Kasho Buddha's Manifesto (the former disciple known as Veggie Eddie)

Kasho Buddha

Kasho’s Manifesto

As a child I was constantly sick and got the Flu every September.

I have been studying nutrition for the past 45 years.

I am a 45-year vegan.

I have not been sick nor been to a doctor for illness in 45 years.

I have not had a headache in 45 years.

I am a 33-year practicing Nichiren Buddhist.

I am a 31-year votary of the Lotus Sutra.

I am 73 years old. I am retired and exist on a paltry social security income just sufficient enough to pay my rent and food, being impoverished and owning nothing more than a television and a computer and do not even own a car.

And yet I am the happiest person on earth as a recipient of the bliss I Vreceived through having attained Buddhist Enlightenment while chanting Daimoku at the SGI-USA North Hollywood Community Center in August 1988 and am able to replicate the experience with a mere thought.

You have not heard of me until now because I have been in self-imposed exile for the past 14 years as a result of having been overwhelmed by the slander, vilification and persecution constantly heaped upon me when ever I would make a blog/website posting quoting the Buddha relative to the First Precept, “Do Not Kill”. 

Some may call me cowardly for not having stayed around to fight with these Buddhists, mostly SGI members and also Nichiren Shu priests but I was more stunned by the vast ignorance I encountered. It has taken me nearly 30 years to realize why so many have an aversion to ceasing meat-eating which shall be explained in detail in my forth coming book, “The Truth About Buddhism”. I shall tell why I alone have been able to attain Enlightenment, in my present form, while no one else has. 

There is one particular parasite, Andy Hanlen, who would troll and follow me around the internet and viciously attack me each and every time I made a blog posting quoting Nichiren relative to the first precept. For some strange reason this meat-addicted former SGI member lacks the courage to continue practicing the supreme religion of Nichiren’s Buddhism while still remaining friends of many Nichiren priests while declaring himself an atheist. I intend to publish all of his vicious internet attacks of me over the past 20 years as well as those of every Nichiren priest with whom I’ve held dialogs relative to their refusal to adhere to the First Precept. I have retained copies of each and every one of my dialogs held with Nichiren members and priests of every sect over the past 30 years relating to their denials that adherence of the first precept is not a requirement today. The contention that “there are no precepts in Nichiren’s Buddhism is an out-and-out blatant lie according to Nichiren himself:

“When the Buddha appeared in this world, he made compassion for living beings his basis. And as an expression of compassion for living beings, not to take life and to provide sustenance for the living are the most important precept." 

(“Letter to Momitsu Shonin” MW-Vol 5, P.190)

(Also known as “The Blessings of the Lotus Sutra”)

This bears repeating: “Not to take life is the most important precept."

"Nothing throughout the entire major world system matches the value of a living being," which means that not even all the jewels and treasures that fill the entire major world system can equal the value of a life.

(“Letter to Momitsu Shonin” MW-Vol 5, P.190)

The Juryo chapter of the Lotus Sutra contains the blessings of Shakyamuni Buddha's precept "not to kill." Consequently, those who take life will be forsaken by all the Buddhas of the three existences and the gods of the six worlds of desire will not protect them." 

(On Recommending this teaching to your Lord"-MW-Vol 6, P.89)

These are Nichiren’s words, not mine. Yet, every time I recited them I was stifled!

On May 18, 2005 I left the house without reciting Gongyo (morning prayers) for a very early business appointment in Santa Monica, CA.

After that appointment I drove a few blocks to the SGI-USA headquarters where an employee allowed me to enter and escorted me upstairs to the staff Gohonzon room where she said I could recite morning Gongyo with the staff, indicating to her I would depart immediately thereafter. I sat in the very rear of the room so as not to be a distraction to anyone. I observed the then SGI-USA General Director, Fred Zaitsu in the third row. He turned around and saw me, after which he leaned over and whispered into the ear of leader Dave Baldschun sitting beside him. Then, Dave got up from his seat and walked up the aisle and stopped where I was sitting and he said to me, “: This is a staff-only Gongyo recital. You need to leave. I explained about my having left my home that morning without having recited Gongyo and assured him I would depart immediately thereafter. He said, “No. You need to leave now. You have a history of pontificating about vegetarianism to fellow SGI members and complaining about President Ikeda’s photograph.” I explained to Mr. Baldschun that whenever I would broach the subject of vegetarianism to fellow members I would always preface it with a quote from Nichiren on the subject. Dave said, “You need to leave right now. I will escort you out of the building.”

