"a coward casts aspersions on a global hero of freedom and democracy."
FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2022
Katie and I
"Ukraine’s President Zelensky was elected by 70% of voters and currently has full support of the people he serves. The majority of Americans are engaged in preserving our democracy and preventing a corrupt minority from destroying our precious rights and freedoms, literally, from a fascist movement. Elections matter, truth matters , right matters. As this is an autocratic site , moderated by someone who is proud to say he doesn’t vote and publishes scandalous attacks and conspiracy theories, exercising his first amendment rights while denying others that right, we can observe the sheer hypocrisy of his claims to be a follower of Nichiren, as well as his disdain for democracy. ~ Katie
Dead people no longer support anyone. There are terrible leaders around the world elected by 80% of the populace and lets not forget many elections are corrupt. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. My view is that one live Ukrainian is far more valuable than 500 dead Ukrainians, regardless of the nature of their leaders. All people in Mappo are stained with the Three Poisons and few are supremely and Perfectly Enlightened. Nichiren teaches about the majority:
Do you think the Lotus Sutra supports war of any kind? Please support your view with any relevant passages.
Do you think the Lotus Sutra supports capitulating to evil? Defending one’s own humanity and standing up to evil is what I see in the Lotus Sutra. Sadly we are nowhere near eradicating war but there is a huge difference between invading and conquering and defending against that. Seems hard for some to appreciate the complexity and the agony of the situation Putin created. Your ideology does not comport with the conditions that exist in our world today. You seem to believe you can just issue edicts based on the Lotus Sutra. Unfortunately that approach negates the hearts and minds of the people who have not yet embraced this teaching. My feeling is that relationships come first and the way we convey understanding of others is what draws them to our philosophy based on faith in Myoho Renge Kyo. It seems like you are only invested in promoting and validating your views. Sorry, but that comes off as negating the inherent value of others and is antithetical to the Lotus Sutra. I’ll say it again , we are propagating Myoho renge kyo in a non Buddhist country in the 21st century . Yes it’s still Mappo, but the Nichiren I have come to know would have a clear understanding of the difference and respond in a respectful not deprecating manner. My study has included the historical and cultural context Nichiren negotiated- Jackie Stone and other prominent Buddhist scholars. There is no history of formal debate amongst believers who embraced the daimoku, but encouragement to “ discuss” the teachings - respecting the teaching and acting with respect for each other. Formal debate in Nichiren’s time was to establish the primacy of Shakyamuni and the Lotus Sutra to convert other sects to embrace the daimoku. I feel that your approach has been intimidating as well . You refuse to view your approach from any other perspective even though it has created animosity and discord amongst believers which shifts the focus to persons and not the supremacy of the essential teaching practice. Say whatever you will about SGI, but when members are suffering it’s daimoku first and foremost—- so long as that is happening one should feel hopeful of continued progress and deepening faith.
ReplyDeleteKatie Higgins
And yet Nichiren put his own life on the line for his faith in the Lotus Sutra. How a person dies and how they lived matter as life itself is eternal. You speak as though death is the end, yet the Buddha taught “ there is no death “- Every tragedy of Putin’s war is on him. He shows no regard for his own people and his country. Better to die defending and cherishing one’s freedom than to live after losing one’s soul to a brutal dictator. Next life awaits us all — it will reflect how we lived. Pity Putin - his fate is truly frightening !
ReplyDeleteI never read about an exhortation to war and killing in the
ReplyDeleteLotus Sutra. You believe there was no possible way to avoid outright war with the killing of hundreds of thousands of people including children, the destruction of the entire infrastructure of a country, and the displacement of more than 15 million people. I believe that there was a way to avoid this with only a handful of dead, the infrastructure intact, and few people displaced. The Eastern Orthodox religion which supports the war also is an evil religion.
That is the difference between a practitioner of a true pacific religion and the war mongering religion that you embrace. The readers should think carefully about this and the potential consequences of this war.
I believe every effort to dissuade Putin from invading Ukraine was exerted and continued attempts to dissuade him after he invaded also failed. How dare you say I embrace a “ war mongering religion”. Like a typical armchair critic you are exhibiting egoistic and self aggrandizing traits. Nichiren wrote about the strength of armies who were unified in the spirit to protect and defend their families what was rightfully theirs from invaders. Seems that Nichiren understood “ swords could be used for good and evil” and that war itself was not even close to being eradicated. Realism and humanistic traits are the cornerstones of the “ religion I embrace “. I deeply respect the Ukrainian people and their president for their courageous refusal to become Putin’s subjects !
