I entreat the Dalits of India

I am a disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin who would never condone the SGI's cordial relationship with the Brahmins and the SGI's compromise of the teachings of the Lotus Sutra which teaches the absolute equality of all people.

Dalits are the real voice of the oppressed people of India but the SGI and traditional Buddhists are more interested in the money, power, and influence of the Brahmins. How strange that these so-called Buddhists place Ghandi on a pedestal while abandoning the true champions of the people, Shakyamuni Buddha and his faithful disciple Nichiren Daishonin!

Your question, "How can we revive the Lotus Sutra in India?", is the most difficult to answer. I think dialogue between the voices of the Dalit and the disciples and believers of Nichiren is an excellent first step. Secondly, if the people are pure through the chanting of Namu Myoho renge kyo and belief in the True Object of Worship, Lord Shakya of the Original Doctrine, their land will be pure. There is a concept in the Lotus Sutra of the immeasurable merits and virtues of the 50th person who hears the Sutra and experiences one moment of faith and joy. How much greater are the merits of the first person! You, V.T. Rajshekar, are the first person. Your good fortune, benefits, and good name will be known for ten thousand years and from ten thousand miles afar. Tears well up and joy fills my heart. Please protect your good followers also.

I will send you 300 daily use Sutra books in English, several collectors edition Sutra books and several Tradition of Nichiren Doctrine glossy print books. I am looking forward to what you can provide about your movement and the Good Doctor Ambedkar.

India Lost Buddhism:

I have read all the copies of Dalit Voice you sent and I commend you on your deep interest in the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin, the Lotus Sutra's Supreme Votary. The Lotus Sutra will once again spread throughout India as predicted by the Great Buddhist Prophet:

"Answer: The moon appears in the west and sheds its light eastward, but the sun rises in the east and casts its rays to the west. The same is true of Buddhism. It spread from west to east in the Former and Middle Days of the Law, but will travel from east to west in the Latter Day. The Great Teacher Miao-lo says, “Does this not mean that Buddhism has been lost in India, the country of its origin, and must now be sought in the surrounding regions?” Thus, no Buddhism is found in India anymore. During the 150 years or so since barbarians from the north invaded the Eastern Capital in the time of Emperor Kao-tsung, both Buddhism and imperial authority became extinct in China. Concerning the collection of scriptures kept in China, not one Hinayana sutra remains, and most Mahayana sutras have also been lost. Even when Jakusho and other priests set out from Japan to take some sutras to China, no one was found there who could embrace these sutras and teach them to others. It was as though there were only wooden or stone statues garbed in priests’ robes and carrying begging bowls. That is why Tsun-shih said, “It [Buddhism] came first from the west, like the moon appearing. Now it is returning from the east, like the sun rising.” These remarks make it clear that Buddhism is lost in both India and China." (On the Buddha's Prophecy).

Buddha taught that one becomes a Brahmin through virtue not birth. As the Lotus Sutra spreads in India, freeing the oppressed peoples of India from their mortal bonds, those "Brahmins" by birth are sure to rise up against the Brahmins of great virtue who embrace the Lotus Sutra and revere Shakyamuni Buddha. Your people are sure to encounter the Three Obstacles and Four Devils. 

Nichiren writes,

'The doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life revealed in the fifth volume of Great Concentration and Insight is especially profound. If you propagate it, devils will arise without fail. If they did not, there would be no way of knowing that this is the correct teaching. One passage from the same volume reads: “As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere . . . One should be neither influenced nor frightened by them. If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil. If one is frightened by them, one will be prevented from practicing the correct teaching.” This statement not only applies to me, but also is a guide for my followers. Reverently make this teaching your own, and transmit it as an axiom of faith for future generations.

The three obstacles in this passage are the obstacle of earthly desires, the obstacle of karma, and the obstacle of retribution. The obstacle of earthly desires is the impediments to one’s practice that arise from greed, anger, foolishness, and the like; the obstacle of karma is the hindrances presented by one’s wife or children; and the obstacle of retribution is the hindrances caused by one’s sovereign or parents. Of the four devils, the workings of the devil king of the sixth heaven are of this last kind.

