“How reassuring, that those who respect the monks of the correct teaching and admonish those who are evil and in error receive such blessings as these!.”
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
12 ways SGI or not-Nichiren pseudo Buddhism is different
1. You do not have to convert to Buddhism to chant. Anyone can chant. It's like meditation or yoga..it's a practice.
Nonsense.
2. The goal of this practice is RESULTS, also called actual proof, or benefits. In other words - you get what you chant for- or something better - as long as you do not give up.
Nonsense. The goal is Enlightenment.
3. In this practice, each person is a Buddha and possesses the entire power of the universe within their own lives. This is the awakening that the original Buddha experienced under the Bodhi tree. Nonsense. Those who live and behave as the Buddha and Nichiren are Buddhas.
We all possess the potential for bringing forth our own Buddhahood (happiness and strength) through chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, right now, in this lifetime ~ without having to focus on making other changes in our lives.
Nonsense. Did you forget about your [SGI/Ikeda's] Human Revoluton, let alone the Truth of Temporary Existence [change].
4. We have a Living Mentor ~ Daisaku Ikeda is the President of the Soka Gakkai International. I write about him often. Several of the posts last week were on the mentor and disciple relationship. Daisaku Ikeda is an extraordinary human being that we connect with through his writings, his speeches, his actions and through our own hearts.
You have Daisaku Ikeda. He is as good as dead, if not already dead. We have Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin...
“Shakyamuni 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.”
5.There are no lifestyle, diets, rules of behavior or “paths” to memorize or carefully trod. There is the keen awareness that life operates under the strict law of cause and effect, and at each moment WE are creating our lives, but most of us knew that already!
Nonsense. "The purpose of the appearance in this world of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, lies in his behavior as a human being”
6. Desire is not the enemy. Your desires lead you to chant...when you chant you change your karma. Each person chants for their desires from their heart. Alleviation of desire is not the goal of this practice. Neither is mindlessness. We focus when we chant. Nonsense."Simply chant Namu Myoho renge kyo and strive to attain the way"; and "Thus he states: 'Chant the Lotus Sutra with your ordinary distracted mind. You do not have to enter into a state of mental concentration. Whether sitting, standing, or walking, just fix your whole mind on the words of the Lotus Sutra.'”
Nonsense. Regarding desires [attachments], the 5th of the 14 slanders is attachment to earthly desires.
7. There are no clergy, no robes and no temples. YOU have direct access to the power of the universe, your own Buddha power within. No intermediaries are needed. We SGI members practice together because we grow and learn together. There are SGI (Soka Gakkai - Value Creating Organization) community centers, and many smaller meetings are held in people’s homes. We are all normal people in the world living extraordinarily happy lives.
Nonsense. Nichiren was a priest. He had many priest disciples, not a few who were faithful to Nichiren until their last moment. They protected and preserved his teachings until today
8. We are changing our karma every time we chant. We can change our karma. Karma is not immutable. Suffering is not "Noble", but it is part of life. The goal of chanting is HAPPINESS, not to learn to be better sufferers.
Nonsense. Nichiren teaches that we change our karma when we encounter the Three Obstacles and Four Devils. For example:
"I SEE from your letter that you have been stricken with a painful affliction. On the one hand, knowing that you are in agony grieves me, but on the other, I am delighted. The Vimalakīrti Sutra states: “At that time the wealthy Vimalakīrti thought to himself, ‘I am ill, lying on my bed, [yet why does the World-Honored One, man of great compassion, not take pity on me]?’ . . . At that time the Buddha said toManjushrī, ‘Go visit Vimalakīrti, and inquire after his illness.’” TheNirvana Sutra says, “At that time the Thus Come One . . . assumed the appearance of one who is ill in body and lay on his right side like a sick man.” The Lotus Sutra states, “[The Thus Come One is well and happy], with few ills and few worries.” The eighth volume of Great Concentration and Insight states: “Vimalakīrti lay on his sickbed in Vaishālī, making his illness a pretext to promote the teachings . . . Through his death, the Thus Come One taught the eternity [of life], and through illness, the power [of Buddhism].” It also says: “There are six causes of illness: (1) disharmony of the four elements; (2) improper eating or drinking; (3) inappropriate practice of seated meditation; (4) attack by demons; (5) the work of devils; and (6) the effects of karma.”
The eighth volume of Great Concentration and Insight states: “Vimalakīrti lay on his sickbed in Vaishālī, making his illness a pretext to promote the teachings . . . Through his death, the Thus Come One taught the eternity [of life], and through illness, the power [of Buddhism].” It also says: “There are six causes of illness: (1) disharmony of the four elements; (2) improper eating or drinking; (3) inappropriate practice of seated meditation; (4) attack by demons; (5) the work of devils; and (6) the effects of karma.”
The Nirvana Sutra reads: “There are three types of people whose illness is extremely difficult to cure. The first is those who slander the great vehicle; the second, those who commit the five cardinal sins; and the third, icchantikas, or persons of incorrigible disbelief. These three categories of illness are the gravest in the world.”
It also states: “One who creates evil karma in this life . . . will surely suffer in hell. . . . But by making offerings to the three treasures, one avoids falling into hell and receives the retribution in this life, in the form of afflictions of the head, eye, or back.” Great Concentration and Insight states, “Even if one has committed grave offenses . . . the retribution can be lessened in this life. Thus, illness occurs when evil karma is about to be dissipated.” In his Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom, Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna says: “Question: . . . [Answer]: If that is so, then none of the sutras, from the Flower Garland to the Wisdom sutras, is a secret teaching, but the Lotus Sutra is secret. . . . [The Lotus Sutra is] like a great physician who can change poison into medicine.”T’ien-t’ai explained the quotation further, saying: “This can be likened toa skilled physician who can change poison into medicine. . . . That persons of the two vehicles were given the prophecy of their enlightenment in this sutra means that it can change poison into medicine. This is what Great Perfection of Wisdom means when it says, ‘The various sutras are not secret teachings; only the Lotus Sutra is secret.’”2 Great Concentration and Insight says, “The Lotus Sutra can cure them [illnesses], which is why it is called myō, or wonderful.” Miao-lo says, “Because it can cure what is thought to be incurable, it is calledmyō, or wonderful.”
