The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are caressed by the winds of Eternity, Bliss, Self and Purity,

"The Bodhisattva Fukyô in the past, saying that all beings have the Buddha Nature and that, if they keep the Hokekyô, they will certainly attain Buddhahood and to slight them would turn out to be slighting Buddhas, established the Practice of Bowing in Reverence; saying that even those who do not keep the Hokekyô, if they were to keep it, have the Buddha Nature, [and would become Buddhas], he performed Bowing in Reverence in this way [to those who did not keep it]. How much more to the householders and those who have left the household life who keep it! In the fourth fascicle of this Sutra it appears that if there is demeaning with even one evil word of one who keeps and preaches the Hokekyô, be it a householder or one who has left the household life, the magnitude of the sin is beyond the sin of directly disparaging the Buddha Shakya. It is also preached, 'Whether real or not real'. When one thinks of it in these terms, those who keep the Hokekyô should not, even forgetfully, disparage each other, should they? The reason is that all those who keep the Hokekyô are necessarily Buddhas and to disparage a Buddha is to earn oneself a sin. When one understands it in this way, the merit of the Title (Daimoku) which one chants must be equal to the merit of Lord Shakya."(KHS, p. 573)

"Those who have obtained a human body, which is difficult to receive, and who happen to have left the household life, who have studied the Buddha Dharma and who do not attack those who blaspheme against the Dharma but vainly spend their nights and days in disporting and playing and idle talk are beasts who have put on the skin of Dharma teachers. Though they borrow the name of 'Dharma teachers' to make their way through the world and nourish themselves, there is not one instance of their turning out to be Dharma teachers. They are thieves who steal the name of 'Dharma teachers'. They should be ashamed. They should be afraid. In the Manifestation Doctrine (Shakumon) it preaches , 'We shall not cherish bodily life but only treasure the Supreme Way' and in the Original Doctrine it preaches, 'Not sparing their bodily lives' and in the Nirvana Sutra there appears, 'The body is slight and the Dharma important: kill the body to spread the Dharma.' It appears in the Two Doctrines of the Manifestation and of the Original and the Nirvana Sutra that one should abandon bodily life to spread the Dharma. The fact that, though the grave sin of flouting these injunctions does not appear to the eyes, it builds up and one falls to hell, for example, the cold and heat are without form and do not appear to the eye but in the winter the cold comes and attacks plants and trees, humans and beasts, and in the summer the heat afflicts both humans and beasts." (KHS, p. 580)

"But for your person, as a householder, the essence is for you to chant 'Namu Myôhô renge kyô' with no other thought and also to make offering to the monks. And also, if it is according to the Sutra text, one should also 'expound it according to their strength', shouldn't one? When the world is sorrowful, though you think, 'Even the sufferings of the present life are painful, how much more the sufferings of the world to come,' chant 'Namu Myôhô renge kyô', and when it joyful also, think, 'The joy of the present life is a dream within a dream; it is the joy of the Pure Land of Spiritual Mountain (Ryôzen jôdo) that is the true joy' and with this chant 'Namu Myôhô renge kyô', and, practicing without backsliding, wait for the time approaching the very end and see! If you run and climb the Mountain of Sublime Enlightenment and take a good look at the four directions, how fantastic! The Realm of Dharmas is the Land of Tranquil Light with lapis lazuli as its earth and the eight ways bounded with ropes of gold, and from the heavens the four types of flowers rain down, in the void music is heard, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas caressed by the winds of Eternity, Bliss, Self and Purity, indeed rejoice and are happy. And is it nearing the time when we too shall be ranked in that number, disporting and playing and taking pleasure. When the mind of faith is weak, one cannot go to such an auspicious place; one cannot go!" (The ninth day of the twelfth month of the Second Year of Kenji (1276): KHS, p.581)

The preceding passages are from Reply to Lord Matsuno [otherwise known as The Fourteen Slanders gosho]:

"The mainstream media can't be trusted" -- Soka Gakkai leader

Wongkc Singapore Soka senior leader: It is good that Terry [Ruby] didn't quote any non-Gakkai sources. Why? Because you can't tell from those publications whether they are telling the truth or not.

Me: The mainstream media can not be trusted! The Seikyo Shimbun, the voice of SGI, is beyond reproach!!!  It is the impartial and unbiased vessel of the Law. 

