"As a 30+ year member of SGI (20+ in leadership), I must say partially cult-like. While there is strong emphasis on individual goals and practice, structurally the SGI-USA is a two-tiered organization: 1) general members, and 2) leaders. After 50 some years in the USA general members still have no say in the operation of the organization: they do not determine organizational directions (which set the annual agenda for all members), rules, or leadership. Leadership is appointed by higher levels of leadership, and the highest levels of leadership, the Central Executive Committee, make all decisions. Those decisions are implemented by a top-down organizational flow. Input of "General Members" is possible only at the lower levels of organization--for district and possibly chapter meeting content. Strict limitation of participation of general members and even lower level leaders--i.e. meetings only for District Leadership up, Chapter Leadership up, Area Leadership up, etc.--prevents participation of certain members at meetings intended to disseminate direction or policy, restricting questions, dialogue, and genuine discussion. In this regard, limited participation of members, the organizational structure is at odds with its teachings." -- Linda Thornburg
Friday, October 12, 2018
Nichiren Buddhist after five years
"You were right Mark. I should have listened to you then. Thanks."
Dozenbo came late to the party. Please not you.
"... After they died, Dozen-bo began to have some faith in the Lotus Sutra. But it was rather like obtaining a stick after the fight is over, or lighting a lantern at midday— the proper time had already passed." -- On Repaying Debts of Gratitiude
Buddhism today is more profound because the times are more severe
"Thus, although their enlightenment may have been the same, from the point of view of the teaching that they propagated, Ashvaghosha and Nagarjuna were superior to Mahakashyapa and Ananda, T’ien-t’ai was superior to Ashvaghosha and Nagarjuna, and Dengyo surpassed T’ien-t’ai. In these latter times, people’s wisdom becomes shallow, while the Buddhist teaching becomes more profound. To give an analogy, a mild illness can be cured with ordinary medicine, but a severe illness requires an elixir. A man who is weak must have strong allies to help him." -- Repaying Debts of Gratitude
Two Fuju Fuse sects: The true sect and the wannabe sect
"Under the pressure of persecution, in order to survive the sect went underground and, while some members worshiped overtly, others pretended to belong to an allowed sect and worshiped in secret. However, many faithful thought it unfair to give equal status to those who lived the life of a fugitive and risked their lives for their faith (the hōryū (法立?) and those who hid it pretending to belong to another sect (the naishinsha (内信者?). They also thought it was morally wrong to let a naishinsha officiate instead of a real monk even under the circumstances[--similar to the Donatist controversy in early Christianity]. Officiating requires a pure heart and a pure body, the argument went, but a naishinsha's body is soiled by his deceiving appearances. The dissent spread to the entire movement, with those who wanted a clear distinction between the two types of faithful being called tsuderaha (津寺派?) or (more formally) fudōshiha (不導師派?), and the others being called hisashiha (日指派?) or dōshiha (導師派?)[6]. The division hardened and survived to the present day, with the fudōshiha being represented by the Fuju-fuse Nichiren Kōmon-shū (不受不施日蓮講門宗?) which has its head temple in Okayama's Honkaku-ji, and the dōshiha by the Nichirenshū Fuju-fuse-ha (日蓮宗不受不施派?), which has its head temple in Okayama's Myōkaku-ji[6]." -- Fuju Fuse sect Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuju-fuse
Our demand
We demand that the Soka Gakkai, the Nichiren Shoshu, and all Nichiren Sects pay allegiance to Shakyamuni Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin.
Failing to meet our demand, we call on Shakyamuni Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin and the Buddhist gods to summon the SGI, the Nichiren Shoshu, the Nichiren Shu, the HBS and all the sects of Kyoto, Tokyo, and throughout the world for a rain challenge or formal debate.
"So the sage Nichiren said to them, “We will decide whose teachings are correct through this prayer for rain." -- Letter of Petition for Yorimoto
"I have heard that, when the priest Ryokan knew I was far away in a distant province, he told everyone how he wished I would hasten to Kamakura so that he might debate with me and dispel the people’s doubts...
...What is more, when I actually did return to Kamakura, Ryokan shut his gates and forbade anyone to enter. At times, he even feigned illness, saying that he had caught a cold."-- Teaching, Practice, and Proof
Even the lowly Nembutsu priests on Sado were more courageous than the Nichiren priests and high leaders of today. They are even more cowardly than Ryokan.
Our conflict
"The conflict between Nichiren and the various schools" [Opening of the Eyes] has now expanded to include the renegade disciples (SGI, NST, and Nichiren Shu) within his own school. Fortunately, just as Nichiren succeeded in spreading the Lotus Sutra despite the conflict, so shall we.
Viśiṣṭacāritra (sanskrit), Bodhisattva Jogyo, or Nichiren Daishonin
"My words (which have been predicted concerning conviction of Honge Jogyo may sound very boastful, but they were intended for the sake of helping the realization of Buddha's prophecy.... At any rate, who shall be qualified to be Honge Jogyo other than Nichiren, myself? The moon rises in the west and shines in the east, the sun rises in the east and shines in the west. Buddhism, too, is just like this. It came from the west to the east during the two thousand years of the Right and Fanciful Laws, but in the days of the Latter Law, Buddhism is for the sake of salvation from East to West.... According to Buddha's prophecy and considering all circumstances, now, Nichiren's age corresponds with the beginning of the Fifth Five Hundred Period. The True Buddhism shall go to the world from the Far East, Japan" (Nichiren's Works: Shinshio-Bunko & Ryogonkaku editions, Vol I., p. 476).
"Already the great Bodhisattva out of the earth has appeared, so that the great Law which the Buddha entrusted to him [summing up the salient points of His Laws], shall be evidence" (Nichiren's Works: Shinshio-Bunko & Ryogonkaku editions, Vol I., p. 325).
"I, Nichiren, am the greatest practitioner of the Hokekyo in the world" (Nichiren's Works: Shinshio-Bunko & Ryogonkaku editions, Vol I., p. 119).
"I, Nichiren, am the greatest sage in the world" (Nichiren's Works: Shinshio-Bunko & Ryogonkaku editions, Vol I., p. 513).
"In the beginning of the Fifth Five Hundred Period the Bodhisattva Honge Jogyo appeared and propagated this Law for the first time" (Nichiren's Works: Shinshio-Bunko & Ryogonkaku editions, Vol I., p. 508).
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the true father of modern India, on the Muslim invaders...
"The Musalman invaders sacked the Buddhist Universities of Nalanda, Vikramshila, Jagaddala, Odantapuri to name only a few. They raised(sic) to the ground Buddhist monasteries with which the country was studded. The monks fled away in thousands to Nepal, Tibet and other places outside India. A very large number were killed outright by the Muslim commanders. How the Buddhist priesthood perished by the sword of the Muslim invaders has been recorded by the Muslim historians themselves. Summarizing the evidence relating to the slaughter of the Buddhist Monks perpetrated by the Musalman General in the course of his invasion of Bihar in 1197 AD, Mr. Vincent Smith says, “….Great quantities of plunder were obtained, and the slaughter of the ‘shaven headed Brahmans’, that is to say the Buddhist monks, was so thoroughly completed, that when the victor sought for someone capable of explaining the contents of the books in the libraries of the monasteries, not a living man could be found who was able to read them. ‘It was discovered,’ we are told, ‘that the whole of that fortress and city was a college, and in the Hindi tongue they call a college Bihar.’ Such was the slaughter of the Buddhist priesthood perpetrated by the Islamic invaders. The axe was struck at the very root. For by killing the Buddhist priesthood, Islam killed Buddhism. This was the greatest disaster that befell the religion of the Buddha in India." -- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar the True father of modern India
Soka Gakkai congratulates Iran on its Islamic Revolution
Soka Gakkai Representatives Attend Iran's Islamic Revolution Day Reception in Tokyo
"On February 10 [2004], Soka Gakkai Office of International Affairs Executive Director Kenji Yoshigo and Associate Director Hirofumi Koseki attended a reception commemorating Iran's Islamic Revolution Day at the Iranian Ambassador's official residence in Minato Ward, Tokyo. Mr. Yoshigo conveyed SGI President Daisaku Ikeda's congratulatory message to Iranian Ambassador to Japan Ali Majedi."
The gentle and the forceful practices
Not everyone is predisposed to perform the forceful practices. Nichiren understood that, for one reason or another, not every one can perform the forceful practices. Some have not studied Buddhism sufficiently and others are innately gentle. Regardless, he mandated that his monks and priests perform the forceful practices but not necessarily the laymen. He also taught that whether or not one performs the forceful practices or merely chants Namu myoho renge kyo, one should support those who do the forceful practices, either through moral support, withholding criticism, or through donations [if a priest]. I believe that the forceful practices are the only appropriate means to convert such evil men and women as Soka Gakkai leaders and members, Nichiren Shoshu priests and laymen, Islamic fundamentalists who strap explosives on mental defectives and detonate them in the marketplace, Christian fire and brimstone fundamentalists, those of the Jewish Defense League, the Hindi Kashitra or Brahman class, and the authorities who support them.
Nichiren versus Daisaku Ikeda regarding attachments
"Attachments are good and some attachments are better than others." -- Daisaku Ikeda
"Attachments are bad and some attachments are worse than others." -- Nichiren Daishonin
"The Nirvana Sutra says: “[World Honored One, today I have learned the correct view for the first time. World- Honored One, up till today] we all have been people of mistaken views.” Miao-lo explains this by saying, “They themselves referred to the three teachings [they had practiced until that time] as mistaken views.” and Great Concentration and Insight says, “The Nirvana Sutra says, ‘Up till today we all have been people of mistaken views.’ ‘Mistaken’ is bad, is it not?” The Annotations on “Great Concentration and Insight” says: “‘Mistaken’ is bad. Therefore, let it be known that only the perfect teaching is good. There are two meanings involved here. First, what accords with the truth is to be accounted good, and what goes against the truth is to be accounted bad. This is the meaning the of the relative viewpoint. [Second,] attachment [to this viewpoint] is bad, and transcending it is good. [This is the meaning from the absolute viewpoint.] From both the relative and absolute viewpoints, we should abandon all that is bad. To be attached to the perfect teaching is bad, and to be attached to the other [three] teachings is of course even worse.”-- Opening of the Eyes
SGI member abandoned by the Buddhist gods by Hitch
Re: Soka Gakkai International -- SGI
"In some of the Aichi 7th Peace Cultural Festival clips posted earlier in this thread, one can see Wayne Shorter performing. Upon further exploration about some of these lesser known cult "celebrities", I came across this:
"Shorter married Teruka (Irene) Nakagami, in the 1960s; they met in 1961 and later had a child, Miyako.[7] Some of his compositions are copyrighted as "Miyako Music". Shorter dedicated some pieces to his daughter: "Miyako" and "Infant Eyes". The couple separated in 1964.[8]
Shorter met Ana Maria in 1964 and they were married in 1970.[8] In 1986, their daughter Iska died of a grand mal seizure at age 14.[1] Ana Maria and the couple's niece Dalila were both killed in 1996 on TWA Flight 800 while en route to see him in Italy. Dalila was also the daughter of the jazz vocalist Jon Lucien who was married to Shorter's sister.[8] Shorter married Carolina Dos Santos, a close friend of Ana Maria, in 1999. He is a Nichiren Buddhist and a member of Soka Gakkai."
It's fascinating to note the connecting themes with some members (e.g., marriage to a Japanese, that probably got him started down the cult road). And until I saw it on wiki, I was never aware that he lost his (second) family to such unfortunate circumstances. I also find it very interesting how such horrible "karmic" events and abandonment by the so-called shoten zenjin (buddhist "gods") are never discussed openly or shared at meetings, for the membership to see both sides of the real world (i.e., the confirmation bias going on)." -- Hitch [former SGI so-called fortune baby]
"Just chant, one's beliefs are not important its OK as long as you chant" IS NOT NICHIREN DAISHONIN'S FAITH.
"You don’t have to give up anything you’re already doing. You don’t have to convert to Buddhism to chant. If you like meditating, great! Keep meditating. If you like going to church keep going to church. Think of it as meditation...only with tangible results and goals! Your goals! Your results!" -- Jamie Lee Silver
"For this reason, the Buddha said, “[If I used a lesser vehicle to convert even one person], I would be guilty of stinginess and greed, but such a thing would be impossible."
"The monks [whom you are speaking of] preach various teachings, but still they are not able to utter “the lion’s roar.” . . . Nor are they able to refute and convert evil persons who go against the correct teaching. Monks of this kind can bring no benefit either to themselves or to the populace. You should realize that they are in fact shirkers and idlers. Though they are careful in observing the precepts and maintain spotless conduct, you should realize that they cannot achieve anything. [Then a monk raises “the lion’s roar.” . . .] Those who break the precepts, upon listening to his preaching, are all enraged to the point where they attack him. This preacher of the Law, though he may in the end lose his life, is still worthy of being called a person who observes the precepts and brings benefits to both himself and others.’ ”
Jamie is guilty of stinginess and greed. She teaches Ikedaism, not the Lotus Sutra Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin. "Just chant, one's beliefs are not important. Believe in Amida, Jesus, the Wiccan Goddesses, Allah. its OK as long as you chant" IS NOT NICHIREN DAISHONIN'S FAITH. Above all, this Buddhism is a faith, not a mindless practice for ephemeral benefits. Jamie's happiness will crumble like a castle built on sand as will those stupid enough to be influenced by her rather than the Lotus Sutra and writings of Nichiren Daishonin.
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