Why a Mentor Disciple Day?

This isn't the first time I've written about the Mentor-Disciple Relationship but today I wanted to focus on WHY the SGI recognize July 3rd as Mentor-Disciple Day and what it signifies.

To check out previous posts on the mentor-disciple relationship go to mentor-disciple-day, part iv of leaders-of-the-pack and oneness-of-mentor-and-disciple or check out this summary of those previous posts:

1.      The mentor-disciple relationship has its basis in the Emerging from the Earth chapter of the Lotus Sutra when the Bodhisattvas of the Earth (the disciples) rise up and vow to Shakyamuni (the mentor) to spread the teachings of the Lotus Sutra.

2.      According to Nichiren Daishonin, it’s our ties of karma that have destined us to become his disciple and according to the Lotus Sutra we will constantly be reborn in company with our teachers.  (The Ultimate Law of Life, WND-1, p217)

3.      In the Nirvana Sutra we are warned to "follow the Law not the person". Chanting allows us to awaken our Buddha wisdom and open our karmic ties to “see” the true nature of potential teachers and find a teacher who is following the Law (practising Nichiren Buddhism correctly) in their own lives.  

4.      President Ikeda is not our God or an object of worship, but a lay believer of Nichiren Buddhism and a Bodhisattva of the Earth.  Many SGI members have a deep respect and admiration for him and feel a deep gratitude towards him, based on his role as a spiritual advisor and as an inspirational role-model in faith. 

5.      The ONENESS of the mentor-disciple relationship is not about doing what we are told by our mentor, but taking responsibility for our lives, making decisions and practising Buddhism with the same intent, determination and purpose as our mentor. 

So what is the significance of July 3rd as Mentor-Disciple Day in the SGI?  Do we need a special day to reflect on this relationship?  Shouldn't we be giving thanks and expressing our gratitude to Shakyamuni, Nichiren Daishonin and our present mentor, Daisaku Ikeda, more frequently than once a year?  Well obviously we do, because we recite two of the most important sections from Shakyamuni's Lotus Sutra twice a day and also express our gratitude and appreciation to our significant mentors in our twice daily prayers.

Some other Nichiren Buddhist schools seem to focus on the "mentor" part of Mentor-Disciple Day and see it as yet another example of how SGI members love to idolise President Ikeda and raise him even higher on his pedestal, but this couldn't be further from the truth.

So what did happen today to make this a significant day in the SGI calendar?  During World War 2,  the military government had demanded that all religions enshrine, and pray to, a Shinto talisman to show their support for the state religion.  At that time the Nichiren Shoshu school compromised their faith by acquiescing to the military and government pressure, and many of the founding members of the Soka Gakkai had turned their back on their faith for fear of persecution.  Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and his disciple Josei Toda however, refused to compromise their faith in Nichiren Buddhism and were sent to prison. 

Mr. Makiguchi died in prison for his beliefs on 18 November 1944, but the following year Josei Toda was released from Toyotama Prison on 3rd July.  After making his way home and witnessing the devastation of Japan, he knelt before his Gohonzon and cried out "Gohonzon and Nichiren Daishonin!  I, Josei Toda swear to work to achieve kosen-rufu"  (Human Revolution: Volume 1, p27).

Consequently, Mentor-Disciple Day is a time to remember Josei Toda's vow to the Gohonzon and Nichiren Daishonin to advance kosen-rufu, and a celebration of his determination to rebuild the Soka Gakkai and continue the sincere efforts of his mentor Tsunesaburo Makiguchi to awaken people to the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra. 

It is this that SGI members honour on July 3rd, and throughout the month of July, by reaffirming our own determinations to stand up as Bodhisattvas of the Earth and embracing our commitment to advance kosen-rufu with the same sincerity and intention as our mentor, President Ikeda.  Mentor-Disciple Day is an opportunity for us to renew the promises we made to Shakyamuni Buddha to propagate the Mystic Law in the "Emerging from the Earth" chapter of the Lotus Sutra.

In the Gosho "Flowering and Bearing Grain" Nichiren writes, "If a tree is deeply rooted, its branches and leaves will never wither. If the spring is inexhaustible, the stream will never run dry. Without wood, a fire will burn out. Without earth, plants will not grow. ... It is said that, if a teacher has a good disciple, both will gain the fruit of Buddhahood, but if a teacher fosters a bad disciple, both will fall into hell.  If teacher and disciple are of different minds, they will never accomplish anything.” (WND-1, p909) 

So ultimately, 3 July is a day when we can celebrate the strength we gain, and the benefit we receive, from this eternal bond of mentor and disciple.  WE can build on the results of Josei Toda's propagation campaigns conducted with the same spirit as Mr. Makiguchi, and WE can build on the results of President Ikeda's worldwide growth of kosen-rufu conducted with the same spirit as Josei Toda, by carrying out OUR OWN actions for shakubuku and growth with the same intent, determination and spirit as President Ikeda, based on the solid foundation of the Mystic Law of Shakyamuni's Lotus Sutra and the daimoku, wisdom and encouragement of Nichiren Daishonin.

