Right now, the Chinese are engaged in the destruction of Tibetan Culture. They are murdering and torturing people and trying to keep the world from seeing their oppressive tactics and the ugliness of their paranoid communist regime. It’s time for the world to respond, but the greed and animalistic nature of many people stands in the way. The Lords of Gaki. Greed, greed, greed, oh those hungry ghosts. That’s going to be our downfall.
China provides sweat-shop labor, cheap (crappy) goods, criminal quality control, and has now become hooked on the rush of narco-capitalism. They need to be hit where it hurts, their pocketbooks and their treasury. All the nations of the world should immediately implement trade sanctions against this oppressive State. A trade embargo would be better. But greed stands in the way. All the hungy ghosts want their cut. Those Western ghosts who stand to gain by buying cheaper goods will justify overlooking China’s destruction of Tibetan culture, for the sake of the bottom line. Why? Because they’re pencil neck hungry ghosts and greedy bastards to boot, who value profit more than human decency. The Chinese government lies to its people and lies to the world, constantly. Corporations who want cheap products are loathe to offend their evil masters. China exerts tremendous efforts to stamp out religion, faith, free speech, and freedom. The "thought police" are everywhere. This the hallmark of communism. The State is God, with all its mercy and wrath. China will continue to crush Buddhism, falun gong, Christainity, Catholicism, Islam, or any other religion or spirituality that takes away facade-laden devotion to the State and their new, honey-sweet savior, Premier Maha Mara Money. They’re very good at suppression, torture, disinformation, and murder, all in the name of the State. What they are not good at is tolerance, decency, compassion, and freedom. Greedy and evil.
The Tibetans are willing to risk torture and death to preserve their culture. They have what the Chinese people themselves lack, a willingness to die rather than live without freedom - freedom to gather, freedom of expression, freedom to worship as they will. As China grows in economic and political power it will become emboldened like a drunk. Pressure of all types need to be applied. But greed, fear, and self-serving ambition stand in the way of bending the crooked will of Chinese communism. Their cutomers kowtow for their next scrap of bloody meat. Greed, greed, greed. Damn the Lords of Gaki. Free Tibet, humble China.
What does the SGI and PI have to say about the oppression of religion in China, especially the occupation and destruction of Tibet? As a YMD, NO! As a long time member, I have constantly heard the SGI credo: "We must fight evil authority! No matter what" Well, herrrrre's Johnnny! For the SGI, who is really a greater threat to Buddhism, Nichiren Shoshu or the Chinese Communists and their freedom wood chipper? In life, one must pick their battles carefully. In terms of what is dangerous to Buddhism, Nichiren Shoshu is like a fat ferral cat in the restaurant dumpster while China is a hungry tiger awakened from a nap. No comparrison.
But isn't there some bridge of cooperation or friendship that was formed between the SGI and China? Cultural exhange? Educatonal exhange? State sponsored tea parties with comrade so and so. Was there an agreement to NOT propagate Nichiren Buddhism in China for cultural and educational exchange? How expedient. I hear only silence. Silence will not do. I would be so proud if PI and the SGI condemed China for their actions and called for a free Tibet. But then China wouldn't like us anymore, now would they? Is it because they're construed as a heretical form of Buddhism (they're not) and unworthy of support by the true Buddhists? Oh the horrific repercussions! If we condemed China, there would be no more beautiful photo ops, no more tea parties under the spring cherry blossoms, no more honorary doctorates, no more politically controlled SGI presence.
Hey! didn't the Dalai Lama write a blurb for one of PI's recent books? Yes he did! Don't you think it's time for PI to flex his considerabe media-muscle and help out the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people? I do. Please make me proud. But I must confess that my expectations for PI and the SGI to do something that might offend the great commie State of China, are around zero. Why? Because that would really mean standing up to evil authority, and that implies risk. Oh, there's so much we lowly, unsavvy laymen don't understand about the delicate balance of power and diplomacy. With martial law, the tanks rolling, billy clubs swinging for blood, tear gas wafting, automatic weapons firing at unarmed civilians, backroom torture and executions, the SGI has one hell of a friend.
