A Byrd's Eye View

I agree with this post completely. Thank you for writing it.

I recently got a chance to attend a leader's meeting with Danny Nagashima, and I asked about SGI's internet development. I was able to get my name and contact info on a list, along with things I wanted to talk about. I brought up our lack of dialogue with other Buddhist sects and the fact that we have no democratic way of electing leaders. I haven't been contacted about any of these concerns so far, but at least I know that the top leadership is aware that someone cares about these things.

I think Nichiren was a great role model, and point I have made on my blog is that the people that came after him spun his message east and west, either purposely or by the nature of man, however if you are a person that reads the Lotus Sutra, you will see that the world in our time is the world of the later age, and it ain't circus time folk's.

I think where you are going to run into trouble, is that people will use your rules as a way to keep people away from offering constructive and good advice to you and others that are in the Soka Gakkai, that although we have religious freedom in this country and they have the right to do what they want, so do others have the right to say, Hey, the XXXXXX Shu that I belong to, tells me that I have to refute you because your leader says that we have the sacred INK.

My leader from the XXXX Shu says, "the SGI treasurs their Gohonzson, yet Nichiren says, he wrote his live in Sumi Ink, and we have that INK, and we pray to it every day and night, and our believers will benefit and theirs will get soy sauce rash as predicted in the Kikkoman gosho written by Nichiren himself but dictated on camphor wood with camphor oil by the High Priest NikkoShoman, but we cannot find the original, but the have a xerox copy."

Also, Nichiren said to chant Nam Mu, not Nam(u) so how are you going to have people chant (u) what a problem to deal with? I am glad you thought this through, good luck.

Maltz in 3D and Blue Ray High Def

I agree. I prefer to discuss principles, concepts, and methods; rather than chirping about specific people and their merits or failings.

Well Byrd, you've done it again. By putting things in their proper perspective, you've inspired me to peek out of my dispondant state of mind, and participate in your quest to resolve some of the big issues here on the Nichiren Buddhism front. You know, I've been participating online for a short time compared to most - only 2 years. Just in that time, I've managed to realize just how much I am loathe to participate in any kind of organized religion or sect ever again. I spent over 30 years as an active Gakkai member, only to eventually walk away with a strong sense that differences between me and the org. were utterly irreconcilable. No one ever called me, or wanted to know why I stopped attending meetings and activities. OK, stop the violins, already.

My point! Thanks for asking the big questions, and for inviting a forum for many (I know you are out there) who might show a little balls and step up to the plate. Here, I am attempting to address item #2, and join you in asking those who would identify themselves as being in positions of influence to rise to the occasion.

The problem with this part, though, is most leaders will not admit to being influencial in the Gakkai because it is not politically correct to project that. I think it's the reason things don't change - because someone is always waiting for someone above them to provide direction. That's just my observation.

2a) The apparent ongoing war between the sects - well, it's a contradiction in terms, does not conflict with Nichiren, so much as it conflicts with Buddhism in general. It's really a mixed bag.
So, what I'd like to express about that is it is what has driven me away from Nichiren Buddhism in general. I'm going to admit something here, that I have not admitted to yet, and that is - I no longer consider myself a Nichiren Buddhist. My plan is to eventually feel comfortable identifying myself as simply - Buddhist. No Nichiren, no sect - just Buddhist.

And that's all I have to say about that right now - because I've gotta go. I'll be thinkin about ya Byrd, and hopefully back tomorrow.

Ashley

Byrd:

Thanks for all your efforts to clean up FWP AND with getting that post removed so I could go off of my strike. I got an off line message and other flack for 1. clarifying my position on Rev. Greg's commentary, and for ending my strike. I'm all for free speech and am satisfied with the outcome. I am a little perplexed at where our other writer's voices were, but it all happened so fast, some of our people may not have had a chance to digest what was happening. This brings me to my own proposal.

I would like to see a FWP on-line discussion that takes place over a month, addressing "issues," philosophy, mysthology, etc. A question is offered by a moderator, and each blogger gets a crack at 200 words or less to state their case. For example, the moderator might ask the question, "what is the essence of the Lotus Sutra," or "why can't Nichiren sects get along, and what can be done to fix that?" You get the idea.

Based on these questions, answers, or even a different approach, we could compare opinions and gain or reject viewpoints. I'm not certain of how the mechanics of this could work. It shouldn't be like some damn book report or essay, but a written dialogue/interview with all the writers, Perhaps we could use our "guest" blog space to feare this blog series. It could be constructed to address the most important ideas before us. But it needs strict word limits or else it will turn into someone's soap box.

Thanks again, old friend. And my personal apologies to Vanya for termporarily losing my cool and being mean. Sorry.