In Japan today, many people claim they have mastered the practice of concentration and insight. But is there anyone who has actually encountered the three obstacles and four devils? The statement “If one falls under their influence, one will be led into the paths of evil” indicates not only the three evil paths but also the worlds of human and heavenly beings, and in general, all of the nine worlds. Therefore, with the exception of the Lotus Sutra, all of the sutras— those of the Flower Garland, Agama, Correct and Equal, and Wisdom periods, and the Nirvana and Mahavairochana sutras— will lead people toward the paths of evil. Also, with the exception of the Tendai school, the adherents of the seven other schools are in reality wardens of hell who drive others toward the evil paths. Even in the Tendai school are found those who profess faith in the Lotus Sutra, yet actually lead others toward the pre- Lotus Sutra teachings. They, too, are wardens of hell who cause people to fall into the evil paths."

The false but powerful "Brahmins by birth", are the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven who now reside in India. Do not be swayed or frightened by them. It is proof that you embrace the true teachings. You must teach your members this night and day for many will be killed and exiled on account of their faith. 

Nichiren writes in one of his two most important writings, the Opening of the Eyes,

"Although I and my disciples may encounter various difficulties, if we do not harbor doubts in our hearts, we will as a matter of course attain Buddhahood. Do not have doubts simply because heaven does not lend you protection. Do not be discouraged because you do not enjoy an easy and secure existence in this life. This is what I have taught my disciples morning and evening, and yet they begin to harbor doubts and abandon their faith.

Foolish men are likely to forget the promises they have made when the crucial moment comes. Some of them feel pity for their wives and children and grieve at the thought of parting from them in this life. In countless births throughout many long kalpas they have had wives and children but parted from them in every existence. They have done so unwillingly and not because of their desire to pursue the way of the Buddha. Since they must part with them in any case, they should remain faithful to their belief in the Lotus Sutra and make their way to Eagle Peak, so that they may lead their wives and children there as well."

As far as violence in the Lotus Sutra, there is no exhortation to kill unbelievers. There is no need. They will have their heads split into seven pieces as a matter of course. Nichiren writes, "Thus, although one may exert one’s full effort to save others, it is very difficult to save them from the karmic retribution that they have brought upon themselves." (On Repaying Debts of Gratitude) Cause and effect is very strict.

Likewise, there is no exhortation not to protect yourself. We must protect the precious children of the Buddha at the cost of our own lives.

There is much more I wish to say to you but I will keep this letter brief. We will talk again.

More on the Nichikan Gohonzonj

One's choice of honzon [object of devotion] is based on one's state of life or Realm [of the Ten Realms]. Conversely, the honzon has a power and influence on the believer, directly imbuing either merits and virtues or illusions and sufferings [effects].

The Nichikan Gohonzon is demon infested honzon because it was eye-opened by the demon Nichikan.  Daisaku Ikeda chose his Gohonzon as their banner of propagation because he too is demon infested. As like is drawn to like or as a magnet attracts iron, the demon infested leader of the SGI chose a demon infested Nichikan honzon. Those pure sincere members who know no better, chanting and faithfully worshiping the Nichikan Gohonzon, soon too become demon infested [fall into the Lower Three or Four Worlds]. This is readily apparent in their words and actions. It is a pity. Nichiren Daishonin states:

"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-hsi said, “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 on Hinayana. 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 uphold it, he gathered more than one hundred eminent scholars and begged the Great Teacher T’ient’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 Dengyo said that [the Lotus school is] the school founded by the Buddha himself" -- On Curing Karmic Disease

Nichiren also states:

"Unless one who has grasped the essence of the Lotus Sutra conducts the eye-opening ceremony for a wooden or painted image, it will be as if a masterless house were to be occupied by a thief, or as if, upon death, a demon were to take possession of one’s body. When, in present-day Japan, eye-opening ceremonies for the Buddha images are conducted according to the True Word rite, demons occupy them and deprive people of their lives, for a demon is also known as a robber of life. Moreover, devils enter those images and deprive people of benefits; another name for a devil is a robber of benefit. Because the people worship demons, they will bring the country to ruin in their present lifetime, and because they revere devils, they will fall into the hell of incessant suffering in the next."

Nichikan failed to grasp the essence of the Lotus Sutra with his teaching, "we chant the Jiga-ge to smash the Hoben-pon and we chant the Daimoku to smash the Jiga-ge."

One need not pass through kalpas cycling through the Lower Worlds. One may choose to push himself off the ground he has fallen to and immediately renounce the Nichikan Gohonzon and the Soka Gakkai and embrace the One Pure Vehicle as practiced by Nichiren.

