youthful defenders of the Mystic Law. Let us protect our mentor and our noble SGI organization. You are all equal and each one of you has a mission only you can fulfill. You yourself are the Soka Gakkai." -- Nathan Gauer SGI Youth leader
"Having Sensei's spirit means being a model for others. Leaders must first set an example." -- Andy Nagashima SGI leader
"Being true to Hitler’s spirit means always being a model. “To be a leader is to be an example.” -- Rudolph Hess