Charles

Byrd,
Thank you for trying to inject a dose of sanity here. I'm not keen on censorship but in any quasi-civilized community there ARE boundaries to how one can speak and act.

I was looking into the Immeasurables after your post a while back, and one of the near enemies of sympathetic joy was described as identification with "my team/my tribe". I see alot of that here. I stuggle with it myself, but I'm finding life is better the more I embrace the real sympathetic joy, instead of the conterfeit.

How can someone truly feel great compassion when somewhere there is a kernel of happiness because someone else suffered great loss? Even if it's only the satisfaction of being right - it is inconsistent and hypocritical. Why on earth would one want to exploit others' pain to teach the Dharma when one can use so many other ways to do so?

Your dictum -"No gloating over other peoples' pain. No pointing at other peoples illnesses or tragedies and crowing" is right on - from a traditional Buddhist perspective.

Here's to a more civil, thoughtful and respectful FWP.

The poor little bird (SGI). How it protects its chicks from the big bad Kempon Hokke wolf with only two active US members. The little bird goes around to the farmer and says, "if you shoot the wolf, my little chicks will grow into great big chickens and you will have lots and lots of eggs."
The farmer, rather wise says, "without the wolf, the balance of nature will not be maintained." "I will build a strong chicken wire fence but unfortunately you will still have to see the wolf from time to time and if you don't want to see the wolf you can remain in the coup."

Mark

Mark,

If we were talking about raw nature, your analogy might be apt. But we are talking about behavior in a civilized society. If you relish being the big, bad wolf, well, that's up to you. But big, bad wolf is not the image most of us have of a Buddhist.

Personally, I believe Nichiren would not have been able to amass so many loyal adherents just with vinegar and no sugar.

Michele,
I agree... if you read some of the more personal letters he wrote to his followers, he comes across as kind.

Nichiren also lived in a place where there was state-sponsored and financed religion in a feudal regime. Many of his letters were written as formal religious rebuttals in the Tien Tai tradition; and it is likely some of the over the top rhetoric was, in essence, stylistic and perhaps expected of religious debate AT THE TIME. If I did not think this, I would avoid Nichiren Buddhism entirely.

It is much like when I converse with some of my employees - every other word they use is a colloquialism, or swear word. When I speak with them, I use one suite of words. When I speak with outside professionals, I use a highly technical, formal language. If I chose to use my colloquialisms and swear words in the more technical setting, my compatriots would think I had Tourette's Syndrome, or had lost my mind. And the converse is true: if I used the more technical language with the other employees, it would be like speaking Swahili modified by Pig Latin... it would be meaningless to them. Or they would interpret it as being disdainful and patronizing of me, even if that was not my intent.

In short, the language used should suit the audience. Many of us at FWP live in a religiously diverse nation. We are not surrounded by feuding samurai (just the occasional Ninja). Using language appropriate to Kamakura Japan is likely not going to work as effectively as other means.

Use of excessive and what could be interpreted as abusive language only serves to make Nichiren Buddhists look like angry and abusive people. I suspect most Nichiren Buddhist do not want to be angry and abusive - the speech and language we use ideally will reflect that aspiration.

Dear Chris, Michele and the others:

Maybe graham is right. I am in a lose lose situation. But then I think of the words of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin, I am both heartened and determined to get through to at least one person. Gentle persuasion will not work against someone intent on killing your parents. Those SGI leaders I mentioned are killing my parents the Lotus Sutra and Shakyamuni Buddha. For every post on the effect of their slander, I have written dozens of posts on the doctrine of the Hokke sect. when these people see Shakyamuni Buddha they say Nichiren Daishonin, when they see the Lotus Sutra (Myoho renge kyo) they see the Human Revolution and the musings of Ikeda. This is more than a little dust in the eyes that can be washed away with water. This is like a cataract that has to be removed surgically. I would rather one hundred people are turned off to Nichiren's Buddhism or slander it and thus forming a strong relationship to the Lotus Sutra than one person joining the SGI and destroying our castle from within.

Mark

"I would rather one hundred people are turned off to Nichiren's Buddhism or slander it and thus forming a strong relationship to the Lotus Sutra than one person joining the SGI and destroying our castle from within."

The autocratic propagation of Nichiren Buddhism by the incompetent vengeful self deluded. The program: if I can't inspire faith through reason, I can at least piss people off enough for them to be antogonistic enough to remember me.

"The autocratic propagation of Nichiren Buddhism by the incompetent vengeful self deluded. The program: if I can't inspire faith through reason, I can at least piss people off enough for them to be antogonistic enough to remember me."

And then someone else has to clean up the mess. "Clean up on aisle 12!"