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 Fourteen Slanders

In reply to a letter from one of his followers about whether ordinary people can receive the same benefits as a priest by chanting daimoku, Nichiren Daishonin replies that they can, and that the only way you would reduce any benefit from chanting (as a priest or an ordinary person) would be if you acted against the intent of the Lotus Sutra.  He then lists the fourteen ways that people do this (through our attitude to ourselves and the Lotus Sutra - causes 1 to 10 - and through our attitude towards people who follow the Lotus Sutra - causes 11 to 14:

“There are fourteen evil causes: (1) arrogance, (2) negligence, (3) wrong views of the self, (4) shallow understanding, (5) attachment to earthly desires, (6) not understanding, (7) not believing, (8) scowling with knitted brows, (9) harboring doubts, (10) slandering [the Law], (11) despising, (12) hating, (13) envying, and (14) bearing grudges.” (The Fourteen Slanders, WND-1, p756)

In Chapter 28 of the Lotus Sutra (“Bodhisattva Universal Worthy”), it says that anyone who tries to expose the faults or evils of someone who accepts and upholds the Lotus Sutra, whether what they are saying is true or not, will suffer themselves!!!  So how can we deal with people that have these “faults or evils”? 

Satoru Izumi, a former vice-president of the Soka Gakkai, asked Mr. Makiguchi about this and he explained  “It all comes down to whether or not you have compassion.  If you point out another member’s errors out of a genuine desire to help him correct them, you are doing good.  On the other hand, if you do so only to criticize or disparage him, then even if what you say is true, you are doing wrong.” (Guidelines of Faith, p66)

“Take these teachings to heart, and always remember that believers in the Lotus Sutra should absolutely be the last to abuse one another."  (WND-1, p756)

For the Sake of Peace

In the Gosho, “On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land”, Nichiren Daishonin advises us: “If you care anything about your personal security, you should first of all pray for order and tranquillity throughout the four quarters of the land, should you not?”  (WND-1, p24)

Life in thirteenth century Japan was a time of great social and political turmoil and after seeing the suffering of the nation, Nichiren Daishonin believed that it was due to the ruling government following an incorrect religion.  He dedicated himself to studying with the various schools of Buddhism and realized that the Lotus Sutra held the key to not just personal transformation and enlightenment, but also had the potential to transform society. 

From that moment on, he devoted his life to spreading the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra, encouraging his followers and trying to persuade influential figures in the government to change their faith and offering them solutions to Japan’s problems based on Shakyamuni’s most profound teaching.

Times have changed, as have political and economic structures, but the SGI has continued this spirit of trying to overcome the problems facing the world through Buddhist wisdom.

On 17^th February 1952, at a panel discussion of the youth division, Toda stated “I am not on the side of communism or “Americanism”.  I uphold the idea of ‘global nationalism’ (The Human Revolution: Vol. 5, p224).  He used the phrase chikyu minzokushugi (‘global nationalism’) in a context which might more naturally be called “global citizenship” today.  President Ikeda explains this ideal, stating “[W]e must create through kosen-rufu an era when, as Josei Toda put it, the conventional views of the state will be replaced by global nationalism – the realization of all mankind sharing in a common destiny.”  (The Human Revolution: Vol. 5, p227)

A few years later on 8^th September 1957, President Toda gave a speech at another youth event in which he made a declaration for the abolition of nuclear weapons.  This declaration became the foundation for the future direction of the Soka Gakkai, as a Nichiren Buddhist peace movement committed to respecting the dignity of human life through faith and humanistic principles.   

The SGI continues to raise awareness on a range of issues through petitions, exhibitions such as “From A Culture of Violence to a Culture of Peace” (which can be seen here) and various publications and DVDs.  Between 1974 and 1985, Youth Division members collected together, and published, over 3,000 World War 2 experiences from victims of the war and the atomic bombs, and in 2005 the Women’s Peace Committee of the SGI made a DVD including the accounts of 31 female war survivors.

