"It is not their own strength that allows them to do these things."

Now as far to Julian's contention about how On Attaining Buddhahood deviates from the Nichiren faith, let us look at several passagea from authentic Gosho that can be placed in contradististinction to the passage cited: 

"Demonstrating ten great mystic powers the Buddha  transferred Namu Myoho renge Kyo to the four great bodhisattvas" (Ibid pg 77) 

Somebody transferred something to you Julian. As much as you wish to think it is the power of your own efforts, there is one cause and one effect that only Shakyamuni Buddha was capable of extracting through his own efforts..... Myoho renge kyo. 

 "People can attain Buddhahood in two ways: By meeting the Buddha and hearing the Lotus Sutra, or by believing in the sutra even though they do not  meet the Buddha." 

   

You don't really believe the Lotus Sutra Julian. You defer to the commentaries rather than to the Sutra itself. 

         . 

"The Juryo chapter reads: "The time is limitless and boundless -- a hundred thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand nayuta aeons since I in fact attained Buddhahood." Present within our lives is the Lord Shakyamuni who obtained the three enlightened properties of life before gohyaku-jintengo, the original Buddha since time without beginning." 

Sorry Julian, not you or Ikeda or your members or your leaders are this buddha. you can continue to announce it till you are blue in the face or continue to deprecate the messengers of the Nichiren faith on these boards but you are just fashioning the shackles that will prevent you from receiving the fruit of the Buddha's teachings. 

"You who are my disciples, take this to heart! The Bodhisattvas of the Earth were the first disciples of Lord Shakyamuni when he attained enlightenment in the remotest past, yet they were not faithful to him in India" 

   

Why are we disciples of the Original Buddha Shakyamuni and no one else and not the other way around? Why don't you think about it?  If we were Perfectly Enlightened, of what use would we have for a master? Of what use did Nichiren have for a master if he were Perfectly Enlightened? 

"Shakyamuni is the original teacher for all people as well as their soverign and their parent" (MW vol 1, Admonitions Against Slander, pg 166) 

"Shakyamuni is the father, soverign and teacher of all other Buddhas and all gods, of the whole assembly of men and heavenly beings and of all sentient beings." (MW vol 1, Letter to Nikke, pg 257) 

"But because of this book by Horen, this Senchaku Shu, the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni is forgotten." (MW vol 2, Rissho Ankoku Ron, pg 23) 

"One should know that the Enlightened One, the Buddha, is a Great Teacher for all living beings, a Great Eye for them, a Great Pillar, a Great Helmsman, a Great Field of Plenty." (MW vol 2, Opening of the Eyes, pg 77) 

"The doctrines that the Buddha taught over a period of fifty years number eighty thousand...The eight years during which he preached the Lotus Sutra he called the time when he 'now must reveal the truth'. Thus Taho Buddha came forth from the earth to testify that 'All that you have expounded is the truth,' and the Buddhas that are emanations of the Original Buddha gathered together and extended their tongues up to the Brahma-heaven in testimony." (MW vol 2, Ibid, pg 79) 

"The Buddhas of the ten directionss gathered in assembly, Shakyamuni Buddha announced that 'all of these are emanations of my being." (MW vol 2, Ibid, pg 141) 

 "When Shakyamuni Buddha revealed that he had gained enlightenment in the far distant past and had since then been constantly in the world it became apparent that all the other Buddhas were emanations of Shakyamuni." (MW vol 2, Ibid, pg 149) 

"Since the Buddha of the Juryo chapter is revealed as the eternal Buddha, it follows that the great bodisattvas such as Monju and Miroku and the great bodisattvas from other realms are in fact disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha." (MW vol 2, Ibid, pg 150) 

 We are emanations and disciples of Lord Shakyamuni. Why? Think about it. 

"All these beings are discples of Shakyamuni Buddha.  Since the various Buddhas themselves are emanations of Shakyamuni Buddha, it goes without saying that their disciples must be disciples of Shakyamuni.  And of course the various decties of the sun, moon and stars, who have dwelt in the world from countless ages in the past must likewise be disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha." (MW vol 2, Ibid, pg 152) 

  

 Ditto. 

"The Lotus Sutra is nothing other than a scripture that reveals that Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment at a time even more distant than gohyaku-jintengo." (MW vol 2, Letter to the Priests of Seicho-ji, pg 268) 

    

"But Shakyamuni [by bestowing upon us the character myo] has granted us as many benefits as if we ourselves had fulfilled all the practices of the six paramitas.  This precisely accords with his statement, "Now this threefold world is all my domain, the living beings in it are all my children." (MW vol 3, Letter to Nichimyo Shonin, pg 48-49) 

       

Julian would like to think that he grants himself these many benefits. This is what the SGI teaches. Unfortunately it is not what is taught in the Nichiren faith. The Nichiren faith is superior to the SGI faith? Why? Because it is founded on reality and not pie in the sky wishful thinking as exhibited by Julian, Ikeda, Jim, Kathy and others. 

