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

Sansho Shima

(Taken from SGI Quarterly: April 2010: http://www.sgiquarterly.org/buddhism2010Apr-1.html)

The Three Obstacles and Four Devils

Changing ourselves can be hard work. Anyone who has tried to stick to a New Year's resolution knows that a decision to change even a simple aspect of their behavior for the better usually entails a determined struggle. Our lives seem to contain an innate resistance to change that is at least as strong as our desire to improve ourselves.

In Buddhism, such resistance is characterized as "obstacles" and "devilish functions," which are a natural part of the dynamic workings of our lives.

The most profound positive transformation that human beings can undertake is encapsulated by the idea of "attaining Buddhahood." This could be described as the process of expanding one's capacity for compassion and making concern for the happiness of all people the core of one's life--a challenge in terms of action as well as intention and awareness. The difficulties that confront a person progressing in this effort are described in the Nirvana Sutra as "the three obstacles and four devils." The description of these obstacles and devils includes such things as karma and obstructions arising from greed, anger and foolishness. More broadly, they are the various kinds of difficulties that accompany any effort to bring about transformation.

In his writings, Nichiren (1222-82) quotes the great Chinese Buddhist scholar T'ien-t'ai (538-97) who developed a system of meditation, described in his work Great Concentration and Insight, to enable practitioners to perceive the true essence of life and attain Buddhahood. T'ien-t'ai writes, "As practice progresses and understanding grows, the three obstacles and four devils emerge in confusing form, vying with one another to interfere . . . one should be neither influenced nor frightened by them."

For T'ien-t'ai, these obstacles and devils were internal obstructions and distractions arising in the mind of practitioners as their Buddhist practice developed. For Nichiren, whose adult life was a continuous series of persecutions and confrontations with the repressive social structures of his time, these obstructions were concretely manifest in the very real opposition he and his disciples experienced on account of their beliefs.

Whether they appear externally or internally, these obstacles arise from the same source, what in Buddhism is termed "fundamental darkness." This is a fundamental ignorance of the true enlightened nature of our lives, and is the source of all illusion and misery in the lives of human beings. It can manifest as dark, destructive impulses in ourselves or others or as an insidious pull toward feelings of complacency, discouragement, temptation or intimidation.

Nichiren, however, takes a positive view of the obstacles and devils, saying that when they appear, "the wise will rejoice while the foolish will retreat." This is because it is precisely by squarely confronting and triumphing over such negative functions that we are able to develop our lives, polish our character and ultimately manifest our enlightenment.

Life, in this sense, could be thought of as an ongoing process of striving for development, overcoming resistance and experiencing growth. Two qualities that are vital to this process are wisdom and courage--wisdom both to self-reflect and to recognize negative functions for what they are and not be influenced by them; courage to confront and not be defeated by these influences.

"There is no easy path to the realization of good," writes SGI President Ikeda in his 2010 Peace Proposal. "We have no choice but to root ourselves firmly in reality, deliberately taking on difficult challenges, ceaselessly training and forging ourselves in the smelting furnace of the soul." In this process of overcoming obstacles and devilish functions, we become, as he describes elsewhere, "protagonists of a 'story' of inner victory forged in the depths of [our] lives." This is a goal at the very heart of Buddhism.

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

Guidelines For Propagation

In “Nembutsu Practitioners Destined For Hell”, Nichiren writes “… those who hope to spread the teachings of the Buddha must take into consideration certain factors, namely, the teaching to be spread, the capacity of the people, the time, the country, and the sequence in which the teachings are propagated.”  (WND-2, p297)

These five factors are also referred to as the five guides and explain the things we need to think about when telling others about Nichiren Buddhism and the Lotus Sutra.

The first consideration is the correctness of the teachings, and the fact that according to Shakyamuni himself, he waited until the people were ready to hear his complete and supreme understanding of the realities of life and death in the Lotus Sutra.  Even in the Lotus Sutra he explains that it is a difficult teaching to hear, but until that time he led people to approximate understandings of this wisdom in the best way he could based on their capabilities.

