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Thursday, July 5, 2018

SGI's teachings on the DaiGohonzon then and now

ABOUT THE DAI-GOHONZON By Ted Morino
[Excerpted from the 9/10/99 World Tribune]

SGI President Ikeda stated: "Nothing has changed in the way we view the Dai-Gohonzon: It was inscribed by Nichiren Daishonin for the happiness of all humanity and is the basis of our faith." The SGI has always upheld the validity of the Dai-Gohonzon, even during these years when we have not been able to see it."

We should clarify what is the correct attitude toward the Dai-Gohonzon. First, the power of any Gohonzon, including the Dai-Gohonzon, can be tapped only through the power of faith. It is wrong to think that the Dai-Gohonzon alone has some kind of unique mystic power that no other Gohonzon possesses. The Dai-Gohonzon and our own Gohonzon are equal.

What is most important is the power of our faith and practice, which enables us to tap the power of the Buddha and the Law in the Dai-Gohonzon and in all other Gohonzon, and within ourselves. In this respect, the Daishonin states: "The Gohonzon is found in faith alone. As the sutra states, 'Only with faith can one enter Buddhahood'" (The Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 213).

It is wrong to think that, whether we have faith in the Dai-Gohonzon or not, the Dai-Gohonzon is absolute. Faith is what matters. In this respect, President Ikeda states: "The Gohonzon enshrined at our home carries the same significance as the Dai-Gohonzon. They are as beneficial as the Dai-Gohonzon, in accord with the Buddhist principle of "dispersing the body of the original in different forms" (Jpn funjin santai).

Since the Dai-Gohonzon is made of wood, its physical longevity is naturally limited. But the essence of the Dai-Gohonzon, the Law, will never perish because it inherently exists in the universe and within each of us. President Toda used to use the expression "the Dai-Gohonzon in my home," meaning that the Gohonzon we worship at home is essentially the Dai-Gohonzon itself.

The millions of SGI members who have achieved victories in their lives have done so through their practice to their own Gohonzon. This is because we have been practicing the Daishonin's Buddha's correctly in accord with the compassionate spirit behind the Daishonin's inscription of the Dai-Gohonzon. This awareness is more important than ever today."

The SGI KYOGAKU-BU REPORT ("Study Department Report")


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What is the KYOGAKU-BU REPORT ("Study Department Report")?

Before the completion of Daiseido (Hall of Great Vow for Kosen-rufu) in November 2013, some of the Soka Gakkai's powerful executive leaders were working behind the scenes -- to imprudently change the teachings and to enact the new Soka Gakkai Charter and its Rules & Regulations.

The KYOGAKU-BU REPORT is the document that has recorded in detail how the Study Department opposed to stop their schemes and tried to denounce their mistakes. The writer of this Report has described the accurate dates and content of their speeches. It was written with composure, showing a full of a sense of justice and sincerity.

Schemes to Change Teachings Planned by Some Powerful Executive Leaders:

Upon completion of Daiseido they intended to totally depart from the Dai-Gohonzon that was inscribed in 1279 and that is located at the Nichiren Shoshu head temple. They tried to signify the wooden Gohonzon of the Soka Gakkai Headquarters (which was transcribed by Nichiren Shoshu's 64th High Priest Nissho) to replace it as the Dai-Gohonzon. In order to do so, they needed to firstly reject the position of the Dai-Gohonzon. They tried to make use of the Study Department to build up the grounds of the teachings to place the Nissho Gohonzon as the Dai-Gohonzon. However, the Study Department strongly opposed to proceed the hasty change of such an important teaching issue within a short period of time. The careless change may give rise to great confusion within the organization, at the same time, it will cause to contradict the history of the Three Founding Presidents.

The Study Department was fully aware that the Dai-Gohonzon issue should be solved and overcome in the future, but the risk to carelessly proceed the matter within a short period of time was too great to take. They also calmly judged that they could not construct the new teachings with an inconsistent idea to replace the Nissho Gohonzon as the Dai-Gohonzon. It was one of the reasons they opposed the executive leaders when they tried to enforce adoption of their idea. (There is a premise that all the Gohonzons are the transcription of the Dai-Gohonzon. When you consider it logically, It does not make any sense to choose the transcription "copy" and to deny the Dai-Gohonzon "original")

However, the top executive leaders applied great pressure on the Study Department who had been opposing them with reasons. They finally told them that "this is the will of President Ikeda" to enforce the change. Later, the Study Department discovered it was nothing but a false, make-up story.

There was another issue -- it was the start of a newly created organization, the "Nichiren World School Soka Gakkai" and to enact its Charter and its Rules and Regulations. Some of the top executive leaders planned to make the new organization which would come on top of the SGI's. They were proceeding to enact the "Charter" to control all the SGI's of the world under an absolute power of the top executive leaders by placing the president of the Soka Gakkai as the top (president) of this organization.

The plan to act on their own authority, even using the name of SGI President Ikeda, was brought to a standstill due to a strong resistance from the Study Department and some of the SGI general directors. So, they could not accomplish their plan for the November 18, 2013 Daiseido project. Thereafter, key leaders of the Study Department who were involved in this matter and some of the Soka Gakkai leaders who have supported the Study Department were reshuffled and ousted. Their plan had to be carried over to this year.

On the surface it seems to be the issue of the teachings; however, it deeply involves for Mr. Tanigawa, Chief Vice President, to take office as the next president of the Soka Gakkai. At the same time, it is strongly connected with the absolute power structure they intend to establish when and after SGI President Ikeda passes away.

This letter was written in 2014

For nearly 80 years, until 2014,  the cornerstone of the Soka Gakkai faith, the very prime point of their faith, was the DaiGohonzon of Sanctuary. Before 1991, millions of Japanese SGI had visited the Head Temple of Taisekeji to worship this Gohonzon, some more than a thousand times. It was the very bedrock of the Soka Gakkai's silent prayers, its heart and soul and the inviolate principle to which all members were taught to revere more than life itself. The slanders heaped upon us and me personally for questioning the DaiGohonzon, number in the thousands. I am angry and at the same time amused at SGI members rank stupidity, lack of seeking spirit, and vitriole. I am not surprised however because the DaiGohonzon breeds evil men and women. Every last pioneer SGI member, man or woman, is a devil who will fall into the unremitting hell. Pity.

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