I don't believe the SGI has the soka-balls to publically protest the Tibetan genocide. I sure wish we did. We speak of being free of fear like the lion king - that's what we're supposed to be. How the SGI publically reacts to this genocide will tell us more about the greatness of the mentor, the integrity of the organization, and the free thinking of the general membership than 10,000 voulmes of the illustrious mentor's daily guidance.
And what about all the other sects, religions, and nations? Let's hear it from the Pope, holy men, politcians, statesmen, and all the Nobel Prize winners out there. As world citizens we need to band together against this kind of murderous, culture crushing persecution. You never know who will be next - maybe all of us. How can this world allow the China-bully to murder these people and desecrate Buddhism? Oh, yea, it's because of the rampant greed and cowardice of hungry ghosts.
Isn't it ironic that China treats panda’s with more respect than the Tibetan people? Kudos to the Tibetan people who have stood up to the freedom hating Commies.
What about the rest of the world? There needs to be some kind of profound outrage at brutality of the Chinese government and there must be consequences for them. They don't deserve to host the Olympics any more than Nazi Germany was. Any sponsor with even a micron of integrity should pull out now. But it’s greed and cowardice that allows this to continue. It's true that sovereign nations should have autonomy when dealing with internal issues, except when it is actively engaged in genocide. Think Nazi Germany. We can do something about this. But the greed of manufacturers looking for cheap labor continues to enrich China. If China is not stopped, it will only be a matter of time until they’re exporting their brand of oppression to your grandchildren’s door step. Free Tibet Now!
Submitted for your approval is Part III of my interview with the U of I doctoral candidate on comparative Buddhism, and anything else he wanted to dredge up. I apologize in advance for its length. The interview was tape recorded in the upstairs of a loud, stuffy coffee house on campus.
I have learned that blogs are usually best at 500-1000 words, beyond that, it seems as if readers tire of the work. I also apologize for taking so long to get his final segment posted. My professional plate has been full. This meandering opinion piece concludes the series. Thank goodness.
CA: This is our last segment. I was wondering when we’re actually going to discuss Buddhism? We seem to be dancing around the edges here. I’m not sure what you’re looking for.
UOI: You’re right, Charles, we’ve gone into directions that kind-of surprised me.
CA: Look, Buddhism is compelling. It has the theoretical and the practical. There’s the historical and the mystical. It’s beautiful and sobering. It’s got magic and imprecations. It’s got blueprints for governance and ethics. There’s metaphysics, mythos, rules of conduct, you name it. What exactly are you looking for?
UOI: I’ve always been interested in Eastern religions. Many people have turned away from the Church, especially young people. I’m trying to find out why so many people are converting to Buddhism, especially young Americans.
CA: Well, what was your birth religion?
UOI: I grew up Catholic. I went to parochial school in Chicago, in Ravenswood. Then I got my undergraduate at Loyola. I’ve been at the U of I ever since.
CA: One whole side of my family was Roman Catholic. You know the Brighton Park area around California and Archer? I used to watch candle lit processions down California. They used to sing this hymn, it sounded so somber, “Good Old Saint Ann.” My grandfather attended mass every morning for fifty years, and at the end of his life, the priest at good old St. Ann’s refused to perform graveside services because he was being buried in a non-denominational cemetery my folks donated because my grandparents were not exactly prosperous.
UOI: That’s odd. I don’t know what prohibition there would be for a priest doing a graveside service at a non-Catholic cemetery.
CA: I was 19 and there was no confusion as to what happened, it was just so strange to me how my aunts and uncles reacted. It didn’t seem to faze them like, “that’s the Church for you.” My folks were disgusted. I was upset. My grandparents didn’t deserve that. New subject, please.
UOI: That’s unfortunate. Okay then, let’s get back into your experience of converting to Buddhism. You were brought up in a Christian household with Christian values. What would cause you – or other young people to take up an Eastern religion like Buddhism instead of continuing their birth religion? In Buddhism, there’s no emphasis on God or Christ. There must have been some pressure for you to remain a Christian.
CA: That was certainly true for a lot of people I met, but not in my case. My folks were open to anything that would make me cut my hair and become a productive citizen again. After the Army, I had some problems readjusting. But there were lots of youths whose parents threatened to disown them if they practiced Buddhism.