This brings us to the second guideline we need to consider which is people’s ability to understand the teachings and, like Shakyamuni, we need to think about how we can best lead people to understand the wisdom of The Lotus Sutra.  Fortunately, along with studying the Lotus Sutra and the Gosho, Nichiren revealed that the way to achieve happiness in this lifetime was to chant "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo".  This is often our starting point when introducing people to the practice, but some people may be more open to the logical aspect of Nichiren Buddhism, such as the concepts of cause and effect, the ten worlds, etc.

The third factor is the time and recognizing that what had been taught in the past (the provisional teachings) has been replaced, or updated, by the eternal (the true teachings).  i.e. the Lotus Sutra surpassed and replaced the earlier teachings.  The earlier teachings may still be of interest from a historic point of view which allows us to see the progression in the Shakyamuni's teachings, and it may still give comfort to the followers who still practice such a way, but it is the true teachings detailing the philosophy and practice of the Lotus Sutra, which we should be propagating today.

In “Nembutsu and the Hell of Incessant Suffering”, Nichiren mentions that “The four volumes that make up [the Pure Land’s] three sutras do not in any way represent the true intention of Shakyamuni Buddha, nor do they represent the true reason for which the Buddhas of the three existences of past, present, and future make their appearance in the world. … They are, for example, like the scaffold that one erects when one is building a tower.  The Nembutsu is the scaffold, while the Lotus Sutra is the treasure tower. … Those who persistently cling to the Nembutsu after the Lotus Sutra has been preached are thus like persons who, after the tower has been erected, cling to the scaffold and make no use of the tower.  How could they fail to be guilty of going against the builder’s wishes?”  (WND-2, p25)

The fourth factor recognizes the historical and cultural situation that exists in the country where you are propagating, such as freedom of religion laws and other legislation which may affect shakubuku. 

And the fifth is an understanding of the kind of things that have already been propagated within the country so far, i.e. what is the current state of religion in that country?  What schools of Buddhism are people familiar with?  Do we need to radically change people’s idea of Buddhism as a contemplative solitary pursuit for enlightenment and show them that it can be a relevant philosophy and practise for the 21^st century and beyond?  Do we need to logically correct people’s attachments to an earlier Buddhist teaching and lead them to the Lotus Sutra?  Do we live in a country that is typically cynical of religion or one that embraces any and all religions?

 
When we propagate Nichiren Buddhism, we are like doctors prescribing the best medicine to enable people to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime with the glorious side effect of ensuring the peace of the land (and the world).  Concerning this point, Nichiren writes, “It is the rule in propagating Buddhism that one must always learn the nature of the teachings that have already spread.  To illustrate, when giving medicine to a sick person, one should know what kind of medicine was administered before.”  (Encouragement To A Sick Person, WND-1, p80)

New Year Resolutions

Persevering in our goals, working towards our dreams and resisting temptation until we achieve victory can be challenging. 

The best way to stay on track is to truly connect with your goal and to wholeheartedly want to make it a reality.  Ask yourself “Why EXACTLY do I want to achieve [whatever it is]?”, “How EXACTLY will my life, or the lives of others, improve when I achieve this goal?” and “How EXACTLY will I feel, when I’ve achieved it?”   

If you can become emotionally connected to these benefits and positive feelings it will be easier to keep steadily advancing towards your goal when you are tempted by short-term gains or immediate gratifications.  It may also be worthwhile breaking a very long-term goal into smaller steps, so that you can advance and track your progress as the weeks, months and, in some cases, years go by.  Even Shakyamuni knew he had to lead people to the supreme teaching of the Lotus Sutra by breaking the journey down into smaller more manageable steps that his followers could cope with.

By breaking bigger goals into smaller steps, emotionally connecting with the outcome, chanting and taking action based on our Buddha wisdom we should be able to overcome all temptations and realize that the hardships we face during this journey are a small price to pay for the great benefit of seeing actual proof in our lives.

If you do start to slide, or lose sight of your goal, though, don’t beat yourself up over it, but refocus your thoughts and try again.  Take heart from this recent encouragement from President Ikeda:

Some of you may have experienced setting yourself a target, but not being able to stick to it for long. I also understand this feeling well.
 
