"This is what they [the Buddhas] wished to express when they stuck out their tongues."

“We are Buddhas in the same way that Shakyamuni is a Buddha” [said the Buddhas of the ten directions]. “Shakyamuni Buddha is like the moon in the heavens, and we are the reflection of the moon in the water. The realm of Shakyamuni Buddha is in fact this sahā world. So long as the moon in the heavens does not move, we ourselves will not take our leave. We will continue to reside in this sahā world and will guard and protect the votary of the Lotus Sutra, serving him the way ministers and subjects serve their sovereign ruler, and loving him the way parents love an only child.” This is what they wished to express when they stuck out their tongues." -- Letter to Shimoyama

Nichiren Successor of the Law

"Although it may sound like self-aggrandizement, the following declaration is based on the Sutra: I, Nichiren, have three aspects, which are of significance to all the people of Japan, from the Emperor to the most humble citizen. The first aspect is that of Parent, the second is that of Teacher, the third is that of Messenger of the Sovereign The Sutra states: [he is] 践 the messenger of the Buddha',  [he is] 奏 the eyes', and also [he is] 奏the sun and the moon'.  Chang'an comments, 践 he makes it possible for an offender to be rid of evil, thus behaving as a parent to the offender.'....

I committed myself to the point of being beheaded, determined to let Shakyamuni, Taho and all the Buddhas of the Ten Directions consider what they should do about it. This behavior went beyond the contributions to Buddhism of both T'ien t'ai and Dengyo, surpassed Fukyo Bodhisattva's practice of propagation, and equaled the offering of Aryasimha, a level of offering that had been unmatched since his time; thereby my name was added to the Successors of the Law, changing the number from twenty-five to twenty-six." -- Reply to Shimoyama

The Will and Testament of Nichiju Shonin

"Among the disciples of the school of Nichiju, nobody should be chosen, directly or indirectly as an heir disciple. However, anybody among the priests or the laymen of my congregation that spreads the teaching in Kyoto and swears that other sects are the root of all evils and that only the Hokke Sect makes us enter Nirvana can be my disciple. And if candidates are equally gifted, they should propagate during the summer, practicing in turn. You should consider a person who spreads the teaching like this as the true disciple of Nichiju and Nichiren Shonin. So in the days to come, this shall be my will." 

Nichiren on the heart of the Lotus Sutra with brief commentary

"Question: Of the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra, which is the heart, which is the most essential?

Answer: Some would say that each chapter is essential to the matter that it deals with. Some would contend that the “Expedient Means” and “Life Span” chapters are the heart, others that the “Expedient Means” alone is the heart, or that the “Life Span” alone is the heart. Some would say that the heart is the passage telling how the Buddhas open the door of Buddha wisdom to all living beings, show it, cause them to awaken to it, and induce them to enter its path, others that the passage on the “true aspect of all phenomena” is the heart.

Question: What is your opinion?

Answer: I believe that the words Namu-myoho-renge-kyo constitute the heart.

Question: What is your proof?

Answer: The fact that Ānanda, Manjushrī, and the others wrote, “This is what I heard.”

Question: What do you mean by that?

Answer: Over a period of eight years, Ānanda, Manjushrī and the others listened to the immeasurable meanings of the Lotus Sutra, never missing a single phrase, a single verse, a single word. Yet, after the Buddha had passed away, at the time of the compilation of his teachings, when the 999 arhats took up their writing brushes and dipped them in ink, they first of all wrote “Myoho-renge-kyo,” and after that they intoned the words, “This is what I heard.” Therefore, the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo must be the heart of the eight volumes and twenty-eight chapters that compose the work, must they not?

Therefore, the Dharma Teacher Fa-yün of Kuang-che-ssu temple, who is said to have lectured on the Lotus Sutra ever since the distant age of Sun Moon Bright Buddha, states, “The words ‘This is what I heard’ indicate that one is going to transmit the doctrines one has heard preached. The title, which precedes these words, sums up the sutra as a whole.”

The Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai, who was present on Eagle Peak when the Lotus Sutra was preached and heard it in person, writes, “The word ‘this’ [of ‘This is what I heard’] indicates the essence of a doctrine heard from the Buddha.” And the Great Teacher Chang-an writes, “The transcriber [Chang-an] comments on T’ien-t’ai’s explanation of the title of the Lotus Sutra, saying, ‘Hence [his explanation of the title in] the preface conveys the profound meaning of the sutra. The profound meaning indicates the heart of the text.’” 

In this passage, “the heart of the text” signifies that the daimoku, or title, of the text is the heart of the Lotus Sutra. As the Great TeacherMiao-lo states, “It is the heart of the Lotus Sutra that encompasses all the doctrines preached by the Buddha in the course of his lifetime.”

India comprises seventy states, but they are known collectively by the name India. Japan comprises sixty provinces, but they are known collectively by the name Japan. Within the name India are contained all the seventy states, as well as all their people, animals, treasures, and so forth. Within the name Japan are contained all the sixty-six provinces. The feathers sent as tribute from Dewa, the gold of the province of Mutsu, and all the other treasures of the nation, as well as the people and animals, and temples and shrines, are contained within the two characters that form the name Japan.