Nichiren Daishonin also states:

"Thus, T’ien-t’ai and Miao-lo, following this principle, state in their commentaries that one should persist in preaching the Lotus Sutra. For instance, a person who stumbles and falls to the ground pushes himself up from the ground and rises to his feet again. In the same way, though persons [who slander the Lotus Sutra] may fall into hell, they will quickly rise up again and become Buddhas.

The people of today in any event already turn their backs on the Lotus Sutra, and because of that error they will undoubtedly fall into hell. Therefore, one should by all means persist in preaching the Lotus Sutra and causing them to hear it. Those who put their faith in it will surely attain Buddhahood, while those who slander it will establish a “poison-drum relationship” with it and will likewise attain Buddhahood." -- Those Initially Aspiring to the Way

Do not turn your back on the Lotus Sutra as ByakurenK and the other leaders of the Soka Gakkai. There may be some solace in the "poison drum relationship" you have with the Lotus Sutra but why pass through a thousand kalpas as did those who persecuted Neverdespise Bodhisattva? Exchange your Nichikan Gohonzon now and renounce your affiliation with the slanderous Soka Gakkai.

SGI "life coach" calls herself a Nichiren Buddhist\

"Having continuous faith in something greater than ourselves (God, Allah, Buddha, Jesus Christ, The Divine, The Law of The Universe…) that will give us the necessary strength and courage to weather any storm and celebrate any joyous miracle. It is what makes all things possible. The path of absolute happiness –true happiness from within." -- Liz Isaacs SGI senior leader and "life coach".

Never allow the depraved SGI leaders who claim to have attained what they have not, degrade your faith or your efforts for the Law.

The character Myo is the rain of the Law. Even in the depths of hell Myo is the rain that puts out the great fires of suffering and delusion. Everything changes save for the eternal nature of the Law and the Buddha. Jihi or Buddhist mercy is the essential nature of Myo. Buddha Shakyamuni displayed his mercy by confronting the nine great persecutions for the sake of the people and Nichiren overcame the five great persecutions. Both these great men renounced a life of luxury for the sake of the Law. Both could have been or done anything they chose, monarch, adviser to the nation; entrepreneur, physician, or general. They chose to preach the Law, living in the open under the stars or in thatched hermitage. Neither was respected by the powers that be. Ajatashatru loosed a herd of wild elephants on the Buddha and Hojo Takenobu sentenced Nichiren Daishonin to death. Never let those depraved SGI leaders who claim to have attained what they have not degrade your faith or your efforts for the Law. You will see in ten or fifteen years who is being tormented by the guards of hell and who is enjoying the boundless benefit of the Law. The rain of Myo benefits all equally, not just "holy" leaders or priests who are anything but holy or true priests. You yourself are a Bodhisattva of the Earth, exalted beings who drink the life sustaining rain of the Law. Never forget this. Never forget the gratitude we owe to Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin.

Even the lowly Dhammapada far surpasses the Koran. How much more so the Lotus Sutra?

Buddhism [from the Dhammapada]

” In this world hate never yet dispelled hate. Only love dispels hate. This is the law, Ancient and inexhaustible. ”

“All things, including you too shall pass away. Knowing this, how can you quarrel?

“It is better to conquer your own mind, than to win a thousand battles.”

“The mind is everything; what you think you become”

“It is a man’s own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.”

“Never speak harsh words. For they will rebound upon you.”

“Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth”

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

Islam: (From the Koran)

“cast terror into the hearts of the infidels. Strike off their heads”

“Men have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other,”

“When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them”

“Believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you.”

“Believers, know that the idolaters [non-Muslims] are unclean. ”

“Jews are like pigs and monkeys”

“Reclining in paradise with bashful virgins for companions, they will call for abundant fruit and drink.”

“Women are your fields: go, then, into your fields whence you please.”

Trust in my God and my savior, Sensei"

"Well it was a day full of happiness, compliments, appreciation and confidence. I can face anything in my life, as I have complete faith, trust in my God and Gohonzon and of course not to forget my darling My Sai [my savior Sensei]." -- SGI-India member Aruna

"Todos Somos Budas" - Core Soka Gakkai teaching that even they don't really believe

??? Ryokan? Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi? They who must sign the SGI code of conduct?

Soka Gakkai is Ikedaism

Half of the latest WT was devoted to mentor and disciple.

"Ghandi was not great because he had publications tauting (touting) him, neither was Martin Luther King.

If President Ikeda is a great, wise, man, people will flock to him. We don't need the publications to tell us that.

I am ready to drop all of my subscriptions to SGI pubs.