In actuality I was kicked out of the SGI-USA headquarters for quoting Nichiren to fellow SGI members! Proof that the SGI does not follow the teachings of Nichiren!

Upon exiting the headquarters and being denied recitation of my morning prayers I returned home and for the next week I chanted Daimoku 

(Nam Myoho Renge Kyo) for three hours everyday. One week later I met with a senior SGI leader and turned in my SGI-issued Gohonzon informing the leader that I could not in good conscience remain a member of any Buddhist sect that did not follow the correct teachings of Nichiren. 

Regarding his comment about my having complained about the photo of President Ikeda, the incident was as follows: After the SGI broke away from the Nichiren Shoshu Temple (excommunicated) in 1991, the SGI immediately hung huge photographs of President Daisaku Ikeda adjacent to or on the right side wall of the Gohonzon room of every Community Center. One Saturday morning during a Men’s Division Gongyo meeting, the leader turned East to recite the first prayer. However, he erred and, instead of turning to his left (East) he mistakenly tuned to his right and the entire membership in attendance followed so that we ended up facing west looking directly into the photograph of President Ikeda. When a visiting Senior leadership team from Japan held a meeting and question and answer session, I told the senior woman’s division leader of that experience and added I said, “With all due respect to President Ikeda, Nichiren teaches that the Gohonzon is the object of worship and I am sure that President Ikeda would agree that he is not the object of worship upon whose photograph we should be reciting our prayers.” Well, the entire packed Gohonzon room gasped at this statement of mine, as though I had said something sac religious. President Ikeda’s photo was removed the following week but apparently my comment was unwelcome by the leadership.

“The evil monks of that muddied age,

failing to understand the Buddha’s expedient means,

how he preaches the Law in accordance with what is appropriate,

will confront us with foul language and angry frowns;

again and again we will be banished

to a place far removed from towers and temples.”

(Lotus Sutra, p194)

Not so surprisingly, the Buddha speaks often of the likes of Daisaku Ikeda:

After the Buddha has passed into extinction,

In an age of fear and evil

We will preach far and wide.

There will be many ignorant people

Who will curse and speak ill of us

And will attack us with swords and staves,

But we will endure all these things.

In that evil age there will be monks

With perverse wisdom and hearts that are fawning and crooked

Who will suppose they have attained what they have not attained,

Being proud and boastful in heart.

…These men with evil in their hearts,

Constantly thinking of worldly affairs,

Will …take delight in proclaiming our faults,

…

These monks are greedy for profit and support

And therefore they preach non-Buddhist doctrines

And fabricate their own scriptures

To delude the people of the world.

Because they hope to gain fame and renown thereby

They make distinctions when preaching this sutra.”

…”These are men of perverted views 

who preach non-Buddhist doctrines!”

though they treat us with contempt we will endure and accept.

In order to preach this sutra we will bear these difficult things.

All these various evils,

Because we keep in mind the Buddha’s orders,

We will endure.

…we will go to wherever they are

and preach the Law entrusted to us by the Buddha .

We will be envoys of the World-honored One,

Facing the assembly without fear,

We will preach the Law with skill.

We proclaim this vow.

(Lotus Sutra, p194)

“Arrogance and selfishness arise in their minds.

Abandoning restraint they give themselves up to the five desires and fall into the evil paths of existence. Always I am aware of which living beings practice the way and which do not.” (Lotus Sutra)

“Priests with perverse views with hearts that are fawning and crooked; men with evil in their hearts, constantly thinking of world affairs, greedy for profit and nourishment. The evil monks of that muddied age, failing to understand the Buddha’s expedient means; consumed by their erroneous views they slander The Law. … In that age there will be evil monks who will do violence to this sutra and destroy its unity, losing ‘the color, scent, and flavor’ of the True Law that it contains. These evil men will read and recite this sutra, but they will ignore and put aside the profound and vital principals that the Buddha has expounded in it and replace it with ornate rhetoric and meaningless talk. … You must understand that these evil monks are the companions of the devil.” (“The Opening of the Eyes” – Part 2 - MW-Vol 2 P179)

During my studies I discovered my persecution to be identical to that experienced by Nichiren: 

“You will be reviled…They will despise, hate, envy and bear grudges against you—and in exactly that manner I have been treated with contempt and arrogance for over twenty years.”

