I think in your studies of the various sects, you will find that most all the sect's priority is money and none of them strictly follow Nichiren. Even the Nipponzan Myohoji whose priests desire little and do not marry, fail to follow Nichiren. They revere Ghandi. The Nichiren Shu, Kempon Hokke and SGI also practice interfaith. Doesn't interfaith go against establishing the correct teaching? Also the SGI, the Nichiren Shoshu, and the Kenshokai have a different Three Treasures than Nichiren. Nichiren teaches that those who have a different Three Treasures will fail to attain Buddhahood. The Nichiren Shu and Fuju Fuse sects asserts the equality of the first half of the Lotus Sutra and the second half. Nichiren teaches that the second half is superior.
Nichiren Shoshu might counter, if we only desired money why would we have excommunicated the Soka Gakkai? Then the Nichiren Shoshu High Priest should not have Juzu worth tens of thousands of dollars, pure gold rimmed glasses, robes worth thousands of dollars and slippers worth hundreds of dollars. There are Nichiren Shoshu, Nichiren Shu, and Kempon Hokke priests driving Italian sports cars. Nichiren says a good priest is one who desires little:
"A good teacher is a priest who is free from any fault in secular affairs, who never fawns upon others even in the slightest, who desires and is satisfied with little, and who is compassionate; a priest who reads and upholds the Lotus Sutra precisely as it teaches and also encourages and leads others to embrace it. Such a priest the Buddha has praised among all priests as the finest teacher of the Law."
The doctrines of the various sects go against the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren. None of the sects follow the principle of rely on the Law and not persons (except the Buddha).
Rely on the person and not on the Law is the teaching of all the sects while Nichiren teaches in On Repaying Debts of Gratitude, one of his Five Major Works:
"In a scripture called the Nirvana Sutra, the Buddha says, “Rely on the Law and not upon persons.” Relying on the Law here means relying on the various sutras. Not relying upon persons means not relying on persons OTHER THAN the Buddha, such as the bodhisattvas Universal Worthy and Manjushrī or the various Buddhist teachers I have enumerated earlier."
Some of the sects repudiate the Buddha, calling Shakyamuni of the 16th Chapter of the Lotus Sutra a "husk Buddha". These same sects repudiate the Lotus Sutra or they teach contrary to Nichiren. One sect teaches that there are Three Lotus Sutras, the 28 chapter Lotus Sutra was the teaching for the Former Day, Great Concentration and Insight for the Middle Day, and Namu Myoho renge kyo (DEVOTION TO THE LOTUS SUTRA) in the Latter Day.
I follow the teaching of Nichiju, The Succession (or Transmission) is Through the Scrolls of the Lotus Sutra (including, of course, Gohonzon) and the Writings of Nichiren. This is the way to follow the Law and not the person.
Here is the teachings of two sects;
Them: "Shakyamuni's dharma is the dharma of the past and no longer beneficial". Me: Nichiren taught that Shakyamuni's Lotus Sutra is the only teaching to be spread in the Latter Day and we can not even discard the Theoretical Section of the Lotus Sutra,let alone the Essential Section.
Them: "It is necessary to realize that we no longer have a connection to Shakyamuni's Buddhism." Me: Nichiren taught that we are the direct disciples of the Original Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni.
Them: "You should know that Nichiren Daishonin is the only true Buddha because Shakamuni's Buddhism is useless."Me: Nichiren taught that Shakyamuni Buddha is the Original Eternal Buddha
Them: "Buddha Shakamuni is inferior to the true Buddha Nichiren." Me: Nichiren taught that all Buddhas throughout the past, present, and future, are emanations of Shakyamuni Buddha of the 16th Ch. and those who abandon Shakyamuni will fall into the Avici hell.
Them: "The Lotus Sutra which is the long-cherished wish of Buddha Shakamuni is no longer valid in this era, not in the least." Me: Nichiren says the Lotus Sutra is the ultimate teaching of the past, present, and future
Them: "If you don't worship the Gohonzon of XY sects, you will know no well-being in the age of Mappo." Me: They have not one of the Three Proofs, Documentary Theoretical, or Actual for this assertion.
Them: 'If you worship the Gohonzon of wicked religions, you will naturally experience misfortune: Me: I know of dozens of examples of the misfortune of members who embrace these aberrant doctrines and principles and the good fortune of those who follow the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren.
Them: "All other sects except XY are wicked religions and are a negative influence on society. Me: On the contrary, wherever XY sects have spread, the people have suffered every manner of misfortune and their own members obtain neither merit nor virtue.
Them: "The teachings of Buddha Shakamuni is as useless as last year's calendar. If you are guided by his teachings, your life will surely fail as a logical result." Me: Then why so many unrealized dreams among the XY sect members and why such wonderful benefits in the life of Nichiren believers who embrace the Lotus Sutra and Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter of the Lotus Sutra?
Them: "Every person who doesn't worship the Gohonzon of XYZ temple/sects are bad people who slander the true dharma.' Me: The reality is that they are the bad people, especially their high salaried priests/leaders, for other real and serious transgressions: For abandoning the Lotus Sutra and Lord Shakyamuni Buddha and exploiting the Dharma for personal gain.
Them: "The family which believes in the so-called Z sects will have children who have deformities, mental retardation or madness."
Me: Then, why do so many children of their sects never make it past their twenty first birthday while most Z sect members/ priests and believers' children not only survive but thrive? The reason is that the the XY sects leaders/priests' curses have returned to the originator. For slandering votaries of the Lotus Sutra they or their family members suffer every manner of disease and death before they grow old.
Them: "All other sects except XY are false heresies who exert a bad influence on society." Me: Then, why do certain countries label XY sects as dangerous cults and have restricted their conversion activities? France and Malaysia come to mind.
To my knowledge, none of the priests of the various sects have remonstrated with the Prime Ministers/Ex-Prime Ministers of Japan, Abe and Suga.
Lastly, following the Lotus Sutra, Eternal Buddha, and Nichiren,, I shed tears of joy, almost every day.
No comments:
Post a Comment