DeleteI pray for their victory as so many all over the world are hoping for.
~ Katie Higgins
You believe so much in this war then send your sons and daughters to the front. It is not as if anyone is trying to kill Nichiren Lotus Sutra Buddhists (see Establishing the Correct Law for the Peace of the Land.)
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness , such a ridiculous proposal ! I would not “ send” mine or anyone else’s children to war or anywhere for that matter as I uphold respect for the free will of others to make such a choice as did both of my grandfathers, my father and my 3 elder brothers. Snark seems to be your default response to my views, which are invariably opposed to yours. Again - not at all similar to Nichiren’s example of civil discourse.
Delete~ Katie Higgins
I am merely taking your view to the extreme. My view, taken to the extreme is no war under only one circumstance, one side's intenion to kill Lotus Sutra Buddhists as per the Nirvana Sutra and In Establishing the Correct Law for the Peace of the Land. The killing of 20 million Buddhists in India in the Middle Day of the Law. was testament to the pacific teachings of the Buddha. Here is what Nichiren Teaches in one of his most important writings, On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings:
Delete“The Lotus Sutra is the teaching of shakubuku, the refutation of the provisional doctrines.”True to the letter of this golden saying, in the end, every last one of the believers of the provisional teachings and schools will be defeated and join the retinue of the Dharma King. The time will come when all people will abandon the various kinds of vehicles and take up the single vehicle of Buddhahood, and the Mystic Law alone will flourish throughout the land. When the people all chant Namu-myoho-renge-kyo, the wind will no longer buffet the branches, and the rain will no longer break the clods of soil. The world will become as it was in the ages of Fu Hsi and Shen Nung. In their present existence the people will be freed from misfortune and disasters and learn the art of living long. Realize that the time will come when the truth will be revealed that both the person and the Law are unaging and eternal. There cannot be the slightest doubt about the sutra’s promise of “peace and security in their present existence.”
Now what about the effects of the war in Ukraine that I categorized, the killing of children, for example. Wouldn't it have been better if not one child would have been killed, displaced, freezing, hungry, and without electricity.
Now, please find in the Lotus Sutra where the Buddha promotes a just war? Any passage will suffice. Nichiren commented on war, ONLY regarding the cause and effect of the just and unjust. Still, he never promoted war, save for war against the pacific Lotus Sutra Buddhists. He commented on the effect, especially the effect of defeat due to Shingon prayers.
Is war not a secular phenomena? Has to be permeated by myoho renge kyo unless war is not a secular phenomena. Therefore, there must be righteous or higher realm war-- as in defending the innocent good people who are in the cross hairs of an evil dictator/war monger.
DeleteI don't know anyone and can't imagine anyone actually wanting war, but yes Putin seems to relish it and he has met his match finally. I pray for Ukraine's victory-- it is in all of our best interests-- those of us who cherish democracy are praying for Putin's defeat.
If you want to beat the idealism drum, that's fine. but it hardly reflects the realities of our time to simply say "NO WAR"!! Gonna take a lot more effort than that to eradicate this purely masculine scourge on our planet!!!
Want war to end? Good start is defeating those who wage it against innocent people. War is patriarchal - by for and of MEN.
~Katie Higgins
Today, there were two bombing of military bases inside of Russia, one 150 miles from Moscow. There were also two bombing in Zaporizhia very near the largest nuclear plant in Europe, killing a child. The War is apparently on course to escalate. NO MORE WAR, before things get completely out of hand. Lets find a diplomatic solution. How bad to renounce a NATO expansion and to give the Russian speaking Donbas to Russia. Ukraine had been a part of Russia for many years and during several periods. Did you know 100,000 Ukrainian Nazis attacked Poland in World War 2. Have you heard of Karma and karmic retribution?
Deletei would ask that my last two comments be posted here -this is where they belong.....And additionally quip: it was universally believed, in the beginning that the war could only cease by negotiation. Today?....it must be done on the battlefield......sorry mate. No cessation, now is the time for Ukraine to further the offensive, non-stop, until they are satisfied.....with our full support in every which way. This is perhaps our war more than their's......poor, poor us.....not many toys under da twee.....it's about time we experienced a little less butter in lieu of guns for our proxy - that is the truth of the matter.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, we must practice amongst the realities in this Saha world of ours. Perceiving the righteous of this battle is a matter of faith that Myoho renge kyo permeates all phenomena. Creating peace where we live, striving to be better Bodhisattvas in our unique environments means knowing right from wrong , speaking out against evil, and yes, being willing to sacrifice our own comforts to support innocent victims of this war. ~ Katie
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