The Nirvana Sutra states: “King Ajātashatru of Rājagriha was wicked by nature . . . He killed his father, and thereafter, in a fit of remorse, he developed a high fever . . . Because of the fever from remorse, boils broke out over his entire body. They were foul and evil-smelling, so that none could come near. At that time his mother, Vaidehī, tried to help by applying various medicines, but this only made the boils worse; there appeared to be no hope of recovery. The king said to his mother, ‘These boils have their origin in the mind; they do not arise from the four elements. Though people say that there is a physician who can cure them, that could not possibly be . . .’ Then the World-Honored One, the compassionate and merciful teacher, entered into the moon-loving meditation for the king’s sake. Upon entering meditation, he emitted a brilliant ray of light. This ray of clear coolness fell upon the body of the king, and instantly the boils were healed.”
The Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law, which is the great wisdom of equality, says in its seventh volume: “This sutra provides good medicine for the ills of the people of Jambudvīpa. If a person who has an illness is able to hear this sutra, then his illness will be wiped out and he will know neither old age nor death.”
In light of the above quotations, it would seem that your illness cannot have originated in anything other than the six causes of disease. I will set aside the first five causes for the moment. Illnesses of the sixth, which result from karma, are the most difficult to cure. They vary in severity, and one cannot make any fixed pronouncements, but we know that the gravest illnesses result from the karma created by slandering the Lotus Sutra. Even Shen Nung, Huang Ti, Hua T’o, and Pien Ch’üeh threw up their hands,6 and Water Holder, Water Carrier, Jīvaka, and Vimalakīrti likewise kept silent. Such illnesses can only be cured by the good medicine of the one Buddha Shakyamuni’s Lotus Sutra, as that sutra itself explains.
The Nirvana Sutra, referring to the Lotus Sutra, states: “Even the offense of slandering this correct teaching [will be eradicated] if one repents and professes faith in the correct teaching. . . . No teaching other than this correct teaching can save or protect one. For this reason one should take faith in the correct teaching.” The Great Teacher Ching-hsi8said, “The Nirvana Sutra is itself pointing to the Lotus Sutra and saying that it is the ultimate.” He further said: “It is like the case of a person who falls to the ground, but who then pushes himself up from the ground and rises to his feet again. Thus, even though one may slander the correct teaching, one will eventually be saved from the evil paths.”
Bodhisattva Vasubandhu was originally a scholar of Hinayana Buddhism. In an effort to prevent Mahayana Buddhism from spreading throughout the five regions of India, he wrote five hundred treatises onHinayana. Later, however, he encountered Bodhisattva Asanga and abandoned his erroneous views on the spot. Facing Asanga, he said that, in order to eradicate this offense all at once, he wanted to cut out his own tongue. Asanga stopped him, saying, “Vasubandhu, use that tongue to praise Mahayana.” Vasubandhu immediately wrote five hundred Mahayana treatises in which he refuted Hinayana. He also made a vow that, as long as he lived, he would never place the Hinayana teachings on his tongue. In this way he eradicated his past offense and was later reborn in the heaven where Bodhisattva Maitreya dwells.
Bodhisattva Ashvaghosha, a native of eastern India, was thirteenth among the successors of the Buddha’s teachings. At one time Ashvaghosha had been a leader of Brahmanism. When he debated with the Buddhist monk Punyayashas over the validity of their respective teachings, however, he quickly realized the superiority of Buddhist teachings. Ashvaghosha was prepared to behead himself in order to pay for his past offense, saying, “I have been my own worst enemy, leading myself to hell.” But Punyayashas admonished him, saying, “Ashvaghosha, do not behead yourself! Use that head and mouth to praise Mahayana.” Ashvaghosha soon thereafter wrote The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana, in which he refuted Brahmanism and Hinayana. This marked the beginning of the spread of Mahayana Buddhism in India.
The Great Teacher Chi-tsang of Chia-hsiang-ssu temple was among the most outstanding scholars in China. He was the founder of the Three Treatises school, and lived on Mount Hui-chi in Wu. Believing that none could equal him in knowledge, he raised the banner of his pride to its highest. He challenged the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai to discuss the meaning of the passage that states, “Among the sutras I have preached, now preach, and will preach, [this Lotus Sutra is the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand].” In the debate Chi-tsang was soundly defeated and thereupon renounced his misguided beliefs. In order to expiate his serious offense of slander of the correct teaching and of those who upheld it, he gathered more than one hundred eminent scholars and begged the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai Chih-che to lecture to them. Chi-tsang used his body as a bridge for the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai to climb [onto the preaching platform], supporting T’ien-t’ai’s feet with his head. Moreover, he served T’ien-t’ai for seven years, cutting firewood and drawing water for him. He ceased giving lectures of his own, dispersed his followers, and in order to purge himself of his great conceit, refrained from reciting the Lotus Sutra. After the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai’s death, Chi-tsang had an audience with the emperor of the Sui dynasty to pay his respects. As he was leaving, he clutched His Majesty’s knees and tearfully bade him farewell. Sometime later, Chi-tsang looked into an old mirror and, seeing his reflection, condemned himself for his past errors. All these many acts of penitence were done to eradicate his karmic disease.
The Lotus, the wonderful sutra of the single vehicle, is the golden words of the three kinds of Buddhas. Likened to a bright jewel, it ranks highest among all the sutras that “I have preached, now preach, and will preach.” There are passages in the Lotus Sutra that say, “Among the sutras, it [the Lotus Sutra] holds the highest place,” and “[Among those sutras] the Lotus is the foremost!” The Great Teacher Dengyō said that [the Lotus school is] the school founded by the Buddha himself.1
9. We do not chant “to” anything outside of us. There is no Higher Power in this practice. When we are chanting we access our own wisdom and power as a the Buddha, or awakened one. We are chanting to our own lives.
Nonsense. Ichinen Sanzen [3000 Worlds in a Moment of Existence and the Three Realms] and Nichiren prove that "in" and "out" are inseparable. The Gohonzon and correct Gohonzon is indispensable.
