Receiving and keeping the Lotus Sutra

"... the Two Dharmas of the Causal Practices and Effect [Virtues] of Lord Shakya are fully possessed in the Five Characters 'Myo ho ren ge kyo'; when we receive and keep these Five Characters He spontaneously yields and assigns [to us] the merits of those Causes and Effect" (Kanjin Honzon sho, STN, v. 1, 711).

"One receives because of faith; one keeps because of recalling." (Hokke mongu (Text Commentary on the Lotus Sutra) T.34.107c).

"The people who hear and receive this Sutra are many; the people who, as they have truly heard and received it, though great persecutions come, keep it in memory and do not forget it are few. To receive it is easy; to keep it is difficult. Therefore, attaining Buddhahood lies in keeping. The persons who would keep this Sutra keep it with the understanding that they shall encounter persecution.There is no doubt that 'They then will quickly obtain The Supreme Buddha Way' ["Chapter of the Jeweled Stupa"11 (T.9.34b)]. To recall 'Namu Myoho renge kyo' which is the Great Matter of the Buddhas of the Three Eras [Past, Present, and Future] we call 'keeping.' In the Sutra it says, '[We] shall guard and keep what the Buddha has entrusted.' ["Chapter of the Practices of Peaceful Joy"(T.9.36c)] Tendai Daishi says, 'One receives because of faith; one keeps because of recalling.' It also says,

"This Sutra is difficult to keep;

If there is one who keeps it even for short while,

I shall at once rejoice

And the Buddhas shall likewise do so' " 

["Chapter of the Jeweled Stupa" 11 (T.9.34b)] (Shijo dono gohenji, STN, v. 1, 894).

"Each person of Japan and so on to the Land of Han, the Yuezhi [India], and the whole of Jambudvipa, regardless of whether they have wisdom or have no wisdom, should uniformly abandon other matters and chant 'Namu Myoho renge kyo'" (Hoon sho, STN, v. 2, 1248).

Whose Gohonzon's are fake according to Josei Toda

"We, ourselves, cannot produce the Gohonzon. Since it's the enlightened entity of Nichiren Daishonin **no one** has the authority other than the successive high priests who have been the sole heirs to the heritage of the True Law. We take no part in this. Therefore, the objects   of worship inscribed by those in the Butsuryu and Minobu factions [of the Nichiren sect] are  absolutely powerless. They are worthless because they are fake. In fact, they contain the power of evil spirits. That is why they are dangerous." Josei Toda, Daibyaku Renge, 98, p. 98.

"The time to attack is now" -- Kitano Memo

"Somebody goes over to Danto and starts a point, but we do nothing. A line or Danto group starts and we do nothing. It then increases- regional, registered by law - and if we still do nothing then a Temple will be built. Sensei says: "If you challenge evil, then you must decide the time and the place to destroy evil". Basically: Choose the 'place' while it is still relatively small, and this applies equally to the 'time', ie the time to attack is Now."

"In order to destroy the overseas strategies of the Nikken sect, I want to make a suggestion to all the representatives that we start a special SGI campaign against the Nikken sect starting today to last until the end of the Tozan of 100,000 people."-- Kitano Memo

Testimony of Ms. Tomiko Terada

Testimony of Ms. Tomiko Terada

The following is the personal account of Ms. Tomiko Terada. 
She testified against Daisaku Ikeda May 23, 1984. Her
testimony was published in the Weekly Shincho, July 12, 
1984. Ms. Terada was a senior leader of Soka Gakkai from early
on and witnessed numerous incidents involving Daisaku Ikeda.

 Ms. Terada:

I entered the faith of Nichiren Shoshu in 1953. My mother was
a member of Daijoji Temple. One day when we went to the
temple a person suggested to her and me that we join a group
started by Josei Toda. My mother joined the Gakkai first, then
my family and I joined. In Shikoku Island we were the first group
of Gakkai members. In 1959, I became the women's
division leader of Kochi (city) Chapter. That was exactly one
year before Daisaku Ikeda became president of the Soka
Gakkai. We were crazily doing shakubuku and promoting election
campaigns for members of the L.D.P. (Liberal Democratic
Party). (Ikeda's guidance was that Soka Gakkai and the L.D.P.
would work together for their future.)

