Be careful who you follow

Which Daisaku Ikeda do you trust and which one do you follow, the 1984 one or the current one?.. confusing huh?

In the video, in the Q & A at the end, 

(http://markrogow.blogspot.com/2016/03/worst-sgi-lecture-on-lotus-sutra-yet.html) we are told that Daiseku Ikeda is so busy writing guidance that the translation committee can't keep up.

We are also told about the decision to give up teaching faith in the Dai-Gohonzon and that SGI's Mr Harada, explaining this decision, said that it was holding back world wide kosen-rufu.

With such an active and present (though rarely seen) Daisaku Ikeda, surely such a change was sanctioned by him.

We are told (rightly) that the Dai-Gohonzon has no basis in Gosho. We are also told that "the priests just made a whole bunch of stuff up."

So here's Daisaku on faith, practice and study in 1984 and of course the Dai-Gohonzon and those priests who just made a whole bunch if stuff up. 

One might be forgiven for wondering why, with such an emphasis on study of the Gosho, nobody, let alone one with the depth of understanding of the "mentor" Daisaku Ikeda, didn't spot the fact that the Dai-Gohonzon had no basis in Gosho or that the priests had made a whole bunch of stuff up.

And if he had realised those two things, why he was happy to give this type of guidance and make these types of speeches?

Buddhism In Action Volume 1, 1984.

ISBN 4-88872-015-0 C1315

Daisaku Ikeda Pages 33 & 34

"Needless to say, the Dai-Gohonzon of the high sanctuary inscribed for all mankind is the most fundemental basis of the movement of the Nichiren Shoshu Soka Gakkai. The Dai-Gohonzon has been preserved and handed down within Nichiren Shoshu from the founder, Nichiren Daishonin, to his successor, Nikko Shonin, and then to the third high priest, Nichimoku Shonin, up to the present high priest, Nikken Shonin. I hope therefore we will courageously dedicate ourselves to studying Nichiren Daishonin's teachings in order to deepen our faith and to propogate true Buddhism in each country or community, as we follow the high priest's guidance, and respect the traditions and doctrines of Nichiren Shoshu.

" 'Practice' mentioned in the above passage means doing gongyo, chanting daimoku and doing shakabuku for the sake of others as well as ourselves. "study" in the same passage, means studying Nichiren Daishonin's teachings. Only those who are devoted to the two ways of practice and study can be called Nichiren Shoshu believers and Nichiren Daishonin's disciples. If you are negligent in these, you may be said to be running counter to the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin. When you are consistent in these two fundemental ways, you are practicing Buddhism correctly.

"Etch deeply in your heart the phrase, "Both practice and study arise from faith. Faith means accepting the Dai-Gohonzon as absolute, and devoting yourself to the cause of kosen-rufu. Page 92 (ibid)

"As I have said repeatedly, it is nothing other than the Dai-Gohonzon that is the basis of our worldwide of our worldwide kosen-rufu movement. It is my honour that I have been able to use what little ability I am endowed with in order to blaze a trail for future world peace as well as fir the furtherance of kosen rufu in Japan where the Dai-Gohonzon is kept." Pages 139-140 (Ibid)

"One of the purposes of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is to develop one's life condition. Every human being has sufferings. Flesh is, as they say, heir to suffering. The sufferings of those who have little or no faith in the Gohonzon may become even worse and tend to create a life-condition confined to the three evil paths. In contrast, the sufferings of those who do believe in the Gohonzon can be transformed into the driving force for changing their negative karma, cultivating virtue and good fortune, and attaining Buddhahood. Such change is possible only through determined faith and chanting daimoku. This is the Buddhist principle that earthly desires are enlightenment. Moreover, one may experience sufferings because of one's practice of faith and activities for kosen- rufu. Enduring such sufferings should be interpreted as part of Buddhist practice to develop one's supreme life condition.

"I joined Nichiren Shoshu when I was nineteen, and tomorrow, on August 24, I will have completed 34 years of practice. I am very grateful to the Dai-Gohonzon for the fact that during all this time I have been able to exert myself for the cause of kosen rufu without interruption. Sickly as I was, I have become increasingly healthy and have been able to work for kosen-rufu as tenaciously as anyone. I will continue to pray to the Dai-Gohonzon for a longer life span so that I can devote myself even more to the cause of kosen-rufu of the world." Page 182 (ibid)

"Last night and tonight there was a beautiful full moon. The Daishonin's Buddhism is complete and perfect, like the full moon. The ultimate entity of his Buddhism is embodied in the Dai-Gohonzon, which is the cluster of blessings of the entire universe. We should strive to be as complete as we day and night practice faith and chant daimoku to the Dai-Gohonzon, the manifestation of the great Law which is the perfect and impeccable entity of life." Page 262 (ibid)

