Wednesday 30 May 2012

Einstein and Hitler

Hitler and the Psychiatrist

During World War I, the stressful conditions on the frontline (disease, death, explosions) took their toll on some people who suffered from a nervous breakdown called 'shell shock'.  This breakdown manifested itself in many different ways, but one of the symptoms was called 'hysterical blindness'.

Adolf Hitler suffered from this type of "blindness" which he thought was caused by a mustard gas attack, but tests showed there was no physical reason to explain his blindness and he was sent to see a psychiatrist called Dr. Forster.  After weeks of treatment with no success, the psychiatrist decided to issue Hitler with a challenge to try and make him snap out of this state.   Dr. Forster told Hitler that he believed he was born with a great destiny.  His mission was to save the German race and if he really focussed on this destiny, he'd be able to see a chair in the corner of the room.  Hitler focussed all of his thoughts on this mission and slowly the chair in the corner of the room came into focus and his sight was restored.

From that moment on, Hitler had a steadfast belief in his destiny.  Before meeting that psychiatrist he was just an ordinary soldier with no aspirations or leadership potential, but his newfound belief in his great mission caused him to lead a country into a direction that shaped the entire world both at that time and for generations to come.

As a footnote to this incident, Hitler later had Dr. Forster killed to try and hide this event that became the turning point in his life.

Einstein's Compass

When he was four, Albert Einstein was sick in bed, and his father gave him a compass to play with to occupy some time.  The compass fascinated him and he couldn't understand why no matter which way he turned it, the needle kept pointing in the same direction.  His previous experience was that things move when you move them and this unseen force controlling the needle baffled him.


This need to understand movement and motion remained with him throughout his life and later he went on to perform experiments and write papers that revolutionised scientific thinking.  Many of his findings, are still instrumental in Atomic and Quantum sciences today, and there are countless inventions and products that are either directly or indirectly due to the findings of Einstein.

"One Stone Will Create A Thousand Ripples"

In both of these cases, we can see that the smallest of actions by one person (Dr. Forster's words of encouragement and Einstein's father's gift of a compass) can have an influence far beyond what you may think is possible. 

When we talk to people about Nichiren Buddhism or treat people with compassion (or even harshly)we have no idea how we may affect their future lives or the lives of countless others.  Every action we take (cause) plants a seed of effect in our lives and the lives of the people we interact with, which will manifest itself in any of a thousand ways in the present or the distant future. 

The two examples of Hitler and Einstein come from "The Winner's Bible" by Dr. Kerry Spackman

Friday 25 May 2012

Buddhism for Kids

Rob Koo has written a wonderful book called Great Buddhist Stories which tells 14 stories from the Lotus Sutra and Gosho which teach children (and adults!) important virtues such as compassion, gratitude, etc.  This one comes from this month's Art of Living magazine, but it originally appeared in the SGI-USA magazine Living Buddhism.



Why not check out Rob's book "Great Buddhist Stories" which is available from most SGI websites' bookstores.

UK   -   http://www.sgi-uk.org/shop/book/great-buddhist-stories
USA -   http://bookstore.sgi-usa.org/product_p/6163.htm

Sunday 20 May 2012

Cult vs SGI: Part 4


UPDATED  5th January 2015

In response to my post "CULT vs SGI", Mark (Buku) posted a list of thirteen reasons why the SGI is a destructive cult by definition (see Cult vs SGI - Part 2).   I responded to these at Cult vs SGI - Part 3 and this page originally had links to Mark's responses to the first four of these points.

Around June 2013 Mark deleted his old pro-Kempon Hokke blog, launching his Eagle Peak Blog, which is still predominantly anti-SGI, and explained why he left the Kempon Hokke.  Unfortunately, this meant that the links on this page were now dead.  

Since then I have updated this page a few times with explanatory footnotes to explain why the links were dead as well as an ongoing commentary on Mark's lack of response to the final eight points despite him having mentioned in a comment in June 2012 that he would do so, and returning to this page to leave comments in September 2013 and January 2014.  It wasn't until five months ago, on 31 July 2014, that Mark finally reposted the first four points and responded to points 5 to 13.

Today, having noticed that this page is currently "trending" in my list of popular posts, I have decided to tidy it all up, deleting all of the dead links, updates and footnotes, and clearly marking below the links that respond to all of Mark's 13 responses.   Please enjoy ...


Mark responds to point 1

Mark responds to point 2

Mark responds to point 3

Mark responds to point 4

Mark responds to points 5 & 6

Mark responds to points 7, 8 & 9

Mark responds to points 10 & 11

Mark responds to points 12 & 13

Mark's concluding words 

Thursday 17 May 2012

Hope & The Lotus Sutra


The Lotus Sutra is the supreme teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha and the foundation of the teachings of Nichiren Buddhism. 

The Lotus Sutra introduced the concept that we can all (every one of us) achieve Buddhahood in this lifetime – we don’t need to wait for some unspecified time in a future life.  We don’t even need to have dealt with all of our negative karma from past life-times before we can achieve it.  As imperfect and unworthy as we may sometimes think we are, we all have Buddhahood within us at this very moment waiting to be accessed. 

Nichiren’s understanding of The Lotus Sutra, led him to realize that by chanting “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” we can gain access to this fountain of Buddhahood that lives within us and within the universe and awaken our Buddha nature and Buddha wisdom.

Reading through the Lotus Sutra there are many beautiful passages, but one of my favourites that always fills me with hope, especially if I’m feeling overwhelmed by problems in my life is an extract from Chapter 23 – Former Affairs of the Bodhisattva Medicine King.




