Wednesday, December 28, 2016

SGI's Boston Ikeda Center in light of Nichiren's Rissho Ankoku Ron [On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land]


Let's look, ponder, and analyze their "forums, themes, and thinkers" series as well as their peace, culture, and education videos in light of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. Can we find one mention of Namu Myoho renge kyo, Gohonzon, or Kaiden? Can we find one instance of remonstrance of Christianity, Provisional Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, or Judiasm? Can we find one mention of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin in the millions of words written and spoken?

They are putting the cart before the horse. Even a six year old is aware of the problems facing humanity. Efforts to create awareness of the problems is hardly the means for eradicating them, let alone lamenting about humanity's lack of awareness. Nichiren Daishonin teaches:

"But despite all these efforts, they merely exhaust themselves in vain. Famine and epidemics rage more fiercely than ever, beggars are everywhere in sight, and scenes of death fill our eyes. Corpses pile up in mounds like observation platforms, and dead bodies lie side by side like planks on a bridge."

Nichiren goes on to say:

"I have pondered the matter carefully with what limited resources I possess, and have looked a little at the scriptures for an answer. The people of today all turn their backs upon what is right; to a person, they give their allegiance to evil. This is the reason that the benevolent deities have abandoned the nation and departed together, that sages leave and do not return. And in their stead devils and demons come, and disasters and calamities occur. I cannot keep silent on this matter. I cannot suppress my fears."

Nichren then cites the Golden Light Sutra [of course, referring to the Lotus Sutra]:

"The host said: There are numerous passages that could be cited and a wide variety of proofs. For example, in the Golden Light Sutra we read: “[The four heavenly kings said to the Buddha], ‘Though this sutra exists in the nation, its ruler has never allowed it to be propagated. In his heart he turns away from it, and he takes no pleasure in hearing its teachings. He neither makes offerings to it, honors it, nor praises it. Nor is he willing to honor or make offerings to the four kinds of Buddhists who embrace the sutra. In the end, he makes it impossible for us and the other countless heavenly beings who are our followers to hear this profound and wonderful teaching. He deprives us of the sweet dew of its words and cuts us off from the flow of the correct teaching, so that our majesty and strength are drained away. Thus the number of beings who occupy the evil paths increases, and the number who dwell in the human and heavenly realms decreases. People fall into the river of the sufferings of birth and death and turn their backs on the road to nirvana."

Yet, the advocates of Ikedaism council:

"Dr. Ikeda recalled Dewey's assertion that it is “the religious” rather than any specific religion that is of importance and noted that “the religious” is not a species of dogma, but rather a quality that can permeate experiences of many types, including those that are aesthetic, educative, and even political. It was in this connection that Dr. Ikeda associated the long-term viability of any form of religious expression with the degree to which it is capable of balancing and harmonizing internal and external forces in ways that promote positive social change." -- Larry Hickman

Nichiren then reiterates [and might well be speaking about the leaders of the Soka Gakkai such as Richard Yoshimachi, Virginia Straus, Mitch Bogen, Shirley Chandl, Jeff Farr, Masahiro Hagiya, Elizabeth King, Kevin Maher, Masao Yakota, Beth Zimmerman, and especially Daisaku Ikeda]: 

"...Outwardly they will seem to be wise and good, but within they will harbor greed and jealousy. [And when they are asked to preach the teachings, they will say nothing,] like Brahmans who have taken a vow of silence. They are not true monks—they merely have the appearance of monks. Consumed by their erroneous views, they slander the correct teaching.

When we look at the world in the light of these passages of scripture, we see that the situation is just as they describe it. If we do not admonish the evil priests, how can we hope to do good?"

16 comments:

  1. So true Mark. It's sad thatfalse sages are as many as before if not more.

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  2. The Latter Day is rife with false sages. Thanks for pointing this out.

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  3. happy new year to eagle peak and all that that implies...cheers !

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  4. Hey Greg ! Happy New Year 💫
    I think we're supposed to celebrate / eat rice balls or miso / can't remember which .