(“The Opening of the Eyes” – MW-Vol 2 P179)

“If persecutions greater than those that arose during the Buddha’s

lifetime keep occurring again and again to someone who is not 

guilty of the slightest fault then one should realize that that person 

is a true votary of the Lotus Sutra in the age after the Buddha’s passing.

(“Repaying Debts of Gratitude” – Vol 4, 9185)

Although I resigned my SGI membership in May 2005 I would still occasionally attend the Saturday morning Men’s division meetings at the North Hollywood Community Center because I miss chanting alongside others. On 8/5/17 I attended the meeting and the subject of discussion was “Vows”. The emcee had asked if anyone wanted to give an experience of Vows they had made and, knowing that I should have sat there quietly, I couldn’t help myself. I raised my hand and asked if I could give an experience of the Bodhisattva Vows I had taken. He did not answer me and when the meeting was adjourned I was approached by Senior Leader Jeff Krieger and Zone Men’s Division Leader Christopher Akazawa who asked me to follow them outside of the building. I was told, “You are no longer welcome to chant here because you are too disruptive.”

Nichiren was banished to Sado Island and I was banished from the SGI-USA headquarters. How Glorious!

“Again and again we will be banished!” (Lotus Sutra, p195)

The slander, persecution, vilification and attacks I have experienced from ignorant lay Buddhists and priests of every sect is similar to that encountered by Nichiren.

Nichiren teaches:

“In an age when society accepts the True Law and honors the precepts while denouncing those who break or ignore them, one should strictly follow them.”

“Although Nichiren is not a sage, he is equal to one, for he embraces the Lotus Sutra exactly as the Buddha taught.”

(Letter from Sado – Vol 1, p34)

“It is now clear that those who are born in this land and believe in this sutra when its propagation is undertaken in the Latter Day of the Law will suffer persecutions even more sever than those which occurred in the Buddha’s lifetime.” …”Moreover, the teacher is but a common person, and his disciples come from among impious men defiled by the three poisons. For this reason, people reject the virtuous teacher and seek out evil priests instead. What is more, once you become a follower of the Lotus Sutra ‘s true votary whose practice accords with the Buddha’s teaching, you are bound to face the three powerful enemies. Therefore, from the very day you take faith in this teaching, you should be fully prepared to face the three kinds of persecutions which are certain to be more terrible now after the Buddha’s passing.” …”Understand that the votary who practices the Lotus Sutra exactly as the Buddha teaches will without fail be attacked by the tree powerful enemies.”

(“On Practicing the Buddha’s Teaching” - Vol 1, p101-106)

“None of you who declare yourselves to be my disciples should ever be cowardly. …If you condemn me, you will be rejecting the Buddha’s envoy.”

(“On the Buddha’s Behavior” – Vol 1, p176”)

“To practice as the Buddha taught, at the right time, will incite truly agonizing ordeals. …Official persecution is indeed the proof that he is practicing the true teaching.”

(“On the Buddha’s Behavior” – Vol 1, p186”)

My father Shakyamuni warned me this would occur:

“There are many ignorant people who will vilify and attack us, the votaries of the Lotus Sutra, with swords and staves.”

If even a good priest sees someone slandering the Law and disregards him, failing to reproach him, to oust him or to punish him for his offense, then that priest is betraying Buddhism. But if he take the slanderer severely to task, drives him off and punishes him, then he is my disciple and one who truly understands my teachings.” (Nirvana Sutra)

One day at the North Hollywood Community Center I ran into an old friend and SGI leader, Hal, whom I hadn’t seen in 10 years and I was shocked to see he had become morbidly obese. Concerned for his health, and with my knowledge of nutrition, I met him the following week and gave him a gift of a book written by my good friend, “The World Peace Diet” by Dr. Will Tuttle. Not only does this book recommend a vegan lifestyle, both for health and compassion to save other sentient beings but it is absolutely the finest book ever written about Buddhism and I recommend it to be compelling reading for all Buddhists world-wide, regardless of sect affiliation.