UOI: How did they react to that?
CA: Some knuckled under and some were determined to practice, no matter what. What was even more interesting to me was when one spouse wanted to start practicing Buddhism, but their partner was against it. Some of those people risked their marriage to explore Buddhism. Some caved under the pressure.
UOI: Some risked their marriage?
CA: Absolutely. You can’t let worldly pressures or concerns keep you from the dharma – if you do, you lose. Just look at the Buddha. He defied his father, renounced the throne. He left his wife and kid. And let’s not forget his concubines. (laughs)
UOI: That’s a lot to sacrifice. What else does one have to give up to become a Buddhist?
CA: Wait a minute. It doesn’t always come down to pick your spouse or Buddhism or risk destroying your relationship with your family or friends. If you don’t make the big proclamation that now “I’m a Buddhist, whoo hoo, look at me! “ When you call attention to yourself, that’s when you’re begging for trouble. People will start judging you then. If don’t make it a big deal, people accept that and get on with their lives.
UOI: Well, what does one need to give up or change in order to become a Buddhist?
CA: When you “give up” something, like for lent, it implies sacrifice. Buddhism means to “let go” of attachments. Not resignation, but to remain un-swayed by outcomes.
UOI: Give up, let go, what’s the difference?
CA: Like I said, sacrifice verses non-attachment. That’s the distinction. You’re not “giving up” anything; you’re just learning not to be controlled by your environment and especially your own petty desires or weaknesses. Today, we don’t need to leave the household or society to practice the dharma. We can do that where we are, here and now.
UOI: I see your head is shaved. That has nothing to do with your sect?
CA: No, not at all. I shave it because it makes me look younger and more vital.
UOI: Well, what exactly do you let go of then?
CA: Each person needs to assess their desires, their nature, and fortify their life. We’re all interdependent, you know. We exist because everything else exists. It’s all mutually arising phenomena, interconnected on a level that’s beneath conscious awareness. It’s not that difficult to understand intellectually, but it’s hard to maintain as a state of mind. When you observe your mind and take refuge in the dharma, your attachments become clear. We’re filled with base, ugly desires. We’re AFU. We’re an aggregate of never ending desires and the lesser ego. I believe the initiation process of all great traditions is meant to get aspirants focused on transcendence. Transforming the impediments of life and mind is the basics of Buddhist practice.
UOI: But this is part of being human. People with so-called higher levels of consciousness don’t seem to be immune to desires and attachments.
CA: You’re right! (laughs) But we must be aware that liberation is a process. It’s a process of elevating desires, because you really can’t eliminate desires. I think the absolute elimination of desires is an illusion, something as a corporeal being is unattainable. Recognizing your attachments is Buddhism 101. Buddha was right when he said that attachment leads to inevitable suffering. We’re beings that have selfish cravings - to material things, to relationships, to outcomes, and that, leads to inevitable suffering.
Look, like most people, I’ve got a strong attachment toward life, you know, survival. Cancer caused me to face my own mortality. I could have died at any time. I was at risk for recurrence or developing other cancers like leukemia. It was only when I understood Nichiren’s guidance to “regard this moment as your last,” that I put the fear of death into perspective. Don’t get me wrong, I treasure life and get a chill thinking about death. I just one day realized that to lose my attachment to living this life as Charles Atkins was true freedom. I got to the point where I could say, “Okay, I can go with confidence, now! With that revelation, I believe the Buddha’s words in the Lotus Sutra when he said, “there is no ebb and flow of birth and death.” I understood that my life “is life,” and the appearance of death is merely a transition between the two cycles of actualization and dormancy. Like waking and sleeping. When that truth dawned within me – at once, perspective was born, and attachment was gone. It was a defining moment for me.
UOI: What about “attachment” to food or medicine?
CA: You’re trying to trick me into a contradiction. It won’t work. Buddhism is reason. You need wisdom here. Some people could really benefit from getting their attachment to hunger under control – not just their hunger for food, but their insatiable hunger for frivolous “things”. As far as medicine, I think it was Dr. Larry Dossey who said something to the effect that if penicillin were available in the days of Jesus, he’d tell you to get a shot. Food and medicine sustain life; we’re talking about attachments to the trappings of mundane life and earthly desires. Do I need to give you a list of possible attachments? We might be here a while.