Finally, I was thinking how nice it would be if anti-SGI groups and individuals took a moment to reflect on the debt of gratitude they might owe to President Ikeda instead of using Mentor-Disciple Day as another opportunity to criticise him and the SGI.  I genuinely believe that the SGI is practising Nichiren Buddhism correctly and that President Ikeda has been a strong influence in the development of my own understanding of Buddhism, but even people who think their own school of Nichiren Buddhism is the correct one may owe a debt of gratitude to President Ikeda.  You might now be a member of another Nichiren sect, or practice as an independent Nichiren Buddhists, but if you were introduced to Nichiren Buddhism by an SGI member, a former SGI member, or used to practise as an SGI member, you owe a debt of gratitude to President Ikeda for his worldwide advancement of kosen-rufu which has enabled you to encounter, and make a connection with, the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra.  

 

** In July 2015 I posted an entry about the origins of the mentor/disciple relationship with Shakyamuni: http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/mentor-disciple-origins-shakyamuni.html

** In July 2014 I posted an entry about making a great vow and the spirit of Mentor-Disciple Day:  http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/building-our-own-future.html

** And there is more information on the ONENESS of Mentor and Disciple here:      http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/oneness-of-mentor-and-disciple.html

The Nail That Stands Up

In Japan, there’s a famous phrase - “deru kui wa utareru” - which means “the nail that stands up gets hammered down”. Japan is a country that typically prides itself on conformity, and sees anyone who is outspoken and holds different views to popular opinion as a potential threat to the rest of the group.  This lone voice must be knocked back into line.  It doesn’t even matter if the difference is the teaching of a great philosophy or something that can be harmful to society, as long as you are different from the mainstream, you must be put in your place.

Throughout most of Japan’s history, religions in Japan generally avoided any kind of persecution, keeping to themselves.  They didn’t really make efforts to expand their membership (which had been illegal from the 1600s onwards!) and they were happy to live in harmony alongside other Buddhist temples.  If Religion A didn’t “steal” members away from Religion B, Religion B wouldn’t steal members from Religion A.  Each temple earned enough to support their priests from the voluntary contributions of their followers and from the different services and rituals you could pay for.  Even the Nichiren Shoshu Temple seemed happy to ignore their mission of kosen-rufu and to follow the status quo and the orders of the military government.

After the war, it became possible to propagate your faith and, while a lot of the temples continued to “play by the rules” and enjoy a peaceful coexistence with other Buddhist schools and sects, some new religions emerged and tried to sell their brand of religion to the poor, sick and hungry.  They might have irritated the established temples, but they weren’t really that successful, so were seen as a nuisance rather than a threat.  But, the Soka Gakkai, under President Toda started to become more and more popular.   Members were energised by the practice and were seeing results and gaining hope in their lives.  In Osaka, around 9,000 households joined the Soka Gakkai in April 1956, which meant 9,000 households had left other Buddhist sects.  Understandably, the priests of those temples weren’t happy and knew that the Soka Gakkai had to be hammered down to protect their livelihoods.  Some tried malicious lies to discredit the organisation, some tried unsuccessfully to engage in debate and prove the supremacy of their teachings and some tried to involve the media in their deceptions.  None of these proved successful, but at the same time, the authorities weren’t really that bothered.  They may have been curious about the Soka Gakkai, but the problem belonged to the world of religion and didn’t really have an impact on the running of the country or day to day issues in society.

However, once the Soka Gakkai became involved in politics with their Clean Government Political League (Komei) and they started to get candidates voted into local and national government, the authorities became more concerned.  The temples may have tried to hammer down the Soka Gakkai with light taps, but once the government and police became involved the power of the hammer was significantly increased and the Soka Gakkai started to feel the full force of persecution for the first time since the war.

Toda knew that the situation would only get worse as more and more people felt their lives being affected by the enthusiasm and determination of the Soka Gakkai members and wrote this poem on 9 July 1956:

            An even steeper mountain path
            We are now entering
            Proceed with great care.
            On the journey of kosen-rufu
                                                                                            (The Human Revolution: Volume 10, p256)

Throughout its history the Soka Gakkai has continued to be persecuted and the split with the Nichiren Shoshu Temple in the early 1990s was a source of much speculation and scandalous gossip in the tabloids.  When I was first introduced to the practice in Japan towards the end of the 1990s, the tabloid newspapers were constantly full of tales of President Ikeda’s “crimes”, all of which were proved in court to be unfounded, unsubstantiated and untrue.

In recent years though, the media seems to have focussed less and less on the organisation, and, based on voting figures, there are certainly more people voting for Komeito Party politicians than there are Soka Gakkai members.  Maybe the public have got bored of reading dishonest “news” or maybe the tide is starting to turn as more and more people embrace the humanistic philosophy of Nichiren Daishonin and see the valuable contribution the Soka Gakkai is making in Japan.

President Toda knew that these powerful obstacles, devils and enemies would emerge, but he also knew that as votaries of the Lotus Sutra we are the ones to lead our communities and our countries to victory.   We are not a passive religion that sits in solitude and contemplates the wonders of the universe, but an active presence in society that wants to share the joys of our daily practice with others and bring happiness to the lives of people throughout the world.
  