10. The main practice is reciting the words Nam-myoho-renge-kyo over and over and over. Everyone on earth recites the same phrase. It means: "I fuse my life with the mystic (unfathomable) law of cause and effect through sound vibration"
Nonsense. The correct phrase is Namu Myoho renge kyo.
11. The SGI does not discriminate for any reason. All people...ALL people have the right to access the Mystic Law within their own lives.
Nonsense. SGI has excommunicated thousands. Go to any meeting and forcefully assert the faults and flip flops of Daisaku Ikeda and see what happens.
12. There is no guilt, there is only the awareness of the law of cause and effect.
Nonsense.
Nichiren teaches, “Those who have yet to attain the truth should humble themselves before the highest principle, which is comparable to heaven, and feel abashed before all the sages. Then they will be monks with a sense of shame. When they manifest insight and wisdom, then they will be true monks.” --Nichiren
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” --- Emma Lazarus
“Good men, the tenth inconceivable benefit and power of this sutra is this: Suppose there are good men or good women who, while the Buddha is in the world or after he has passed into extinction, are able to obtain this sutra, and are filled with great joy, greeting it as something rare. After they themselves have accepted, upheld, read, recited, copied, offered alms, and put it into practice as it directs, they will also be able far and wide to encourage those in household life and those who have left such life to accept, uphold, read, recite, copy, offer alms, explain, and preach the sutra and practice it as the Law directs. Because they have the power to cause others to practice this sutra, others will gain the ways and gain various stages. All this will come from the fact that these good men and good women are moved to compassion and have the power to convert others diligently. As a result, these good men and good women in their present bodies will be able to gain immeasurable dharani teachings.
“While they are still at the stage of ordinary persons, while they are just beginning, they will find themselves naturally capable of committing themselves to countless asamkhyas of broad resolutions and great vows, demonstrating profound determination to save all living beings, exercising great compassion, rescuing multitudes far and wide from their sufferings, gathering to themselves a mass of good roots, and bringing enrichment and benefit to all. They will expound the moisture of the Law, pouring it everywhere to water the dry and barren places. They will show themselves able to dispense the medicine of the Law to living beings, bringing peace and happiness to all. Gradually they will come forth and ascend until they reside at the stage of the clouds of the Law. The moisture of their favor will water all places; nothing will be outside their compassion. They will encompass all living beings who suffer, causing them to enter upon the buddha path. And because of all this, these people will before long gain supreme perfect enlightenment." -- Immeasurable Meanings Sutra 3
SGI leaders were legends in their own minds by Robin Beck
"I started in a sort of rural area too. They called us an ‘outlying area.’ Our activities were self motivated and at a natural pace for where lived. We started growing; which attracted the attention of the nearest urban activity center. We started getting a lot advice and encouragement to step up the pace; among other things. In the minds of some ‘senior’ leaders, we were not getting the right kind of benefits. There was always a lot of talk about leading incredible or amazing lives and showing lots of what they saw as actual proof. Some of the leaders were very aggressive, too ‘pushy.’ They were also authorities on everything Buddhist and legends in their own minds. I got sick of hearing 'that is not Buddhism’ or 'True Buddhism is about …’ Also, the goals they set for ‘shakubuku’ were grossly unrealistic. I tried to be a good follower and finally just got burnt out on it. There was way too much high drama." -- Robin"
What was the greatest achievement in the history of mankind for increasing the human lifespan?
What was the greatest achievement in the history of mankind for increasing the human lifespan? Scientific advancement? No, it was improvement in hygiene and sanitation. It was an achievement born of common sense and deduction. War, on the other hand, contributes mightily to a reduction of the human lifespan. Modern warfare is born of science.
Miserable SGI cult leader Bobby Ash also removed my statue of Shakyamuni Buddha from my altar and threw it in the trash.
"I too had a most unpleasant experience with SGI and mine also came in the form of the Contribution video. The first red flag was when I walked into the meeting, there were only women. The second red flag was when Ikeda appeared on the screen….the women started to cry and say how much they loved him. The third was their insistence that I could not receive a gohozan without the $50 to SGI. The fourth was when the SGI member who invited me to the meeting, came into my house, went into my bedroom and dismantled my altar with Shayamuni Buddha on it. She then stated that I would incur severe, bad karma for having such a statue on my altar.
I became enraged, threw her out of my home and asked her to never come back.The last straw was, after I sat and thought about it…why were there no men at the meeting…why were the women segregated? Why were we obligated to practice alone amongst ourselves? It was just strange.
Sitting in that room during the video, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I wanted to run away and fast…. something was just not right. Eventually, I was able to speak to that SGI member again and I conveyed to her that SGI had the feeling of a cult to which she replied: “If it was a cult, I would not be in it for 26yrs.” Immediately, my thought was, how can she not have an inkling of the cult-like atmosphere?
I felt sad for her because she did not realize that all those years, she has been participating in a cult and thus, would never be able to relate to me on any type of level other than that of the SGIs views.
Then the phone calls, emails and offers to “come visit you at your house” started. I simply stopped answering their calls, emails and gave a polite “no thank you” to the offers of visits.
As one who practices alone too, what I have found is that I practice in the way that feels “right” to me. In my observations, the reason there are so many different sects, not only in Buddhism, but in every other religion, is that as humans, we cannot agree upon the “correct” way to worship. This of course, is the ego telling us that our way is the only way and every other way is wrong.
I do my best to stay true to the practices…doing the rituals and prayers as prescribed. I’m sure since I have no teacher or others to guide me, that I sometimes do things incorrectly. However, what I am most sure about is that no matter what, the simple act of practicing, having faith and believing, studying and reading…all those things are correct. So don’t sweat the small stuff. Keep doing what you’re doing and may you gain great insight and wisdom." -- Tara
RIC DEXTER: Delusional Soka Gakkai North Texas Area Leader.
"My teacher once said that if Muhammad, Jesus, Abraham, and the Buddha sat down at one table they would find more upon which they agreed than upon which they disagreed."
Scorn and contempt for Nichiren [SGI and Nichiren Shu]
"...or persons who, though they practice the Lotus Sutra as the sutra itself directs, treat the votary of the Lotus Sutra with scorn and contempt—all such persons as these, when their present life comes to an end, will, the Buddha assures us, enter the Avīchi hell."