Impoverished Members

On average, members of the Gakkai were from the lower
classes of society and didn't have any money to speak of. After
they joined the Gakkai, they were promised material "benefits."
The Gakkai then took advantage of them and tried to sell
them all sorts of things. Of course, multiple copies of the
newspaper were forced on them, but then books such as
"Shakubuku Bible" and "Human Revolution" -- five or ten
copies each!

The Gakkai coerced them to buy more than was reasonable.
Expenditures of five or six hundred dollars were not uncommon.
These were people with no money to begin with. My family
was a little better off as we operated a publishing business so we
could pay for others when they didn't have the money. Members
were reduced to cutting their diet and expenditures in half to
get the money needed for buying all the books and things. It was
truly a case of "one person one candle" at night. But, how
do you think the Gakkai would explain these "fund drives"?
They would say it was for the "Toda Memorial Community
Center" or a "community center for the headquarters." We were
told "President Ikeda was building these by himself and we
had the opportunity to request that we be allowed to make an
offering." I thought these explanations were a bit peculiar.

Jump-in-Shakubuku

Here, I would like to talk a little about the activities of women
in the Gakkai. On average, the women's division chief in each
chapter handles the accounting of money collected. In the
Gakkai, the women do just about everything from shakubuku to
activities. There is one activity called "jump-in shakubuku"
where we suddenly push our way into someone's home and
attempt to convert the person. We often do this to an acquaintance
of someone. The individual is caught off guard and
surprised. We continue to visit the individual for three or four
days. Meanwhile, a member of our group who took off work to
participate ends up getting fired. There are many people like this.
Then, someone from the headquarters comes and tells the
person that "because of her weak faith she got fired," or some
such nonsense.

--------------------------

Politically incorrect joke that might cause me to be vilified

True story! I was talking with two sixty year old sisters today, one of whom is a bipolar patient. We were talking about Bruce [Caitlyn] Jenner. I mentioned that Bruce Jenner was an Olympic gold medalist who won the grueling decathlon. One sister exclaimed, "yeah, he was on the box of Wheaties. Now he'll be on the box of Fruit Loops."

SGI's Boston Ikeda Center in light of Nichiren's Rissho Ankoku Ron [On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land]

http://ikedacenter.org/

Let's look, ponder, and analyze their "forums, themes, and thinkers" series as well as their peace, culture, and education videos in light of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. Can we find one mention of Namu Myoho renge kyo, Gohonzon, or Kaiden? Can we find one instance of remonstrance of Christianity, Provisional Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, or Judiasm? Can we find one mention of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin in the millions of words written and spoken?

They are putting the cart before the horse. Even a six year old is aware of the problems facing humanity. Efforts to create awareness of the problems is hardly the means for eradicating them, let alone lamenting about humanity's lack of awareness. Nichiren Daishonin teaches:

"But despite all these efforts, they merely exhaust themselves in vain. Famine and epidemics rage more fiercely than ever, beggars are everywhere in sight, and scenes of death fill our eyes. Corpses pile up in mounds like observation platforms, and dead bodies lie side by side like planks on a bridge."

Nichiren goes on to say:

"I have pondered the matter carefully with what limited resources I possess, and have looked a little at the scriptures for an answer. The people of today all turn their backs upon what is right; to a person, they give their allegiance to evil. This is the reason that the benevolent deities have abandoned the nation and departed together, that sages leave and do not return. And in their stead devils and demons come, and disasters and calamities occur. I cannot keep silent on this matter. I cannot suppress my fears."