But even if you only manage to stick to something for a few days, that’s fine. When you challenge something even for three days, you’ll achieve three days’ worth of growth. You should feel good about yourself for having persevered in something for three days. There’s no need to feel bad about stopping after a few days; just keep starting over again. If you repeat that pattern 10 times, that makes a whole month!
 
Those who can keep refreshing their determination and trying again are most admirable. They are winners. The important thing is to continue challenging yourself with perseverance.  (from newsletter NL8689CE)

See also:

"The Same As Last Year" (from 1st January 2014)

"Happy New Year 2015"  (from 1st January 2015)

"Ready, Willing & Able"  (from May 2012)

What is Kosen Rufu?

Now I Entrust It To You

I used to have a very vague idea of what kosen-rufu was and just had some image of world peace. During kosen-rufu gongyo (an hour of daimoku for “kosen rufu” on the first Sunday of the month in the UK) I would chant "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" and think about politicians hugging or people of all different nations holding hands in a circle and kids playing without a care in the world.

 

2011 was a terrible year for news and many people were being blown all over the place between Hell and Rapture in response to the news and events around the world on a nightly basis. The riots across London in August made people feel that life just didn’t seem worth living. They thought what the hell is going on. And at times, even I wondered if the SGI really could make a difference in people’s lives and deal with problems on this scale?

 

A few days later the broom brigade came out. People had gathered together through an internet campaign to clean up the streets. Life seemed much brighter and people started to feel more hopefully about the future. They realized, as did I. that people could make a difference within their communities. We can pick up a broom. We can volunteer to help with various causes. We can make donations to relief funds and charities. All of these activities can make a difference in our communities and make us feel better, but they are often short term fixes. We need long-term solutions to the problems in our communities and around the world. It was then that I really started thinking about the importance of kosen-rufu. I had a look online and found this quote by President Ikeda:

 

“For the members of the SGI, kosen-rufu means the ceaseless effort to enhance the value of human dignity, to awaken all people to a sense of their limitless worth and potential.”

I know it’s impossible for me to awaken ALL people to their limitless worth and potential, but I can influence the people around me.

We all know the phrase charity begins at home and the same is true of kosen-rufu. Kosen-rufu begins with us. It’s the example we set in our lives. The way we shine in our families, workplaces, schools and communities. It’s treating the people around us with respect and relating to them as individuals who possess the same potential to reveal their Buddhahood that we do. We smile warmly at the people we meet, and say a few words of greeting to a neighbour. This shared humanity creates value in our communities. Other people start to feel good about themselves and this good feeling will spread through the lives of the people they come into contact with as well.

People will pick up that we have something different about us. We seem to flow through life, riding the waves of the obstacles that come up. It doesn’t mean we don’t suffer at the break up of a relationship, the death of a loved one, being made redundant, etc. Everyone experiences loss in their lives, but it’s the positive way we deal with it and the growth in our personal development and faith that makes us shine.

 

In Chapter 22 of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni says “Now I entrust it to you. You must accept, uphold, recite and broadly propagate this Law”. Joining the SGI and receiving our Gohonzon is like getting married and it’s a lifetime, eternal commitment. By receiving our Gohonzon we are promising to accept, uphold, recite and broadly propagate the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra in accordance with the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin to fulfil our vows as Votaries of the Lotus Sutra. We are committing our lives to the Mystic Law, our individual human revolution, shakubuku and kosen rufu.

 

KOSEN RUFU = HUMAN REVOLUTION + SHAKUBUKU

Kosen rufu needs both of these. There’s no point improving ourselves if we don’t also tell other people how to tap into the unlimited potential in their own lives. It doesn’t matter how good the teaching is, if we decide to keep it to ourselves. Similarly, there’s no point in telling others about our faith if we all decide to accept our own fundamental darkness and flaws, settling for anything less than being the best we can be. We need to work on our own weaknesses to become outstanding members of society and teach people about Nichiren Buddhism while we are doing it.

Changing Society One Person At A Time

How do societies change? They change because people change. As people change they change the way they vote, the way they relate to others and the things that are important to them. John F Kennedy said, “Our problems are manmade – therefore, they can be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants.”

