Kempon Hokke

A Refutation of the Soka Gakkai's Teachings on Slander and Religious Tolerance for Cloud Hidden Part 2

Shin Yatomi:

IT seems a long time has passed since the priests at Taiseki-ji told the members of SGI that they could not sing Beethoven's “Ode to Joy” in German. To do so, they announced, is tantamount to praising Christianity and thus a “slander” of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. This argument seemed rather ominous then, but now such a narrow, dogmatic approach to this Buddhism seems quite laughable. Over the last eight years, we have learned to look at the Daishonin's Buddhism from the standpoint of its essential humane spirit, reason and common sense. And we have come to grasp more deeply a simple yet important truth: religion exists for the sake of people, not vice versa.

Me:

Can you sense the Creator, world?
Seek him above the starry canopy.
Above the stars He must dwell.

Be embraced, Millions!
This kiss for all the world!
Brothers!, above the starry canopy
A loving father must dwell.

Can you sense the Creator, world?
Seek him above the starry canopy.
Above the stars He must dwell. -- From the Chorus of Ode to Joy

Dengyo the Great and Nichiren Daishonin disagree with the late Shin Yatomi. They assert that we prove the validity of the religion, it is we who make the religion great, not the religion that makes us great. The human being is central in Buddhism.

Shinsuke Yatomi:

With SGI President Ikeda's constant efforts to communicate the essence of the Lotus Sutra and the writings of Nichiren Daishonin, the Daishonin's Buddhism has entered a new era, no longer confined within the framework of Japan's ethnocentric, esoteric religious culture.

Me:

In the SGI's topsy turvy ends justify the means world, win is lose, lies are truth, and evil is good. You can be sure that if an SGI member or leader asserts that the SGI has demolished Japanese ethnocentric, esoteric religious culture, that SGI has exported Japanese ethnocentric, esoteric religious culture. First of all, SGI Japan calls all the shots and even in America, who is the General Director of the Soka Gakkai? A Japanese. Is the mentor Disciple relationship the prime point of the Lotus Sutra or of the Zen Bushido tradition? If you have any questions about this I will gladly answer them for you.

Shin Yatomi;

For decades the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood endeavored to impose this culture upon the SGI's efforts to spread the Daishonin's Buddhism as a world religion. This atmosphere—characterized by a tradition of absolute priestly authority and emphasis on formalities—did have a shackling effect. Nevertheless, we were able to maintain our conviction that the Daishonin's Buddhism is a religion that can offer the universal values of humanism to all people of all nations, cultures and ethnicities. It is based on this perspective that we have been deepening and refreshing our understanding of how best to practice and communicate the Daishonin's Buddhism in today's world.

Me:

The "Master Professor of the Soka Gakkai" sounds more like any Group Leader of the Youth Division than a Master Professor of Buddhism. SGI is all about conformity of thought [cult]. The doctrines and talking points of the Soka Gakkai are formulated above by people like Shin Yatomi and then it is drummed into the heads of every member, repeating the same messages over and over again. That is why every Group Chief from Japan to the Netherlands to Brazil, spews these very same Gakkai talking points, almost word for word. There is nothing remotely close to the Soka Gakkai conforming to the cultures of the countries it has invaded [Zuiho Bini]

Shin Yatomi:

One expression of this refreshed understanding is Article 7 of the SGI Charter: “SGI shall, based on the Buddhist spirit of tolerance, respect other religions, engage in dialogue and work together with them toward the resolution of fundamental issues concerning humanity” (December 8, 1995,World Tribune, p. 5).

Me;

More of the east is west, up is down lies of the Soka Gakkai. SGI will respect freedom of religion, and other religions? Then why the never ending war against the Nichiren Shoshu, the Nichiren Shu, and the Kempon Hokke" The true teachings of the Soka Gakkai are only taught to the highest leaders:

"Our enemies are the evil religions. Evil religions drive people to hell. True Buddhism makes Buddhas out of all people. Nichiren Daishonin said the source of all unhappiness and misfortunes of people is evil religion. It was our teacher, Mr. Josei Toda, who repeated this great saying."-- Daisaku Ikeda

We of the Kempon Hokke are honest and upright. We don't make a show in public of respecting and tolerating all religions and then in private teach that all other religions and practices, save for the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra, lead to hell. We rain down the Law equally to all persons.

The SGI as the Pearl Harbor of "Buddhism" comes to mind. The very heart and soul of the Kempon Hokke is Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land. It is the fifth and final principle of our American charter:

5). Uphold the principles of Establishing the Peace of the Land Through the Propagation of the True Law (Rissho Ankoku Ron).

Shin Yatomi:

Some have raised the question: Isn't “respecting other religions” a slander of the Law? Aren't we abandoning the Daishonin's spirit of shakubuku—to lead people to a correct understanding by refuting erroneous teachings' To answer directly, respecting other religions, or those who practice them, does not in itself constitute slander of the Law, nor does it go against the Daishonin's spirit.

Me:

Yet, in their top leaders meeting they scheme and plot how to destroy the Nichiren Shoshu, the Nichiren Shu, the Kempon Hokke, and all other religions.

The Daishonin says about all other religions and philosophies:

"On the other hand, even if one does not commit a single evil deed throughout one’s entire lifetime, and observes the five precepts, the eight precepts, the ten precepts, the ten good precepts, the two hundred and fifty precepts, the five hundred precepts, or countless numbers of precepts; even if one learns all the other sutras by heart, makes offerings to all the other Buddhas and bodhisattvas, and accumulates immeasurable merit, if one but fails to put one’s faith in the Lotus Sutra; or if one has faith in it, but considers that it ranks on the same level as the other sutras and the teachings of the other Buddhas; or if one recognizes its superiority, but constantly engages in other religious disciplines, practicing the Lotus Sutra only from time to time; or if one associates on friendly terms with priests of the Nembutsu, who do not believe in the Lotus Sutra but slander it; or if one thinks that those who insist the Lotus Sutra does not suit the people’s capacity in the latter age are guilty of no fault, then all the merit of the countless good acts one has performed throughout one’s life will suddenly vanish."