Wongkc: Especially western medias like Times, Newsweek, Asiaweek, etc, which had been giving false impression of the East to the West. 

Me: You mean like doctored photos of the Nichiren Shoshu High Priest with geishas in the Seikyo Shimbun? 

Wongkc: Even BBC and CNN are no exception. 

Me: Only the unbiased Snakyo Shimbun and World Fibune can be trusted.

Wongkc: Do you know that the current Senior Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Kwan Yew, being a lawyer himself, had won many libel suits against these medias.

Me: How many suits has $GI's battery of lawyers won?

Wongkc: Do you know that these magazines had been frequently subject to restricted circulation in Singapore for printing untrue allegation about Singapore. [Singapore was quoted here as Mr Lee, during his days as the Prime Minister of Singapore had been very vocal, and speaks of unjustice and double standard practiced in the West].

Me: The SGI would outlaw Newsweek, Time, and Asiaweek as well as CNN and the BBC. What's next, the Discovery Channel?

Wongkc: What about Japanese media? Not many credible ones, especially those in league with Nikken and Isao Dan and those which just  want to boost up sales.They couldn't be bothered about any libel suits as the profit they rake will be much more than any fine they would be paying.

Me: They should be outlawed for criticizing the SGI. We too should be driven underground like the evil Fujufuse sect. 

Wongkc: Gakkai had been relying on internal media to communicate with the members, and since external media do not want to publish our view, why waste money to buy their media space to put up our stories.

Me: Internal media as a source of unbiased news? Ever hear of the Jewish press criticizing the Israelis while lauding the arabs? Wong, wake up!!! 

Wongkc: However, in my country where the press are more responsible, they asked for our view and printed them accordingly alongside with those sensational stories. At least our readers have the opportunity to judge for themselves.

Me: The BBC documentary quoted Ikeda and Abergate. They don't represent your view? 

Wongkc: If Hokkeko wants to rely on those unreliable and uncredible reports we will not stop you. [Maybe to Hokkeko, they are "reliable" in publishing those sensational stories for them].

Me: I'm with you Wong. I just canceled my subscriptions to the New York Times, Newsweek and Time magazine and bought a ten year subscription to the World Tribune and the Seikyo Times. Now, I will get the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me God [Ikeda].

Thanks to the Soka Gakkai and the Nichiren Shoshu, I have proved myself to be a votary of the Lotus Sutra

"Devadatta was the foremost good friend to the Thus Come One Shakyamuni. In this age as well, it is not one’s allies but one’s powerful enemies who assist one’s progress. We find examples before our very eyes. The Hojo clan in Kamakura could not have firmly established itself as the ruler of Japan had it not been for the challenges posed by Yoshimori and the Retired Emperor of Oki. In this sense these men were the best allies the ruling clan could have. For me, Nichiren, my best allies in attaining Buddhahood are Kagenobu, the priests Ryokan, Doryu, and Doamidabutsu, and Hei no Saemon and the lord of Sagami. I am grateful when I think that without them I could not have proved myself to be the votary of the Lotus Sutra.

Daisaku Ikeda and his Human Revolution Novel by a former SGI member

"Why would the Ikeda Sect attach their stories from the quasi-trilogy The Human Revolution to the True teachings of Buddhism of Shakyamuni as taught by Nichiren Daishonin?

The SGI organization has appended their ongoing narrative of the Human Revolution to the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin, which by all readings of Nichiren Daishonins extant writings, is an uninvited chapter – at least in this religion. Therefore, it is highly inappropriate for many reasons. Firstly, does Nichiren Daishonin state that the Buddha Shakyamuni promises a life of human revolution through chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo? Does Nichiren not say that the Lotus Sutra and Daimoku will have power for 10,000 years and more to come? Yes, that is what Nichiren says. He does not say – wait for the next guy to hand out another chapter. It is as if Nichiren Daishonin himself knew this would happen in the future, as it happened in the past, and wrote like a maniac his whole life to show how the Nembutsu did it, how the Shingon did it, how the Pure Land did it, how the religions that cropped up via words and phrases from the teachings of Shakyamuni – to show us to teach us to spot a fake when we see it. Let’s honor the life he spent writing for us by acknowledging the SGI as one of those forgeries of religions. 

