Two medicines... Flomax 2x/day and Losartan 1x/day
Walgreens $75.00
Johnnies Hometown $25.00
Walgreens $75.00
Johnnies Hometown $25.00
Sunday, April 26, 2020
SOKA POWER LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF TSUGIO ISHIDA' ~ A 700 PAGE REMONSTRATION TO DAISAKU IKEDA
Shukan Shincho ~ 9/22/94
(Even though I am no longer with the SGI, in complete and total contrast to Yukio Maytsudo's otherwise excellent book "The Instant Enlightenment of Ordinary People: Nichiren Buddhism 2.0 for the 21st Century", I found this a truly shocking account of what the SGI is/has become, written by seemingly a sincere leader, Tsugio Ishida, who at one time was tipped under Toda as the future leader of the organisation... ! I would like to add this note since there's been so much controversy about exactly what happened after Toda died. The account held in the Human Revolution has been hugely disputed by several Gakkai members who were very active during Toda's tenure; especially regarding the events of when Daisaku Ikeda first met Toda ~ and exactly when the poem; "Emerging from the Earth was written"? This is a far more detailed version by someone few of us have ever heard of ~ indeed, the person who claims he was supposed to have been the Third President of the SGI! A fascinating read that smacks of authenticity although with frustration ~ but understandably so... - Murrysberg Bodhisattva
What's so strange about the SGI is the fact that, on one hand, you have the members' blindness and enthusiastic support, and yet, on the other hand, there is no end to the defections of those who have been in long service, as well as those who have been in Ikeda's entourage?
"The undemocratic methods of the "absolute monarch" Daisaku Ikeda are slowly coming to light ~ but among those who have defected ~ the absolute pioneer of such defectors would have to be Tsugio Ishida, the elder brother of Komeito Chairman Koushiro Ishida. At one time, Tsugio Ishida was the leading candidate ahead of Daisaku Ikeda to become the third president of the Soka Gakkai. He passed away in his bed in February 1992 at the age of 66
However, just before he died, he wrote an immense manuscript titled; "The Remonstration [Kangen-no-sho]".
One passage from Tsugio Ishida's manuscript reads;
"Ikeda never forgets to exact revenge against those under whom he has served in the past or those who have bullied him. He definitely exacts revenge. To get revenge is his unparalleled joy. That's because he has the heart of Ashura...
I cannot help but think that once the weight of Toda Sensei was removed, his Ashura nature, which is wholeheartedly anti- enlightenment, grew obese. His jealousy and suspicions, which are growing both inside and out, are the result of his ambition for retainers to supplant lords, as well as his Ashura nature. This is his strongest and greatest garbage that he holds in his bankrupt heart."
The "Toda Sensei" in the text refers to the Soka Gakkai's second president, Josei Toda. It goes without saying that the "Ikeda" Tsugio Ishida mentions refers to the current Soka Gakkai Honorary President Daisaku Ikeda. This manuscript, laced with fairly difficult to understand terms such as "the heart of Ashura" and "retainers supplanting lords," is a "remonstration" to Ikeda, a remonstration which Tsugio Ishida worked on continuously, irrespective of day or night, for three years before he passed away.
There are approximately 700 pages in the original manuscript, which finally saw the light of day, two and a half years after his death.
In October 1994, a group of former Gakkai members who dearly loved the elderly Ishida ~ and regularly came to listen to his lectures ~ published this immense manuscript at their own expense and present it to the world.
The late President Toda said of Tsugio Ishida;
"Ishida's my eldest son, Daisaku's my second son."
Tsugio Ishida was the elite of the elite in the Gakkai, and was nominated to be the third president ahead of Daisaku. According to the journalist Kunio Naito, who had profoundly intimate relations with the deceased, who stated the following;
"Tsugio's mother was the Soka Gakkai Women's Division Chief when Josei Toda was president. His younger sister is the wife of current President Einosuke Akiya. His younger brother, needless to say, is the current Komeito Party Chairman. The Ishida family is known as being far and away the most elite family within the Soka Gakkai. Among other things, after graduating from Shiura Engineering College (now called Shiura Engineering Institute), he was designated in 1951 by President Toda to be the first editor of the Seikyo Shinbun, and then the chief of the First Unit of the Youth Division. It's said that at an early age Tsugio Ishida was the leading candidate to succeed to the presidency. He was unsurpassed in study and theory, and no one within the Gakkai could compare with him from that standpoint."
Ishida was three years older than Daisaku Ikeda and enjoyed the deep trust of president Toda. After filling the above posts, he became the first Lower House Diet member, but he was obliged to recuperate from tuberculosis, and so Daisaku became the third president.
But it wasn't long before Tsugio Ishida revolted against Ikeda, successively filling the posts of the Komeito Shinbun, Managing Editor, and then the Managing Director of the Seikyo Shinbun ~ he drew a line between himself and Ikeda.
During that time, he lived quietly in Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture. He was a leading figure in the Soka Gakkai, who was one of the few to know about the early days of the Ikeda Soka Gakkai, revealing all just before he died in this immense "remonstration" to Daisaku Ikeda.
Desecration of the Teacher
"My husband said that he began to understand Buddhism when he turned fifty."
The person speaking in the quiet voice is Ishida's wife, Eiko (71).
Eiko herself is known as an elite who served as the Gakkai's first Young Women's Division Chief...
"When my husband was young, he was told by Toda Sensei that he (Tsugio Ishida) was going to be the third president, but at that time he didn't understand Buddhism very well, and had a weak constitution, so he declined. So Daisaku became president in place of my husband.
However, up until the time Daisaku became president, he seemingly held up my husband as his 'older brother,' but just after he became president, he openly attacked and ridiculed my husband in public. From then on my husband and Daisaku walked different paths ~ but from the time Daisaku made those counterfeit objects of worship in 1977, he began thinking he 'had to do something' about Daisaku."
Eiko says that at the very end of his life, Tsugio displayed an unearthly tenacity in writing this manuscript;
"My husband felt that the criticism of Daisaku which he was presenting to the world would not be understood immediately. He felt that he had to write it for the sake of the future 50 or 100 years hence.
When we were shopping or when we went for walks, the manuscript completely filled his thoughts. Whenever I started talking to him, he'd say, 'Be quiet,' or 'You're interrupting my thoughts.' He was often in front of his desk even in the middle of the night. In 1987 he had three- fourths of his stomach removed because of a stomach ulcer, so afterwards, he could not be sure about when his body would fail him. His sole desire was to get the manuscript into shape as soon as possible, so he worked with all his strength."
The finished document was a 700-page posthumous manuscript. Ishida is said to have been an exacting theorist for the Gakkai. His writing, as shown in the opening paragraph of this article, overflows throughout with difficult to understand Buddhist terms, but he unceasingly denounces the haughty attitude of Ikeda, who created counterfeit objects of worship and displays an arrogant attitude toward the sect in a manner unbecoming to a man of religion.
Tsugio Ishida wrote;
"Ikeda made eight counterfeit objects of worship (So far, at least eight that have been confirmed). The creation of counterfeit objects of worship can only be done by one whose heart has deviated away from Nichiren Shoshu. It is definitely a tremendous backslide (taiten)... Except for those done by another sect, for seven hundred years there are no examples of believers themselves making counterfeit Nichiren Shoshu objects of worship."
He further stated;
"Ikeda completely bullied Nittatsu Shonin, who was in a relatively weaker position, by making him dependent upon Ikeda's power and money. An intelligence network surrounded the High Priest without interruption 24 hours a day. They were watching for the High Priest's weaknesses and opportunities they could exploit. The goal was to control the sect. Even proceeds which should have gone to the Head Temple were dammed up and siphoned away from all the priests under the High Priest. Listening devices were installed in the inner recesses of Taisekiji, and the High Priest himself discovered them quite by chance when he placed his hands under a table and touched one of them....
Once Ikeda arrogantly shouted at the High Priest, and the High Priest, his body trembling, said;
"He treated me just like an errand boy!"
Nittatsu Shonin was at once insulted, angry and sad.... Such is the true nature of Ikeda's faith."
Daisaku despised the sect in a way totally unbecoming of a believer. Ishida censures him for this with his vehement writing style. In addition, Ishida indicates that Daisaku directed that attitude not only toward the sect, but also at the family of second president Josei Toda, to whom he should have felt a profound debt of gratitude;
"Within ten days of the death of our honoured teacher, Josei Toda, Ikeda proceeded to the Toda home, and without handing over the condolence gift of a little over $100,000 which he had taken with him, he took from Ikuko, the wife of Toda Sensei, various articles which had belonged to Toda Sensei. Among those items, he borrowed the long samurai sword which had been in the possession of Toda Sensei."
However, afterwards, that sword was displayed as a priceless treasure of the Soka Gakkai;
"The explanatory note read, 'This is the sword which President Ikeda received from Toda Sensei while Toda Sensei was alive.'"
That is not the only desecration against his teacher;
"Ikeda created unnecessary cemeteries here and there throughout the country.... These cemeteries reeked of spiritual fraud, but in imitation of the monuments to the Three Masters, each time a cemetery was created, there would definitely and arbitrarily be created tombs for the three presidents, Makiguchi, Toda and Ikeda. These were created quite arbitrarily by him. The Makiguchi and Toda families were unable to decline their being built. Ikeda would then request cemetery plot maintenance fees from the Makiguchi and Toda families for those monuments....
Ikeda is not only a troubling existence for both of those families, but he has also employed high-pressure salesmanship against both those families in regard to the path of Master and Disciple, in which he himself is the Master....
Essentially, he used both of those families according to his own situation. What he has done is like ordering that 'The foot be moulded to fit the shoe.'"
In this posthumous manuscript, Ishida thoroughly censures the attitude of Daisaku, whom his teacher never considered to be a teacher;
"Toda's Last Will and Testament Is a Fabrication"
However, the highlight of this manuscript is the passage which deals with the "forged last request" put forth by Daisaku when he was chosen to become the third president.
Ikeda said that on March 16, 1958, he was told by President Josei Toda in an elevator;
"I leave everything to you."
In the same manner, he says that on the 29th of the same month, he was told by President Toda just before the latter's death;
"Don't retreat a single step. Don't loosen your grip on the chase."
At the present time, this is presented as the "authentic history" of the Gakkai. In juxtaposition to that, Ishida gives the following account;
"The last request which I received occurred just before 4:00 p.m. on March 16, 1958. Toda said;
"The next president will be determined by all of you. So be on good terms with each other."
All of the attendees received this with feelings of total confidentiality. This was received not just by me myself but there were also just under 50 people in attendance, including General Director Koizumi.
All of these people were attendees of the party held in celebration of the completion of the Grand Lecture Hall. Ikeda, as the Chief of Staff, was responsible for outside (on the grounds) and was not present.
The above meeting took place in the tatami mat hall on the fourth floor of the Grand Lecture Hall....
If events had happened according to Ikeda's account, then Toda Sensei would have deceived the General Director, the Directors, the Chapter Chiefs, the Standing Committee members, the Women's Division Chief, and the Young Men's and Young Women's Division Chiefs. Think about it.
Could such an important matter concerning the entire Gakkai have been conducted within an elevator? That would be horrifying to everyone, would it not?"
Ishida concludes that topic with his comments concerning the "last will and testament (of Josei Toda)" of March 29;
"On the 18th, High Priest Nichijun Shonin paid a visit to Toda Sensei's sickbed.... (Toda Sensei) was unable to answer the High Priest. The visit lasted for 30 minutes, and all during that time, he was capable only of repeatedly responding with 'Hai, hai' ('I understand, I understand'). And that was done with only the weakest of voices....
After March 20th, he was incapable of rising from his bed, even with the help of others. His physical condition declined precipitously, and he was unable to speak....
In spite of that, how is it that around that time he could twice draw only Ikeda close to his bedside? How did Ikeda twice receive voiced directions from Sensei, who was incapable of speech? What did he do? Hear Sensei's voiceless speech with the ears in his mind?... It's all a fabrication."
Ishida affirms that;
"Ikeda fabricated the last will and testament of his Master."
We have related previously how those two were rivals for the position of the third presidency. But even beyond that, Ishida was in a position to give guidance within the Gakkai from the standpoint of theory.
In juxtaposition to this, Daisaku rose from being a "claims collector" for the financial companies President Toda managed, and was part of an "actual practice" faction. Aside from that, they had completely different dispositions.
But Ishida came to look coldly upon Daisaku, who had designs for the presidency regardless of appearances;
"Toda Sensei said, 'Don't take money.' This was the thrifty philosophy of someone concerned with financial administration and financial relief carried out on a nationwide basis. Zaimu [financial affairs] members were limited to one-tenth of the total membership....
Ikeda is a 'Buddha' who chooses to manage affairs according to his own convenience....
Evidence of this are his nice promises that, 'If you bring me money and valuables, then your good fortune will increase,' and 'If you value what you send to me, then your good fortune will increase.' But, is that true?....
Toda Sensei said, 'The Gakkai will eternally advance in poverty.' But Ikeda reads that statement as, 'The Gakkai will eternally advance in opulence.'
It seems that Ikeda doesn't understand in the least the true intention behind those statements."
In this way, Ishida criticizes the fact that Daisaku is covered with money;
"Three years ago, in my neighbourhood, there was an executive leader with a tragic story. Immediately after giving $10,000, which was all the money he had, he became sick and had no money with which to enter a hospital. It is said; 'Anger understands both evil and virtue.' Become one hundred times angrier, my friend! Those who gave $10,000 should become a hundred times angrier. Those who gave $20,000 should be two hundred times angrier....
Why hasn't Ikeda ever said to those who bring him money and valuables, 'If you have money and valuables to bring to me, offer them to a temple instead.'?
Local leaders (from Saitama Prefecture) once took President Toda some delicious whisky. Right before their very eyes, he threw it out the window of the President's room, and after scolding them, proceeded to give them guidance. Where has Toda Sensei's spirit gone?"
Sometimes in his posthumous work, Ishida kindly admonishes his junior, Daisaku Ikeda. There Is No Freedom within the Soka Gakkai. In addition, with a reverse stroke of his sword, Ishida slices through Komeito's problem of the union of Church and State.
"In the Gakkai, there is no freedom of propagation and no freedom to refuse Ikeda's guidance. There is also no freedom when it comes to 'Master and Disciple.'...
In addition, for the Gakkai general members, there are no voting freedoms. To support a party other than Komeito is no good. Furthermore, there is no freedom of behaviour (because of the restrictions the organization places upon one's time), and there is also no freedom concerning one's disbursements."
"Komeito continues to censure the LDP, pointing to its money- soaked elections. But let's look into the facts. In Japan, which political party has the highest unit cost per each successful candidate and, moreover, makes individuals of other parties one's private property?...
It is Komeito which is money-soaked, with its fees for newspapers and magazines, secret supplies of election funds, gifts and expenses for food, travel and communications. When these and everything else are all totalled, they have the highest unit cost for each successful candidate. They rely 100% upon financial influence."
In this 700-page manuscript written just before his death, Ishida discusses everything from Daisaku's character to the problem of the union of Church and State. At times, he injects humour, and at times, he is extremely harsh. Drawing a comparison with six influential philosophers in central India during the lifetime of Shakyamuni Buddha, he likens Daisaku to the "six non-Buddhist teachers" and concludes that he is a "fraudulent spiritual teacher."
According to the Gakkai PR Department;
"Ishida left the Gakkai and is someone who, in Buddhist terminology, went taiten. Such a person will say various things, and these are always limited to how things should have been done in accordance with his own ideas. The Gakkai has a sixty-year history, and the organization still continues to expand. We have no intention of responding one by one to those who have gone taiten."
On the surface, the Gakkai assumes an attitude of indifference.
However, the journalist Isao Dan interviewed Ishida during his lifetime and divulges his thoughts;
"I've heard that Ishida's 'last will and testament' has come out, but this is the first time I've actually seen it. He gives many knowledgeable descriptions, but he accompanies the episodes that appear throughout with the dates. They are authentic. Isn't it only appropriate for the Gakkai to be quaking? Fifteen years ago, I met with Ishida while he was recuperating from an illness. At first, he denied having any information, but when I went to see him a second time, he had data about which he displayed a defiant attitude, saying, 'Would you care to debate this with me?!' He was as skinny as a crane, but his eyes truly sparkled.
The interview lasted for five hours, but I recall him saying, 'Ikeda doesn't study Buddhism at all,' 'Ikeda's theories are no good,' and 'His specialty lies in mobilizing people.'
At the end of the interview, he said, 'Write this after I die. It'Il be my last will and testament,' so I never published it anywhere until after Ishida passed away.
However, he must have said that to me because he was assiduously writing a true 'last will and testament.'
This is truly priceless material."
In the last years of his life, Ishida, whom the Gakkai regards as having gone taiten, had no contact with his younger brother Koushiro Ishida, the Komeito Party chairman. Chairman Ishida and their younger sister, the wife of President Akiya, did not attend their elder brother's funeral. Why is there no end to the people who are alienated from Ikeda, who is supposed to be a "living Buddha?" It is certain that upon reading Ishida's posthumous manuscript, one will understand the answer to that."
Reposted in October 2018
The Instant Enlightenment of Ordinary People: Nichiren Buddhism 2.0 for the 21st Century
What is Ichinen Sanzen (3000 Worlds in a Moment of Life)?
In the Latter Day it is Namu Myoho renge kyo and Gohonzon. This is Actual Ichinen Sanzen, 3000 Worlds in a Moment of Life is Theoretical Ichinen Sanzen.
Theoretical Ichinen Sanzen:
Three Thousand Realms (or Worlds) In a Momentary Existence of Life
Each of the Ten Realms [Hell, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Humanity, Rapture, Learning, Self Realization, Bodhisattva, and Buddha] is manifest from moment to moment and contains Ten Realms which are latent. This makes One Hundred Realms. Each of the One Hundred Realm contains Ten Factors (appearance, nature, entity, power, influence, internal cause, relation, latent effect, manifest effect, and their consistency from beginning to end). This makes One Thousand Realms. Each Realm also contains the Three Principles of Individuation [the Realm of the Individual, the Realm of the Society of Beings and the Realm of the Environment. This makes Three Thousand Realms.
In general, a Bodhisattva [selfless being] manifests primarily Bodhisattva from moment to moment and always quickly returns to Bodhisattva when manifesting one of the other realms. The Bodhisattva has the Appearance, Nature, Entity, Power, Influence, Cause, Condition, Latent Effect, Manifest Effect, and Consistency from Beginning to End of a Bodhisattva. Both the society or collection of beings in which the Bodhisattva resides and the environment [land] of the Bodhisattva manifest predominantly the Realm of Bodhisattva.
In general, a cat manifests primarily Animality from moment to moment and always quickly returns to Animality when manifesting one of the other realms. The cat has the Appearance, Nature, Entity, Power, Influence, Cause, Condition, Latent Effect, Manifest Effect, and Consistency from Beginning to End of an animal. Both the society or collection of beings in which the cat resides and the environment of the cat manifest predominantly the Realm of Animality.
A Bodhisattva will manifest Animality for periods of time when, for example, he experiences the urge to sleep or defecate. A cat will manifest Bodhisattva for periods of time when, for example, it acts selflessly towards its kittens or its owner.
Tientai asserted that every being has the potential to elevate its central life tendency [or the Realm or Realms to which it gravitates] through the principle of Ichinen Sanzen. For example, a cat can create the causes and conditions for Bodhisattva by either very strongly [for a moment] or habitually acting selflessly. Intent, according to Tientai, is far less important than actuality or suchness in elevating [or lowering] one's central life tendency.
The practice advocated by Tientai was meditation directed towards perceiving the Three Thousand Realms In a Momentary Existence of Life. He recited the title of the Lotus Sutra ten thousand times a day for his personal practice but since the time and the people's capacity were not ripe for the widespread propagation of the principle practice of the Lotus Sutra, he refrained from advocating this practice for others.
Actual Ichinen Sanzen:
Nichiren Daishonin taught Actual Ichinen Sanzen or one moment of exceptionally profound faith and joy in Namu Myoho renge kyo and its continuous recollection is itself Buddhahood.
More on Ichinen Sanzen:
In This Latter Age, People Principally Cycle through the Lower Six Worlds.
Question: How can that be? Tientai describes Three Thousand Worlds In a Momentary Existence of Life [Ichinen Sanzen]?
Answer: Ichinen Sanzen is a “non-random generator” but appears to the unenlightened as a random generator. From moment to moment, any one of the Three Thousand Worlds may manifest but not randomly. This is akin to the non-random generator of a slot machine which appears to the slot player as random. The slot machine, like Ichinen Sanzen, is set for most pulls [moments] to lead to no return on the money (Hell), little return on the money (Hunger, Animality, Anger, Tranquility, and Rapture), some return on the money (Learning and Self Realization), a small jackpot (Bodhisattva), and the super jackpot (Buddha). We set the non-random generator of Ichinen Sanzen though our thoughts, words, and deeds, just as the engineer sets the non-random generator of the slot machine with his knowledge of physics. The functioning of the non-random generator of our Three Thousand Worlds from moment to moment is determined by the Law of Myoho renge kyo [cause and effect] while the functioning of the non-random generator of the slot machine is determined by the Law of physics.
It is as rare to continuously hit the super jackpot pull after pull as it is to continuously manifest Buddhahood from moment to moment. However, one may continuously hit the super jackpot if one has a powerful properly configured electromagnetic device attached to the slot machine which alters the generator of the machine [making it always come up super jackpot]. In like manner, chanting Namu Myoho renge kyo with a correct faith can alter the generator of Ichinen Sanzen so many or all of our life moments come up Buddhahood. Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter of the Lotus Sutra is an example of one who has manifested Buddhahood since the infinite past. Nichiren Daishonin also strung together many moments of Buddhahood which will carry over into the next life. We too are able to string together many moments of Buddhahood through a correct faith and practice of the Lotus Sutra.
Another reason the Buddhist faith is far superior than the Christian faith and a rebuttal of Pascal's Wager
Pascal's Wager from Wikipedia:
"It posits that humans bet with their lives that God either exists or does not.
Pascal argues that a rational person should live as though God exists and seek to believe in God. If God does not actually exist, such a person will have only a finite loss (some pleasures, luxury, etc.), whereas if God does exist, he stands to receive infinite gains (as represented by eternity in Heaven) and avoid infinite losses (eternity in Hell).[2]"
Here is a complete rebuttal of Pascal's Wager by Frederick Bentz:
Point 5:
"An example of a widespread atheist view on life after death is the Buddist belief in reincarnation. Personally I would suggest that this is the bet that gets the most gain, since it lets you play again, and again, and again... for eternity.
Theists may say that the gain from heaven is greater than the gain from life on earth, so their faith is a better bet than belief in reincarnation. But they miss the point that living for eternity will give you infinite gain as long as the gain is positive, because infinity times any positive number is still infinity. Even infinity times infinity is still infinity, so the only possibility that would give theists better gain than Buddists is if the gain from life on earth is negative or exactly zero. Therefore you have to detest life and the world for the argument to be valid."
I might add, from the most enlightened perspective, this world is the Buddha's land:
"The masses of beings see the kalpas * exhausted,
When they are burned by the great fires;
This land of mine is peaceful and secure;
Gods and humans ever fill it. Gardens
and forests and various halls and pavilions,
With various types of jewels adorned; On the
jewelled trees many flowers and fruit, Wherein
the masses of beings take their pleasure
and rejoice. The gods strike the celestial drums,
Ever making instrumental music.
Raining mandara flowers. Scattering them
Over the Buddha and the great assemblies.
Though My Pure Land is not destroyed,
Yet the masses see it burned up,
Worrisome fears and agonizing sufferings
And such things all filling it up. These
beings of various sins, Because of the causes
and conditions of their evil karma, Though
they pass through asemkheyas** of kalpas,
Do not hear the name of the Three Jewels***.
Those who have performed merit,
Who are gentle and pliant, simple and upright,
Then all see my body.
Staying here, preaching the Dharma.
Sometimes for these masses I preach the
Buddha's Life is immeasurable. To those who
see the Buddha only after a long time, I preach
for them the Buddha is difficult to encounter.
The power of My Wisdom is like this;
The illumination of the Light of My Wisdom is
immeasurable; My Lifespan is immeasurable
kalpas; It is what I obtained by performing the
karmas**** for a long time. You those who have
wisdom, Do not produce doubts about this. You
should cut them off and cause them to end forever:
The Buddha's Words are true and not empty." - Lotus Sutra Chapter 16
*Kalpas: ~ 15,000,000 years
**Asemkheyas: many quintillians
*** Three Jewels in Nichiren Lotus Sutra Buddhism: Law of Namu Myoho renge kyo; Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter; Enlightened priests or more generally, the followers of the Eternal Buddha
****Karmas: Buddhist practices to save the masses of being
*Kalpas: ~ 15,000,000 years
**Asemkheyas: many quintillians
*** Three Jewels in Nichiren Lotus Sutra Buddhism: Law of Namu Myoho renge kyo; Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter; Enlightened priests or more generally, the followers of the Eternal Buddha
****Karmas: Buddhist practices to save the masses of being
Saturday, April 25, 2020
Creating the Buddha's Land here on earth through a political transformation
https://www.academia.edu/5561693/Political_Interpretations_of_the_Lotus_Sutra?auto=download
Contrary to the fine thesis by Mark Shields, Nichiren believed that the only way to create the Buddha's Land is to convert a powerful, compassionate Wheel Rolling King who is one of the Four Great Bodhisattvas and to have Enlightened Priests as his high ministers.
"The present ruler of Japan is in a position to do the same. If he will put his faith in this great pure Law, which assures its believers of “peace and security in their present existence and good circumstances in future existences,” and propagate it throughout the nation, then he will be looked up to by the people of all the provinces, and his name will be handed down in later ages as that of a worthy man. Indeed, he may come to be regarded as a manifestation of Bodhisattva Boundless Practices. And the wise man who works to propagate the five characters of the Mystic Law, no matter how lowly his station, should be looked upon as a manifestation of Bodhisattva Superior Practices, or perhaps as an envoy of Shakyamuni Thus Come One.
The bodhisattvas Medicine King, Medicine Superior, Perceiver of the World’s Sounds, and Great Power, on the other hand, were envoys of the Buddha during the two thousand years of the Former and Middle Days of the Law. Because their turn has already passed, they can no longer benefit people as they did in those ancient times. Just observe what happens when prayers are offered to them at present! All such prayers go unanswered. Now, in the Latter Day of the Law, it is the turn of the bodhisattvas Superior Practices, Boundless Practices, and the others." - How Those Initially Aspiring to the Way Can Attain Buddhahoodthrough theLotus Sutra
"Know this: in the time for the practice of shakubuku the four bodhisattvas appear as worthy rulers who rebuke and convert ignorant rulers, and in the time for the practice of shōju they appear as priests to embrace and spread the correct teaching." - The True Object of Worship
The Bodhisattvas of the Earth 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 and the supreme leader is Jogyo Nichiren. Each of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth represent one of the Four Virtues of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth: Jogyo, Superior, or Emminent Conduct (Nichiren) represents True or Unconditioned Self; Muhengyo or Boundless Practices represents Eternity; Anrugyo or Firmly Established Practices represents Joy; and Jyogyo or Pure Practices represents Purity, As we see, the leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth are most often born as Wheel Turning Kings. We could sure use one today!
Not the slightest doubt
"Shakyamuni Buddha is like the one moon in the sky, and the various other Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and beings are like the reflections floating on ten thousand different bodies of water."
Friday, April 24, 2020
Soka Gakkai and Nichiren Shoshu have a reduced effect of Enlightenment.
"If you embrace the Lotus Sutra, you will become a Buddha in your present form." -- Nichiren
Nichiren states,
"There will be those who are like milkmaids who sell milk and, greedy for greater profit, dilute it with two parts of water.... [A person who wants to buy the milk will say], ‘The milk is greatly diluted with water.’... At that time this sutra will be widely propagated throughout Jambudvīpa. 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... 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.”
In embracing the Guru mentor or High Priest (Shingon), one dilutes his or her faith in the Lotus Sutra and reduces the effect.
Go ahead, ask about the meaning of the Lotus Sutra. It will be a source of our good fortune according to Nichiren
"FOR you to inquire about the Lotus Sutra and ask its meaning is a rare source of good fortune. In this age of the Latter Day of the Law, those who ask about the meaning of even one phrase or verse of the Lotus Sutra are far fewer than those who can hurl Mount Sumeru to another land like a stone, or those who can kick the major world system away like a ball. They are even fewer than those who can embrace and teach countless other sutras, thereby enabling the monks and lay believers who listen to them to obtain the six transcendental powers. Equally rare is a priest who can explain the meaning of the Lotus Sutra and resolve people’s doubts concerning it. The “Treasure Tower” chapter in the fourth volume of the Lotus Sutra sets forth the important principle of the six difficult and nine easy acts. Your asking a question about the Lotus Sutra is among the six difficult acts. This is a sure indication that, if you embrace the Lotus Sutra, you will become a Buddha in your present form."
Why do people forge Gosho and Gohonzon and attribute them to Nichiren ?
In order to ensure that their Gosho and Gohonzon are reverenced with sufficient loftiness, they attribute them to Nichiren. Sometimes also, in order to win a debate and more often, especially in the case of the Nichiren Shoshu, to amass believers and donations. Lastly, in order to destroy True Buddhism (Jesuits).
For the intellectual Bodhisattva
A Medieval Japanese Reading of the Mo-ho chih-kuan* Placing the Kanko ruijii** in Historical Context
In this thesis by Paul Groner, we see the root of the Fuji sects' (Soka Gakkai and Nichiren Shoshu's) mistaken doctrines
*Great Concentration and Insight
** Interpretation of Tientai's Great Concentration and Insight
In summary, much of SGI/NST doctrine is based on the Kanko ruijji, a forged Medieval Original Enlightenment text just as their "theology" revolves around the forged texts of Nichiren.
"A most pitiful performance" - Nichiren Daishonin
"It is like, for example, a mere commoner who goes about proclaiming that he is a king. There is nothing to stop him from declaring himself to be a king. But no matter how his tongue may delight in making such a declaration, he remains no more than a commoner, humble and despised in station.
Or it is like someone insisting that mere shards and rubble are in fact jewels. Simply declaring that stones and shards are jewels has never once turned stones into real jewels. And you are doing the same thing when you go on repeating the formula “This very body is the Buddha,” mere words that have no reality behind them, a most pitiful performance!" -- Nichiren
He was talking about the Zenmen but he might as well have been speaking about Soka Gakkai members who go about claiming, "we are all Buddhas, I am a Buddha."
He was talking about the Zenmen but he might as well have been speaking about Soka Gakkai members who go about claiming, "we are all Buddhas, I am a Buddha."
Since Soka Gakkai members, for the most part, are persons of benighted comprehension who lack learning, they will not listen to reason
"You should keep using their own words again and again in this fashion to drive them into a corner. However, since they lack all learning, they will not listen to reason. They cannot understand the reasoning of others, nor do they understand the flaws in their own reasoning; they are persons of benighted comprehension. And since they refuse to bow to reason, addressing them is like trying to paint a picture on flowing water." - Nichiren
"Now go watch an Ikeda video marathon."
“Now , when the Eternal Buddha was revealed in the essential section of the Lotus Sutra, this world of endurance (Saha-world) became the Eternal Pure Land, indestructible even by the three calamities of conflagration, flooding, and strong winds, which are said to destroy the world. It transcends the four periods of cosmic change: the kalpa of construction, continuance, destruction and emptiness. Sakyamuni Buddha, the Lord-preacher of this pure land, has never died in the past, nor will He be born in the future. He exists forever throughout the past present and future. All those who receive His GUIDANCE are one with this Eternal Buddha.” -- The True Object of Worship
“Since Sakyamuni Buddha is eternal and all other Buddhas in the universe are his manifestations, then those great bodhisattvas converted by manifested Buddhas are also disciples of Lord Sakyamuni Buddha. If the “Life Span of the Buddha” chapter had not been expounded, it would be like the sky without the sun and moon, a country without a king, mountains and rivers without gems, or a man without a soul. nevertheless, seemingly knowledgeable men of such provisional schools of Buddhism as Ch’eng-kuan of the Hua-yen, Chia-hsiang of the San-lun, Tz’u-en of the Fa-hsiang, and Kobo of the shingon tried to extoltheir own canons by stating: “The Lord of the Flower Garland Sutra represents the reward-body (hojin) of the Buddha wheras that of the Lotus Sutra the accomodative body (ojin);” or “the Buddha in the sixteenth chapter of the Lotus is an Illusion; it is the great Sun Buddha who is enlightened.” clouds cover the moon and slanderers hide wise men. When people slander, ordinary yellow rocks appear to be of gold and slanderers seem to be wise. Scholars in this age of decay, blinded by slanderous words, do not see the value of a gold in the “Lifespan of the Buddha” chapter. Even among men of the Tendai school some are fooled into taking a yellow rock for gold. They should know that if Sakyamuni had not been the Eternal Buddha, there could not have been so many who received GUIDANCE from Him.” -- The Opening of the Eyes
Lyrics for the Lotus Sutra song.
http://www.dharmacowboys.com/media/01%20Our%20Hero.mp3
Our Hero (aka the Lotus Sutra Song) Words by Greg Fain
There’s a book called the Lotus Sutra, you really oughta know about
A holy book that has the power to remove all fear and doubt
And this book tells the story of a man who means the world to me
Who could just as well’ve been a woman If not for male hegemony
They call him the Bodhisattva Never Disparage,
or the Bodhisattve Never Despise
And I’m makin’ it my life’s ambition
to see the world through his pure eyes
And he says
Chorus:
I would never disparage you or keep you at arm’s length
Where you only see your weaknesses, I only see your strength
I would never despise you or put you down in any way
Because it’s clear to me
I can plainly see
You’ll be a buddha someday
I love you
Now Bodhisattva Never Disparaging lived countless kalpas in the past
In a time of the Counterfeit Dharma,
and he was something of an outcast
Because the monks and nuns of his time were noted for their arrogance and vanity
And these were the folks who exercised great power and authority
But my boy never concerned himself if they treated him like a freak
He’d just bow to everybody equally and these are the words he’d speak
Chorus
I would never disparage you or keep you at arm’s length
Where you only see your weaknesses, I only see your strength
I would never despise you or put you down in any way
Because it’s clear to me
I can plainly see
You’ll be a buddha someday
I love you
He never read or recited the scriptures much
He only liked to practice respect
But the monks and nuns of his time didn’t meet it like you’d might expect Instead they cursed him and reviled him and they wished that he would go Because they all had self-esteem issues, like most everyone else I know
They beat him and pelted him with clubs and stones,
and they tried to drive him away
But he’d just run off to a safe distance
And then he’d turn around and say
Chorus
I would never disparage you or keep you at arm’s length
Where you only see your weaknesses, I only see your strength
I would never despise you or put you down in any way
Because it’s clear to me
I can plainly see
You’ll be a buddha someday
I love you
And so it went on for years and years
He was the target of scorn and abuse
Yet still our hero shed no tears nor did he ever wonder what’s the use
Until it reached the end of his natural lifespan and he laid down fixin’ to die
And then he heard the Holy Lotus Sutra being preached up in the sky
And his life was extended for millions of years and he’s livin’ to this day
And in the pages of the Lotus Sutra, you still can hear him say
Chorus
I would never disparage you or keep you at arm’s length
Where you only see your weaknesses, I only see your strength
I would never despise you or put you down in any way
Because it’s clear to me
I can plainly see
You’ll be a buddha someday
I love you
" you are a very very nasty man".
An SGI member responds to my ten part series on The Opening of the Eyes, one of Nichiren Daishonin's most important writings...
Dear Mr. Rogow,
Dear Mr. Rogow,
"It is now perfectly clear to me that you don’t understand the first thing about Buddha’ Way as it is practiced by any sect or by anybody seeking the Way to end the suffering of humankind by any paramita, let alone the painstaking trials that the great Nichiren Daishonin had endured. You are fickle, confused, and a very, very nasty man."
good day sir
SGI member
Unknown top senior leader goes for guidance
Unknown: Hello Rejicho. So good to see you again. How is Sensei's health?
Rejicho Straus: Sensei is marvelous...truly marvelous. Three weeks ago, when I was in Japan, I heard how vigorous he was and in robust health and Kaneko too. How can I help you?
Unknown: Do you know Mark Rogue?
Rejicho: Can't say that I do.
Unknown: He is that wackadoodle who has a Nichiren Lotus Sutra Buddhism blog. He is also anti-Soka Gakkai...
Rejicho: and...you have been talking to him..?
Unknown: Yes. I challenged him to a debate.
Rejicho: How many followers does he have?
Unknown: He has 73 followers.
Rejicho: That's all?
Unknown: Yes.
Rejicho: Don't dirty your hands. It is a lose lose situation. Even if you win, he gains status debating a top senior leader and if you lose, it will be even worse.
Unknown: I remember what Sensei said about those with an aversion to debate. I also remember what Nichiren said about debating an emperor or a demon to prove the righteousness of True Buddhism.
Rejicho: that was then and this is now. Do NOT debate him!
Unknown: HAI
Soka Gakkai members...did you know?
Nichikan believed in and taught the sovereignty of the High Priest of Nichiren Shoshu. Were you to research the writings of Nichikan, you would learn of the depraved mind and character of the transcriber of your Gohonzon. This might destroy your faith in the mentor who chose Nichikan's inferior object of veneration for you. Follow the Law not the person!
I hope all my precious readers remain healthy and in good spirits.
"Namu Myoho renge kyo is like the roar of a lion. What sickness can therefore be an obstacle?"
I am chanting for all of you, especially the enemies of the Lotus Sutra.
Thursday, April 23, 2020
DOMINATING TRADITION: SOKA GAKKAI AND THE. CREATION OF HISTORY by Levi McLaughlin with commentary
https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/12949/1/MQ DOMINATING TRADITION: SOKA GAKKAI AND THE. CREATION OF HISTORY with commentary
"All written works of previous presidents have been rewritten by their successors and any mention in the previous president's works of a possible successor, if there was any, have been omitted. All of the literature that connotes approval of the leader has been created ex post facto by the leader himself.
This is another example of domination. By rewriting history, the leader demonstrates his dominance over it. The figure of the previous leader, who was once dominant in the leadercs life is now controlled by the once dominated current president. By confirming through rewritten history that everything the current president is doing is enlightened and worthy, the current leader and author of the new history is co-opting the eminent figure of the dead leader into a subservient role.
It is possible to veiw this behaviour as a type of retribution for the years of his own subservience. Now that the dominant figure is dead, he, or at least his public persona, can be used and manipulated by his replacement."
'I served Mr Toda night and day, Daisaku, he used to say...(anything I want him to say)'
And so the worm turns...that's the game now with Daisaku himself. Years of being dominated, berated and publicly humiliated for the likes of Mr Harada & Mr Wada et al, will come to fruition, so they hope - they bided their time and now it's payback time. And the genius is that they don't even have to step into the spotlight.
All they need to do is stay out of sight behind the curtain, pulling the strings of the Ikeda puppet they have created (probably since mid 2000's - that's when the tone and language of "Daisaku's" lectures becomes different, more overtly directive and authoritarian). That's when the videos started to appear outside Japan.
They can make him say anything they want him to say, dance to any tune they want him to dance to. They can use his charisma and presence, that they themselves lack, to ride the meal ticket that he's provided to a comfortable, easy life.
They don't even really have to worry about the waning memory of a man faded from the spotlight. Someone elses problem. In 50 years or less, Daisaku will be a dim memory unless they can somehow mythologise him into a more eternal figure that a wider audience want to buy.
But these guys are old and likely quite selfish. Who cares if it all unravels after they're dead, so long as they've got their pensions paid and maybe stuff that's fallen into their laps?
The SGI faithful have no idea what's going to hit them, especially the younger ones who believed all the eternal mentor and glorious organisation with a noble mission stuff.
They'll still be alive when the scandals that nobody is particularly bothered about hushing up anymore start hitting. The unedifying sight of people scrapping over the remaining spoils and trying to deflect the blame. That's going to be a nasty shock for the sincere but gullible and naieve.
Unfortunately, the current puppet masters didn't bank in toto. No wonder a sense of panic and urgency has crept in of late. It can't unravel now...not now...not just yet...lool but it is. Too late.
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