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
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 2nd
President and said he would achieve 750,000 families before his death
– which occurred), mentor-disciple day, etc.
– 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)
Come back tomorrow for a look at the differences between the Gosho (http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/44-write-stuff.html)
Nice post thanks for shariing
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