As to the merits of the Human Revolution, while it carries a catchy theme, it has no bearing or relevance to the practice of Buddhism as taught by Shakyamuni or Nichiren Daishonin. It is simply a story with a catchy title, and while tempting as it is to go into the flaws of the ongoing narrative (as in, geesh! Are they still talking about that?), it might be better to reserve judgment of Ikeda’s philosophy, and just concentrate on separating this idea of Ikeda’s being somehow related to Nichiren and from actual Buddhism. 

There may be many reasons why the SGI likes the idea of attaching The Human Revolution and the life of Shin’ichi Yammamoto (who, as everyone should know, this hero, this larger than life, miracle worker is none other than the self-aggrandizing Ikeda) - as he goes through the world and causes such a change in the world due to his lion-like behavior against all evils. 

However, let’s not forget that this is a story, not even a parable, and one that has over-extended the use of artistic license to add "art" to the heroes and the villains. It is a story told by one man, even though the origins were ascribed to Josei Toda who in reality was a malnourished, alcohol abusing, vitamin deficiencient despot whose life was marked by dark hallucinations and who ultimately died of cirrhosis. But the true SGI disciple gives title credit, not to Toda since, the Human Revolution is but the thinly veiled testimony of Shin ichi Yamamoto, if it weren’t for Daisaku Ikeda, the dreams of the SGI would not have ever gotten off the ground. They know this in their hearts [even though they weren’t there in the early days] because Ikeda is a political powerman, a narcissist and one who also ultimately pits himself against Nichiren Daishonin. 

The true SGI disciple learns early on not to make a distinction between Nichiren and Ikeda. That Nichiren and Ikeda are one, like the water in the vessel, that will take the shape of whatever container the water it poured into. Everyone else looks at the situation without the eyes of the SGI member and simply see a short, podgy megalomaniac, extending his T-rex arms no further than his rotund body. He is one of grandiose delusions of beating out Nichiren Daishonin in his elocutionary skills, believing his knowledge of the Lotus Sutra vastly superior to his and rarely giving credit to Shakyamuni and never to those who did the translations, not even to those who gave their lives [if they aren't SGI]. Mostly, Ikeda's putting on airs of being a Buddha while engaging in a perverse competition with the True Masters reveals his true nature . . . Suffice it to say, Ikeda is highly competitive [World of Anger].

If there is the need to show you some proof of Ikeda's angry competitive nature, here it is: ‘World Poet Laureate’ status that he received from a company [World Poet Laureate Society] that he purchased with same name and then bestowing that title upon himself; the outpouring of monies to various legitimate universities and institutions of higher learning in order to buy his way into the circle of intellectuals while collecting honorary degrees along the way; his hiring ghost writers to re-invent the big “human revolution’ movement in America where he plucks out George Williams and inserts Shin’ichi in his stead [by the way, leaving George Williams with no pension, no retirement, no humane acknowledgement of his 40 years of work in the SGI]; and above all, Ikeda's complete disregard of all that Nichiren taught. This latter point is evidenced by the manner in which he takes the wonderful words and phrases from Nichiren’s writings and intermixes them with his own, in order to turn all attention unto himself and thus subliminally creating the the illusion that he himself is the relevant person. At the same time, flattering his disciples that Nichiren is smiling down on them all. This blessing from Ikeda is supposed to confirm that they are in fact, Nichiren’s disciples, . . . as is he. I can only say to Ikeda, thank you for making my point. 

Look at America today – look at Japan today – look at the world today! What did your human revolution do, other than cause a schism between people and their own sense of reality, their own conscience, their own trust in their gut decision-making, and their sense of perception. The SGI disciples are charged and guarded, with inflammatory and toxic emotions for anything that may hint at any criticism of Ikeda. This is another way of validating the idea that Ikeda is more infallible than the pope.

