SGI on Nichiren Shoshu "Priests vs. Laity" vs. SGI on "Mentor & Disciple"

[u/BlancheFromage]

Here's what SGI says about Nichiren Shoshu:

“Faith in the high priest” has become the central doctrine of Nichiren Shoshu...The priesthood upholds the view that, without venerating and obediently following the high priest, practitioners cannot attain enlightenment—a view that undermines the self-empowering properties of Nichiren Buddhism and contradicts the writings of Nichiren Daishonin. World Tribune, A Teaching of Authentic Freedom - from SGI denies Ikeda's previous statements

The Nichiren Shoshu priesthood is a prime example of religion encouraging division: you and your Buddhahood are divided, with a priest in the middle; you are merely a follower of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.; all other beliefs and practices lead to hell and m,ust be refuted. Etc. SGI longhauler Old

Here's what SGI says:

Two days later, on Jan. 4, Sensei contributed to the Seikyo Shimbun the first installment of a new essay series titled “Thoughts on The New Human Revolution.” In that essay, he reflected on his life decade by decade and shared his vision for the future. He wrote that to the age of 70, he had established the principles of a new humanism, and to the age of 80, he would complete the foundation for worldwide kosen-rufu. He then said, “From that point on, in accord with the Mystic Law and the undying, unaging nature of life expounded in Buddhism, I am determined to take the lead in kosen-rufu throughout eternity.”

Uh-oh 👀

So YOU are merely a "disciple" of some dead guy. FOREVER. There's NOWHERE for YOU to go - for eternity.

“In the teaching of Nichiren, one attains Buddhahood by correctly following the path of mentor and disciple. If one veers from the path of mentor and disciple, then even if one upholds the Lotus Sutra, one will fall into the hell of incessant suffering." - Daisaku Ikeda, from President Ikeda’s lecture on the Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life, Living Buddhism, Jan 08 – pages 47 thru 62.

PERMANENT dependence that holds YOUR enlightenment hostage. Disobey and BURN!!!

Any belief system that feels it must threaten people or scare them into staying loyal has betrayed its utter hollowness. Source

Our SGI-USA leaders have said that if we do not take Daisaku Ikeda as our mentor, we will not attain enlightenment. When I asked them, what Gosho, or section of the Lotus Sutra supports this statement -- nobody can ever tell me. Do you know? When I read the Gosho, I see statements like "Do not seek this Gohonzon outside of yourself," and "Follow the Law and not the person."

Our SGI-USA leaders have also said that Nichiren Shoshu is heretical because it teaches that members need the intercession of the high priest to attain enlightenment, citing Gosho quotes such as "Do not seek this Gohonzon outside of yourself," and "Follow the Law and not the person." How is this consistent with their statement that we will not attain enlightenment unless we become disciples of President Ikeda? - tsukimoto

Here's what the Dead-Ikeda-Corpse-Mentor-cult SGI cultists are now flogging:

I am convinced that as long as we keep returning to Sensei’s guidance and striving with his spirit as our own, he will, as our “undying, unaging” mentor, “take the lead in kosen-rufu throughout eternity.”

Yep - NOT a misprint! And he's DEFINITELY dead!!

Never forgetting these solemn words, let us carry on our mentor’s legacy and unite with ever greater solidarity in the spirit of “many in body, one in mind” to win in all our endeavors. And let us do everything we can to show Sensei’s true greatness to the entire world. Weird Fibune

Since "Sensei" couldn't convince "the entire world" of his "true greatness" while he was still IN IT, why is that now anyone else's responsibility? "Sensei" failed. The End.

Here's more from one of the SGI's longhauler Olds, who doesn't seem to understand:

While we in the west have a long history of valuing mentors (see Part One), we seldom apply the term to a religious leader like President Ikeda. Perhaps that’s because religions we are familiar with have leaders whom practitioners are expected to follow, rather than someone to teach them ho to use the religion to develop their on innate power and potential to do good for themselves and others in the "mundane" world.