One who possesses the heavenly eye can look at the two characters of the name Japan and see all the sixty-six provinces along with their people and animals. One who possesses the Dharma eye can see all the people and animals now dying in one place, now being born in another place.

It is like hearing someone’s voice and knowing what the person must look like, or seeing someone’s footprints and judging whether the person is large or small. Or it is like estimating the size of a pond by looking at the lotuses that grow in it, or imagining the size of the dragons by observing the rain that they cause to fall. Each of these examples illustrates the principle that all things are expressed in one."

Commentary...

Please remember, when you kill the body [Lotus Sutra] the heart [Namu Myoho renge kyo] dies. SGI's interfaith and Guru Yoga kills the Lotus Sutra.

"Crucifixes, mezuzahs, Ganesha [in India], dream catchers, saintly shrines, and photographs of Daisaku Ikeda are OK" -- SGI leader

"A statue of Shakyamuni Buddha on your altar is a great slander" -- same SGI leader

"If one depends upon the scripture it is a correct argument"

"The Buddha says determining the future, "Depend upon the teaching, not upon the people. Bodhisattva Nagarjuna says, "If one depends upon the scripture it is a correct argument; if one does not depend upon the scripture it is an incorrect argument." T'ien-t'ai says, "Again, if it conforms to the scripture, quote and use it. If there is no corresponding sentence or corresponding meaning, then one should not believe and accept. " Dengyo says, "Depend upon what the Buddha taught, not upon the oral tradition." If one follows these scriptures, treatises and commentaries, then one should not base oneself on dreams. Once should only treasure the passages in the scriptures and treatises..."

Good enough for Nichiren but not for SGI

On Sado Island Nichiren Daishonin enshrined the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha That Came From the Sea.

"When I was in the Province of Sado between mountains and wilds far away from a village was a samadhi place called Tsukahara. There was a hall with a single room and four walls in that place. On the roof the boards did not meet and all four walls were ruined. In the rain it was like being outside and the snow piled up inside. There was no Buddha [image]. Neither was there a single reed tatami mat. However, I set up the statue of the Master of Teachings Lord Shakya which I kept from the beginning and grasped the Hokekyo in my hand, put on a straw raincoat and held up an umbrella, yet for four years nary a person appeared to give me food." -- Reply to the Bhikshuni Myoho", STN, v. 2, 15

"If I had it to do over, I would never had contributed to this man's ego-driven insatiable lust for power and authenticity."

"I went to FNCC many times for culture department meetings. A couple years ago it was reinvented as a monument to Ikeda, including two exhibits full of memorabilia. We were honored to be able to tour his private quarters (snide remark). All conference discussion and presentations revolved around master/disciple relationship. One exhibit was the list of honorary degrees from all the obscure universities. I remember wondering what happened to the "rest" of Buddhism? The gosho, Nichiren, the Gohonzon? No one ever speaks of those anymore. I attended a gosho lecture prep where a senior-most leader said that it was "arrogance" to add our own thoughts to lecture material. That we were to neither "add to nor subtract from" ikedas lectures. As if no one else's thoughts or ideas matter at all. Then I tried again to read Ikeda's writings. I am highly intelligent, educated, well read. I could not derive any meaning from Human Revolution, except that Ikeda is "extraordinary", misunderstood by ordinary beings who don't believe in his extra-ordinariness. I had always thought that Buddhism was a truth based religion and couldn't surmise how that squares with a leader who is so untruthful as to purchase honorary degrees and hire hack writers. If I had it to do over, I would never had contributed to this man's ego-driven insatiable lust for power and authenticity. What a cheat and a fraud." -- Former SGI leader

Should they [SGI members] not be expulsed from the Buddhist order?

"SGI members are all Buddhas" -- SGI Teaching 

"Suppose someone declares that he has already attained the most perfect enlightenment. When asked for the reason, [he replies] 'It is because [the tathagata teaches that all sentient beings] have Buddha-nature.  Since who ever is in possession of the Buddha-nature should have already attained the most perfect enlightenment, [I declare] that I have attained enlightenment now.' It should be understood that such a person is guilty of the pârâjikas [worst offense possible, punishable by expulsion from the Buddhist order]." -- Nirvana Sutra

According to the Nirvana Sutra which Nichiren calls our "true good friend", SGI members in calling themselves Buddhas are guilty of the worst offense possible.

Who are these "unthinking masses", the SGI members?

"When democracy is put into practice by the unthinking masses, liberty will be misinterpreted as license; rights will be claimed while duties remain unfulfilled; and the loss of order will allow evil to become rampant" Complete Works of Daisku Ikeda p. 176    

"Good fortune" flows to the members while the money flows to Ikeda and his high salaried senior leech leaders

"I have been commended 55 awards of honorable professor and doctorates from all over the world. This is my glory as a representative of all of you. The world is praising you. I would like you to be proud of this truth. (Applause) I am certain that the fortune will flow to you, your children, and grand children." (Applause) -- Daisaku Ikeda 26th Japanese headquarter's meeting

Why SGI rival sects will prosper far into the future

"I think its only you whose sad. I'm elated." -- Don Gropp vapidly stupid long time SGI member on SGI's prayers for the demise of the Nikken sect

I'm sure the Nichiren Shoshu, Nichiren Shu, and the Honmon Butsuryu Shu are also elated. If SGI Daimoku is as effective at destroying the rival sects as it was in saving the Sho Hondo [Grand Main Temple], the rival sects will prosper far into the future.