In addition, President Ikeda has maintained the momentum of this declaration through his annual peace proposals, dialogues with various world leaders, academics and philosophers, and other initiatives and sister organisations, such as the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research (see http://www.toda.org/).
 

Some of the early world issues that President Ikeda spoke out about were the immediate ceasefire in the Vietnam War (in 1966) and for improved diplomatic relations between Japan and China in 1968, but it wasn’t until 1983 that he started to write his annual Peace Proposals which are distributed to UN officials and NGOs (non-governmental organisations).  There have now been 31 of theses yearly proposals and in an article in The Seikyo Shimbun on 30 January 2007, Majid Tehranian, a former director of the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research, wrote:

“Each proposal which Daisaku Ikeda has sent to the world since 1983 has been impressive.  These proposals clearly express Mr. Ikeda’s passion for peace, reconciliation and co-operation in the world.  They arise from Buddhist humanism.  From that starting point, the vision for world peace calls for commitment from us as global citizens.  The proposals fall in the fields of disarmament, security and global governance.  Mr. Ikeda has conducted dialogue on a global scale.”

But have President Ikeda’s peace proposals made a difference, or do they just find their way into the nearest wastebasket?   The following table (taken from an article in The Art of Living in January 2008) lists just some of the initiatives recommended by President Ikeda and the subsequent responses.

YEAR	PROPOSAL	RESPONSE
1985	Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty	Adopted in 1996
1988	Global Citizens Charter	Earth Charter finalized in 2000
1993	Control on Arms Exports	Will start discussion in 2006
1994	NE Asia Peace Conference involving Six Countries	First Six-Party talks held in 2003
1995	International Criminal Court	Created in 2003
1997	Landmine Ban Treaty	Came into effect in 1999
1999	Ban the Use of Child Soldiers	Protocol came into effect in 2002
2000	World Solidarity Foundation to fight poverty	Agreement to establish in 2002
2002	Treaty to Deal with Nuclear Terrorism	Adopted in 2005
2004	UN Peace Building Committee	First meeting in 2006

 

In 1987 President Ikeda also made a proposal for a “UN Decade of Education for Global Citizenship” especially stressing the need for education in the fields of environment, development, peace and human rights.  Since then the UN has instituted the UN Decade for Human Rights Education (1995 to 2004), the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001 to 2010) and the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005 to 2014).

At the heart of all of these proposals is the need to establish dialogue between people and nations to encourage peaceful cooperation.  President Ikeda is now in his eighties but he continues to work at establishing “tranquillity throughout the four quarters of the [world]” and contributing to the happiness of humanity through his thoughts, words and deeds.

"Bridges towards an indestructible peace for humankind can only be built by fostering people and by forging strong ties between them, their hearts and minds. And that process is, by its very nature, a gradual, grassroots effort. We cannot expect quick results. We must be committed to it for the long term."   (Daisaku Ikeda)

Check out this year’s proposal (and previous ones) at http://www.sgi.org/sgi-president/proposals.html

GR - ATTITUDE

One of the greatest attitudes we can have as Nichiren Buddhists is gratitude:  gratitude to Nichiren Daishonin, gratitude to the Gohonzon, gratitude to our practice and "Gratitude no matter what!".

Enjoy What There Is To Enjoy

Many people give praise to the Gohonzon if they are involved in a serious accident and only sustain slight injuries, but if they return home from an uneventful day at work safe and sound will complain “Nothing good happened today”.  Similarly, a quick recovery from an illness is seen as a benefit, whereas a long period of good health is barely noticed. 

It seems that some of us only thank the Gohonzon if we are involved in an accident, become sick or overcome another difficulty, when surely the greater benefit, and the thing we should be most grateful for, is to not encounter any of these misfortunes at all.