I would rather read experiences (sanitized by the SGI to sound all the same) rather than read this mentor and disciple stuff.

What is going on with this M&D [sic] crap?

Re: Mentor & disciple, I am sick of it.

They are shoving it down our throats. I think it is their way of solidifying SGI doctrine, which is to be based on this concept. They've had to throw out much of the Shoshu doctrine, and so we have THIS. If we don't buy into it we're bound for the hell of incessant suffering. I wouldn't mind the concept so much if they didn't take it upon themselves to decide who my mentor is going to be. It might be a nice idea if the mentor wasn't mandated.

This summer's Living Buddhism is also almost entirely devoted to the "Mentor/Disciple relationship". This is a pretty strong push in the publications right now, and my feeling about it is that M/D has become a sort of "caulk" for the SGI. As long as the M/D relationship is a prime point of faith, it can be used to distract attention from any policy or doctrinal issue.

As I discussed last week, Japan (and perhaps to a limited extent our own study department in Santa Monica) is very engaged right now in trying to sort through exactly what form of Nichiren Buddhism we are going to be teaching as we nobly march forward into the 21st century. This involves a lot of interpretation, decision-making,and discussion to which we gaijin are cordially not invited. If faith becomes a matter of a personal loyalty oath to an individual rather than about our own inherent Buddhahood, or if we can somehow be convinced that our own inherent Buddhahood is contingent on a fantasy relationship with someone we've never met, then the subject can always be changed whenever there's a conflict. If (like some of us) you have problems with the Gakkai's choice to continue slandering other forms of Nichiren Buddhism, a layer of M/D caulk can be applied to sort of give the appearance of a flat wall of agreement,and the subject can be changed to the questioner's lack of faith and need to build a better fantasy relationship with his or her mentor. It is a strategic means whereby the organization can avoid dealing with the inevitable cultural conflicts which have arisen and will continue to arise. Personally , I think it is doomed to failure, since the caulk will only cosmeticallycover any cracks and not actually strengthen the structure.

At the end of the day, though, people will be able to meet together and chant without an emphasis on building a fantasy relationship if that's what they want to do. If the current emphasis is really disturbing to you,, you can always chant and study with people who feel likewise. The only thing I would offer as a caveat is to try to keep things positive. Our Fifth Wave gatherings out here are not about venting frustrations with any particular group or any particular organization's way of doing things. They are an opportunity for people to get together and do faith, practice and study of Nichiren Buddhism.

Hang in there, hope you are well, Best, Byrd in LA

Yes, I think you have expresse the reality pretty well here. And this is one of the reasons non-denominational meetings will continue to be interesting to a lot of people. Americans have a real aversion to being compelled to admire or emulate anyone. It may not be true, but we like to flatter ourselves that we choose our own leaders and we decide whom we will admire. Non-denominational gatherings will just simply continue to make it possible to understand Buddhism without using a mandatory Mentor as an intermediary between ourselves and the Lotus Sutra, or ourselves and Buddhism. That's one of the basic rules of the Fifth Wave, I think - no mandatory mentors.

Well, I hope everyone has a good week this week. I myself have started a new morning exercise routine. I'm hobbling a bit, but otherwwise feeling well. Best regards, Byrd in LA

"...If President Ikeda is a great, wise, man, people will flock to him. We don't need the publications to tell us that..."

Maybe we need a little reminding now and then...For example, the current issue of "Living Buddhism" repeats the name "Ikeda" some 200 times witnin its 13 pages..not counting footnotes or direct references Ikeda makes to himself...

That's right...the word "Ikeda" is printed over 200 times in one issue...mostly with gushing adulation about his mentorship, his wisom, his compassion...and of course, how the "lifeblood" of Nichiren flows through him to us...

Just reading one issue of Living Buddhism you see the name "Ikeda" 200 times...maybe the guys over there are slipping...I suggest they set a target for 1000 times in the next issue!

Welcome to Ikeda Buddhism. Well, has it really come to that? Is this truly the direction we've been on ALL ALONG? I REALLY do wonder.

I bring this up all the time with my SGI friends and either they are embarrassed about it or don't like it. Ikeda calls the shots in the SGI."

A few of Nichiren's thoughts on Zen

"It is customary among physicians to name anyone who departs from the basic practices of medicine a “practitioner of outside ways.” In human society one speaks of those relatives who are of a surname other than one’s own as “outside relatives.” And in Buddhism, that which departs from the sutras and treatises is known as an “outside way.”