 

Our mission as Bodhisattvas of the Earth is to rise up and help ourselves, and other people, to be as big as they want to be. To help them awaken their fundamental enlightenment, improving their lives and leading them to a state of absolute happiness. And then to join us in our mission to spread the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Buddhism far and wide.

You don’t need to be scared of talking to others. Just do your best to teach them about the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra and how to achieve happiness in their lives. If people are encouraged to embrace the faith straight away that’s great. But, even if they don’t, what’s important is that you have stirred up their life. You have spoken to their Buddha nature and planted a seed of compassionate wisdom and absolute joy in their lives. When they are ready for it to grow, it will be there waiting. They may not appreciate it at the time, but talking to them about Buddhism will be the greatest gift they will ever receive.

To be honest, we have no idea how far-reaching our words could be. President Ikeda was invited to his first meeting by an old school friend. I don’t know where that school friend is today, but we can clearly see the effects of his shakubuku on our organisation. All of President Ikeda’s achievements over the last 60 years came about because a friend invited him to a discussion meeting. When we talk to our friends and invite them to our meetings we have no idea how far this invitation could take them personally or to what extent it could benefit society.

2012 has had its share of positive news, such as the London Olympics and the Queen's Jubilee, but there has also been a fair share of negative news as well -floods, hurricanes, corporate tax evasion, predatory paedophiles, a new war bubbling under in the Middle East, etc. As depressing as these news stories can be, as Nichiren Buddhists we are filled with hope.

This practise is not about having no reaction to bad news and disasters, it’s about dealing with those emotions in the higher life states of learning, realization, bodhisattva and Buddhahood. It’s about focussing our emotions on taking action and bringing about real lasting results in society by changing one person at a time.

 

WE CAN DO THAT. WE CAN TALK TO ONE PERSON. AND THEN WE CAN TALK TO ANOTHER. AND ANOTHER …

 

We are not helpless. Kosen-rufu is about knowing we can do something. We can talk to people about our faith. We can change people’s attitudes, one by one. Together, we can change our communities. We can change our cities. We can change our country. We can change the world.

Kosen-rufu is going on right now. It’s not a state of world peace in a hundred years time. It’s not some fuzzy image of people all over the world holding hands or politicians hugging. It’s the clear, bright flow of Shakyamuni’s wisdom (as revealed in the Lotus Sutra) in our lives today. Kosen-rufu IS the life-force of Nichiren Buddhism.

 

“Kosen-rufu is not merely a campaign for expanding the membership of the Soka Gakkai. It is the process whereby people who have changed their own lives through human revolution, influence their families, their local community and ultimately the nation. … Soka Gakkai members who have revolutionised their own lives, will display their abilities in their daily activities creating great waves. The waves will gradually form a new tide surging towards the next century contributing greatly to the eventual change in the destiny of all humankind.”(The Human Revolution: Vol. 9, p120)

End of the World?

Based on Mayan calendar predications, some people believe that today is the end of the world, but according to Jesus Gomez, head of the Guatemalan Confederation of Mayan Priests, “There is no concept of apocalypse in the Mayan culture.”  December 21^st 2012 is not the end of the world, but the end of a 5,125 year cycle called the Long Count and they believe that a Mayan god, called Bolon Yukte, will return to earth to signal a new age. 

We can already see the beginnings of this new age.  People are tired of politicians lying about expenses, deceiving us with their speeches and scandals.  People are tired of companies like Starbucks and Google trying to evade paying tax.  People have had enough of bankers and other financial institutes gambling with money, being bailed out by the government and still rewarding themselves with huge bonuses.  People are getting tired of greed, ignorance and selfishness.

People are ready for change and they are looking for new solutions to the suffering and inequality in their communities.  The Soka Gakkai International is on the threshold of great growth in many countries all around the world.  The U.K. is seeing a great increase in new members at the moment and as we become more noticeable, people will start to see that there is hope for the future.  There are statesmen and leaders who care about all humanity and are not just looking out for their own selfish interests.  We are those statesmen and leaders.  We can lead the people to a new world.  A world on our doorsteps filled with compassion and hope for the next 10,000 years.