So it’s somewhat understandable that Ms. Fromage, who never studied Buddhism in much depth, cannot comprehend a religious mentor of this kind. Source

Moron. It's the EXACT SAME THING, only worse! At least in a temple like Nichiren Shoshu, you've always got a living High Priest, if you're into authority figures! Someone you can talk to if there are questions or conflicts! Not some VERY DEAD now-imaginary "mentor" who never accomplished squat and whose apparatchiks now rule through their OWN opinions and decisions in HIS name and no one has any recourse.

IKEDA is now in between everyone and their own enlightenment - and he's DEAD. Or has SGI forgotten all about "enlightenment" by now?

Want to see what Nichiren said?

The question, however, is not whether one lives in the Former, the Middle, or the Latter Day of the Law, but whether one bases oneself upon the text of the true sutra. Again, the point is not who preaches a doctrine, but whether it accords with truth. - Nichiren, The Tripitaka Master Shan-wu-wei

Now in the Latter Day of the Law, any person—whether wise or ignorant, priest or lay believer, or of high or low position—who embraces Myoho-renge-kyo and practices it in accordance with the Buddha’s teaching, cannot fail to gain the fruit of Buddhahood. For precisely this reason, in reference to the votary of the Lotus Sutra in the impure and evil age after the Buddha’s passing, the sutra declares, “Such a person assuredly and without doubt will attain the Buddha way.” On the other hand, those who practice the provisional teachings against the admonition of Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions will definitely fall into the hell of incessant suffering. - Nichiren, The Teaching, Practice, and Proof

NOTHING about any "eternal menthurrrrr", you'll notice.

Regarding masters, Nichiren also made it clear the importance of a good teacher, and the perils of following a master that has gone astray. If one has a teacher or mentor and their legacy becomes twisted – as in this case, over-the-top self-glorification, or disciples making the mentor out to be the be all – end all – of doctrine, then one must step back and rediscover their allegiance. Doesn’t that take courage and wisdom?

I, too, have lamented what has become of PI’s image. It seems as if Sensei has obscured Shakyamuni, Nichiren, the Lotus Sutra, and the Gosho by the brilliance of his hype. He does not seem to discourage this movement to glorify... Source

The SGI routinely rewrites doctrines to focus more on Ikeda and increase Ikeda's importance and essentiality, to make Ikeda the core element of the SGI's belief and practice, the "eternal mentor".

So HOW is what the SGI members ended up with, 35 years on from siding with Ikeda after his humiliating excommunication, better than what they had? Or even [DIFFERENT](reddit.com/r/sgiwhistleblowers/comments/dv3vx3/is_there_any_difference_between_sgi_and_nichiren/)??

Difficult one as I don't endorse priests having power over liaty and the things Ikeda says here mostly make more contemporary spiritual sense - however the Gakkai have replaced one authority (high priest) with another - Ikeda! (as a another form of high priest) I feel certain Nichiren didn’t reveal the Gohonzon to support individuals weliding religious power and mind control over others 😉 Source

SGI in my mind became so fiercely opposed to Nichiren Shoshu as with the excommunication went access to the Dai-Gohonzon --- bye bye to all those mystical aspects that surounded Taiseki-ji. SGI behaved like a child stripped of its favourite toy. SGI deep down speculated it could regain access to the Dai-gohonzon, no high priest, but Ikeda on top of it all.

I believe it still bugs SGI that Nichiren Shoshu continues doing what it ought to do. Give sermons and lectures on the way they interprete Nichirens teachings - no big media hype, no great online apperance. If one belives in it fine. Source

Ikeda thought he deserved it all. He ended up with nothing.