“…This sutra is foremost among all the sutra teachings.
As the Buddha is king of the doctrines, so likewise this sutra is king of the sutras.
"Constellation King Flower, this sutra can save all living beings.
The sutra can cause all living beings to free themselves from suffering and anguish.
The sutra can bring great benefits to living beings and fulfil their desires,
as a clear pond can satisfy all those who are thirsty.
It is like a fire to one who is cold,
a robe to one who is naked,
like a band of merchants finding a leader,
the child finding its mother,
someone finding a ship in which to cross the water,
a sick man finding a doctor,
someone in darkness finding a lamp,
the poor finding riches,
the people finding a ruler,
a traveling merchant finding his way to the sea.
It is like a torch that banishes darkness,
Such is this Lotus Sutra.
It can cause living beings to cast off all distress, all sickness and pain.
It can unloose all the bonds of birth and death.
If a person is able to hear this Lotus Sutra, if he copies it himself or causes others to copy it,
the benefits he gains thereby will be such that even the Buddha wisdom
could never finish calculating their extent.

("The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras” translated by Burton Watson, p327-328)

Talking about this chapter of the Lotus Sutra in the letter “The Essence of the ‘Medicine King’ Chapter”, Nichiren Daishonin says:


The Lotus Sutra is like the moon [on a dark night]. For those who have faith in the Lotus Sutra, but whose faith is not deep, it is as though a half moon were lighting the darkness. But for those who have profound faith, it is as though a full moon were illuminating the night.    (WND-1, 94)


Embrace Shakyamuni’s Lotus Sutra with profound faith and joyfully chant the Daishonin’s mantra, to create a path of moonlight through your darkness towards a hope-filled future.

Wednesday 16 May 2012

Cult vs SGI: Part 3

Mark from Kempon Hokke responded to my Cult vs SGI post from April http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/cult-vs-sgi.html in the comments section of that blog and I re-posted his comments as a blog yesterday.  This was the reply I sent to him in response:


Many thanks for responding to my post. I’ll try and respond to your points as best I can. I’ve had a quick look at your blog to try and familiarize myself with your beliefs.

I found it a little difficult to search around your site though and while some people may look forward to all the SGI / IKEDA posts, I have enjoyed reading the articles I’ve come across that focus specifically on the LOTUS SUTRA and would genuinely like to know more about the BASICS of Kempon Hokke, but as the blog seems predominantly anti-SGI, it’s hard to find the basics of your faith and practice. As a gentle suggestion, it might be an idea to add labels to your posts, so that people can find SGI, LOTUS or KEMPON posts more easily.

Personally, as an enquiring mind, I would much rather have the facts of your religion and then decide for myself what to believe in rather than just be continually told why I shouldn’t believe in something else. While the anti-SGI stuff may attract a lot of support from like-minded people, it may turn off some people that are actually interested in learning the differences between the Nichiren Sects and deciding for themselves which one is teaching the true Buddhism of the Lotus Sutra. Countless examples of why the SGI is wrong, is not proof that Kempon Hokke is right and may turn away the very audience you are hoping to reach.

Anyway, here is my response to the points you raise.


1). The SGI has the Boston Research Center, the Institute for Oriental Philosophy, and others where their affiliation to SGI is rarely if ever mentioned.

The Boston Research Center is now called the Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, and Dialogue and the Institute for Oriental Philosophy mentions its association with the SGI on its UK homepage and the history page of the IOP Japan page. Maybe these have just been updated since your post on May 12.


2). The SGI claims that their believers are the only Nichiren Lotus Sutra believers capable of obtaining Buddhahood, going so far to claim that all SGI members are Buddhas while those of the Nichiren Shu and Kempon Hokke are “deluded Shakyamuni worshippers”.

First, all religions (Christian, Islam, Judaism and even their subdivisions Catholic vs Protestant, Orthodox vs unorthodox, etc) claim that they are the one true path to heaven, the promised land, etc and the others are deluded, so this doesn’t automatically indicate a cult.

Second, from a brief look at most Nichiren sects (including your blog) there seems to be the same view that people should quit the SGI as they won’t find enlightenment under these false teachings and instead follow the correct Buddhism of our sect.

Finally, you have a new post on May 12 that says SGI teachings are dangerous to kids because an online SGI quiz asks “Who is a Buddha?” with the answer “Everyone”. Surely to support this 2nd cult point, the answer should be “Only SGI members”.


3).Destructive cults reduce everything to a bi-polar attitude: “for us, or against us.”

Within the UK, I’ve never come across this “for us or against us” attitude, but I’ve certainly met wise people that criticise the SGI and the Lotus Sutra as well as foolish people that praise the SGI.

Daisaku Ikeda’s words show his compassion for people being deceived by priests, which is again common among all religions. Going back to your website, you have the same view that SGI members are being deceived by Daisaku Ikeda as well as criticising Rissho Kosei-Kai and Gene Reeves.
On March 25 you say “If one accepts the transgressions of the Soka Gakkai, Nichiren Shoshu, Nichiren Shu and Shingon without discriminating between the correct and incorrect, can they really be considered disciples of Nichiren Daishonin?”. Surely this is a “for us or against us” statement in which you either are or aren’t a disciple of Nichiren? Also, is this your quote? Most of the Kempon webpage refers to Nichiren as Shonin not Daishonin or are the two interchangeable in Kempon Hokke?