Even though Ikeda has made many well documented mistakes, he himself could care less, so his disciples dismiss it as well. It is only important if Sensei says it is important. When a scandal arises within the SGI, the good disciples of Ikeda are taught that there really are never scandals in SGI – there are only rumors -- until that time, of course, when they receive his ‘guidance’ about how to view the event. Only with ‘faith’ in this new viewpoint [President Ikeda’s divine providence] which of course is handed down to his immediate underlings and which is ultimately trickled down to the local community centers to be disseminated to all the members, can one truly understand the why of the bad occurrence --or maybe just a seemingly bad occurrence – because we "know" from Nichiren [as usurped and twisted by Ikeda] that the the aspect of all phenomena is sometimes temporary, sometimes illusional but there is always the promise that it will reveal itself later as an omen of righteousness. 

Of course, it never does, but if you are a true disciple, that becomes immaterial because to look back is ho gammyo [living in the past] and not proper. As a member of this organization for 27 years, I can attest to the degree of mind bending that goes on in order to make Ikeda and the SGI organization appear the correct path. 

On the other hand, Nichiren Daishonin’s knowledge of Shakyamuni’s teachings, the Lotus Sutra, the world, the event of omens and phenomena are all thus: They are real; they are true; they are based on the teachings of the World Honored One. Nichiren Daishonin, unlike Ikeda, never utilized another’s teaching without proper discovery nor did he insert his own ideas when explicating another's teachings. Least of all did he alter the teachings. For example, he always assigned the articulation of the theory of ichinen sanzen to T’ien T’ai, rather than pretending that he himself came upon the theory himself through his understanding of the Lotus Sutra. 

There is no sane comparison of Ikeda to Nichiren Daishonin. The Daishonin never sought fame, power, money, provence. As reasonable as Ikeda makes it sound that he needed these things to change the world, all I ask is look at your own bank accounts: Count the money you gave the SGI, and compare it to the money in your bank account; count all the daimoku and ‘guidance’ you followed, and look at the condition of your life and the rest of the world; take an assessment of how much of your life you gave up to allow Ikeda the space and support to be who HE is and ask yourself if that is true courage or the act of a coward who is afraid to venture out and live his or her own life, afraid to rely on your own wits and your own heart. 

You want to be accountable? Then check out the failing economies in Europe and around the world. Check out the Fukushima disaster which continues to threaten the world’s environment and its people or the implosion of excess of an unbridled Wall Street culture [which is NOT a free market but rather the mono-economic cloning of virtual dollars that will again burst eventually if left unchecked]. I implore you to live a real life, read Nichiren Daishonin’s writings with a heart as to what Nichiren and Nichiren alone is saying, and then take courageous action as his disciple." -- former SGI member

Three translations of a passage

"Believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart. The heart of the Lotus Sutra is the guidance of the High Priest. Never accept even one word of my teachings without having first received guidance from the High Priest. Without practice and the High Priest's guidance there is no Buddhism." --"Guidance Gosho" NSIC translation

"Believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart. The heart of the Lotus Sutra is the mentor-disciple relationship. Never accept even one word of my teachings without having first received guidance from the lay president of my Sangha. Without practice and the President's guidance there is no Buddhism." -- "Guidance Gosho" Soka Gakkai translation

"Believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart. The Buddha’s will is the Lotus Sutra, but the soul of Nichiren is nothing other than Namu-myoho-renge-kyo. Miao-lo states in his commentary that the heart of this sutra is the revelation of the Buddha’s original enlightenment and his immeasurable life span." -- Nichiren

How SGI and Nichiren Shoshu hate us (for teaching differently than them)

“There are not two Buddhas in the world, there are not two rulers in the nation. In the realm of one Buddha, there are not two Venerable Ones.

One should not trust those who exercise their art and ingenuity, spouting out empty words. One should look to the correct sutra passages and the golden words of the Buddha to determine the truth. (This is the seventh criticism.)

Volume thirty-five of the Nirvana Sutra states: “I have explained this in various different sutras. When one Buddha makes his appearance in the world, he brings benefit to many people. But that two wheel-turning kings should exist in a single country, or that two Buddhas should appear in a single world—nowhere has any such thing ever happened.

Volume nine of Great Perfection of Wisdom says: “The major world systems in the ten directions, numerous as the sands of the Ganges, make up what is called the world of a single Buddha. There are no other Buddhas there. Truly it is the world of one Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha."