The Nirvana Sutra states, “If there is any person who does not abide by the expositions of the Buddha, you should understand that this person is a servant of the devil.” And volume nine of On “Great Concentration and Insight” says, “Before the Lotus Sutra, they were disciples of an outside [non-Buddhist] way.”

The Zen school describes itself as something “not transmitted by the Buddha and patriarchs.” [What is your opinion on this?]

Answer: If that is so, then why does the Zen school talk about the “twenty-eight patriarchs of India” and the “six patriarchs of China”? If you speak in this way, you are refuting your own assertion that the teachings were entrusted to Mahākāshyapa, are you not? How do you explain this contradiction in your own words?

The Zen school says, “This superior way of ours has not been transmitted by the sages of the past.”

Answer: If that is so, then the Zen school of today can have no real understanding of this “superior way” either. And if it has no real understanding of it, then it is not true Zen!

All the Zen school does is sing about a “superior way,” resting in arrogance, never correcting its deluded views but instead boasting of “perceiving one’s true nature.” Its greatest mistake is to create gaps between people’s capacities and the Buddha’s teachings. In doing so, it impedes the enlightening process of the Buddha’s teachings and falls ever deeper into error.

The Zen followers talk about a doctrine “outside the sutras” and practice this thing “outside the sutras”; they say their doctrine is “independent of words or writing,” yet they love to take up their brushes and write about it. Their words and their hearts fail to match—how could they be other than followers of the heavenly devil, disciples of a non-Buddhist way?

It is through the use of words and letters that the Buddha saves living beings."

The Buddha Shakya is conceived with the mind as His lodging

"In turbid water the moon does not abide; in a withered tree there are no birds. In the body of a woman without a mind [of faith] the Buddha does not abide. A woman who keeps the Hokekyo is like clear water: the moon of the Buddha Shakya takes up residence [there]. For example, although, when a woman is first pregnant, she is not aware of it in her own body, as the months gradually add up and the days pass, she first wonders if it is so and later thinks that it is certain. A woman of insight even knows whether it is a boy or a girl. The doctrine of the Hokekyo is also thus. When one believes Namu Myoho renge kyo in one's mind, the Buddha Shakya is conceived with the mind as His lodging. Though at first one does not know it, as the months gradually add up, the Buddha in one's mind appears and a joyful mind gradually emerges." -- Letter to Lord Matsuno's Wife

The horribly poor perception and judgement of an SGI leader

"I have never known Petry to ever say anything worthwhile or truthful. He is like an intellectual gnat attacking an intellectual giant (John Ayres). What Petry mistakes for the truth is his own inability to deal with facts that he does not like. He simply makes up "facts" that are more suitable to him.This is the best that the Minobu sect has to represent themselves. Typical. His ignorance of his own sect and Nichiren’s Buddhism is very helpful for orthodox Nichiren sects." -- Terry Ruby SGI leader

I suggest you search John Ayres on Google Groups Alternate Religion Buddhism of Nichiren. Then we can most easily judge the perception and judgement of SGI leader Terry Ruby. Were you to find it to be deficient, it is a warning to you who remain in the Soka Gakkai or to those who are thinking of joining. A good search term would be John Ayres and Reginald Carpenter and go down to the 5th post. Thomas Pass the Doobie's perception and judgement is not much better than Terry Ruby's. Should Thomas wish to come here and argue SGI's or Nichiren's doctrines, I would be more than happy to host him. We can have a hundred day debate.

An open latter to Daisaku Ikeda by Arthur James Vidato

https://nagabuddha.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/an-open-letter.pdf

Persecutions are worse in this Latter Age

"But the sutra says, “How much more will this be so after his passing?” By this we know that, in a future age after the passing of the Buddha, there are bound to be persecutions and difficulties even greater and more fearful than those that occurred during his lifetime. If even the Buddha had difficulty bearing up under such persecutions, how can ordinary people be expected to bear them, particularly when these troubles are destined to be even greater than those that occurred during the Buddha’s lifetime?

Though one might wonder what great persecutions could possibly be more terrible than the huge rock thirty feet long and sixteen feet wide that Devadatta rolled down on the Buddha or the drunken elephant that King Ajātashatru sent charging after him, if persecutions greater than those that arose during the Buddha’s lifetime keep occurring again and again to someone who is not guilty of the slightest fault, then one should realize that that person is a true votary of the Lotus Sutra in the age after the Buddha’s passing."

