SGI Rip-off

SGI  Butsudan for five hundred dollars versus ebay Butsudan for six hundred dollars...

Online experience with the SGI cult

http://www.warpedspeed.com/g/ex-cult-members-share-creepy-stories/4/?ipp=3

"When I was studying at a university in Japan, a professor’s wife decided to become friends with a number of students, including me.

She soon began to talk about her “Buddhist” religion and invited me to a prayer session. I agreed to go, though at the time was unaware that it was really a Soka Gakkai cult get-together. Over the next few months, I was reluctantly dragged to several of these meetings. Most of them involved the religious community getting together in a large hall to watch video recordings of their precious Daisaku Ikeda painting pictures or speaking, to which the attendees always reacted in admiration. It was almost like what you see in documentaries about North Korea–just complete adoration of an infallible leader.

The woman was so nice and blindly devoted to her religion that I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but I eventually sent her a long email explaining that I wasn’t interested in joining the religion, that it clashed with my own Christian beliefs (though in reality I am not religious) and asked her politely to never take me to another Soka Gakkai event again. She apologized and said that she was never trying to get me to join the religion, and she promised not to take me to another event. We agreed to meet again for lunch some time soon to make up.

That “lunch” turned out to be another large Soka Gakkai event!!!! It was like she was completely blind to what she was doing. I gave up and just cut ties with her after that. (kojikib)"

Levi McLaughlin on the Soka Gakkai

The Transmission in the Latter Day is a textual transmission.

>>>>>Historically there have been times during the history, when people pervert the teachings by stressing that the texts themselves are enough to transmit Buddhism. --SGI leader>>>>> 

No one stresses the texts more than Nichiren. Both texts and people coexist. Only in Zen and the Nichiren Shoshu is there asserted a mythical world existing without texts. The root is the text. The text has existed since the infinite past. The text is both the teacher and the relic of the Buddha. The text is the Dharma itself. Both an excellent doctrine and an excellent believer is necessary for the transmission of the Buddha's teachings. The Eternal Buddha lives today. The Gohonzon is the Eternal Buddha. The Gohonzon is a text. 

>>>>>There have also been sects, such as Zen, which have propagated ideas whichhave lead to the thinking that the Sutras and texts are not important, but only self-attained Buddhahood or a "Mind to Mind transmission," which occurs "apart from the Texts," is, according to Zen, the most important.>>>>> 

No one stresses secret transmissions or personal epiphanies more than the Nichiren Shoshu and the SGI. Even Zen, as Nichiren teaches in The Conversation Between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man,, bases itself on texts. The Fuji schools are more Zen than Zen itself.

>>>>>From the viewpoint of the Daishonin and the Patriarchs of the Tien-t’ai Sects, people confuse Specific with General and General with Specific, confuse Specific, "Face to Face transmission" from Patriarch to Patriarch, or High Priest to High Priest, with General "Mind to Mind" Transmission based on texts, or "Mind to Mind transmission," "apart from texts" and based on particular peoples capacity in the realm of Self-Realization. Chih-i repeats over and over, and so do Chang-an and Miao-lo, that the Middle Way is correct, but people fail to grasp what this means and continue to be hung up on certain points.>>>>> 

Nichiren Shoshu is not even Buddhism. How much less so is it the Middle Way? 

“Good men, the Thus Come One observes how among living beings there are those who delight in inferior teachings, meager in virtue and heavy with defilement. . . . Because living beings have [different natures, . . . I preach different doctrines. . . . This, the Buddha’s work], I have never for a moment neglected.” -- The Lifespan Chapter

Nichiren writes, referring to this passage of the Lotus Sutra: 

"With respect to this doctrine: After the passing of the Thus Come One, in India for more than fifteen hundred years, the Buddha’s twenty-four successors, such as Nagarjuna and Vasubandhu, knew of it but did not reveal it. In China for more than a thousand years, others did not know of it; only T’ien-t’ai and Miao-lo gave a rough account of it. However, it seems that they did not explain its true significance. And the same was true of the Great Teacher Dengyo. Now when I, Nichiren, consider the matter, I find that in addition to the above passage of the Lotus Sutra, the Nirvana Sutra states, "If there are those who conceive differing ideas concerning the three treasures, then truly you should know that these people can no longer hope to take refuge in or rely upon these three pure treasures."(The Third Doctrine). 

>>>A Priest named Ganjin, who was the founder of the Japanese Ritsu sect, had brought Chih-i’s writings to Japan and Saicho (Dengyo) first studied these texts of Tien-t’ai Buddhism, and began to teach them in Japan, founding a small temple  called, Hiei-sanji, at Mt. Hiei. In 804, he went to China and studied under the disciples of the High Priest Miao-lo, Tao-sui and Hsing-man, and received the transmission of Tien-t’ai Buddhism. He returned in 805, to Japan, to officially found the Tendai Sect. Dengyo’s original temple at Mt. Hiei was renamed  Enryakuji Temple by the Emperor in 723. With the principles of the Tien-t’ai sect as the true Buddhist teaching for the Middle Day of the Law, Dengyo had begun petitioning the Government for the establishment of the National Sanctuary of Mahayana Buddhism at Mt. Hiei. For his remaining, 17 years, against much criticism and antagonism from other sects, Dengyo continued his resolve. The government did finally approve this project one week after Dengyo passed away, and finally, five year later, Dengyo’s successor, Gishin, had officially founded the National Sanctuary of the Mahayana Ordination center at Enryakuji temple. This temple was the place where the Daishonin did his most intensive study of Buddhism. The meditation which Chih-i taught was very widespread. The Ch’an Sect, which was the ancestor of Japanese Zen, used Tien-t’ai meditation, even calling him a founder of Ch’an. Ch’an (Zen) taught a number of contradictory teachings. They first teach of a "mind to mind" transmission directly from Shakyamuni to the "28 Successors" of Ch’an (Zen), which is said to be passed down apart from the Sutras. Jumping from a slightly different variation of the "24 Successors of Shakyamuni," including Nagarjuna, on to Arya-Simha, the Succession then jumps to three additional Priests, and then to Bodhidharma, called the fourth patriarch of Ch’an (Zen), but is usually considered the founder. 

Scholars of Buddhism generally believe that the first "4 Patriarchs of Zen," even including Bodhidharma were quite possibly fictitious. There is no firm evidence for their actual existence. Bodhidharma’s life was veiled in myth and any knowledge of his actual history is questionable. In the few works attributed to Bodhidharma, the practice of meditation was set forth, but there were no in- depth teachings about actual meditation technique. Instead, the Shikan meditation which had become very widespread through the Buddhist sects in China, was stolen by most of the other sects and appropriated for their own purposes. This was because the Maka Shikan was so complete a teaching, that other explanations of meditation practice, paled by comparison. The Ch’an (Zen) sect, also used mystical riddles, called Koans as a central part of their meditation, thus causing Beings to forget the importance of the Meditation on the Sutras of Buddhism, and instead having them focus on short poems and riddles, equating emptiness as the sum total of the Buddhist teaching. From the standpoint of Tien-t’ai Buddhism Ch’an (Zen) was like going backwards, away from the most profound Sutra of Buddhism, the Lotus Sutra, which refutes the previous views of emptiness only. Prior to and after the death of Miao-lo, the Ch’an Sect was rising in prominence, denying the texts of Buddhism in favor of the "Transmission apart from the Sutras." At the same time within the body of followers of the Tien-t’ai sect in later times, there was discord as to the principles of Specific and General and the issues of  "Texts" versus, "Face to Face Transmission." Miao-lo had taught that the "Face to Face transmission" and the Texts of Chih-I were identical,...but in no way did he support the idea that either the "Face to Face Transmission" or the "Texts" were to be discarded.>>>>> 

Actually, you are mistaken. I think one reason is that the Nichiren Shoshu adopted the Zen teachings on Patriarchal transmission. Why else would Nikken erected a tombstone in a Zen cemetary? As far a Miao-le is concerned, the Zen sect was already thoroughly censured by Tientai. Regardless of what he taught, be it a face to face transmission [which you haven't supported with the actual words of Miao-le] or a textual transmission: 1). What he taught was ostensibly for the people of his day, the Middle Day of the Law, and not for the Bodhisattvas of the Earth; 2). In the Latter Day, Nichiren taught only a textual transmission:

"In actuality, however, the essential teaching bears no resemblance whatsoever to the theoretical teaching. The preparation, revelation, andtransmission of the essential teaching are intended entirely for the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law. The essential teaching of Shakyamuni’s lifetime and that revealed at the beginning of the Latter Day are both pure and perfect [in that both lead directly to Buddhahood]. Shakyamuni’s, however, is the Buddhism of the harvest, and this is the Buddhism of sowing. The core of his teaching is one chapter and two halves, and the core of mine is the five characters of thedaimoku alone.

Question: On what authority do you say [that the essential teachingis meant for the generations of the Latter Day of the Law]?

Answer: The “Emerging from the Earth” chapter states: “At that time the bodhisattvas mahāsattva who had gathered from the lands of the other directions, greater in number than the sands of eight Ganges Rivers, stood up in the midst of the great assembly, pressed their palms together, bowed in obeisance, and said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One, if you will permit us in the age after the Buddha has entered extinction to diligently and earnestly protect, embrace, read, recite, copy, and offer alms to this sutra in the sahā world, we will preach it widely throughout this land!’ At that time the Buddha said to the bodhisattvasmahāsattva: ‘Leave off, good men! There is no need for you to protect and embrace this sutra.’” This statement totally contradicts the Buddha’s exhortations in the preceding five chapters from the “Teacher of theLaw” [to the “Peaceful Practices”]. In the latter part of the “Treasure Tower” chapter is the passage: “In a loud voice he [Shakyamuni Buddha] addressed all the four kinds of believers, saying, ‘Who is capable of broadly preaching the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law in this sahā world?’” Medicine King and the other great bodhisattvas, Brahmā,Shakra, the gods of the sun and moon, and the four heavenly kingswould have followed Shakyamuni’s command before anything else even if no other Buddha had supported his exhortations, but Many TreasuresBuddha and the Buddhas from throughout the ten directions came tothis world to exhort them to propagate the sutra after Shakyamuni’s passing. Thus, hearing the Buddha’s solemn appeal, the bodhisattvas all pledged, saying, “We care nothing for our bodies or lives,” for they desired solely to fulfill the Buddha’s will.

[In the “Emerging from the Earth” chapter,] however, the Buddha suddenly reversed himself and forbade all the bodhisattvas, more numerous than the sands of eight Ganges Rivers, from propagating the sutra in this world. We therefore face what appears to be an insoluble contradiction, one that is beyond ordinary understanding.

The Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai Chih-che gave three reasons for Shakyamuni’s stopping the bodhisattvas, and three more for his summoning the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. Essentially, the great bodhisattvas taught by the Buddha in his transient status and the great bodhisattvas who gathered from the other worlds were not qualified toinherit the “Life Span” chapter that reveals the eternal Buddha’s inner truth. At the dawn of the Latter Day evil people who slander the correct teaching would fill the land, so Shakyamuni Buddha p.371rejected the pledge of these bodhisattvas and instead summoned the multitude of great bodhisattvas from beneath the earth. He entrusted them with the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo, the heart of the “Life Span” chapter, for the enlightenment of all beings in the land of Jambudvīpa. The bodhisattvas taught by the Buddha in his transient status were also unqualified because they had not been the disciples of ShakyamuniBuddha since the time he had first set his mind on and attained enlightenment in the remote past. The Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai states, “[The Buddha said of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth,] ‘These are my disciples, destined to propagate my Law.’” Miao-lo says, “The children propagate the Law of the father, and this benefits the world.” The Supplement to “The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra” states, “TheLaw embodied therein [in the Lotus Sutra] is the Law that was realized countless kalpas in the past, and therefore it was entrusted to persons who had been the Buddha’s disciples from countless kalpas in the past.”

[In the “Emerging from the Earth” chapter] Bodhisattva Maitreyaquestioned Shakyamuni Buddha as follows: “We ourselves have faith in the Buddha, believing that he preaches in accordance with what is appropriate, that the words spoken by the Buddha are never false, and that the Buddha’s knowledge is in all cases penetrating and comprehensive. Nevertheless, in the period after the Buddha has entered extinction, if bodhisattvas who have just begun to aspire toenlightenment should hear these words, they will perhaps not believe or accept them but will be led to commit the crime of rejecting the Law. Therefore, World-Honored One, we beg you to explain so we may put aside our doubts, and so that, in future ages when good men hear of this matter, they will not entertain doubts!” Here Bodhisattva Maitreya was imploring the Buddha to preach the “Life Span” chapter for those tocome after his passing.

The “Life Span” chapter states: “Some are completely out of their minds, while others are not. . . . Those children who have not lost their senses can see that this is good medicine, outstanding in both color and fragrance, so they take it immediately and are completely cured of their sickness.” The sutra explains that all bodhisattvas, persons of the two vehicles, and human and heavenly beings received the seeds ofBuddhahood numberless major world system dust particle kalpas ago. The seeds were nurtured by the preaching of the sixteenth son of the Buddha Great Universal Wisdom Excellence as well as by ShakyamuniBuddha’s four flavors of teachings and the theoretical teaching of theLotus Sutra. Then they finally gained the way when they heard theessential teaching of the Lotus Sutra.

The “Life Span” chapter continues: “Those who are out of their minds are equally delighted to see their father return and beg him tocure their sickness, but when they are given the medicine, they refuse totake it. Why? Because the poison has penetrated deeply and their minds no longer function as before. So although the medicine is of excellent color and fragrance, they do not perceive it as good. The father thinks tohimself, ‘I must now resort to some expedient means to induce them totake the medicine.’ So he says to them: ‘I will leave this good medicine here. You should take it and not worry that it will not cure you.’ Having given these instructions, he then goes off to another land, where he sends a messenger home to announce . . .” According to the “Distinctions in Benefits” chapter, [the good medicine of the “Life Span” chapter is left for those] “in the evil age of the Latter Day of the Law.”

Question: Who is the messenger mentioned in the passage, “he sends a messenger home to announce”?

Answer: It means the four ranks of sages. They fall into four categories. [First,] most of the four ranks of sages of Hinayana appeared in the first five hundred years of the Former Day of the Law, and [second,] most of those of [provisional] Mahayana came in the second five hundred years. Third, those of the theoretical teaching appeared mainly in the next thousand years, the Middle Day of the Law, and the rest, in the beginning of the Latter Day. Fourth, the four ranks of sages of the essential teaching are the bodhisattvas emerging from the earth, numerous as the dust particles of a thousand worlds, who are certain toappear in the beginning of the Latter Day. When the sutra says, “he sends a messenger home to announce,” it refers to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. “This good medicine” is the heart of the “Life Span” chapter, orNam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is endowed with name, entity, quality, function, and teaching. Since the Buddha would not entrust this good medicine even to the bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching, how much less could he have done so to the bodhisattvas of other worlds?

The “Supernatural Powers” chapter states: “At that time the bodhisattvas mahāsattva who had emerged from the earth, numerous as the dust particles of a thousand worlds, all in the presence of the Buddha single-mindedly pressed their palms together, gazed up in reverence at the face of the Honored One, and said to the Buddha: ‘World-Honored One, after the Buddha has entered extinction, in the lands where the emanations of the World-Honored One are present, and in the place where the Buddha has passed into extinction, we will preach this sutra far and wide.’” T’ien-t’ai says, “The great assembly witnessed theBodhisattvas of the Earth alone making this pledge.” Tao-hsienremarks: “As far as transmission goes, this sutra was entrusted solely to the bodhisattvas who had welled up out of the earth. The reason for this is that the Law embodied therein is the Law that was realized countless kalpas in the past, and therefore it was entrusted to persons who had been the Buddha’s disciples from countless kalpas in the past.” -- True Object of Worship

You should also read The Entity of the Mystic Law. It too is very clear that the Transmission in the Latter Day is a textual transmission. 

Excellent most excellent

Repairing Nichiren-Mandala

http://nomurakakejiku.com/blog/post-4441.htm

SGI's BIG lie

“You don’t need to convert to be a Nichiren Buddhist since it’s not an organised religion."

My advice to the Soka Gakkai

The Importance of the Character Mu

Only Namu Myoho renge kyo is correct because Namu Myoho renge kyo is the personal name of the Supreme Law. Neither Nam Myoho renge kyo, Namo Miao Fa Lien Hua Ching, Namas Saddharma pundarika sutra nor Devotion to the Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Wonderful Dharma is the name of the Supreme Law. 

Even were Nichiren to have written the Daimoku in brail, it is written Namu Myoho renge kyo. Nichiren never wrote Nam Myoho renge kyo, not once in thirty years, not on his Gohonzons nor in his writings.

“And when the two characters for Namu are prefixed to Myoho-renge-kyo, or the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, we have the formula Namu-myoho-renge-kyo.” -- The Opening of the Eyes

"The jewels of this jeweled vehicle are the seven precious substances which adorn the great cart. The seven jewels are precisely the seven orifices in one's head, and these seven orifices are precisely the [seven characters] na-mu-myo-ho-ren-ge-kyo, the essential Dharma for the Final Dharma Age." -- Mounting This Jeweled Vehicle, They Directly Arrive at the Place of Enlightenment

Nichiren on discarding even a single character of the Lotus Sutra:

"A single character of the Lotus Sutra is like the great earth, which gives rise to all things. A single character is like the great ocean, which contains the water from all rivers. A single character is like the sun and moon, which illuminate all four continents.

“Now the Latter Day of the Law, is the time when the seven characters of Namu Myoho renge kyo-the heart of the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra that Shakyamuni Buddha who had achieved enlightenment in the remote past, along with the bodhisattvas Jogyo, Muhengyo and the others is to propogate-will alone spread throughout the country.” 

"In the first five hundred years of the Former Day of the Law following the Buddha’s passing, only Hinayana teachings spread, while in the next five hundred years, provisional Mahayana teachings spread. The thousand years of the Middle Day of the Law saw the rise of the theoretical teaching. In the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law, only the essential teaching spreads, but even so, the theoretical teaching should not be discarded. Nowhere in the entire Lotus Sutra do we find a passage suggesting that we should discard the first fourteen chapters, which comprise the theoretical teaching. When we distinguish between the theoretical and the essential teachings on the basis of the threefold classification of the entire body of the Buddha’s teachings, the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings were to be spread in the Former Day, and the theoretical teaching, in the Middle Day, but the Latter Day is the time to propagate the essential teaching. In the present period the essential teaching is primary, while the theoretical teaching is subordinate. But those who therefore discard the latter, saying it is not the way to enlightenment, and believe only in the former, have not yet understood the doctrine of Nichiren’s true intention. Theirs is a completely distorted view."

"Thus a single word of this Lotus Sutra is as precious as a wish-granting jewel, and a single phrase is the seed of all Buddhas." 

"Again, a single character equals innumerable others, for the validity of the sutra was attested to by the Buddhas of the ten directions. The treasures bestowed by a single wish-granting jewel equal those bestowed by two such jewels or by innumerable jewels. Likewise, each character in the Lotus Sutra is like a single wish-granting jewel, and the innumerable characters of the sutra are like innumerable jewels. The character myō was uttered by two tongues: the tongues of Shakyamuni and Many Treasures. The tongues of these two Buddhas are like an eight-petaled lotus flower, one petal overlapping another, on which rests a jewel, the character of myō.

The jewel of the character myō contains all the benefits that the Thus Come One Shakyamuni received by practicing the six pāramitās in his past existences: the benefits he obtained through the practice of almsgiving by offering his body to a starving tigress and by giving his life in exchange for that of a dove;9 the benefits he obtained when he was King Shrutasoma who kept his word, though it meant his death, in order to observe the precepts;10 the benefits he obtained as an ascetic called Forbearance by enduring the tortures inflicted upon him by King Kāli;11 the benefits he obtained as Prince Earnest Donor and as the ascetic Shōjari, and all his other benefits. We, the people of this evil latter age, have not formed even a single good cause, but [by bestowing upon us the jewel of myō] Shakyamuni has granted us the same benefit as if we ourselves had fulfilled all the practices of the six pāramitās. This precisely accords with his statement “Now this threefold world is all my domain, and the living beings in it are all my children.” Bound as we common mortals are by earthly desires, we can instantly attain the same virtues as Shakyamuni Buddha, for we receive all the benefits that he accumulated. The sutra reads, “Hoping to make all persons equal to me, without any distinction between us.” This means that those who believe in and practice the Lotus Sutra are equal to Shakyamuni Buddha."

"Therefore, a single word from one of these kings can destroy the kingdom or insure order within it. The edicts handed down by rulers represent a type of pure and far-reaching voice. Ten thousand words spoken by ten thousand ordinary subjects cannot equal one word spoken by a king." 

"Similarly, though we gather together all the various sutras, such as the Flower Garland Sutra, the Āgama sutras, the Correct and Equal sutras, the Wisdom, Nirvana, Mahāvairochana, and Meditation sutras, they could never equal even a single character of the Lotus Sutra."

"Shakyamuni Buddha and the written words of the Lotus Sutra are two different things, but their heart is one. Therefore, when you cast your eyes upon the words of the Lotus Sutra, you should consider that you are beholding the living body of the Thus Come One Shakyamuni."

"The characters of this sutra are all without exception living Buddhas of perfect enlightenment. But because we have the eyes of ordinary people, we see them as characters. For instance, hungry spirits perceive the Ganges River as fire, human beings perceive it as water, and heavenly beings perceive it as amrita. Though the water is the same, it appears differently according to one’s karmic reward from the past."

The blind cannot see the characters of this sutra. To the eyes of ordinary people, they look like characters. Persons of the two vehicles perceive them as the void. Bodhisattvas look on them as innumerable doctrines. Buddhas recognize each character as a golden Shakyamuni. This is what is meant by the passage that says, “[If one can uphold this sutra], one will be upholding the Buddha’s body.”1 Those who practice with distorted views, however, are destroying this most precious sutra. You should simply be careful that, without differing thoughts, you single-mindedly aspire to the pure land of Eagle Peak. A passage in the Six Pāramitās Sutra2 says to become the master of your mind rather than let your mind master you. I will explain in detail when I see you.

“Now this Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law I have been speaking of represents the true reason why all Buddhas make their advent in the world and teaches the direct way to the attainment of Buddhahood for all living beings. Shakyamuni Buddha entrusted it to his disciples, Many Treasures Buddha testified to its veracity, and the other Buddhas extended their tongues up to the Brahmā heaven, proclaiming, ‘All that you [Shakyamuni] have expounded is the truth!’ Every single character in this sutra represents the true intention of the Buddhas, and every brushstroke of it is a source of aid to those who repeat the cycle of birth and death. There is not a single word in it that is untrue."

"Even if one were to prepare a feast of a hundred flavors, if the single flavor of salt were missing, it would be no feast for a great king. Without salt, even the delicacies of land and sea are tasteless."

“The Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, before which I bow my head, in its single case, with its eight scrolls, twenty-eight chapters, and 69,384 characters, is in each and every one of its characters the true Buddha who preaches the Law for the benefit of living beings.”

"Every single character in this sutra represents the true intention of the Buddhas, and every brushstroke of it is a source of aid to those who repeat the cycle of birth and death. There is not a single word in it that is untrue."

"If one discards one word or even one brushstroke of the sutra, the offense is graver than that of one who kills one’s parents ten million times over, or even of one who sheds the blood of all the Buddhas in the ten directions." 

I can supply dozens more similar passages. 

Were believers to chant together, some chanting Namu Myoho renge kyo and others chanting Nam Myoho renge kyo, what a discordant mess it would be. Some chanting Namu Myoho renge kyo and others chanting Nam Myoho renge kyo is one of the principle causes of Nichiren faith disunity. One may spout all the theoretical reasons in the world why Nam Myoho renge kyo is equally correct but reality and actuality trumps them all.

Throwing out the character Mu is to throw out a golden Buddha from the heart of the Lotus Sutra. Perhaps the SGI should remove the character Mu from their Gohonzons as they have from Nichiren's writings?

Addendum 1

Nichiren never wrote Nam and despite the argument that the Japanese/Chinese rules of grammar would not support writing Nam, I am sure the Supreme Votary of the Lotus Sutra would have found a way to explain how to divorce the characters from their generally accepted pronunciation were Nam the correct pronunciation. Do you really think that Nichiren wanted some of his disciples to chant Nam and others to chant Namu? The other part of the argument is derived from the fact that Japan's and more generally East Asia's great vowel shift occurred in the 14th century. Therefore, during the time of Nichiren, everyone pronounced every Sino-Japanese character. There will never be unity in the Nichiren community unless both the recitation of the Daimoku and our doctrines are uniform. Nichiren praised Saicho for his attempts at unifying the Buddhist community and he will praise those from Eagle Peak who strive to accomplish same.

Addendum 2 from the Kempon Hokke archives

"NAM" AND "NAMU"

In the 13th Century, Japanese was pronounced as it was written, therefore we can assume that Nichiren chanted "Namu". Since the 3rd Century AD, a large number of Chinese words were incorporated into the Japanese language. These words were pronounced in Japanese approximately as they were in Chinese, but subsequently their pronunciation was modified considerably. In Nichiren's day, however, all syllables were pronounced . In Chinese, "nam mu" is pronounced as two syllables (roughly, "nan woo"). In the Muromachi Period (1333-1528), pronunciation underwent great change. It is only from this time that we can see the dropping of the final "u" in Japanese words.

Coincidentally, in this same time period (1350-1550) there appeared in our own language the "Great Vowel Shift" (so named by the Danish linguist, Otto Jespersen d.1943) wherein pronunciation of the vowels in Middle English were changed dramatically and consonants were dropped (as a sound) in many words, but were retained in spelling. (i.e. "walking" used to be pronounced "wa-l-king", etc.)

Perhaps once Nichiren was dead, Mara wanted to bring chaos into the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra (as he sought to bring chaos into Shakyamuni's teachings, once Shakyamuni had died), so he set up conditions for a worldwide shift in pronunciation, just to lessen the effects of the "good medicine for Mappo" (i.e. the Daimoku), Funny thing is, only Taisekiji adopted the practice of a six-syllable Daimoku. Most other Nichiren sects kept the "nam mu". We are discussing a linguistic point here, but the real reason for chanting "Nam mu myo ho renge kyo" is doctrinal, not linguistic.  To remove a kanji from the chant is insane as well as uncalled for.

From the Gosho "REPLY TO OTA KINGO" (4/8/81)

"I, Nichiren, as the leader of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, have indeed inherited these Three Great Secret Laws from the teacher, the Great Enlightened One and World Honored One, face to face, at a time two thousand and some odd years ago in the past. What, I, Nichiren, teach and practice is the exact, true, Three Great Secret Laws of Ji found in the Juryo chapter.  The teaching that I propagate has not been altered in the slightest respect, even in form that which I inherited at Eagle Peak."

The fact that so many Taisekeji believers defend "nam" so blindly is suspicious. The usual response would be,"Namu" is correct, but we chant "nam", because we have been led to believe that it is the same as "namu"." Instead, American Taisekiji-ites are rabid about sticking to "nam", come hell or high water! These same people don't know if Taisekeji is telling the truth or not, since Americans don't know Japanese language. But they actually get into screaming matches over this point, instead of thinking about what might have been the "correct" chant in Nichiren's day, when Japanese was pronounced as it was written.

They are like fundamentalist Christians, when they are told that their bible is radically altered from the texts of Christianity, as they existed in 1st Century Palestine. The doctrine of Nichiren is that the Daimoku is seven Chinese characters, (and at that time, the Chinese pronunciation would be seven syllables, no omissions), the object of worship is the gohonzon (which is basically the 16th chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the "ceremony in the air", revealing the original eternal Shakyamuni Buddha's life and land.. There is no doctrine of a "Dai-Gohonzon" housed at Taisekeji.....ALL of Nichiren's gohonzons were the supreme mandala. The Taisekeji mandala isn't even in Nichiren's handwriting!

It's an obvious forgery. The "kaidan" is still a mystery (that's Nichiren's 3rd "great secret law".) It's certainly not and never was the "Sho Hondo", which was a   sprawling replica of the 1964 Olympic Games auditorium in Tokyo.

Dropping the "mu" character in the Daimoku of Taisekeji seems to have made the other deceptions (so-called "dai-gohonzon", sho-hondo, many forged texts and documents, etc.) so easy to accept. Any one who chants "nam mu" eventually starts questioning Taisekeji doctrine, almost as if the full Daimoku awakens them from the hypnotic spell of Taisekiji. Weird, isn't it? But it holds true, under the "actual proof" criteria. If you chant "nam mu", you awaken from the Taisekeji "dream". That's the "doctrinal" mystery. How can one simple make so much difference? Yet it does. Perhaps it's as if you call out for "Bob Smith", but he only answers to "Robert Smith", so he never hears you calling him, because he doesn't respond to "Bob", never. Some imposter named "Bob" might even respond to the "abbreviated" call, who knows? After all, it's a fake honzon, posing as an authentic Nichiren gohonzon at Taisekeji. To perpetrate that kind of deception, the author must have been capable of great cunning and treachery. The real author may be Mara himself, who can assume the form of a "golden buddha", as Shakyamuni warned.

Daimoku [sung] in Chinese

Nichiren Shu [not Nichiren] blog

http://www.500yojanas.org/cms/striving-to-become-buddhas/

A Description of an Alien Visit in the Buddhist Lotus Sutra

http://blog.world-mysteries.com/ancient-writings/a-description-of-an-alien-visit-in-the-buddhist-lotus-sutra/

Dear Stace

Dear Stace:

Lets not forget the SGI’s bizarre “prime point” of the Lotus Sutra [the oneness of mentor and disciple]. Some of us grow up to be adults. We refuse to be treated as children and actually read and study the Lotus Sutra and Gosho. Some of us actually believe that those who chant Namu Myoho renge kyo with strong faith in the Gohonzon, Lotus Sutra, and Shakyamuni Buddha are emanations of Shakyamuni Buddha and are Three Bodied Tathagatas in their own right. I believe that the Soka Gakkai will continue to hemorrhage unhappy members. Fortunately, we are willing to galvanize these broken human beings and repair their injured faith and practice.

Lets get with it China. It's time to embrace the Lotus Sutra and chant Namu Myoho renge kyo

Statue of Quan Yin of the South Sea of Sanya [Quan Yin or Avalokiteśvara or Bodhisattva Regarder of the Cries of the World found in Chapter 25 of the Lotus Sutra]

SGI members are the Jikakus and Chishos of the modern age because they adopt the Shingon Teachings of Guru Yoga.

"But there is a far greater error than the one I have been describing so far that has appeared in this country of ours, the gravest error of all in Japan and one that is as far apart from the one I have been describing as clouds are from mud. Because it has prevailed for so long, the country has been abandoned by Brahmā, Shakra, the gods of the sun and moon, the four heavenly kings, and the other heavenly gods, and the great benevolent deities who ordinarily guard and protect the nation have on the contrary now become its mortal enemies. Brahmā, Shakra, and the others who guard and protect the Lotus Sutra have addressed the sage ruler of a neighboring country, ordering him to chastise this country of Japan so that they may fulfill the vow they took in the presence of the Buddha."

He goes on to describe the True Word teachings and teachers, those like the High Priests of Nichiren Shoshu and Three Presidents of the Soka Gakkai who adopt the True Word Teachings of Guru Yoga [Yui Yoga] and the centrality of the Dharma Body Buddha [rather than the Three Bodied Tathagata Shakyamuni.

Ikeda's beast-like aniimal nature

The SGI teachings on interfaith, mentorism, "beauty, goodness, and gain", and the SGI's authoritarian, autocratic, pyramidal structured organization, deprecates and debases the Lotus Sutra and the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin. These teachings are not found in the teachings of Myoho renge kyo, least of all in the "one chapter and two halves". The Soka Gakkai's teachings are even inferior to the non-Buddhist teachings from which they derive. Failing to recognize and revere their true father, teacher, and sovereign, Shakyamuni Buddha, they beseech everyone to honor and revere the apostate heretic Daisaku Ikeda. They are no better than birds, beasts or Nembutsu believers who exort us to revere Amida Buddha. Lastly, they strive to keep their members away from the true disciples and believers of Nichiren by lying about us, lying about the true teachings of the Lotus Sutra, and lying about the actual import of the teachings which is that each one of us is a Bodhisattva of the Earth or Buddha in his or her own right, not one sole individual. They are greedy pigs. Nichiren says of such men:

"The hearts of the people are like those of birds and beasts; they recognize neither sovereign, teacher, nor parent. Even less do they distinguish between correct and incorrect in Buddhism, or good and evil in their teachers. But I will say no more of these things."

"All the teachings other than the “one chapter and two halves” are Hinayana in nature and erroneous. Not only do they fail to lead to enlightenment, but also they lack the truth. Those who believe in them are meager in virtue, heavy with defilement, ignorant, poor, solitary, and like birds and beasts [that do not know their own parents].

Most of all, Ikeda teaches them to abandon the Master of Teachings Lord Shakya for his beast-like animal self. Nichiren teaches:

"Nevertheless, the schools of Buddhism other than Tendai have gone astray concerning the true object of devotion. The Dharma Analysis Treasury, Establishment of Truth, and Precepts schools take as their object of devotion the Shakyamuni Buddha who eliminated illusions and attained the way by practicing thirty-four kinds of spiritual purification. This is comparable to a situation in which the heir apparent of the supreme ruler of a state mistakenly believes himself to be the son of a commoner. The four schools of Flower Garland, True Word, Three Treatises, and Dharma Characteristics are all Mahayana schools of Buddhism. Among them the Dharma Characteristics and Three Treatises schools honor a Buddha who is comparable to the Buddha of the superior manifested body. This is like the heir of the supreme ruler supposing that his father was a member of the warrior class. The Flower Garland and True Word schools look down upon Shakyamuni Buddha and declare the Buddha Vairochana and the Buddha Mahavairochana to be their respective objects of devotion. This is like the heir looking down upon his own father, the supreme ruler, and paying honor to one who is of obscure origin simply because that person pretends to be the sovereign who abides by the principles of righteousness. The Pure Land school considers itself  to be most closely related to the Buddha Amida, who is an emanation of Shakyamuni, and abandons Shakyamuni himself who is the lord of teachings. The Zen school behaves like a person of low birth who makes much of his small achievements and despises his father and mother. Thus the Zen school looks down upon both the Buddha and the sutras. All of these schools are misled concerning the true object of devotion. They are like the people who lived in the age before the Three Sovereigns of ancient China and did not know who their own fathers were. In that respect, the people of that time were no different from birds and beasts."

The pig is an appropriate animal to liken such men. Daisaku Ikeda and his leaders, like pigs, devour their physically, spiritually, or psychologically, wounded members, including their skin and bones. Their spiritual corruption through profligate wealth and power too, is not unlike a tame pig who is released into the wild and which becomes a vicious dangerous feral pig, growing tusks and attacking both man and beast. Pigs, though naturally clean animals, have the karma to live and thrive in filth and they will eat almost anything. SGI's interfaith is not unlike the pig's indiscriminate eating of filth. The SGI has thrived through their associations with filth: An example is SGI's association with the Mitsubitshi corporation which builds and manufactures weapons of mass destruction. Pigs will literally eat themselves to death if given unrestricted access to food. The SGI mentor and senior leaders have given themselves unrestricted access to money and power through SGI's "planned giving", their hard sell contribution campaigns, and inserting their most loyal members into all facets of the Japanese government through stealth and the New Komeito political party. This, along with their lack of financial transparency, reveal the true nature of the mentor and the Soka Gakkai, that of greedy pigs.

Daisaku Ikeda too is destined for Hell

"The Great Teacher Tz'u-en wrote a work in ten volumes entitled Praising the Profundity of the Lotus Sutra in which he praised the Lotus Sutra, but the Great Teacher Dengyo criticized it, saying, "Though he praises the Lotus Sutra, he destroys its heart." If we consider these examples carefully, we will realize that, among those who read the Lotus Sutra and sing its praises, there are many who are destined for the hell of incessant suffering. -- On Repaying Debts of Gratitude

Very important teaching of Nichiren: The Gerneral and the Specific

“With regard to the transfer of teachings, it is divided into two categories: general and specific. If you confuse the general with the specific even in the slightest, you will never be able to attain Buddhahood and will wander in suffering through endless transmigrations of births and deaths.” — Nichiren Daishonin

“But now this threefold world is all my domain, and the living beings in it are all my children. Now this place is beset by many pains and trials. I am the only person who can rescue and protect others, but though I teach and instruct them, they do not believe or accept my teachings.” — Lotus Sutra Chapter 3

“This passage means that to us living beings the Thus Come One Shakyamuni is our parent, our teacher, and our sovereign.” — Nichiren Daishonin

“Again, of all these chapters, only in the eight chapters did he reveal and transfer the object of devotion to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.” — Nichiren Daishonin

“In this manner the Buddha displayed the wonders of his ten supernatural powers, and in what is termed the transfer of the essence of the sutra, he extracted the core of the Lotus Sutra and transferred it to the four bodhisattvas. He fervently enjoined them to bestow it after his passing upon all living beings of the ten directions.” — Nichiren Daishonin

“The essence of the “Entrustment” chapter of the Lotus Sutra is as follows: [Rising from his seat in the treasure tower,] the Buddha stood in open space and, in order to transfer the Lotus Sutra, patted no fewer than three times the heads of Bodhisattva Superior Practices and his followers, Manjushri and his followers, the great Brahma, Shakra, the gods of the sun and moon, the four heavenly kings, the dragon kings, the ten demon daughters, and others. They had clustered before the Buddha as thickly as dewdrops, crowding four hundred ten thousand million nayutas of worlds, like the grasses of Musashino Plain or the trees covering Mount Fuji. They knelt close to one another, bent their bodies so that their heads touched the ground, joined their palms together, and streamed sweat. Shakyamuni Buddha patted their heads just as a mother strokes the hair of her only child. Then Superior Practices, the gods of the sun and moon, and the others received the Buddha’s auspicious command and pledged to propagate the Lotus Sutra in the latter age.” — Nichiren Daishonin

"The correct teaching of the time can be propagated only by a person of wisdom. This is why Shakyamuni Buddha, after expounding all the sutras, entrusted the Hinayana sutras to Ananda and the Mahayana sutras to Manjushri. Concerning the heart of the Lotus Sutra, however, the Buddha refused to transfer it to any of the voice-hearers [such as Ananda] or to bodhisattvas such as Manjushri. The Buddha instead summoned Bodhisattva Superior Practices and entrusted it to him.” — Nichiren Daishonin

“When he was Prince Sattva in a previous existence, the Thus Come One Shakyamuni gained merit by feeding his body to a starving tigress, and when he was King Shibi, he gained merit by giving his flesh to a hawk in exchange for the life of a dove. And he declared in the presence of Many Treasures and the Buddhas of the ten directions that he would transfer this merit to those who believe in the Lotus Sutra as you do in the Latter Day of the Law.” — Nichiren Daishonin

"The five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo were transferred from Shakyamuni and Many Treasures, the two Buddhas inside the treasure tower, to Bodhisattva Superior Practices, carrying on a heritage unbroken since the infinite past." — Nichiren Daishonin

"The important point is to carry out your practice confident that Namu-myoho-renge-kyo alone is the heritage that was transferred from Shakyamuni and Many Treasures to Bodhisattva Superior Practices." — Nichiren Daishonin

"Demonstrating ten supernatural powers, the Buddha transferred the five characters of Myoho- renge-kyo to the four great bodhisattvas: Superior Practices, Firmly Established Practices, Pure Practices, and Boundless Practices." — Nichiren Daishonin

"Shakyamuni Buddha did not transmit the five characters of Namu-myoho-renge-kyo, the heart of the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, even to the bodhisattvas Manjushri and Medicine King, let alone to any lesser disciples. He summoned from beneath the earth the great bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust particles of a thousand worlds and, as he preached the eight chapters, transferred it solely to them." — Nichiren Daishonin

"The Buddha first transferred the Lotus Sutra to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, and then to the bodhisattvas taught by the Buddha in his transient status, the bodhisattvas of other worlds, Brahma, Shakra, the four heavenly kings, and others." — Nichiren Daishonin

"Shakyamuni summoned these great bodhisattvas and transferred Myoho-renge-kyo to them." — Nichiren Daishonin

"Instead he summoned forth the bodhisattvas Superior Practices, Boundless Practices, Pure Practices, and Firmly Established Practices and their followers from the great earth of Tranquil Light and transferred the five characters to them." — Nichiren Daishonin

"In this manner the Buddha displayed the wonders of his ten supernatural powers, and in what is termed the transfer of the essence of the sutra, he extracted the core of the Lotus Sutra and transferred it to the four bodhisattvas." — Nichiren Daishonin

And these blessings enjoyed by the Buddha can be transferred by him to people who put their faith in the Lotus Sutra. — Nichiren Daishonin

"But the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo, the heart of the eighty thousand sacred teachings and the core of the Lotus Sutra, he neither entrusted to Mahakashyapa or Ananda, nor transferred to great bodhisattvas such as Manjushri, Universal Worthy, Perceiver of the World’s Sounds, Maitreya, Earth Repository, or Nagarjuna. Even though these great bodhisattvas hoped that he would do so and requested  it of him, the Buddha would not consent. He summoned forth a venerable old man called Bodhisattva Superior Practices from the depths of the earth, and then, in the presence of the Buddha Many Treasures and the Buddhas of the ten directions, from within the tower adorned with the seven kinds of treasures, the Thus Come One Shakyamuni entrusted the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo to him." — Nichiren Daishonin

"This is the teaching that was transferred to the bodhisattvas who had been the disciples of the Buddha since the remote past." — Nichiren Daishonin

"Shakyamuni Buddha transferred this teaching to Bodhisattva Superior Practices, and now Nichiren propagates it in Japan." — Nichiren Daishonin

"Answer: Are those who have received the teachings directly from their teacher invariably free from error, while those who appear in later ages and examine and clarify these teachings are to be regarded as worthless? If so, then should we throw away the sutras and instead rely upon the four ranks of bodhisattvas? Should a person throw away the deed of transfer received from his father and mother and instead depend upon oral transmissions?” — Nichiren Daishonin

Just bought this Butsudan. An unbelievable bargain. What did I pay? Closest to the answer gets 5 Sutra books.

Boo Hoo Boo Hoo

Barred from Disney la... from the fake phony DaiGohonzon composite of Nichiu Boo Hoo Boo Hoo 

Nichiu the leper

In the "Nichiren Shoshu Seiten," p. 734, by Horiimai Nikkyo, it is 
written that the eighth High Priest, Nichie, transmitted the Dharma to
a layman, Abura no Joren, not Nichiu.

This is corroborated  in the "Biography of Nichie" found in the Fuji Shugaku 
Yoshu  or Fuji School of Studies edited by Horii Nikkyo  v. 5, p.255.. Rev.
Hori was the greatest  scholar of Taisekiji of the twentieth century and he
was a retired High Priest, High Priest, ]. These writings are the very records 
of Transmission of Taisekiji  itself.

The 9th High Priest  Nichiu..took heritage at 17 years old. He died of leprosy....
The source for this story of Nichiu's leprosy, too is found in Hori Nikkyo's
Fuji Shugaku  Gaku Yo Shu V.5 p.349). It says, "The 9th generation of 
Taisekiji, Nichiu, became a leper."

And again in Vol.11, p.344 of the above mentioned edition by Horii
Nikkyo, there is an attack against Nichiu for various transgressions.
In the "Koomom Shoogi", p.561 (Orthodoxy of the Nikko School)
another reference to Nichiu and his leprosy is made.

It was Horii Nikkyo who said that he had no idea who
"YashiroKunishige" (the name on the daigohonzon) was, or which story of how
the mandala came into Taisekiji's possession is true. Nichiu himself said that

Kunishige transferred it to Taisekiji in the 15th Century, which
contradicts the story that he had it transferred to wood from a
paper gohonzon that had been "hidden" for two hundred years.

The popular version today is that the wooden mandala was taken by
Nikko from Minobusan to Taisekiji, but there is no mention of such a
large wooden mandala being brought to Taisekiji.

Nichido, the author of biographies of Nichiren, Nikko and Nichimoku
doesn't mention such a honzon at all.
In fact, there were no wooden Nichiren honzons until the Muromachi period.

Nikko Shonin forbade the inscription of wooden honzons...
All of the reeditions of Horii Nikkyo's original compliations have
been "revised" and reformatted to omit all objectionable materials that
he, while alive, saw fit to print.
Another source reference about Nichiu's leprosy is in "Biography of
the Patriarch (Nichiren)" by Nisshin of Yoobooji (this temple supplied

Taisekiji with High Priests from the 15th to the 26rd one, because
therewere no priests to serve that function at Taisekiji ).

Nichijoo, the Abbot of Kitayama Honmonji, contemporary with Nichiu,
wrote, "Nichiu went against the fundamental intention of the
founder (Nikko) and inscribed the board honzon which had never been heard
of before .....he received the severe punishment for perverted wisdom
and blasphemy agaist the Dharma, becoming a leper, and in Sugiyama in
the province of Kai (Yamanashi) hiding himself away in shame, he has
died".

It is historically recorded that he died in Sugiyama, a very remote
place, so that no one would see his condition.

Nichijoo went on to say, with chilling accuracy:

"If Nichiu's madness spreads throughout the world, both the priests
and the laity of the discipleship of Nikko will fall to the unremitting hell.
How sad for the future."

Here is a Nichiren statue at Taisekeji for the fake phony Dirham

                     Please notice the Taisekeji cranes

Painting of Shakyamuni Buddha in the Sanmon Gate of Taisekeji temple

Beautiful Nichiren altar

https://www.pbnshi.or.id/

I am drawing in the liars like a magnet draws in iron dust.

How so to be expected!

Dirty Dirham claims that this is my altar. If he can prove it, I'll convert to the Nichiren Shoshu

Just plain wrong

“It is no longer the Latter Age.”

“Nam and Namu isn’t a doctrinal issue.”

“Shoju not shakabuku should be practiced.”

“The Lotus Sutra has lost its power in Mappo.”

“Shakyamuni Buddha of the 16th Chapter is Nichiren.”

“Shakyamuni Buddha of the 16th chapter is Buddha-nature.”

“Shakyamuni Buddha of the 16th Chapter is Namu Myoho renge kyo.”

“The Lotus Sutra and Gosho are too difficult to understand without a mentor.”

“The transmission is through bequeathal to one sole living master in the seat of the Law.”

SGI shut up and drink the kool-aid guidance

"I would comment on this directly, but I can't read it because the font is too small for my computer (it's all fuzzy). I do want to say one thing though. 

Have you ever played the telephone game? You know that game you played at slumber parties or rainy days at school? It's when a group of people stand in line and the person on one end of the line, whispers something into the ear of the person standing next to them. That person whispers what they heard into the person next to them and so on, until the last person in the line listens to the whisper and then says aloud what they heard. It's really cute because what comes out the other end is very distorted. I remember being at a slumber party where the message, "I like a boy at school", went through the line and came out, "artichoke and sugar soup". For ten year old girls, this was hysterically funny.

The problem with sharing guidance is a lot like the telephone game. One person hears it and is inspired, then tells another person who in turn writes it down. Unintentionally and unknowingly, each time it is shared with a new person, a word here and there can get changed. This is made more complicated by the fact that since it is about Buddhism, the listener's karma comes into play. What they hear may not be what was said at all. 

I came across this problem rather recently. I was handed a piece of paper with some guidance on it that I thought really inspiring. Later, I heard that the person who had given the guidance in the first place was asking that the printed version be ignored. It seemed that a few words had been changed, but that change made it very off-base. The reason they were changed was simply that those were the words that people remembered hearing. Nobody meant any harm, I surely didn't, but here we all were basing our prayer on something that had become a guidance version of artichoke sugar soup. 

The World Tribune has an entire staff of writers, translators and scholars. They spend a tremendous amount of time and energy, making sure that what is printed in the World Tribune is exactly in line with the Daishonin's Buddhism, and exactly what those quoted have said. Sometimes they will spend entire days talking about a single concept. That's how hard it is to be accurate. 

From my experience with that guidance I mentioned, I now feel that it's better to use the guidance I hear to fuel my own practice and get benefit, and then share my own experience. 

I really do thank you though for your generosity, and your desire to see everyone have a breakthrough." : D [SGI salaried leader by my best guess]

"When upright the Buddha appears." -- Lotus Sutra Chapter 16

"Interfaith is necessary in this time period. Then slowly but surely all those wrong religions will seek us, The Thus Come Ones and realize that their religions are crap compared to Nichiren's Buddhism, the parent, teacher, and sovereign of all mankind …" --  SGI Top Senior Leader and smiling backstabber

On the other hand, with the disciples and believers of Nichiren on the Eagle Peak blog, you know what you can expect because we are upright: Whatever Nichiren taught. As the Lotus Sutra teaches, "when upright the Buddha appears."

Alms and SGI "Buddhas"

From their very beginning, SGI had appropriated the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin to bolster and give their philosophy of greed ["gain"] an air of respectability. For example, SGI teaches that "we are all Buddhas" but they function as if some Buddhas [Ikeda, top leaders, fortune babies, etc.] are more worthy than other Buddhas or that only some Buddhas [Ikeda and the top leaders] are worthy of receiving alms. In reality, only Ikeda and his top leaders gain. Everyone else loses by hearing one thing and living another. It is impossible to develop the kind of unshakeable faith that Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin teach in order for us to attain Buddhahood in a sangha [group] such as theirs.

Soka Gakkai where lying isn't lying and where stupidity is rampant

Angela: ... Are we moving away from not considering the Dai-Gohonzon special because the priesthood is holding it for themselves, and we don't have access to it or because it was never special in the first place?...

Dave: It was never special in the first place.

"...If it was never special in the first place, why were all those NSA members giving their hard earned money away to build the Sho Hondo?.."

Because NSA supported the Nichiren Shoshu Priests and never questioned their doctrines publicly. Actually, the sincere efforts of NSA members to construct the High Sanctuary were not and never will have been in vain. It represents the true acceptance of the Daishonin's vow for worldwide propagation. The priest's self-serving inventions are secondary.

"...Why were we encouraged to go on tozan as much as possible for all those years? I went on tozan 3 times. Now I chant to its smaller version everyday."

Because, once again, we fully supported NST doctrines. Understandable at the time.

"...You're saying that everything we were told about the Dai Gohonzon is a lie means that everything NSA members were told about the Dai Gohonzon, all those years ago, was a lie also..And, that they built the Shohondo for nothing. Objects don't have power one day and not the next..."

The NSA leaders were NOT lying...they were supporting NST doctrine. Yes, we built the Sho Hondo for nothing, and objects DO NOT have power any day!

It is the meaning of the document as realized by the person in front of it that has power. The externalization of the Gohonzon is just wrong.

This is the most valuable lesson the SGI has ever experienced. We now understand never to seek this Gohonzon outside ourselves. Our eternal and absolute separation from the Priesthood marks the beginning of a truly radical philosophy. Forget the magic wooden Gohonzon!

I am a supporter of the SGI who resolutely rejects NST mythology. I exist to help expedite our extraction from this mythology.

A careful read of reform Priest Matsuoka's essays will clarify the facts.

There is nothing in our conduct until now that indicates any "lying" on our part. Our conduct in the future, however, depends on our willingness to tell the truth clearly...in a way which need not derail the faith of those with attachments to old teachings. -- David lies