Nichren then cites the Golden Light Sutra [of course, referring to the Lotus Sutra]:

"The host said: There are numerous passages that could be cited and a wide variety of proofs. For example, in the Golden Light Sutra we read: “[The four heavenly kings said to the Buddha], ‘Though this sutra exists in the nation, its ruler has never allowed it to be propagated. In his heart he turns away from it, and he takes no pleasure in hearing its teachings. He neither makes offerings to it, honors it, nor praises it. Nor is he willing to honor or make offerings to the four kinds of Buddhists who embrace the sutra. In the end, he makes it impossible for us and the other countless heavenly beings who are our followers to hear this profound and wonderful teaching. He deprives us of the sweet dew of its words and cuts us off from the flow of the correct teaching, so that our majesty and strength are drained away. Thus the number of beings who occupy the evil paths increases, and the number who dwell in the human and heavenly realms decreases. People fall into the river of the sufferings of birth and death and turn their backs on the road to nirvana."

Yet, the advocates of Ikedaism council:

"Dr. Ikeda recalled Dewey's assertion that it is “the religious” rather than any specific religion that is of importance and noted that “the religious” is not a species of dogma, but rather a quality that can permeate experiences of many types, including those that are aesthetic, educative, and even political. It was in this connection that Dr. Ikeda associated the long-term viability of any form of religious expression with the degree to which it is capable of balancing and harmonizing internal and external forces in ways that promote positive social change." -- Larry Hickman

Nichiren then reiterates [and might well be speaking about the leaders of the Soka Gakkai such as Richard Yoshimachi, Virginia Straus, Mitch Bogen, Shirley Chandl, Jeff Farr, Masahiro Hagiya, Elizabeth King, Kevin Maher, Masao Yakota, Beth Zimmerman, and especially Daisaku Ikeda]: 

"...Outwardly they will seem to be wise and good, but within they will harbor greed and jealousy. [And when they are asked to preach the teachings, they will say nothing,] like Brahmans who have taken a vow of silence. They are not true monks—they merely have the appearance of monks. Consumed by their erroneous views, they slander the correct teaching.

When we look at the world in the light of these passages of scripture, we see that the situation is just as they describe it. If we do not admonish the evil priests, how can we hope to do good?"

Incorrect faith, weak practice, failure to follow mentor's guidance, or moral turpitude?

Regarding the failed marriage of Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr, is SGI "family revolution" the dissolution of marriage or was it their incorrect faith, weak practice, failure to follow mentor's guidance, or moral turpitude? Seems like it was moral turpitude if we are to believe Justin Bieber. Either way, the bottom line is, there is no actual proof in the Ikeda faith

One example of ten thousand of SGI following Nichiren in name only

SGIQ: In the struggle against apartheid, how did you maintain hope in the face of such daunting circumstances? How can people regain and maintain a sense of hope in the face of complex global problems today?

DT: I believed then as I still do that this is God's world and that God is in charge; that this is a moral universe and that ultimately goodness, right and justice will prevail over their ghastly counterparts. And I knew too that many were upholding us with their fervent prayers, and we owe a great deal to all those who were part of the international antiapartheid movement.

Yes, it is not easy, but they should hang on to the belief that right will eventually triumph.

SGIQ: As an individual who has long been on the forefront of the struggle for human rights, what is your message to the youth of a new generation confronting their own struggles to build a world in which the dignity of all is recognized and respected?

DT: I admire young people. They are amazing in their idealism believing that we can have a world without war, without poverty and disease. I say to them, "Dream your dreams of a better world, dream the dream of God!"

http://www.sgiquarterly.org/feature2008Oct-2.html

Those like SGI who follow, believe in, respect, and obey Nichiren in name only

A TRACT REVEALING THE GIST OF THE RISHO ANKOKU RON

"Aside from these people, some of my disciples might not be spared from this calamity of falling into the Hell of Incessant Suffering upon death. Those who disdained and hurt the Never -Despising (Fukyo) Bodhisattva fell into the Hell of Incessant Suffering upon death for as long as 1,000 kalpa. It was due to their great sin of slandering the bodhisattva that they were paid such a hard fate, although they had believed in, respected, followed, and obeyed the bodhisattva while in this life.