"For these reasons I dub him [Dalai Lama] heretic." -- Steven Searle
Have you ever seen pictures of the protective deities embraced by Tibetan Buddhists? Some of them look like scary monsters. Pretty scary, indeed. And attempting to visualize these deities is part of the Dalai Lama's practice - part of what every Tibetan Buddhist practices.
Another part is dedication to a guru (teacher). And frankly, I don't get it. The Buddhism I know teaches this:
QUOTE:
Beneath the sala trees at Kusinagara, in his last words to his disciples, the Buddha said:
"Make of yourself a light. Rely upon yourself: do not depend upon anyone else. Make my teachings your light. Rely upon them: do not depend upon any other teachings."
[and]
"After my death, the Dharma [Buddhist Law] shall be your teacher. Follow the Dharma and you will be true to me."
[and]
"During the last forty-five years of my life, I have withheld nothing from my teachings. There is no secret teaching, no hidden meaning; everything has been taught openly and clearly." [Sorry, guys, but this means there are no esoteric teachings - Steve.]
:UNQUOTE: The Teaching of Buddha, copyright 1966 by Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai.
But I know why Dalai thinks so
There is a reason for everything. So even though, as one commentator expressed it, the Buddha meant, "Don't follow persons, follow the Law [Dharma]," the worship of protective deities has legitimate roots. For instance, the Buddha's highest teaching, The Lotus Sutra, assures great benefit for those who are "holding fast to the name of Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World's Sounds."
But the Buddha encourages us to "hold fast" to a particular Bodhisattva for one very good reason: The purpose is to give (in this example) Perceiver of the World's Sounds a chance to fulfill his vow to protect practitioners of the Way and thereby more quickly attain Buddhahood himself.
In other words, our devotion to a particular bodhisattva is not only meant to help us, but it's meant to help that bodhisattva attain Buddhahood.
There are 52 stages of bodhisattva practice, and those at the very highest stages (such as Perceiver) have god-like supernatural power, which they have sworn to the Buddhas to use in order to protect common, ordinary Buddhists including laymen living and working in society. However, these profoundly accomplished bodhisattvas sometimes fail in their vow [I'll explain that a bit later].
Meanwhile, consider what Shakyamuni Buddha has to say about Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World's Sounds:
QUOTE [quotes from the Buddha in The Lotus Sutra, Burton Watson translation]:
"If someone, holding fast to the name of Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World's Sounds, should enter a great fire, the fire could not burn him. This would come about because of this bodhisattva's authority and supernatural power. If one were washed away by a great flood and called upon his name, one would immediately find himself in a shallow place." [Page 299]
[and]
"If a person who faces imminent threat of attack should call the name of Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World's Sounds, then the swords and staves wielded by his attackers would instantly shatter into so many pieces and he would be delivered." [Page 299]
[and on page 301]
"Suppose also that there is a person who accepts and upholds the name of Bodhisattva Perceiver of the World's Sounds and even just once offers him obeisance and alms. The good fortune gained by these two persons would be exactly equal and without difference."
NOTE: That second person the Buddha is referring to is referred to in an immediately preceding passage:
"...suppose there is a person who accepts and upholds the names of as many bodhisattvas as there are sands in sixty-two million Ganges, and ...he offers them alms...What is your opinion? Would this good man or good woman gain many benefits, or would he not?"
:UNQUOTE.
But - and this is a big BUT...
The Buddha encourages us to "hold fast to" and give alms to various Bodhisattvas. For instance, he says on page 323: "And I will employ my transcendental powers to guard and protect those who can accept and uphold the name of Bodhisattva Universal Worthy."
BUT... the Buddha puts things in perspective with this key passage:
QUOTE:
"Even if a person were to fill the whole thousand-million fold world with the seven treasures as an offering to the Buddha and the great bodhisattvas..., the benefits gained by such a person cannot match those gained by accepting and upholding this Lotus Sutra, even just one four-line verse of it! The latter brings the most numerous blessings of all."
:UNQUOTE: [The Lotus Sutra, Burton Watson translation, page 285]
So even though The Lotus Sutra shows us the Buddha praising and encouraging devotion to the great Bodhisattvas, he is very keen to reinforce that it is the Lotus Sutra that is most praiseworthy and beneficial of all.
When vows aren't upheld
I had a particular incident in mind when I had written above: "However, these profoundly accomplished bodhisattvas sometimes fail in their vow."
It was over 8 years ago when my local Buddhist congregation learned that a long-time practicing laywoman member had not only been murdered, but her body had been hacked into pieces, placed into garbage bags, and ended up in a dumpster. During the memorial services, I kept waiting for the senior layperson to answer a question surely on the minds of many:
"If practicing SGI Buddhism is supposed to protect you from evil, why didn't it save this poor woman?"
While it's true that various entities have sworn to protect followers of the Way, it's also true that sometimes they f**k up. Bodhisattvas and Buddhas are not gods with omnipotent powers to protect; they themselves are limited by and subject to the law of karma - even though the Buddha claimed: "I am free to do what I will with the Law." [Still trying to figure out exactly what that means!]
Too many within the Western traditions think of them (erroneously) as being Christian God-like, though The Lotus Sutra does have this interesting statement from the Buddha:
"I am one who knows all things, sees all things, understands the way, opens up the way, preaches the way."
This is a bit subtle, but notice that he didn't say, "I am the one who..." For "the one" would describe a Western God. When Buddha says "I am one," in effect he's saying "I am one among many - including you who aspire to become Buddhas (once you reach that point) - who knows all things..."
Concerning this woman's violent death: There are other possibilities. The great Bodhisattvas - protectors of Buddhists worldwide - could have protected her but chose not to or perhaps that she herself had declined their protection! In the world of Buddhism, timing is important. Maybe she had to die when she did so that she could be reborn where - and when - she was most needed. And that wouldn't necessarily be here on planet earth.
As for the violence of her murder: That could well have been an exaggerated compression effect, which would serve to expiate huge chunks of her past negative karma. Wiping the slate clean in one stroke, as it were.
Why the Lotus Sutra?