Suffer What There Is To Suffer

In the postscript to the Gosho “On Polished Wheat”, Nichiren encourages Nanjo Tokimitsu to have a positive attitude to his troubles: “Whatever happens… you must not despair. … If things should not go as you wish … then determine to be more contented than ever.”  (WND-2, p576) 

Can we really be grateful if the worst happens?  I think we can.  Rather than blaming ourselves or others if things don’t turn out as we’d like or if we face obstacles, we should embrace the situation and focus on “What can I do to make the most of this opportunity?” or “How can I turn this poison into medicine?”  We don’t necessarily need to have the answer at that moment.  We just need to chant "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" as “earnestly as though to produce fire from damp wood” (WND-1, p444) and take action based on our Buddha wisdom.

Winning in our lives, through our faith in Nichiren Buddhism, is not the absence of problems, but being happy and hopeful despite them.  If we can engrave an attitude of “Gratitude no matter what” in our hearts, and chant with a determination to find the benefit in any situation, we can achieve the same high life state, and enjoy the same absolute happiness, that Nichiren Daishonin did.

A Beneficial Practice

The following explanation of the benefits of Nichiren Buddhism comes from chapter 15 - "Why Do We Chant Every Day?" - of President Ikeda's book "Discussions of Youth": Sometimes our immediate prayers are realized, and sometimes they aren't. … Buddhism accords with reason. Our faith is reflected in our daily life, in our actual circumstances. Our prayers cannot be answered if we fail to make efforts appropriate to our situation.


In Nichiren Buddhism, it is said that no prayer goes unanswered. But this is very different from having every wish instantly gratified, as if by magic. If you chant to win in the lottery tomorrow, or to score 100 percent on a test tomorrow without having studied, the odds are very small that it will happen.  Nonetheless, viewed from a deeper, longer-term perspective, all your prayers serve to propel you in the direction of happiness.

Furthermore, it takes a great deal of time and effort to overcome sufferings of a karmic nature, whose roots lie deep in causes made in the past. There is a big difference, for example, in the time it takes for a scratch to heal and that required to recover from a serious internal disease. Some illnesses can be treated with medication, while others require surgery. The same applies to changing our karma through faith and practice. In addition, each person's level of faith and individual karma differ. By chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, however, we can bring forth from within a powerful sense of hope and move our lives in a positive, beneficial direction. …

It’s unrealistic to think that we can achieve everything overnight. If we were to have every prayer answered instantly, it would lead to our ruin. We'd grow lazy and complacent. …

Suppose that rather than working, you spend all your money playing and are now destitute. Do you think someone giving you a large sum of money would contribute to your happiness in the long run?  … It would be like making superficial repairs to a crumbling building, without addressing the root problem.  Only by first rebuilding the foundation can we build something solid upon it. Faith enables us to transform not only our day-to-day problems, but our lives at their very foundation. Through our Buddhist practice, we can develop a strong inner core and a solid and inexhaustible reservoir of good fortune.

There are two kinds of benefit that derive from faith in the Gohonzon: conspicuous and inconspicuous. Conspicuous benefit is the obvious, visible benefit of being protected or being quickly able to surmount a problem when it arises - be it an illness or a conflict in personal relationships. Inconspicuous benefit, on the other hand, is less tangible. It is good fortune accumulated slowly but steadily, like the growth of a tree or the rising of the tide, which results in the forging of a rich and expansive state of life. We might not discern any change from day to day, but as the years pass, it will be clear that we've become happy, that we've grown as individuals. This is inconspicuous benefit.

When you chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo , you will definitely gain the best result, regardless of whether that benefit is conspicuous or inconspicuous. … No matter what happens, the important thing is to continue chanting. If you do so, you'll definitely become happy. Even if things don’t work out the way you hoped or imagined, when you look back later, you'll understand on a much more profound level that it was the best possible result. This is tremendous inconspicuous benefit.

The true benefits of Nichiren Buddhism are of a lasting and inconspicuous nature that accrues in the depths of your life.  Conspicuous benefit, for instance, might allow you to eat your fill today, but leave you worrying about your next meal. As an example of Inconspicuous benefit, on the other hand, you may have only a meager meal today, but you are steadily developing a life where you will never have to worry about having enough to eat. The latter is a far more attractive prospect, I think. … The more we exert ourselves in faith, the greater the benefit we experience.