The world is not ending, it’s only just beginning and Nichiren Buddhism holds the answers that people are looking for. 

Want to know more about the Soka Gakkai International?  Check out my first post http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/our-shared-humanity.html for an introduction to Nichiren Buddhism and any of my other posts for further information.

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.

Nichiren's Successors

After Nichiren Daishonin died in 1282, his six senior priests and one of his disciples started their own schools of Buddhism teaching Nichiren Buddhism as they saw it.

The five main schools were:

The Fuji School established by Nikko Shonin

The Minobu School established by Niko Shonin

The Hama School established by Nissho Shonin

The Ikegami School established by Nichiro Shonin and Nitcho Shonin (who 20 years later joined Nikko Shonin’s Fuji School)

Nichiji Shonin also established a school, but after he moved to Asia his school is thought to have died out.

Another school, The Nakayama School, was started by Toki Jonin (one of Nichiren’s disciples)

Nikko Shonin, founder of Nichiren Shoshu, is the legitimate successor of Nichiren Daishonin, although the other schools dispute this and claim Nichiren left his teachings to all of them equally.

In the late 1950s, the four remaining schools (Minobu, Hama, Ikegami and Nakayama) merged together, changed their name to Nichiren Shu (Nichiren School) and established their head temple at Mt. Minobu.  They chant “NAMU Myoho Renge Kyo” instead of “NAM Myoho Renge Kyo” and still believe the object of worship can be a Gohonzon, an inscription of "Namu-myoho-renge-kyo", statues of Shakyamuni Buddha and statues of the four Bodhisattvas of the Earth.  Nichiren Shu claim that Nichiren’s ashes are still entombed at Mt. Minobu, but Nikko Shonin is supposed to have taken these with him to Taiseki-ji when he left.

One of the other older schools of Nichiren Buddhism is Kempon Hokke Shu (literally The Lotus Sutra Revealing The Original Buddha School).  It doesn’t have a direct lineage to Nichiren Daishonin, but was founded in 1384 by Nichiju.  Nichiju (often referred to as the Master) was part of the Tendai school but after being introduced to, and studying, Nichiren’s teachings decided to become a follower of Hokke (the Lotus Sutra).  He believed that the existing schools of Nichiren Buddhism had deviated from Nichiren’s true teachings and established Myomanji-ha, which later changed its name to Kempon Hokke.  Like Nichiren Shu, they chant "NAMU Myoho Renge Kyo" but their object of devotion is, like Nichiren Shoshu,  exclusively the Gohonzon.  Their main text is the Lotus Sutra which is supported by the writings of Nichiren Daishonin that they consider authentic. 

 

The two major schools of Nichiren Buddhism today are Nichiren Shoshu and Nichiren Shu and, apart from Kempon Hokke, all of the other Nichiren Buddhist schools generally come from lay organisations or spin-offs of these two groups from the 1930s onwards.   The Soka Gakkai is a lay organisation of the Nichiren Shoshu / Fuji School of Buddhism and we believe, as do all of the other schools, that we are correctly following the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin.  (See also http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/the-single-truth.html  )

Josei Toda Speech

The rapid growth of the Soka Gakkai in the 1950s led to a plan for the construction of new temples across Japan so that members could receive Gohonzon and develop a connection with the priesthood in their local areas. The first of these temples to be completed and have a Gohonzon enshrining ceremony was Myosho-ji on 10 November 1954. This was followed by Myoke-ji Temple completed on 17 November and Shomyo-ji Temple on 15 December. Here is an extract from Josei Toda's speech on 15 December 1954 at Shomyo-ji.



You can see that from 2:10 to 2:15 there is a message to SGI members to return to Nichiren Shoshu. This is followed by images from Taiseki-ji including the interior of the building where the Dai-Gohonzon is enshrined. A building that replaced the one donated by the Soka Gakkai that was controversially demolished by High Priest Nikken.