A short refutation of Tibetian pseudo-Buddhism

"The point of incarnation is to work out and purge the karma in a soul." -- Tibetian Lama

Since karma is infinite, having accumulated words thoughts and deeds since the infinite past, by the reasoning of Tibetian Buddhism, it will take an infinite amount of future lifetimes to change one's karma in order to become a Buddha. The Lotus Sutra teaches that a one to one change of thought, word, and deed is not only unnecessary but a foolhardy approach that ignores the reality of the present moment encompassing both the infinite past and the infinite future. Nichiren Daishonin teaches,

“If you want to understand the causes that existed in the past, look at the results as they are manifested in the present. And if you want to understand what results will be manifested in the future, look at the causes that exist in the present.”

and

"When we come to the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, then the belief that Shakyamuni first obtained Buddhahood during his present lifetime is demolished, and the effects of the four teachings are likewise demolished. When the effects of the four teachings are demolished, the causes of the four teachings are likewise demolished. Thus the cause and effect of the Ten Worlds as expounded in the earlier sutras and the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra are wiped out, and the cause and effect of the Ten Worlds in the essential teaching are revealed. This is the doctrine of original cause and original effect. It reveals that the nine worlds are all present in beginningless Buddhahood and that Buddhahood is inherent in the beginningless nine worlds. This is the true mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, the true hundred worlds and thousand factors, the true three thousand realms in a single moment of life."

There is no need to spend lifetime after lifetime "incarnating in order to purge the karma in a soul." Depending on the teaching or Law [powerful or weak] and teacher [fully or partially enlightened], the faith of the practitioner [shallow or profound] and practice [powerful or weak], one can manifest supreme enlightenment at this very moment. The repeated, ever more intense efforts to reveal one's innate Buddhahood [while suppressing one's innate delusion] by chanting Namu Myoho renge kyo, creates the karma to quickly attain Buddhaood. If the teachings are very powerful [Namu Myoho renge kyo or Devotion to the Wonderful Law of the Lotus Flower Sutra] and the teacher[s] very wise [the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha of the 16th Chapter of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin], the practitioner will never fail to attain enlightenment in this very lifetime.

Nichiren Shoshu adopted Shingon Guru [Yuiga] Yoga and SGI ran with it.

"When the priests and lay believers of the faith of Nichiren Shoshu have the occasion to be in the presence of the high priest, with palms pressed earnestly together in sincere gratitude, we pay prayer-like reverence to him as the Master who embodies the Living Essence of the Body of the entirety of the Law of all existence, which has been passed down through the generations since the lifetime of the Daishonin. . .In short, with perfectly sincere faith and self-imposed strict obedience, we should hold the high priest's instruction in deepest reverence -- and we must realize that it is right there that the great, direct path of the true relationship of unfiltered, unrestricted faith between Master and disciple, which leads to ultimate enlightenment in this lifetime, is to be found." (Dai Nichiren Special Edition (II) 1991 pp. 13-14)

SGI Snowflakes

"Soka Gakkai and Soka Gakkai International has been suffering from emotional distress with these falsely fabricated articles." -- SGI leader Miyoko

Whatever happened to taking personal responsibility for everything both good and bad? SGI members are masters at blaming others for their misfortune. They can dish it out real good but they can't take it. Anyway, practicing according to the preachings, one may accurately ascribe blame to the guilty party[ies].

Boldly declare yourself a disciple of Nichiren

"In his present life, the lay priest does not appear to have had particularly strong faith in the Lotus Sutra. But due to the workings of his karma from the past, he has sunk into this long illness and now seeks the way day and night without cease. Any minor offenses he committed in this lifetime have probably already been eradicated, and the great evil of slander will also be extinguished because he has taken faith in the Lotus Sutra. If he were to go right now to Eagle Peak, he would be as delighted as if the sun had come out and he were able to see in all ten directions. He would rejoice, wondering how an early death could be so happy a thing. No matter what may happen on the road between this life and the next, he should declare himself to be a disciple of Nichiren. Although Japan is a tiny country, if one but announces that one is a vassal of the lord of Sagami, people will unaccountably fear one. I am the most unreasonable priest in Japan, but with regard to believing in the Lotus Sutra, I am the foremost sage in Jambudvīpa. My name resounds throughout the pure lands of the ten directions, and heaven and earth no doubt know it. If your husband declares that he is Nichiren’s disciple, I do not think that evil demons of any kind can claim ignorance of my name."