(taken from "Discussions on Youth", p225 – 228)

How To Read the Gosho

Where should I start?

In “The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin” the letters and essays are arranged in chronological order, so you could start at the beginning and work your way through.  Or, you could jump to the ten letters that Nikko Shonin, his successor, felt contained the core teachings and wisdom of Nichiren’s writings.  (see http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/ten-major-writings.html)

 

Also, if you don’t have a copy of the Gosho yourself, you can read it online here: 

http://www.sgilibrary.org/writings.php

 

Read It! 

At the back of each Gosho is some background information to get a flavour of when it was written and who it was written to.  Read this to set the tone of the letter.  If you need further information on the person it was written to, look them up in the dictionary of Buddhism:  http://www.sgilibrary.org/dict.html

·         Enjoy reading through the Gosho (or a section of the Gosho)

·         Check the footnotes for explanations of unfamiliar terms.

Look for the following:

·         What is the theme of this Gosho?

·         What are the key points of the Gosho?

·         What lessons instantly jump out at you?

·         Is it offering guidance, support, a warning?

 

Understand It!

“The Opening of the Eyes” was written during his exile on Sado Island under hostile weather conditions and with limited supplies, Nichiren managed to write a 158 page letter!  He must have really wanted to pass on these words to his followers.

·         Re-read the background information. 

·         What was going on in Nichiren’s life at that time? 

·         Where was he? 

·         Who is he writing to? 

·         What’s going on in their lives?

 

Imagine Nichiren writing the Gosho as you read it again.

·         What is he trying to say to the reader?

·         What would the recipient be feeling as they read through it? 

·         What does Nichiren want you to learn from this letter?

·         Look for the heart of the letter.

·         How does this letter support other letters you’ve read? 

 

But also think about each paragraph as you read it.  Paper and other resources would have been difficult to get and expensive so Nichiren would have thought very carefully about every paragraph he included. 

·         Think carefully about each paragraph? 

·         What does he want to say to you in this paragraph?

 

Many of the Gosho contain imagery and analogies to explain difficult concepts.  i.e. In the Gosho “A Ship to Cross the Sea of Suffering” Nichiren writes “Listen with the ears of Shih K’uang and observe with the eyes of Li Lou” (WND-1, p33).  The footnote explains these are two characters from Chinese legends with unbelievable hearing and sight. 

·         When you come across these images and analogies, think about why Nichiren is using this example?

 

If you are struggling to understand the text or want further information:

·         Study it with other members

·         Read President Ikeda’s lecture on that Gosho (if there is one).

 

Use It!

These letters to his disciples or government leaders were written for a reason.  Nichiren wants us to learn something.  To deepen our understanding of something.  To do something.  To raise our awareness of something.  To warn us about something. 

·         How would I feel if this letter was personally addressed to me?

·         As a result of reading it, how will I improve my faith and practise?

·         What should I be doing?  How can I improve my behaviour?

·         What should I be thinking?  How will I improve my attitude?

·         What should I be aware of?  How should I protect myself?

 

Engrave It!

·         If there are parts of a Gosho that really stand out to you as important, read them out loud and really connect with these golden words.

·         Underline, highlight or write down some of these key phrases that inspire you.

·         Memorize these quotes. 

·         Engrave them in your heart. 

·         Make them available to be instantly recalled whenever you are facing obstacles or struggling in your practise, and need a boost. 

 

Live It!

The Gosho gives us an opportunity to learn about Nichiren Buddhism directly from Nichiren Daishonin.  As we read his writings, we can connect with his wisdom, his compassion and his Buddha nature.

BUT there is a big difference between reading the Gosho, and applying it to your life. 

Don’t just enjoy the philosophy and stories, but really connect with them.  Use the guidance of Nichiren Daishonin and apply it to your own life, deepening your faith, and advancing on a path of absolute happiness in this world. 

Don’t settle for a theory of life.  Nichiren Buddhism is daily life.  LIVE IT!

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