There are no priests in SGI. There are 'Ministers of Worship"

Italian SGI leaders [responsabili] are known as "Ministers of Worship."

Granted the same benefits of Shakyamuni Buddha

"Shakyamuni’s practices and the virtues he consequently attained are all contained within the five characters of Myoho-renge-kyo. If we believe in these five characters, we will naturally be granted the same benefits as he was.

With full understanding of Shakyamuni’s teachings, the four great voice-hearers said, “This cluster of unsurpassed jewels has come to us unsought.” They represent the world of the voice-hearer that is within ourselves. The Buddha stated, “At the start I took a vow, hoping to make all persons equal to me, without any distinction between us, and what I long ago hoped for has now been fulfilled. I have converted all living beings and caused them all to enter the Buddha way.” ShakyamuniBuddha, who has attained perfect enlightenment, is our own flesh and blood. His practices and the resulting virtues are our bones and marrow. The “Treasure Tower” chapter of the Lotus Sutra says, “He who is capable of guarding the Law of this sutra will thereby have offered alms to me and to Many Treasures. . . . One who guards this sutra will also have offered alms to the emanation Buddhas who have come here adorning and making brilliant all the various worlds.” Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions represent the world of Buddhahood within ourselves. By searching them out within us, we can receive the benefits of all these Buddhas. This is what is meant by the following passage: “If one listens to them [the preachers of the Law] for even a moment, one will immediately attain supreme perfect enlightenment.” The “Life Span” chapter reads, “It has been immeasurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayutas of kalpas since I in fact attained Buddhahood.” The Shakyamuni Buddha within our lives is the eternal Buddha since time without beginning, who obtained the three bodies more than numberless major world system dust particle kalpas ago. The “Life Span” chapter states, “Originally I practiced the bodhisattva way, and the life span that I acquired then has yet to come to an end but will last twice the number of years that have already passed.” He was speaking of the world of the bodhisattva within ourselves. The bodhisattvas, as numerous as the dust particles of a thousand worlds, who emerged from beneath the earth, are the followers of the Shakyamuni Buddha present in our lives. They follow the Buddha just as T’ai-kung Wang and Tan, the Duke of Chou, served as ministers to King Wu of the Chou dynasty and later assisted his son and successor, the infant King Ch’eng; or just as the Chief Minister Takenouchi supported Empress Jingū and later her grandson Crown Prince Nintoku as a highly valued minister. The bodhisattvas Superior Practices, Boundless Practices, Pure Practices, andFirmly Established Practices represent the world of the bodhisattvawithin ourselves. The Great Teacher Miao-lo says: “You should understand that one’s life and its environment at a single moment encompass the three thousand realms. Therefore, when one attains the Buddha way, one puts oneself in accord with this fundamental principle, and one’s body and mind at a single moment pervade the entire realm of phenomena.” -- Nichiren's most important writing

The Lotus Sutra by Zen man Burton Watson is not an excellent translation of the Lotus Sutra

Burton Watson translates a passage from Chapter 21 of the Lotus Sutra as follows:

"At that time the Buddha spoke to Superior Practices and the others in the great assembly of bodhisattvas, saying: "The supernatural powers of the Buddhas, as you have seen, are immeasurable, boundless, inconceivable. If in the process of entrusting this sutra to others I were to employ these supernatural powers for a measurable, boundless hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of asamkhya kalpas to describe the benefits of the sutra, I could never finish doing so. To put it briefly, all the doctrines possessed by the Thus Come One, the storehouse of all the secret essentials of the Thus Come One - all these are proclaimed, revealed, and clearly expounded in this sutra.

For this reason, after the Thus Come One has entered extinction, you must single-mindedly accept, uphold, read, recite, explain, preach and transcribe it, and practice it as directed. In any of the various lands, wherever there are those who accept, uphold, read, recite, explain, preach, transcribe, or practice it as directed, or wherever the sutra rolls are preserved, whether in a garden, a forest, beneath a tree, in monks quarters, in the lodgings of white-robed laymen, in palaces, or in mountain valleys or the wide wilderness, in all these places one should erect towers and offer alms. Why? Because you should understand that such spots are places of religious practice. In such places have the Buddhas gained anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, in such places have the Buddhas turn the wheel of the Law, in such places have the Buddhas entered parinirvana." 

