Nichiren teaches:
"The Nirvana Sutra in essence teaches us that when persons who have faith in the Buddhist teachings and are determined to free themselves from the sufferings of birth and death grow a little faint in heart, the Buddha inflicts illness upon them in order to encourage them to strive harder. He does so to embolden them, to drive them forward."
In essence, this means that the Buddha inflicts illness to awaken a seeking spirit for the Law. Shin Yatomi mistakenly awakened a seeking spirit for Sensei rather than for the Law. He embraced not the Lotus Sutra and the teachings of Nichiren but rather the teachings of Ikedaism. Nichiren also teaches, "To give an analogy, a mild illness can be cured with ordinary medicine, but a severe illness requires an elixir". Late stage lung cancer requires the elixir of the Lotus Sutra not Ikedaism.
Likewise, he was an enemy of Nichiren. By altering and teaching an inferior religion [Ikedaism], he was ostensibly attacking Nichiren:
"Those persons who treat Nichiren as an enemy all attack him. The heavenly gods all [abandon] this country. [The Lotus Sutra] states, “[If this person] on seeing those who read, recite, copy, and uphold this sutra, should despise, hate, envy, or bear grudges against them,...” It also says, “[He will be] plagued by many ailments, thin and gaunt.” And the eighth volume states, “[And he will] suffer from severe and malignant illnesses.” The second volume also states, “Though he might practice the art of medicine and by its methods cure someone’s disease, the person would grow sicker from some other malady and perhaps in the end would die.” And it goes on to say, “If he himself had an illness, no one would aid or nurse him, and though he took good medicine, it would only make his condition worse.”
Lastly and most importantly, as taught by Nichiren, the most severe illnesses ["malignant illnesses"] are caused by slandering the Law and the votaries of the Lotus Sutra. Shin Yatomi slandered the Law and the votaries by claiming that not one member of the orthodox sects will attain Buddhahood through their faith and practice and that their copies of Nichiren inscribed Gohonzons have no power.
The realities you speak of here are agonizing in so many ways--.
ReplyDeleteFirst, it seems impossible to awaken leaders like Shin Yatomi -- no matter which approach one takes-- and ultimate;y, at least for me, I, while striving my best to deepen faith in Nichiren's teachings am only MORE convinced of the pernicious effects of slander--. It is the loss of correct perceptions that is the most frightening to encounter when talking to these leaders.
This is also an obstacle-- I mean NOT wanting to have these *agaonizing* experiences, it is easy to just "live and let live"-- NOT trouble oneself to share the LAW with them -- or CAUSE them to hear it-- is what I mean.
I don't have a formula, much less the answer to this dilemma, but I am aware now, that it is a blind spot in my practice. This was revealed to me when I first came to Eagle Peak.
Boundless compassion-- starts close to my life and builds from there. What moves me the strongest is protecting youth-- , am currently engaged in actions addressing *abuses* I reported in 2009 as a staff nurse in a top ranked children's hospital. It took a few years for things to get worse on the unit where I worked, and a few more for this to gain the attention of the public. Every step of the way, I made causes, offered support to families and kids suffering and risked my career on their behalf.
What i am now involved in will no doubt become national news in a year or so-- maybe sooner. Here I will state that the *cause* to save kids from *abuse* and identify the perpetrators was begun by two women-- Me and another nurse, whoknkows well my reliance on faith and Nichiren's teachings. This battle has many similarities to rebuking slander in my local area-- all the way to National SGI USA leaders. Only now do i realize that rebuking slander should have always been my priority--
In fact, I will state with conviction, that IF rebuking slander HAD been my priority-- and NOT getting along in SGI Boston from 2008-2012-- perhaps the horrible ordeals many kids have suffered where I was working would have not worsened to the degree it did.
Yes-- it does take new practitioners awhile to *get it*-- as was stated in the recently posted *video lecture*-- where *get it* meant embody the mentor/disciple relationship.
BUT,that SGI distortions- really off the wall distortions, BTW, are still propagated at all-- is due to how difficult it is for a practitioner of Nichiren's Buddhism to deal with *it* once they *get it*
I am using my passion to protect youth as the fuel for deepening my prayers and devotion to the Lotus sutra--. I am challenging my current obstacles with gratitude-- that I have "them" and not a malignant disease, as, I ,too have been complicit with slander... prone to error all the more because of it.
I am not claiming to know what lay in store for me-- only that I KNOW when to be grateful and why.
~Katie
even nichiren could not open the eyes of the blind. the best he could do was cause a poison drum relationship.
Deletemy experience has been .... at a crucial moment, the buddha of the 16th chapter steps in.
the world today is unraveling. just as buddhism has unraveled.
namu myoho renge kyo!
Good post Katie. We are grateful that you found us. I will pray for your success in ending child abuse with the indiscriminate use of powerful anti-psychotics. Excellent reply Greg.
DeleteThank you Mark and Greg! It is clear that you have your priorities straight-- that you have made clarifying what IS correct and refuting the distortions of Nichiren's teachings THE single most important activity of a practitioner of Nichiren's Buddhism, is consistently communicated here-- and wherever you post on the internet.
DeleteI am praying that others who discover Eagle Peak will *open their eyes* ; and embark on a the path of the correct practice of faith.
In all realms where we see the world unraveling, there is hope when even one person upholds the Lotus Sutra as Nichiren taught.
When others unite for goal, there is no doubt that the Buddha's prediction for the wide spread propagation of Myoho-renge-kyo will be fulfilled.
How reassuring, how wonderful to witness this unfolding amidst the harsh realities of our time.
With my deepest appreciation,
~Katie
"difficult to believe, difficult to understand."
Deletecourage is soooooo refeshing!
thank you for your input/daimoku.
We are the small perfectly united group that will defeat SGI's massive disunited army of heretics.
ReplyDelete