For more information on the Komeito Party, see my previous post Soka Gakkai and Politics

Oneness of Mentor / Disciple

It is quite easy for a disciple to follow the master’s intention subserviently, but rarely does a disciple attain that state of mind in which he grasps the source of the master’s intention and shares that source.  However, the oneness of master and disciple totally depends on the accomplishment of this difficult process. (The Human Revolution: Volume 10, p95-96)

I originally wrote about the Mentor/Disciple relationship on 3 July 2012 (http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/mentor-disciple-day.html) and then again in August (part iv of this blog - http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/14-leaders-of-pack.html).

Today I wanted to look at the ONENESS of the mentor/disciple relationship as this is the heart of this spiritual relationship, but first I’ll briefly summarise the key points so far:

1.      The mentor-disciple relationship has its basis in the Emerging from the Earth chapter of the Lotus Sutra when the Bodhisattvas of the Earth (the disciples) rise up and vow to Shakyamuni (the mentor) to spread the teachings of the Lotus Sutra.

2.      According to Nichiren Daishonin it’s our ties of karma that have destined us to become his disciple and according to the Lotus Sutra we will constantly be reborn in company with our teachers.  (The Ultimate Law of Life, WND-1, p217)

3.      Chanting allows us to awaken our Buddha wisdom and open our karmic ties to truly “see” the true nature of potential teachers and find someone who is following the Law (practising Nichiren Buddhism correctly) in their own lives.  

4.      President Ikeda is not our God or an object of worship, but a lay believer of Nichiren Buddhism and a Bodhisattva of the Earth.  Many SGI members have a deep respect and admiration for him and feel a deep gratitude towards him, based on his role as a spiritual advisor and as an inspirational role-model in faith.

So, coming back to the ONENESS of mentor and disciple, the Lotus Sutra doesn’t teach us to follow our mentor and do what we are told like good children.  WE are in control of our lives and responsible for the decisions we make.  If our intention was to blindly follow leaders, Nichiren would still be a disciple of the Nembutsu school.  But, Nichiren recognized his mentor was following an inferior teaching and, out of a debt of gratitude, tried to correct his practise when awakened to the wisdom and profundity of the Lotus Sutra.   

The ONENESS of mentor and disciple is not about doing what we are told, but making decisions in our lives and practising Buddhism with the same intent, determination and purpose as our mentor.  Some people may think to themselves “What would Ikeda do?” but you could also think to yourself “What would Nichiren, or Shakyamuni do?” or, the one I use myself, “What would I do if I was using all of my Buddha wisdom in this moment?” 

In the quote above it mentions "grasping the source" of the mentor and sharing that source. For me that "source" is the Lotus Sutra and the Gosho. it is the Mystic Law and the Gohonzon. It is President Ikeda and it is me. The ONENESS of the mentor/disciple can never be about idolising President Ikeda and putting him on a pedestal.  How can there be a ONENESS if you are creating such a wide distance between you in faith?  Personally, It is about me recognizing in President Ikeda (and other great role models I have within our organisation - from Shakyamuni, Nichiren Daishonin, senior leaders and district members) the qualities and behaviour that I want to achieve for myself as a Nichiren Buddhist, and then making those qualities and behaviours my own by fully appreciating my Buddhahood and my potential as a Bodhisattva of the Earth.  It is always basing my life on our shared faith in Nichiren Buddhism and our commitment to kosen rufu.

For more on the oneness of Shakyamuni and his disciples, go to Mentor-Disciple Origins: Shakyamuni

Soka Gakkai and Politics

The second president of the Soka Gakkai, Josei Toda, initiated the involvement in politics by appointing members in certain districts to run for local and national elections.  This was seen as another strand to ensure the flow of kosen-rufu and the peace of the nation.  In Nichiren’s day, the local lord’s had the power and control of their regions, but nowadays power resides with the people that vote for their political leaders.  After the war, the political landscape was changing frequently with a seemingly endless cycle of elections, corruption, votes of disapproval or lack of confidence, and new elections.  Consequently, Toda realized that rather than trying to gain favour with those in power, especially as they were only in power for weeks or months sometimes, the Soka Gakkai should appeal to the public directly.

In its early days in 1955, the political wing of the Soka Gakkai was called the Komei (Clean Government) Political League and one of its selling points was, as the name says, its focus on clean government.  This hasn’t always been possible, due to the over-enthusiasm or misplaced focus of some members, but on the whole the Komei Party has avoided a lot of the scandals and corruptions that have affected other parties.  As the party grew, and as more people became wary about its connection with the Soka Gakkai, President Ikeda decided to clearly separate the two organisations, and in 1964 the Komeito (Clean Government Party) became independent from the Soka Gakkai, although its policies are still based on the humanistic values of Nichiren Buddhism. 

In 1969 it became the third biggest party in Japan’s political scene and while it has traditionally voted on bills in support of the number two party, the Japan Socialist Party, it has also supported bills by the leading party, the Liberal Democratic Party.  During the mid 1990s there was some movement in the Komeito Party, which split into different groups.  Some of these split again and some of them disappeared, until finally in 1998 all of these different factions reformed to create the New Komeito Party.

Even though the Komeito Party became independent from the Soka Gakkai, it is still seen by many as the Soka Gakkai's Party and many people in Japan worry about this religious connection.  Despite this worry, the Party has continued to grow over the years.  In most cases, these politicians would not hold their positions if they relied solely on Soka Gakkai members’ votes, so why are non-members electing and re-electing them? 

