I am SGI
I have been a YWD Leader, WD District Leader, and now a Chapter WD Ldr. I have practiced for almost 45 years. I know Nichiren Shoshu Academy, Nichiren Shoshu of America, and now the SGI. I have marched in the fife and drum, been to at least 20 States for conventions, and I am too pooped to pop.
The past 6 years plus have been hard for me to swallow. The whole Mentor and Disciple, now the ONENESS of Mentor and Disciple. It’s too much for my sensibilities anymore. I can only talk to 2 members about this whole idea of reaching enlightenment through the Mentor/Disciple relationship. That would mean the pioneers who came before us including my father would not have had the opportunity to reach enlightenment through this sort of new principal.
Hell I always considered Pres Ikeda my master back when I was in youth division. I have been practicing since the late 60’s. However that was my choice, it was not printed in publications, spoke about daily, on Sundays etc. Now you have to accept it or ….. I don’t know what the or really is?
Lately I have read The Autobiography of a Yogi, Fire in the Lotus, Old Path White Clouds, The Prophet Nichiren? Wake up to your life: Discovering the Buddhist path of Attention. The first 30 pages deal with picking your teacher. Very interesting…
So I am at a crossroads in my leadership duties. What If what I believe is a lie? The practice of chanting and GONGYO and reading the Gosho are fine with me. --- It’s the body of Leaders in the SGI that concern me. The constant reference to each and every Gosho as the oneness of Mentor and Disciple. What does that really mean? I thought to myself. The constant steam cooker – me and my district leaders operate under. Some of them are not participating in leaders meetings – They don’t jump like they did when they first began their practice. The endless last minute meetings where you are expected to drop everything. I am constantly told “I am going home and going to bed” or “I can’t make all these meetings”
We just had our May 3rd meeting it was FLAT nobody seemed to be enthusiastic about Rock the Era or none of what was going on stage. Clearly when it came to Pres Ikeda‘s video folks were flying out of the room to leave or go to the bathroom.
I have told Region leaders I want to give up my Chapter position - I only signed on for 3 years and its now been 9. Before that I was a District Leader for 20 years.
Guests come through the front door and leave out as members – in some cases never to be seen or heard of again.
I have other reasons that I don’t want to talk about just yet. I am whipped and beat and tired. I want to retire like any other Manager who has been on the job for 42 years, collect my gold watch, and leave.
I am funny if I think I can go out without a fight.
Also=========================================
From Reply to the Mother of Ueno… To reassure the lay nun Ueno that her son has attained Buddhahood, the Daishonin discusses the great benefit gained from embracing the Lotus Sutra, and asserts that a votary of the sutra will be protected by Shakyamuni, Many Treasures , and all the other Buddhas.
Hmmp don’t see any mention of living the oneness of mentor and disciple.
How many times in the Gosho did Nichiren emphasize that those who go against the Lotus Sutra suffer but those who continue to embrace it are Buddhas… Gee no mention here of the Oneness of Master and Disciple... oops they call it Mentor and Disciple now.
Nichiren states of Shichiro Goro in the Gosho of the same name…. "At an early age, having not yet turned twenty, he began chanting Namu Myoho-renge-kyo and thus he became a Buddha. This is what the sutra means when it says: Then not a one will fail to attain Buddhahood.”
Gee again no mention of this mentor and disciple relationship. It seems to be the relationship between us and the Lotus Sutra." -- Blue Lady
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