"Well, I stand corrected. I was unaware my fabulous life condition was "punishment from heaven." -- SGI member

It may seem that the SGI has a great expansion through the gentle practices but if you delve into their history you will see that they experienced their explosive growth utilizing the break and subdue practices and then they lost the spirit of Bodhisattva Never Despise of the Essential Teachings. Since that time they have been either losing members or have remained stagnant and they have experienced individually and collectively punishment from heaven (cause and effect). - Mark

Well, I stand corrected. I was unaware my fabulous life condition was "punishment from heaven." -- Laguru

Dear Laguru:

You are barking at the wrong lion. The Lotus Sutra and the writings of Nichiren Daishonin are my bones and marrow, not the Human Revolution and the World Tribune.

How do we know if our problems are caused by slander or obstacles and devils trying to obstruct our practice?

We may use the Lotus Sutra as a guide. It tells us which of our problems are caused by slander and which of our problems are caused by the Three Obstacles and Four Devils. We should avoid slander and its repercussions (punishment) and we should welcome the Three Obstacles and Four Devils. It is imperative to see clearly if we are slandering so we can make corrections. It is necessary to know if our actions are those of votaries of the Lotus Sutra. Does our mind accord with the mind of the Buddha?

If you are a doctor, your hopes and desires are for your patients to get well. If you are slandering the Law they will not get better, They will fair poorly: If you gain something, some benefit either inconspicuous or conspicuous and you lose it quickly, you are slandering the Law. Lets say, you are making the most cogent arguments at work and at home, arguments to realize some goal or to benefit others but despite these logical and well thought out arguments, no one believes you, then you are slandering the Law. Likewise, if you are in some position of power but inferiors are ordering you about, you have damaged the Law. You can know if your mind is in contrast to the Buddha's if you have a relatively mild ailmant that festers and won't resolve despite the best of medicaments. You can tell if your slandering the Law if, at a picnic, the ants and fleas and insects are only biting you. You will realize if you are slandering the Law when you have a bad thought about a votary and the very instant the thought arises something untoward happens. When you are doing something related to Buddhism, take some action that you are not sure is good or bad, and out of nowhere, a malignant wind blows that gives you a fright, you are slandering the Law. When your garden fails to prosper and the leaves are brown and the fruit vines are withered despite optimal weather and irrigation, you are slandering the Law.

On the contrary, if one's patients have a tendency to thrive, despite the most noxious of disease, he with the Lotus Sutra dwells. When we obtain a benefit either conspicuous or inconspicuous, material or spiritual, they remain with us long, we can assuredly state, "today I live the Sutra". When we get a cold or a sore, despite non-optimal care, quickly improve and are cured, we are traveling the Buddha Way. When your friends or acquaintances or enemies are out and about being eaten alive by mosquitos and gnats and you remain untouched, you walk with the Buddha. All is accord with the Mind of the Buddha when you are attacked with words or sticks or stones and you remain unruffled, neither angry, fearful, nor blu. When you are enveloped in a gentle breeze while forming The Thought, there is no doubt. When despite a drought your grass is green and your garden is lush with flower and fruit you walk the Way. (For more on this topic, see Chapter 3 of the Lotus Sutra, The Burning House)

Now we procede to Chapter 19, The Merits Of The Preacher. How is it possible with our fleshy eyes, ordinary ears, human organ of smell [less developed than even that of a dog or a fish], three inch tongue, skin, feces and urine bag of a body, and base, common and insubstantial mind, all received from our parents, obtain the divine eyes and five types of vision, the ability to hear the "Light Sound and Universal Purity", perceive the odors of all beings, their thoughts, karmas and merits, have "the Buddhas and their disciples all come to hear your discourses" [through the marvelous function of your tongue], obtain "a body as a pure bright mirror" in which every image is seen, and develop a mind that is "pure, lucid, acute, unterbid" by which you will "know all laws, high, low and mean"?

The Lotus Sutra teaches that merely by receiving and keeping the Lotus Sutra [Myoho renge kyo], the merits of the preacher are such as these. If you have these merits you share the mind of the Buddha, you are living in accord with the Buddha.

Now let us move to Chapter 17 and then I ask a question of you.

At that time the Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva Mahasattva, "Ajita! If there are living beings who, on hearing that the Buddha’s life span is as long as this, can bring forth even a single thought of faith and understanding, the merit and virtue they will gain is measureless and limitless.

"If a good man or a good woman, for the sake of anuttara samyak sambodhi, were to practice the five paramitas: dana-paramita, shila-paramita, kshanti-paramita, virya-paramita, anddhyana-paramita; all except prajnaparamita throughout eighty myriads of millions of nayutas of eons...

"... the merit and virtue he or she would derive if compared with that of the previous person’s would not come to a hundredth part, nor to a thousandth, nor to a hundred thousand myriad millionth part, nor could it be known by resort to calculation or analogy.

"For a good man or a good woman possessing merit and virtue such as this, to retreat from anuttarasam yaksambodhi would be simply impossible."

At that time, the World Honored One, wishing to restate this meaning, spoke verses saying,

If someone wished to seek the Buddha’s wisdom 

Throughout eighty myriads of millions 

Of nayutas of kalpas,

Practicing the five paramitas 

Throughout all those eons, 

He would give by making offerings to the Buddhas, 

The Pratyekabuddha disciples, 

And to the hosts of Bodhisattvas. 

His gifts might be rare and precious food and drink, 

Fine clothing, and bedding. 