The NST often uses President Toda's speeches to highlight the close relationship that existed between the Soka Gakkai and the priesthood, but during the 1950s the relationship between the two was generally okay. It was only when the priesthood started to deviate from the teachings of respect and equality found in the Gosho that President Ikeda challenged these beliefs leading to the excommunication of the SGI. I'm sure if they were alive, neither Tsunesaburo Makiguchi nor Josei Toda would have tolerated this behaviour either.

History of the Soka Gakkai

Today is the foundation day of the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai (Society for Educational Value-Creating) which was formed on 18 November 1930 by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and Josei Toda who had been practising Nichiren Buddhism for two years.   

Both President Makiguchi and Josei Toda were not prepared to compromise their faith, and were among only a few Nichiren Buddhists across Japan that refused to enshrine a Shinto talisman with their Gohonzon during World War II.  This, together with President Makiguchi’s open criticism of the military authorities' restrictions on Buddhist practice at that time, led to their arrest and imprisonment.  Mr. Makiguchi later died in prison on the 18 November 1944.

Josei Toda left prison on probation in 1945 and although he was suffering physically, his faith and spirit remained strong allowing him to oversee the growth of the Soka Gakkai across Japan. 

Ten Worlds - You Got This

This is a short 4 minute film by a motivational speaker called Sean Stephenson who has a genetic disorder called osteogenesis imperfecta, which is more commonly known as "brittle bone disease". I don’t know if he is a Buddhist but this video, written and starring him, is a nice introduction to some of the life states from the Ten Worlds.






And if you are interested, here is a bit more information about Sean.

Universal Worthy Sutra

At the end of the Lotus Sutra is a Bonus chapter which ties everything together and tells you how to awaken your Buddha nature called “Sutra on How to Practice Meditation on Bodhisattva Universal Worthy”.  Here are some extracts from it in BOLD.

It begins with three monks, Ananda, Mahakashyapa and Maitreya asking the Buddha how they can achieve this enlightenment …

“World-Honored One, after the thus come one has entered extinction, how can living beings nurture the bodhisattva mind, practise the great vehicle broad and impartial sutra, and employ correct thoughts in pondering the realm of the single truth?  How can they be certain of attaining the mind of unsurpassed enlightenment? 

… in their everyday lives as ordinary people with desires and obstacles to overcome.

How, without cutting off earthly desires or separating themselves from the five desires, can they purify their senses and wipe away their offenses?  How, with the pure everyday eyes they received from their fathers and mothers at birth, and without cutting off the five desires, will they be able to see what lies beyond obstacles?”

Shakyamuni tells them to listen carefully and explains that at Eagle Peak and other places he has given lots of explanations

The Buddha said to Ananda: “Listen with attention, listen with attention and consider the matter carefully.  In the past I, the thus come one on Mount Gridhrakuta and in other places, have already widely explained in detail the way of the single truth. 

But now he will explain the method for the benefit of everyone in the future

Now in this place, for the sake of living beings of ages to come who wish to practise the unsurpassed Law of the great vehicle, and who wish to study the practice of Universal Worthy and to carry out Universal Worthy’s practice, I will now explain the method that you should hold in mind. 

It doesn’t matter if you have awoken to your own Buddha nature before or not, but if you do what I suggest you can reduce the effects of negative karma and will see your Buddha nature (and the Buddha nature of others)

Whether you have already seen Universal Worthy or have not seen him, I will now explain for you the steps to be observed in order to reduce the number of your offenses. … The benefits of this meditation remove obstacles and impediments so they can see the finest, the most wonderful forms.

You should repent for your past actions, study the Lotus Sutra, and respect others who respect the Lotus Sutra.  You should see everyone as a buddha and recognize that we are all one family.

“…he should pay obeisance to the buddhas of the ten directions, practice the method of repentance, read the great vehicle sutra, recite the great vehicle sutra, ponder the meaning of the great vehicle, keep in mind the concerns of the great vehicle, and reverently offer alms to those who uphold the great vehicle.  He should view all people with the thought that they are buddhas, and all living beings with the thought that they are his father and mother.”

How can we repent?  We just need to chant "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" and we will awaken our Buddhahood and overcome all of our negative karma.

