Dialogue between Nichiren Daishonin and SGI
Nichiren Daishonin:
There is no peace on earth and in heaven. I have been attacked again and again, spat upon and sometimes beaten with sticks and staves
SGI senior leader:
The troubles you are experiencing are due to an incorrect faith. It is through open dialogue and not pointing out the faults of others that we can become winners in life.
Nichiren Daishonin:
It is cold here in the mountains and the snows piles up to block the doorway of my hut. My only visitors are the raccoons and deer with whom I share my meals.
SGI senior leader:
Your troubles and lack of benefits are due to an incorrect faith. If you chant
real hard and follow the guidance of President Ikeda you can get a large and comfortable house. Then you can give your experience at a large meeting. What do you say to that?
Nichiren Daishonin:
I chant the Daimoku and the Lotus Sutra ceaselessly throughout the day and night, having little time for other affairs.
SGI senior leader:
You may chant for twenty four hours a day but if you don't take action your
dreams will never be fulfilled and you fail to do your human revolution. This is another reaon you lack benefit in your life. Perhaps you are being punished for not following President Ikeda's guidance. The affairs of this world are itself Buddhism. It is like placing a fish on your altar and expecting it to become a cooked just by chanting. You should chant to find a better paying job and get some responsibility and please stop telling other people they are destined for hell. It is a bad cause.
Nichiren:
Opening the Lotus Sutra and studying the sacred document I have come to realize the ultimate truth by myself
SGI senior leader:
We don't live in a vaccum. We must interact with our seniors in faith. It is good that you are studying the Lotus Sutra and I heard the Burton Watson translation is a fine translation, however, please remember that it is has lost its power in this age to bring benefit. You should subscribe to the World Tribune and Living Buddhism and read the latest volumes of the Human Revolution. The Lotus Sutra is extremely difficult to understand so you might also benefit from reading President Ikeda's lectures on the Lotus Sutra.