Now, the same could be said of disciples of Nichiren. If they believe in, respect, follow, and obey me in name only without heart, they will no doubt suffer in the Hell of Incessant Suffering for the period of one, two, ten, or one hundred, if not one thousand, kalpa. If you wish to be saved from this, you should each practice just as the Medicine-King Bodhisattva did; he set his arm afire to offer it as a light to the Buddha; or Gyobo Bonji, who skinned himself to write the dharma on his own skin. Just as Sessen Doji and Suzu Danno did, you should sacrifice your own life or serve your masters from the bottom of your heart in search of the dharma. Otherwise, you should beseech the Buddha for help, bowing to Him with your four limbs and face touching the ground, dripping with sweat. Otherwise, you should pile up rare treasures in front of the Buddha as an offering to Him. If that is not possible, you must become servants to the upholders of the dharma. Or you should practice some other ways according to the principle of the four ways of teaching. Among my disciples those whose faith is shallow will show at the moment of death the sign of falling into the Hell of Incessant Suffering. Do not blame me for it then!"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

BACKGROUND

The addressee of this letter is Oto Gozen, but in reality it is believed to have been written to her mother, Nun Nichimyo. When the nun took her daughter, Oto Gozen, to Sado to see Nichiren Daishonin in exile in the 5th month of the 9th year in the Bun'ei Era (1272), her daughter was still an infant. It is assumed, therefore, that she was still a child when this letter was written three years later, in the first year of the Kenji Era (1275). Judging from a statement in this letter, "I would imagine Oto Gozen has become matured and wise," it is only natural to assume that it was addressed to her mother. Commending Nun Nichimyo, who had visited Nichiren on Sado Island earlier all the way from Kamakura, for coming to see him again on Mt. Minobu, Nichiren Daishonin explained the comparative superiority between Mahayana and Hinayana sutras and provisional and true sutras, comparing them with small and large ships and rocks and gold.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Some excerpts from the SGI Manual of Forced Conversion ["Bible of Shakubuku"] and my response

The SGI Bible of Shakubuku (1951), supervised by Daisaku Ikeda,
was published by the Soka Gakkai to train believers. The Soka
Gakkai no longer publishes the Bible of Shakubuku because it
promotes the Nichiren Shoshu. Nevertheless, SGI's fundamental
doctrines have not changed except for denying that the heritage of
the Law is transmitted through the person of High Priest of Nichiren
Shoshu. Now they claim that the heritage is only transmitted through
the Successive Presidents of the Soka Gakkai.

"Shakyamuni's dharma is the dharma of the past and no longer
beneficial". (page 63, The Bible of Shakubuku)

Nichiren taught that Shakyamuni's Lotus Sutra is the only teaching
to be spread in the Latter Day.

"It is necessary to realize that we no longer have a connection
to Shakyamuni's Buddhism." (page 65, The Bible of Shakubuku)

Nichiren taught that we are the direct disciples of the Original
Eternal Buddha Shakyamuni.

"You should know that Nichiren Daishonin is the only true Buddha
because Shakamuni's Buddhism is useless." (page 67, The Bible of
Shakubuku)

Nichiren taught that Shakyamuni Buddha is the Original Eternal Buddha
and we can not even discard the Theoretical Section of the Lotus Sutra,
let alone the Essential Section.

"Buddha Shakamuni is inferior to the true Buddha Nichiren." (page
316, The Bible of Shakubuku)

Nichiren taught that all Buddhas throughout the past, present,
and future, are emanations of Shakyamuni Buddha. He also taught
that those who abandon Shakyamuni will fall into the Avici hell.