    I am 63 today - chillin' since I worked night shift and have a New England cold - otherwise would be 💃

    Cheers!
    ~Katie

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    1. maybe some fish eye. you win first prize*. take care of your health .

      * first prize is warm relief from the heebie jeebizes caused by too long of a stay in the sgi.

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    2. Was not supposed to have lived this long [to see my next birthday...yesterday. Not only that but today, never felt better. Thanks to the Gohonzon and modern medicine.

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  5. RE: The Ikeda Dialogue Center-- located on prime real estate in Harvard Square, right next door to a very large church with a high steeple--

    I often choose the tour through Harvard Square, via Harvard St., on my way home from work. This route takes me right past the "IKEDA Center for Self Absorbed Pandering and Obnoxiously Erroneous PR" (My name for the center)

    The place itself has taken on the cold and impenetrable look of other Harvard buildings and even the church next door-- It was, however, *billed* as a magnet for vibrant exchanges between scholars and people of *good will*--HA !!
    It looks abandoned, desolate and only out of place due to its modern architecture !--

    Inside the IKEDA *hall of shame* in Harvard Square there is a large sized Nichikan no-honzon and a staff of pompous, rather ignorant folks who thought nothing of litteringthe place with beautifully bound copies of Ikeda's *Mahayana Buddhism speech given a HARVARD"-- little did they know, Harvard folks would realize this was a false promotion-- as Ikeda was NOT invited by Harvard to speak to its prestigious faculty and administrators, and highly acclaimed students !! You can't fool all the people all the time, Richard Yoshimachi still may not realize---

    There is no promotion of this IKEDA shrine by Harvard, that's for sure-- but there is plenty of PR propaganda that comes from the higly-over-paid staff who run the place!! Only SGI believes this is a beacon for the 21st century --this, pitiful attempt at the propagation of Ikeda-ism!!

    Yeah-- it is warm relief from the "heebie jeebizes caused by too long a stay in the SGI" that i am most grateful for this New Year-- and a few excellent friends-- couldn't care less anymore how many have come to dislike me intensely ;-)

    Cheers!
    ~Katie



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  6. nice report. meanwhile back at the ranch....ikeda has not been seen in public for 5-6 years. corporate religion? ya ba da ba doo say's ikeda.

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    1. One might wonder why his devoted *dsiciples* aren't flocking to Japan to check on the old fart, err-- their precious Mentor--

      What exactly does this say about the *Mentor/Disciple" relationship?
      How much less is the concern over Ikeda's welfare since Ikeda proclaimed that *he* is the way to attaining Buddhahood?

      Here is my suggestion for the special NEW YEAR'S edition of the WT:

      "Praised [by the SGI] as a modern day *Buddha* ,SGI President Ikeda remains in total isolation presumably in his lavish Tokyo estate, where none of his millions of disciples call on him to say either "hello" or "goodbye"--. "Buddha"Ikeda's condition is a well guarded secret that apparently is of little interest even to those who are hawking his relics worldwide. Well, perhaps this is another stroke of corporate multi level marketing genius on the part of SGI Top Leaders-- cashing in on Ikeda's legacy before his final guidance, "ya ba da ba doo" is widely publicized !!" imbedded reporter--:-)

      I cannot open the link- pasted to my server and even entered it myself-- any suggestions ??

      I am very eager to see this information -- and put Noel's nam balcony to rest!

      Hi ho!!

      ~Katie





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    2. wah ! i will check it with shinkei. sometimes these things get strange.

      "is a stroke of corporate multi..." speaking of stroke. how ya doing senseless?

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    3. LOL :-0 !! thanks, Greg--

      ~Katie

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  7. hello katie...shinkei asked me to post this for you as a reply to noel. hopefully i will get it correct. if there is a problem let me know.

    http:// www.buddism-dict.net/cgi-bin/search-ddb4.pl?Terms=%E5%8D%97%E7%84%A1

    this is for noel to study. there are two more parts. this is in regards to his nam baloney. cheers.

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    1. weirdness on the net.

      katie - if the spirit moves you email shinkei:

      jerryxberry@yahoo.com

      your choice.

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