   

Note also, "bestowing on us", not what we have realized for ourselves. Sorry that Julian has more faith in the SGI and the Nichiren Shoshu and even the Zen teachings than the teachings of the Nichiren faith. 

"Now the votaries of the Lotus Sutra are the children of Shakyamuni Buddha." (MW vol 3, Ibid, pg 49) 

   

But Julian and the SGI want so bad to be the father they are willing to trash the Nichiren faith do so. This is what is frightening about Harsh, Ikeda, Julian and the rest. 

"All that you (Shakyamuni Buddha) have expounded is the truth." (MW vol 3, Ibid pg 51) 

     

Not what Mark or Julian or Nikken or Ikeda expound. 

"The Lord Shakyamuni assembled Taho Buddha as well as the other Buddhas, who were his own emanations, from throughout ten directions and left one great medicine-the five characters of Myoho renge Kyo-for the people of the Latter Day." (MW vol 3, The Munadala of the Mystic Law, pg 58) 

   

You are at best an emanation or disciple of Shakyamuni Julian. I am satisfied with my status,. You are attatched to your ego and the ego of Ikeda and the rest of the SGI. 

"Lord Shakyamuni treasured this Gohonzon in mind...He revealed it in the Juryo chapter..." (MW vol 3, Reply to Nii-Ama, pgs 64-65) 

MW vol 3, pg 79.  The selection of the Time-directly under the title is written: Nichiren, disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha. 

"Yet it was not I, Nichiren who made these important pronouncements.  Rather it was in all cases the spirit of Shakyamuni Buddha that had entered into my body. And at having personally experienced this I am beside myself with joy." (MW vol 3, Ibid, pg 171) 

   

You and I may one day be as fortunate as Nichiren. Until then, a bit of humility and a touch of reality would be in order. 

"Shakyamuni Buddha, the World Honored One, declared, 'I am the foremost throughout the threefold world." (MW vol 3, Ibid, pg 176) 

   

 Not you Julian. 

"When I was about to be beheaded, the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni took my place."(MW vol 3, The Supremacy of the Law, pg 199). 

"However, they are alike in that they all abandoned Shakyamuni Buddha," and in the next paragraph it states, "If there is anyone among my followers who is weak in faith and goes against what I, Nichiren, say, he will meet the same fate as did the Soga family." (MW vol 3, The Supreme Leader of the World, pg 237) 

   

Will you meet the same fate as they? Will I? 

"I have been ceaselessly praying for your sake to the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha and the gods of the sun and moon." (MW vol 3, Ibid) 

     

Not praying to,Ikeda and the SGI. 

"Our teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha." (MW vol 4, The Learned Shan-wu-wei, pg 64) 

"They are monks and nuns by virtue of the Lord Shakyamuni." (Ibid, pg 65) 

Not by virtue of their own power. 

"There are three reasons why Shakyamuni Buddha rather than any of the other Buddhas has a relationship with all the people of the world of the saha world. First of all, he is the World Honored One, the soverign of all the people of this saha world... 

The second reason is that Shakyamuni Buddha is the father and mother of all the persons in the saha world.  It is proper that we should first of all pay filial respect to our own father and mother... 

The third reason is that Shakyamuni is the original teacher of all persons in the saha world." (Ibid, pgs 65-66) 

Why is Nichiren making a distinction here between Shakyamuni and the people or do you think that he is not making a distinction here? Do you think you are equal to the Gohonzon while slandering the Lotus Sutra and the teachings of Nichiren by replacing them with an inferior teaching? 

"I alone can save them." (Ibid, pg 69) 

   

So said Shakyamuni Buddha in the Lotus Sutra. Did Nichiren try to refutethis point? Then why do you? 

"For this reason, all the persons in this saha world of ours, if they detest the sufferings of birth and death and wish to have an object of veneration to which they can pay respect, should first of all fashion images of Shakyamuni Buddha...and make these their object of worship." (Ibid, pg 69) 

"Shakyamuni Buddha our father and mother, who is endowed with the three virtues of soverign, teacher and parent, is the very one who encourages us, the people driven out by all the other Buddhas, saying, 'I alone can save them'.  The debt of gratitude we owe him is deeper than the ocean, weightier than the earth, vaster than the sky.  Though we were to pluck out our two eyes and place them before him as an offering until there were more eyes there than stars in the sky, though we were to strip off our skins and spread them out by the hundreds of ten thousands until they blanketed the ceiling of heaven, though we were to give him our tears as offerings of water and present him with flowers for the space of a hundred billion kalpas, though we were to offer him our flesh and bloodfor innumerable kalpas, until our flesh piled up like mountains and our blood overflowed like vast seas, we could never repay a fraction of the debt we owe to this Buddha!" (Ibid, pg 71-72) 

   

You Julian are so stingy and arrogant you can only muster thanks for yourself. 

"All that you [Shakyamuni Buddha] have expounded is the truth." (MW vol 4, Teaching, Practice and Proof, pg 120) 

"First, in Japan and in the entire world, the object of worship should uniformly take the Master of Teachings Lord Shakyamuni of the Original Doctrine as the Object of Worship"( Repaying Debts of Gratitude) 

"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) 

   

No need to do as Nichiren did according to the SGI and Julian. 

"I Nichiren, humble person though I am, have recieved Lord Shakyamuni's royal command and come to this country of Japan." (MW vol 5, The Pure and Far Reaching Voice, pg 143) 

"Shakyamuni Buddha is the lord of all buddhist teachings, the leader and teacher of all human beings." (Ibid, pg 143) 

   

But Julian thinks he is equal or above Shakyamuni and is therefore stingy with his praise to the World Honored One. He rather praise his own achievments while downplaying those of the Buddha. Why? Becuase this is the SGI way. 

"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 words of the Lotus Sutra you should consider that you are beholding the living body of the \Buddha Shakyamuni." (Ibid, pg 147) 

     

But Julian's Enlightenment is Perfect. What need does he have to gaze at the living body of Shakyamuni Buddha? According to him, he is the perfect manifestation of the living body of the Law? The root cause of his arrogance and stupidity is that he gazes not at the living body of Shakyamuni but the living body of the greatest slanderer (to date) in Mappo. Is there any doubt why he has developed the delusions he has? 

"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 to distorted views destroy this loftiest of Sutras." (MW vol 5, Reply to Soya Nyudo, pg 164) 

     

Those with distorted views are the SGI and the Nichiren Shoshu 

"The Son of Heaven utters not a single word in vain' and 'the words of the Dharma King contain no falsehood'.  A wise ruler will never lie, even if it should bring about his ruin.  How much less would Shakyamuni Buddha ever speak falsely!" (MW vol 5, Good Fortune in ThisLife, pg 185) 

     

That is why Nichiren never said about Shakyamuni's Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni said this but meant that. That is why the Kempn Hokke never says either Shakyamuni(in the Lotus Sutra) or Nichiren says this but meant that. 

"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) 

   

We too will be perfectly endowed but for the moment, we are imperfectly endowed. That is why we practice the Buddhism of the sowing so we can become perfectly endowed(not that we already are). 

"Shakyamuni, the Lord of Teachings, is the foremost sage in the saha world." (Ibid, pg 199) 

   

But Julian says Mark is mistaken not to think that he is the foremost sage. Julian is not even the foremost sage in Devonshire let alone the Saha world. 

"As we see from these passages of scripture, Shakyamuni, with his Buddha eye, observed the situation that would prevail at the begining of the Latter Day of the Law.  If, when the age has arrived, there were to be no persons of the type the Buddha describes then the World-Honored One would be guilty of false and baseless talk.  [And if that were to be the case, then] who would put faith in the theoretical and essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra, and in the doctrine of the eternally inherent Buddha Nature." (MW vol 6, Reply to Lord Hakiri Saburo, pg 40) 

   

Here, is not Shakyamuni predicting the advent of the Nichiren Shoshu and the SGI who distort and misrepresent the teachings? 

"Shakyamuni summoned the four bodhisattvas and entrusted them with the five characters of Myoho renge Kyo." (MW vol 6, Rebuking Slander ofthe Law, pg 60) 

"We see from the Sutra that only these four bodhisattvas had been the disciples of Shakyamuni, the Lord of Teachings, since the remote past." (Ibid, pg 62) 

   

Because Original is first, the Four Great Bodhisattvas are the disciples of Shakyamuni. And then Julian and then Mark and then Ikeda, and then...... 

"The sons will disseminate the Law of the Father." (Ibid, pg 62) 

   

Julian and the SGI is like Ajatashatru who would displace their own father. The difference is that Ajatashatru has already renounced his earlier erroneous beliefs while Julian believes ever more and even attempts to propagate them further. 

"The Shakyamuni of the Juryo Chapter has never been depicted in any mountain temple or monastery anywhere." (Ibid, pg 63) 

   

Why depict or praise Gohonzon, "I am Gohonzon", according to Julian and the SGI. 

"The nation of Japan today has turned its back on the Lotus Sutra and cast aside Shakyamuni Buddha." (MW vol 6, Letter To Ichinosana Nyudo, pg 99) 

     

No one more so than Ikeda and the SGI. 

"Shakyamuni Buddha is the Parent of all living beings in this world." (Ibid, pg 100) 

"The Lord Buddha Shakyamuni is the enlightened teacher for all living beings in the country of ours.  It is thanks to our teacher that we can understand who our parents are.  It is owing to Shayamuni that we can distinguish black from white." (Ibid, pg 100) 

   

Not owing to ourselves and our less than Perfect Enlightenment. 

"It will be hard indeed to find anyone who can preach the Lotus Sutra just as it teaches in the Latter Day of the Law of Shakyamuni Buddha." (MW vol 6, Three Tripitaka Masters, pg 118) 

   

How prophetic!!!! 

"The Tathagata Shakyamuni, seated in the tower adorned with seven kinds of precious gems, entrusted the five characters of Myoho renge Kyo to Takahashi Nyudo." (MW vol 6, Reply to Takashi Nyudo, pg 124) 

"Were it not for Shakyamuni, the lord of teachings, how could such blessings as these be bestowed."(ibid) 

   

Julian, Ikeda and the SGI, all puffed up, thinks we bestow these blessings on ourselves. 

"The Hokke [Lotus] sect is the sect founded by Shakyamuni." (MW vol 6, How Those Initially Aspiring to the Way Can Attain Buddhahood, pg 175) 

"Therefore [the sect based on] the Lotus Sutra is known as the Buddha-founded sect and is also called the Hokke Sect."  (Ibid, pg 175) 

"The various other sects were founded by bodhisattvas or teachers in the period after the Buddha had entered Nirvana.  Should we now turn our backs upon the Buddha's decree and follow the sects established by the bodhisattvas and teachers?  Or should we ignore the words of the bodhisattvas and teachers and follow the sect established by the Buddha." (Ibid, pg 176) 

       

This is exactly what Julian does either out of ignorance or becuase he hates the votaries. 

"Now the Latter Day of the Law, is the time when the seven characters of Namu Myoho renge kyo-the heart of the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra that Shakyamuni Buddha who had achieved enlightenment in the remote past, along with the bodhisattvas Jogyo, Muhengyo and the others is to propogate-will alone spread throughout the country." (Ibid) 

   

Perfect time to cite the High Priests but all Nichiren mentions is "the others". We are all potentially others as long as we don't distort the message as the SGI and the Nichiren Shoshu 

"The messenger of the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni has twice been paraded through thestreet." (MW vol 6, A Father Takes Faith, pg 242). 

     

Julian thinks the messenger is the originator of the message. Nichiren is absolutely not mincing words here. No secret teaching is being inferred and his position as well as ours in relation to Shakyamuni is layed down clearly. 

"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) 

This is perfectly clear and infinitely more clear than the mistranslated words of the Nichiren Shoshu and SGI translation of Reply to Kyo'o. 

"The various Buddhas [other than Shakyamuni], since they are known as World Honored One, may be regarded as Sovereigns.  But since they do not make their appearance in this saha world, they are not teachers.  Nor do they declare that '...the living beings in it (this threefold world) are all my children'.  Thus, Shakyamuni Buddha alone fulfills the three functions of sovereign, teacher and parent." (Ibid, pg 43) 

"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) 

"In this passage, Shakyamuni Buddha explains that he is entrusting to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, his original disciples, the five characters of Myoho renge Kyo which is the essence of the Lotus Sutra. Shakyamuni, who attained enlightenment countless Kalpas in the past, says elsewhere, 'By now the original vows that I made have already been fulfilled. I have converted all living beings and caused them to enter the Buddha way'...This passage represents the ultimate purpose for which Shakyamuni appeared in the world, the secret Law that he attained in the place of meditation." (Ibid, pg 70) 

"In the Latter Day of the Law, other than the envoy of the Thus Come One, there can be no one who understands and produces this passage as proof of the Lotus of the Entity." (Ibid, pg 70) 

   

Since the Nichiren Shoshu, the SGI and Julian do not understand this passage they are not the envoys of the Thus Come One. 

"The way in which the Lotus emerges from the muddy water is used as a metaphor to explain that when the Thus Come One joins the multitude of listeners, seats himself on a lotus in the same manner as the various bodhisattvas and expounds on the unsurpassed wisdom of the Thus Come One and on the enlightened state of purity, the various voice heavens, hearing this, are able to obtain the secret storehouse of the Thus Come One. Second, the words Myoho renge signify the lotus opening up.  (This is a metaphor explaining that) ordinary beings, though exposed to the Mahayana teachings, are timid and fearful in mind and incapable of taking faith in them. 

Therefore the Thus Come One 'opens' or reveals his Dharma body in its purity and wonder, awakening in them the mind of faith." (Ibid, pg 71-72) 

"In the entire land of Jambuduipa, there has never before been a hall or pagoda that produced the image of Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter of the Lotus Sutra.  How could such an image fail to appear now." (MW vol 7, The Unmatched Fortune of the Law, pg 160) 

"But he revears Shakyamuni Buddha and puts his faith in the teaching of the Lotus Sutra.  Hence he is like a snake that grips a jewel in its mouth, or a dragon that bears sacred relics on its head.  A wisteria vine by Twining around a pine, may climb a thousand meters into the air and a crane, because it has wings to rely upon, can travel ten thousand miles.  It is not their own strength that allows them to do these things." (MW vol 7, On The Urobon, pg 172-173) 

   

"It is not their own strength that allows them to do these things." 

The specific and general transmission of the Nichiren faith

Nichiren Shoshu teaches the specific and general transmission as a vertical [specific] line from high priest to high priest and a horizontal [general] line from high priest to believer.

The Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin teach that the specific transmission is a point [Shakyamuni Buddha of the Juryo Chapter of the Lotus Sutra to Nichiren Daishonin] and the general transmission is a sphere [infinite lines emanating in all directions from the single point]

The specific and general transmission of the Nichiren Shoshu is two dimensional. The specific and general transmission of the Nichiren faith is three dimensional. 

Eagle Peak Challenge 2015 [2016, 2017, 2018....]

Chant and study hard without the commentaries of Daisaku Ikeda, your priests, and your leaders and see if you come to the same conclusions as they.

Take refuge in the Lotus Sutra.

"If there is a man who utters words of disparagement: "You are nothing but a madman!  In vain are you performing these practices!  You shall never get anything for them!"  The retribution for sins such as this shall be that from age to age he shall have no eyes. If there is anyone who makes offerings and gives praise, in this very age he shall get his present reward. If, again, one sees a person receiving and holding this scripture, then utters its faults and its evils, be they fact of not fact, that person in the present age shall get white leprosy.  If anyone makes light of it laughs at it, from age to age his teeth shall be far apart and decayed, he shall have ugly lips and a flat nose, his arms and legs shall be crooked, his eyes shall be pointed and the pupils out of symmetry, his body shall stink, he shall have sores running pus and blood, his belly shall be watery and his breath short: in brief, he shall have all manner of evil and grave ailments." (Chapter 28 Lotus Sutra) 

Nichiren believed that denying the truth of the Lotus Sutra, was the most serious of sins. Nichiren referred to this as "Hobo" (Slander of the Dharma). He warned that those who denounce the truth of the Lotus would suffer in the deepest Hell. Because, the Lotus Sutra promises salvation to beings in the "latter, evil age," Nichiren taught that anyone in the age of Mappo who believed in other doctrines, or trusted in evil teachers (like Nikken or Ikeda) were destined for hell. 

"The Lotus Sutra is the correct path to Buddhahood." 

"If someone does not believe the Lotus Sutra and slanders it, he kills his seeds of Buddhahood in this life.  When his life is over, he will be reborn in the deepest hell. After a kalpa he will be born again in hell, and this cycle will continue for countless kalpas." 

"Disbelief is not following the teaching. What is called slander of the sutra is nothing other than disbelief." (Nembutsu mugen jigoku sho, STH, p.34) 

"I was led through the alleys of Kamakura like a traitor. They destroyed the room in my hut in which I enshrined the teachings of the Buddha and where I worshiped Shakyamuni. Several of them trampled the statue of Buddha and the scrolls of the scriptures into the mud. They even took the scrolls of the Lotus Sutra which I held and beat me ith them. There had been no provocation which should have led to this; I had committed no crime. I was guilty only of spreading the Lotus Sutra." (Jinkoku Gosho, STH, p.892) 

"This scripture has many enemies even now when the Tathagata is present. How much worse it will be after his nirvana."  (Chapter10 Lotus Sutra) 

"After the Buddha's passing into extinction, in a frightful and evil age": "ignorant men," "monks of twisted wisdom, their hearts sycophantic and crooked," and "prideful hermits, who say of themselves that they are treading the True Path, holding mankind cheaply because they covet profit and nourishment." (Chapt. 13 Lotus Sutra) 

Take refuge in the Lotus Sutra.

SGI and NST members are brainwashed cult members who fail to take the Buddha and Nichiren at their word.

"The offerings of flowers and incense really means the offerings of evergreens and incense." -- SGI member

"Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin said flowers but they meant evergreens." -- NST member

"Whether you chant the Buddha’s name, recite the sutra, or merely offer flowers and incense, all your virtuous acts will implant benefits and roots of goodness in your life." -- Nichiren

"Offered all kinds of flowers...as alms to the Treasure Tower" -- Lotus Sutra Chapter 11

SGI and NST members are brainwashed cult members who fail to take the Buddha and Nichiren at their word. They lack faith and they are arrogant. Are they something else?

FNCC conference schedule

"Upcoming  FNCC Conferences:

April 30-May 3 Practicing Buddhism As followers of Sensei
May 7-10 President Ikeda and Health
May 14-17 President Ikeda and Love
June 4-7 Soka Spirit
June 11-14 Engaged Soka: Accepting President Ikeda's heart
June 18-21 Women and President Ikeda
June 25-28 Young Men and President Ikeda

Nichiren Shoshu's diabolical Operation M

Ages ago the World Phibune carried this parody of a Domei-priest***
style report....

"Several members have been asking about the rumor that has been
circulating concerning the destruction of more sincere SGI member
offerings by Nikken.

After months of surveillance of the Nikken sect by our sincere
Priesthood Issue Committee members, their reports confirmed the
worst - Nikken has ordered the heartless chopping down of millions of
precious blades of grass in his diabolical new "Operation "M" (Mow
the bastards down).

The youthful, robust blades of grass were slaughtered in their prime
by Nikken's new invention- a machine he calls "the lawn mower"
whose sole purpose is to destroy plant life and pollute the Earth.

Reports from atop the Priesthood Committee's human pyramid indicate
that Nikken even performed the "opening of the eyes" ceremony on
the contraption.

The verges trimmed contained many blades of grass initially donated
by millions of sincere Soka Gakkai members. Several species of
insects were also destroyed by Nikken's rage.

"This is a real slap in the face for many of us who contributed to
the Kosen Renoir fund in the 80's" said a Domei Priest as he stood
atop the human pyramid with his binoculars as the massacre unfolded
before his teary eyes. He and others have sent a letter of
remonstration to the temple demanding a full refund of the money
spent on the slain plants-- but Nikken refuses to respond.

After several minutes of slashing the Buddha's children's offerings,
several of Nikken's priests cursed the injustice and threw down their
beads in disguist.

"We must be intolerant of people who have wrong views and slander the Lotus Sutra." -- Nichiren

"Intolerance is opposite to tolerance just as fire is to water. We can be tolerant of people who are ignorant and immoral. But we must be intolerant of people who have wrong views and slander the Lotus Sutra." -- Opening of the Eyes

We must be intolerant of wrong views. Nichiren says in On Practicing the Buddha's Teachings:

"The teachings of the Lesser Vehicle and of the provisional Mahayana were valid only for the people who lived during two thousand years after the extinction of the Buddha. We are living in the first five hundred years after the beginning of the Age of Degeneration. Now is the time to propagate the Lotus Sutra. The Lotus Sutra is the Pure Law, the Perfect Law, the One True Teaching. According to the Daijikkyo Sutra, in the first five hundred years after the beginning of the Age of Degeneration, people resort to fighting, and the right teachings of the Buddha are forgotten. In these years, the provisional teachings are mistaken for the true teachings. Now the teaching of the One Vehicle should be propagated and the provisional teachings criticized. What we should do is criticize wrong views." 

Later in the same writing:

"I have appeared in Japan in this time of emergency by the order of the Buddha. I dare say that I am not fortunate. However, the order of the King of the Law is categorical. Therefore, according to the Lotus Sutra, I raise the army of the true teaching against the forces of provisional teachings, wear the armor of patience, take the sword of the Wonderful Law, bend the bow of the Revelation of the Truth, fix the arrow of honesty, ride in the white bullock-cart of equality, break the gate of provisional teachings, and hurl criticism at the followers of the Nembutsu, Shingon, Zen, Ritsu, and other sects. Some of them run away or withdraw, while others are captured and become my disciples. I will repeat the offensive. I will march on, although they are many and my friends are few."

"All teachings lead to the same place" -- SGI member

Someone wrote,  

"Because living beings have different natures, different desires, different actions, and different ways of thinking and making distinctions, and because I want to enable them to put down good roots, I employ a variety of causes and conditions, similes, parables, and phrases and preach different doctrines. This, the Buddha's work, I have never for a moment neglected." -- LS Chapter  16

       

Nichiren explained this passage according to the "time". Depending on the time, there are different parables, metaphors, doctrines etc. that the Buddha taught. Now, in the Latter Day, there is only the doctrine of the Eternal Buddha (Gohonzon) and Namu Myoho renge kyo. If you do not read this passage through the eyes of a Bodhisattva of the Earth, a votary of the Lotus Sutra, you might make the claim as the Nembutsu, Zen, Shingon and others that, depending on the capacity of the person, the Nembutsu, the Zen or the Shingon faith and practices are correct or it is ok to tell someone, "Just chant Daimoku and you will get whatever you wish."  This of course is not the import of the Lotus Sutra nor of Nichiren.

     

An SGI member wrote referring to this passage of the Lotus Sutra: 

"I think what was copied below from the Lotus Sutra (posted by xxxxxx) is great.  I truly believe that once people get to a certain point in their spiritual growth, this passage below becomes clear.  However, there will always be those who will say that the words mean something else and "what it really means is . . . " be they SGI, NST, HBS, KHK, Christian, etc. People will find their way if they search and it doesn't necessarily mean chanting is the only way.  I strongly believe that trying to prove you are right and arguing your point to no end goes against this. The part about "putting down good roots" can be done by anyone just by showing respect to others, IMO. 

   

This says to me that there is no single right way, but that different approaches are needed for different people.  Everyone who practices  the Buddhism of Nichiren chants this passage every time they do gongyo, as this is taken from the Juryo-hon chapter."