"The Lotus Sutra which is the long-cherished wish of Buddha
Shakamuni is no longer valid in this era, not in the least." (page93,
The Bible of Shakubuku)

Nichiren says the Lotus Sutra is the ultimate teaching of the past,
present, and future

"If you don't worship the Gohonzon of NST (SGI), you will know no
well-being in the age of Mappo." (page70, The Bible of Shakubuku)

Yet, the deluded SGI members criticize us for pointing out that the
Nichikan Gohonzon breeds evil men.

'If you worship the Honzon of a wicked religion, you will naturally
experience misfortune (page280, The Bible of Shakubuku).

The misfortune of the SGI senior leaders and their family members,
is actual proof that they worship a Honzon of a wicked religion and
the tremendous good fortune of the believers in the Kempon Hokke
is proof of the righteousness of our Honzon and the goodness of our
religion.

"All other sects except NST (SGI) are wicked religions and are a
negative influence on society. (page280, The Bible of Shakubuku)

The reality is that wherever the SGI has spread, the people have
suffered every manner of misfortune and even their own members
obtain neither merit nor virtue.

"The teachings of Buddha Shakamuni is as useless as last year's
calendar. If you are guided by his teachings, your life will surely
fail as a logical result." (page303,The Bible of Shakubuku)

Then why so many unrealized dreams among the Soka Gakkai
members and why such wonderful benefits in the life of Nichiren
believers who embrace the Lotus Sutra and Shakyamuni Buddha?

"Every person who doesn't worship the Gohonzon of Fuji-Taiseki temple
(SGI) are bad people who slander the true dharma.' (page314, The Bible
of Shakubuku)

Then, the SGI members are bad because, according to their own criteria,
they slander the "true dharma" of Fuji-Taisekiji temple. The reality is
that they are bad people, especially their high salaried leaders, for
other real and serious transgressions: For abandoning the Lotus Sutra
and Lord Shakyamuni Buddha and exploiting the Dharma for personal
gain.

"The family which believes in the so-called Nichiren-shu will have
children who have deformities, mental retardation or madness."
(page321, The Bible of Shakubuku)

Then, why do so many children of SGI top senior leaders never make
it past their twenty first birthday while most Nichiren Shu priests' and
believers' children not only survive but thrive? The reason is that the
SGI's leaders curses and particularly Ikeda's curses have returned to the
originator. For slandering votaries of the Lotus Sutra they or their SGI
family members suffer every manner of disease and death before they grow
old.

"All other sects except NST (SGI) are false heresies who exert a
bad influence on society." (page323, The Bible of Shakubuku)

Then, why does France label the SGI a dangerous cult and has
Daisaku Ikeda never once received an award or honor from his
own people, the Japanese?

Only in the Latter Day will images OR statues of the Buddha of the Lifespan Chapter appear

"During the entire fifty years of Shakyamuni’s teaching, only in the last eight years did he preach the twenty- eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra. Again, of all these chapters, only in the eight chapters did he reveal and transfer the object of devotion to the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. During the two millennia of the Former and Middle Days of the Law, statues were made showing Mahakashyapa and Ananda flanking the Shakyamuni Buddha of Hinayana, and Manjushri and Universal Worthy flanking the Shakyamuni Buddha of the provisional Mahayana, the Nirvana Sutra, and the theoretical teaching of the Lotus Sutra.

Even though statues and paintings were made of these Shakyamuni Buddhas during the two millennia, no image or statue was made of the Buddha of the “Life Span” chapter. Only in the Latter Day of the Law will the representation of that Buddha appear." -- The True Object of Worship

Ten passages to ponder

"I have made a vow. Even if someone says that he would make me the ruler of Japan on the condition that I give up the Lotus Sutra and rely upon the Amida Sutra for my salvation in the next life, or even if someone threatens me saying that he will execute my parents if I do not say 'Namu Amida-butsu,' and no matter how many great difficulties fall upon me, I will not submit until a man of wisdom defeats me by reason. Other difficulties are like dust in the wind. I will never break my vow that I will become the pillar of Japan, I will become the eyes of Japan, and I will become the great vessel of Japan." -- Kaimoku Sho (Opening the Eyes)