I am on my (well over) 140th oral recitation (which is my daily practice) of the Burton Watson translation of The Lotus Sutra. When you consider that its 324-pages comprise a volume one inch thick, that would "translate" to a stack ten feet in height were 100 such volumes to be piled up. Or put another way - 32,400 pages. This is the largest part of my Buddhist practice; the other part being my attempts to share what I've learned along the way.
Each time I read this book, I pick up something I had missed in prior readings. You can easily see why I focus on this particular sutra when you consider:
Key Quotes from The Lotus Sutra
QUOTE [Page 98]:
"Those who have not yet crossed over I will cause to cross over, those not yet freed I will free, those not yet at rest I will put at rest, those not yet in nirvana I will cause to attain nirvana. Of this existence and future existence I understand the true circumstances. I am one who knows all things, sees all things, understands the way, opens up the way, preaches the way."
:UNQUOTE.
QUOTE [Page 164]:
"The sutras I have preached number immeasurable thousands, ten thousands, millions. Among the sutras I have preached, now preach, and will preach, this Lotus Sutra is the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand. Medicine King, this sutra is the storehouse of the secret crux of the Buddhas."
:UNQUOTE.
QUOTE [Page 165]:
"The way of the bodhisattva is the same as this. As long as a person has not yet heard, not yet understood, and not yet been able to practice this Lotus Sutra, then you should know that that person is still far away from anuttara-samyak-sambodhi [the supreme enlightenment of a Buddha]. But if the person is able to hear, understand, ponder and practice the sutra, then you should know that he can draw near to anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. Why? Because all bodhisattvas who attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi in all cases do so through this sutra."
:UNQUOTE.
Steven Searle, just another member of the Virtual Samgha of the Lotus
"That last part is worth repeating: "Because all bodhisattvas who attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi in all cases do so through this sutra." And yet, I don't hear the Dalai Lama spending oceans of time praising and teaching the Lotus Sutra. Instead, he speaks of Tibetan autonomy and plays with monsters. For these reasons I dub him heretic." - Steve.
Tibetian "Buddhist" protector deities are shards and rubble. Shakyamuni Buddha, Indra, and Brahma are gems and pearls
“Even those who turn their backs on the world amuse themselves with an inferior vehicle, clinging to mere branches and leaves. They are like dogs that tag after the servants. They pay honor to apes and monkeys, considering them like the god Shakra; they revere shards and rubble, looking on them as bright gems. With such ignorant and benighted persons, how can one discuss the way?”
Monday, August 1, 2016
Nichiren on pity and compassion
"Moreover, the “Expedient Means” chapter describes how the five thousand persons of overbearing arrogance withdrew from the assembly. They did so after hearing the Buddha make the concise replacement of the three vehicles with the one vehicle, and when the Buddha was about to begin making the expanded replacement of the three vehicles with the one vehicle. At that time, the Buddha used his power to influence them in such a way that they rose from their seats and withdrew. Later, through the Nirvana Sutra and the four ranks of bodhisattvas, the Buddha made it possible for these persons to achieve enlightenment in their present existence.
On the other hand, in the Non-Substantiality of All Phenomena Sutra it is recorded that Bodhisattva Root of Joy, addressing the monk Superior Intent, forced him to listen to the Mahayana teachings, causing him to speak slanderously of such teachings [and thus create a reverse relationship with them]. With regard to these two differing incidents, the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai explains that “the Thus Come One Shakyamuni was exercising the virtue of compassion in causing them to withdraw, while Bodhisattva Root of Joy was exercising the virtue of pity in forcing the monk to listen.”
The meaning of this passage is that the Buddha was moved by compassion and for the moment put aside thoughts of the later happiness of the five thousand persons. He could not bear to see them slander the Lotus Sutra and suffer the pain of falling into hell, and therefore he inspired them to withdraw from the assembly. It was like the case of a mother who knows that her child is sick but cannot bring herself to inflict suffering on the child, and therefore does not treat the child quickly with moxibustion. In the case of Bodhisattva Root of Joy, he was moved by pity. He did not mind that the person he was addressing would suffer pain for a time, but thought only of that person’s eventual happiness. Therefore he forced the person to listen to the Mahayana teachings. It was like the case of a pitying father who, seeing that his child is ill, is not deterred by the fact that the child may undergo temporary suffering but is concerned only for the child’s eventual welfare. Therefore he applies the treatment of moxibustion."
The Prosperity Buddhists of the SGI
Breakdown
Today's essay consists of three sections, under these headings:
What is a Prosperity Buddhist?
Modifying the Basic Sales Pitch
Some Anecdotes: Ten revealing episodes from my years as an SGI Buddhist.
What is a Prosperity Buddhist?
A Prosperity Christian is a "Christian" who believes that God wants him to be rich. A Prosperity Buddhist is a "Buddhist" who believes that his practice will make him rich. Many of the Buddhists I'd met during my years with the cult known as the SGI-USA (Soka Gakkai International - United States of America branch) fully believed that proper Buddhist practice, as defined by the SGI, would allow them to receive "material benefits." There were fewer, though still a sizable minority, who took this claim one step further: "I'm going to be a millionaire someday."
The latter group make sure their voices are heard during SGI public discussion meetings. And the members in attendance enthusiastically applaud their various rags-to-riches stories. I even heard one long-time member (himself Japanese - "oddly" enough) who tried to lend gravitas to the high-level leaders he'd met in Japan (SGI's home base) by saying, "Oh, all these guys are millionaires." The irony of all this is, the founder of SGI's brand of Buddhism was a 13th century Japanese monk, Nichiren, who spent his entire life in a state of homelessness living off the charity of others.
The concept of "benefit" is huge in SGI Buddhism. When new members are welcomed into the fold, they are told, "You can chant for anything you want." They are told, "You will receive benefits as the result of your practice." Of course, donating money and time to the organization are forms of "practice" (almsgiving) that would vastly increase the amount and earlier arrival of these benefits.
To be sure, there are scriptural references* that could be used to support such claims. However, the vast majority of other references* describe the truest benefit as being the attainment of Buddhahood itself. This is the highest goal, the greatest benefit, as detailed in the scripture which the SGI pays lip service (and only lip service) to being the greatest: The Lotus Sutra. This greatest benefit" would, ironically enough to Prosperity Buddhists, come about by rejecting materialism in one's personal life and (instead) making sacrifices for others - these are among the practices encompassed by the six paramitas*.
