SGI Quarterly: As an individual who has long been on the forefront of the struggle for human rights, what is your message to the youth of a new generation confronting their own struggles to build a world in which the dignity of all is recognized and respected?
DT [Desmond Tutu]: I admire young people. They are amazing in their idealism believing that we can have a world without war, without poverty and disease. I say to them, "Dream your dreams of a better world, dream the dream of God!"
Thanks to monotheistic religions and even Hinduism, the world is a constant state of violence. Compare the Lotus Sutra to your "Great Books" and only in the Lotus Sutra will you not find even one exhortation to violence and killing. The ultimate teaching of the Lotus Sutra is that all people have the potential to become Three Bodied Tathagatas. We become the Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni when we chant Namu Myoho renge kyo with utmost devotion. It is a great sin to harm a potential Buddha, let alone the Eternal Buddha.
"only in the Lotus Sutra will you not find even one exhortation to violence and killing."
ReplyDeleteSorry, Mark, but here ya go:
"All others who bear you enmity or malice will likewise be wiped out." - Lotus Sutra, Chapter 23
"If anyone sees a person who accepts and upholds this sutra and tries to expose the faults or evils of that person, whether what he speaks is true or not, he will in his present existence be afflicted with white leprosy." - Lotus Sutra, p. 324 ("Universal Worthy").
Wishing or prescribing harm toward others is not "nonviolence". It is *deferred* violence, which is not non-violent in the least! It's a particular kind of violence that, while not performed by the person in question, still ends up harming others (who typically don't fall into lockstep and obey and submit).
The fact that such references are ambiguous rather than specific doesn't change the fact that violence is being normalized and condoned.
As Hector Avalos explains in his book, "The Bad Jesus: The Ethics of New Testament Ethics", "Whether we are secular or religious, the goal should be the promotion of a harmonious human existence." Avalos identifies the "deferred violence" Jesus frequently prescribes and predicts for those who don't knuckle under, obey, do as he dictates, worship him as he feels he deserves - and it *is* violence, even if it's not being described as happening in the present tense.
Just because the text doesn't come right out and say "Go and kill those people", the fact that it describes "those people" being harmed and crippled sends a very clear message: "Those people deserve to be harmed and crippled." The faithful understand this message very clearly - it doesn't *have* to be stated plainly.
Threatening people is a form of violence, and the Lotus Sutra does quite a lot of this:
"If there is a man who utters words of disparagement: 'You are nothing but a madman! In vain are you performing these practices! You shall never get anything for them!' The retribution for sins such as this shall be that from age to age he shall have no eyes. If there is anyone who makes offerings and gives praise, in this very age he shall get his present reward. If, again, one sees a person receiving and holding this scripture, then utters its faults and its evils, be they fact of not fact, that person in the present age shall get white leprosy. If anyone makes light of it or laughs at it, from age to age his teeth shall be far apart and decayed, he shall have ugly lips and a flat nose, his arms and legs shall be crooked, his eyes shall be pointed and the pupils out of symmetry, his body shall stink, he shall have sores running pus and blood, his belly shall be watery and his breath short: in brief, he shall have all manner of evil and grave ailments." - Lotus Sutra, Chapter 28.
I'll continue in another installment.
Nonsense Doris. Wiped out in a storm, bitten by a snake, or crushed in a mudslide, for example, is hardly a call to violence. Violence however does exist and so does cause and effect. I would be very careful if I were you Doris.
DeleteMark, there you go again, threatening people who disagree with you, with fear of karmic retribution, you are threading on a fine line. Let me remind you that neither you nor your mates, nor the high priest of whatever sect, or Nichiren, or T’ienTai, or Siddhartha, master the true law of causality. You don’t, I don’t, Doris doesn’t.
DeleteTake into consideration the subtitle of The Origin of Species: By Natural Selection, and remember that - Natural Selection - is the glue that connects the theory. Meaning, Natural Selection is the quantifiable part of the equation, testable, measurable, the stack of mutations down a stream of time, that’s how he (the author) arrived at cause & effect. This in turn gave rise to modern evolutionary biology, a discipline that does not seem to be going away anytime soon, and a thesis that only grows with new data findings.
