"Many such examples of slander are also found among Nichiren’s disciples and lay believers.” - Nichiren
YES, they who chant the Daimoku can slander. Nichiren teaches:
"When a person’s offense is minor, admonishment is sometimes called for, but at other times it may be unnecessary, for there are those who may correct themselves without being told. Reprove a person for slander when necessary, so that you can forestall for both of you the consequences of an offense. Then, you should forgive that person. The point is that even minor slanders may lead to serious ones, and then the effects one must suffer would be far worse. This is [what Chang-an means when he writes], “One who rids the offender of evil is acting as his parent.”
and
"There are many degrees of slander: shallow and profound, slight and heavy. Even among those who embrace the Lotus Sutra, very few uphold it steadfastly both in mind and in deed. Few are the practitioners who are able to uphold this sutra. But those who do will not suffer serious retribution even if they have committed minor offenses against the sutra. Their strong faith expiates their offenses as surely as a flood extinguishes tiny fires.
The Nirvana Sutra states: “If even a good monk sees someone destroying the teaching and disregards him, failing to reproach him, to oust him, or to punish him for his offense, then you should realize that that monk is betraying the Buddha’s teaching. But if he ousts the destroyer of the Law, reproaches him, or punishes him, then he is my disciple and a true voice-hearer.”
"Slander can be either minor or serious, however, and sometimes we should overlook it rather than attack it. The True Word and Tendai schools slander the Lotus Sutra and should be severely rebuked. But without great wisdom it is hard to differentiate correctly between their doctrines and the teachings that Nichiren spreads. Therefore, at times we refrain from attacking them, just as I did in Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land
"However, there is a difference if one chants the daimoku while acting against the intent of this sutra. There are various stages in the practice of this sutra [and various forms of slander exist accordingly]. Let me sum them up by quoting from volume five of The Annotations on “The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra”: “In defining the types of evil, The Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra states briefly, ‘Expound among the wise but not among the foolish.’ One scholar enumerates the types of evil as follows: ‘I will first list the evil causes and then their effects. There are fourteen evil causes: (1) arrogance, (2) negligence, (3) wrong views of the self, (4) shallow understanding, (5) attachment to earthly desires, (6) not understanding, (7) not believing, (8) scowling with knitted brows, (9) harboring doubts, (10) slandering, (11) despising, (12) hating, (13) envying, and (14) bearing grudges.’” Since these fourteen slanders apply equally to priesthood and laity, you must be on guard against them." - The Fourteen Slanders
SGI and Nichiren Shoshu leaders and priests are by far the biggest slanderers in the world today.
You write:
ReplyDelete"SGI and Nichiren Shoshu leaders and priests are by far the biggest slanderers in the world today."
IF THEY ARE CHANTING THE DAIMOKU with faith it doesn't matter if everything else is understood.
Ikeda broke Unity, Nikken Broke Unity.
What Ikeda did in the USA was to slander George M Williams. The history of Buddhism is not JIYU, when people slander each other.
The distinctions the sects contradicts the Daimoku. The Daimoku is more powerful then all of that and lack of faith includes all those schisms.
Can you recognize when Jiyu occurred?
You are entitled to your opinion. Likewise the Nichiren Shu, Honmon Butsuryu Shu, Kempon Hokke break the unity.
ReplyDeleteBreaking unity, and inability to do zange due to haughtiness, blocks the emergence of jiyu no bosatsu. Until then, don't slander people who recite the Daimoku with sincerity, even if not perfect.
ReplyDeleteDO a zange that erases the schisms. Jiyu waits for real apology.
Likewise, propagation itself is a life to life undertaking. Pondering the teachings on the difficulty of upholding and propagating the daimoku , one finds scriptural references to not only the few who can do so, but the length of time it would take for Jiyu—
DeleteIf the Nichiren faith encompassed ONLY the Daimoku, Nichiren wouldn't have spent so much time outlining the other aspects of the Nichiren faith. Do you remember what I said to you? Renegade leaders and priests are to be held accountable but not neophyte Bodhisattvas who I encourage from whatever sect. As long as there is not a unified doctrine based on the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren's writings, there will never be unity. I do what I can to outline Nichiren's doctrines, hoping beyond hope, that his authentic doctrines will eventually be embraced by everyone who chants the Daimoku.
ReplyDeleteBTW, Jiyu means to emerge from the earth. It takes but a moment, the moment when has the same mind as Nichiren. Do you? No!
ReplyDelete