Modifying the Basic Sales Pitch
The SGI philosophy is based on cause and effect. By putting out good causes in one's life, and reducing the number of seriously bad causes, a chanter can obtain anything he wants. We were told to try the practice for 100 days. If, by the end of that trial period, we felt we weren't getting at least some sign that there was something to this practice, then we'd be fools to continue. This period was likened to going to work for a new boss. The good causes you'd put out would be your diligent, positive, and successful efforts on behalf of your boss. You aren't paid immediately for each good cause you put out, but (rather) at the end of a pay period - typically two weeks. If you didn't get paid at that time, you'd know something was seriously wrong.
Emphasizing that chanters wouldn't be "paid immediately for each good cause" was meant to counter the expectation of immediate gratification.
Why 100 days, you might ask? That would be "enough" time to learn gongyo, though memorizing wasn't required. Gongyo is the chanting, in an ancient Chinese dialect, of certain portions of the Lotus Sutra. It was also enough time to attend SGI meetings and to engage in some of their activities (including lectures and study sessions) in order to learn more about the practice. At the time I first joined (in 1975), there were a lot of very good things the SGI had going for it - including a certain sense of destiny which I've described in some of my other essays. Plus, a lot of young people had been attracted to it. So...boys being boys and girls being girls, that was yet another good reason to stick with the philosophy.
But after a while, a sizable number of new members would start asking questions like, "I'm not getting what I want - in fact I got hit by a truck and broke my arm." As for the first part, the usual response would be, "When you chant, you either get what you want, something better, or you lose the desire for it due to you having become a better person." It was also mentioned that all good things take time, and that we shouldn't rush the gohonzon (the sacred scroll we prayed to). Also, you couldn't "just chant" to get what you want, you had to chant and take action - though your chanting would reveal to you what kind of action was needed. All of this served to at least buy time in order to give the practice a chance to work.
As for that truck: "Your negative karma, accumulated over millions of lifetimes, was the cause for that accident which should have killed you. Instead, you only got a broken arm, which was because your practice served to lessen your karmic retribution."
All of this is well and good, and can even be supported by the Lotus Sutra. The SGI chose to emphasize only selected portions of that Sutra, while ignoring the rest. Which is a pity, since the Lotus itself repeats many times that correct practice consists of reading, reciting, pondering, and teaching to others this Lotus Sutra (the whole thing, not just "selected portions"). SGI went even further - promoting the writings of their international president instead. But the worst punishments in the world of Buddhism are reserved for those who should know better. For that reason, I don't hold out much hope for a happy afterlife for SGI's top leaders.
Some Anecdotes
I will now offer some anecdotes from my days with the SGI-USA:
ONE:
In the mid-70s, I lived with three other Buddhists as roommates - all guys. One of them, Phil, completed his law degree around the time I left the SGI (which I rejoined in 1993). He was a member for at least 15 years that I know of. Out of curiosity, I googled his name recently. Turns out, he pleaded guilty to federal charges connected to his law practice and was sentenced, in August of 2013, to 60 months in prison. I remembered Phil as having put in a lot of time and effort into his SGI activities. I just cannot comprehend that he would have come to this - including losing his law license.
But prison itself doesn't have to mean the end of the world. I remember another Buddhist (of a different sect) going to prison. He used that as an opportunity to become a model prisoner by practicing his form of Buddhism "as if my hair were on fire." I pray that Phil decides to emulate this example.
TWO:
In the 90's, I was in a car with my district chief Dale, and two other members. He mentioned a new member who was chanting for his hand to grow back. I don't know if his loss was congenital or accidental. But he was determined to accomplish this "impossible dream." You might remember the musical The Man of La Mancha (Don Quixote), who sang "To dream the impossible dream." The SGI-USA adopted that theme, encouraging its members to dream bigger and more impossibly than their pre-SGI selves would dare imagine.
Dale kind of chuckled when talking about a hand being magically conjured up. His thinking was more along the lines of advancements in prosthetic science might come to the rescue. My thinking was: "Who are we to judge another member's earnest, heartfelt goals? To chuckle about their impracticality behind their backs?" We in the SGI are supposed to believe in miracles - not only believe in them, but come to expect them
Dale might or might not know this, since I doubt he read the Lotus Sutra even once, but in Chapter 23 that Sutra speaks of Bodhisattva Medicine King whose arms were burned off. He declared: "I am certain to attain the golden body of a buddha. If this is true and not false, then may my two arms become as they were before! [Immediately], his arms reappeared of themselves as they had been before."
THREE:
Back in the 90's, I was talking up an idea I had with a couple of SGI members in the Chicago Community Center. I knew that many members brought their young children to the Center, hoping they'd sit quietly as they themselves chanted. Sometimes, though, these chant sessions could be quite lengthy, giving rise to juvenile impatience. So I suggested that an empty room upstairs could be used for me to host, free of charge, a chess program for these kids so their parents wouldn't have to worry about them running around or being disruptive - or just plain bored.
A few of the members seemed agreeable. While not disagreeing, David Grilli said, "Chess is your thing." His context was, anything done in the Center should be Buddhist related. I didn't push it, but I thought: "And yet the SGI embraces the slogan that 'Buddhism is daily life.' And chess teaches certain life lessons that could be invaluable to the young. I should know: I'd been teaching chess for years as a volunteer in local schools."
But judging from David's demeanor, I could tell he'd already made up his mind. And that was enough to turn off the others who were present. I had one more thought about David's comment: "Back in 1975, the SGI strongly encouraged its Young Men's Division members to join its Brass Band, of which David Grilli was in charge. At the time, I didn't say, 'No thanks, that's your thing, not mine.'"
I had also run my idea by a senior leader who spoke to me one-on-one, after I had submitted my proposal in writing, even offering to provide all necessary equipment at no charge. His denial was based on the idea that the newly-completed Center on Wabash Avenue should have its rooms used for religious purposes only. [Sigh!] The Buddha taught that people could be encouraged in faith by a wide variety of skillful means, extending to those that weren't even related to Buddhism - though I suppose everything is in some way at least indirectly related.