UOI: Let’s go back a bit. What about people that resist conversion to maintain peace within their family?
CA: Buddhism views external pressure to turn you away from the practice as a natural consequence of embracing the dharma. We call these phenomena, sansho shima, or the three obstacles and four devils. We tell people to expect it and not be frightened or swayed.
UOI: Why would someone risk being disowned or destroying their marriage to practice Buddhism, or any other religion, for that matter?
CA: That’s a very complex question, actually. Something deep within us, maybe the explorer spirit is compelled to take on risks - to confront the unknown. And Buddhism is a great unknown. Maybe you’re unhappy and Buddhism promises happiness. Maybe you’ve got problems and your prayers or religion have proved powerless. That’s a common appeal. I know that some people refuse to give up their freedom to choose what’s right for them. If they want something bad enough, they’re willing to put aside everything, even relationships. I do know this, if you give up your quest at this early point because of the disapproval of your parents or spouse, you’ll get nowhere.
UOI: But how do people reconcile going from a God-based religion to a godless philosophy?
CA: Let me ask you this - what is it about “your” faith that sustains you?
UOI: I suppose it’s my belief that Christ died for my sins and this belief in Him is the way to everlasting life in heaven.
CA: That works for you, but some people no longer believe that, or they can’t reconcile the contradictions they see. It can be that simple.
UOI: The risk of falling into hell would seem like a deterrent.
CA: Fear is not an uplifting message. Lot’s of people rebel against this fear or condemnation. I did. When I looked around our church, I didn’t see one person that shined with the light of God. In the 50s’, I was strongly influenced by the movie, The Ten Commandments. I remember Moses with that big aura when he came down from Mt. Sinai. In church, I just saw average people, sleepwalking through their faith. There were no big auras. Our minister was a grouchy old German shaped like a pear, who smoked cigars until they were nubs, then he’d chew them like candy. I was more fearful of his breath than the fear of Armageddon. With the cold war and A Bomb drills, we kids were well aware that heaven and hell were right around the corner.
UOI: I’m vaguely familiar with the Buddhist idea of heaven and hell. If one accepts this, as I understand it, then they’re bound to accept the idea of karma and reincarnation, two concepts that are interesting, but at the same time not provable.
CA: You can’t prove an afterlife of heaven, hell, or purgatory either. Sure, you have near-death experiences where people see the light and think they’re at the gates of heaven, or some people claim that they’ve descended into the bowels of hell. I actually wrote about that in my books. In Modern Buddhist Healing, I even describe my own near-death experience. To their credit, the Tibetan Buddhists have completely mapped out the dying, death, and rebirth process. They describe the light or ground luminosity, the bardos phases, and the peaceful and wrathful deities. The Chinese Buddhists have a parallel mythology derived from the Juo Sutra, also known as the Sutra of the Ten Kings. Accordingly, the great light at the moment of death is the most elementary phase of the deathing process. Now scientists have created methods to induce this death state in the living by manipulation through mechanical means.
UOI: But that doesn’t prove what’s beyond this world.
CA: No, not at all. I guess we’ll just have to wait. You first. (laughter)
UOI: That’s why we have faith. Because we believe and God is unknowable, we take it on faith that His word is true.
CA: So is Christ’s saving power. So is the resurrection, and so on. Like you said, these become matters of “faith,” because they cannot be proven. Along that line, it seems to me, that accepting Buddhist theory is not as important as the actual practice. To conquer your suffering is what’s important. You can study Buddhism your whole life and even agree with the principles and theories. It may fill your head with information, but it won’t help you overcome your problems. For that you need the practice. It’s about overcoming your suffering.
UOI: But I thought the first noble truth is that all life is suffering.