Bunno, Kato, Etal. translates the same passage:

"At that time the Buddha addressed Emminent Conduct and the host of other Bodhisattvas: "The divine powers of buddhas are so infinite and boundless that they are beyond thought and expression. Even if I, by these divine powers, through infinite, boundless hundred thousand myriad kotis of asemkheya kalpas, for the sake of entailing it, were to declare the merits of this sutra, I should still be unable to reach the end of those [merits]. Essentially speaking, all the laws belonging to the Tathagata, all the mysterious, essential treasuries of the Tathagata, and the very profound conditions of the Tathagata, all are proclaimed, displayed, revealed, and expounded in this sutra.Therefore you should, after the extinction of the Tathagata, wholeheartedly receive and keep, read and recite, explain and copy, cultivate and practice it as the teaching. In whatever land, whether it be received and kept, read and recited, explained and copied cultivated and practiced as the teaching; whether in a place where a volume of the sutra is kept, or in a temple, or in a grove, or under a tree, or in a monastery, or in a lay devotee's house, in a palace or a mountain, in a valley or in the wilderness, in all these places you must erect a caitya and make offerings. Wherefore? You should know that [all] these spots are the thrones of enlightenment. On these [spots] the buddhas attain Perfect Enlightenment; on these [spots] the buddhas roll the wheel of the Law; on these [spots] the buddhas [enter] parinirvana." (Lotus Sutra, Chapter 21, The Power of the Tathagata)

Leon Hurvitz translates this same passage;

"The Buddha then addressed Him of Superior Practice along with the others in the great assembly of Bodhisattvas. "The spiritual powers of all Buddhas are similarly immeasurable and boundless, beyond conception or imagining. Were I, for the sake of entrusting this scripture to others, to expound its merits and virtues for untold and limitless hundreds of thousands of myriad millions of eons by means of these-spiritual powers of mine, I would still not be able to exhaust its riches. In short, all the Teachings that I as a Tathagata possess, all the spiritual powers that I have at my disposal, all my unseen storehouses and all my extremely profound activities are expounded, revealed and explained in this scripture. For this reason, after my parinirvana, you should wholeheartedly accept and hold to it, study and recite it, understand and expound it, write it down and make copies of it and, just as you preach it, so practice in accordance with it.

"If there is anyone in any land or country who accepts, holds to, studies, recites, understands, expounds, writes down, copies or practices it as he preaches it, be it in a place where Scripture books reside, or in a garden, or in a grove of trees, or under a tree, or in a monk's quarters, or in the lodging of a white-clad layman, or within the halls of the nobility, or on a mountain, or in a valley, or in an open plain, therein will a stupa be raised and an offering be made. And for what reason? Know that such a place is indeed a seat for enlightenment: in such places Buddhas find Complete and Perfect Enlightenment, in such places Buddhas turn the Wheel of the Dharma, in such places Buddhas enter parinirvana."

"Because you should understand that such spots are places of religious practice."(Watson)

"You should know that [all] these spots are the thrones of enlightenment." (Bunno)

"Know that such a place is indeed a seat for enlightenment."(Hurvitz)

Now, my dear readers, don't you think that, after seeing these highlighted sentences and reading again and again the three translated passages above, that the SGI advisers to Watson had an agenda to mute the Buddha's message and passion for the Lotus Sutra? Please, think about it. Watson's passage is drab and passionless. Bunno's is vibrant and filled with passion and Hurvitz's is to the point. Do you think the Buddha was passionless or circumspect? The SGI are psychological manipulators. Do not be fooled.

No shakubuku (forceful practices) over at the Soka Gakkai Institute of Oriental Philosophy

http://www.iop.or.jp/Publications.html

Proof of the principle, Transmission Through the Sutra Scrolls and the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin.

"Do not put faith in traditions handed down orally." -- Nichiren Daishonin

Nichiren on plagiarism and foolishness

"The translators of the newer versions of the sutras learned about T’ien-t’ai’s doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment of life when they came to China. When they translated Sanskrit sutras into Chinese, some put T’ien-t’ai’s principle into their translations, and others claimed that the originals they had brought from India already contained it. Some of the scholars of the T’ien-t’ai school were simply pleased that other schools were expounding the same doctrine as theirs, while others praised the Buddhism of India and slighted that of China, or discarded their original doctrines and adopted new ones. These scholars yielded to their devilish nature and to foolishness. Ultimately, however, without the seed of Buddhahood, that is, the three thousand realms in a single moment of life, sentient beings cannot become Buddhas, and any statue or painting would be an object of devotion in name only."

