Kosen Rufu according to Nichiren
Kosen Rufu is the widespread propagation of the Lotus Sutra. It is not spreading Ikedaism, unshakable happiness, social or political activism, or even world peace. The Lotus Sutra Chapter 16 teaches, “It is not as the Three Worlds [the people of the past, present, and future] see the Three Worlds. In such a matter of this the Tathagata sees clearly and is without error.” This is the Eternal Pure Land of the Buddha where the Buddha goes about spreading the Lotus Sutra. Unshakable happiness is the Buddhism of the True Effect [Buddhism of the Harvest]. We practice the Buddhism of the True Cause, sowing the seed of Buddhahood whether we are happy or sad. Only a Buddha with a Buddha can exhaustively penetrate the reality of Namu Myoho renge kyo.
Kosen Rufu according to SGI-UK
Kosen Rufu is the widespread propagation of the Lotus Sutra. It is not spreading Ikedaism, unshakable happiness, social or political activism, or even world peace. The Lotus Sutra Chapter 16 teaches, “It is not as the Three Worlds [the people of the past, present, and future] see the Three Worlds. In such a matter of this the Tathagata sees clearly and is without error.” This is the Eternal Pure Land of the Buddha where the Buddha goes about spreading the Lotus Sutra. Unshakable happiness is the Buddhism of the True Effect [Buddhism of the Harvest]. We practice the Buddhism of the True Cause, sowing the seed of Buddhahood whether we are happy or sad. Only a Buddha with a Buddha can exhaustively penetrate the reality of Namu Myoho renge kyo.
Kosen Rufu according to SGI-UK
The Kosen-rufu Movement -Soka Gakkai International
“Daisaku Ikeda became the third President on 3rd May 1960 when he was 32. Under his leadership the organization grew rapidly and expanded abroad. In 1975 Soka Gakkai International was established and he became its first president. There are now more than 12 million members in 188 countries and territories, and Daisaku Ikeda has conducted dialogues with scholars, cultural and political leaders around the world. He also founded the Soka University and the Soka Schools, the Min-On Concert Association, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum and the Institute of Oriental Philosophy. The SGI continues its development as the organization of ‘human revolution,’ the individual’s inner reformation, and establishment of Buddhahood as the core life state, based on Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings.”
And what's shocking about that SGI UK statement, is what it leaves out.
ReplyDeleteI quote from SGI UK's (originally NSUK) first General Director's 1988 book "Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism - An Introduction":
5 - Soka Gakkai International
"SGI is the name given to the federation of Nichiren Shoshu lay organisations throughout the world... Currently, the SGI comprises some twenty million members in 115 countries around the world"
Pages 269 & 270. ISBN 0-7126-2269-1
It's still available on the net for those interested in how the org has expediently changed itself and revised it's history to market itself.
So, no mention of the 25 year war with itcs parent. No mention of the 40% drop in membership over the last 28 years. No mention of the role of any other party in it's growth.
I'm not arguing here for Nichiren Shoshu, simply that to present SGI's "rapid growth" and not to mention that this took place when it was part of NS and that it has declined since it left is both misleading and dishonest.
To attribute that growth to Daisaku Ikeda alone,when actually the High Priests of NS were the default spiritual leadership of the organisation and provided all of the spiritual frameworks and artifacts tgat SGI relied on to attract members and grow is also dishonest.
The SGI UK statement that leaves out these inconvenient facts, competely lacks any of the integrity that one might come to expect of a reputable Buddhist organisation.
Reading this without knowing those facts, the reader would be none the wiser. They might well commit their precious lives, time and finances to such an organisation, thinking it was led by a remarkable man, who had single handedly done great things. Someone that they could trust and follow. Which I fancy, is rather the point of such a deceitful statement.
Quite clearly that is anything but the situation. The organisation is corrupt to such an extent that it will unthinkingly peddle this type of deceit to attract new business and spread itself.
Be careful, it's all done with smiles and utter reasonableness but the facts speak for themselves.
Buyer beware.
I should have cited the author - Richard Causton - 1st General Director of NSUK and SGI-UK.
Deletehttps://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/12949/1/MQ45445.pdf
ReplyDeleteThanks Mark. As usual this is excellent. Well worth a read. I especially liked the following (This by the way, SGI folk, is what you're involved in and wasting your precious time and money on - think about it):
ReplyDelete"All written works of previous presidents have been rewritten by their successors and any mention in the previous president's works of a possible successor, if there was any, have been omitted. All of the literature that connotes approval of the leader has been created ex post facto by the leader himself.
This is another example of domination. By rewriting history, the leader demonstrates his dominance over it. The figure of the previous leader, who was once dominant in the leadercs life is now controlled by the once dominated current president. By confirming through rewritten history that everything the current president is doing is enlightened and worthy, the current leader and author of the new history is co-opting the eminent figure of the dead leader into a subservient role.
It is possible to veiw this behaviour as a type of retribution for the years of his own subservience. Now that the dominant figure is dead, he, or at least his public persona, can be used and manipulated by his replacement."
'I served Mr Toda night and day, Daisaku, he used to say...(anything I want him to say)'
And so the worm turns...that's the game now with Daisaku himself. Years of being dominated, berated and publicly humiliated for the likes of Mr Harada & Mr Wada et al, will come to fruition, so they hope - they bidded their time now it's payback time. And the genius is that they don't even have to step into the spotlight.
All they need to do is stay out of sight behind the curtain, pulling the strings of the Ikeda puppet they have created (probably since mid 2000's - that's when the tone and language of "Daisaku's" lectures becomes different, more overtly directive and authoritarian). That's when the videos started to appear outside Japan.
They can make him say anything they want him to say, dance to any tune they want him to dance to. They can use his charisma and presence, that they themselves lack, to ride the meal ticket that he's provided to a comfortable, easy life.
They don't even really have to worry about the waning memory of a man faded from the spotlight. Someone elses problem. In 50 years or less, Daisaku will be a dim memory unless they can somehow mythologise him into a more eternal figure that a wider audience want to buy.
But these guys are old and likely quite selfish. Who cares if it all unravels after they're dead, so long as they've got their pensions paid and maybe stuff that's falleren into their laps?
The SGI faithful have no idea what's going to hit them, especially the younger ones who believed all the eternal mentor and glorious organisation with a noble mission stuff.
They'll still be alive when the scandals that nobody is particularly bothered about hushing up anymore start hitting. The unedifying sight of people scapping over the remaining spoils and trying to deflect the blame. That's going to be a nasty shock for the sincere but gullible and naieve.
Unfortunately, the current puppet masters didn't bank on Toto. No wonder a sense of panic and urgency has crept in of late. It can't unravel now...not now...not just yet...lool but it is. Too late.