"How great is the difference between the blessings received when a sage chants the daimoku and the blessings received when we chant it" to reply, one is in no way superior to the other. the gold that a fool possesses is no different from the gold that a wise man possesses; a fire made by a fool is the same as a fire made by a wise man. HOWEVER, there is a difference if one chants the daimoku while acting against the intent of this sutra".
“Acting against the sutra’s intent” That is a matter worthy of discussion. What is the sutra’s intent? To save people born in the Latter Day of the Law. That’s my answer / I cannot determine from this quote how one could chant daimoku and act against the sutra’s intent other than slandering fellow believers / as for the difference in the daimoku / my thought is that one who abused fellow believers would not attain Buddhahood at the end of his of her life; might not be able purify their senses . ~Katie
June 14, 2016 · Shared with Public Public Dominic Berry says: May 26, 2011 at 5:14 pm I’ve been studying this subject for three years. The process of ascertaining facts is very much hampered by the fact that on the long communication route from Japan to the world, no negative fact or argument about the SGI can travel far within the SGI and no external information about the SGI is available to members of the SGI than the SGI itself. This means that their internal PR is whatever they can get away with. The honorary degrees are a joke. SGI has enormous funds – about three trillion dollars I believe, and these funds are donated to universities in return for honorary degrees. Soka University graduates are always on hand to write up the right kind of articles on any given subject, but nothing Ikeda has ever written was ever published in a respectable peer-review publication on any subject at all. His guidance isn’t very interesting to anybody in any field of the humanities. At all. Not because his ideas aren’t popular. (such publications are used to hosting controvertial debate). He just doesn’t say very much at all which isn’t basically common sense to most of the planet. Indeed his donation to Buddhist thought as a philosophical tradition is to make out that ‘Ichinen Sanzen’ is Positive Mental Attitude. That and the idea that democracy, dialogue and modern science are naturally integral to Japanese Buddhism. This overlooks the obvious facts of Japanese history, which was that while democracy, dialogue and modern science have been well established traditions in the west, Japan had developed sophisticated alternatives to each of them. The Americans forced them to adopt modern science at gunpoint. MacArthur forced them to adopt a nominal democracy after WW2. They still have problems integrating debate and free speech into their society at every level. But to read the SGI literature, Mr Ikeda would like to be given a Nobel Peace Prize for inventing all of them. That much seems to me to be a fact-based criticism of the whole SGI myth. cheers. gregorio
To whom are you directing the ad hominem, “Batgirl”? Are you seeking response to the opinion of Dominic Barry? There are errors: 1) guidance from Ikeda has been shared widely with scholars and students in the humanities field- with positive feedback here in Boston , home of renowned universities , but elsewhere as well. 2) SGI members have access to information - as unlimited as any internet user or research minded individual. 3) Even in developed countries with democratic governments , there are numerous problems enacting democratic ideals, much the same as I (and others) have and continue to experience on this blog. 4) there isn’t much difference between PR strategies across a very diverse of organizations and corporations, not to mention political parties and state based media masquerading as news broadcasts! The task of verifying info and vetting sources has fallen on any conscientious consumer of information. You should’be happy to know that young people are literally cutting their wisdom teeth on identifying false info and bogus conspiracy theories, including, SGI youth division members. 5) beliefs are powerful - changing minds is a challenge , but without the ability to resonate with others and gain their trust and respect, no matter how vital you believe your message or warning to be, it will be rejected. 6) It is the true compassion for others, exhibited by bodhisattvas that , based on daimoku, is key to “ helping others” develop correct thought and action. ~ Katie - responding for “ Batgirl” 😊
Myoho Renge Kyo is like the roar of a lion !
ReplyDeleteWe’re up for the challenge 😊.
"How great is the difference between the blessings received when a sage chants the daimoku and the blessings received when we chant it" to reply, one is in no way superior to the other. the gold that a fool possesses is no different from the gold that a wise man possesses; a fire made by a fool is the same as a fire made by a wise man. HOWEVER, there is a difference if one chants the daimoku while acting against the intent of this sutra".
Delete“Acting against the sutra’s intent”
DeleteThat is a matter worthy of discussion.
What is the sutra’s intent?
To save people born in the Latter Day of the Law. That’s my answer /
I cannot determine from this quote how one could chant daimoku and act against the sutra’s intent other than slandering fellow believers / as for the difference in the daimoku / my thought is that one who abused fellow believers would not attain Buddhahood at the end of his of her life; might not be able purify their senses .
~Katie
June 14, 2016 ·
ReplyDeleteShared with Public
Public
Dominic Berry says:
May 26, 2011 at 5:14 pm
I’ve been studying this subject for three years. The process of ascertaining facts is very much hampered by the fact that on the long communication route from Japan to the world, no negative fact or argument about the SGI can travel far within the SGI and no external information about the SGI is available to members of the SGI than the SGI itself. This means that their internal PR is whatever they can get away with.
The honorary degrees are a joke. SGI has enormous funds – about three trillion dollars I believe, and these funds are donated to universities in return for honorary degrees. Soka University graduates are always on hand to write up the right kind of articles on any given subject, but nothing Ikeda has ever written was ever published in a respectable peer-review publication on any subject at all. His guidance isn’t very interesting to anybody in any field of the humanities. At all. Not because his ideas aren’t popular. (such publications are used to hosting controvertial debate). He just doesn’t say very much at all which isn’t basically common sense to most of the planet. Indeed his donation to Buddhist thought as a philosophical tradition is to make out that ‘Ichinen Sanzen’ is Positive Mental Attitude. That and the idea that democracy, dialogue and modern science are naturally integral to Japanese Buddhism. This overlooks the obvious facts of Japanese history, which was that while democracy, dialogue and modern science have been well established traditions in the west, Japan had developed sophisticated alternatives to each of them. The Americans forced them to adopt modern science at gunpoint. MacArthur forced them to adopt a nominal democracy after WW2. They still have problems integrating debate and free speech into their society at every level. But to read the SGI literature, Mr Ikeda would like to be given a Nobel Peace Prize for inventing all of them. That much seems to me to be a fact-based criticism of the whole SGI myth. cheers.
gregorio
Respond to this Batgirl..
DeleteTo whom are you directing the ad hominem, “Batgirl”?
DeleteAre you seeking response to the opinion of Dominic Barry?
There are errors:
1) guidance from Ikeda has been shared widely with scholars and students in the humanities field- with positive feedback here in Boston , home of renowned universities , but elsewhere as well.
2) SGI members have access to information - as unlimited as any internet user or research minded individual.
3) Even in developed countries with democratic governments , there are numerous problems enacting democratic ideals, much the same as I (and others) have and continue to experience on this blog.
4) there isn’t much difference between PR strategies across a very diverse of organizations and corporations, not to mention political parties and state based media masquerading as news broadcasts! The task of verifying info and vetting sources has fallen on any conscientious consumer of information. You should’be happy to know that young people are literally cutting their wisdom teeth on identifying false info and bogus conspiracy theories, including, SGI youth division members.
5) beliefs are powerful - changing minds is a challenge , but without the ability to resonate with others and gain their trust and respect, no matter how vital you believe your message or warning to be, it will be rejected.
6) It is the true compassion for others, exhibited by bodhisattvas that , based on daimoku, is key to “ helping others” develop correct thought and action.
~ Katie - responding for “ Batgirl” 😊
Waiting for the discussion to begin to be grounded in fact.
Delete~ Katie