One week later at that same Community Center I was approached by Hal and he tried to give me back the book without having read it. I was stunned and dumbfounded that a fellow so-called Buddhist would not read a book about Buddhism. But, Hal is an avid meat-eater, completely addicted as is most of the world population as evidenced by the fact that 98% of the world population eats meat as do over 95% of Buddhists world-wide, regardless of sect affiliation!

For the past 30 years I have been well known within the Los Angeles Vegan/Vegetarian community under the moniker of “Veggie Eddie”

Now the time has come for me to discard my transient identity of Veggie Eddie to reveal my true identity as Kasho, envoy of Shakyamuni, sent here now to bring Buddhism into the 21st Century. I have met all of the criteria necessary for one to be declared a votary of the Lotus Sutra and envoy of Shakyamuni. I believe myself to be the reincarnation of Bodhisattva Kasyapa of the Nirvana Sutra who posed 36 questions to Shakyamuni and took a vow to “Save All Sentient Beings”.

Now I return in the 21st Century as Kasho to fulfill that vow I made to my father. In that regard I have founded the “Buddhist Vegan Society”

(buddhistvegansociety.org) whose mission it is to encourage fellow Buddhists to adhere to the First Precept “Do Not Kill” by adopting an earth-friendly Whole Foods Plant-based diet (VEGAN). I will be setting up a “gofundme” page and ask for you support and help for funds to pay for the website.

In my forthcoming book “The Truth About Buddhism”, I shall outline the correct teaching and practice of Buddhism for the 21st Century that will provide the most expeditious path for attaining Enlightenment. 

However, the “Truth About Buddhism” is a truth that no one wants to hear:

There is no meat-eating in Buddhism and I am at a complete loss to understand how these Nichiren Priests have become so deluded. I have read all 412 Gosho found on the SGI website several times and nowhere does Nichiren say that precepts are unnecessary. Quite the opposite.

The reason for differentiating the SGI and Nichiren Shoshu sects from the other sects is because the religious doctrines of those two sects are similar. Even when the SGI split from Nichiren Shoshu Daisaku Ikeda neglected to change the SGI’s religious doctrine which makes me wonder if President Ikeda has ever even read all of the Gosho. The foundation of these two sects is primarily based upon three big lies perpetrated by the 26th High Priest of Nichiren Shoshu, Nichikan. He is the person who has destroyed the Law and, ironically, it is his inscribed Gohonzon upon which most members of Nichiren Shoshu and the SGI chant! The false teachings of both of these sects are based upon a fraudulent Gosho not written by Nichiren which I shall describe further in my forthcoming book. Even some Nichiren Shu Priests such as Michael McCormick was duped and wrote about this fraudulent Gosho “Teaching, Practice and Proof” highlighting the Diamond Chalice. How do I know this Gosho is fraudulent and not written by Nichiren? First, because Nichiren always repeated his teachings in several Gosho and, more importantly, The Diamond Chalice is not mentioned in the Lotus Sutra, the supreme teaching, nor the Nirvana Sutra written just before Shakyamuni death and meant to highlight the most important aspects of Buddhism. 

In my forthcoming book, “The Truth About Buddhism” I shall provide

Irrefutable, compelling evidence to prove that both the SGI and Nichiren Shoshu Temple have so distorted the teachings of Nichiren as to make their doctrines completely unrecognizable to the basic principals of Buddhism.

It is only when one reads the actual Gosho that one is made aware they have been duped. However, most SGI members are lazy and have depended upon their leader Daisaku Ikeda to teach them correctly. I refer to Daisaku Ikeda as the “Pied Piper of Buddhism” because all SGI members follow only him and neglect the actual correct teachers spoken by Nichiren. Most SGI members are completely oblivious as to the primary objective of Buddhism which is to “save all living beings”

“The Great teacher T’ien-tai overcame these various sects and returned Buddhism once more to its primary objective of saving 

all living beings.”

(“The Opening of the Eyes” – Vol 1, p82)

This is also the reason for Shakyamuni’s advent:

“The Buddha’s appear in the world solely for one reason, which is true; the other two are not the truth.

Never do they use a lesser vehicle to save living beings and ferry them across.

The Buddha himself dwells in the Great Vehicle (Lotus Sutra),

And adorned with the power of meditation and wisdom 

That go with the Law he has attained,

He uses it to save living beings.”