4).Destructive cults generate some kind of external “pet devil” with which to threaten their members if they should doubt, or fail, or ever leave the group.

Again, as far as I can tell this is the same with all Nichiren sects with “Ikeda” being the “pet devil”. I used to hate all the demonizing of Nikken and felt the SGI should move on and focus on the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and the Gosho (which they now seem to do in the UK), but most Nichiren sects seem more obsessed with President Ikeda than you say SGI members are.


5).Destructive cults lead their members to believe they are somehow superior to all other humans on the earth.

Here are two comments from your blog:

Alan: April 1, 2012 6:44 PM
The Kempon Hokke has to continue to help, guide and correct the SGI, the NST and all other sects that divert themselves and their followers away from the Eternal Buddha

Buku: April 2, 2012 5:55 AM
yes Alan, for the sake of the teachings, our sake, and for the sake of their members


If Kempon Hokke is not superior why do you feel the need “to continue to help, guide and correct the SGI, NST and all other sects” “for the sake of the teachings, our sake, and for the sake of their members”?


6).Destructive cults put the will of the group above the will of the individual. This is often reinforced with simplistic games or rituals of some type designed to make the individual subservient to the group.

I don’t have a problem with dates that celebrate key events from Soka Gakkai history and the mentor-disciple relationship in which we are encouraged by our mentor to develop our faith is no different to other faiths that have a spiritual leader. Personally, I have several mentors and while I respect President Ikeda as the SGI’s spiritual leader, I am primarily inspired in faith by Shakyamuni and his orally transmitted teaching of the Lotus Sutra and the writings of Nichiren Daishonin. If I was asked directly though, who is your mentor, I would probably give the name of an SGI member that has supported me with sensible guidance and encouragement especially during my early years of practice.

Does Kempon have no special dates connected to Nichiju? Does Kempon Hokke not show respect to the efforts of Nichiju for carrying the torch of true Buddhism or respect for the wisdom or guidance of Reverend Tsuchiya for continuing the strict tradition?

Also, I don’t know the context in which it was said, but “the Soka Gakkai is more important than my life.” implies to me that President Ikeda sees the continuation of Nichiren’s Buddhism through the SGI as being more important than members simply becoming followers of President Ikeda. Maybe things are different in the SGI-USA but in the UK, Canada and Japan I never felt this strong Ikeda worship. This sinister aspect of the mentor-disciple relationship only exists if individual members want it to. If members are praising President Ikeda and his writings more than Shakyamuni or Nichiren, to me that’s a problem that I would speak out about, but it’s not one I’ve come across in the UK even though I’ve read about it online.

Most of the experiences given by members that I have heard seem to focus on them developing the wisdom and strength to overcome their obstacles based on the practice of chanting. They will usually give thanks to other specific members that have supported them through their struggles.

Finally with reference to clothes and beards that’s another thing I haven’t come across in the UK. People wear what they want to meetings and even during Gohonzon receiving ceremonies people dress as casually or formally as they want.

7).Destructive cults teach that the end justifies the means.

From the shakubuku taught in the UK and by President Ikeda, you should just talk to people as you see fit. Bring it up in conversation naturally rather than forcing your Buddhism on everyone. The expedient means isn’t a “do anything and everything possible to reel them in” strategy, but an appreciation that people may talk to others or introduce them to Buddhism in different ways. i.e. mentioning Buddhism in daily conversation (what did you do last night? I went to a Buddhist meeting.), introducing it to a friend or colleague who is suffering (when I’m suffering, I find that chanting helps) or by living a good life and being a role model within your community. I usually introduce the topic of Buddhism when co-workers ask me why I don’t stress out at work when angry customers shout at me. If flirtatious shakubuku existed and was effective there would be many more male members in the district. Also, does this really work, surely you might be tempted to attend a meeting, but converting to another fate based on a bit of flattery from a pretty girl is ridiculous. Also, if you didn’t like the religion you wouldn’t stick around.


8).Destructive cults teach strict obedience to superiors and encourage the development of behavior patterns that are similar to those of the leader.

Your examples again refer to a practise that I’ve never come across. If I do have a problem with a leader’s attitude, behaviour or advice, I’ll talk to them about it, and when I became a leader I told the members in my district to let me know if I became too self-righteous or preachy.

Leaders are no better or worse than the other members (including President Ikeda). They will try to support members spiritually or through study lectures, etc. but they shouldn’t expect special treatment or praise for this extra responsibility. I guess the problem comes from leaders with small personalities that feel they should be treated with reverence by their members. If you have a problem with a leader, talk to them and let them know they’re getting above themselves.

9).Destructive cults offer acceptance by the group for good performance, and conversely, withhold it for poor performance.

Promotion or demotion within any organisation can be a sore subject, especially when you think people don’t deserve the recognition. How should you decide who is the next district leader, HQ leader, etc. Typically, people with the longest practice and strongest faith will advance and those with shortest practice and the weakest faith will remain as members. Is that a cult? I don’t think so. How does your sect decide who will replace your leader(s)?

It only becomes a cult if leaders with God-like status only advance those that worship and revere their status. I guess the problem is that sometimes, the pool of potential leaders is small and there is really no one suitable for the position. In such a case a leader may develop their own sense of self importance, especially if they are not respected within their working community or neighbourhood. I think the only reason to demote or “fire” a leader should be if they bring disrepute to the organisation or lord it over the members. There have been leaders I have respected and leaders I haven’t.