It’s because the Komeito Party follows humanistic policies which focus on making life better for all citizens.  They are not campaigning for schools to have morning gongyo, compulsory human revolution or for other religions (or atheism) to be outlawed.  They are working on grassroots campaigns that are bringing real change to the lives of people at a local level, or working on a national level to improve conditions in the workplace, education, healthcare, etc.  They are not acting solely on behalf of Soka Gakkai members (although they have represented the rights of the organisation and its members), and they are not even trying to just please the people that voted for them.  They are fulfilling their mission of kosen-rufu and trying to make life in Japan safer and better for everyone.

The Single Truth

Over the last week I have had four posts looking at differences between the Nichiren schools of Buddhism (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4).  Today I summarise all of this as I look for which of these schools is carrying the single truth of Nichiren's teachings in these modern times.

THE TRUTH, MUST BE A SINGLE TRUTH

In the Human Revolution: Volume 6, Nichiren’s early life is discussed and his seeking spirit led him to ask the following questions:

Buddhism was expounded by only one person, Shakyamuni, but why is it now divided into so many sects?  The truth that this saint revealed must be a single truth.  Then where is the sect that inherited it?  (Human Revolution: Volume 6, p8)

Nichiren’s studies led him to the Lotus Sutra as the ultimate, correct and true teaching of Shakyamuni and he used this as the basis of Nichiren Buddhism as well as leaving behind his writings and various Gohonzon.

There are now many different schools of Nichiren Buddhism, which leads me to ponder:

Nichiren Buddhism was expounded by only one person, Nichiren, but why is it now divided into so many schools?  The truth that the Daishonin revealed must be a single truth.  Then where is the school that inherited it?

Over the last week I have hopefully covered a lot of these differences, but today I want to briefly look at why I believe the SGI is the sect that has inherited this single truth and is the only one carrying the flame of true Nichiren Buddhism in the world today.

WHY IS IT NOW DIVIDED INTO SO MANY SCHOOLS?

Nikko was appointed as Nichiren’s successor and moved to Taiseki-ji to start Nichiren Shoshu due to other priests’ slander of Nichiren Buddhism at Mount Minobu.  SGI is a lay group of Nichiren Shoshu, even though we were excommunicated in 1990s.

Nichiren’s other disciples, believed they were the true successors, and set up their own individual schools, which over the years have merged into one school, Nichiren Shu. 

All other schools founded since these early days have been as a result of:

(i)                 individuals breaking with a traditional (or spin-off) school to establish a new school of correct practice

(ii)               individuals new to Buddhism starting a new independent school of correct practice

(iii)             Members of an existing school wanting to be a leader, or believing they should have been a successor, started their own school.

Some of these other schools, include Kempon Hokke Shu, Reiyukai, Rissho Kosei Kai, Shoshinkai and Kenshokai.

WHERE IS THE SCHOOL THAT INHERITED IT?

There are three main reasons I think the Soka Gakkai is the true school of Nichiren Buddhism today.

Firstly, as a believer that Nichiren named Nikko as his successor, the Taiseki-ji lineage IS the school that inherited Nichiren’s Buddhism.  Some later priests have deviated from the teachings with their own interpretations (as is currently the case) and others have brought it back to the original teachings, so this lineage may currently be compromised, but Nichiren Shoshu, of which the SGI is a lay organisation, WAS the school that inherited the Daishonin’s Buddhism.

Secondly, from my reading of the Lotus Sutra and the Gosho, and comparing these to the various schools of Nichiren Buddhism I know, the SGI is one of the few schools today practising in accordance with the Daishonin’s teachings.  It was also one of the only schools that refused to cooperate with the military government's policy, during World War 2, that all Buddhists should enshrine a Shinto talisman within their Butsudan and change their prayers to include ones for the sun god, the emperor and for Japan's victory in combat.

Thirdly, my experiences of practising Buddhism with the Soka Gakkai International have given me actual concrete proof that I am following the correct school.  Both myself, my wife and my district have all advanced over the last year (and previous years) and seen real benefits in our lives, as have many friends from other SGI districts, which is good enough for me. 

Some schools point to last year’s tsunami, earthquake and nuclear disaster as proof that the SGI is not the correct method to be following, in the same way that the disasters afflicting Japan during Nichiren’s time were proof that the four maxims were disturbing the peace of the land at that time.  But while the population of Soka Gakkai members in Japan is considerably more than Nichiren’s followers in the 1300s, it’s still less than 10% of the population.  It’s a great achievement, but still a long way off from some Christian and Muslim countries which can have a membership of 70% or more of the population, so there is still a lot of propagation needed, both within Japan (and the world), before we can truly secure the peace of the land.

SICK & POWERFUL, POOR & FINANCIALLY SECURE!

Finally, let’s look at the Japanese public’s image of the Soka Gakkai over the years.  At the end of World War 2, it was seen as an organisation of the poor, the sick and misfits, and they were made fun of for their step by step approach to expansion and small meetings in each others homes, rather than holding flashy rallies like their competitors. 