Nichiren also teaches very clearly that Confucianism, Brahmanism [Hinduism], and Taoism are shallow evil religions.

Shin Yatomi:

In order to shed light on the meaning of Article 7 of the SGI Charter, we must examine in a little more detail what is meant by “slandering the Law.” Prior to 1991, under the influence of the priesthood, the meaning of slander as it applied to our religious faith was ambiguous, and was often misinterpreted and misused. We often heard: “It's a slander to point your feet at the Gohonzon.” Or, “It's a slander to put a gongyo book on the floor.” We were also told that criticizing a priest constituted inexcusable slander, and that even “singing 'Ode to Joy' in German is a slander.”

IN fact, the priesthood's tendency has been to use the term slander to describe any act that displeased them. This might be compared to a religious authority with a dogmatic belief in a Western religion promising his critics that they are “going to Hell” because of their criticism of him. To preserve their authority, the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood used the concept of slandering the Law as a tool to intimidate believers and often to defend their view of certain Japanese cultural traditions as essential Buddhist practice.

Me:

That is why we members of the Kempon Hokke go directly to the source, the Lotus Sutra and the writings of Nichiren Daishonin to determine what is and what isn't a slander and who is and who isn't a slanderer. This is known as the Transmission Through the Scrolls of the Sutra. The Soka Gakkai just replaced one person [Nichiren Shoshu High Priest] for another [Three Presidents] in following persons rather than the Law. We in the Kempon Hokke follow the Law and not persons. We ARE as different as night and day.

shin Yatomi:

“The Law” in “slandering the Law” refers to the Lotus Sutra. Of course, as Nichiren Daishonin made clear, the Lotus Sutra of the Latter Day means the sutra's essence, the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. But since the Daishonin expounded the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo on the basis of the doctrines contained in the Lotus Sutra, when we examine the Buddhist concept of slander in terms of its doctrinal meaning, it is appropriate to take “the Law” to mean the Lotus Sutra. “A slander of the Law,” therefore, literally means a slander of the Lotus Sutra; it is speech or conduct that denies the teaching and ideal of the Lotus Sutra.

Me:

How would the SGI know what constitutes slander of the Law of the Lotus Sutra? They have repeatedly taught that Myoho renge kyo has lost it's power in this age. Let's also not forget the teachings of The Fourteen Slanders Gosho, Letter to Lord Matsuno and Chapters 3 and 10 of the Lotus Sutra. It is equally as bad to slander the Sutras' Votaries. In Nichiren's other writings and Chapter 21 of the Lotus Sutra, we see how doubly bad it is to slander the Supreme Votary of the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren Daishonin. What bigger slander is their of Nichiren Daishonin than to alter his teachings [whether for the the sake of expediency or for the sake of the top Senior Leaders accumulating material riches]? Slandering too, is acting in an underhanded manner when propagating the Law as an envoy of the Thus Come One. Since we of the Kempon Hokke are the only true honest and upright votaries of the Lotus Sutra at this time and in this land, it is a great slander to treat us with any less respect than SGI would their teachers, sovereigns, and parents. Yet, over and over again they slander the faith and practice of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni Buddha of the Original Doctrine, Nichiren Daishonin and the Kempon Hokke.

Shin Yatomi:

What is the teaching and ideal of the Lotus Sutra? The Daishonin expressed what he saw as the quintessence of the Lotus Sutra in the form of the Gohonzon, using the doctrine of the three thousand realms in a single moment of life (ichinen sanzen) as his theoretical foundation. Based on the Lotus Sutra, T'ien-t'ai expounded the doctrine of three thousand realms in a single moment to explain that all beings are entities of the Mystic Law, endowed with the Buddha nature. In other words, the fundamental message of the Lotus Sutra is that all living beings have the Buddha nature and thus are infinitely precious and worthy of respect.

Me:

This is the most important doctrine of the Theoretical Section of the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren taught in the Opening of the Eyes that the most important doctrine of the Lotus Sutra is found in the Essential Teachings, the Immeasurable Lifespan of the Tathagata. This is the reason that all beings are worthy of respect, because all beings are our mothers, daughters, Fathers and sons, and we theirs. In like manner, the Buddha of the Juryo Chapter is very real, our teacher throughout the Three Existences. To deny this Buddha is to deny our own father.

Shin Yatomi:

The sanctity of life and the inherent dignity of all people are at the core of the Sutra's teaching.

Me:

As we have seen, this is not true in the case of the Soka Gakkai. For the sake of expediency, the Soka Gakkai throws out the fundamental principles of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin. For the sake of advancing itself [financial interests], it throws to the wayside the principle of the sanctity of human life and its inherent dignity. Lastly, for the sake of the binding and shackling SGI principle of living mentor and disciple, it abandons the primary teaching of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin that each and everyone of us is a Three Bodied Tathagata endowed with all the merits and virtues of Shakyamuni Buddha.

Shin Yatomi:

From this perspective, we can define slander of the Law as any denial of the sanctity of life or the inherent dignity of all people.

Me:

Then, no one is a bigger slanderer than the top SGI-USA Woman's Division Leader and capital murder prosecutor, Linda Johnson. Nothing is more important than Actual Proof. "What does Bodhisattva Never Disparaging’s profound respect for people signify? The purpose of the appearance in this world of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, lies in his behavior as a human being."

Posted by markrogow at February 2, 2010 01:24 AM