To me leaders should be living the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin and the Lotus Sutra. We should be working to improve ourselves and society not sitting back and letting the members get on with the work. We are all prone to all ten of the Ten Worlds and there will be times when leaders suffer or slip in their judgement, but they should prove the validity of the teachings by overcoming their suffering through their faith, practise and study, and the support of other members.


10).In destructive cults, fear is a major motivator. Guilt is a close second, and shame is third. Only the cult leader is perfect, so everyone below is fearful that those above will find out their shortcomings. Cult members feel constantly guilty for having those real or imagined shortcomings, and are ashamed that they haven’t worked harder to get rid of them.

Maybe I’m in the minority but I’ve never experienced (or been made to feel) fear, guilt or shame.


“Never talk about your problems to the members until they are resolved.”

Most of our discussion meetings usually have an element where someone talks impromptu about a problem or challenge in their lives and updates on how they are progressing.

When I’ve attended summer courses or other big events there are usually 2 or 3 outstanding experiences. They are motivational, but nothing compares to the progress I see in members in my district. When I’ve seen them in meetings in floods of tears talking about an insurmountable problem and watch the progress they make over the weeks and months ahead, you can see the transformation taking place. You then see a new more confident, happier person. This is the proof of this Buddhism, not hiding your problems and then talking about it afterwards. If members want to hide their problems, that’s up to them and I certainly wouldn’t force people to “confess all in front of the group”.

Similarly, when members have left the Soka Gakkai, we have tried to encourage them to continue with their faith, but have never wished any of them ill will or gloated if they subsequently experienced suffering in their lives.

11).Destructive cult members swing from emotional highs, to emotional lows regularly. Lows are not long tolerated, and result in more indoctrination, or even ejection from the group if they last too long.

Here are some examples of SGI speech used to control their members: “You have weak faith.”. ‘You had better go for guidance if you want to resolve that problem”. Rumors to stay away from depressed individuals. Not inviting less than enthusiastic members to certain meetings or not telling them about “important” meetings. Lectures about “emotionalism”, [unless the emotion is rapture about the SGI and the mentor]. Every last former SGI cult member will attest to this.

From my experience of the SGI, lows provide you with an opportunity to grow and advance in faith, which ultimately proves the effectiveness of the practice, so I don’t know why you would be encouraged to stay home or avoid such people. I’m always inspired by the depth of faith of members that can come to a meeting while in the depths of their suffering. It shows that they feel safe within the district and acknowledges the non-judgemental compassionate attitude that we as members share.

I often find people that are less than enthusiastic about Buddhism ask the best questions at meetings. This could be a guest at a meeting, someone at the start of their faith that wants clarification or even a member of 10+ years that is having a crisis of faith. These questions can reveal the limitations in their understanding which we can try to explain to them. This can also highlight the limitations of other members within the district that chant sincerely and seem to know what they are talking about, but whose explanations are not in accord with Nichiren Buddhism.

Discussion meetings are a place to discuss, not just to sit and listen to indoctrination and I’ve never heard of anyone in the UK being turned away from a meeting. Although, another Buddhist sect I used to attend (can’t remember the sect but it involved silent meditation – discussion group – silent meditation) asked me not to attend because my questions were confusing the other members!!


12).Destructive cults tend to re-write their members’ past, manipulate their present, and distort their future. Disrupting time orientation is an honored technique of all such cults.

The Human Revolution is an account of the growth of the Soka Gakkai from the end of World War 2 to Daisaku Ikeda becoming president and the New Human Revolution continues from this point onwards. While it may take some licence with changing people’s names, some events occur out of sequence (flashbacks?) and some periods are skipped (it's not a daily diary), I don’t think it’s a deliberate manipulation to distort the truth, but rather a narrative structure decision.

What things are omitted? Usually cult leaders will try to rewrite their history by hiding criminal backgrounds, or any negative information they don’t want to come out. The Human Revolution and New Human Revolution don’t always paint the presidents as perfect and mention most of the controversies, such as vote tampering, confronting priests at the head temple on the 700th anniversary, etc. It’s not exactly a whitewash of a history of abuses. Obviously the best incidents will be highlighted and the lowlights played down as often happens when any historical period is covered by an organisation.

Basically the Human Revolution series includes guidance from meetings, advice on how to be a good leader and much more. The purpose of the Human Revolution is to at least get an understanding of those early days and the growth of the organisation and one of the key elements of the series is the advice about how to be a good leader based on Nichiren Buddhism. Leaders that are weak in faith or take advantage of others are rebuked. Leaders with airs of supremacy or pride are rebuked. The overall theme of the series is on becoming an outstanding person within the workplace, within your community and within your family.

13).And, finally, there is never a legitimate reason for leaving a destructive cult. The only reason members leave a perfect system, is because they are imperfect in some respect and will be punished for it.  “He was angry.” “He was jealous.” "He couldn’t get along with his leader.”
“He had weak faith.”


Within the UK, the reason people leave is not described in any of the above terms. Leaving the Soka Gakkai as seen as a decision someone has made because they didn’t feel Buddhism was right for them at this moment. Some members may be disappointed that a friend no longer wants to practice but ultimately everyone has the choice whether to follow Nichiren Buddhism or not for whatever reason they may have.

You can still be friends with ex-members, there’s no excommunication or forbidding us to mix with such a person. They are not dead to us. I’ve only know two people leave in my time in the UK in the three districts I’ve practised in, and in both cases it was seen as a decision that was made because now wasn’t the right time for them to continue their faith. They may have felt they didn’t see proof in their lives, which is fair enough. They have been introduced to Buddhism though and are welcome to return at any time (either in this life or the next).