He might give pure abodes made of chandana 

And adorned by gardens and groves. 

Gifts such as these, 

Varied and fine, 

Throughout this number of eons, 

He would dedicate to the Buddha Way. 

Further he might hold the prohibitive precepts purely, 

Without flaw or fault, 

Seeking the supreme path, 

Praised by all the Buddhas. 

Again, he might practice patience, 

Dwelling on the Ground of Compliance, 

So that should evil befall him, 

His mind would not be disturbed. 

Also if those who have gained the Dharma, 

But who harbor overweening pride, 

Ridicule and torment him, 

He would be able to bear it. 

He might be diligent and vigorous, 

Ever solid in his resolve, 

Throughout limitless millions of eons, 

Single-minded and never lax. 

And for countless eons he might 

Dwell in a tranquil place, 

Ever collecting his thoughts, avoiding sleep, 

While either sitting or walking. 

Because of these causes and conditions, 

He would then give rise to dhyana concentration, 

So that for eighty millions of myriads of eons, 

His mind would be secure and unconfused. 

Blessed with this single-mindedness, 

He would seek the unsurpassed path, saying, 

"May I gain All-Wisdom 

And exhaust the limits of dhyana concentrations." 

This person, for hundreds of thousands 

Of tens of millions of eons, 

Might practice such meritorious virtues 

As told above. 

But should there be a good man or woman 

Who, hearing me speak of my life span, 

Gives rise to even a single thought of faith, 

His or her blessings will exceed those of the person just described. 

Any person who can be completely free 

Of doubts and misgivings 

And, with deep thought, believe for but an instant, 

Will reap blessings such as those. 

Should there be Bodhisattvas 

Who have practiced the Way for limitless eons 

And who hear me speak of my life span, 

They shall be able to believe and accept it. 

Persons such as these 

Will receive this Sutra atop their heads, 

Vowing, "May we in the future 

Gain long lives and save living beings. 

Just as today the World Honored One, 

King of the Shakyas, In the Bodhimanda puts forth the lion’s roar, 

Speaking the Dharma without fear, 

So may we in lives to come 

Be revered by all 

And, while seated in the Bodhimanda, 

Speak of our life spans in the same way." 

Should there be those who deeply believe, 

Who are pure and straightforward, 

With much learning and dharanis, 

Who explain the Buddhas’ words according to the doctrine 

Persons such as these 

Will have no doubts about this matter.

"Further, Ajita, if anyone hears of the long duration of the Buddha’s life span and understands the import of these words, the merit and virtue such a one gains will be without boundary or limit, for it shall enable one to give rise to the supreme wisdom of the Thus Come One.

"How much the more so will this be the case for one who can listen to this Sutra extensively; ask others to listen; uphold it oneself; ask others to uphold it; write it out oneself; ask others to write it out; or use flowers, incense, beads, banners, flags, silk canopies, fragrant oils, or butter lamps to make offerings to this Sutra. Such a person’s merit and virtue will be limitless and boundless, for it shall enable that person to give rise to the Wisdom of All Modes.

"Ajita! If a good man or good woman hears of the long duration of the Buddha’s life span and with a deep mind believes and understands, he or she will then see the Buddha ever-present on Mount Gridhrakuta together with the great Bodhisattvas and the assembly of Hearers surrounding him as he speaks the Dharma. He or she will also see the Saha world’s soil become lapis lazuli. It will be flat and even, with eight major roads bordered with Jambunada gold and lined with jeweled trees. Adjacent to the roads will be pavilions and towers all made of jewels, wherein hosts of Bodhisattvas dwell. To behold in this way is indicative of deep faith and understanding.

"Further, after the passing into stillness of the Thus Come One, if a person hears this Sutra and does not defame it but instead rejoices over it, you should know that that indicates he already has deep faith and understanding.

"How much the more so is this the case for one who reads, recites, receives, and upholds it.

"This person carries the Thus Come One on the top of his head.

"Ajita! This good man or good woman need not build stupas or temples for me, nor build Sangha dwellings, nor make the four kinds of offerings to the Sangha. Why not? This good man or good woman, in receiving, upholding, reading, and reciting this Sutra, has already built stupas, erected Sangha dwellings, and made offerings to the Sangha. He has built stupas of the seven treasures for the Buddha’s sharira.The stupas are high and broad, tapering up to the Brahma Heavens, hung with banners and canopies. He has also offered many jeweled bells, flowers, incense, beads, ground incense, paste incense, and burning incense, as well as many drums, musical instruments, pipes, flutes, reeds, various dances, and praises sung with wonderful sounds. He has already made such offerings throughout limitless thousands of myriads of millions of eons."

Laguru, why is Prajnaparamita excepted?

The first half of the Lotus Sutra, the so-called Theoretical Section of the Lotus Sutra was the principle practice for the former and middle days [read the Opening of the Eyes]. We may still perform the gentle practices when we encounter people who are gentle, pliant, and upright, those who readily accept the teachings. With SGI Buddhism and their practitioners who reside in the Lower Six Realms, those who confuse Annimality or Rapture for Buddha and Buddha or Bodhisattva for Anger, one must resort to the aggressive practices (shakbuku or break and subdue).

I will not post the dozens of quotes of Nichiren about the difference of the practice of the Lotus Sutra in the former and latter days, because I will not do your homework for you. Remember this, three times the top SGI senior leaders have rejected a formal debate with me. I will not waste my time with anyone who doesn't represent the SGI.