"Rely on the Buddha. Do not rely on those who are on the level of near-perfect enlightenment or below." - Nichiren

 

"Question: It is very common for a person to act as a good friend. But is there any proof that the Law can be such a friend?

Answer: It is common enough for a person to act as such a friend. But in this latter age, no true friend is to be found, and thus there is ample proof that the Law can act as such a friend.

Great Concentration and Insight says: 'At times following a friend, and at times following the sutra scrolls, one hears the one true teaching of enlightenment that has been described above.' The meaning of this passage is that one should take the sutra scrolls as one’s good friend.

The Lotus Sutra states: 'If when the Lotus Sutra is propagated throughout Jambudvīpa there are those who accept and uphold it, they should think to themselves: This is all due to the authority and supernatural power of Universal Worthy!' This passage means that when ordinary people in this latter age put faith in the Lotus Sutra, they are relying upon the power of their good friend Universal Worthy.

The sutra also says: 'If there are those who accept, uphold, read, and recite this Lotus Sutra, memorize it correctly, practice and transcribe it, you should know that such persons have seen Shakyamuni Buddha. It is as though they heard this sutra from the Buddha’s mouth. You should know that such persons have offered alms to Shakyamuni Buddha.'

Reading this passage, we can see that the Lotus Sutra is none other than Shakyamuni Buddha himself. For persons who do not have faith in the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha has passed into extinction. But for those who put faith in the sutra, although Shakyamuni Buddha may seem to have passed into extinction, he is still present in the world.

Again the sutra states: 'If, after I [Many Treasures] have become a Buddha and entered extinction, in the lands in the ten directions there is any place where the Lotus Sutra is preached, then my funerary tower, in order that I may listen to the sutra, will come forth and appear in that spot to testify to the sutra.'

This passage tells us that when we chant the name of the Lotus Sutra, the thus Come One Many Treasures, because of this original vow he has taken, will invariably appear before us. And the sutra further states: “If there should be those who wish me [Many Treasures] to show my body to the four kinds of believers, then let the various Buddhas who are emanations of that Buddha [Shakyamuni] and who are preaching the Law in the worlds in the ten directions all return and gather around that Buddha in a single spot.”

Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the various other Buddhas of the ten directions, the bodhisattva Universal Worthy and the others are our good friends. If we rely upon this understanding, then with the good karma we have accumulated from past existences we can fare even better than did the boy Good Treasures, Ever Wailing or Spotted Feet, and the rest. They encountered good friends of the provisional sutras, but we will encounter good friends of the true sutras. Hence, though they encountered merely bodhisattvas of the provisional sutras, we will be fortunate enough to encounter the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the true sutras.

The Nirvana Sutra says: 'Rely on the Law and not upon persons. . . . Rely on wisdom and not on discriminative thinking.' To rely on the Law means to rely on the constantly abiding Law of the Lotus and Nirvana sutras. Not relying on persons means not relying on persons who do not themselves rely on the Lotus and Nirvana sutras. Even though they may be Buddhas or bodhisattvas, if they are Buddhas and bodhisattvas who do not rely on the Lotus and Nirvana sutras, they cannot serve as good friends. And how much more is this so if they are merely scholars, translators of the sacred texts, or ordinary teachers!

To rely on wisdom means to rely on the Buddha. Not relying on discriminative thinking means that one does not rely on those who are on the level of near-perfect enlightenment or below."

Difficulties?

There may be several reasons. Nichiren teaches:

"The Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai’s Great Concentration and Insight is the essence of his lifetime teachings and the heart of the whole spectrum of the Buddha’s sacred teachings. During the more than five hundred years after Buddhism was introduced to China, ten teachers appeared—seven in the north, three in the south. Their wisdom was as brilliant as the sun and moon, and their virtue was extolled throughout the country, yet they were confused as to which sutras were shallow or deep, inferior or superior, and as to the order in which they had been taught. It was the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai Chih-che who not only clarified the Buddha’s teachings, but also brought forth the wish-granting jewel of a single moment of life comprising three thousand realms from the repository of the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo and bestowed it on all people in the three countries. This teaching originated in China. Not even the scholars of India could put forward such a concept. So the Great Teacher Chang-an commented, “There has never been anything to compare to the brightness and serenity of concentration and insight,” and “Even the great scholars of India were not in a class with him.”

The doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life revealed in the fifth volume of Great Concentration and Insight is especially profound. If you propagate it, devils will arise without fail. If they did not, there would be no way of knowing that this is the correct teaching. One passage from the same volume reads: “As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere... One should be neither influenced nor frightened by them. If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil. If one is frightened by them, one will be prevented from practicing the correct teaching.” This statement not only applies to me, but also is a guide for my followers. Reverently make this teaching your own, and transmit it as an axiom of faith for future generations.

The three obstacles in this passage are the obstacle of earthly desires, the obstacle of karma, and the obstacle of retribution. The obstacle of earthly desires is the impediments to one’s practice that arise from greed, anger, foolishness, and the like; the obstacle of karma is the hindrances presented by one’s wife or children; and the obstacle of retribution is the hindrances caused by one’s sovereign or parents. Of the four devils, the workings of the devil king of the sixth heaven are of this last kind.

In Japan today, many people claim they have mastered the practice of concentration and insight. But is there anyone who has actually encountered the three obstacles and four devils? The statement “If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil” indicates not only the three evil paths but also the worlds of human and heavenly beings, and in general, all of the nine worlds. Therefore, with the exception of the Lotus Sutra, all of the sutras—those of the Flower Garland, Āgama, Correct and Equal, and Wisdom periods, and the Nirvana and Mahāvairochana sutras—will lead people toward the paths of evil. Also, with the exception of the Tendai school, the adherents of the seven other schools28 are in reality wardens of hell who drive others toward the evil paths. Even in the Tendai school are found those who profess faith in the Lotus Sutra, yet actually lead others toward the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings. They, too, are wardens of hell who cause people to fall into the evil paths." - Letter to the Brothers

and

"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 or Letter to Matsuno. The Fourteeen Slanders are found in Chapter 3 of the Lotus Sutra, Simile and Parable

Joy, True Self, Eternity, and Purity

 These feelings and behaviors well up when one's faith and practice is strong. Namu Myoho renge kyo. Thanks you Namu Myoho renge kyo, Gohonzon, Eternal Buddha and Nichiren.

The Eight Deadly Sins of Tenma (Devil of the Six Heaven) President Harada of Soka Gakkai by a disgruntled executive of the Society

 http://yonagototori2050.livedoor.blog/archives/11713767.html

Daisaku Ikeda, Dead or Alive?

https://unseen-japan.com/soka-gakkai-ikeda-daisaku-missing/

Why I don't abide together with Soka Gakkai or Nichiren Shoshu members, chant with them, or be friends with them.

"If there are bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasikas, upasikas, who put forth coarse, evil words and blaspheme the True Dharma, and creating this grave karma, never repent and have no penitence in their minds.... in that True Dharma they never have the mind to guard, spare, erect or establish but disparage, attack, slight and belittle and have many errors and faults in their words.... these also one names, 'heading towards the way of the icchantikas.' Only excluding classes of icchantikas such as these, if one donates to the remaining ones, it is to be praised" (Great Parinirvana Sutra 10: T.12.425a-b).

"If they are blasphemers, one ought not to abide together with them and likewise not approach and be intimate with them; if one approaches and is intimate and abides together with them, at once one heads toward the Avici Hell" (Jurinkyo (Sutra of Ten Wheels), "Chapter of the Multitude of Good Appearances" (T.13.704b, cited at Nambu Rokuro dono gosho, STN, v. 1, 487; Chu Hokekyo, v. jo, 2-79).

The Lotus Sutra and Its Mandala by Manley P. Hall

"The most important of the religious writings of Northern Buddhism is the Saddharma-Pundarika-Sutra (Japanese: Hokkekyo) or the Lotus of the True Law. Generally referred to in the Orient as the Lotus sutra, it has been described as the most precious jewel among all Buddhist sacred writings. 

The Lotus Sutra has influenced all the Buddhist sects of Japan and has been especially venerated by the followers of the Tendai and Nichiren schools. The principle mandara devised by the Nichiren sect glorifies the Lotus sutra. The design composed of written characters is called the Daimoku. The sacred words "Namu Myo-ho-ren-ge-kyo" (Hail to the Sutra of the Good Law) are placed vertically in the center and dominate the design. At the four corners are written the names of the guardian kings who preside over the four directions of space. On either side of the central inscription are the names of two Buddhas described in the apocalyptical vision the Lotus Sutra. The Daimoku is the Lotus Sutra, the ten regions of the world, and the body of moral precepts.

Like many apocalyptical writings, the Lotus Sutra, is strongly theatrical in the presentation of its pageantry. The curtain rises to reveal the Buddhist universe reminiscent of the elaborate ritualism of the Greek Mystery dramas. Guatama Buddha (Shakyamuni) is presented as an ideal - a personification of cosmic truth.

The Buddha of this Sutra is passionless, revealing no evidence of human emotions. As the personification of the immutability of Universal Law, this detachment is perfectly consistent with Buddhist Teachings; but what the non-Buddhist does not realize is that to the devotees of the Lotus sutra, Law itself is the perfect expression not only of truth but of divine love.

The Lotus sutra begins with the simple statement, "Thus I have heard." The great discourse took place in India at Vulture Peak, located in Rajagriha. The scene is so magnificent that it transcends imagination, and it takes the first ten chapters to describe this pageantry to the reader. Gautama Buddha is seated upon the throne of teaching. Suddenly, a ray of light streams from the white curl on his forehead and illumines all the innumerable cosmic systems which make up the Buddha Worlds. After the Buddha declares his intention by permitting the luminous rays to shine from his forehead, all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas from the myriads of Buddha Worlds assemble at Vulture's Peak. They fly with the speed of light, each with hosts of followers, until myriads upon myriads seem to fill all the parts of the universe. Each of the Buddhas is seated on a lion throne and shaded by a tree of jewels.

The Buddhas of the Ten Regions of Space have assembled to hear the perfect revelation of the Eternal Law. The great bodhisattvas in their splendid garments wait breathlessly for the words of the Perfectly Awakened One.  The arhats have gathered from all the countries, continents, and abodes where they dwell, each bringing with him a retinue of saints. The monks and nuns of the monastic orders, including the wife of Buddha and the aunt who raised him after his mother's death, are present. In addition to these are creatures of the invisible worlds. The gods of India are in attendance, with the great rajas who guard the four corners of the world.  There are multitudes of the pious, extending to the very limits of space.  The universe is breathless with expectation.

Manjusri tells Maitreya that Gautama is about to preach the Great Discourse, the final revelation of all revelations; and the name of this discourse is "The Lotus of the True Law."

In the midst of this celestial assembly the earth seems to open, and there rises up from the ground a stupa (pagoda or relic tower) of stupendous size, decorated with garlands, and fashioned from precious stones. The stupa is suspended in the midst of the sky, and from the innermost part of this sanctuary a voice as mighty as the rumble of thunder exclaims: "Excellent! Excellent! World-Honored Shakyamuni!" The assembly is filled with great wonder and delight, for the voice is that of Prabhutaratna (Taho Buddha), a famous Buddha of long ago.

Prabhutaratna invites Gautama to enter the stupa and share his throne.  The scene is so splendid that the Buddhas appear like meteors in a star-strewn sky. At this point, Gautama, by his perfect insight and absolute power of consciousness, draws the entire assembly up into the sky with him and then delivers his discourse.

The presence of the "Extinct Buddha" seems to suggest that the wisdom of past ages supports and sponsors the revelation. All that still exists and all that has ceased in the mystery of time gone by is invoked to bear witness to the eternality of the Law. Vast periods of time are dissolved in the vision, as are all dimensions of space. The cosmos is suspended for one dramatic instant, which may properly be termed the "eternal now."

In the Lotus Sutra Buddha is caused to unfold the deepest mysteries of the heart doctrine. He does this most skillfully with the aid of parables and persuasive discourse. In this Sutra Buddha is presented as a concrete manifestation of the Infinite Mind. He embraces within his own nature all the mental phenomena of existence and transcends them. There is a strange undercurrent that seems to imply that this magnificent spectacle is curiously, even divinely, unsubstantial. It is the production of a cosmic dreaming, but it is a dreaming as near to truth as dreams can ever come.  It is the ultimate expansion of the power to think, to know, or to reason. The spectacle is suspended in the midst of "no mind," for beyond it there is only that which transcends and defies even the highest conceivable aspects of the human consciousness.

Buddha as the personification of the Eternal Mind is an eternal being. The author of the Lotus sutra causes him to declare that he has existed for countless eternities and that he will continue for the duration of infinity. His original enlightenment was not under the bo tree at Buddh

Gaya but occurred in a remote time beyond the power of man to calculate.

The Lotus Sutra projects the moral philosophy of Buddha into all the dimensions and regions of space. Creation itself is an inconceivable ethical mechanism, splendid with the beauties of wisdom. Throughout space the Buddhas and bodhisattvas fulfill the eternal mystery of redemption.  It is no longer assumed that they will retire into Parinirvana and vanish utterly from the world of suffering. The great teachers, although ever appearing to be born, are never born in the cycle of mortality. Although they may appear to suffer, they only voluntarily assume suffering as part of the labor of salvation; and, though in the end they seem to vanish into the mystery of the void, in reality they never cease to exist.

A new dimension is added to the teaching of the older Buddhist schools. The Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and arhats are fulfilling vows they made before the beginning of mortal history. The vows always include labors of salvation, for the Great Ones can never rest until the tiniest molecule floating in a sunbeam has attained the true enlightenment.

If we assume that this apparently extravagant pageantry refers to the infinite manifestation of the unfolding universal consciousness, it is comprehensible at least in theory. If each of the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and arhats personifies an aspect of Infinite Mind, the Sutra becomes more meaningful.

Buddhist philosophy does not admit the existence of a principle of evil or of any power or being seeking to frustrate man's search for truth. The only hindrance is the weakness of human nature, which man must overcome by self-discipline.

The real message of the Lotus Sutra is not conveyed by the words of the speaker, for it is obvious that its deeper meaning cannot be verbalized. The real message was the impact of the total scene, which takes on the dimensions of the ultimate mandala. The words of Buddha merely state the essential structure of the concept. The rest must be experienced. The whole scene suggests a cosmic version of Buddha's own enlightenment under the bo tree. There is an incredible burst of light, as though a psychic atom had been split. The cosmos is revealed, like the unfolding lotus, forever evolving, forever maturing, and forever fruitful. Lives are bound together in an infinite pattern of mutual benevolence. The cosmos is revealed as the eternal teacher of all that lives.

The vision scene as unfolded in the Lotus sutra sets forth the physical world as revealed to the perfectly enlightened seer or sage. Physical forms disappear, boundaries of time and space fade away, and all that is seen is the radiance of causation on its various levels of manifestation.  Every flower in the field becomes a radiant light. Even the physical earth is vibrant with an eternal energy. Instead of a star-lit heaven, there is a star-lit earth. As in a lantern, every existing creature in all kingdoms is a form enclosing a light. The power that administers the clouded world seen by the limited sensory perceptions suddenly reveals the mystery of itself. Many unseen and unknown types of beings shepherd the several kingdoms of physical nature. No living thing is without protector and enlightener. A hierarchy lies behind every veil, and in the Lotus Sutra the psychic mechanism is revealed in its fullest splendor. It is true indeed that even the fall of a sparrow is noted, and the little soul finds its eternal refuge in the heart of a loving and protecting friend and teacher. We see only shadows, and space seems empty except for a few sidereal bodies. Actually, we are in the midst of a life which surrounds and penetrates every physical unit of eternal energy.

As the psychological aspects of the Lotus Sutra are examined sympathetically, it becomes evident that it is one of the most extraordinary revelations of Will-Consciousness-Mind to be found in the religious literature of the world."

History is Repeating Itself

"Fifteen years after the beginning of the Middle Day of the Law, which followed the thousand years of the Former Day, Buddhism spread eastward and was introduced into the land of China. During the first hundred years or more of the first half of the Middle Day of the Law, the Buddhist doctrines introduced from India were vigorously disputed by the Taoist teachers of China, and neither side could win a clear victory. Though it appeared at times as though the issue had been decided, those who embraced Buddhism were as yet lacking in deep faith. Therefore, if it had become apparent that the sacred teachings of Buddhism were not a unified doctrine but were divided into Hinayana and Mahayana, provisional and true, and exoteric and esoteric teachings, then some of the believers might have had doubts and turned instead to the non-Buddhist teachings. It was perhaps because the Buddhist monks Kāshyapa Mātanga and Chu Fa-lan feared such a result that they made no mention of such divisions as Mahayana and Hinayana or provisional and true teachings when they brought Buddhism to China, though they were perfectly aware of them.

During the five dynasties that followed, the Wei, Chin, Sung, Ch’i, and Liang, disputes took place within Buddhism over the differences between the Mahayana and Hinayana, provisional and true, and exoteric and esoteric teachings, and it was impossible to determine which was correct. As a result, from the ruler on down to the common people, there were many who had doubts about the doctrine.

Buddhism thus became split into ten different schools, the three schools of southern China and seven schools of northern China. In the south there were the schools that divided the Buddha’s teachings into three periods, into four periods, and into five periods, while in the north there were the five-period school, the school that recognized incomplete-word and complete-word teachings, the four-doctrine school, five-doctrine school, six-doctrine school, the two-Mahayana-doctrine school and the "one-voice" school.

Each of these schools clung fiercely to its own doctrines and clashed with the others like fire encountering water. Yet in general they shared a common view. Namely, among the various sutras preached during the Buddha’s lifetime, they put the Kegon Sutra in first place, the Nirvana Sutra in second place, and the Lotus Sutra in third place. They admitted that, in comparison to such sutras as the Agon, Hannya, Vimalakirti and Shiyaku, the Lotus Sutra represents the truth, a "complete teaching" sutra that sets forth correct views. But they held that, in comparison to the Nirvana Sutra, it represents a doctrine of non-eternity, an "incomplete-teaching" sutra that puts forth heretical views. From the end of the fourth through the beginning of the fifth hundred years following the introduction of Buddhism in the Later Han dynasty, in the time of the Ch’en and Sui dynasties, there lived a humble priest named Chih-i, the man who would later be known as the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai Chih-che. He refuted the mistaken doctrines of the northern and southern schools and declared that among the teachings of the Buddha’s lifetime, the Lotus Sutra ranks first, the Nirvana Sutra second, and the Kegon Sutra third. This is what occurred in the first five hundred years of the Middle Day of the Law, the period corresponding to that described in the Daijuku Sutra as the age of reading, reciting and listening. 

During the latter five hundred years of the Middle Day of the Law, in the reign of Emperor T’ai-tsung at the beginning of the T’ang dynasty, the Learned Doctor Hsuan-tsang journeyed to India, spending nineteen years visiting temples and pagodas in the one hundred and thirty states of India and meeting with numerous Buddhist scholars. He investigated all the profound doctrines contained in the twelve divisions of the scriptures and the eighty thousand sacred teachings of Buddhism and encountered therein the two schools of the Hosso and the Sanron. 

Of these two, the Mahayana Hosso doctrine was said to have been taught long ago by Miroku and Asanga and in more recent times by the scholar Shilabhadra. The latter transmitted it to Hsuan-tsang, who brought it to China and taught it to Emperor T’ai-tsung. 

The heart of the Hosso doctrine lies in its assertion that Buddhist teachings should accord with the capacities of the listeners. If people have the capacity to understand the doctrine of the one vehicle, then the doctrine of the three vehicles can be no more than an expedient to instruct them, and the doctrine of the one vehicle, the only true way of enlightening them. For people such as these, the Lotus Sutra should be taught. On the other hand, if they have the capacity to understand the three vehicles, then the one vehicle can be no more than an expedient to instruct them, and the three vehicles, the only true way of enlightening them. For people such as these, the Jimmitsu and Shrimala sutras should be taught. This, say the proponents of the Hosso school, is a principle that T’ien-t’ai failed to understand. 

Emperor T’ai-tsung was a very wise ruler whose name was known throughout the world and who was said to have surpassed in virtue the Three Rulers and Five Emperors of antiquity. He not only reigned over the entire land of China, but also extended his influence to more than eighteen hundred foreign countries ranging from Kao-ch’ang in the west to Koguryo in the east. He was regarded as a ruler who had mastered both Buddhist and non-Buddhist teachings. And since Hsuan-tsang was first in the favor and devotion of this wise ruler, there was none among the leaders of the Tendai school who ventured to risk losing his head by challenging him, and the true teachings of the Lotus Sutra were neglected and forgotten throughout the country. 

During the reigns of T’ai-tsung’s heir, Emperor Kao-tsung, and Kao-tsung’s stepmother, Empress Wu, there lived a priest called Fa-tsang. He observed that the Tendai school was under attack from the Hosso school and took this opportunity to champion the Kegon Sutra, which T’ien-t’ai had relegated to a lower place, declaring that the Kegon Sutra should rank first, the Lotus Sutra second, and the Nirvana Sutra third among the sutras preached during the Buddha’s lifetime. 

In the reign of Emperor Hsuan-tsung, the fourth ruler following T’ai-tsung, in the fourth year of the K’ai-yuan era, the Learned Doctor Shan-wu-wei came to China from the western land of India, and in the eighth year of the same era, the learned doctors Chin-kang-chih and Pu-k’ung also came to China from India. These men brought with them the Dainichi, Kongocho and Soshitsuji sutras and founded the Shingon school. This school declares that there are two types of Buddhist teachings: the exoteric teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, which are expounded in the Kegon, Lotus and similar sutras, and the esoteric teachings of Dainichi or Mahavairochana, Buddha, which are expounded in the Dainichi and similar sutras. The Lotus Sutra holds first place among the exoteric teachings. But although its fundamental principles somewhat resemble those of the esoteric teachings expounded by Dainichi Buddha, it contains no description whatsoever of the mudras and mantras to be used in religious rituals. It fails to include any reference to the three mysteries of body, mouth and mind and hence is to be regarded as an "incomplete teaching." 

Thus all of these three schools mentioned above, the Hosso, Kegon and Shingon, attacked the Tendai school and the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. Perhaps because none of the members of the Tendai school could measure up to the stature of the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai, though they were aware of the falsity of these other teachings, they did not attempt to speak out against them in public as T’ien-t’ai had. As a result, everyone throughout the country, from the ruler and high ministers on down to the common people, was led astray from the true teachings of Buddhism, and no one any longer came to attain enlightenment. Such were the events of the first two hundred years or more of the latter five-hundred-year period of the Middle Day of the Law.'" -- The Selection of the Time.

What is the importance of correct doctrine according to SGI? ccording to Nichiren?

 

Eric Toro SGI Senior Leader writes:

"True happiness is true happiness. Because of this fact I find your doctrinality and motive outlandish and mostly irrelevant. True Buddhism has nothing to do with doctrinality and courses of distinction. 

True Buddhism is simply faith and practice in calling forth the Buddha nature in ones own life, hearing it, listening with intent, taking to mind, reciting, contemplating, recalling and declaring to others. 

This practice is simply wondrous beyond compare. With this practice the mind and body come to know their true form. This is because the mind / body / environment is the actual form of the Universal Law. And this universal law is Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. 

You would appear to want to usurp this and take this truth from us in the SGI. A foolish and ridiculous quest indeed. In fact it is very strange, very strange. 

But rather, let me offer Peace and Blessings to You and Your family and hoping the New Year allows you to accumulate that much more blessings of the Lotus Sutra. "  

NMRK[/QUOTE] 

Response:

I have a few comments Mr. Etoro. Nothing is more important to Nichiren than a correct doctrine. I suggest you plug in "doctrine", "doctrines", "doctrinal", etc. in the SGI Library major works search engine and read the more than NINE HUNDRED references to doctrine. Here are some examples:

"They are persons who have abandoned a great doctrine and instead chosen lesser doctrines. If we judge from examples in the past, they will probably suffer for countless kalpas in the three evil paths. It is persons such as these that T’ient’ai meant when he said, “If they encounter an evil friend, they will lose their true mind.” (On the Four Stages of Faith). 

"They cling to incomplete doctrines and are attached to receiving alms and being treated with deference; they recognize only false doctrines, distance themselves from good friends, approach with familiarity such slanderers who delight in attachment to the teachings of the lesser vehicle, and do not believe in the great vehicle. Therefore they slander the Law of the Buddhas." 

A person of wisdom should not fear enemy households, snakes, the poison of fire, the god Indra, the roll of thunder, attacks by swords and staves, or wild beasts such as tigers, wolves, and lions. For these can only destroy one’s life, but cannot cause one to fall into the Avichi hell, which is truly terrifying. What one should fear is slander of the profound teaching as well as companions who are slanderers, for these will surely cause one to fall into the frightful Avichi hell. Even if one befriends evil companions and with evil intent spills the Buddha’s blood, kills one’s own father and mother, takes the lives of many sages, disrupts the unity of the Buddhist Order, and destroys all one’s roots of goodness, if one fixes one’s mind on the correct teaching, one can free oneself from that place. But if there is someone who slanders the inconceivably profound teaching, that person will for immeasurable kalpas be unable to obtain emancipation. However, if there is one who can cause others to awaken to and take faith in a teaching such as this, then that person is their father and mother, and also their good friend. This is a person of wisdom. After the Thus Come One’s passing, that person corrects false views and perverse thoughts, and causes people to enter the true way. For that reason, he has pure faith in the three treasures, and his virtuous actions lead others to enlightenment.” (The Problem to be Pondered Night and Day) 

"It is a rare thing to be born as a human being. And if, having been born as such, you do not do your best to distinguish between the correct doctrine and the incorrect so that in the future you may attain Buddhahood, then you are certainly not fulfilling your true worth as a human being." (On Prayer) 

Not sharing Nichiren's doctrines on the Lotus Sutra and Eternal Buddha, the SGI member's happiness, which is based on provisional teachings, can only be considered an ephemeral happiness. 

Nichiren quotes Tientai: "To liberate oneself from the [three-fold] world by means of the provisional [teachings] is called an ephemeral liberation." (Third Doctrine)

and 

"...T’ien-t’ai and Miao-lo are commenting on this passage. In this passage of the sutra, all the teachings, from the Flower Garland Sutra, which was expounded immediately after the Buddha’s enlightenment and which combines both specific and perfect teachings, to the fourteen chapters that comprise the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra, are termed “inferior teachings.” Those who delight in them are called people “meager in virtue and heavy with defilement,” and the liberation achieved through them is shown to be an ephemeral liberation." (ibid. Third Doctrine) 

The peaceful practices of the Soka Gakkai, engaging the provisional Buddhists, the Christians and the Muslims, in "warm and constructive dialogue" are those practices of the first fourteen chapters of the Lotus Sutra. 

"There is no true happiness other than upholding faith in the Lotus Sutra. This is what is meant by “peace and security in their present existence and good circumstances in future existences.”" (Happiness in this World) 

"Now, if you wish to attain Buddhahood, you have only to lower the banner of your arrogance, cast aside the staff of your anger, and devote yourself exclusively to the one vehicle of the Lotus Sutra. Worldly fame and profit are mere baubles of your present existence, and arrogance and prejudice are ties that will fetter you in the next one. Ah, you should be ashamed of them! And you should fear them, too!" (Embracing the Lotus Sutra) 

Teaching childen the mere baubles of how to become Trillionaires through chanting the Daimoku, is hardly the faith and practice of the Lotus Sutra. Other examples of SGI mistaken Buddhist teachings are too numerous to count. 

You say that I want to usurp and take this truth (the wondrous reality of the Mystic Law) away from you. I seek only to take away your mistaken beliefs as a strong wind blows away the clouds to reveal the crystal clear moon. 

Nabekamuri Nisshin the "Pot Wearing Saint"

 http://seattlebuddhist.org/lineage.html

Nabekamuri Nisshin the "Pot Wearing Saint"

"Kuonjoin Nisshin (1407-1488) is one of the most colorful and famous priests in the history of Nichiren Buddhism. He was, according to Jacqueline Stone, an authority on medieval Japanese Buddhism, "an uncompromising purist." Nisshin's efforts to spread the Lotus Sutra are said to be modeled after those of Nichiren himself. He followed and supported the initial efforts of Higo Ajari Nichizo (1269-1342), who was dispatched by Nichiren to preach the Dharma in Kyoto and reach the ears of the emperor, and Jogyoin Nichiyu (1298-1374), who presented a letter of admonition to the Emperor Godaigo. Additionally, he traveled and established many temples throughout Kyushu, Japan, including our home temple, Enkyoji. To understand true propagation and the spirit of shakubuku, we must understand some important aspects of his life.

At the age of 20 in the year of Oei 33, Nisshin made a statement regarding his spirit toward spreading the Dharma and reforming Buddhism in Japan: “One’s body is insignificant, but the Dharma is profound.” At the end of that year, he started his ascetic training, which lasted for 100 days from autumn through winter. Each night during the hours of 11pm to 3am, he went to the graveyard of what is now Hokekyoji Temple, modern Ichikawa City. He followed the esoteric tradition conferred in the Prayer Sutra known also as the Kito-Kyo. This was conferred by Nichiren for spiritual protection upon Toki Nichijo, who then transferred it to Nichiyu through secret transmission. Nisshin understood that he had received transmission of this teaching from Nichiyu, and due to that fact, he could not be killed or harmed and would be able to overcome any amount of torture.

Sitting in front of the stone grave stupas at the graveyard, he recited the Jigage verses of Chapter 16 each night one hundred times. This place was desolate and no one traveled there except for foxes and ghosts. According to legend, on the last night, all the stone stupa monuments recited the Jigage with him. One stupa stood out from the rest in its magnificent voice, but he could not make out whose grave it was. He embraced the stupa and pulled part of it off to identify it in the first morning light. When he returned in the morning sun, he realized that it marked the grave of Nichiyu, who had been the chief abbot of the Hokekyoji and whom he considered his spiritual protector. During this time it is stated that after peeling a fingernail away from his hand, he drew a mandala in his own blood mixed with the water from the pond where he had performed his freezing water absolutions every day. This act showed that he valued the Dharma over his own life.

As part of his propagation he was dispatched by his home temple of Nakayama Hokekyoji to oversee its branch temples located on the southern Japan island of Kyushu. Upon his arrival he found many of the temples to have enshrined bodhisattvas and deities not directly related to the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. He became very upset and criticized both the priests and laity publicly. This led to his expulsion from the lineage in the year 1437. Undaunted, he continued to admonish other priests and government officials including the shogun, Ashikaga Yoshinori, for their lack of devotion to the Lotus Sutra.

The shogun censured Nisshin and ordered him to cease criticizing the government. Nisshin ignored the order and proceeded to write one of his most famous works, Rissho Chikokuron (立正治国論), which he sent to Ashikaga Yoshinori in 1439. This book was inspired and based on the Rissho Ankoku Ron, written by Nichiren. As a result, Nisshin was imprisoned beginning in 1440 for 2 years. Nisshin's prison cell is said to have measured four feet, five inches high, and its width could only fit four tatami mats (less than 9 feet by 9 feet). Long nails pierced the ceiling. The cell contained up to twenty-eight people at a time. The prisoners in the cell could neither stand nor sit comfortably.

During his time in prison, Nisshin was horribly tortured on many occasions. One of the many tortures recorded was that in the intense heat of summer a large fire was made, and Nisshin was forced to walk across it. His captors stated that if he simply chanted and asked for Amida Buddha's mercy, it would be granted. Nisshin stated that the flames and heat were indeed very difficult to endure, however the flames of hell of the slanderer of the Dharma were even more harsh, upon which he continued to chant the Odaimoku, Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. Next they took him out in the middle of the night, tied him to a tree and beat him over and over again. They again told him that if he relied on the power of Amida Buddha’s vows, he would receive mercy. Nisshin replied, “There is no way to describe how hard the cold is to endure. However, one who receives the Dharma of an evil teacher falls into the eight cold hells and is pierced by the ice of hell of the great red lotus. No comparison can describe how many times the suffering of cold in that hell exceeds my present torments. How could I, because I shunned a brief spell of cold in this world, plant the seeds for long kalpas of suffering.” He continued to chant the Odaimoku. Upon the rise of the sun, the shogun came to inspect Nisshin's state and was angered to find that he had been able to endure this ordeal because of his great faith in the Lotus Sutra.

On another occasion, Nisshin was locked in a heated bathhouse for three hours where there was little air. Bamboo skewers were applied to his testicles and gardening hoes heated bright red were applied under his arms over and over again. However, his demeanor did not change, and he continued to chant the Odaimoku. Finally, frustrated that they had been unable to break his resolve, his tormentors heated a pot until it glowed bright red and placed it over his head. His demeanor still did not change, and he continued to chant the Odaimoku. News of this amazing feat of defiance spread near and far and his reputation grew larger than life. He came to be known as the “pot wearing saint.” This became known as the Takehara persecution. Wishing to silence him once and for all, the shogun demanded that his tongue be cut off. The person administrating the order felt compassion for Nisshin and simply cut off the front of his tongue, which gave him a lisp for the rest of his life. Many of his captors realized quickly that this could not be any ordinary person, but only a bodhisattva born in this world.

From his prison cell Nisshin warned Ashikaga Yoshinori that in the Lotus Sutra it is said that the tormentor of the teacher of the Dharma will be surely punished. He predicted that within three years Yoshinori would reap what he had sowed. Yoshinori laughed and said that he had been tormenting Nisshin for more than a year and nothing had happened. Nisshin stated that perhaps 3 years was too long, at which time he predicted that within 100 days the shogun would receive his punishment. Once again he was ignored. On the evening of the 99th day, Yoshinori was assassinated by one of his vassals. After Yoshinori’s death his family wished to erase some of his terrible karma and released many of the imprisoned people from jail. However, Nisshin said that he would not leave until all of Yoshinori’s family members and the shogun’s entire clan became devotees of the Lotus Sutra. They could not oppose Nisshin, and all became followers of the Lotus Sutra. Nisshin was 35 when he left the prison.

Following his release from prison, Nisshin continued to spread the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. He was a very charismatic man and, because of his teachings, many people took refuge in the Lotus Sutra. He could no longer shave his head due to the scarring and so he wore his hair cropped much in the fashion of children of the time. When he administered sermons, people were able to hear and see first hand the cruelty of the government through his lisp and scars. Many considered him to be Nichiren reborn. They thought, “who else could overcome such severe torment and torture?”

Although he was very popular with the common people, many government officials and priests of the established order did not like the way Nisshin refused to compromise his ideals of exclusive devotion to the Lotus Sutra, making no accommodation to social custom or secular authority. As a result, in 1460, Honpoji, a temple in Kyoto founded by Nisshin, was destroyed. In the same year, after receiving complaints from priests of other sects in Hizen about Nisshin's proselytizing, the 8th shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimasu, ordered the governor of Hizen, Lord Chiba Taneshizu, to detain Nisshin and bring him at once to Kyoto. Chiba was one of Nisshin's followers and hesitated to turn Nisshin over to the heretics in Kyoto whom he knew simply wished to make him disappear. He delayed leaving Hizen as long as he could, then deliberately took the long way to Kyoto: a journey which normally only required one month took them nine months. Chiba explained that they had been delayed by crowds of people along the route who wished to meet Nisshin and hear his teachings.

Nisshin was held in Kyoto for about year under house arrest, then was released in 1463. Following his release, he continued to spread the Dharma and worked hard to re-build Honpoji. He died at the age of 82."

The teachings of Nichiren and his disciple, Nichiju of the Kempon Hokke

Question: Nichiren said that other forms of Buddhism had lost their power to help/save/enlighten the people. What did he base this on? 

Answer: He based this on three things: Scriptures such as the Daijuku Sutra (Sutra of the Great Assembly), Shugo Sutra (Sutra of Protection), Maya Sutra, Lotus Sutra and Nirvana Sutra; theoretical considerations, such as the relative profundity of the various teachings; and most importantly, an observation and correct appreciation of the actual events of the time and insight into the past and future.

Question: What separates *your* branch of Nichiren Buddhism from the others? (Please, no name calling here. What are the *doctrinal* or *practical* differences?) 

Answer: "Our founder, the orthodox teacher Nichiju, took the Sutra text and Nichiren's Letters as absolute and proclaimed the Succession Through the Scrolls of the Sutra (kyogan sojo), spreading the teaching with the cry, "I adhere directly to Nichiren Daishonin'. The Lotus Sutra and writings of Nichiren are our doctrine. 

Other lineages have manufactured forgeries and called them "Letters" of Nichiren Shonin, Minobu which put together the Letter to Lord Hakii (Hakii done gosho) and the Taisekiji faction which forged the Two Successions (Nika sojo), the Selection on the Sublimity of the Original Cause (Hon'in myo sho), and the Selection of the Hundred and Six (Hyaku rokka sho) and others should die of shame before the Patriarch Nichiren Shonin. 

It is assertive propagation while undergoing persecution and beatings for the sake of thr Dharma by the Nichiju lineage since the founder, the Orthodox Teacher Nichiju, such as: The Onin Persecution when the Third Abbot of the Head Temple Myomanji, Nichinin, Nichijitsu and others spread the teaching unfazed by the torture of boiling water; the assertive transmission of the Way by the tenth Abbot Nichijun; the heroic deeds of Nittai in establishing the seven Hokke villages despite various persecutions; Nichigen, the twenty-sixth Abbot's persecution at Azuchi castle; and especially the twenty-seventh Abbot Nikkyo who continued to perform the forceful practices of the Lotus Sutra despite the amputation of his ears and nose and the killing of his young disciples, having incurred the animosity of the Tokugawa Shogunate; and the successive generations of Nikkyo, who day and night suffered persecution after persecution, oppression after oppression for the sake of the Dharma. They were beheaded, imprisoned, burned, and sent into distant exile on foreboding islands for twenty or thirty years and their martyrs' blood flowed as their noble lives were extinguished. Those of Nikkyo's lineage were contemptuously named the "New Disciples" by the general public but they themselves named themselves, "The Congregation of the Orthodoxy of the Original Doctrine" and "Those of the Right Old Doctrine of Nichiju". They [as we] boast[ed] that "we are in the direct lineage of Nichiren Daishonin but unfortunately, unlike us, they were forced underground in order to keep the fire of the faith going.

The people of the Right Old Doctrine in order to continue the Right Faith (sho shin) secretly founded the Daimoku Confraternity (called the Confraternity of the Daimoku of Inner Realization: Naisho Daimoku ko) and expounded the doctrine centered on the biographical traditions of the Three Teachers (Lord Shakya, Nichiren Daishonin, and Nichiju). 

It is this very fact that through the storms of religious persecution and suppression lasting three hundred tempestuous years they endured without falling into local folk religion but kept the doctrine that is a living example of the Succession Through the Scrolls of Sutra. It is something we boast of to other lineages and religions." -- Above answer taken from [and slightly edited] The Tradition and Doctrine of the Kempon Hokke sect by Tetsuju Kobota

Question: In *your personal view*, is there room for other Buddhist beliefs and practices? I'm curious here about personal insights, not the official party line. 

Answer: For better or worse, there will be other Buddhist beliefs and practices far into the foreseeable future but eventually, all the people will chant Namu Myoho renge kyo and worship the Eternal Buddha (Gohonzon). The Buddha's disciples will spread the Law in the manner most appropriate to the time. We refute the provisional teachings while praising the true teachings. 

Question: For the warring factions: is there any way to sincerely pray for the benefit of "the other side and is it possible to accept your differences and pray for peace at the same time? I ask these last questions because I am on the verge of dismantling my altar and burning my Gohonzon. The pure hatred I read here has me searching for another branch of Buddhism that's a little more, ya know, Buddhist. 

Answer: We pray for others constantly but if erroneous beliefs are permitted and are allowed to spread, Buddhism will be lost and all the people on earth will suffer. 

If it is a Nichiren Shoshu or an SGI Gohonzon that you intend to burn, as long as it is done respectfully and from a faith and understanding centered around the world of Buddha rather than the worlds of anger (hatred) and stupidity (ignorance), you will benefit from your decision. Then you can request a valid object of worship from us, as long as you continue to chant Namu Myoho renge kyo, have faith in the Eternal Buddha, and in the Sangha of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. I would maintain my altar and remove any objects associated with Taisekeji/SGI, cranes, pictures of Ikeda, High Priest memorabilia, etc. 

Question:Any suggestion for another branch of Buddhism that's a little more, ya know, Buddhist? 

Answer: Only the Nichiren Lotus Sutra faith leads to Buddhahood. 

Question: Will Buddhism survive in America given the loud in-fighting between and among the various Nichiren sects? (Here again, an explanation.  Many Americans are seeking a spiritual path, and Buddhism seems to be a trendy place to be these days (thanks largely to Hollywood). The Nichiren sects seem most interested in gaining converts. Therefore, I fear that many Americans will have their first quest for inner peace answered by a call to war. While I recognize (and sincerely appreciate) the many benefits of this practice, I have been driven away by the constant fighting and name-calling.  These petty squabbles will be forgotten in a very few years' time; what will the people then say of Nichiren Buddhism's power to help/save/enlighten?)
Answer: This Saha World is the Eternal Buddha Realm. It is forever. What matters is how many people you yourself teach to chant Namu Myoho renge kyo with the same faith as Nichiren.

Buddhism and genetics

 

"A birds egg contains nothing but liquid, yet by itself this develops into a beak, two eyes, and all the other parts which forma bird, and can fly into the sky". (MW vol , Letter to Nikke pg 259-260)

This happens by the processes of meiosis and mitosis. A Buddha is born through the process of following what the Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin taught.

A human being contains 46 chromosomes in every one of it's cells except in the sex cells which contain 23. When a sperm fertilizes an egg the 23 chromosomes from the male unite with the 23 chromosomes from the female to form 46 chromosomes. These 46 chromosome control the eventual shape structure, and function of the human body. Normal chromosomes will beget a normal body "mind".

There are certain anomalous processes that occur within chromosomes. They are called deletions, translocations, inversions, additions and mutations. There are control mechanisms that help to prevent these processes from occurring and there are repair mechanisms that can reverse some of these abnormal processes after they occur. 

The Lotus Sutra and Gosho (Law) and The Buddha unite with the faith and practice of the believer to control the "shape, structure, and function" of the believer's Buddhahood. These can be likened to chromosomes of faith.

Normal chromosomes can be likened to the correct Law, the correct Buddha, a correct faith, and a correct practice. All these normal or correct conditions must be present in order to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. Abnormal chromosomes can be likened to an incorrect Law, any Buddha (or person) besides the Original Buddha, an incorrect faith and/or incorrect practice. Any or all of these abnormal "chromosomes" are present should one fail to attain Buddhahood in this life.

Just as deletions, inversions, translocations, additions, and mutations within chromasomes lead to various congenital defects or other diseases such as cancer, the same type of processes within the Buddhist believer leads to a life state other than Buddhahood. Nichiren states in the Kaimoku Sho,

"They will tear off the first part of the Sutra and stick it on the end, tear off the end and put it at the beginning, put the end and the beginning in the middle, and the beginning at the middle or end". This is analogous to inversions and translocations of the Law. 

In The Supreme Leader Of The World, Nichiren states, "However they are alike in that they all abandoned Shakyamuni Buddha". This is analogous to deletion of the Original Buddha. 

The Akimoto Gosho talks about four faults in a vessel (the vessel of our faith and practice) and explains that "The Lotus Sutra is the Dharma water of the Buddha's wisdom". Refusing to believe in or practice the Lotus Sutra or believe in Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter of the Lotus Sutra is having an overturned vessel of faith and practice. This is analogous to having a mutation in one's faith or practice.

Correct faith and practice are like the enzymes that serve to maintain correct functioning, maintenance, and repair of chromosomes and lead to a good outcome [Buddhahood].

A short passage from establishing the Correct Law for the Peace of the Land with commentary

"So it is that some of them put their faith in heretical teachings, or pay honor to those who slander the Law. It distresses me that they should be so confused about right and wrong, and at the same time I feel pity that, having embraced Buddhism, they have chosen the wrong kind. With the power of faith that is in there hearts, why must they vainly give credence to heretical doctrines? (MW vol 1, Rissho Ankoku Ron, pg 43)

SGI mentor-disciple is based on the inferior Shingon teachings called Yuiga Yoga or Guru Yoga. It is a rely on the person not on the Law heretical teaching. SGI must be repudiated in order to bring it under the umbrella of the Lotus Sutra teachings of Nichiren.

Joe Bunik on the heterodox Soka Gakkai and Nichiren Shoshu and the orthodox Hokke Kai

"Having had an opportunity to practice under both SGI/NSA/... I had been disappointed by the lack of opportunity to have a practice which helped me personally grow as an individual rather than being submerged by the overwhelming "personalities and campaigns" of these groups. This led me to several years of inconsistent practice. Over time, I began to encounter the advocates of the more orthodox forms of practice and immediately found an inner benefit unlike any before. After a lot of discussions regarding this more serious practice, I became a member of Hokke Kai and find an ever continuing source of community, group and personal support which, while more geographically separated than the typical NSA practice and number of members, provides something I never encountered before. I have found that rare combination of practice which is based upon the bedrock of truth from Nichiren himself and not the interpretaions of others. The freedom from having to continue to recruit members but rather letting people think, evaluate and choose an orthodox practice provides a very supportive community to discuss and grow both as individuals and as a samgha.

I don't think it necessarily matters if you choose Hokke Kai or another orthodox practice (although personally I can not conceive of another) but I would recommend serious consideration of the values of such a practice. At this time I can not get my lips to consider chanting other than the true words Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. Any other phrase seems empty. The key words in my conversion were that you can be sincere and still slander the Lotus Sutra by incorrect practice. I was sincere but sincerely wrong. Sincerity is not enough - it is what you chant as well as how you chant; it is believing what is truly passed down from time immemorial rather than what you are told to believe."

Soka Gakkai's idea of free speech

SGI supports freedom of religion and, at the same time, they support curtailing free speech. SGI's UN NGO supported the UN resolution banning criticism of Islam. What's next, banning criticism of the Soka Gakkai? They want it both ways: Freedom to practice a twisted perverse version of the Daishonin's Buddhism and freedom from anyone pointing out their errors.

Some thoughts based on the teachings

Nichiren Daishonin states, "seeds without peer". Dialogue is a discourse between equals. Since the Lotus Sutra and its votaries are superior to other faiths and their practitioners by virtue of the standards of ethics, morality, non-violence, insight, compassion, empathy, rationality, and mercy, there can be no dialogue. There is only debate. Least of all can there be dialogue with the slanderers of Nichiren Lotus Sutra Buddhism, with those who would alter the teachings or with those who enrich themselves teaching the dharma.

Listen up Soka Gakkai and Nichiren Shoshu, the Object of Devotion according to Nichiren is Shakyamuni Buddha

"The object of devotion as set forth in the “Life Span” chapter is Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, eternally endowed with the three bodies, who since the beginning of numberless major world system dust particle kalpas in the past has had deep and abiding affinities with this land of ours." On the Receiving of the Three Great Secret Laws

Just as very few Soka Gakkai have studied the Lotus Sutra, they are even less familiar with the Writings of Nichiren Volume 2. However, all the Soka Gakkai leaders are quite familiar with the novel the Human Revolution, a work of self serving fiction by their guru Daisaku Ikeda.

Regarding the lectures by the late Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock

Hollow words from two pseudo-Buddhist members of a personality cult who have abandoned the profound [Nichiren] for the shallow [Daisaku Ikeda]. All the new age self help and personal empowerment talk in the world can not break the steel shackles of anger, avarice, and stupidity, the fundamental evils inherent in life. Only chanting Namu Myoho renge kyo with faith in the Lotus Sutra can enable all people to attain Buddhahood. Other discourse, be it discourse on peace, culture, or even education, is fruitless because they have been the armamentarium of great thinkers since the dawn of man without even a modicum of success. The words of the Buddha and his messenger Nichiren Daishonin, on the other hand, are the very words that will cause peace and security to flow into the wasteland of people's lives.

Soka Gakkai mentor-disciple is the worst kind of baseless talk

"...thus they poured out perverted words of their own invention and took absolutely no cognizance of the explanations put forth in the Buddhist scriptures. Their's is the worst kind of baseless talk."-- Establishing The Peace Of The Country Through The Propagation Of The True Law.

Someone commented

It is strange that ikeda is dead and, so many of his followers, act like he is alive. He was not a good or great person, to begin with, he was a very shallow, small man. Somehow he was able to ruthlessly climb up and appease his backers, while leading the organization. The people around him, that he used to gain power. The machine that kept the publications sent out, the public image network going, the loyal sychophants, the money flowing, the films made. The money gathering apparatus depended on big lies, incredible hype and constant manipulation. The big illusion of something and someone so small and shallow manipulated to look bigger.

All that is left of many places, like Japan and the West is a big house of cards that is falling down exposing the pathetic, evil creatures and vampires that have pushed our lives and the world so far out of whack. Money, avarice DRIVE pathologically-fake reality. Reality IS driven by uncaring monsters and their disgusting front men. This is what is destroying the world. Incompetent old, creeps like Donald Trump and Joe Biden who would not exist without their backers and the mechanisms of the large amounts of money and energy put into manipulation. The monsters that rule are sick and damaged. The world is really close to ecoside and the monsters don't care. They seem to be so preoccupied with their schemes they are willing to accelerate world death with war and even nuclear war

Thank you all for the prescient and supportive comments.

 Those who curse and slander me on a daily basis...get lost.

Censored from posting or commenting on Facebook and not alone. This is to be expected of true votaries in Mappo

Murrysburg Bodhisattva has also been threatened by SGI top leader, William Aiken, I believe. The Eagle Peak blog, along with a mere spattering of individuals, reveals the truth of the Lotus Sutra and teachings of Nichiren based on The Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma, the Mahayana Nirvana Sutra, and the authentic writings of Nichiren, particularly, his Five Major Works. As the Nirvana Sutra teaches,

"In the defiled times of the latter age, those who slander the correct teaching will be as numerous as the specks of dirt in all the lands of the ten directions, while those who uphold the correct teaching will be as few as the specks of dirt that can be placed on a fingernail."

The Lotus Sutra Chapter 13 teaches,

We beg you not to worry.

After the Buddha has passed into extinction,

in an age of fear and evil

we will preach far and wide.

There will be many ignorant people

who will curse and speak ill of us

and will attack us with swords and staves,

but we will endure all these things.

In that evil age there will be monks

with perverse wisdom and hearts that are fawning and crooked

who will suppose they have attained what they have not attained,

being proud and boastful in heart.

Or there will be forest-dwelling monks

wearing clothing of patched rags and living in retirement,

who will claim they are practicing the true way,

despising and looking down on all humankind.

Greedy for profit and support,

they will preach the Law to white-robed laymen

and will be respected and revered by the world

as though they were arhats who possess the six transcendental powers.

These men with evil in their hearts,

p.233constantly thinking of worldly affairs,

will borrow the name of forest-dwelling monks

and take delight in proclaiming our faults,

saying things like this:

“These monks are greedy

for profit and support

and therefore they preach non-Buddhist doctrines

and fabricate their own scriptures

to delude the people of the world.

Because they hope to gain fame and renown thereby

they make distinctions when preaching this sutra.”

Because in the midst of great assemblies

they constantly try to defame us,

they will address the rulers, high ministers,

Brahmans, and householders,

as well as the other monks,

slandering and speaking evil of us,

saying, “These are men of perverted views

who preach non-Buddhist doctrines!”

But because we revere the Buddha

we will bear all these evils.

Though they treat us with contempt, saying,

“You are all no doubt buddhas!”

all such words of arrogance and contempt

we will endure and accept.

In a muddied kalpa, in an evil age,

there will be many things to fear.

Evil demons will take possession of others

and through them curse, revile, and heap shame on us.

But we, reverently trusting in the Buddha,

will put on the armor of perseverance.

In order to preach this sutra

we will bear these difficult things.

We care nothing for our bodies or lives

but are anxious only for the unsurpassed way.

In ages to come we will protect and uphold

what the Buddha has entrusted to us.

p.234This the world-honored one must know.

The evil monks of that muddied age,

failing to understand the Buddha’s expedient means,

how he preaches the Law in accordance with what is appropriate,

will confront us with foul language and angry frowns;

again and again we will be banished

to a place far removed from towers and temples.

All these various evils,

because we keep in mind the Buddha’s orders,

we will endure.

If in the settlements and towns

there are those who seek the Law,

we will go to wherever they are

and preach the Law entrusted to us by the Buddha.

We will be envoys of the world-honored one,

facing the assemblies without fear.

We will preach the Law with skill,

for we desire the Buddha to rest in tranquillity.

In the presence of the world-honored one

and of the buddhas who have gathered from the ten directions

we proclaim this vow.

The Buddha must know what is in our hearts.

Nichiren writes,

"The fourth volume of the Lotus Sutra says, “Since hatred and jealousy toward this sutra abound even when the Thus Come One is in the world, how much more will this be so after his passing?" (LS Chapter 10). And in the seventh volume, referring again to the time “after his passing” when things will be much worse, the Buddha says, “After I have passed into extinction, in the last five-hundred-year period you must spread it abroad widely throughout Jambudvīpa." (LS Chapter 23) So we see that the hatred that abounds after the passing of the Buddha will come about in the last five-hundred-year period when Myoho-renge-kyo will spread. And immediately following the above passage, the Buddha warns of dangers from “evil devils, the devils’ people, heavenly beings, dragons, yakshas, and kumbhānda demons.”

and

"Answer: I refer you to the passage in the “Never Disparaging” chapter that states, “He would say to people, ‘I have profound reverence for you.’... Among the four kinds of believers there were those who gave way to anger, their minds lacking in purity, and they spoke ill of him and cursed him, saying, ‘This ignorant monk.’” The chapter also says, “Some among the group would take sticks of wood or tiles and stones and beat and pelt him.” And in the “Exhortation to Hold Firm” chapter it says, “There will be many ignorant people who will curse and speak ill of us and will attack us with swords and staves.” These passages imply that one should preach the Law even though one may be reviled and cursed and even beaten for it. Since the sutra so teaches, is the one who preaches to blame?"

There is no greater honor than to be censored, slandered, banished, exiled, or to be attacked with swords and staves