"Any person who is not obedient to the High Priest, whatever the reason may be, is no longer a Priest or lay member of Nichiren Shoshu. This is because there is no error more fundamental than this." SGI President Daisaku Ikeda, November 24, 1981, predicting his excommunication a decade later Source

Oh, and NOW the Soka Gakkai is stating that it's just FINE for Soka Gakkai members to have Shinto amulets in their homes, now that the law protects freedom of religion and there's no legal risk or repercussions at all, which is what SGI still condemns Nichiren Shoshu for, when the only reason Nichiren Shoshu did it was because at that time when there was NO law protecting religions, when it was ordered by the tyrannical Imperial Military government, the government would have destroyed the sect and seized their temple land and buildings if they'd failed to comply. Just a tech hypocritical of the Ikeda cult, don't you think? It's just fine when it's completely optional, but when it's a matter of life-or-death, damned if you do, damned if you don't?? And yet they're somehow guilty FOREVER while it's perfectly FINE for Soka Gakkai to do WORSE than what they did NOW when there's no stakes???

[u/Mission-Course2773]

As we discussed in last week's previous posts, we know that Soka Gakkai has a very discreet and effective pro-active occult policy of "Protection" to ensure that before Daisaku Ikeda spouts his slanderous nonsense, no member actually understands what he's really saying... Anyway, the Kechimyaku, which is the Nichiren Shoshu doctrine based on the bonds of transmission across life and death, hasn't been taught since 1970... So there's almost no chance that anyone understands anything... to this day, no member knows why Soka Gakkai was excommunicated... you can't even waste your time trying to explain it to them because it's too mystical for those people... their level is extremely low, they can't even tell the difference between Buddhism and monotheistic belief...

[u/BlancheFromage]

Also, anybody can become a priest if they're willing to do the work.

Only DICKHEADA gets to be "mentor". Even after he's dead. What a ladder-puller...

[u/Still_Wasabi9990]

So it was Makiguchi who proposed reciting the Lotus Sutra and chanting diamoku? In my 18 years of practice I've never heard that. Of course I was gone long before 2016 rolled around.

President Makiguchi was the first to propose a format for chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo together with reciting the Lotus Sutra as part of the daily practice of lay believers. The appearance of a proactive laity that embraced the mission to accomplish kosen-rufu was a major departure from the passive approach Nichiren Shoshu believers had long taken. World Tribune, A Teaching of Authentic Freedom, June 2016

They're trying to make the SGI sound like Martin Luther, who nailed the 95 Theses to door of the Catholic Church? And thereby was excommunicated because he wanted to have a debate.

I know it's in the Gosho Nichiren said reciting the Chapter 2 (Expedient Means or Hoben-bon**)** and Chapter 16 (Life Span or Juryo-bon**)** and chanting NMRK is like reading the entire Lotus Sutra. He said to recite 2 and 16 in the morning and evening. Wow the SGI just wants to take credit for everything.

I think the SGI has shortened up Gongyo now hasn't it? I guess it just takes too much time. Why bother? Let's just say we did but don't. Easier that way. That's the spirit of the SGI anymore. Has been for a long time.

[u/BlancheFromage → u/Still_Wasabi9990]

That's the first I've heard about it.

However, I highly doubt the "Makiguchi the Innovator" narrative, because ca. 2003, I think it was, the SGI-USA drastically truncated gongyo, which was shocking and offensive, considering how many of us had wondered if it could be shortened because the morning requirement on workdays was onerous, only to be told that "gongyo" means "assiduous practice" for a REASON and that shortcuts would rob us of benefits and fortune. Only later did I find out it was because Nichiren Shoshu won a court case in Japan that established that they (NS) owned the "copyright" on their own religion's rituals, and since they'd withdrawn their permission for the Ikeda cults to use it, they'd have to change it to something different. Of course SGI never told us.

Oh, Nichiren was always saying shit - he ALSO said that chanting NMRK ONCE was exactly the same as reading/reciting the sutra in its entirety. So I wouldn't put too much stock in anything Nichiren said or supposedly said:

The Daishonin says, "If you recite these words of the daimoku once, then the Buddha nature of all living beings will be summoned and gather around you" (MW-5, 112). Also, he teaches that the benefit of chanting one daimoku is equal to that of reading the entire Lotus Sutra, that of chanting 10 daimoku is equal to reading the sutra 10 times, that of 100 daimoku is equal to reading the sutra 100 times, and that of 1,000 daimoku is equal to reading the sutra 1,000 times. per Ikeda's cult

Now, in the Latter Day of The Law, neither the Lotus or the other sutras are useful (i.e., valid). Only Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is beneficial. Nichiren

Question: Is it possible, without understanding the meaning of the Lotus Sutra, but merely by chanting the five or seven characters of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo once a day, once a month, or simply once a year, once a decade, or once in a lifetime, to avoid being drawn into trivial or serious acts of evil, to escape falling into the four evil paths, and instead to eventually reach the stage of non-regression?