The Buddha said to Ananda, “After the Buddha has passed into extinction, if the disciples of the Buddha wish to repent their evil and undesirable acts, they should simply recite and read the great vehicle sutra.  … If a person recites and reads the great vehicle broad and impartial sutra, one should know that such a person is endowed with a buddha’s benefits.  All his evils wiped out forever, he is born from the Buddha wisdom.”

Shakyamuni is now going to explain how to change our karma / fundamental darkness in different ways.

At that time the world-honored one spoke in verse form, saying:

We need to purify our eyes, to see the truth of the way the world works, to see our true nature and to appreciate the beauty around us.  We do this by chanting "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo".

If there are evils in the eye organ,

If karma impedes the eye and the eye is impure

Simply recite the great vehicle,

Keep in thoughts the highest principle.

This is called repentance of the eye,

Which wipes out all undesirable acts.

We need to purify our ears, to clearly hear and perceive the lies or deceit of others, and to recognise the inner voice inside of us that tries to deceive us. We do this by chanting "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" and reflecting on the true nature of phenomena.

If the ear organ hears confused sounds

This will injure and confuse the principle of harmony.

From this arises madness of the mind

And one will behave like a foolish monkey.

One should constantly recite the great vehicle,

Meditate on how phenomena are empty and without aspect,

Wipe out all evils forever,

And with heavenly ears listen to the ten directions.

A little bit strange this one, but we need to purify our nose so that it doesn’t deceive us or lead us astray in pursuit of things that seem sweet, but distract us from our mission.  We do this by chanting "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo".

 If the nose organ is attached to fragrant scents,

Their stain will give rise to sensations.

When the nose is maddened and deranged in this manner,

The stain of it will produce various kinds of dust.

But if one recites the great vehicle sutra

And meditates on the truth of phenomena,

One will be released from all evil karma forever

And in future existences will produce it no more.

This is another of the big ones.  We need to purify our tongue so that it doesn’t lead us astray with gossip, rumours, slander, etc.  Funnily enough, this one doesn’t require us to chant "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo"!!  We just need to speak positively with compassion, tranquillity and without discrimination.

The tongue organ gives rise to the undesirable acts

Of the five types of evil speaking.

If one wishes to control and tame it,

One must diligently practise pity and compassion.

Ponder the principle of the true tranquillity of phenomena,

Do away with discriminatory conceptions.

We need to calm our minds, especially when they are troubled with doubts, concerns, or mischievous thoughts.  We do this by chanting "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" and focussing on the Buddha’s body.

The mind organ is like a monkey,

Never still for an instant.

If one wishes to master and subdue it,

One must diligently recite the great vehicle.

Keep in mind the Buddha’s great enlightenment body,

All the power and fearlessness he has won.

Our lives and mind are changeable and easily influenced

The body, this master of motions,

Is blown about like dust in the wind.

The six thieves sport and play with it,

Free from all hindrance or restraint.

To erase this fundamental darkness and create a state of Buddhahood, chant "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo".

If one wishes to wipe out these evils

And be free forever from the burden of their dust,

To dwell constantly in the citadel of nirvana

Peaceful in mind, calm and placid,

Then recite the great vehicle sutra,

Keep in mind the mother of bodhisattvas.

When we chant and reflect on the Mystic Law we can see where our negative karma has come from.

Immeasurable numbers of excellent expedient means

Arise from pondering the true aspect.

Phenomena such as these six

Are called the six sense organs.

All the entire sea of karmic impediments

Is born from deluded thoughts.

To expediate negative karma, sit and chant "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo"  

If one wishes to carry out repentance,

Sit upright and ponder the true aspect.

Then the host of sins, like frost or dew, can be wiped out by the sun of wisdom.

Therefore with the utmost power of one’s mind

One must carry out this repentance of the six sense organs.

Now you know what to do, do it and teach others to do it.

When the Buddha had finished speaking these verses, he said to Ananda: “Now you must take this repentance of the six sense organs and the method for meditation on Bodhisattva Universal Worthy and, observing the proper distinctions, preach them far and wide to all the heavenly and human beings of the ten directions everywhere.

All extracts are taken from pages 369 – 396 of Burton Watson’s “The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras”