Preface *
CHARGES OF SEXUAL IMPROPRIETY *
ALLEGATIONS THAT SGI TEACHES VIOLENCE AGAINST NICHIREN SHOSHU *
ALLEGATIONS THAT PRESIDENT IKEDA USES MEMBERSf MONEY TO LIVE AN EXTRAVAGANT LIFESTYLE *
- Malibu Training Center *
- Paintings *
- Travel *
- World Leaders *
- Arnold Toynbee *
- Hero Worship *
- Other Financial Problems *
THE CHARGE THAT THE SGI ENGINEERED THE SPLIT *
THE CHARGE THAT THE GOHONZON IS FAKE *
ADDITIONAL TEMPLE DEVIATIONS *
Conclusion *
Preface
It is entirely possible that, some time in the near future, you will be contacted by a member of Nichiren Shoshu - the followers of Nikken - and told things about President Ikeda and the SGI that you never dreamed of. These people will produce 'proof' of their charges, and will try to lead you away from the SGI, saying that only Nichiren Shoshu practices the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin correctly.
Naturally, it is through our practice with the SGI that we receive benefit and participate in the movement for peace, culture and education led by President Ikeda. It is because of the SGI that the Daishonin's Buddhism has spread throughout the world, and it is because we practice with the SGI that we ourselves can be part of kosen-rufu - the will of Nichiren Daishonin.
Thus, to abandon the SGI would be a great tragedy, for ourselves personally and for society in general. Why, then, do people leave the SGI; and specifically, why do they leave the SGI to join Nichiren Shoshu? And why are they so determined to lead more people away from the SGI?
There is no single answer. Most obviously, priests have an aura of authority, holiness and wisdom that lead many to assume they are correct in what they say. There are even passages in the Gosho that say we owe a great debt of gratitude to priests, and should always follow the priests who know the heart of the Lotus Sutra.
There are other reasons beyond that.
One is that when they were in the SGI, some Danto members ('Danto' means laity directly connected to a temple, and is used here in indicate the followers of Nikken) were of the opinion that they should have held higher positions in the organization than they actually did. They saw the 'refusal' of the organization to recognize their ability as a sign the organization was intractable and engaged in favoritism.
Another reason is they had leaders who applied President Ikeda's guidance in bizarre ways, such as telling the members they had to chant to President Ikeda's picture, or using violent language to denounce people whose faith was immature
These reasons lead to a distorted view of the SGI, and once one's view is distorted, everything one sees is distorted. Thus, any positive article about the SGI becomes a sign that the SGI 'controls the media', and our demonstrations of gratitude towards President Ikeda become 'deification'.
Also, for such people, anything negative they hear about the SGI, no matter how outlandish, automatically is credible and assumed to be true. One Danto member broadcast on the Internet a story from a Japanese tabloid which 'proved' simultaneously that:
- the Soka Gakkai in Japan was controlled by the Kremlin,
- a dupe of Red China (at the time an ardent foe of the Kremlin),
- an arm of North Korean intelligence,
- connected to the Dali Lama (an ardent foe of Red China),
- an ally of Aum Shinryko (the sect that gassed the Tokyo subway and an ardent foe of the Dali Lama),
- a tool of the Japanese government, and
- out to undermine the Japanese government.
An incident from the Internet clearly establishes the nature of the Danto's devious tactics. Last year the Los Angeles Times featured a story about the Soka Gakkai. While the story mentioned all the various charges against the Gakkai in Japan, it presented a balanced evaluation, even including an interview with President Ikeda.
The writer was a Times reporter named Teresa Watanabe. 'Watanabe' is a fairly common Japanese name, and in fact it is the name of one of the Reform Priests who has left Nichiren Shoshu and supports the SGI.
The Danto began to flood an Internet newsgroup with the information that Teresa Watanabe is Rev. Watanabe's daughter and this colored her reporting of the SGI. It was even stated that the World Tribune printed this information about her. This was stated as fact, as a given, as something proven beyond a doubt.
Ms. Watanabe was contacted and asked about this. She replied that she was born in the United States, that her parents were Christians ? her grandfather was even a Christian missionary. The World Tribune had, of course, printed nothing to the contrary.
So where did the Danto get its information? From nowhere. It was a lie, invented by them to discredit a balanced report on the SGI. More than one Danto member propagated the lie, showing that they feel they can say anything they want about the SGI. Such a feeling is endemic to Nikken's movement.
So that you are not surprised by the charges when you hear them, here they are, with the truth about the origin of the Danto charges, and the truth about President Ikeda and our organization.
For a more detailed summary of charges, and the truth behind them, those with internet access can visit [ www.clearingup.com ].
CHARGES OF SEXUAL IMPROPRIETY
This charge was leveled last year and was covered in the World Tribune. Basically, a former Women's Division headquarters-level came forward with the story that President Ikeda raped her three times: in 1973, 1983 and 1991. She has sued President Ikeda for damages in civil court.
Nobuko Nobuhiro was 68 when she made her charges last year in a Japanese tabloid called Shukan Shinpo (see below). Prior to that, she was a headquarters leader in the Hokkaido area.
During her tenure, her husband borrowed thousands of yen from Gakkai members for his electrical business. None of this money was ever paid back, and the Nobuhiros were sued by a number of members.
Mrs. Nobuhiro was then relieved of her position in the Gakkai. Her husband lost every one of the lawsuits, and was ordered to repay hundreds of thousands of yen to the complainants. He appealed all the way to the federal courts, and every one of his appeals was turned down.
It was at this time - with a huge court-ordered debt and a reason to hold a grudge against the Soka Gakkai, that Mrs. Nobuhiro sold her story - of illicit sexual activity by one of the most famous and prominent people in Japan - to a tabloid and initiated her lawsuit.
So far, it's been revealed in court that:
- On the day of the alleged 1973 incident, President Ikeda was in meetings all day and was never unaccompanied;
- The building where the alleged 1983 incident occurred did not exist in 1983.
- The woman who drove Mrs. Nobuhiro to the site of the alleged 1991 incident did not do so until much later than the alleged time of the incident.
In the May, 1997 court session, Mrs. Nobuhiro added 'sexual harassment' to her claim - an indication she realizes she has no hope of proving the 'rape' charges.
Also please note that Mrs. Nobuhiro has foregone the most obvious course available to her: she has not filed any criminal charges.
The newspaper to which Mrs. Nobuhiro gave her story, the Shukan Shinpo, is one of a number of Japanese tabloids who have adopted the Gakkai as the 'whipping boy' for everything that's wrong in Japan.
Shukan Shinpo was recently sued successfully by a Gakkai member over a story in which it said definitively that the member aimed his car at the truck of a priest, killing the priest. There was such an accident, but the police found that it was the priest who crossed the center line of the highway and caused it. This did not stop Shukan Shinpo from continuing the story.
Another story concluded that SGI-USA violates US tax laws, based on the writer's instinct that 'it must be true'. This is the type of 'journalism' employed by these tabloids.
In contrast, while covering the Watergate story for the Washington Post. Woodward and Bernstein were not allowed by their editor to print any allegation that had not been confirmed by at least two independent sources - 'independent meaning the sources had both come upon the same information without consulting each other (one hadnft heard it from the other). No responsible journalist would write something like 'Mr. X was seen within a mile of the murder scene, so it's likely he is guilty.' But such speculation, innuendo and leaps of logic are common in the Japanese tabloids. (See the pamphlet Questions and Answers on the Temple Issue, p. 27, for a more detailed explanation of the Japanese press.)
In late 1990, just before his initial action against President Ikeda, Nikken met with a giant of the Japanese tabloid-writing industry, Isao Dan. Nichiren Shoshu members will deny this, but Mr. Dan has bragged about it.
Nichiren Shoshu itself is very careful to avoid making any public allegations of this type. However, it has forged a relationship with the tabloids, so Nichiren Shoshu can get the dirty work done while keeping itself seemingly 'above the fray'.
ALLEGATIONS
THAT SGI TEACHES VIOLENCE
AGAINST NICHIREN SHOSHU
Nichiren Shoshu alleges that President Ikeda and other leaders have used phrases such as 'we must crush the Nikken sect', and that by 'crush' is meant 'employ physical violence'. This has, according to the Danto, been translated into a number of incidents of Gakkai mob violence.
A favorite is that, soon after the problems became public in 1991, the Gakkai hired the Japanese Mafia to drive around Taisekiji blasting anti-Nikken rhetoric from sound trucks, and that Gakkai members defaced certain Taisekiji landmarks.
Sound trucks are an established method of electioneering in Japan. The Gakkai, at the time, was still seeking dialogue and rapprochement with the priesthood. These are ridiculous charges.
The November 20, 1995 Time International Edition carried a story which included this:
On April 13, 1991, some 300 young men dressed in navy blue suits and white shirts, a mob of Soka Gakkai members, marched into the Kaishinji temple during a religious service. Shoving aside worshippers, they seized Yahiro and Kashiwazaki. 'I thought I was going to die,' recalls Yahiro, an asthmatic. He almost did. A large man grabbed Yahiro by his necktie and lifted him off the floor, and others took turns punching him until he passed out. 'They demanded that we apologize to Ikeda for our disloyalty or they would drown us in the river outside,' says Kashiwazaki, 43. Police arrived in 30 minutes and restored order. The incident was national news and marked the start of a full-blown war between Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai, which included clashes at other temples. In November 1991, Nichiren Shoshu's chief priests severed ties with Soka Gakkai and excommunicated Ikeda. Yahiro spent three months in the hospital recovering from damage to his lungs and other internal injuries, then emerged as a crusader.
By LESLIE HELM
TIMES STAFF WRITER
There is no denying there was a confrontation of some sort at the temple in question. But there are the problems with Time's story:
- Note that there was a mob of 300 men all dressed alike. No one in Japan, except the alleged victims, ever reported seeing such a mob.
- Though the story says this incident was 'national news', it makes no attempt to name one news organization that featured it.
- The only source for the details of the incident in the story is the word of the alleged victims.
- The police 'investigated'. In actual fact, the police arrived because somebody called them, and they promptly left when they saw what was happening. There is no mention in Time of any police report of any violence or severe injury to any of the parties.
- Yahiro claims serious injury. The people he alleges were responsible were present when the police arrived. Yet the police made no arrests, and did not even investigate, concerning themselves only with 'restoring order'.
- Kashiwazaki and Yahiro run an organization devoted to 'deprogramming' Gakkai members. Thus, they stand to profit from any anti-Gakkai innuendo they can generate.
But, the Danto members will say, how could a respected journal like Time Magazine engage in such shoddy journalism?
Please remember that sensationalism sells magazines. Time was also very bold in reporting the charge that Cardinal Bernadin, the archbishop of Chicago, had molested a seminary student. The story lived, in Time and in other respected news outlets, for years. They accepted the charges as news. When Cardinal Bernadin's accuser finally admitted he had made them up, Time and the other respected news organizations disposed of the story very quickly.
Remember also Richard Jewell, vilified across the country as the person who planted the bomb at Olympic Park in Atlanta. Time was not shy about him, either, until the FBI finally cleared Jewell of all charges. Mr. Jewell subsequently won a number of defamation suits.
So where did the '300 Youth Division Assault Temple' story originate? This was posted on the World Wide Web by a Danto member:
Honorary President Daisaku Ikeda's Limitless Ambition
By: Isao Dan and Masao Okkotsu
(The following is from pages 103 to 105 of the Oct. `94 Bungei Shunju.)
Gakkai Members Storm NS Temples
'Soka Gakkai escalated the threat to priests, their family and temple members with physical assaults. One of the first incidents occurred at Kaishinji temple in Fukuoka City, Kyushu on April 13, 1991, when Soka Gakkai members stormed the temple and carried out mob violence.'
By Isao Dan, Nikken's ally. A year before the Time story.
A person familiar with Japanese culture recently posted this on the Internet:
I am sure you are not aware of the 'kisha club' (journalists clubs). In Japan, if you don't play along with the official news sources, especially the Government sources, you are frozen out of the game. This extends ESPECIALLY to foreign journalists, which depend on the kisha clubs for assistance.
Allow me to quote briefly from 'NTC's Dictionary of Japan's Cultural 'Codewords', under the entry 'Kisha Kurabu: Big Brother Knows Best'. '. Every major news source in the country-the prime minister's office, government ministries and agencies, industrial and business groups, etc.- on the national, prefectural and metropolitan level, are the exclusive preserve of a specific 'kisha kurabu', and that journalists not members of a club-including other Japanese journalists-were not allowed to attend news briefings by that particular source. The size and power of the news media determined which publication could put forward candidates for membership in the various clubs. Major news media has a virtual monopoly on key political and business news sources.
'...It was to be another 20 years or so [the 1980s] before a new generation of foreign journalists took up the battle against the discriminatory press club system. Government and other news source spokesmen rationalized the kisha kurabu system by saying that almost none of the foreign correspondents in Tokyo spoke Japanese, so attending the briefings would be meaningless, and further, that even if they could understand Japanese, being foreigners, they would not be able to understand many of the things the Japanese sources had to say, because the cultural framework of Japanese and foreign thinking was so different. This latter factor, the spokesmen went on, would result in foreign journalists misrepresenting the real situation in Japan and cause unnecessary and undesirable trouble for everyone concerned. The kisha kurabu system has not changed during the intervening years. Japanese journalists from the major news media still regularly collude with major news sources to control or color the news according to what both sides feel is appropriate for public consumption. Foreign journalists are still mostly on the outside peering in through worm-holes.'
Let me repeat that main point: Japanese journalists from the major news media still regularly collude with major news sources to control or color the news according to what both sides feel is appropriate for public consumption. So, you can see that it would be impossible for a Japanese journalist to destroy his relationships with his news sources, by reporting anything other than what they WANT him to report. Hey, if you really want to maintain your relationship with your sources (and your job) you'll do that little hatchet piece on anyone he suggests. The Japanese press operates on an entirely different system than that of the West. It would be a grave mistake to interpret Japanese journalism by Western standards.
Imagine such a system, where journalists had to print only what the government wants, in America: we would never have heard of Watergate or My Lai, or the current alleged White House fund-raising abuses. Worse, the party in power could easily use the media to malign its opposition, or even individuals whose reputations it wanted to ruin. The absolute independence of the press, its freedom to investigate and report facts, are taken for granted in a country where we expect to hear facts, and nothing but. As Louis Pultizer said, the three most important things for a reporter to remember are: 'Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy.'
In Japan, journalists are at the mercy of their sources - as noted above, if a journalist wants to keep his sources, he will write what the source tells him to write. And currently in Japan, the political situation is such that the long-entrenched LDP party feels greatly threatened by the New Freedom Party, which receives extensive support form the Soka Gakkai (the Komeito is now part of the New Freedom Party). The government has recently revised the law governing religions, giving itself much more power to control religious practice - a move its backers openly proclaim was aimed at the Soka Gakkai.
So it is no wonder that journalists ? even journalists from Time Magazine's Tokyo Bureau - pander to their government sources by printing unfounded accusations against the Gakkai.
The Danto have other, similar stories of 'SGI violence', all reported in various '3rd party' publications. In none of them is a verifying source cited, other than the word of the alleged 'victims'.
ALLEGATIONS THAT
PRESIDENT IKEDA USES MEMBERS' MONEY
TO LIVE AN EXTRAVAGANT LIFESTYLE
You will be told that President Ikeda uses your zaimu money and other donations to the SGI to finance a lavish lifestyle. The Danto even have tax records from the Japanese government showing that President Ikeda, as well as other top SGI leaders, have declared millions in earnings over the years.
For one thing, President Ikeda is 68 years old. When is he going to begin living this'lavish' life? His home is valued at a million dollars - but so are most middle class homes in Tokyo, where land is at a premium. He owns no yacht, no private plane, and his house in Tokyo is his only home.
For another, as we all know, tax forms record income, but not necessarily the income's source. President Ikeda is a respected author and poet, and collects royalties from the sale of his books. There is no way of knowing if any of the reported income is from investments.
But the Danto think they can 'prove' a lavish lifestyle, provided by us, the SGI members.
A Japanese tabloid called Emyo featured an article consisting of interviews with former SGI-USA leaders. One of these leaders reported hanky-panky at the Malibu Training Center: a bathroom of solid gold in the house in which President Ikeda often stays when he's in the U.S.; and nude guidance sessions.
This leader of course had nothing to do with the planning and construction of the Malibu Training Center. He toured it when it was completed. He got a glance at the bathroom, and saw gold-plated fixtures. After he turned against the SGI, these quickly became 'solid gold'; he even maintained that the bathtub is made of gold.
The plumbing in the Malibu Training Center is made of materials commonly used in 1971-1972 when it was constructed. Nothing is made of solid gold or of any other precious metal.
There is a Japanese-style bath at the Malibu Training center. In Japan, public baths are commonplace. One time, President Ikeda invited a group of male Japanese senior leaders who were traveling with him to join him in a bath. To the person interviewed by Emyo, this became, in his mind over the years, a 'nude guidance session' including young women.
Not surprisingly, even the staunchest efforts by the Danto have failed to elicit any confirmation from someone who actually participated in such a thing - even though it would not be surprising that someone who had would have quit the SGI in the meantime, and would be happy to confirm the story. No such person exists, because there were no 'nude guidance sessions'.
As further proof of President Ikeda's alleged liberties with membersf donations, this same ex-leader maintains that, once while driving down a street in London, President Ikeda impulsively sent aides out with wads of cash to buy masterpieces of European art.
The truth is that there was a 'sidewalk artist sale', and he purchased some paintings for various Gakkai buildings.
Expensive European masterpieces are not sold from sidewalks, and cannot be purchased from a car.
President Ikeda stays at nice hotels and dines in nice restaurants when he travels. Somehow, this is construed by Danto to be another misuse of your donated money.
We donate to the SGI because we want to further kosen-rufu. The introduction of Buddhist thought into international dialogue is a part of this process. It is an accepted protocol that when one meets with people such as Gorbachev or Mandela, one does not stay at Motel 6 and dine at McDonalds. Such people would think President Ikeda leads a second-class movement if he did.
The very fact that President Ikeda meets with world leaders and intellectuals, and receives recognition for his work, is used by the Danto to charge that he is not interested in Buddhism, but only in his own status. They cite a number of Gosho on the subject, including one that says, 'Even if you should meet a bodhisattva of the highest rank, why should you think it anything special? cBy speaking of the egreat honorf you had, are you not in essence expressing your low opinion of me, Nichiren?' (Homon Mosarubekiyo-no Koto, On Debating with Other Sects)
The intellectual, as well as the political world, is for the most part ignorant of the truth of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. As we approach the 21st Century, the world is not as it was in 13th Century Japan, when the extent of interaction between differing philosophies was one of debate. In those times, the loser of the debate would be expected to convert to the faith of the winner (which is why the priests of the established sects refused to debate Nichiren).
Today, ideas are disseminated not through confrontation but through dialogue. By speaking with people who influence thought and action - poets, educators, politicians and the like - President Ikeda is practicing Buddhism in accordance with the times.
It is true that some of the people he has met with, such as Manuel Noriega, have not proven to be great people. But is that President Ikeda's fault?
Danto uses a report on the BBC, and the writings of Polly Toynbee, Professor Toynbee's granddaughter, to make a mockery of President Ikeda's dialogue with Arnold Toynbee.
The BBC: 'One of Ikeda's major publications in English is titled Choose Life. It's a dialogue with the late Arnold J. Toynbee.... For the Soka faithful the book is almost holy writ.' To anyone familiar with the SGI, it is obvious the book is not 'holy writ.'
Polly Toynbee: 'We then went another day with him (Mr. Ikeda) to a huge Nuremberg-style rally in a stadium where everything was to the greater worship of him.'
Ms. Toynbee was invited to Japan by President Ikeda after the death of her grandfather. Her attitude is revealed in her expression of shock and disgust that people kept bowing - she didnft even take the time to familiarize herself with this most basic Japanese method of greeting. The culture festival she refers to was dedicated to world peace. The Japanese graphics drawn by the card tableaux said 'world peace.' They did not glorify President Ikeda.
Polly Toynbee: 'What he did with my grandfather he has done time and time again with distinguished individuals all over the world who havenft a clue who he is or what he is... Out of perhaps one meeting comes the impression that it's a very close and important relationship. And that this person has given his full support to Ikeda and his movement.'
In the cases of Arnold Toynbee, Nelson Mandela and Mikhail Gorbachev, there were several meetings over a period of years. The relationships are deep and strong. Mr. Mandela read Mr. Ikeda's works while imprisoned. Mr. Gorbachev is currently working with the SGI on the Earth Charter. It was Dr. Toynbee who encouraged Mr. Ikeda to pursue dialogues with leading thinkers as a force for peace; this has been the impetus for President Ikeda's subsequent dialogues.
Ms. Toynbee has also written that the reason her grandfather went along with President Ikeda is because Mr. Toynbee was senile and easily manipulated. That accusation -- which, coming from a family member, is truly despicable - is contradicted by Mr. Toynbee's profound and insightful contributions to the dialogue.
Danto charges that SGI members are taught to worship President Ikeda, that he is the reincarnation of the Daishonin, and that we are not allowed to criticize him.
It is true that at one time, some SGI leaders did indeed promulgate such ideas, in direct conflict with President Ikeda's own guidance. And some members did regard him more as a 'rock star' than as a Buddhist leader.
However, President Ikeda has worked hard to dispel such notions, and since 1990 he has directed our organization toward democracy and openness. We regard him as the person who has dedicated his life to fulfilling the will of the Buddha, and who teaches us through words and actions to do the same. He has dedicated himself wholeheartedly to establishing peace in the world. A close examination of his guidance reveals that he points us only to the Gohonzon and the Gosho, and not towards assigning any special status to himself.
Strangely, in a Nichiren Shoshu publication, we find these words regarding the High Priest: 'When priests and lay believerschave the occasion to be in the presence of the High Priest, with palms pressed earnestly together in sincere gratitude, we pay prayer-like reverence to him as the Master who embodies the Living Essence of the Body of the entirety of the Law of all existence.' (Dai Nichiren Special, pp. 13-14) (italics added)
It is Nikken who expects members to pray to him, and who calls himself, in effect, the Gohonzon.
Other
Financial Problems
'In March 1991, Unaccounted-for funds
totaling 1500 million yen surfaced in connection with the Soka Gakkai's purchase of two
Renoir paintings, from Mitsubishi.' This had to do with an art
brokerage, which was involved in shady financial dealings. Two French gallery owners were
charged with crimes in connection with the deal. One was imprisoned and the other fined.
The Gakkai was an innocent bystander. Yet, because the Gakkai had business with the firm,
the media and the Danto have no trouble stating flatly that the Gakkai was somehow
responsible for the wrongdoing. This story was featured in the New York
Times (8/1/91): TOKYO, July 31 ? In a new round
of disclosures today of the extent of the discriminatory practices in the Japanese stock
market, 13 brokerage houses said they improperly covered more than $300 million in losses
for some of the country's largest industrial groups and a politically powerful religious
organization. On Monday, Japan's four largest securities houses released a list of clients
to whom they had paid nearly $1 billion in improper compensation for market losses. Those
payments have created a scandal that has appeared to substantiate long-standing criticisms
that the market here favors powerful interests and discriminates against individuals and
foreigners. The 'politically powerful
religious organization', of course, is the Soka Gakkai. Here again, the crime was
committed by a brokerage house - this was part of a huge scandal that rocked the Japanese
government in the early 90s - and the Gakkai was an innocent bystander with no culpability
even alleged by the investigators. This is a Danto favorite. Note the typical Japanese
tabloid method of reaching conclusions: 'it became apparent' that the money was an illicit
Gakkai slush fund. In actuality, there was an
official investigation, and it was indeed established that the money belonged to an
individual who was a member of the Gakkai staff, but that no one else was aware of it, and
the Gakkai itself was innocent of any wrong-doing. Since the Gakkai's founding in
1930, there have been major disagreements between it and the priesthood. These include the
controversy over the priesthood's acceptance of a Shinto talisman during World War II
(which controversy led to the imprisonment of Makiguchi and Toda), and the reinstatement
of a heretical priest by Taisekiji in 1951. In addition, right from the start some priests
objected to the Gakkai's teaching that Buddhism has effects in one's daily life, and can
be used to improve one's life (see President Toda's 'History and Conviction of the Soka
Gakkai', included in the SGI-USA Entrance Exam study booklet). In 700 years, the priesthood
failed to accomplish the will of the Daishonin - worldwide propagation. Naturally, there
has always been some jealousy toward an organization that converted a million households
in less than thirty years, and millions the world over in less than seventy years. There
is also jealousy that the leader of this organization is respected throughout the world as
a champion for peace, culture and education, while the leader of Nichiren Shoshu remains
virtually unknown outside his own sphere. After the completion of the Sho
Hondo in 1972, President Ikeda - with the approval of the 66th High Priest
Nittatsu - shifted the focus of SGI activities from the construction of Sho Hondo to
improving the Gakkai's own organization and facilities. This was resented within the
priesthood. Many priests began looking for ways to disparage President Ikeda, and thought
they found a way in what is called 'the wooden Gohonzon issue'. The Gakkai had converted a
number of Gohonzon from paper to wood, and a faction of priests called this sacrilegious.
The matter was thought to have been settled when Nittatsu said that converting a paper
Gohonzon to wood was a matter for the Gohonzon's recipient to decide, and had been done
many times throughout history. He also confirmed he had prior knowledge of the action. But the anti-Gakkai faction
within the priesthood could not let it rest. They charged President Ikeda with a number of
doctrinal errors, the most important of which (to them) was insufficient respect for the
priesthood. Upon the demand of the
priesthood, and in the interests of preserving unity, in 1979 President Ikeda resigned as
president of the Soka Gakkai. In July of that year, Nittatsu died, and was succeeded by
Nikken. The renegade priests now threatened further upheaval, even insisting that Nikken's
succession was not legitimate. Nikken saw that he had to exhibit firm control over the
Gakkai to quell the rebels. Despite the extraordinary action President Ikeda had already
taken, Nikken demanded that he submit a written apology. Pressed by senior leaders within
the Gakkai, he acquiesced to this demand. Danto now use that coerced
apology to maintain the Gakkai has changed its doctrine since that time, that President
Ikeda was not sincere and is therefore an opportunist, and that his 'lingering resentment'
over this affair is one of the contributing factors in the final split of 1991. At the time of President
Ikeda's resignation, as reported in the Seikyo Times (June 1979, p. 19), the Gakkai agreed
to Taisekiji's demand that two priests appointed by the High Priest sit on its executive
board, as well as on its doctrinal committee. As a result, SGI study material
throughout the 1980's reflected Nichiren Shoshu interpretations of the Gosho. For
instance, many statements by SGI leaders, as well as by the study department, place the
High Priest above criticism or the possibility of error. Since 1990, the SGI has been
free to receive instruction directly from the Gosho, without the intervening
'interpretations' of the priesthood. The Danto now use this to accuse the SGI of
'inventing doctrine to suit its circumstances'. It is true that many of the
things we are taught now contradict what we were told in the 1980s. Some of these are
delineated below. But the point is not 'Who said what, and when did they say it?', but
'What is the correct teaching of Nichiren Daishonin?'. It turns out that much of what we
formerly believed was not in the Gosho, but was an interpretation of the Gosho by various
priests. It is not the SGI that is 'inventing doctrine', but Nichiren Shoshu that invented
doctrine for 750 years. Nichiren Shoshu contends that
the Gohonzon transcribed by Nichikan Shonin, and now distributed by the SGI, is not a real
Gohonzon and can produce no benefit. The reasons that they say the Nichiren Shoshu
Gohonzon is genuine while the SGI's is phony have to do with doctrines that have little to
do with our daily practice, but are important underpinnings of the validity of their
beliefs. Nichiren Shoshu maintains that
only one who possesses the Living Essence of the Law is able to transcribe Gohonzon that
possesses the Buddha's life and the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. So how does one come into
possession of this 'Living Essence of the Law'? According to Nichiren Shoshu, 'Nichiren
Daishonin's Buddhism of the Sowing has been perfectly transferred through the face-to-face
Bestowal of the Living Essence of the Law by the Master upon the one and only disciple who
is next in the lineage.' (Dai Nichiren Special, p.12) In other words, it is the
contention of Nichiren Shoshu that the Daishonin's Buddhism - its practice and merit --
are conferred only upon the high priest during a special ceremony conducted by his
predecessor. (The 65th High Priest gave it to the 66th, and the 66th
high priest gave it to Nikken). Nichiren Daishonin taught many
things about the Gohonzon and about how we can inherit the benefits of faith, but he never
taught a concept such as this. It is purely invention by the priesthood to validate their
claim to be the true school of Nichiren's Buddhism. In The Heritage of the
Ultimate Law of Life, the Daishonin says: 'Be resolved to summon forth the great power
of your faith, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the prayer that your faith will be
steadfast and correct at the moment of your death. Never seek any other way to inherit
the ultimate law and manifest it in your life. (MW 1, p.25) Moreover, the Daishonin defined
the law as 'the cluster of blessings brought forth by the Bodhisattvas of the Earth' (ibid.,
p. 24). And he said 'if you are of the same mind as Nichiren, you must be a Bodhisattva of
the Earth' (MW 1, p.93). The Law is not something that exists only in a private ceremony
between priests. Its benefits are manifested naturally in the lives of those who are 'of
the same mind as Nichiren' - those who chant with faith and dedicate themselves to the
happiness of others. Nichiren Shoshu rebukes the
Gakkai claim that today the Daishonin's Buddhism exists only within the SGI by insisting
that a linear unbroken progression of 'heirs' is necessary for the Daishonin's Buddhism to
live. Therefore, it is impossible that Mr. Makiguchi had a better grasp of it than the
priesthood, and it is impossible that President Ikeda is practicing correctly without a
tie to Taisekiji. This is a ridiculous notion,
disproved by the history of Buddhism. There was no linear progression of people who
correctly handed the teachings of Shakyamuni to Tfien-tfai. There was no ongoing face-to-face
lineage from Tfien-tfai to Dengyo. And there certainly was no
'relay line of correctness' between Shakyamuni and Nichiren Daishonin. Yet Nichiren was
able to grasp the intent of Shakyamuni more clearly than anyone else in history. The 'unbroken lineage' Nichiren
Shoshu is so proud of has in fact been broken often. There have been doctrinal deviations
by various High Priests, such as one who enshrined a statue of Shakyamuni at the Head
Temple. Taisekiji itself was sold at one time. There have been High Priests who were young
boys, and at one time the reins of the religion were handed to a lay person. As for the mandala of the
Gohonzon itself, in Reply to Kyofo the Daishonin extols its virtues,
and then says 'But your faith alone will determine these things' (MW 1, p.120). It is not
a priest who makes it possible for a particular Gohonzon to have virtue - it is our faith.
That is why he says: 'Never seek this Gohonzon outside yourself. The Gohonzon exists only
in the mortal flesh of us ordinary people who embrace the Lotus Sutra and chant
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo' (MW 1, p. 213) In The Heritage of the
Ultimate Law of Life he also says: 'All disciples and believers should chant
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with one mind (itai doshin), transcending all differences among
themselves to become as inseparable as fish and the water in which they swim. This
spiritual bond is the basis for the universal transmission of the ultimate law of life
and death. Herein lies the true goal of Nichiren's propagation.' (MW 1, p. 23) The Daishonin's Buddhism is a
living, active religion whose basis is in the bonds between the human beings who practice
it. Its essence is not found in ceremony, nor is it the possession of a single individual
who has the power to make it possible for us to get benefits. As the Daishonin says in
another Gosho: '. . . the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all. From the
time you read this letter on, strive to accumulate treasures of the heart!' (MW2, p.279) Even if one were to accept
Nichiren Shoshu's contention that only a high priest can transcribe a Gohonzon, the fact
is that the Gohonzon distributed by the SGI was transcribed by the 26th high
priest Nichikan. But, they will say, Nichikan
did not intend for this particular Gohonzon to be widely distributed. The SGI appropriated
it and uses a common copying process to make the Gohonzon it gives its members. The SGI
has even left out some of the characters Nichikan inscribed. Nichikan was a high priest who
truly dedicated himself to kosen-rufu in the manner in which his times and circumstances
allowed. He was a 'true priest'. To say that he would not approve of his transcription
being used in the movement for kosen-rufu is an insult to Nichikan Shonin. If he were
aware of the circumstances that exist today ? the high priest of Nichiren Shoshu refuses
to grant 'his' Gohonzon to those who sincerely want to practice - he would no doubt be
grateful that his transcription is being made available. As for the reproduction
process: Both Nichiren Shoshu and the SGI use machines to reproduce the Gohonzon. To imply
that Nikken personally transcribes every Gohonzon is absurd. What he condemns the SGI for
is exactly what he himself does. The only difference is that the Nichiren Shoshu
Gohonzon - the white part with the characters ? is mounted on the backing paper, while the
SGI reproduces the white part and the background as one piece of paper (though this is not
true of the special Gohonzon some SGI members have received). The characters: The Gohonzon is
the manifestation of the Oneness of the Person and the Law. Nichiren Daishonin described
what was necessary for a Gohonzon to be appropriate, and none of that is missing in the
Gohonzon distributed by the SGI. The 'Nikken Gohonzon' does not
replicate the 'Nittatsu Gohonzon', and neither is exactly like the 'Nichikan Gohonzon'.
The Omamori Gohonzon distributed by Nichiren Shoshu does not have the names of the shoten
zenjin in the corners. Some Gohonzon transcribed by Nikken have the dates of their
transcription; others do not. The superfluous characters change from high priest to high
priest, and from Gohonzon to Gohonzon. The name of the recipient of
the original 'Nichikan Gohonzon' has been deleted, but all the essential characters are
there. Nichiren Shoshu says that it is
a tenet of Buddhism that an object of worship must have its 'eyes opened' for it to be an
effective object of worship. This is because the object is made out of inanimate material,
and does not innately possess the enlightened life of the Buddha. The only one who can
perform the eye-opening ceremony for the Gohonzon is the High Priest. This is because only
the High Priest inherits the Essence of the Law from Nichiren Daishonin through the
unbroken face-to-face lineage. Of course, as shown above, the
premise that only the High Priest can inherit the Law is faulty. Beyond that, this is a
very arcane subject that involves tradition, the concept of ichinen sanzen, the
enlightenment of plants and the meaning of 'eye-opening'. In Gosho entitled Opening
the Eyes of Wooden or Painted Images (MW 4) and Consecrating An Image of Shakyamuni
Buddha Made By Shijo Kingo (MW6), the Daishonin discusses the meaning, as well as the
tradition, of the eye-opening ceremony. (By the way, the phrase 'opening of the eyes' as
used here has a different meaning than the Gosho The Opening of the Eyes - the Kaimoku
Sho). In Wooden or Painted Images
the Daishonin explains that it is because of the concept of three thousand worlds (ichinen
sanzen) elucidated by Tfien-Tfai that an inanimate object can become
'a living Buddha'. He writes: 'Because the Lotus Sutra manifests the Buddha's spiritual
aspect, when one embodies that spiritual aspect in a wooden or painted image possessing
the thirty-one features (of the Buddha's appearance), the image in its entirety becomes a
living Buddha. This is what is meant by the enlightenment of plants' (p. 33). He adds:
'Unless one who has grasped the essence of the Lotus Sutra conducts the eye-opening
ceremony . . . it will be as if a masterless house were to be occupied by a thief or as
if, upon a person's death, a demon were to enter his body' (p. 35). And he writes to Shijo Kingo:
'This Buddha of yours, however, is a living Buddha.' (MW6, p. 162). Neither of these address the
matter of the Gohonzon - they both refer to statues or paintings. For all that he wrote
about the Gohonzon, the Daishonin never indicated that an 'eye-opening' ceremony was
necessary to endow it with virtue. What he does say is that
mastery of the Lotus Sutra is necessary for an object of worship to have virtue. And what
does it mean to 'master the Lotus Sutra' in the Latter Day of the Law? 'Everything has its essential
point, and the heart of the Lotus Sutra is its title, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo . . . Chanting
daimoku twice is the same as reading the entire sutra twice, one hundred daimoku equal one
hundred readings of the sutra . . .' (MW 1, p. 222) 'Those who chant
Myoho-renge-kyo, the title of the Lotus Sutra, even without understanding its meaning,
realize not only the heart of the Lotus Sutra but also the essence of all the Buddha's
teachings.' (MW3, p. 246) The 'eyes' of the object of
worship are 'opened' - that is, it becomes a living Buddha - when someone chants to it. In
another Gosho (not yet translated into English), the Daishonin writes 'There is no eeyef apart from
this Gohonzon.' (Gosho zenshu, p. 841) No one has to perform a ceremony to endow the
Gohonzon; it already contains the powers of the Buddha and the Law, which become active in
our lives through our faith and practice. Nichiren Shoshu accuses
the SGI of changing its doctrines, and maintains that only Nichiren Shoshu has preserved
the purity of the Daishonin's Buddhism for over 700 years. The truth is that many of the
traditions and teachings of Nichiren Shoshu have no basis in the Gosho, or in the writings
of Nikko Shonin. They are interpretations introduced through the years by various
High Priests. It is true that they have been faithfully preserved, and that the SGI once
adhered to them. But it is not true that they are the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin. While the basic doctrine taught
by the SGI has not changed - anyone can attain happiness by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo
and working for kosen-rufu - some of the concepts that support that basic doctrine may seem
to have changed since our expulsion from Nichiren Shoshu. That is because, free of our
reliance on Nichiren Shoshu for doctrine, the SGI can return to the Gosho for the original
doctrine of Nichiren, rather than interpretations of previous high priests. The Daishonin writes: 'I am
told that the scholars of the ten schools . . . were so outstanding in authority and
virtue that they were revered by the general populace for more than five hundred years.
However, the Great Teacher Tfien-tfai. . . examined their doctrines and
denounced them as erroneous. Hearing of this, the people hated him intensely, but the Chfen and Sui
emperors, being worthy rulers, summoned Tfien-tfai to debate with the priests of the ten
schools and settle the matter. Truth and error were thereby made clear, and in
consequence, the priests all revised the distorted views that their schools had upheld
over a period of five hundred years and became followers of the Great Teacher Tfien-tfai. . .In
every case, Tfien-tfai and Dengyo based their arguments on
the sutras.' (MW 4, p. 43) It doesnft matter a bit how long the doctrines of
Nichiren Shoshu have existed, or who has endorsed them in the past. As long as they are
not based on the Gosho, they are erroneous. Public
Consumption/True Intent For your benefit, the
Danto will say 'It is an SGI lie that we eworshipf the High Priest. Your Gakkai leaders
want you to believe that we consider Nikken the esame as the Gohonzonf, that he's
infallible, that we must obey everything he says. But this is not true. It is just your
leadersf trying to keep you from practicing correctly with Nichiren Shoshu.' Some time ago Nichiren Shoshu
produced a book entitled A Refutation of the Soka Gakkai's Counterfeit Object of
Worship, consisting of 100 questions and answers on a variety of subjects. A draft was
posted on the internet, and it is from that version that quotes are cited here. 'Question 46' says: 'The Gakkai
says, e The sect itself is establishing a faith which bases its teachings and doctrines
upon the High Priestf. . . Is this true?' The answer: 'In this sect,
there is no such thing as basing teachings and doctrines upon the High Priest.' This '100 Questions' booklet
was prepared for Danto members to share with SGI members. The above is what Nichiren
Shoshu wants you to believe about Nichiren Shoshu. But in the Dai Nichiren, a
newsletter for its own members, we see the true intent of Nichiren Shoshu. In a section entitled
'Absolute Faith In and Strict Obedience to the High Priest', Dai Nichiren says: When the priests and lay
believers of the faith of Nichiren Shoshu have the occasion to be in the presence of the
High Priest, with palms pressed earnestly together in sincere gratitude, we pay
prayer-like reverence to him as the Master who embodies the Living Essence of the
Body of the entirety of the Law of all existence, which has been passed down through
the generations since the lifetime of the Daishonin. It is therefore important that, from
the viewpoint of acquiescing to his possession of the Body of the Law, which should be
thought of as the source of the significance of the Daishonin's Buddhism, we not just listen to
but, deep within our lives, truly hear the High Priest's messages of guidance to us. (p.
13-14) Praying to the High Priest,
attributing to the High Priest the essence of existence, saying that the Daishonin's
Buddhism is significant because of the High Priest - this is Nichiren Shoshu's true
attitude toward Nikken. All of the above is usually what we say about the Gohonzon and the
Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, with which Nichiren Shoshu equates Nikken. Elsewhere, speaking of the
'transmission' from High Priest to High Priest, we read: 'If this lineage were to be
stamped out, no matter how much one might strive in his chanting of the Daimoku, not the
slightest benefit would be produced.' (p. 18) Without the High Priest, they
say, Nichiren Daishonin would have wasted his life. What Nichiren Daishonin said was this:
'Exert yourself in the two ways of practice and study. Without practice and study, there
can be no Buddhism.' (MW 1, p. 91) The only one who can deny you 'the slightest benefit'
is you, by neglecting practice and study, which 'arise from faith'. If Nichiren's compassion is
truly great and encompassing, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo will spread for ten thousand years and
more, for all eternity, for it has the beneficial power to open the blind eyes of every
living being in the country of Japan, and it blocks off the road that leads to the hell of
incessant suffering. (MW 4. P. 272) The benefits of the Daishonin's
great Buddhism exist because of Nichiren's actions in establishing the practice for the
Latter Day of the Law - not because of any linear progression of priests. Dai Nichiren also says
'It is easily conceivable that one might think that all one need to is believe in and
chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon.' But, it says, this is not so! One must also
believe in the Three Treasures, and 'this refers especially to the undeniably profound
significance of the High Priest.' (pp. 24-25). Other Nichiren Shoshu
publications call Nikken 'His Holiness' (Shinyo, January 1993, for one) and
'omniscient' (Myodo, January 1991, p. 1). No matter what they say to the
outside world, Nichiren Shoshu does indeed base its teachings and doctrines on the High
Priest, and does indeed demand absolute obedience to him. 'Question
30' of the '100 Questions' is: 'President Akiya gives the guidance that eThe Gakkai
has advanced based on the Goshof. Is the idea of being ebased on
the Goshof correct?' The answer in part: 'Other
Nichiren sects and schools apart from Nichiren Shoshu read the same Gosho of Nichiren
Daishonin, but their doctrines and objects of worship run counter to the Daishonin's
spirit because they do not possess the transmission.' In other words, Nichiren Shoshu
says it is wrong to base oneself on the Gosho; it is correct to base oneself instead on
what the High Priest says about the Gosho. 'Question 93' quotes the Gosho The
Real Aspect of the Gohonzon: 'Never seek this Gohonzon elsewhere. It resides only
within the flesh of the heart of we common mortals who embrace the Lotus Sutra and chant
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.' (Nichiren Shoshu translation) Nichiren Shoshu says the Gakkai
'interprets this as: 'Essentially the Gohonzon exists within the flesh of one who chants
the Mystic Law.' Note that this is exactly what the Gosho quote says. Then Nichiren Shoshu explains:'eEssentially, the Gohonzon exists within
the flesh of one who chants the Mystic Lawf is the same as the heretical Nakayama
school's doctrine that eone's life is the object of worshipf.' Evidently, Nichiren Shoshu
considers that the words of the Gosho mean something other than what they say, and that
the words of the Gosho are 'heretical'. A similar tactic is to
interpret the Gosho to mean something other than what it plainly says. In a Nichiren Shoshu magazine
called Myodo, Rev. Jiho Takahashi writes: In the Gosho The Heritage of
the Ultimate Law of Life, Nichiren Daishonin wrote, 'Without the lifeblood of faith it
would be useless to embrace the Lotus Sutra.' This passage means that we must receive the
general heritage of faith from the High Priest's guidance.' (October 1991, p. 10) That passage is in the Gosho,
but by examining the whole paragraph, we can see that it means the exact opposite of what
Takahashi says it means: Be resolved to summon
forth the great power of your faith, and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo with the prayer that
your faith will be steadfast and correct at the moment of your death. Never seek any
other way to inherit the ultimate law and manifest it in your life. Only then will you
realize that earthly desires are enlightenment and the sufferings of life and death are
Nirvana. Without the lifeblood of faith, it would be useless to embrace the Lotus Sutra.
(MW 1, p. 25) On page 11 of the same issue of
Myodo, Takahashi quotes from the Rissho Ankoku Ron and explains the passage
this way: 'A blue fly, if it clings to
the tail of a thoroughbred horse, can travel a thousand miles'. . . By following the
guidance of the High Priest, who possesses the heritage of the ultimate Law, we will
inevitably come to understand the Daishonin's Buddhism, which is hidden in the depths of
the Juryo Chapter of the Lotus Sutra. The Rissho Ankoku Ron
actually says: 'The host said: eThough I may be a person of little
ability, I have reverently given myself to the study of the Mahayana. A blue flycf' It is not a reference to the
High Priest, or the 'heritage'. It means that by embracing the True Law, we can 'travel a
thousand miles'. It is our effort, not the High Priest's guidance, that allows us to do
this. No wonder Nichiren Shoshu says
no one can understand the Gosho unless it's explained to them by priests! If we are
allowed to study the Gosho ourselves, we might begin to question the priestsf integrity.
They wish to keep the Gosho wrapped in mystery and secrecy, so that only they can explain
it. That way, they can introduce their heretical interpretations with no one being the
wiser. What the Danto say: The Three Treasures of Buddhism
are the Buddha, the Law and the Priest. In Nichiren Shoshu, these indicate: Nichiren
Daishonin, the Gohonzon and Nikko Shonin and all of the successive high priests. According to Dai Nichiren:
'Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism of the Sowing has been perfectly transferred through the
face to face bestowal of the Living Essence of the Law by the Master upon the one and only
disciple who is next in the lineage. It is by these means that the Treasure of the Priest
derives his actual virtue and true power.' As the Daishonin says in The
Four Debts of Gratitude: As for the debt owed to the
Priesthood, both the treasure of the Buddha and the treasure of the Law are invariably
perpetuated by priests. To illustrate, without firewood there can be no fire, and if there
is no earth, trees and plants cannot grow. Likewise, even though Buddhism existed, without
the priests who studied it and passed it on, it would never have been transferred
throughout the two thousand years of the Former and middle days into the Latter Day of the
Law. Therefore the Daijuku Sutra says, 'Suppose that, in the fifth five hundred year
period, there should be someone who harasses unlearned monks without precepts by accusing
them of some offense. You should know that this person is extinguishing the great torch of
Buddhism.' Difficult to recompense indeed is the debt we owe to the Priesthood!' (MW 5,
p.11) Therefore, the priesthood,
along with the Daishonin and the Gohonzon, is one of the cornerstones of the Daishonin's
Buddhism. Priests should be respected and obeyed, not criticized. The Truth: Every sect of Buddhism honors
'The Three Treasures'. However, the Nichiren Shoshu definition differs greatly from nearly
every other sect, as well as the traditional view from the time of Shakyamuni. Traditionally, the Three
Treasures (sometimes called 'Jewels' or 'Refuges') are:
In the book Buddhism, by
Thomas Berry (Anima Publishers, 1989), says: The third of the Three
Jewels of Buddhism, along with the person of the Buddha and his teachings, is the
spiritual community that he founded, the sangha. This community, in its fullest extent was
formed of both monks and lay persons. (p.47) Nancy Wilson Ross, in A Way
of Life and Thought (Knopf, 1980) quotes Prince Shotoku: 'Simply revere the Three
treasures. The Three Treasures are the Buddha, the Law and the Buddhist Community.' (p.
150) Nichiren Shoshu once taught,
also, that the virtues of the Treasure of the 'Priest' were embodied in the person of the
Daishonin's closest disciple, Nikko Shonin, and applied to all those who shared his
virtue. Now, however, the priesthood is teaching that the 'Treasure of the Priest' means
only male clergy. Moreover, it now teaches that what qualified Nikko Shonin - action
to preserve the Daishonin's teachings and spread them throughout the Latter Day of the Law
- has nothing to do with it. Again: Nichiren Daishonin's
Buddhism of the Sowing has been perfectly transferred through the face to face bestowal of
the Living Essence of the Law by the Master upon the one and only disciple who is next in
that lineage. It is by this means that the Treasure of the Priest derives his virtue
and true power. (Dai Nichiren, p. 12) The priests maintain that the
Treasure of the Priest is determined by a ritual; what's more, it is a secret ritual, and
only one person -- the High Priest - can partake in it. By placing formality over real
human endeavor, this is completely contrary to the Daishonin's teaching that 'this
spiritual bond' between believers who practice together in unity 'is the goal of
Nichiren's propagation', and that 'appearance, the first of the Ten Factors of life, is
the most important of them all' (MW 3, p. 172). 'Appearance' doesnft mean merely existence; it implies
actions. Elsewhere Nichiren says: The key to all of
Shakyamuni's teachings is the Lotus Sutra, and the key to the practice of the Lotus Sutra
is expounded in the Fukyo Chapter. What does Bodhisattva Fukyo's profound respect for
people signify? The real meaning of the Lord Shakyamuni Buddha's appearance in this world
lay in his behavior as a human being. How profound! (MW 2, p. 281) The teaching that Nikken, just
because he underwent a ceremony to become high priest, is therefore automatically a
'treasure' is absurd. Naturally, this absurdity leads
to others. Many Danto members themselves are not aware of this bizarre teaching: Further, within such
temple structures as the Grand Reception Hall at the Head Temple, when one faces the
Gohonzon, to the left, there is a statue of the Daishonin, and to the right, one of Nikko
Shonin. In this way, we are able to offer our prayer to each Treasure individually.
Although this form is entitled 'Three Treasures in Separate Bodies', because they are
enshrined as a trinity, they form a single Gohonzon. (Dai Nichiren Pp. 11-12) Where in the teachings of
Nichiren Daishonin does it say that a configuration of statues constitutes the Object of
Worship? Nichiren Shoshu
submerges the teachings of Nichiren under the interpretations of various priests. Its main
doctrine is the importance of itself and its High Priest. Its main goal is the destruction
of the SGI, and to that end it resorts to deviousness, double-talk, and outright lies
about President Ikeda. What sort of religion has to stoop to that to justify itself? The SGI has spread, and
continues to spread, the law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo around the world, in keeping with 'the
same mind' as Nichiren. As a result, it is meeting strong resistance from the Three
Powerful Enemies. The media, encouraged by Nikken, looks for negativity and when it finds
someone willing to provide it, does not bother to check its veracity. The laity who have
joined Nichiren Shoshu have been infected by Nikken's poison, and will resort to any
means, and will tell you anything, to destroy your respect for President Ikeda and your
practice in the SGI. The third of the Three Powerful
Enemies are 'those who are respected by the public, and who join with the authorities to
persecute the votaries of the Lotus Sutra.' Considering that, the following is quite
illuminating. To The Honorable Kosugi
Takashi Minister of Education, Science,
Sports and Culture, Japan Statement of Opinion The religious corporation
Nichiren Shoshu wishes to state its opinion on the viability of Soka Gakkai as a religious
corporation. As explained below, Nichiren Shoshu believes that the religious corporation
Soka Gakkai is unqualified to hold that status as per the provisions of Japan¹s Religious
Corporation Law. cThe
recent revisions to the Religious Corporation Law have placed the religious corporation
Soka Gakkai under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Education, so it is no longer under
the jurisdiction of the governor of Tokyo. Nichiren Shoshu therefore strongly requests
the Minister of Education to take speedy action to disband the religious corporation Soka
Gakkai. If this cannot be done, Nichiren Shoshu requests that the Minister at least
take measures to have Soka Gakkai¹s bylaws altered to reflect its
dissociation from Nichiren Shoshu. Respectfully submitted on this
day, November 18, 1996 Abe Nikken, representative
director (Chief Director) [official seal affixed] Fujimoto Nichijun, executive
director (General Administrator) [official seal affixed] Yoshida Nichiyu, executive
director (Director) [official seal affixed] Nichiren Shoshu, a religious
corporation 2057 Kamijo Fujinomiya,
Shizuoka Names and seals of 720 other
signatories appended. Nikken chose November 18th,
a very special day throughout the SGI, to petition the government to disband the Soka
Gakkai. This is serious stuff. It is
not merely a disagreement between two men, and it is not just an emotional conflict. It
concerns the future of kosen-rufu, as well as the future of religion. And it concerns each
and every one of us as we try to practice the Daishonin's Buddhism correctly. The best defense against the
machinations of the Three Powerful Enemies is to be aware of the truth.
THE
CHARGE THAT
THE SGI ENGINEERED THE SPLIT THE
CHARGE THAT THE GOHONZON IS FAKE
ADDITIONAL TEMPLE DEVIATIONS