Actual proof as a standard for the superiority of a religion or philosphy is the most important of the three proofs [documentary, theoretical, and actual]. There must be a way to establish actual proof or all philosophies and religions would be equally valid. There are several ways to establish actual proof. Historicity is one way but as a retrospective device, it is not as powerful as a prospective device such as a rain challenge, prophecies, predictions, and formal debates. Likewise, thusness, or the actuality of a teaching and the behavior of the believers of a particular teaching is an important aspect of actual proof. For example, there is not one exhortation to violence in the Lotus Sutra and the non-violent behavior of the votaries of the Lotus Sutra can be contrasted with the call for violence in the Bible and Q'uran and the actual violence perpetrated by Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Merely leading an ethical life and performing good deeds is a less powerful standard of actual proof because followers of all religions are capable of adhering to this standard.
"and the non-violent behavior of the votaries"....Mark, recently on SGIWhistleblowers, a Gosho, which you may know off-hand or I could go back and find; Nichiren talks of, if I'm correct, something like evil priests should be - beheaded.......if you don't know of what I am talking, I will then find, but, if you do, can you please square his statement with the aforementioned quote?....thanx
ReplyDeleteWhy don't I care that Nichiren advocated the beheading of Zen monks? Because many great men like Winston Churchill was instrumental in the deaths of many. Of course, Nichiren, not equal to the Buddha, was imperfect but he still lead a remarkable life. That is why so many people chant the Daimoku.
ReplyDeleteNichiren saw how fucked up the world was, despite nembutsu, zen, ritsu, shingon, and tendai with Way of the Warrior as politic, most people living to less than 40, dead human and animal bodies all over the place, cannibalism, threats of war, famine, rampant diseases, including plague, tsunamis, earthquakes, slavery...obviously he felt strongly that he had a better way. Why wouldn't he promote what he believed was a better way, even if a few corrupt priests were to lose their heads (for what he believed, the sake of mankind's eternal peace and happiness)? Today things are worse with the threat of nuclear war (hypersonic nuclear missiles, 100 megaton nuclear torpedoes, hypersonic nuclear bombers, tactical nuclear weapons) pollution, wars here and there, malaria, ebola, hiv...
Think of the many corpses during World War I and II and during Stalin's and Mao's purges. Think it couldn't happen again? Wouldn't it be better if these men or those who would contemplate the use nuclear weapons or those who promote the violence of Islam were killed? Nichiren thought those who distort the Buddha's teachings were even worse than these men..
Regardless, I'll take the Lotus Sutra over the Bible and Q'uran.... Everyone believing in a myriad of religions and philosophies is not the means for peace and security. Nichiren strongly felt that the religion based on the Lotus Sutra is the answer and those who would destroy or corrupt it were icchantikas, lower than rabid vermin. Likewise, those Christian, Jew, Muslim and Hindu leaders who develop and would use nuclear weapons or the orthodox followers of the murderous Q'uran.
Some people, like ISIS, for the sake of hundreds of thousands of peaceful people, should be killed. Those who would use nuclear weapons, likewise. It's not sick to kill such evil demons. It is a correct course of action. Unlike the Christians who murdered millions, Nichiren's exhortation to kill the Zen and Nembutsu priests never came to fruition and his exhortations regarded a mere handful of individuals who he believed were the cause of the spiritual deaths of many thousands. Again, the Christians and Muslims have slaughtered millions for merely disbelief. The 16th century slaughter of tens of thousands of Nichiren believers who refused to take up arms at the hands of the Tendai monk warriors proves the pacific nature of the Lotus Sutra.
ReplyDeleteKilling a rabid animal protects healthy animals and humans. Killing those few who would use WMDs on civilians protects hundreds of thousands of innocents. Would it have been a bad thing for those few priests who aimed to destroy the Lotus Sutra, the means for peace and security of Jambudvipa for ten thousand years and more to have been killed? I don't think so.
After World War III or the explosion of the Yellowstone caldera, hundreds of millions who survive will chant Namu Myoho renge kyo.
Where has a plurality of religions gotten us? The Christians and Jews hate the Muslims, the Muslims hate everybody who doesn't believe as they, the Hindus have dozens of nukes pointed at Pakistan and visa versa. The only answer is one unified world, one unified religion, Namu Myoho renge kyo.
The earliest Buddhism was tolerant for about the first 400 years because there was only one Buddhism. By the Fourth Buddhist council there was many sects and their was a major schism. Nichiren advocated a return to pre-sectarian Buddhism.
good!.....nuff said
ReplyDeletethat question wasn't asked necessarily for me, i hope you know.
ReplyDeleteI know. I thought it was appropriate. It was a "private" response to Blanche on SGIWhistleblowers.
ReplyDelete