Question: When are the forceful practices [shakubuku] appropriate?
Answer: When the Law is about to disappear
Answer: When the Law is about to disappear
Question: How does the life giving water of the Law disappear?
Answer: The water of the Law may become polluted, obstructed, cease to flow, evaporated, or diverted. Polluted means that the superior teachings of the Lotus Sutra are mixed with inferior teachings. Obstructed means that it is outlawed by official decree. Cease to flow means that the people no longer have the will to spread the teachings. Evaporated means that there are no longer wise men to correctly teach the Law, those with the ability to determine which of the teachings are true [authentic] and which are false. Diverted means that the truth of the teachings are greedily hoarded by a select few who utilize them for their personal gain. Whenever we encounter any of these situations [and there are probably many more], the shakubuku method is appropriate.
Answer: The water of the Law may become polluted, obstructed, cease to flow, evaporated, or diverted. Polluted means that the superior teachings of the Lotus Sutra are mixed with inferior teachings. Obstructed means that it is outlawed by official decree. Cease to flow means that the people no longer have the will to spread the teachings. Evaporated means that there are no longer wise men to correctly teach the Law, those with the ability to determine which of the teachings are true [authentic] and which are false. Diverted means that the truth of the teachings are greedily hoarded by a select few who utilize them for their personal gain. Whenever we encounter any of these situations [and there are probably many more], the shakubuku method is appropriate.
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