FINALLY ...

“No matter which destructive cult you choose, the above 13 items will almost universally apply". The author of these 13 points [whose name escapes me] then goes on to conclude: Study the methods of … …. they use the same techniques, even though each of them claims unique and absolute ownership of the “truth

It really feels like we are talking about two different versions of the Soka Gakkai and I can assure you within the UK, Canada and Japan I have never witnessed any of this behaviour. If I did, I would speak up about it or leave the organisation. I certainly wouldn’t be able to have a blog recommending it to others.

If the SGI-USA is practising in such a way, then the members really need to take their leaders to task and teach them the real spirit and intention of Nichiren Buddhism. I guess some of these people just give up and leave the organisation, becoming a source of online negativity, but they should really chant for the courage to confront the leaders and clarify the SGI’s position in accordance with the teachings in the Lotus Sutra and the Gosho.

If I did my best to bring the SGI into line with its original intention to propagate the true Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin and failed, ultimately, I would either become an independent Nichiren Buddhist or look for another sect that seemed to be more in touch with the true spirit of Buddhism.

As I mentioned earlier, the only negativity I have come across was the obsession with continually criticising Nikken about 7 years ago rather than moving forward, and this is the same thing that annoys me about a lot of the anti-SGI sites.

If others are happy to follow the alleged non Nichiren teachings of the SGI-USA that you mention, then that is for them to deal with. If I left the SGI, I wouldn’t feel a need to criticise the SGI as this only provides fuel to the “if you are following the true teaching, enemies will emerge” fire. It’s much better to put your point across by focussing on the correctness of your faith rather than continually criticising a group (and feeling sorry for their deluded members) that doesn’t seem to care what you say or will spin it into a positive for them.

Saturday 12 May 2012

Cult vs SGI: Part 2

Mark, a member of the Kempon Hokke, responded to my Cult vs SGI post http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/cult-vs-sgi.html in the comments section of that blog.  Here are his comments, which come from his blog on May 12th: http://kemponhokke.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/sgi-is-destructive-cult-by-definition.html

And my response to these points can be found here: http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/cult-vs-sgi-part-3.html

Mark is no longer affiliated with the Kempon Hokke, and now practices with his new organisation The Lotus Sutra Society.  His new blog address is http://markrogow.blogspot.co.uk/


The SGI is a Destructive Cult by Definition 1). Destructive cults actively recruit new members, often through deceptive “front” organizations.

The SGI has the Boston Research Center, the Institute for Oriental Philosophy, and others where their affiliation to SGI is rarely if ever mentioned.

2).Destructive cults claim to offer absolute Truth. Their teachings are not (to them) mere theory or speculation. The most effective cult doctrines are those which are unverifiable and unevaluable.

The SGI claims that their believers are the only Nichiren Lotus Sutra believerscapable of obtaining Buddhahood, going so far to claim that all SGI members are Buddhas while those of the Nichiren Shu and Kempon Hokke are “deluded Shakyamuni worshippers”.

3).Destructive cults reduce everything to a bi-polar attitude: “for us, or against us.”

Anyone who criticizes the SGI, no matter how wise, is a fool and anyone who praises the SGI,no matter how foolish, is wise. Daisaku Ikeda writes, for example:

“Seven years have passed since then. The outcome of the struggle of good and evil and the workings of the law of cause and effect have been strict and uncompromising. The decline of the crazed and destructive Nichiren Shoshu is clearly apparent. The victims, unfortunately, are the la ybelievers who practice with the temple, who are not aware of Nichiren Shoshu’s evil and have been deceived by the priests.”

4).Destructive cults generate some kind of external “pet devil” with which to threatentheir members if they should doubt, or fail, or ever leave the group.

The SGI has dozens of “pet devils”. Those who leave will have misfortune on their jobs, in their families, in the social lives,have accidents, fall into hell, etc. President Toda stated: “If you keep this up, you’re going to cometo a pitiful end in life.” and “Betraying the Soka Gakkai is betraying the Daishonin. In the end, they’llreceive the punishment of the Buddha, you’ll see.” Ikeda says, “To take action to fight againstwhatever forces appear as the enemies of the Soka Gakkai is our most noble mission.” Matilda Bucksays, “How tragic it would be for even one person to have found the great means of bringing forthBuddhahood only to be diverted to another, seemingly similar, path that is incapable of leading thatindividual to his or her deepest happiness.” This is the jist of the Gakkai’s attempt to chain themembers to the Gakkai way of life. The Biggest ”pet devil” is Nikken of the Nichiren Shoshu:

“When Buddhism speaks of “devilish functions,” what does that really mean? These represent whatever tries to prevent us from advancing in our Buddhist practice. In a sense, they are frightened when we expand the Buddha?s forces, because the realm they want to control will the nbe changed into a pure land. In our case right now, this function is being manifested in the currenthigh priest of Nichiren Shoshu.”

5).Destructive cults lead their members to believe they are somehow superior to all other humans on the earth.

In many of Daisaku Ikeda’s speeches we see how the SGI members are to view themselves:

“Sons of the Gakkai”,
“Inheritors of Myoho”,
“Lions of the Mystic Law”,
“The sole group of true believers”,
“Truly praiseworthy are you who resolve to work hard for kosen-rufu and the SGI. You are the most noble of all people.”

6).Destructive cults put the will of the group above the will of the individual. This is often reinforced with simplistic games or rituals of some type designed to make the individual subservient to the group.