     

Nichiren interprets this passage differently:

     

 "Question: When is the time for the preaching of the Hinayana sutras and and the provisional sutras, and when is the time for the preaching of the Lotus Sutra? 

 Answer: Even bodhisattvas, from those in the ten stages of faith to those on the verge of full enlightenment find it difficult to judge matters concerning time and capacity. How then can ordinary beings such as ourselves be able to judge such matters? 

     

Question: Is there no way to judge them?"

       

Answer: Nichiren concludes that if we use the Buddhist sutras and not arbitrary opinion, now is the time for Buddhists to spread Namu Myoho renge kyo and Gohonzon ONLY. The time has passed for the other Buddhist teachings to be effective.

     

The Buddha states in Chapter 14 of the Lotus Sutra: 

"After the Buddha's extinction, 

In the [last] dreadful age, 

We will proclaim abroad [this sutra]. 

 In Chapter 23 he states: 

"In the last five hundred years after my extinction, proclaim and spread it abroad in Jambudvipa, lest it be lost and Mara the Evil [One}, his Mara-people, gods, dragons, yakshas, kumbhandas, and others gain their opportunity." 

     

Chapter  2 reads: 

"Honestly discarding the provisional teachings I now will reveal the truth." 

     

Teachings lose their power according to the time. A horse and buggy is no longer a practical means for transcontinental travel. The provisional teachings are no longer practical today. The teaching that all paths lead to the same place is an absurdity. Mein Kampf is a teaching. It is the teaching of Adolph Hitler. Does this teaching leads to the same place as the Lotus Sutra? No, the teachings of Mein Kampf lead to hell. The teachings of the Lotus Sutra lead to Buddhahood. Even the advanced teachings in the Flower Garland Sutra, for example, the "ten meditations", are useless in this Latter Day because those in the realms of Learning and Self Realization, our scientific and cultural leaders, are precluded from attaining Buddhahood through the teachings of the Flower Garland Sutra. Furthermore, no where in the Kegon Sutra are we exhorted to practice it in this degenerate age. Tientai taught the principle that the higher the teachings, the more people will be able to benefit. The Lotus Sutra is the highest teaching by the Buddha's own admission. Only the Lotus Sutra can benefit those people that the other sutras are powerless to benefit, we the people of this Latter Day. 

     

Soren writes: 

"Mark writes:

"I appreciate your response. Nichiren Daishonin taught that in the Latter Daywe must abandon all expedients and since the SGI is an expedient by your own admission, you must abandon it. The Kempon Hokke is Honmon. We have abandoned the expedient teachings and teach the truth directly. The SGI and especially your Sensei misunderstand Buddhism. 

Soren:"Abandon all expedients," Mark? I have to confess, I cannot even begin to imagine how one would do that. Every waking moment of our lives involve expedient means to achieving something; if nothing else, we go on breathing in order to remain alive. 

Mark: Yes, abandon all expedients. Stop telling people, "you  will definitely get that girlfriend if you chant" or " the abolition of all nuclear weapons will be realized in the next several decades, thanks to the SGI". Saying such things are an indication of "arrogant licentiousness". This is not the way to keep people chanting for fifty years as your (SGI's) miserable track record indicates. People will come to hate you for lying to them. People want to hear the Law not the arbitrary opinions of self proclaimed leaders. It is precisely because SGI does not abandon expedient means that you forfeit your right to call yourselves disciples of Nichiren but even more profoundly, you  smother the seed to quickly attain Supreme Enlightenment. 

 "In essence, the entity of Myoho reng kyo is the physical body that the disciples and followers of Nichiren who believe in the Lotus Sutra received from their fathers and mothers at birth. such persons who honestly discard expedient means, put faith in the lotus sutra alone and chant Namu Myoho renge kyo, will transform the three paths of earthly desires, karma and suffering into the three virtues of the Dharma body, wisdom and emancipation. The threefold contemplation and the Three truths will immediately become manifest in their minds, and the place where they live will become the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light. The buddha who is the entity of Myoho renge kyo, of the Juryo chapter of the essential teaching, who is both inhabiting subject and inhabited realm, life and environment, body and mind, entity and function, the buddha eternally endowed with the three bodies---he is to be found  in the disciples and followers of Nichiren. Such persons embody the the true entity of Myoho renge kyo; these are the meritorious workings that the spontaneous transcendental powers inherent in it display. could anyone venture to doubt it? Indeed it cannot be doubted!" (Entity of the Mystic Law, pg.64) 

Then, on pg. 67 - 68 we read: 

Question: Since the beginning of the kalpa of continuance, has anyone become enlightened to the lotus that is the entity of the Mystic Law? 

Answer: 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 (the deep merging or fusion of objective reality or truth and the subjective wisdom to realize that truth, or the Buddha-nature inherent within one's life). 

       

In our present world as well he appeared in the kingdom of Magadha in central India, intending to reveal this lotus of the Mystic Law. But the people lacked the proper capacity and the time was not right. Therefore he drew distinctions reguarding this lotus of the single Law and expounded it as three kinds of flowers, delivering to the people of the provisional teachings of the three vehicles. For over forty years he guided and led them with these temporary teachings according to their capacities. During this period, because the capacities of the persons he addressed were so varied, he bestowed upon them the various flowers and plants of the provisional teachings, but he never spoke of Myoho renge kyo. That is why, in the Muryogi Sutra, the Buddha said: "In the past I sat upright in the place of meditation[forsix years] under the Bodhi tree...In these more than forty years, I have not yet revealed the truth." 

       

But when he preached the Lotus Sutra, he cast aside the various plants  and flowers of the Hinayana doctrines and the provisional teachings, which correspond to the expedient means of the four flavors and three teachings, and explained the unique doctrine of Myoho-renge. When he opened the three figurative lotuses to reveal the single lotus of Myoho renge, the people of the provisional teachings with their four flavors and three teachings were able to gain the lotus of the first of the ten stages of security.(point of nonregression). Not until he revealed the lotus of 'opening the near and revealing the distant" were they able to obtain the lotus of the highest result, advancing to the second stage of security, the third stage of security, the tenth stage, the stage of near perfect enlightenment and finally, the highest stage of perfect enlightenment."(ibid).

     

Teaching the Human Revolution, Ikeda Guidances volume 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and the inane snippets of Gosho with hundreds of lines of Ikeda interpretation is not the way to ensure people will chant for fifty years and more or to attain to the higher stages of faith and practice. You cast aside the Lotus flower and embrace the Soka weed. You fail to teach the doctrine of Myoho renge kyo. You would do well to follow the lead of your friend who left the SGI for greener Buddhist pastures. If not, you will fail to see your life fulfilled in the manner you envisioned when you first started chanting. This is not a threat, this is an observation. 

LDP bails out Soka Gakkai at the taxpayer's expense

The Sokagakkai has again been caught with their pants down in yet another 

banking scandal. The Long Term Credit Bank of Japan was one of the strongest and most relied upon bank for financing huge mega-ventures such as the Rockefeller Center purchase. But now, due to political meddling of the Clean Government party (Sokagakkai's new party), the JDP and LDP of Japan,it is now going fast down the tubes. 

Sokagakkai has been reported to have invested as much as $7.5 Billion in the LTCB, hoping to rake in huge profits from the bank's many large loans which were due to mature this year. However, because of the Asian economic problems, over $150 Billion scheduled to be paid back has been in default. Including the loan which was made to purchase the Rockefeller Center in NY. All three political parties have invested very heavily in the LTCB. As a result, the scandal that would be uncovered by the complete default of LTCB would devastate all of the political parties involved. 

On September 22, a summit meeting was held, and executives of the ruling 

Democratic Party (LDP), the Ministry of Finance and the Depository Insurance Organization (DIO) decided the final policy about what to do with LTCB. Their conclusion was: In an amendment bill of the Financial Recovery Act, the proposals by the opposition parties – Japan Democratic Party and Clean Government Party – will be incorporated. 

Their intention was to use taxpayer money before finishing the amendment bill to prevent the dissolution of the huge financial scheme. 

The Clean Government Party of Sokagakkai had its own reason not to let LTCB go bankrupt. It was that Sokagakkai, the largest religious group in Japan, that owns $7.5 billion worth of LTCB bonds. One LDP executive said, "Sokagakkai has been investing in bonds without specific designations by the investors. Today, their amount of investment in LTCB bonds has reached $7.5 billion while Mr. Sugiura was the Chairman of LTCB" 

Finance Minister Miyazawa was the one who introduced Mr. Sugiura to Soka gakkai. The MOF decided to protect the investors, but when they pay back the bonds, Sokagakkai will have difficulty in receiving it because their investment has no specific names of investors. If this happens, Sokagakkai's investment in LTCB bonds will be revealed. The Peace Party which is based on Sokagakkai will be in the same position as LDP and JDP which are afraid of revelation of scandal. 

Sokagakkai is expected to come through looking quite clean since they are 

accustomed to involvement in such financial/political corruption. The technique they use is simple: make sure you have plenty of other people/groups invloved in case something blows up, and remind them that if Sokagakkai goes down as a result of the scandal, then they will all suffer. 

As expected, the political parties will all stick together in mutual protection. In this way, Sokagakkai and their Clean Government Party will have their way, along with the LDP and JDP, and taxpayer money will be used again to pay for the damage they have caused. The Sokagakkai again walks away unscathed as usual, with the LDP and JPD (not to mention a huge wad of cash) in their hip-pockets.

Like the rich investors in the U.S., they are bailed out at the expense of the middle class and poor. The SGI will always proclaim loudly, "We are the defenders of the oppressed" but it will be business as usual.