M's Counterargument:
None of the goshos you quoted from are primarily about doing shakubuku to non-Buddhists.
NB Counterargument:
Are you saying that what was appropriate for the people of Japan, India, and China is not appropriate for people of every country in the world in the Latter Day of the Law? Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, etc. are all not to be refuted? Mind you that nearly 94 percent of the people on this planet today are non-Buddhists. Are you saying that now, in what is supposed to be the proper time for shakubuku, percent of the people are not suited to this method of propagation?
The point is, no matter what the topic was, it is a fact that Buddhism spread through India, to China, and then to Japan through the use of shakubuku. Shakyamuni himself did shakubuku to non-Buddhists, and Nichiren refers to it as if he agrees. Nichiren also did shakubuku in reference to non-Buddhist teachings. Can you not see this? Nichiren was not against doing shakubuku to non-Buddhists. He went around doing shakubuku to Buddhists because in his country there were Buddhists all around. Could you see the stupidity of him spending most of his time refuting non-Buddhists, or instructing his disciples to do so, when there weren't any? He did say to do shakubuku, and he never said, "unless, of course, the world is overrun by non-Buddhists."
Think about Nichiren’s purpose in writing the things he did. Most of what he wrote was in response to questions from his contemporaries. Considering what he discussed about the topic of shakubuku, can you imagine what his contemporaries must have been saying? Apparently there wasn't a debate about the issue of whether shakubuku should be done on non-Buddhists. Why do you think he kept answering the question about whether Japan was suited to shakubuku and whether we should do shakubuku to Buddhists? His critics must have been saying that their time and country was not suited to shakubuku due to the fact that they were a Buddhist country. They must have been saying that shakubuku was reserved for non-Buddhists. Maybe part of the reason why he also calls some forms of Buddhism "non-Buddhist" in many places in the gosho was to make the point that they need to be shakubukued because their beliefs are actually non-Buddhist.
In the "Letter from Teradomari" (pg. 206) he uses the above-quoted argument to help make his case to his followers that his disciples should be behind him on the issue of shakubuku (and that IS the primary topic of the entire gosho). In the quote above, he's pointing out the similarities between his contemporary Buddhists and the non-Buddhists of former ages in order to make the point that if the non-Buddhists required shakubuku, then the erroneous Buddhists do, too, based on the similarity of their errors. Nichiren is essentially using Shakyamuni's actions (as if everyone would agree they were correct) as the basis of an argument to do shakubuku to Buddhists. Doesn't it seem, when reading the entire three paragraphs where he talks about it, that he was trying to convince his disciples that shakubuku is not reserved JUST for non-Buddhists, but for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike? If Nichiren was against doing shakubuku to non-Buddhists, why would he have brought up the fact that Shakyamuni did it at all, much less in a letter about shakubuku? No matter what you think his reasons for using it in his arguments, the fact that he likened Shakyamuni's actions to his own proves that he must have thought it a good cause. Given this information, how could you possibly argue that he was against it?
6. M's Comment:
"If you see a reason to refute non-Buddhists to the best of your ability, go for it."
NB Comment:
I have. Thank you for the encouragement! I take it that you are conceding that it is correct for a person to refute non-Buddhists if that is what they are capable of doing. That is exactly what I believe. Obviously, if someone is not capable of doing shakubuku, then they should just chant. I believe that you are quite capable of doing shakubuku to non-Buddhists as well. Since Nichiren said to teach "to the best of your ability," that means that you will join me in doing shakubuku when you meet non-Buddhists, right? That would greatly please me, as that has been my purpose for having this conversation with you.
7. M's Argument:
"No one has stopped you from doing shakubuku to non-Buddhists."