Now, in 2012, the SGI is criticised and persecuted by some for its political activities and its financial strength, and despite only representing a small percent of the Japanese population, it is seen as a strong and powerful organisation that the public should be afraid of. 

Surely this fact alone - a small organisation of sick and poor people, growing into a much larger organisation of strong, powerful and financial secure members over the last sixty-five years - is proof that the SGI members and the SGI as a whole has benefitted from being the true Nichiren Buddhism school in the world today.

DON’T BELIEVE ME, CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF

 

 

 

 

 

Shakyamuni said “Believe nothing, … not even if I have said it” so as well as reading the Gosho and studying Buddhism for yourself, investigate some of the other Nichiren Schools and find out what they believe in, how they practice and what benefits or proof their members have received. 

My study has led me to the realization that the Soka Gakkai International is the true school of Nichiren Buddhism, but that is only my belief and it agrees with my common sense and reason and is supported by my actual proof as an SGI member. 

If your studies lead you to think that one of the other schools is the true school of Nichiren Buddhism, then feel free to follow them instead.

4/4 The Write Stuff

We've looked at leadership (http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/14-leaders-of-pack.html), chanting (http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/24-mantra-and-mandala.html) and SGI specifics (http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/34-s-g-why.html), so today we have the Gosho.

On 24 April 1952, the Nichiren Shoshu Gosho was first published.  These complete writings of Nichiren Daishonin form the basis for today’s final look at the differences between the SGI and other Nichiren schools.

Complete or Compromised?

Before I look at what is included, let’s briefly look at what wasn’t included in the Soka Gakkai’s “Complete” writings.  First, any private rough notes, drafts or annotations of Buddhist sutras or the writings of T’ien-t’ai or Dengyo were excluded.  Second, even though Nichiren writes in Letter to Misawa, “As for my teachings, regard those before my exile to the province of Sado as equivalent to the Buddha’s pre-Lotus Sutra teachings” (WND-1, p896), Nichiren Shoshu took their starting point as any writings written from April 28^th 1253 onwards as this was the day that Nichiren Buddhism was established with Nichiren chanting “Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo” for the first time.

The Gosho of Nichiren Shoshu does contain many additional writings to the other schools though, as we include Nichiren’s writings in Nikko Shonin’s handwriting, which some of the other schools believe are DEFINITELY NOT Nichiren’s writings or MAY NOT be his writings.  The writings in Nikko’s handwriting are either those he wrote which Nichiren dictated or they are letters to followers, which Nikko copied after the Daishonin’s death, because the followers wanted to keep their original letters (which have since become lost or destroyed). 

I don’t really understand why some of the other major Nichiren schools are so negative towards these later letters in Nikko’s handwriting when the founders of their school (such as Nichiren Shu) used to disparage Nikko by referring to him as Nichiren’s secretary, rather than a priest of equal standing to them.  Surely, if they though he was simply a secretary, letters dictated to him and written in his handwriting should be more readily accepted as genuine.

Gosho vs. Lotus Sutra

Nichikan (and Josei Toda) interpreted “being familiar with the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin” as being familiar exclusively with the Gosho (which represents Nichiren’s Buddhism), whereas other schools believe that we should primarily study Shakyamuni’s Lotus Sutra as this is the Buddhist teaching that Nichiren adopted as true Buddhism and constantly praises in the Gosho.  It’s a subtle difference but to clarify Nichikan and Toda believed you didn’t need to specifically study the Lotus Sutra (as all of the key stories and wisdom of the Lotus Sutra are covered and explained within the Gosho). 

Having said that, the Lotus Sutra is still available to buy in SGI shops with an introduction by President Ikeda stating:

“The Lotus Sutra clearly and definitively reveals the Buddha nature that is an integral part of the lives of all people. … The Buddha nature, which is inherent in all living beings, is a universal and fundamental source or fountain of hope. …And the Lotus Sutra is the text that most forcefully asserts this truth”

And, President Ikeda has also published a series of six books explaining the relevance of the Lotus Sutra in connection with the Gosho and our lives today.  This would imply to me that while the SGI may ultimately see the Gosho as our main study material, we are not discouraged from studying the Lotus Sutra if we want further information on the teaching that informed Nichiren’s practice.

INTERPRETATIONS

In addition to assigning importance to certain Gosho over others or deciding to what extent the Writings of Nichiren Daishonin (the ultimate text of Nichiren Buddhism) supercedes the Lotus Sutra (the ultimate text of Buddhism), if at all, when we look at each sentence of the Lotus Sutra and Gosho, they may be open to misinterpretation by:

(i)      Mistranslation – The fact that there is such a fuss over the single word “Nam”/“Namu” implies that there could be a million possible errors when translating the Lotus Sutra into Japanese from the original language or similarly when translating the Japanese Gosho into the English Writings.

For example, some Japanese SGI members have said that the concept of “earthly desires are enlightenment” in the English Gosho should actually read “earthly desires become enlightenment“.  It’s a subtle difference but rather than supporting the belief that we should chant for earthly desires, it highlights that while we are chanting for earthly desires, as our wisdom comes out, we realize the value of chanting for something more beneficial to all humanity and change our focus or, if our chanting for earthly desires does manifest itself in a positive result, it deepens our faith in the practise which in turn changes the focus of our chanting.  So chanting for earthly desires can cause us to deepen our faith and awaken our Buddhahood to make more humanitarian causes in the future.  Earthly desires become enlightenment.