You on the contrary, claim to master the law of C&E from 750 to 1500-year-old religious sourced commentary attributed to Nichiren and other sages that don’t stand the test of time.
Consider the following text, it's one of yours:
7. Recapitulation in Terms of the Two Truths, Threefold Truth
Threefold Contemplation, and Threefold Wisdom [55b9]
“If we say that the merging of ignorance and the Dharma-nature results in all phenomena, the skandhas and sense fields, and so forth, this is [to speak in terms of] the mundane truth [of conventionality]. If we say that all sense fields are one dharma realm, this is [to speak in terms of] the real truth [of emptiness].”
“[To say that] these are neither one nor all is [to speak in terms of] the supreme truth of the Middle Way. In this way, in everything and anything that we experience, there is nothing that does not involve the inconceivable threefold truth.”
[55b13] “To say that one dharma is all dharmas is [an expression of the phrase from the Middle Treatise, verse 24:18, that] “things arise through causes and condition”. This refers to conventional designation and the contemplation of conventionality. To say that all dharmas are one dharma is [an expression of the phrase] “this I explain as emptiness”, which is the contemplation of emptiness. To say “neither one nor all” is the contemplation of the Middle Way.”
I hope you understand that this sort of commentary by T’ie Tai - Chi-hi, adds nothing to the current understanding of the origin of phenomena on any scale and that it is not a factual assessment of the mater under examination. In fact, what it does is say nothing at all. This is exactly what mr Hitchens labelled as “Not even wrong”:
“You will notice, further, that in the view of this school of Buddhism there are other schools of Buddhism, every bit as “contemplative,” that are in error. This is just what an anthropologist of religion would expect to find of something that was, having been manufactured, doomed to be schismatic. But on what basis could a devotee of Buddha Shakyamuni argue that his Japanese co-thinkers were in error themselves? Certainly not by using reasoning or evidence, which are quite alien to those who talk of the “exquisite truth of the Lotus Sutra.”
Bottom line: Your theory has no glue, karma is not quantifiable in a mathematical model, it’s only a “bad” process.
PS: Try coming to terms with your own extinction and this blog will automatically make no sense. You, your family, your species, all extinct and the Sutras gone with them. Why not focus on the next generations instead of clinging to these old texts that can only give a window into what was, not what is. It's just another death cult, an upgrade from Hinduism.
DeleteI'm fine, thanks for asking, how have you been lately?, good I hope.
Deleteok pedro...sso the next time you stick your niece of shit nose in this blog...lets talk about real buddhism. this is a buddhist site and we don't need your worthless arbitrary opinion. if u want to talk about real buddhism then we have something to talk about. cheers !
Deleteoh yeah...your reply is nothing but a bunch of rambling no faith nonsense. peddle it somewhere else. try the sgi or nichiren shoshu. they like dazzle dazzle !
DeleteGosh all that Buddhism and Nichiren sure does seem to motivate its devotees to be nicer people! I imagine greg would have already chopped Pedro up into the chili if he weren't so afraid of the supernatural consequences...oooh, scary, kids!
Deletethere you go threatening people again doris ! lol !
Delete"i will leave the rest to mark."
DeleteAnd where is he?, on vacation in some Caribbean island spending some of your (Greg's) donation money?.