If you search, you will find such quotes from the eternal Soka Gakkaimentor, “the Soka Gakkai is more important than my life.” We also see the special Soka Gakkaiholidays like May 3rd, day of mentor and disciple, and such slogans as, “reaffirming the prime point of the Soka Gakkai”

We see inordinate references to Soka Gakkai, SGI, and Ikeda in nearly every experience given by an SGI member. There used to be dress and hair (short) and beard(none) codes for the SGI Young Men’s Division and on saturdays everyone had to dress in whitepants and white tee-shirts.7).

7).Destructive cults teach that the end justifies the means.

How they misuse upaya (expedient means) is a travesty. Flirtatious shakabuku by young women’s division, telling peoplethey can get new cars and even drugs if the chant, teaching people that they will immediatelybecome Buddhas if they join the SGI, and the list goes on and on how they utilize the ends justifythe means philosophy of Machiavelli, the antithesis of the Buddha’s teachings.

8).Destructive cults teach strict obedience to superiors and encourage the developmentof behavior patterns that are similar to those of the leader.

Is there any doubt why the SokaGakkai is known throughout the ten directions as the Ikeda cult? Guidance division, never criticizing leaders, “follow no matter what”, this is so apparent to everyone but the brainwashed SGI memberhimself. Lately, the SGI has abandoned any subtle pretense with such overt youth division guidelinesas, “

Reveal your true identity as Shinichi Yamamoto” and “I want to be ShinichiYamamoto”

9).Destructive cults offer acceptance by the group for good performance, and conversely,withhold it for poor performance.

Moving up the ladder from Jr Group Chief, to Group Chief, toDistrict Chief, to Chapter Chief, to Area Chief, to Territory Chief, to Joint Territory Chief and so on.Busting people from their position or moving them at the leaders will.

10).In destructive cults, fear is a major motivator. Guilt is a close second, and shame isthird. Only the cult leader is perfect, so everyone below is fearful that those above willfind out their shortcomings. Cult members feel constantly guilty for having those real or imagined shortcomings, and are ashamed that they haven’t worked harder to get rid of them.

“Never talk about your problems to the members until they are resolved.”
“Did you know that so and so got hit by a car and is paralyzed. He should have stayed with the Soka Gakkai.”
“She turned in her SGI Gohonzon and lost her job and her house.”
“He committed suicide not soon after joining the Nikken sect.”

11).Destructive cult members swing from emotional highs, to emotional lows regularly. Lows are not long tolerated, and result in more indoctrination, or even ejection from the group if they last too long.

Here are some examples of SGI speech used to control their members: “You have weak faith.”. ‘You had better go for guidance if you want to resolve that problem”. Rumors to stay away from depressed individuals. Not inviting less than enthusiastic members to certain meetings or not telling them about “important” meetings. Lectures about “emotionalism”, [unless the emotion is rapture about the SGI and the mentor]. Every last former SGI cult member will attest to this.

12).Destructive cults tend to re-write their members’ past, manipulate their present, and distort their future. Disrupting time orientation is an honored technique of all such cults.

Human Revolution, New Human Revolution, New New Human Revolution. Need I say more?

13).And, finally, there is never a legitimate reason for leaving a destructive cult. The only reason members leave a perfect system, is because they are imperfect in some respect and will be punished for it.

“He was angry.”
“He was jealous.”
"He couldn’t get along with his leader.”
“He had weak faith.”

(even if "he" continues to chant three hours a day and does shakabuku with the Nichiren Shu or the Kempon Hokke). “No matter which destructive cult you choose, the above 13 items will almost universally apply".

The author of these 13 points [whose name escapes me] then goes on to conclude: Study the methods of est, LaRouche, Transcendental Meditation, Truth Station, Soka Gakkai, TheWay International, Children of God, Temple of Set, Synanon, Scientology ®, The Peoples Temple, Unification
Church, Hare Krishnas, House of Judah, Ramtha, Garbage Eaters, Rajneesh, ECK, ChurchUniversal and Triumphant, Elan Vital, Posse Comitatus, or any of the others…. they use the same techniques, even though each of them claims unique and absolute ownership of the “truth.”

Thursday 10 May 2012

Gods and Devils


A lot of non-Buddhists are curious about our faith, especially Christians, who want to know if we believe in God or the Devil.


Do Nichiren Buddhists believe in a God or gods?

No.  Buddha was a great man called Siddhartha Gautama who lived in India and taught people how to achieve a state of indestructible happiness within their lives.  He became the first recorded Buddha (known as Shakyamuni Buddha) but he was a spiritual leader not a God.

As Nichiren Buddhists we also follow the guidance of Nichiren Daishonin, a 13th century Japanese monk who realized that the Lotus Sutra was the ultimate teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha. He is the founder of Nichiren Buddhism but is not a god, and as Soka Gakkai International members we are supported in our daily faith by our current leader, President Ikeda, but he is not a god either.

The closest thing we have to “gods” is the mystic functions in life and in the environment that serve to protect us.  This refers to forces in our lives and in nature which can’t be seen or explained scientifically, but are believed to offer protection to Buddhists.

So what do you believe in?

We believe in our innate Buddhahood.  We believe that all of us – Buddhists and non-Buddhists - have the power within us (Buddhahood) to realize a life of eternal happiness.   

We believe that chanting “Nam-myoho-renge-kyo” connects us to our Buddha wisdom and the wisdom of the universe. 