(ii)    Reading Between the Lines – Incorrectly reading either the direct intention of the Lotus Sutra or Gosho, or incorrectly understanding the “hidden meaning” of the writings.

(iii)  Subjective Reading – Only reading the passages that confirm your belief, but ignoring those that seem to contradict this belief or you feel may have been put in by mistake.

Tomorrow is the culmination of the series in which I look at why I believe the SGI is the true school of Nichiren Buddhism in the world today.
 (http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/the-single-truth.html)

3/4 The S G Why?

In previous posts I've looked at the differences in leadership (http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/14-leaders-of-pack.html) and how chanting differs (http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/24-mantra-and-mandala.html). Today's topics are things that are more specific to the SGI and are the four most common issues that other Nichiren groups criticise us for. 

DAYS

One complaint against the SGI is that we celebrate lots of “insignificant” SGI dates, but ignore significant dates from the life of Nichiren Daishonin?   I don’t know where this comes from, but as long as I’ve been a member, we have always remembered key events such as The Birth of Nichiren Daishonin, The Tatsunokuchi Persecution and The First Invocation of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.  We also have SGI specific dates, such as the formation of the men’s, women’s and youth divisions, the day that our lay religion was founded, kosen-rufu day (when Toda assumed the position of 2^nd President and said he would achieve 750,000 families before his death
 – which occurred), mentor-disciple day, etc.

As with many organisations, religious and otherwise, some key events in our history will be remembered, but they are not National Holidays and not all of them are considered major celebrations, just dates to note in your diary.  Some districts may decide to focus on some of these dates (including the Nichiren ones) for discussion in a meeting if they consider it significant, but generally it’s just something of interest or for you to reflect on yourself.

MONEY

Traditionally, Nichiren, and other priests/monks of varying Buddhist groups, received gifts from their followers to help them live – this may be food, clothing or money.   When Toda left prison and was restarting the Soka Gakkai he used his own savings and profits from his own companies to support himself and finance Buddhist initiatives.  For special expenses, such as the reconstruction of Taiseki-ji temples damages during the war, he would ask members for voluntary contributions. 

Later, when he assumed the presidency as a full time position, he began to allow members to make sincere contributions to the organisation and to the Nichiren Shoshu Priesthood.  This money was primarily used to support kosen rufu activities, to help with the upkeep and construction of Soka Gakkai community centres and Nichiren Shoshu temples and to support the priesthood.

Only members who have received Gohonzon are allowed to make donations and it is 100% voluntary.  I have never practised in a district that uses peer pressure or intimidation to force contributions, and if any district were to engage in such a practise, it would certainly be breaching the guidelines concerning VOLUNTARY contributions.

As a lay organisation, members typically support themselves and their families through their own jobs, investment portfolios, etc., but as a full time spiritual leader, President Ikeda’s income comes from a variety of means which may include members contributions, profits from business investments and companies he has shares in, and profits from the sales of his books.

Some schools feel President Ikeda should live in poverty, surviving on rice and other basic rations supplied by his followers, but he has a wife (and did have children to support) and the success of the SGI in shakubuku campaigns as well as the personal success members enjoy in their own lives, means that there are a large number of members making contributions to the organisation.

POLITICS

Why does the SGI have a political wing through the New Komeito Party?  There are two reasons.  Firstly, Josei Toda wanted to develop young people within the Soka Gakkai that would be knowledgeable enough to hold senior positions within the fields of education, politics, banking, business, etc. so that they could use the humanistic philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism to create a society in which people respect each other and everyone wins.  It’s not going to be achieved overnight, but it is a worthy cause.

Secondly, in Nichiren’s time, priests would remonstrate with the government/leader to try and convert them to Nichiren Buddhism and ensure the peace of the land, but since the war, most leaders were now figureheads and the changes in policy made it clear that power was now in the hands of the general public.  If the public chooses their politicians, it’s fitting that we should enter the field of politics and remonstrate with members of the public, who have the ability to control the outcome of elections. 

As more people vote for the New Komeito Party, they are saying that they believe that candidates who are Soka Gakai members have the answers to society’s problems and they would like us to work for them to make society a safer, more harmonious, place to live and practise.

RELIGION

What should our attitude be towards other religions or other Buddhist groups?

According to the SGI Charter, the SGI shall respect and protect the freedom of religion and religious expression (no. 3) and the SGI shall, based on the Buddhist spirit of tolerance, respect other religions, engage in dialogue and work together with them toward the resolution of fundamental issues concerning humanity. (no. 7)

This is one of the many areas of difference which will come back to an interpretation of “taking account of the age”.  Do we practice EXACTLY as Nichiren did?  Do we practise with his intention? Or do we need to find some kind of middle ground which “takes account of the age”?

Some Nichiren schools are very strict and believe that we should practice exactly as Nichiren did (refuting Zen, Nembutsu, Pure Land and Ritsu), some believe we should practice with his intention (refuting the four major religions of today) and some think it’s enough to just criticize the SGI. 