SGI's teachings are easy to believe and easy to understand

Our teachings are difficult to believe and difficult to understand because they are based on the Lotus Sutra and the teachings of Nichiren.

The Nichikan Gohonzon works?

"I overcame Bell's Palsy in three weeks, not nine months as predicted by my doctors. The Nichikan Gohonzon works!!!" -- Richard SGI member

You must have some unlearned doctors Richard. Most people overcome their Bell's Palsy in a week or two. Jerry "Shinkei" Marcheso, while an independent, overcame brain cancer through a correct faith. SGI picks up on utter ordinariness and makes a big deal of it because there are so few extraordinary benefits in the Soka Gakkai [save, of course, for dear leader's 300 +  bought or cajoled honors and awards from secular fools].

Anyway, Nichiren Daishonin taught that even such "miracles" as overcoming brain cancer, let alone Bell's Palsy, pales in significance to faithfully practicing as the Lotus Sutra teaches.

SGI asserts, "The understanding of SGI and the greatness of Sensei can only be shared among Buddhas."

Then, those self-serving university functionaries, dictators, and sleazy politicians who laud SGI and Ikeda [to the tune of hundreds of honors and awards] are Buddhas while those who criticize SGI and Ikeda, no matter how humble, honest, and learned, are deluded common mortals.

Real Nichiren Shoshu?

New Human Revolution, the Lotus Sutra of the modern age or SGI dianetics?

She [my senior leader] also suggested me to take this period to deepen my study of New Human Revolution (a serialized book), and I started reading them with my own life. Basing any study on daimoku has its own charm, and I realized it with my own life, as with reading every NHR, I could encourage at least one person in my environment. 

Better off reading the Lotus Sutra and the five major works of Nichiren.

No, as Nichiren said

As Ikeda Sensei said, “Those who believe in the Lotus Sutra are as if in winter, but winter always turns to spring.”

"Fortune baby" experience

Former SGI member and so-called SGI "fortune baby":

"I agree that we are responsible for our own actions, but this is one of the many hypocrises of the SGI. People are lured into the SGI with visions of taking control of their lives and finding happiness. People don't sign up for the SGI's form of brainwashing, which dictates (at least it used to) that you attend several meetings each week and do weekend activities, all the while being told that you must get guidance at least once a month. And if you don't, the "leaders" visit your home, sometimes unannounced, to shove their destructive advice down your throat,then tell you that if you don't follow it, you have no faith. In essence, you are to give up all notions of common sense.

I am happier now than when I was in the SGI spider web. I don't dwell on how my childhood was robbed, which would only make me sad. As I said in my original posting, I have accomplished much more, both personally and professionally, outside the SGI than within it. Which brings to mind one

other atrocity--my territory YWD leader strongly discouraging me from attending Cal Poly SLO because my "destiny" was to be in Santa Rosa HQ (in other words, help find more victims in Santa Rosa from whom they could get more "donations"). I was more than qualified to attend Cal Poly, and would've gone, but my mother got wind of this YWD leader's words and put an end to my dream. Being that I had no job at that time, Lori, what was I supposed to do? Luckily I was still able to graduate from another college and go to law school, but I'll never forget that experience so that I don't put my future kids through the same crap.

Rather than constantly lament what happened to me, I only posted my experience so that others might avoid being sucked into the very-controlling SGI. Namu-myoho-renge-kyo.

Soka University graduate found guilty of stealing cell phone logs

Soka University graduate found guilty of stealing cell phone logs

The Tokyo District Court on December 28 found Yoshimura Eiji, a Soka University graduate and former employee of DoCoMo Systems, guilty of violating the Telecommunications Business Law by stealing cell phone logs. He was sentenced to ten months in prison, suspended for three years.

A Soka Gakkai vice president led the team of defense lawyers.

In March-April 2002, Yoshimura used a computer terminal at NTT-DoCoMo to illegally obtain cell phone logs of Fukuhara Yukiko, former Soka Gakkai member and Otsukotsu Masao, a journalist who is critical of Soka Gakkai.

In the related court ruling of November 2002, both Yoshimura, who was involved in the theft, and Soka University's student affairs section vice chief were convicted of directing Yoshimura to steal the logs. The vice chief was then Soka Gakkai's deputy chief of the national youth department.

The victims of the crime, including Fukuhara and Otsukotsu, issued a statement blaming the ruling for failing to inquire into the background of the information stealing. They stated that they will bring the case to a civil trial so that it will become clear that the Soka Gakkai group attempted to collect information in order to suppress anti-Soka Gakkai activities.

Commenting on the trial that ended without exposing the motive and background of committing the crime, Akahata on December 29 said, "The core of the theft incident was ignored, and both the police and DoCoMo was not cooperative in establishing the facts." (end)