"When all the people under heaven and the various schools of Buddhism are converted to the one and real vehicle, and when only the Lotus Sutra flourishes and all the people recite 'Namu Myoho Renge-kyo' in unison, the howling wind will not blow down the branches, falling rain will not erode the soil, and the world will become as it was during the reigns of the Chinese Emperors Fu-hsi and Shan-neng. You will see that such times will come when calamities cease to exist, people live long meaningful lives, and men and their faith become eternal. There should be no doubt about the proof of tranquility in this very life." -- On Practicing According to Teachings (An Instruction from Sado to Disciples and Followers)

"Among the people who believe in the Lotus Sutra today, some people's faith is like fire and other's faith is like water. Some people are aroused like burning fire during a sermon, but once they go away they forget all that they heard. When I say 'like water,' I mean a person who has constant faith. You have always called on me without fail, and therefore, your faith is like water. This is wonderful." -- Ueno-dono Gohenji (A Reply to Lord Ueno)

"Be it for good or for evil, abandoning the Lotus Sutra must be the karma of hell." -- Kaimoku Sho (Opening the Eyes)

"I, Nichiren, too, by reciting these compilations of texts and making prayers and vows to the Buddha and the devas (gods) every day since the first day I began to believe, though I have encountered all sorts of great hardships, because the meritorious power of the Lotus Sutra and the Golden Words of Lord Shakya which are profound and serious, up to now, I have been saved. With regard to that, if the Practitioners of the Lotus Sutra have no backsliding in the mind of faith or false affection in their person, but leave themselves to the Lotus Sutra in all things and practice in accordance with the Golden Words, they will for certain, even in this life not to speak of the afterlife, end disasters and extend their lifespan, obtain the reward of the Superior, Sublime Great Effect and accomplish the Great Vow of "widely proclaiming and diffusing." [kosen rufu] -- Kitokyo sojo (Cover Letter to the Sutra for Prayers)

"By the Great Good of the Venerable Maudgalyayana's believing in the Lotus Sutra, not only did he become a Buddha but his father and mother became Buddhas. His father and mother and so on for seven generations up and seven generations down and for immeasurable lives up and immeasurable lives down, beyond any expectation, became Buddhas. And even children, husbands and wives, subordinates, lay donors and immeasurable beings not only left the Three Evil Ways of Rebirth but all became Buddhas from the First Abode to Sublime Enlightenment. What he worships is the Buddha Shakya; the Dharma he believes is the Lotus Sutra." -- Urabon Gosho (Letter on the Urabon)

"I, Nichiren, am the foremost Practitioner of the Lotus Sutra in Japan. If among Nichiren's disciples and lay donors you come later than me, Nichiren, then even before the God Brahman, the Emperor Shakra, the Four Celestial Kings or the Emperor Emma (Yama) declare, 'I am the disciple or believer of the foremost Practitioner of the Lotus Sutra in Japan, the priest Nichiren,' and you shall pass. 

This Lotus Sutra becomes a ship on the rivers of the Three Paths, the Great White Ox Cart on the Mountain Going Forth in Death, it becomes a lamp on the paths of the underworld and it is a bridge whereby we may go to the Spiritual Mountain.... But it depends on the mind of faith. If just the mind of faith is weak, no matter how much you call yourself a disciple or lay donor of Nichiren, by no means will you be accepted." -- Hakki Dono Gosho