The SGI is a little more relaxed and believes in cooperation with other faiths in some initiatives, especially where it will bring peace and tolerance to multi-faith communities.  These multi-faith initiatives, also give us an opportunity to advertise ourselves and let’s the public draw comparisons between us.  Obviously this leaves us open to criticism from stricter schools, and some schools believe that the SGI has been so successful at propagation because it has adapted itself to be all things to all people, but to be honest, without having to dilute the philosophy or practice of Nichiren Buddhism IT IS FOR EVERYONE no matter what race, gender, social class, life state or concerns they have.


Come back tomorrow for a look at the differences between the Gosho (http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/44-write-stuff.html)

2/4 Mantra and Mandala

A couple of days ago I looked at differences between the Nichiren sects concerning leaders (http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/14-leaders-of-pack.html) and today the focus is on the chanting and the object of devotion.

Gongyo (Daily Practice)

Basically, all of the Nichiren schools have a daily practise (Gongyo), or twice daily practise, which includes a combination of recitations from the Lotus Sutra, silent prayers (of gratitude and intent), daimoku and bell-ringing/striking a wooden block.

All of the various schools have their own particular style but generally chant extracts which they consider to be the core of the Lotus Sutra.  Some ring the bell continuously during daimoku, some use it to indicate what stage of the gongyo they are at, some chant extracts from the two main chapters of the Lotus Sutra (2^nd and 16^th) and others use longer extracts from these chapters or key extracts from other chapters.  All believe that their way is the correct way to practice and is usually based on their founders’ (or subsequent leaders’) guidelines of what should be focussed on.  As Nichiren hasn’t really written about this practice, there doesn’t seem to be a major conflict online about how to do gongyo and most of the schools chant in Japanese (although some don’t).

 

“Nam” or “Namu”

The core of Nichiren’s teaching though is to chant “Nam(u)-Myoho-Renge-Kyo” and some Nichiren schools can get quite hung up on this issue, believing that because Nichiren Shoshu and the SGI says “nam” instead of “namu” we are not practising correctly and will get no benefit from our practise. 

Personally, I see it as something of a non-issue because the “mispronounced” word is a Japanese transliteration of the Sanskrit word “namas” which means “devotion”.  It’s not like a mispronunciation of the title of the Lotus Sutra “myoho-renge-kyo” but a small discrepancy over an approximation of a foreign word for devotion. 

If Nichiren wanted to avoid confusion, he could have used any of the Japanese words for devotion, but he obviously felt that the Sanskrit word more fully embodied the depth of this devotion/unity with the Lotus Sutra and wanted to include a Japanese approximation of it in his mantra.  Even though I think it’s a non-issue, let’s look at some examples of Japanese:

CONTEXTUAL PRONOUNCIATION -  Sometimes the final syllable of a word is pronounced as though the final vowel were not there:  Squirrel in Japanese is RISU and is pronounced RI-SU, but the verb to be - DESU - is often pronounced as DE-S not DE-SU.

PHONETIC CONTRACTION – Sometimes during conversation, or when speaking quickly, the final vowel sound may be dropped, especially when the following word starts with the same syllable sound.  If this is the case, we might get the use of NAMU AMIDA BUDDHA, NAMU ICHIJO-MYOTEN, NAMU NICHIREN, etc. but when the following word starts with an “M” we would get NAM(u) MYOHO RENGE KYO.

JAPANESE SYLLABLES - Unfortunately because we don’t have a recording of Nichiren chanting, we have to rely on the Gosho to guide us, but this doesn’t help us either.  Japanese is a syllabic language and while most of the Japanese syllables are two or three characters and usually end in a vowel there are also solitary vowels AND a solitary “n” and ”m” syllable.  i.e. the Japanese word for newspaper is shimbun, which has both the solitary “m” in the middle and a solitary “n” at the end.  In the Gosho, Nichiren sometimes refers to the seven syllables of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, but this is true whether we say “namu” or “nam” because although in English “nam” is one syllable, it is still two syllables - “na” and “m” – in Japanese.

As I say, I think this is something of a non-issue, but some sects get really worked up about this.  It’s a shame, but if it was such a big deal, I’m sure Nichiren would have clarified the correct pronunciation of “nam”/”namu” much more clearly in one of his letters, stressing that it should always be pronounced “MU” especially as the following word does start with an M and “NAM(u) MYOHO RENGE KYO” is so central to our practise.  He didn’t, so he either believed everyone was chanting correctly or he didn’t see it as an issue.

Which Gohonzon is Best?

A Gohonzon is a mandala used by the various schools of Nichiren Buddhism.  Carl Jung described a mandala as a universal expression of the human subconscious and Nichiren’s various Gohonzon are reifications of the Mystic Law of “nam-myoho-renge-kyo”. On the surface they represent pictorially or calligraphically the world and its spiritual nature, but on a deeper level they are a guide for transforming our ordinary human minds into enlightened ones. 

So why do we have a Gohonzon?

In the Gosho, “Questions and Answers on the Object of Devotion” we have the following conversation:

QUESTION: In the evil world of the latter age, what should ordinary men and women take as their object of devotion? 

ANSWER: They should make the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra their object of devotion.

QUESTION: Which is superior, a Buddha or a sutra?