The nation-state as the dominant model for legitimacy?

Only in Gakkai's delusional view of Buddhism is the nation-state the dominant model for legitimacy. Legitimacy in Buddhism is achieving anuttara samyak sambodhi or the highest perfect awakening.

“It spread as if it were an epidemic” - Soka Gakkai’s Human Revolution The Rise of a Mimetic Nation in Modern Japan Levi McLaughlin

file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/Soka_Gakkais_Human_Revolution_The_Rise_o.pdf

SGI Leadership Manual with Commentary

https://www.sgi-usa.org/memberresources/leaders/manuals.php

All from Group Leader to Zone Leader must contribute within one year. All leaders must subscribe [buy] publications.

Higher level leaders receive donations [salaries from the contributions of members and lower level leaders].

The leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth are most often born as Wheel Turning Kings

Now, I would like to speak a little about the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. They are those who received the Law of Namu Myoho renge kyo from Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo chapter of the Lotus Sutra in the remotest past and who spread the Law in this Latter Age. There are Four Great Leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, one of whom was the supreme leader, Jogyo Nichiren. Each of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth represent one of the Four Virtues of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth: Jogyo or Superior or Emminent Conduct (Nichiren) who represents True or Unconditioned Self; Muhengyo or Boundless Practices who represents Eternity; Anrugyo or Firmly Established Practices who represents Joy; and Jyogyo or Pure Practices who represents Purity The leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth are most often born as Wheel Turning Kings

The Bodhisattvas of the Earth lead people to the Lotus Sutra (Myoho renge kyo). Some lead a multitude and others are solitary Bodhisattvas who practice the Lotus Sutra on their own. The Four Eternally Evolved Bodhisattvas, the Four Leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth are most often born as Wheel Turning Kings. We could sure use one today!

"The Gohonzon is just paper and ink" -- SGI leader

"Though this mandala has but five or seven characters, it is the teacher of all Buddhas throughout the three existences and the seal that guarantees the enlightenment of all women." (On Offering Prayers to the Mandala of the Mystic Law)

"I have dedicated my life to Shakyamuni Buddha and the Lotus Sutra, extending compassion to all living beings and rebuking slanders of the Law." (MW vol 5, A Sage and an Unenlightened Man, pg 107) 

"And among the Sutras, the Lotus Sutra is a manifestation in writing of Shakyamuni Buddha's intent; it is his voice set down in written word." (The Pure and Far Reaching Voice, pg 147) 

"Shakyamuni Buddha and the written words of the Lotus Sutra are two different things but their heart is one. Therefore, when you cast your eyes upon the wordsof the Lotus Sutra you should consider that you are beholding the living body of the Buddha Shakyamuni." (Ibid, pg 147) 

"However the Buddha recognizes each character as a golden Lord Shakyamuni.' This is the meaning of the statement that '[one who is able to hold this Sutra] thereby holds the Buddha's body'. Those who practice Buddhism but adhere todistorted views destroy this loftiest of Sutras." (MW vol 5, Reply to Soya Nyudo,pg 164) 

"Only the Lotus Sutra represents the wonderful teaching preached directly from the golden mouth of Shakyamuni Buddha, who is perfectly endowed with the three bodies." (MW vol 5, Letter to Myomitsu Shonin, pg 196) 

"Therefore, the words of this Sutra are indeed the very soul of Shakyamuni Buddha. And since every single word constitutes the soul of the Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha will protect persons who practice this Sutra as though he were protecting his very own eyes. He will accompany such persons just as a shadow accompanies a body. How then could the prayers of such persons not be answered." (MW vol 7, On Prayer, pg 34) 

"The Shakyamuni Buddha who lived in a past even more distant than gohyaku-jintengo-became enlightened to the Lotus that is the entity of the Mystic Law. Thereafter, in age after age and lifetime after lifetime, he declared that he had attained the way and he revealed the fundamental principle of wisdom and reality." (MW vol 7, The Entity of the Mystic Law, pg 67) 

"The Buddha taught that offering one's little finger for the sutra is more rewarding than covering an entire galaxy with seven kinds of jewels. Sessen Doji offered his life, and Gyobo Bonji ripped off his own skin to seek the truth of Buddhism. Since nothing is more precious than life itself, those who dedicate their l ives to the Buddhist practice are certain to attain Buddhahood. If they are prepared to offer their lives, why should they begrudge any other treasure for the sake of Buddhism? On the other hand, if one is loath to part with his material possessions, how can he possibly give away his life, which is far more valuable? 

Society dictates that one should repay a great obligation to another even at the cost of his own life. Many warriors die for their lords, perhaps even more than one would imagine. A man will die to defend his honor; a woman will die for a man. Fish want to survive; they deplore their pond's shallowness and dig holes to hid in, yet tricked by bait, they take the hook. Birds in a tree fear that they are too low and perch in the top branches, yet bewitched by bait, they too are caught in snares. Human beings are equally vulnerable. They give their lives for shallow, worldly matters but rarely for the noble cause of Buddhism. Small wonder they do not attain Buddhahood."(Letter to Sado)

Commentary: 

Nichiren teaches that rice is not merely rice but life itself.  Likewise, the Lotus Sutra is not merely paper and ink. It is food for all Buddhas. It is the life and land of the Original Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni. 

This is not to negate the worth of the people who protect and practice the Lotus Sutra. As the Lotus Sutra states, "Among all the living they are supreme." (LS Ch.23) However, the people are not ipso facto supreme. They are only supreme in relation to their connection with the object (Lotus Sutra). "So it is also with those who are able to receive and keep this Sutra." -- Nichiren

Who else is living and performing shakubuku (the forceful practices) in this dreaded age?

Stand up and be counted.

Question: Are prayers answered if one rejects Shakyamuni Buddha?

Answer: No. By rejecting Shakyamuni Buddha, one fails to practice "this sutra". Nichiren explains: 

"Therefore, the words of this Sutra are indeed the very soul of Shakyamuni Buddha. And since every single word constitutes the soul of the Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha will protect persons who practice this Sutra as though he were protecting his very own eyes. He will accompany such persons just as a shadow accompanies a body. How then could the prayers of such persons not be answered." (MW vol 7, On Prayer, pg 34)

Dialogue and understanding to defeat terrorism?

http://markrogow.blogspot.com/2016/03/dialogue-and-understanding-to-defeat.html

"Many such examples of slander are also found among Nichiren’s disciples and lay believers." - Nichiren

Thanks for your observations. Nichiren teaches, "Many such examples of slander are also found among Nichiren’s disciples and lay believers."

“They entirely look up to groups of icchantikas and rely on them as leaders and, reverencing slanderers against the Dharma, make them national teachers. Taking up the Classic Filial Piety of Confucius, they beat their parents’ heads and, while chanting the Lotus Sutra of Lord Shakya with their mouths, they go against the Master of teachings.” 

and

"For persons of the Tendai Lotus school to chant Namu-myoho-renge-kyo themselves and yet give their approval when others repeat the Nembutsu would be strange enough. Yet not only do they fail to remonstrate with them, but they criticize one who does confront the Nembutsu school, which is strange indeed!"

and

"Many such examples of slander are also found among Nichiren’s disciples and lay believers."

and

"Now you should make a great vow and pray for your next life. If you are disbelieving or slander the correct teaching even in the slightest, you will certainly fall into the great citadel of the hell of incessant suffering. Suppose there is a ship that sails on the open sea. Though the ship is stoutly built, if it is flooded by a leak, those on the ship are sure to drown together. Though the embankment between rice fields is firm, if there is an ant hole in it, then surely, in the long run, it will not remain full of water. Bail the seawater of slander and disbelief out of the ship of your life, and solidify the embankments of your faith. If a believer’s offense is slight, overlook it, and lead that person to obtain benefits. If it is serious, encourage him to strengthen his faith so that he can expiate the sin."

and

"In the same way, the renegade disciples say, “Though the priest Nichiren is our teacher, he is too forceful. We will spread the Lotus Sutra in a more peaceful way.” In so asserting, they are being as ridiculous as fireflies laughing at the sun and moon, an anthill belittling Mount Hua, wells and brooks despising the river and the ocean, or a magpie mocking a phoenix. Namu-myoho-renge-kyo."

continued...

and

"Daigaku and Uemon no Tayū had their prayers answered because they followed my advice. Hakiri seems to believe my teachings, but he ignored my suggestions about his lawsuit, and so I have been concerned about its progress. Some good seems to have come of it, perhaps because I warned him that he would lose unless he followed my advice. But because he did not listen to the extent I had hoped, the outcome has been less fruitful than he expected.