"Bodisattva Fukyo in the past, saying that all beings have the Buddha Nature and if they keep the Lotus Sutra, they will certainly attain Buddhahood and to slight them is tantamount to slighting Buddhas. Thus, he established the Practice of Bowing in Reverence; saying that, even those who do not keep the Lotus Sutra, if they were to keep it, have the Buddha Nature and would become Buddhas. He thus performed Bowing in Reverence in this way to those who did not keep it. How much more to the householders and priests who keep the Lotus Sutra. In the fourth fascicle of this Sutra it is taught that if one demeans, with even one evil word, those who keep and preach the Lotus Sutra, be it a householder or one who has left the household, the magnitude of the sin is beyond the sin of directly disparaging the Buddha Shakya. It is also preached, 'Whether true or untrue, those who keep the Lotus Sutra should not, even forgetfully, disparage each other, should they? The reason is that all those who keep the Lotus Sutra are necessarily Buddhas and to disparage a Buddha is to earn oneself a sin. When one understands it in this way, the merit of the Title (Daimoku) which one chants must be equal to the merit of Lord Shakya."-- Matsuno dono gohenji (Reply to Lord Matsuno)

"As for these three important things, it is not that Nichiren said it. It was the spirit of the Tathagata Shakyamuni that entered into my body and filled it with a joy far greater than what it deserved. This is the important teaching of the Lotus Sutra called 'one thought is three thousand worlds.' The scripture says, 'All existence has such a form ...' What does this mean? Because the 'appearance of suchness,' the first of the Ten Suchnesses, is the most important, the Buddha appeared in the world. The beginning of Nichiren's believing in the Lotus Sutra is like one drop of one atom in the country of Japan. If two people, three people, ten people, and millions and billions of people recite the Lotus Sutra, then it would become the Mt. Sumeru of Subtle Enlightenment or a great ocean of Nirvana. One should not look for any other way for becoming a Buddha." -- Senji Sho (An Essay on the Selection of the Proper Time)

"For instance, those who have a fever can cool off lying beside a great body of cold water, but they will continue to suffer if they lie by the side of a small body of water. Likewise, those who suffer from the five rebellious sins of slandering the true dharma and those who have no faith in Buddhism can not cool the fever of their grave sins by lying beside a small body of water, that is, such sutras as the Agama Sutras, the Kammuryojukyo, and the Great Sun Buddha Sutra. If they lie on the large snow-covered mountain of the Lotus Sutra, they can definitely cool even the fever of the five cardinal sins, the sins of slandering the true dharma, and those of having no faith in Buddhism. "Therefore, the fool must by necessity believe in the Lotus Sutra... The thick rope of evil passions cannot be cut even by the great power of the wise, but it can be easily cut by the powerless fool with the small sword of the Lotus Sutra. "The essence of the Lotus Sutra is 'Namu-myo-ho-ren-ge-kyo.'" -- Ho'on Jo (Recompense of Indebtedness)

SGI's intent

"Regarding the Lotus Sutra’s text, meaning and intent, the sutra’s intent is the most important to grasp. The intent lies in arousing faith in the mentor’s teaching to lead all to attain Buddhahood."

SGI's intent is to supplant Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin with Daisaku Ikeda. 

Meaningless Ikeda SGI babble

"The oneness of mentor and disciple is the very heart of the Lotus Sutra and the essence of Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings, yet the priests try to destroy and cast aside this most crucial element. This is a characteristic of devilish functions, known as “robbers of life.”

To reject the oneness of mentor and disciple is to reject the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds; it constitutes an attack on the fundamental equality of all human beings. The true nature of the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood is revealed here for all to see." (Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra by Daisaku Ikeda, 160–61)

Don't blame it on us Mr. Ikeda. It is you who stifle the two way flow of information on the internet, you and your disciples.

"My concern is that people may turn into mere passive receptors of programmed images. Recent research in neuroscience has confirmed that active faculties--such as the ability to think critically, to make decisions, to love and sympathize, to believe in something--tend to grow weaker when we are subjected to such one-way flows of information." -- Daisaku Ikeda talking about the internet

SGI would rather not participate in our dialogue or any dialogue on the English speaking internet. Certainly, we are open to a spirited dialogue with them, as are many others. Their blogs and "forums" are either inactive or strictly moderated. That is not dialogue. This forum, for the most part, is not moderated. So have your say!