NB Comment:
You're absolutely right about this statement. I strongly believe that we have control over the decisions that we make. Likewise, when others determine to do shakubuku to non-Buddhists, no one will stop them either. I will not allow anyone to stop me from fulfilling my mission. That is why, even though NBAA members have been banned from your organization's meetings in 4 cities, I have consistently maintained my determination to practice according to Nichiren's instructions no matter what. Even though the very people I trusted the most turned their backs on me, even though I face scorn and criticism from the people I thought were my closest friends, even though those who signed the vows I took were threatened with law suits for sharing them with the world, I have marched on...alone -- undaunted. And I will continue to "teach others to the best of [my] ability" no matter who rises up against me. This is my determination. This is my vow. When I made it, I didn't expect any opposition at all from your organization, but once I took it, I couldn't retreat. I won't retreat, even today. Even with your organization against me.
8. SG Argument:
"Your purpose of trying to enter our facilities is not because of your change of heart to return to a true faith. Your intentions are still to make distorted points among our pure-hearted members."
NB Question:
What distorted points? You already agreed that it's okay to do shakubuku to non-Buddhists. You agreed that it's okay to do shakubuku to Buddhists. Although you haven't mentioned it, I brought up the concept of relying on the Law, not on the person earlier. You made no comment about that, so I take it that you agree. I assume that you believe in chanting the daimoku. I assume that you believe in the power of the Gohonzon within. I assume that you believe in studying the gosho. I assume that you believe in enlightenment. That's pretty much everything, then. Since those are the concepts we teach to everyone, your organizations members or not, what distorted points are you referring to?
NB Comment:
Again, you're talking about me changing to conform to your organization without any evidence that I have been wrong. Furthermore, as I said earlier, the only way we could be accepted back into the fold would be to give up our teaching of shakubuku and the teaching to rely on the Law rather than on persons. Is that what you are referring to when you ask me to return to a "true faith"? Are you encouraging me to give up my vows for the sake of Buddhism? If you are, that is a very bad cause on your part. You should really be more careful in your comments.
9. SG Argument:
"We did not cast you out. You left our organization."
NB Counterargument:
I've repeatedly tried to talk with your members over the years and have been to their meetings as well, without incident. I am trying to work with your organization and have been all along. They have stopped me from going to the meetings and discouraged communication between myself and other members. They have done all of this despite my constant reassurances to them that I am not trying to get people to leave SGI or join NBAA, but only to encourage them to chant, study the gosho, do shakubuku, and rely on the Law as their guide to enlightenment. Think about it. Have I, even once, tried to get you to join NBAA? Have I tried to get you to leave your org? I told you to do shakubuku within your org. -- that it doesn't matter. I have tried to convince you to do shakubuku because I believe that doing shakubuku IS within your abilities.
I have said repeatedly that I want to work with your org. So, what am I to do now? What are you asking me to do? You have implied that I should renounce my vows in order to conform to their slander of those who do shakubuku. Well, that is not negotiable. I will NOT quit doing shakubuku in order to rejoin SGI. I will not quit encouraging people to read the gosho and interpret and apply it on their own. I will not quit teaching people to rely on the Law and not upon persons. I took those vows and I will not forsake them. Short of doing those things, what else can I do to join with your org? You tell me.
I have tried to focus on each of our personal practices rather than on organizational topics. I have explained that I cannot come into the fold of your org. without renouncing my vows, and I refuse to do so. If you are truly interested in my happiness, you will give me constructive arguments about things I can do to attain enlightenment rather than encouraging me to conform to an organization that slanders me for merely following Nichiren’s instructions. You must know, deep in your heart, that if I renounce my vows because of your anger toward me, I will never be able to attain enlightenment and will instead fall into hell. Yet, you are trying to encourage me to renounce my vows. How horrible! I think you do this because you have not been fulfilling your end of the bargain to chant one hour for my enlightenment before writing me, as I have been doing for you. Please consider my enlightenment when you attempt to teach me Buddhism. Likewise, I intend to continue to do the same for you.
I think we have come a long way in our dialogues and that greatly encourages me. I realize that you don't have to write me and that you have many other things to do in your daily life. I'm very glad you have maintained this dialogue with me despite all of that.
Thank youy very much.