This leader's response would have been better received by me had it not been obvious the man had been drinking the night before. His sleepy demeanor and body odor gave that much away. Not that the odor was overwhelming by any means, but since I grew up with an alcoholic father, I knew that smell - faint though it might have been from this particular individual.
FOUR:
Even among Buddhists, you'll find occasional examples of anger rearing its ugly head. Back in the 70's, we had a very popular and handsome leader we called "Homencho Jackson" - Homencho being his title within the Chicago organization. After the crowded meetings in which he was usually the final, featured speaker, he would lead the members in singing songs - the SGI versions of rah-rah stuff like "Onward, Christian soldiers." He led us by standing on two folding chairs - one foot on each chair - waving enthusiastically, while two volunteers braced the chairs for him so he wouldn't fall.
Later, I heard one of these lads talk about how important this task was, saying, "I'd feel sorry for anyone who let Homencho fall because he failed to steady the chair. A whole bunch of Young Men's Division members would start chasing after him." The idea being to kick his ass, to put it crudely. However, Buddhism teaches that each of us bears responsibility for his own actions. Maybe, if Homencho were ever to take a tumble, that might have been due to his karma. But he could avoid that fate by simply leading us in singing - without the use of chairs. The stage he was standing on was high enough for all of us to soak in his glory.
Years later, I found out Homencho Jackson had died of throat cancer. I thought, "Too bad, but he had that fate in his hands too - if only he would've decided to stop smoking like a chimney." Fellow members told me he chanted for four hours per day to beat his disease - not easy with throat cancer. I knew about members who had successfully chanted their way to back to health, even when faced with cancer.
I myself used my Buddhist practice (though not SGI's practice) in this manner. Even though I still have terminal Stage IV liver cancer, I beat my doctor's prediction (made 17 months ago) that I'd only have five to eight months to live. My cancer is 95% gone and my condition is stable. I made up my mind that I'd like to go to my doctor's office someday, only to see him look up from the latest CT scan and lab reports and ask, "Okay, Steve, what did you do with your cancer? It's all gone. Not a trace." That would be my "impossible dream," but you see: I firmly believe there are exceptions to even the strictest rules.
FIVE:
One of my impossible dreams I shared with my fellow members after a meeting in 2007. I announced that I was actively campaigning to be elected President of the United States in 2008. I said this in a district meeting of some 15 people in the district leader's house. We were always encouraged to aim high, so I thought President Steven Searle has a nice ring to it. After the meeting, the members were socializing and one young man walked up to me, asking if I was serious. So I gave him one of my campaign flyers, which he read on the spot. He seemed to like what he read and wished me luck. He was the only member, then and since, who ever showed any interest.
I never spoke about my campaign in any attempt to solicit volunteers or donations. I wanted to show what the power of faith could accomplish in terms of opening doors. Neither of my presidential campaigns ever developed any traction, but I still gained huge benefits for trying. Anyone reading the earlier posts on this site can see that I came up with a lot of highly plausible and creative ideas in the political realm. And that was my benefit: How much my mind opened up and showed a creativity unmatched earlier in my life. I was drawing inspiration from many sources, large and small, likely and unlikely.
But still, I thought it would have been really cool if at least one other SGI member had shown any kind of interest. I would have shared my vision of what being a Buddhist president would have been like. But I guess too many of the members were more interested in the material things SGI practice promised. And they might have been wondering, "Where are your millions?" To which I would have answered, "I never chased after money, things, or prestige, and yet I consider myself the wealthiest man on this planet, bar none.
SIX:
In the mid-seventies, I attended Sunday services in the Chicago Community Center on Lawrence Avenue, near Kimball. After the chanting was over, speeches were made including the giving of experiences. Members were encouraged to share with the group the benefits they obtained from their chanting. New members would be asked, in advance, to give an experience, though many of them would say, "I get a good vibe from the practice but I can't say I've actually gotten any benefits yet." To which they would be told, "Let me schedule you anyway. You know, giving an experience [testimonial], no matter how modest is a good cause for obtaining even greater benefits in the future."
On this particular Sunday, a young, very sullen looking black man found himself standing in front of a mostly white audience of members. And you could tell he didn't know what to say. After being introduced to thunderous applause, he stood there for a few moments, obviously thinking. He finally said, "I haven't been chanting long - for about two months." More thunderous applause. "Two weeks ago, I went for a walk and found a dollar on the sidewalk." More thunderous applause. Then, he seemed to "get it," for he followed up with, "Last week, I found two dollars on the sidewalk." And then he sat down to more thunderous applause.
We were always encouraged to warmly respond to any experience that was offered, especially by new members who needed encouragement in their fledgling practice. I wonder to this day, though, if that dollar-finder is still a member. Many members from the early days no longer practice, at least not with the SGI. But...there are reasons for that as I've detailed elsewhere on this blog.
SEVEN:
I always had a great admiration for one of the more internationally-known senior SGI leaders, a flamenco dancer by passion and profession - Pascual Olivera Jr. You couldn't find a better example of an enthusiastic and genuinely sincere SGI Buddhist than this very charming and engaging gentlemen. I had seen him in action a number of times during member activities I participated in. Always encouraging, always sunny. And his dancing was exquisite and inspired.
We never exchanged words, though it cannot be said we ever directly crossed paths - except once. He was a guest speaker at a district meeting I attended. When it came time for discussion after the chanting was over, I read from a list of points dealing with how I thought the SGI could improve. No one responded to any of these. But after the meeting, the lady of the house pulled me aside and said, "Steve, when you were reading those points, I looked at Pascual's face and I tell you - he was absolutely terrified at what you were saying."
I was surprised to hear this. But, consistent with my inability to generate dialogue within the SGI, this opportunity too passed without Pascual saying a single thing to me. Which is odd, since it is considered an SGI leader's job to refute the erroneous. Though perhaps I wasn't in error at all on that particular day.
EIGHT:
I saw Trinidad at a Christmas Party in the 90's, attended by a lot of SGI Buddhists. I remembered her from my early SGI days in the mid-70's, as this earnest high school student whose brother Carlos had also joined SGI. Well, about 20 years and four children later, Trinidad still looked pretty much the same - serene, happy, and enthusiastic. However, the one comment I heard her make saddened me: "I think this whole idea of SGI benefits was just something that was promoted in order to keep us going."