ANSWER: As the object of devotion one should select which is superior… in Buddhism, Shakyamuni should be regarded as the object of devotion.

QUESTION: If that is so, then why do you not take Shakyamuni as your object of devotion, but instead make the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra the object of devotion?

ANSWER: …Shakyamuni Buddha and T’ien-t’ai are the ones who have declared that the Lotus Sutra should be the object of devotion.  And now, in this latter age, I, Nichiren, too, following the example of the Buddha and T’ien-t’ai, take the Lotus Sutra as the object of devotion.  I do so becaue the Lotus Sutra is the father and mother of Shakyamuni Buddha, the eye of the Buddhas, and Shakyamuni, Mahavairochana and all the other Buddhas of the ten directions were born from the Lotus Sutra.  Therefore, as the object of devotion I now take that which is capable of bringing forth such life force.

Even though Nichiren inscribed the Dai-Gohonzon on Oct. 12, 1279 for the happiness of all humanity, he doesn’t specifically refer to it in any of his writings, and throughout his life, he inscribed many subsequent Gohonzon with various scenes, characters and concepts from the Lotus Sutra.  All of them are intended to act as a representation of the Lotus Sutra, an embodiment of the Mystic Law and the reification of “Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo” and to act as a mirror to our lives.  They are not just objects of devotion, but objects of devotion for observing the mind.  The Gohonzon is the life of Nichiren Daishonin and the life of Shakyamuni Buddha.  And, equally as important, the Gohonzon is YOUR LIFE. 

When we chant we are connecting ourselves with the Buddha nature of the universe bringing forth our Buddhahood and accessing our Buddha wisdom. 

"A bronze mirror will reflect the form of a person but it will not reflect that person’s mind. The Lotus Sutra, however, reveals not only the person’s form but that person’s mind as well.  And it reveals not only the mind, it reflects, without the least concealment, that person’s past actions and future as well”   (Rulers of the Land of the Gods, WND2 – 619)

Despite all of this evidence from the Gosho though, some schools of Nichiren Buddhism still worship statues of the Buddha instead of a mandala or have both the Gohonzon and a statue of Buddha as their objects of worship.

With so many Gohonzon to choose from – there are 125 official Nichiren ones in existence as well as those inscribed by the priests of various schools - which one will give us the best benefit.  Is it the Dai-Gohonzon of Nichiren Shoshu?

In an article about the Dai-Gohonzon, Ted Morino, the SGI-USA Study Department Senor Advisor writes “What is most important is the power of our faith and practice, which enables us to tap the power of the Buddha and the Law in the Dai-Gohonzon and in all other Gohonzon, and within ourselves.”

He also quotes Daisaku Ikeda as saying “The Gohonzon enshrined at our home carries the same significance as the Dai-Gohonzon” and Mr. Morino continues “Since the Dai-Gohonzon is made of wood, its physical longevity is naturally limited. But the essence of the Dai-Gohonzon, the Law, will never perish because it inherently exists in the universe and within each of us.”

Returning to the Gosho, in The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon, Nichiren writes “Never seek this Gohonzon outside yourself. The Gohonzon exists only within the mortal flesh of us ordinary people who embrace the Lotus Sutra and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.” (WND1 – p832)

All of this implies to me that it is your faith in the Lotus Sutra, your practise of Nichiren Buddhism and your daimoku of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo (which is the actual “object” of devotion), that is more important than which version of the Gohonzon you have chosen to “observe your mind”. 

If anything, the only significance of your specific Gohonzon, is that it identifies which school of Nichiren Buddhism you belong to.  Some people argue online that their Gohonzon is more beautiful or more complete than that of another school, but again if all Gohonzon are embodiments of the daimoku of the Lotus Sutra, you are comparing the beauty and completeness of the same object, and implying that Nichiren’s decision to include, or not include, certain characters or the less symmetrical nature of some of his Gohonzon are reflections of his attitude to his followers.  As a Nichiren Buddhist I would be honoured to receive a Gohonzon from the Daishonin, even one that had bits “missed off” and it would be a great treasure irrespective of its aesthetic beauty.

BONUS – I’ve put links below for a website which has images of the 125 different mandala that Nichiren inscribed and also a youtube link which has the same mandala displayed as a video and it contains the chanting of “Namu-Myoho-Renge-Kyo”.

WARNING - Some of you may not want to check out this webpage or youtube video as they contain images of the Gohonzon, which some members and schools consider to be bad luck.  Personally, I have no problem with it and think it’s interesting from a historical point of view to look at the history of Nichiren’s embodiment of the Lotus Sutra over time.  Similarly, the youtube video was put on by a Nichiren Shu member and you may feel uncomfortable listening to their members chanting “namu” if you are used to chanting “nam”.  Again, for me watching and listening to this video is interesting from a study point of view, and I don’t feel it constitutes a change of faith.  If you do listen and prefer the sound of this chanting though, feel free to find out more about them (or Kempon Hokke another “namu” school) online.

Here are the links if you’re still interested:

The images: http://nichirenscoffeehouse.net/GohonzonShu/001.html

The youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB3fTV74yco

On 30th August, the next post in this series looked at specific criticisms of the SGI such as commemorative days, politics and multi-faith initiatives:  http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/34-s-g-why.html