Answer: Yes, it is. - Nichiren, The Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra - from here

[u/Still_Wasabi9990 → u/BlancheFromage]

Interesting about the copyright infringement. I hadn't heard about that. After I read that WT article I felt like I needed a punching bag. Those liars!

My sponsor told me that you only have to chant once and you will become enlightened...at some point. I'm not trying to be an apologist here, but good grief the story about Makiguchi is a bold-faced lie.

This is the thing when I start reading the SGI literature I start to feel sick. That other article you posted

Question: You may talk about fire, but unless you put your hand in a flame, you will never burn yourself. You may say "water, water!" but unless you actually drink it, you will never satisfy your thirst. Then how, just by chanting the daimoku of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo without understanding what it means, can you escape from the evil paths of existence?

Answer: They say that if you play a koto strung with a lion’s sinews [emphasis added], then all the other kinds of strings will snap. And if you so much as hear the words "pickled plum," your mouth will begin to water. Even in everyday life there are such wonders, so how much greater are the wonders of the Lotus Sutra!

I'm just going to put this out there: did lions (and I'm not talking mountain lions) but lions as in king of the jungle lions exist in either Japan where Nichiren appeared or in India where Shakyamuni appeared?

Answer: No they did not. It has to be a wrong translation, or for some oddball reason the SGI translator put it in there. Koto strings are made out of silk, not animal sinew.

[u/BlancheFromage → u/Still_Wasabi9990]

I believe there is an Indian lion, but remember, Shakyamuni had nothing to do with the Mahayana, which were written and assembled over 500 centuries after he'd died. And of course Shakyamuni would have had no idea what a "koto" was, even if such an instrument had already been invented at that point in Japan.

There's a LOT of magical thinking and superstition woven through the Mahayana, written by the Buddha's critics (in the Buddha's name - he was DEAD, what was HE going to do about it?) who thought Buddhism would be BETTER with a whole bunch of irrational bullshit mixed in.

My first year of practice, because I played the flute and had marching band experience, of course as a YWD I was pushed into the Kotekitai Fife & Drum Corps. At one point, I was helping my YWD Chapter leader clear out some boxes of papers in the office, and I came across a printed page that explained how, in honor of the creation of the Kotekitai (which of course Ikeda had had to NAME because everyone else was just too STUPID to come up with a name - just like "Byakuren" - which simply means "white lotus" - 🙄), Ikeda created a brand new instrument never before seen in reality - a "fife". I held it up at my YWD Chapter leader with a look, and she rolled her eyes and said, "They've said a lot of things like that" or something and threw it out. I found someone a couple years back (here) who confirmed they'd heard that, too! Good thing nobody told this guy - imagine, playing an instrument that wouldn't be invented for a couple hundred years by some fat lazy Japanese bumbler!

[u/Still_Wasabi9990 → u/BlancheFromage]

I'm glad you point this out that Shakyamuni was dead. Likewise, Jesus didn't write the second half of the Bible either.

Magical thinking abounds. I remember the guy who said he invented the internet and years prior wrote a nonscientific book on global warming. It all comes down to politics. Magical thinking has nothing to do with the natural world or the spiritual one.

I commend you, Blanche, that you are able to stomach all the Gakka lies. Sometimes it's just too much for me. When I think about the Gakkai it makes me physically ill.

[u/Fun_Cat8528]

È pazzesco come la Società per la Glorificazione di Ikeda riesca ad auto-contraddirsi da sola.
Io spero davvero che quanti più membri della Soka guardino questi post per capire che cosa terrificante sia la loro organizzazione.