There are those Nichiren fanbois and fangurlz who insist that, since Nichiren never actually harmed anyone physically himself, Nichiren was nonviolent. Even while reading of Nichiren *demanding* that the government chop the heads off all the other priests and burn their temples to the ground! That's not "non-violent"!! Nichiren likewise liked the idea of certain forms of violence:
ReplyDelete"King Siladitya of ancient India was a sage who protected Buddhism. Punishing only the ringleader, the king spared the lives of other members who rebelled against him, banishing them from his kingdom. Emperor Hsuan-tsung of T'ang China was a wise ruler who protected Buddhism. He executed 12 Taoist masters, eliminating enemies of the Buddha and restoring Buddhism." - Nichiren, Establishing the Correct Law for the Peace of the Land (Rissho Ankoku Ron)
Hector Avalos also makes the point that scholars of religion should not endorse views of religion that have the potential to be harmful. It's easy enough to acknowledge that no text should advocate self-harm, which Nichiren does in his descriptions of self-immolation, feeding oneself to hungry beasts, and self-mutilation - for the sake of the Lotus Sutra. In fact, "giving one's life for the Lotus Sutra" is nothing more than an expression of severe *attachment*, and we all know from the Four Noble Truths that attachment causes suffering and ensures one will not attain enlightenment. There are no "good" attachments vs. "bad" attachments - just *attachments*. And the "punishment" mentality is violent and destructive - we can certainly look at Christianity and confirm that.
Nichiren scholar Jacqueline Stone opens her paper, "Giving One's Life for the Lotus Sutra in Nichiren's Thought" with this sentence:
"Offering bodily life for the Dharma's sake forms a recurrent theme in the Lotus Sutra."
This is an attitude that devalues and trivializes human life, and among people willing to do that, violence is just a short hop step behind.
"You must each be resolved," he told his disciples. "Offering your life to the Lotus Sutra is like exchanging rocks for gold or dung for rice."
Devaluing human life makes violence against human beings that much easier. Don't armies portray their enemies as subhuman, as evil animals? Makes those enemies easier to harm.
"Hoping for salvation or divine epiphany as depicted in the Lotus Sutra, monks and lay persons would burn body parts, experiencing liberation in a moment of excruciating physical pain." - from The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Violence, p. 193.
That's violence. In "Letter to the Sage Nichimyō", Nichiren is practically masturbating to it.
Cutting to the chase / declaring aloud the retribution one will receive for slandering the Lotus Sutra and its votaries is not a threat to " do it bring harm "-/ it is a merciful warming for those with a mind of faith-/ which, this essay shows you clearly do not yet possess !
ReplyDeleteSetting aside all of the Buddhist parables that teach an unexpected , immeasurable benefit for " giving up ones bodily Life for the sake of the Lotus Sutra " , there is the here and now evidence of reward for devoting ones life to the Lotus Sutra- problem is only a few of us can make this claim and are generally attacked for doing so -/
Still we are not discouraged -- :-)
Boldily reading the Gosho is an experience that defies words -/ and is well worth the hardships and obstacles one encounters to share it!!
~Katie
So true Katie..."Cutting to the chase / declaring aloud the retribution one will receive for slandering the Lotus Sutra and its votaries is not a threat to " do it bring harm "-/ it is a merciful warming for those with a mind of faith-/ which, this essay shows you clearly do not yet possess!"
DeleteNeither Pedro, Doris, you nor I, nor anyone will KNOW the truth of cause and effect of which I speak until the effect manifests itself. Certainly the realm of Buddhahood of the votary and the realm of Hell of the slanderers will become manifest regardless of faith or belief.
Mark:
Delete"When you're dead, you don't know you're dead,
All the pain is felt by others,
The same when you're deluded."
I certainly feel your pain. So deluded are you thinking that I as a layman accept donations and take vacation on other believer's dime. You Pedro are a Taiten believer fool.
DeleteDoris , thought you should know that " cut off their heads " is a translation error. Here is the original kanji and actual meaning :
ReplyDelete断頭罪
Danzuzai- Means to "throw out/ as in cut off livelihood "
Your other inferences may be "scholarly " but applied to the Lotus Sutra, they come up short on describing meaning .
What you say about Nichiren's activity based on "your reading" of letter to Sage Nichimyo" is obscene - which says more about where you are coming from writing a bizarre critique of the Lotus Sutra & Nichiren's teachings.
~Katie
one of the horrible realities of the sgi/nst experience, is that most people who were attracted to the sgi/nst learned buddhism incorrectly or not at all. inaccurate gosho translations does not help either. the buddha teaches that it is rare for one to encounter the lotus sutra. what karma did i make to encounter the lotus sutra , but through a perverted source(sgi)?
Deletewhat the original buddha and his emissary for the latter day promoted was faith in the final conclusion of the buddhas enlightenment. this would be the lotus sutra or myoho renge kyo ! this does not mean the organization, the high priest, daisicko ikeda, GMW, nor your chapter chief down the street.
regarding harsh talk...nichiren explains this in various gosho. one , if i remember correctly is "a conversation between a sage and an unenlightened man", where he explains that he uses the harsh language of his day to show that the offense of slandering the law is egregious and that it should be outlawed. killing is not necessary. nichiren went after the people with power and influence. he spoke to them straight forward and without fear. in many of his writings he was very respectful to his guards and people who were not in power. there is no teaching in buddhism that says one cannot defend ones self.
it is not just ikeda, the sgi, the priesthood, ones chapter chief who are to blame for the corruption of real buddhism. it is the peoples karma themselves for not listening to the real teachings and placing their faith in wrong people and incorrect teachings. in the one essential phrase we find the law "renge" = cause and effect. everything is karma and it all stems from causes we make. simple enough. faith.
i agree katie...nice reply and thanks for your help with the translation. what we see in the world today is not the lotus sutra being upheld, but instead being slandered. things will only get worse. although, it is understandable, i feel sorry for the people who due to their experience with sgi/nst have lost their faith if they ever had any. my experience with most that have left the sgi/nst never really had any faith in what the buddha and nichiren really taught. nevertheless its good to speak out about them, but not good to abuse buddhism. renge !
Yes, Katie, in places Nichiren recommends cutting off financial support to other sects of Buddhism, and in other places he recommends explicitly taking the priests to Yui Beach and cutting their heads off and burning their temples to the ground. See "The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra" (pg. 765).
DeleteHere, his accusers tell the court what Nichiren said (I think that this might be to today's equivalent of inciting violence):
"He said that the temples Kenchō-ji,Jufuku-ji, Gokuraku-ji, Chōraku-ji, and Daibutsu-ji should be burned down and the honorable priests Dōryū and Ryōkan beheaded.”
Nichiren admits what he said:
'I answered, “Every word is mine."'
Even if the "true interpretation" is simply "cut off all financial support", isn't the end result the same - that the sects without financial support will collapse and fold?
How would YOU feel, Katie, if it were YOUR sect that was targeted for "no financial support allowed"?? How would YOU feel, Katie, if it were YOUR sect that were outlawed?
See, this is the problem with intolerant people. They always fancy themselves in the position of influence, of domination, of having the power to decide which gets endorsement and which gets the big whack. Here's the unfortunate reality: EVERY Nichiren sect is a minority. No matter where, no matter what. Even in the Nichiren ancestral lands of Japan, of Kansai, the Nembutsu (Pure Land/Shin) sect remains more popular. And according to a recent investigation, in "Ever Victorious Kansai", the area where Nichiren first got his start, barely 20% of registered Soka Gakkai members can be bothered to turn out for the all-important zandankai (discussion meetings). That doesn't sound so "Ever Victorious", does it, when Christian churches and even no-count districts in, say, El Paso, TX, can rountinely trump those figures.
No, Nichiren nutters are really shooting themselves in the foot when they insist that "everyone else" should have their financial support cut off "for the good of everyone". It's the Nichiren fanatics who will see their financial support cut off in that scenario, because the Nichiren fanatics/Lotus Sutra fanatics are ALWAYS in the minority. Keep that in mind when you're giving free rein to your innate intolerance and hatefulness. You're only harming yourselves.
I am not seeking financial support as s follower of Nichiren , nor is any other . Of the very few I know-- I have no problem saying on "principle" that those who make their living by exploiting the suffering of others should "lose their jobs"-/
DeleteI am not speaking from "hatefulness", Doris-- I do not consider myself a fanatic either // striving to uphold the Lotus Sutra, as Nichiren taught is a deeply gratifying way of life .
I appreciate the difficulty you must have understanding strict adherence to Nichiren's teachings -/ I also think it is more difficult for others to understand faith based beliefs and actions than it is for one who has strong faith to take action - speaking out -etc based on ones faith -/ BUT I cannot understand your assumption that there is any intent to do "harm" or advocating violence within the wriings of Nichiren , which are based on the Lotus Sutra .
One could not escape retribution for evil actions in the first place and secondly there is the fact that each person has the capacity to attain perfect enlightenment through faith and practice -/ so there you have the polar opposite of " devaluing human life".
Monotheistic religious teachings start with the premise of human beings as flawed , sinful , and subordinate to a divine superior deity who will both judge and punish them -/ additionally there are completely false concepts about "after life" rewards for self sacrifice .Thus you have the basic formula for devaluation of human life.
Difficult as it is to believe and understand how one gains fortune and blessings for devotion to the Lotus Sutra, the fact is there is actual proof of this -- I would never consider desisting-or recanting my faith -/ even if I had never encountered one other practitioner who shared this experience-/
Keep in mind that you may be mistaken in your perceptions -/ and you may also be lacking in both knowledge of and experience with what you are so strongly criticizing //
It is rare to encounter the true teachings and very difficult to encounter the Buddha -- which means the critics will always be the " ignorant " majority --
And of course you have the option of joining the minority to the extent that you, too, pursue the single mind of faith in myoho-renge-kyo-/
Best~
~Katie
Katie: Regarding your translation of Danzuzai, Doris will never believe you so blind is she with hatred. SGI/Nichiren Shoshu has so many mistranslated passages in order to control the masses. Doris should stick to her criticism of the SGI.
DeleteI thinks she has fallen so far back, so enamored is she with the Hinayana and Vippisana, that it has dulled her brain.
long story short......double edge sword ! faith or slander. bottom line...poison drum relationship.
Delete"every word is mine". typical...cherry pick?
Deleteshame on you doris. you are no different than the sgi/nst. finish his thought, he goes on to explain his entire thought. very weak !
""every word is mine". typical...cherry pick? finish his thought, he goes on to explain his entire thought. very weak !"
DeleteOkay, I'll play. Let's see what comes next:
[The women reported the slander to the officials, saying:] “According to what some priests told us, Nichiren declared that the late lay priests of Saimyō-ji and Gokuraku-ji have fallen into the hell of incessant suffering. He said that the temples Kenchō-ji, Jufuku-ji, Gokuraku-ji, Chōraku-ji, and Daibutsu-ji should be burned down and the honorable priests Dōryū and Ryōkan beheaded.” Under these circumstances, at the regent’s supreme council my guilt could scarcely be denied. To confirm whether I had or had not made those statements, I was summoned to the court.
"At the court, the magistrate said, "You have heard what the Regent stated. Did you or did you not say those things?" I answered, "Every word is mine. However, the statement about the lay priests of Saimyō-ji and Gokuraku-ji falling into hell is a fabrication. I have been declaring this doctrine [that the schools they belonged to lead to hell] since before their deaths.”
"Everything I said was with the future of our country in mind. If you wish to maintain this land in peace and security, it is imperative that you summon the priests of the other sects for a debate in your presence. If you ignore this advice and punish me unreasonably, the entire country will regret your decision. If you condemn me, you will be rejecting the Buddha's envoy. Then you will have the punishment of Bonten and Taishaku, the gods of the sun and moon, and the Four Heavenly Kings. One hundred days after my exile or execution, and again on the first, third and seventh anniversary, there will occur what the sutras call 'internal strife'--rebellions in your clan. These will be followed by foreign invasion from all sides, especially from the west. Then you will regret what you have done.""
So? Threatening people impotently makes it okay to call for others to be MURDERED and so on? So long as Nichiren's heart was in the right place, it doesn't matter what he says or does? 'Oh, Nichiren only had their welfare in mind!', right? And foreign invasion - “especially from the west”?? From the open ocean??? With the Mongols right there on the Korean Peninsula across the bay from Sado?? C’mon!
He was wrong, BTW - history abundantly shows that. He claimed the Mongols would invade that same year – 1274-1275 - here take a look:
"When my prediction comes true, it will prove that I am a sage, but Japan will be destroyed. - The Selection of the Time (1275)
So, since it DIDN'T happen, that proves that Nichiren WASN'T a "sage", doesn't it?
"Nichiren is the pillar and beam of Japan. Doing away with me is toppling the pillar of Japan! Immediately you will all face ‘the calamity of revolt within one’s own domain,’ or strife among yourselves..."
"Immediately" O_O
Continued below:
DeleteAs far as that "the calamity of revolt within one’s own domain" biz goes, Japan's rulership had been in a state of intrigue and flux for the decades leading up to Nichiren's birth in 1222. By 1232, though, the Hojo family had quietly transformed the simple military government of Yoritomo (who seized power in 1189 and ruled until 1199, when the Hojos took over and made the office of regent to the shogun hereditary) into a capable private government. The Hojo family ruled as hereditary regents from 1199 - 1333. They continued to hold power for more than 50 years after Nichinen had died. Britannica has a nice article on the Hojo Family with more details if anyone's interested. What's important to realize is that the refined form of 'bafuku', or military government, defined by the Hojo family was the basis for the shogunate system that lasted until 1886. Minor revolts within this system were nothing more than hiccups, not the "calamities" that Nichiren was 'prophesying'. The system held together. An effort in 1133 to restore a civil imperial government post-Hojos only lasted 3 years, and then it was back to the status quo of the shogunate as defined by the Hojos.
I can't imagine the sort of mental pretzel someone would have to attain to read into this some "fulfilled prophecy" of "the calamity of revolt within one’s own domain", given that there have always been "palace intrigues", no matter the country. That’s a gimme!
"...and also ‘the calamity of invasion from foreign lands.’ All the Nembutsu and Zen temples, such as Kenchoji, Jufuku-ji, Gokuraku-ji, Daibutsuden, and Choraku-ji, should be burned to the ground, and their priests taken to Yui Beach to have their heads cut off. If this is not done, then Japan is certain to be destroyed!” - The Selection of the Time
Actually, the Mongols sent envoys to demand Japan's submission in 1268. 'The Selection of the Time', above and below, wasn't written until 1275, loooong after the Mongols had already made their intentions clear. 'The Royal Palace', cited below, was also from 1275. 'The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra', in which Nichiren recounts a conversation with Hei no Saemon which took place in 1274 (when Nichiren declared that the Mongols would invade within a year), was written in 1276. This "prophecy" of "foreign invasion" was another gimme! EVERYBODY thought the Mongols would invade! Just like everybody thinks the Pats will win the Super Bowl.
"[Hei no Saemon-no-jo] Yoritsuna then asked, “When do you think the Mongols will attack?” I replied, “The sacred scriptures do not indicate the time. But the signs show that heaven is extremely angry. It would appear that the attack is imminent. It will probably occur before this year has ended.” - The Selection of the Time
"The task of praying for victory over the Mongols should not be entrusted to the True Word priests! If so grave a matter is entrusted to them, then the situation will only worsen rapidly and our country will face destruction.” - The Selection of the Time
"Watch what will happen in the future. If those priests who abuse me, Nichiren, should pray for the peace of the country, they will only hasten the nation’s ruin. Finally, should the consequences become truly grave, all the Japanese people from the ruler on down to the common people will become slaves of the pigtailed Mongols and have bitter regrets. - The Royal Palace"
But the Mongols DIDN'T invade! They DIDN'T kill/enslave the people or turn Japan into a Mongol vassal state! In fact, Japan was NEVER "destroyed", despite Nichiren's *guarantee* that this would be the case if the contemporary government didn't do as he said (and do lots of killin'). NICHIREN WAS WRONG.
Continued below:
"Then Hei no Saemon, apparently acting on behalf of the regent, asked when the Mongol forces would invade Japan. I replied: “They will surely come within this year. - The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra
DeleteNichiren GUARANTEED that the Mongols would invade AND DESTROY THE COUNTRY if the government did not do exactly as he said. The government ignored him. The Mongols did not invade. Japan was not destroyed. NICHIREN WAS WRONG. Any further questions??
"Yuiamidabutsu, the leader of the Nembutsu priests, along with Dōkan, a disciple of Ryōkan, and Shōyu-bō, who were leaders of the observers of the precepts, journeyed in haste to Kamakura. There they reported to the lord of the province of Musashi: “If this priest remains on the island of Sado, there will soon be not a single Buddhist hall left standing or a single priest remaining. He takes the statues of Amida Buddha and throws them in the fire or casts them into the river. Day and night he climbs the high mountains, bellows to the sun and moon, and curses the regent. The sound of his voice can be heard throughout the entire province.”" - the comically-named Gosho, "The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra"
AND outright looney. That's your Nichiren, people.
The prediction about the Mongols was a no-brainer, since the Mongols had been invading all Japan's neighbors on the mainland throughout the entirety of Nichiren's life, starting before Nichiren was born. They were a known, constant, aggressive presence. To predict the Mongols would invade would be like a prediction of "The Republican party will continue to move farther to the right" O_O
Duh.
Sorry, it’s just not impressive at all. Hate to be the aguafiestas, but there it is.
I learned two things about you, Doris, from reading these long indictments of Nichiren:
Delete1) You can't read the Gosho in the language(s) Nichiren used to write them, but still you insist the translations you are basing your scathing remarks on are "correct". -- And you unable to accept that your rendition is off--
2) You have not yet practiced as Nichiren taught-- meaning you have not experienced benefit of correct faith-- and I am not referring to material gain, or status, power, etc. as the Gakkai does when claiming actual proof for their heretical practice.
So, you appear to have incorrigible disbelief, but yet you read here? So, you will encounter the true teachings, and if you ever decide to practice as Nichiren taught, you will quickly realize how completely wrong you are-- correct perceptions are a benefit of correct practice.
I have one more comment regarding your conclusions about Nichiren's character and the meaning of his lifelong dedication to propagating Myoho-renge-kyo. You have a very superficial understanding of Nichiren's teachings and don't seem at all concerned that you cannot read his writings directly, -- meaning you are comfortable attacking Nichiren based on the sources you trust to "translate" his writings; the same sources who completely revised and corrupted his teachings for $$profit. That speaks volumes about your character, Doris--
I am confident , based on your sarcasm and your self righteous harangue that you have not experienced the protection of the Buddha -- nor would you have insight regarding the profound meaning of the Lotus Sutra with regard to the protection its votaries are guaranteed. Nichiren did succeed in establishing the correct practice for this evil age. It is nearly 735 years since Nichiren's passing and there are still true followers of Nichiren; votaries of the Lotus Sutra. There are also -still, people like you who attack and/or defame them with foolish logic--AND form a connection to the Lotus Sutra in the process.
Best~
Katie
whats clear here is that everybody is wrong except for doris and that freak that calls itself pedro. all it amounts to is nasty arrogance, that help no or nothing. you came here doris, so when you sling ugly...just look in the mirror ! same thing for the freak !
Delete"long story short......double edge sword ! faith or slander. bottom line...poison drum relationship."
ReplyDeleteNichiren roofies, in other words. Nice.
"I am not seeking financial support as s follower of Nichiren , nor is any other . Of the very few I know-- I have no problem saying on "principle" that those who make their living by exploiting the suffering of others should "lose their jobs"-/ "
ReplyDeleteYet Nichiren subsisted entirely on donations - Nichiren never worked a day in his life. But it's okay for HIM to make his living by exploiting the sufferings of others, but not all the other professional clerics doing the exact same thing Nichiren was? Nice double standard. Can you guess how hypocritical it looks from THIS side?
You are a particularly stupid icchantika Doris who, like Pedro, will not be more than a mere footnote in history. Much to your chagrin Doris, thanks to the "idle" Nichiren, more than 35,000,000 people chant the Daimoku and revere the Lotus Sutra.
ReplyDelete