Welcome to Ikedaism

Half of the latest WT was devoted to mentor and disciple.

"Ghandi was not great because he had publications tauting (touting) him, neither was Martin Luther King.

If President Ikeda is a great, wise, man, people will flock to him. We don't need the publications to tell us that.

I am ready to drop all of my subscriptions to SGI pubs.

I would rather read experiences (sanitized by the SGI to sound all the same) rather than read this mentor and disciple stuff.

What is going on with this M&D [sic] crap?

Re: Mentor & disciple, I am sick of it.

They are shoving it down our throats. I think it is their way of solidifying SGI doctrine, which is to be based on this concept. They've had to throw out much of the Shoshu doctrine, and so we have THIS. If we don't buy into it we're bound for the hell of incessant suffering. I wouldn't mind the concept so much if they didn't take it upon themselves to decide who my mentor is going to be. It might be a nice idea if the mentor wasn't mandated.

This summer's Living Buddhism is also almost entirely devoted to the "Mentor/Disciple relationship". This is a pretty strong push in the publications right now, and my feeling about it is that M/D has become a sort of "caulk" for the SGI. As long as the M/D relationship is a prime point of faith, it can be used to distract attention from any policy or doctrinal issue.

As I discussed last week, Japan (and perhaps to a limited extent our own study department in Santa Monica) is very engaged right now in trying to sort through exactly what form of Nichiren Buddhism we are going to be teaching as we nobly march forward into the 21st century. This involves a lot of interpretation, decision-making,and discussion to which we gaijin are cordially not invited. If faith becomes a matter of a personal loyalty oath to an individual rather than about our own inherent Buddhahood, or if we can somehow be convinced that our own inherent Buddhahood is contingent on a fantasy relationship with someone we've never met, then the subject can always be changed whenever there's a conflict. If (like some of us) you have problems with the Gakkai's choice to continue slandering other forms of Nichiren Buddhism, a layer of M/D caulk can be applied to sort of give the appearance of a flat wall of agreement,and the subject can be changed to the questioner's lack of faith and need to build a better fantasy relationship with his or her mentor. It is a strategic means whereby the organization can avoid dealing with the inevitable cultural conflicts which have arisen and will continue to arise. Personally , I think it is doomed to failure, since the caulk will only cosmeticallycover any cracks and not actually strengthen the structure.

At the end of the day, though, people will be able to meet together and chant without an emphasis on building a fantasy relationship if that's what they want to do. If the current emphasis is really disturbing to you,, you can always chant and study with people who feel likewise. The only thing I would offer as a caveat is to try to keep things positive. Our Fifth Wave gatherings out here are not about venting frustrations with any particular group or any particular organization's way of doing things. They are an opportunity for people to get together and do faith, practice and study of Nichiren Buddhism.

Hang in there, hope you are well, Best, Byrd in LA

Yes, I think you have expresse the reality pretty well here. And this is one of the reasons non-denominational meetings will continue to be interesting to a lot of people. Americans have a real aversion to being compelled to admire or emulate anyone. It may not be true, but we like to flatter ourselves that we choose our own leaders and we decide whom we will admire. Non-denominational gatherings will just simply continue to make it possible to understand Buddhism without using a mandatory Mentor as an intermediary between ourselves and the Lotus Sutra, or ourselves and Buddhism. That's one of the basic rules of the Fifth Wave, I think - no mandatory mentors.

Well, I hope everyone has a good week this week. I myself have started a new morning exercise routine. I'm hobbling a bit, but otherwwise feeling well. Best regards, Byrd in LA

"...If President Ikeda is a great, wise, man, people will flock to him. We don't need the publications to tell us that..."

Maybe we need a little reminding now and then...For example, the current issue of "Living Buddhism" repeats the name "Ikeda" some 200 times witnin its 13 pages..not counting footnotes or direct references Ikeda makes to himself...

That's right...the word "Ikeda" is printed over 200 times in one issue...mostly with gushing adulation about his mentorship, his wisom, his compassion...and of course, how the "lifeblood" of Nichiren flows through him to us...

Just reading one issue of Living Buddhism you see the name "Ikeda" 200 times...maybe the guys over there are slipping...I suggest they set a target for 1000 times in the next issue!

Welcome to Ikeda Buddhism. Well, has it really come to that? Is this truly the direction we've been on ALL ALONG? I REALLY do wonder.

I bring this up all the time with my SGI friends and either they are embarrassed about it or don't like it. Ikeda calls the shots in the SGI."