We believe in continually studying to prove that we are following the correct religion and we believe in personal development and self-improvement to become better people within ourselves, within our families and within our communities. 
Finally we believe that everyone has the right to attain happiness in this lifetime and so we want to share our faith with them.

Do you believe in the Devil?
Yes and no!  We don’t believe in one all-encompassing evil entity, but we believe that there are three devils that come from within and one that comes from without.  These four devils try to hinder our practice and Buddhist faith and manifest themselves in our own negativity, doubts and confusion.  

The first devil is our earthly desires – negative thoughts such as ignorance or stupidity that stop us from realizing the greatness of Nichiren Buddhism, greed for personal benefit and pride that makes us think we know better and don’t need this religion and other emotions such as laziness that sap our motivation to practice or attend meetings.  

The second devil is illness.  All of us become ill from time to time and we usually shake it off, but this devil manifests itself when that illness affects our faith.  It may make us doubt our faith because we, or our loved ones, are not being protected or it can stop us from attending meetings. 

Third is the devil of death – or more specifically the feelings we have in response to death that make us doubt our faith.  This can be especially strong when someone we love dies or when a child or good person is taken too soon.  

Finally, the fourth devil, which some may see as the closest to the Christian image of the devil, and involves the many manifestations in life and in the hearts of others which can deeply challenge our faith. 

Natural phenomena such as earthquakes and tsunami that destroy countless lives and the evil behaviour of people that inflict pain, suffering and death on others are included here and cause us to doubt the benefit of our practice, especially when we, or those we love are directly affected by them. 

This fourth devil also manifests itself within people that implicitly want us to stop practising and can be a great challenge – it could be persecution on our religion or on our members by politicians, other religions or by the media or it could be closer to home, such as a family member or university teacher discouraging us in our Buddhist practice. 

Even if there is no direct persecution, this fourth devil can cause confusion and raise doubts by entering the hearts of members and leaders.  Nichiren Buddhists who have become "possessed" by this fourth devil may start or spread gossip or rumours about other members or leaders or become corrupting with arrogance, sexual misconduct, embezzlement, etc.   These people can cause us to doubt the validity of our faith if our leaders or other members can behave in such a way.

(See also http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/the-devil-and-buddha.html)

Saturday 5 May 2012

Does this Buddhism work?

Many people are wary of how some religions tend to emphasize belief without any evidence of how they work. They basically ask for your blind faith. Nichiren Buddhism is different. It is a philosophy and practice of actual proof—belief, or faith, arises from the positive impact the practice has on people's lives, from how it leads to happiness here and now.

Of course, if you are very new to chanting Nam-myoho-rengekyo, you might not have experienced any conspicuous actual proof yet. But at [SGI] activities, you have no doubt heard members' experiences of having received benefit as well as explanations of how the practice works. This can be your starting point—instead of blind faith, you can begin with an expectation that the practice works and therefore be willing to try it.

Nichiren Daishonin established the criteria of "three proofs" that people should apply to determine the validity of a religious practice: documentary proof, theoretical proof and actual proof.

Documentary proof means that the teaching should accord with the Buddhist sutras, considered the collective and comprehensive body of wisdom at the time. Nichiren explains in his writings how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and sharing it with others actualizes the Lotus Sutra, the highest teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha.

Theoretical proof means that the teaching must accord with reason and logic. Nichiren Buddhism is profoundly based on the principle of cause and effect, of which all phenomena in the universe are an expression. We are not expected to believe in anything that cannot ultimately be explained in light of this principle.

Actual proof means that the teaching actually changes people's lives for the better, that there is undeniable improvement that anyone can see. Nichiren argued that actual proof is the most important of the three:

"In judging the relative merit of Buddhist doctrines, I, Nichiren, believe that the best standards are those of reason and documentary proof. And even more valuable than reason and documentary proof is the proof of actual fact" ("Three Tripitaka Masters Pray for Rain," The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 599).

As Nichiren Buddhists, we develop ever-deepening faith through our own experience rather than simply accepting our beliefs from others. Ours is a philosophy of proof, and new members can expect to see actual proof from their practice soon after starting.

Taken from SGI-USA website


Newsletter NL8406SZ - Nothing Speaks Louder Than Actual Proof



When one who is able to show clearly visible proof in the present expounds the Lotus Sutra, there also will be persons who will [come to] believe [in the sutra].

From “Letter to Horen” (WND-1, 512).



Nothing is more eloquent than actual proof. That’s why it is important that we strive to steadily demonstrate actual proof of our victory in society. Relating such experiences to others is one of the most powerful ways to advance kosen-rufu.

(Translated from November 16, 2011,Seikyo Shimbun)


Nichiren Buddhism is not something to follow blindly, but it is something to try for yourself. 
If you are not sure whether this Buddhism is for you or not, start chanting. 
Chant every day, morning and night for a fixed time, say fifteen to thirty minutes.  
After a month, compare your life to thirty days ago. 
Do you feel an improvement in your life state?  Can you sense any actual benefit from this practise?
If yes, keep chanting and prepare for even greater changes within your life.



Contact any of the SGI websites to find out more about meetings in your local area:
Live in the UK? Contact http://www.sgi-uk.org/
Live in the US? Contact http://www.sgi-usa.org/

Live elsewhere? Contact http://www.sgi.org/about-us/directory/asia.html

Friday 4 May 2012

Ready, Willing and Able

If you want to change certain aspects of your life, you need to be READY, WILLING and ABLE.