(Lotus Sutra – p.35)

“You should know that at the start I took a vow,

hoping to make all persons equal to me, without any distinction between us, and what I long ago hoped for has now been fulfilled.

I have converted them all to enter the Buddha way.”

(Lotus Sutra – p.36)

“All sentient beings possess the Buddha nature.”

(Nirvana Sutra)

And if the primary objective of Buddhism is to “save all living beings” 

You cannot be said to fulfill that objective if you are killing and eating them everyday! 

Meat is meat, flesh is flesh, blood is blood. There is no difference between eating the flesh of a cow from that of a chicken, from that of a dog, or that of a human. 

He (the Thus Come One (Buddha )) is the father of all living beings.

(Lotus Sutra – p.61)

“This threefold world is my domain, and the living beings in it are all my children.” 

(Lotus Sutra – p.69)

Therefore, each time you eat meat you are killing and eating the Buddha’s children! How can you expect to attain Enlightenment when you are killing and eating the Buddha’s children everyday? You can’t! 

Nichiren Says:

“When the Buddha appeared in this world, he made compassion for living beings his basis. And as an expression of compassion for living beings, not to take life and to provide sustenance for the living are the most important precept." 

(“Letter to Momitsu Shonin” MW-Vol 5, P.190)

(Also known as “The Blessings of the Lotus Sutra”)

This bears repeating: “Not to take life is the most important precept."

What this means is that not only are we not supposed to kill 

These other sentient beings but we should also feed and care for them.

"Nothing throughout the entire major world system matches the value of a living being," which means that not even all the jewels and treasures that fill the entire major world system can equal the value of a life.

(“Letter to Momitsu Shonin” MW-Vol 5, P.190)

The Juryo chapter of the Lotus Sutra contains the blessings of Shakyamuni Buddha's precept "not to kill." Consequently, those who take life will be forsaken by all the Buddhas of the three existences and the gods of the six worlds of desire will not protect them." 

(On Recommending this teaching to your Lord"--MW-Vol 6, P.89)

Chapter 14 of the Lotus Sutra outlines the correct moral code and behavior required of a Buddhist practitioner. It instructs us not to even associate with animal farmers who earning a living by selling animals for food. Those professions are completely adverse to the teachings of Buddhism whose foundation is based upon compassion.

Not only do I not associate with animal farmers but I have made it a practice not to socialize nor to even associate with any such person who eats meat, fish or dairy because those individuals are ignorant of nutrition and devoid of compassion and empathy.

What I find abominable and obviously hypocritical is the daily recitation of Gongyo (portions of chapters 2 & 16 of the Lotus Sutra) by Nichiren practitioners who are obviously ignorant of what those chapters say. 

“The learned priests and scholars of the many sects are first of all 

confused as to the meaning of the sutras upon which their own doctrines are based and more fundamentally, they are ignorant of the teachings expounded in the Juryo chapter of the Lotus Sutra. 

…without the Juryo chapter, all the sutras are meaningless.

…Namu-Myoho-Renge-Kyo is the heart of the Lotus Sutra”

(“The Essence of the Juryo Chapter” - MW-Vol 3 P34)

President Ikeda wrote an 8-book volume “Discussions on the Lotus Sutra” in which, not surprisingly, he completely bypassed and ignored Chapter 14 which outlines the manner in which a disciple should behave since it is in that chapter that he warns, “Do not follow a monk who does not abide by the precepts”. He had to avoid it since, being a meat-eater would reveal him to be a hypocrite. While President Ikeda preaches on the virtues of the Lotus Sutra, he, himself, does not uphold it. Daisaku Ikeda is “all talk and no action” and ironically he has published three books entitled “Buddhism into Action”. He is a true hypocrite. 

(“These evil men will read and recite this sutra, but they will ignore and put aside the profound and vital principals that the Buddha has expounded in it and replace it with ornate rhetoric and meaningless talk. … You must understand that these evil monks are the companions of the devil.”)

Daisaku Ikeda’s writings misinterpret Nichiren and the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren outlines his practice as being comprised of 5 stages. Yet, after practicing for more than 60 years Daisaku Ikeda still only adheres to the first 3 stages and has not yet advanced to the 4th stage. Perhaps it is because the 4th stage requires a disciple to adopt a vegan diet and President Ikeda is unable to overcome his addiction to eating meat. 

It was President Ikeda’s meat-eating behavior that required me to resign my SGI membership if I desired to uphold the Lotus Sutra since the Buddha instructs, “Do not follow a monk who does not abide by the precepts.”

In his “Three Proofs” teaching Nichiren says that “actual proof” is more important than theory or documentation. I exemplify that teaching. As a child I was constantly sick and contracted the flu every September. When I stopped eating meat and dairy I stopped getting sick. I have not been sick nor been to a doctor for illness in 45 years and during my last physical the doctor told me “On paper, it appears as though you have the body of a 35 year old. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

And the karmic retribution one receives for killing and eating the Buddha’s children is cancer and many other illnesses. If eating meat was permissible the first precept would be “Do Not Murder” because murder is specifically confined to the human species. And the commandment in the Judea/Christian religions would be “Thou shalt not murder” instead of Thou shalt not kill. If parents truly love their children and don’t want them to get ill, they should stop poisoning them everyday by feeding them meat. Animals are not appropriate food for humans. They are living, sentient beings. And so says the Buddha.

“Kasyapa asked Buddha, “Oh World-honored One! Why is it

the Tathagata does not allow us to eat meat?”

“Oh good man! One who eats meat kills the seed of great compassion.”

On the Buddhist Vegan Society website there will be a “Hall of Fame” to list those fellow Buddhists who uphold and exemplify the First Precept as well as a “Hall of Shame” to list those Buddhist Priests and leaders who violate the First Precept.

The reason for my exposing Buddhist Priests who do not uphold the First Precept through maintenance of a vegan diet is because 

The Buddha has directed me to ‘out’ these charlatan leaders and bring their incorrect teachings to your attention:

“If even a good priest sees someone slandering the Law and disregards him, to oust him or punish him for his offense, then that priest is betraying Buddhism. But if he takes the slanderer severely to task, drives him off or punishes him, then he is my disciple and one who truly understands my teachings.” 

(- The Nirvana Sutra)

He who injures or brings confusion to the Buddhist Law is an enemy of the Law. If one befriends another person but lacks the mercy to correct him, he is in fact his enemy. But he who is willing to reprimand and correct the offender is one who truly understands and defends the Law, a true disciple of the Buddha. He makes it possible for the offender to rid himself of evil, and thus he acts like a parent to the offender. Those who are willing to reproach offenders are disciples of the Buddha.

(“The Opening of the Eyes” – MW-Vol 2 P211)

The Truth about Buddhism that no one wants to hear is this: those who eat meat are not Buddhist; so says Shakyamuni himself:

“How then, after my nirvana, can you eat the flesh of living beings and so pretend to be my disciple? You should know that those who eat meat, though their minds may open and realize a semblance of Samadhi, are but great raksasas [blood-drinking, flesh-eating demons] who, after this life, will sink back into the bitter ocean of samsara and cannot be my disciples.” 

This is “The Truth About Buddhism” that no one wants to hear:

“those who eat meat… cannot be my disciples”.

The phrase “meat-eating Buddhist” is an oxymoron because, according

To Shakyamuni “THERE IS NO MEAT-EATING IN BUDDHISM!”

And the other stuff you don’t want to hear? In short, Shakyamuni says that meat-eaters are Cruel, unwise, stupid, unholy, greedy, perverted, uncompassionate, impure, possessed by devils, shall not receive merits, lack morals, shall not attain enlightenment, shall not be reincarnated as humans, and are not his disciples.

I challenge anyone on the planet to prove me wrong. You cannot because I only use the words of my father Shakyamuni and my brother Nichiren. 

Now that I have revealed my true identity as Kasho, the 21st Century Buddha I shall be deleting my “Veggie Eddie” Facebook profile and replacing it with one for “Kasho Buddha”. However, I ask that if you eat meat you refrain from trying to “friend” me as I do not associate with anyone who eats meat because those people are ignorant of nutrition and lacking in compassion and empathy.

Those of you who do abide by the first precept through adherence to a vegan diet are requested to give me your support in promoting the Buddhist Vegan Society through a donation on the “gofundme” website. 

Thank You

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo

Kasho, 

The 21st Century Buddha

kashobuddha@yahoo.com