That was quite an amazing statement, since she had married the man who was our chapter leader. That's quite a karmic connection and I would consider that alone to have been a huge benefit. I didn't respond to her statement, since I only overheard it and wasn't its intended recipient. Still, I was curious: And what "keeps you going" as you chant these days?
I'm pretty sure she never read the Lotus Sutra, the text SGI is nominally based on. For if she had, she would have known how benefit is defined and obtained by practicing correctly. I felt she had never studied much about Buddhism above and beyond the over-simplified articles in SGI's organ publications. If she had started reading the Lotus Sutra right after this Christmas party, I'm sure she would have seen that she had been misled into practicing incorrectly all these years. Her heart was sincere, I'm sure, but good intentions alone aren't good enough. Perhaps she'll be lucky enough in the future to be drawn to reading the Lotus Sutra, and then correcting the errors of her practice.
It's never too late.
NINE:
Around the time I quit the SGI in 1977, I overhead my chapter chief talking to a friend, saying in a joking manner, "If this SGI thing doesn't work out, I could always beg my dad to take me in." I was always a little uneasy about Jeff and how he came across as superficial at best or an opportunist at worst. But I was amazed he'd actually put this into words where he could be overheard.
I couldn't help but think of a lot of members who sacrificed so much for so long, putting their lives on hold, hoping their efforts on behalf of the SGI would hasten the arrival of world peace due to the popularization of SGI's brand of Buddhism. Many of them, I suspect, didn't have the same kind of golden parachute Jeff had.
TEN:
I was reintroduced to Rick in the 90's, whom I had first met in the 70's when we were both new members. I remembered him as this joyful, vibrant young man who was in excellent physical condition. After one meeting, he walked on his hands, causing one member to exclaim, "Wow, this dude's in shape!" Which he was - young and full of vitality. In preparation for the 1976 Bicentennial Independence Day parade in New York City, in which we would march as members of the SGI Brass Band, he chanted one million daimoku. That means he chanted "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo" one million times during the year preceding this monumental event.
We were all encouraged to chant more for the success of this parade, but few took up the challenge to chant 1,000,000 daimoku. When he finished his million, he told us and we believed him. To this day, I still believe him, for he seemed to honest and guileless. And he had nothing to gain by lying about such a thing.
But when I saw him again in the 90's, he seemed a shell of his former self. It turned out that he became a severe alcoholic, perhaps influenced by too much partying with his fellow members back in the heady days of the mid-70's. Rick barely recognized me and seemed like a walking zombie. Someone pointed out his wife to me, a very attractive but anguished Japanese woman. I felt so sorry for her, and for Rick of course, because he seemed past the point of no return in his addiction.
What happens to people, that causes them to sink so low? Was there no one in the SGI who tried to be there for him at any point when he started losing it? Rick deserved better than this, though I doubt he's still alive now. [Disclaimer: I would love to hear otherwise, that he had turned his life around and was living the life full of benefit which the SGI always promised.]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Steven Searle, just another member of the Virtual Sangha of the Lotus and
former candidate for US President (in 2008 and 2012)
Contact me at bpa_cinc@yahoo.com
Footnotes:
scriptural references* and references* - Here, I am referring solely to The Lotus Sutra venerated by Nichiren, founder of the SGI's brand of Buddhism, as the highest of the Buddhist scriptures. I am NOT referring to the writings of Nichiren himself or those of any past or present leaders of the SGI.
six paramitas* - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81ramit%C4%81
"Shakyamuni Buddha is the Buddha to whom we are greatly indebted" -- Nichiren
"Next, they have abandoned their father, Shakyamuni Buddha, and hence stand accused of the five cardinal sins. How can they escape falling into the hell of incessant suffering? And finally, they have turned their backs on their teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha, and thus are to be numbered among those who commit the seven cardinal sins. How could they fail to sink into the evil paths of existence?
Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, as we have already seen, possesses the three virtues of sovereign, teacher, and parent in relation to the living beings of this sahā world. He is the Buddha to whom they are greatly indebted. Anyone who would abandon such a Buddha and put faith in the Buddha of some other realm, honoring and relying upon Amida or Medicine Master or Mahāvairochana, is guilty of committing the twenty cardinal sins and hence will surely fall into the evil paths of existence."
Nichiren on the sacred image of Shakyamuni Buddha
"And then in time you arrived at this remote hollow and saw a lone hermitage where the sound of Lotus Sutra recitation echoed to the blue sky and the words expounding the single vehicle were heard among the mountains. Following the guide assigned you, you entered the chamber and then, when you had safely placed the remains of your mother before the sacred image of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, bowed your limbs and body to the ground in obeisance, pressed your palms together, and opened your eyes to pay homage to the noble visage, your body was filled with overwhelming joy and all suffering at once vanished from your mind." [1280]
Nichiren on donations
"Snow piles up five feet deep, blocking the mountain trails that are deserted to begin with, and no one comes to visit. My clothes are thin and hardly keep out the cold, my food supplies are exhausted, and it would seem that my life must come to an end. At such a moment, to receive a gift like yours, one that has saved my life, is an occasion for both joy and lamentation. Just when I had resigned myself to the thought of starvation, your gift came like oil added to a lamp that could hardly last much longer. How wonderful, how welcome, how generous the heart of the giver! Surely it must have been the design of Shakyamuni Buddha and the Lotus Sutra."
The Benevolent Kings Sutra, Daisaku Ikeda, and Komeito
"The Benevolent Kings Sutra states: “Evil monks, hoping to gain fame and profit, will in many cases appear before the ruler, the crown prince, or the other princes, and take it upon themselves to preach doctrines that lead to the violation of the Buddhist Law and the destruction of the nation. The ruler, failing to perceive the truth of the situation, will listen to and put faith in such doctrines, and proceed to create regulations that are perverse in nature* and that do not accord with the rules of Buddhist discipline. In this way he will bring about the destruction of Buddhism and of the nation."
*For example, the States Secrets Law and amending Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution.
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