Letter to a many year believer whose faith and practice has been somewhat shaky for several years.

Hi. Have been reading your blog with interest. Been practicing Nichiren Buddhism for 40+ years. 19 with SGI, 5 with Kempon Hokke and 16 as an Independent. Nearly everything I learned about the Lotus Sutra Buddhism of Nichiren in the SGI, particularly their teachings on the faith in and study of the teachings was wrong. Nichiren's teachings is a religion, not as SGI maintains, "it is a philosophy." The Lotus Sutra is a scripture of salvation, not in the Christian sense, coming from above (without) but in the Buddhist sense, coming from within (faith and practice) and from without (the Eternal Buddha and the Law). Shakyamuni Buddha is depreciated in the SGI to the point of nary a mention, let alone a sense of gratitude. They also give but lip service to Nichiren while all praise and gratitude is heaped on Daisaku Ikeda. May I recommend, in order to gain the most out of your faith, to at least, muster a sense of gratitude for Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter when chanting to the Gohonzon, even if only performing Sansho.