Maybe you want to have more self-confidence, get a job, improve your situation at work, lose weight, get a boyfriend or have a better relationship with your parents.  Whatever it is you want to change about yourself, you need to be READY, WILLING and ABLE to change.

Most people are READY.  If you have reached the point, where you know what you want from your life or what you want to change about yourself, you are READY. 

Most people are ABLE.  Whatever it is you want to achieve in life, you have the ABILITY to do it.  Want a boyfriend?  You can do it.  Want a better job?  It's yours.  Want a better relationship with your parents?  You have the power within you to achieve it.  Want to lose weight?  You got it.

Unfortunately, the thing that will hold you back is the WILLING!

Most people are NOT WILLING to do what it takes to achieve the result they want. 

Can you stop eating sweets?  No, it's too hard. 
Can you get off your arse and go to the gym?  Maybe tomorrow,  The Apprentice is on TV tonight!
Can you improve your job prospects?  You mean I have to study!!!!

We find it easy to talk ourselves out of doing things or want instant results without putting in any effort.  If you really want to see a change in your life, you really have to put some time and energy into achieving it.

Your life is the way it is today, because you have allowed it to get like this.  You have either seen the warning signs and chosen to ignore them or just not even seen them. 

Now you KNOW what you want to change about yourself, here's the three steps...

(1) Be READY.  Don't just know you want to change but prepare to change yourself and make a determination to achieve your goal or self-improvement.

(2) Be ABLE.  Recognize what you need to do to achieve your goal.  Chant to open up the full potential of your abilities.

(3) Be WILLING.  Really commit to improving yourself.  Devote time and energy to your faith and daily practise, as well as taking the steps necessary to fulfill your ambition or achieve the human revolution you are looking for.



HUMAN REVOLUTION  =  DETERMINATION  +  CHANTING  +  ACTION

(This article is based on Larry Winget's thoughts on Ready, Willing and Able.)

Funeral Buddhism


In The Human Revolution Volume 2, Katsu Kiyohara explains to people that are attending an introductory meeting (after World War 2) to learn about Nichiren Buddhism that:


     Faith is not merely ideology, but practice.  With correct faith and vigorous practice,
     the human revolution can be achieved.                              (Human Revolution 2, p24)

Most of the audience were with her while she explained the history of Buddhism from Shakyamuni to Nichiren and talked about the Lotus Sutra, but when she mentioned that vigorous practice was involved, people started to show their reluctance.
This lazy attitude to practise started from around the 1630s onwards.  The Japanese government was scared of the rise of Christianity in Japan and made it compulsory for all citizens to be registered with a temple.  If you weren't registered, you wouldn't be able to find employment or transport.
Local temples started to take advantage of this captive membership by introducing a range of fees which covered everything from funeral services to frequent memorial services to special prayers for health, wealth or job success.  Temples tried to come up with as many services as they could to encourage people to join their temple, and the temples that offered the most services and rituals also had the most "followers" and the most money.
The priests knew that most of their followers didn’t really believe and so they introduced a service in which the priests themselves would do morning and evening Gongyo and chant for happiness and enlightenment for you for a fee! 
Initially only the people that were forced to join temples used the service, but in time even devote believers thought it was better to pay the priests to do their prayers and free up their time for other pursuits.
Nichiren Shoshu temples also took advantage of this source of income and some of these services and prayers are still available today, even though this reliance on the temple and priests is totally against Nichiren Buddhism, which focusses on individuals practising for themselves and others.
After the war, many of the new religions (and the established ones) were continuing this tradition of the “join us, pay us, get benefits” school of faith, but the Soka Gakkai was very strict that you could only get benefit through faith and vigorous practice.
Buddhism is not something you can leave to others or something you can do once a week or when you feel like it.  It is a daily practise that influences all aspects of your life and encourages you to better yourself and improve society. 
Our human revolution is OURS and it requires us to invest time and energy to develop and improve ourselves, rather than finding a willing priest and paying them to secure our future happiness.

Thursday 3 May 2012

Encouragement


NEWSLETTER - NL8501SZ
Encouragement Imparts Boundless Strength



When a tree has been transplanted, though fierce winds may blow, it will not topple if it has a firm stake to hold it up. But even a tree that has grown up in place may fall over if its roots are weak.


From “Three Tripitaka Masters Pray for Rain” (WND1, 598)



People who have the support of others are strong. They are undefeatable. With the solid support of good friends, we can weather all storms of adversity to achieve a life of happiness and victory.

Offering encouragement means imparting boundless strength. Having sincere dialogues with others is simple and low key, but it is the way to forge the strongest heart-to-heart bonds and build the most unshakable trust.

(Translated from the April 21, 2012, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, the Soka Gakkai daily newspaper)

---------------------------------------------------
Every week there are two or three newsletters released.  The newsletter number is always followed by two letters.  Want to know what the two letters mean?
CY - Guidance for Youth
DP - Encouragement for Young Phoenixes
HN - Extracts from latest volume of The New Human Revolution
SA - Acceptance Speeches
SB - Brief Words of Encouragement
SG - Essays
SH - Photos and Poems
SM - Messages (sent to events and meetings around the world)
SO - Speech Excerpts
SP - Peace Proposals
SW - Poems
SX - Editorials
SY - Encouragement
SZ - Words of Encouragement (a Gosho quote followed by encouragement)
XV - Study Lectures (similar to the Gosho study in the Art of Living)

Most of these are 3 to 4 pages of largish text. The shortest are the SZ encouragement at a page and the longest are the study lectures (16 pages) and the peace proposal (40 pages)