If lay believers and their teacher pray with differing minds, their prayers will be as futile as trying to kindle a fire on water. Even if they pray with one mind, their prayers will go unanswered if they have long made the error of attacking greater teachings with lesser ones. Eventually, both lay believers and their teacher will be ruined."

and

“If there are those who possess differing ideas concerning the three treasures, then truly you should know that these people can no longer hope to take refuge in, or rely upon, the three pure treasures. They will never gain benefit from any of the precepts, and in the end, they will fail to obtain the fruits of the voice-hearer, the cause-awakened one, or the bodhisattva.”

and

"In that age there will be evil monks who will steal this sutra and divide it into many parts, losing the color, scent, and flavor of the correct teaching that it contains. These evil men will read and recite this sutra, but they will ignore and put aside the profound and vital principles that the Thus Come One has expounded in it and replace them with ornate rhetoric and meaningless talk. They will tear off the first part of the sutra and stick it on at the end, tear off the end and put it at the beginning, put the end and the beginning in the middle and the middle at the beginning or the end. You must understand that these evil monks are the companions of the devil.”

Therefore, it is not difficult to understand that without a correct faith how one may develop a resistance to Nichiren's exemplary practice.

"Among my disciples, those who think themselves well versed in Buddhism are the ones who make errors. Namu-myoho-renge-kyo is the heart of the Lotus Sutra. It is like the soul of a person. To revere another teaching as its equal is to be like a consort who is married to two emperors, or who secretly commits adultery with a minister or a humble subject. It can only be a cause for disaster

and

"Now I, Nichiren, understand these things because of what I myself have undergone. But even if there are those among my disciples who understand them, they fear the accusations of the times; believing that their lives, which are as frail as dew, are in fact to be relied upon, they backslide, keep their beliefs hidden in their hearts, or behave in other such ways."

and

"But if any of Nichiren’s disciples disrupt the unity of many in body but one in mind, they would be like warriors who destroy their own castle from within."

and

"However, there is a difference if one chants the daimoku while acting against the intent of this sutra."

and

"Take these teachings to heart, and always remember that believers in the Lotus Sutra should absolutely be the last to abuse one another. All those who keep faith in the Lotus Sutra are most certainly Buddhas, and one who slanders a Buddha commits a grave offense."

and

"In the first five hundred years of the Former Day of the Law following the Buddha’s passing, only Hinayana teachings spread, while in the next five hundred years, provisional Mahayana teachings spread. The thousand years of the Middle Day of the Law saw the rise of the theoretical teaching. In the beginning of the Latter Day of the Law, only the essential teaching spreads, but even so, the theoretical teaching should not be discarded. Nowhere in the entire Lotus Sutra do we find a passage suggesting that we should discard the first fourteen chapters, which comprise the theoretical teaching. When we distinguish between the theoretical and the essential teachings on the basis of the threefold classification of the entire body of the Buddha’s teachings, the pre-Lotus Sutra teachings were to be spread in the Former Day, and the theoretical teaching, in the Middle Day, but the Latter Day is the time to propagate the essential teaching. In the present period the essential teaching is primary, while the theoretical teaching is subordinate. But those who therefore discard the latter, saying it is not the way to enlightenment, and believe only in the former, have not yet understood the doctrine of Nichiren’s true intention. Theirs is a completely distorted view.

This doctrine concerning the theoretical and essential teachings is not my own [but was expounded by the Buddha]. Those who would distort it can only be possessed by the heavenly devil, or Pāpīyas, and will topple others along with themselves into the great citadel of the hell of incessant suffering. How foolish they are! Teach this doctrine to others clearly as I have taught you these many years. Those who call themselves my disciples and practice the Lotus Sutra should all practice as I do. If they do, Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, Shakyamuni’s emanations throughout the ten directions, and the ten demon daughters will protect them. Yet, for all that, [some people associated with Ōta Jōmyō distort the teaching]. I cannot fathom what could be in their minds."