"The fundemental place of worship for this movement is the Head Temple of Nichiren Shoshu. Taho Fuji Dai-Nichiren-zan Taiseka-ji, where the Dai-Gohonzon of the high sanctury of true Buddhism bestowed on all mankind is enshrined, and it is high priest Nikken who presides over it. As, followers of Nichiren Shoshu and under the guidance of high priest Nikken, we must continuously strive on the basis of true Buddhism to lay the foundation for peace and culture, which will eventually secure world peace and culture through individual happiness. This is the mission of the Soka Gakkai." Pages 290 - 292 (ibid)

"We absolutely deny violence. Friends of the world who embrace the Mystic Law advance together in spiritual unity toward the cause of lasting peace, but let us respect the manners and traditions of our respective countries.

"No one can be further from the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin than one who self-righteously thinks that he alone is respectworthy. From the day the Daishonin first chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, declaring true Buddhism, he committed himself to life long propogation in his desire to achieve the great cause of kosen-rufu. Therefore as his disciples and followers of true Buddhism we exert ourselves in the two ways of practice and study for the individual cause of attaining Buddhahood in this life and the common goal of kosen-rufu with absolute faith in the Dai-Gohonzon.

"Arrogance and conceit are causes for shame to any Buddhist. No matter how an arrogant a person may try to justify himself with seemingly righteous arguments, in the depths of his life he is yeilding to the fundemental darkness and inherent devilish nature in his life.

"We believe in the Dai-Gohonzon of the high sanctuary of true Buddhism, follow the high priest Nikken, and immerse ourselves among the people in order to talk with those who face troubles, those who seek the Law, and those who search for a more meaningful way of life. We should remember that we are living noble and respectworthy lives, introducing "the Buddhism of the sun" to more and more people in many countries of the world.

"The text quoted says "Without practice and study, there can be no Buddhism." This is a very strict teaching. To put it briefly, Nichiren Daishonin definitely asserts that if "practice and study" are discontinued, there can be no Buddhism if the sowing, which Nichiren Daishonin gleaned from the depths of the Juryo chapter as the only direct path to enlightenment in the Latter Day of the Law.

"Thr ulimate entity of this Buddhism is, needless to say, the Dai-Gohonzon of the high sanctuary of true Buddhism, which had been strictly protected and preserved by successive high priests of Nichiren Shoshu for some seven hundred years. At the present time we celebrate the very rare occasion of the seven hundredth anniversary of the Daishonin's passing, the heritage of the Law has been transmitted and is being assumed by the sixty-seventh high priest, Nikken Shonin, its integrity unimpaired.

"No matter who may question the heritage of the present high priest, this is an indisputable fact, beyond any doubt. During the days of Nichiren Daishonin, there were some priests who presumuptuously went against Nichiren Daishonin, the original master of true Buddhism. Today, there are some defrocked priests who have turned against the high priest. I cannot help but feel from their example how difficult yet how essential it is to maintain faith in the orthodoxy of true Buddhism.

"We have to be aware therefore, that only when we single-mindedly devote ourselves to the Dai-Gohonzon and exert ourselves in the "two ways of practice and study" on the basis of this prime point can we find the true significance of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism and attain enlightenment in this lifetime.

"After all is said and done, "faith" for us, as followers of Nichiren Daishonin, means to believe in the Dai-Gohonzon. When we begin with faith in the Dai-Gohonzon, the entity of the Mystic Law which pervades the entire universe, and steadily advance on the path of "practice and study", we can open the door to "the palace of the ninth consciousness" developing the supreme state of life eternally and brilliantly.

"At the same time, with this supreme life force that surges from within through "faith", we will further advance along the path of "practice and study" so that we can lead more and more people throughout the world to faith in the Dai-Gohonzon and realise the great cause for kosen-rufu."

Did Daisaku Ikeda believe any of this when he spoke it? And what has it been replaced by? The teaching of mentor-disciple, with not only the Dai-Gohonzon cast aside but more importantly, faith in the Gohonzon relegated and the emphasis on studying Nichiren's writings directly changed to studying Human Revolution and SGI interperative lectures and guidance instead.

Baby, bathwater, bath and bathroom all tossed out together. What's left in the SGI to help cleanse one's deluded life and help one attain enlightenment? Oh that's right, the bond of mentor and disciple. And where did it lead all those people who took these words of their mentor to heart in 1984?...

And as for "denying violence" how does that fit with allowing a change to Japan's peace constitution? Is that Buddhism in Action?

One should be careful who one follows...