Nichiren's interpretation of the Lotus Sutra, an example. Please compare with Ikeda's or Josei Toda's lectures on the Lotus Sutra

“The World-Honored One in his great mercy makes use of a rare thing, in pity and compassion teaching and converting, bringing benefit to us. In numberless millions of kalpas who could ever repay him? Though we offer him our hands and feet, bow our heads in respectful obeisance, and present all manner of offerings, none of us could repay him. Though we lift him on the crown of our heads, bear him on our two shoulders, for kalpas numerous as Ganges sands reverence him with all our hearts; though we come with delicate foods, with countless jeweled robes, with articles of bedding, various kinds of potions and medicines; with ox-head sandalwood and all kinds of rare gems, construct memorial towers and spread the ground with jeweled robes; though we were to do all this by way of offering for kalpas numerous as Ganges sands, still we could not repay him.” -- Lotus Sutra Chapter 4

“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 blood for 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!” -- Nichiren

"The wind in the pines played a melody of eternity, happiness, true self, and purity."

"They say that it is as difficult to be born in the realm of human beings as it is to thread a needle by lowering the thread from the heavens, and as rare to see and hear the Buddha’s teachings as it is for a one-eyed turtle to encounter a floating log with a hole just the right size to hold him. Having this in mind and believing that one must regard the body as insignificant and the Law as supreme, the unenlightened man climbed numerous mountains, impelled by his anxiety, going from one temple to another as his feet would carry him. In time he arrived at a rocky cave with green mountains rising sheer behind it. The wind in the pines played a melody of eternity, happiness, true self, and purity, and the emerald stream that bubbled along in front sent its waves striking against the bank with echoes of the perfection of these four virtues. The flowers carpeting the deep valley bloomed with the hue of the true aspect of the Middle Way, and from the plum blossoms just beginning to open in the broad meadow wafted the fragrance of the three thousand realms. Truly it was beyond the power of words to describe, beyond the scope of the mind to imagine. One might have thought it the place where the Four White-Haired Elders of Mount Shang lived, or the site where some ancient Buddha had walked about after meditation. Auspicious clouds rose up at dawn, a mysterious light appeared in the evening. Ah, the mind cannot grasp it nor words set it forth!

The unenlightened man wandered about, pondering what was before him, now pausing in thought, now resuming his steps. Suddenly he came upon a sage. Observing his actions, he saw that the sage was reciting the Lotus Sutra; his voice stirred the seeker deeply. Peering in at the quiet window of the sage’s retreat, he found that the sage was resting his elbows on his desk, pondering the sutra’s profound meaning.

The sage, divining that the unenlightened man was searching for the Law, asked in a gentle voice, “Why have you come to this cave among these far-off mountains?” The other replied, “Because I attach little importance to life but great importance to the Law.”

Who believes that under Obama the U.S is the most respected country In the world?

http://dailycaller.com/2015/06/01/obama-under-my-presidency-u-s-the-most-respected-country-in-the-world-video/#disqus_thread

Nichiren on happiness with commentary

"And when you are happy you should remember that your happiness in this life is nothing but a dream within a dream, and that the only true happiness is that found in the pure land of Eagle Peak, and with that thought in mind, chant Namu-myoho-renge-kyo." -- Nichiren

Commentary:

And when you are unhappy, you should remember that your unhappiness in this life is nothing but a dream within a dream, and that the only true happiness is that found in the pure land of Eagle Peak, and with that thought in mind, chant Namu-myoho-renge-kyo.

Compare this with SGI's teachings on happiness and unhappiness:

http://laureldistrictstudy.homestead.com/files/Bodiacs_LJGuidance_for_29_Sept_01_pdf.pdf

"Thoughtlessly coveting worldly fame and profit"

"Why do you not, if only this once, try planting the wonderful seeds that lead to eternal and unchanging Buddhahood? Though at present you may taste only a tiny fraction of the everlasting joys that await you in the future, surely you should not spend your time thoughtlessly coveting worldly fame and profit, which are as fleeting as a bolt of lightning or the morning dew." -- Nichiren