CA: It is - with the ego driven mind. All life is inevitably suffering. The third noble truth states that there is also an end to suffering, and the forth instructs us to by following the eight-fold path. Attachments and selfish craving are at the root of suffering. Buddhist practice enables people to realize selfish craving for what it is and transform attachment to ambitions and worldly affairs. There’s no renunciation of these matters, just a deeper perspective and the wisdom to be engaged as a representative of the dharma. In the Nichiren school of Buddhism that I belong to, earthly desires equal enlightenment. But it’s far more nuanced that it sounds. As practice progresses and wisdom grows, our desires change from “me, me, me,” to the desire to be one with the dharma, to live the dharma. Altruism and compassion emerge as our behavior, and that makes the world a better place. We hope.
UOI: Other religions do the same thing.
CA: They do, and these good works are vital. From another perspective though, religions also tend to spawn fundamentalism. There’s real danger in fundamentalist religion. The inquisition happened long ago, but that brutal intolerance is alive today. Think Salem witch trials. Think Jim Jones. Think the Kansas-based Phelps ministries who picket the funerals of fallen soldiers saying, “God hates fags.” Positively repelling! When the words of the prophets are hijacked and used improperly by unbalanced people, we get extremism. We get terrorism. We get intolerance. For God’s sake, man, people used the Bible to justify slavery! Religion becomes an impediment to progress and even public health when it gets in the way of legitimate scientific progress like stem cell research. Or, when it preaches against birth control in an age of AIDS and over population. Religion continues to hold back scientific progress and improving public health in the name of superstition. Absurd!
UOI: Let me take this in a little different direction. Buddhism seems to emphasize “the mind,” more so than faith. Why is that?
CA: That is one perspective, although a sophomoric assertion that isn’t really correct. The Lotus Sutra insists that its blessings and secrets can only be realized through faith.
UOI: What is your definition of faith here?
CA: The Christian idea of faith calls for belief in the supernatural. The creation of the world in six days by a supreme being, the parting of the Red Sea, the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven as flesh and blood being. Faith as a Christian, then, would have many levels. There are people who find evolution plausible while believing in the resurrection. You have people who take every word of the Bible literally. You got folks who see it’s all mythology and metaphor, but still believe in a supreme being and his Only Son. In many case, faith is about belief in the true God and good acts. For some, faith is about preparing for the kingdom of God here on earth.
The Buddhist definition of faith can be summarized as “honoring the dharma.” There is no anthropomorphic, monotheistic supreme being in control of physics and fate. There is only the Law which underlies existence. It governs physics, life, and consciousness. Buddha identified this mystic Law as Myoho-renge-kyo. To work at this fusion of mind and basic nature is faith.
UOI: What you’re describing sounds like God. Is this an acknowledgement of the existence of God, Charles?
CA: What the Judeo-Christian call God, is, in my opinion, Alien.
UOI: You mean like ET?
CA: I wouldn’t be the first to make that connection. Look, the universe is vast and complex. Masters of antiquity have thoroughly described other realms and realities. Esoteric knowledge points in that direction, it doesn’t necessarily mean nonsense. There is a very real possibility of extraterrestrial or inter-dimensional life forms that may be beyond our comprehension.
UOI: What you speak of sounds like the X-Files. It’s absurd...totally without anthropological or scientific foundation.
CA: It would be a mistake to accuse me of speaking irresponsibly. Is it that implausible for our planet to have had an intervention by highly advanced beings or a civilization from a galaxy with 200 billion stars and a universe with a trillion galaxies?
UOI: There are some Christians that believe that all life and the universe itself was created about 6000 years ago. What’s the Buddhist perspective on evolution?
CA: First, let me clear up the subject of possible Alien intervention. Based on the Bible, the Torah, the Kabala, the Vita, the Upanishads, the Buddhist sutras, and a whole host of esoteric texts. That doesn’t include the historical records and legends from the Egyptians, the Incas, Aztecs, Mayans, and many others. There is a great deal of evidence that points toward intervention. I just want to reiterate - to support this viewpoint, doesn’t make you a lunatic or a fool. On the contrary, the premise that the universe was created 6000 years ago is absurd. Why, only a few centuries ago, the Catholic Church said the sun revolved around the earth, and the earth was the center of the universe. No offense, of course.
UOI: Um…None taken, Charles. What about Buddhism and evolution?
CA: Evolution, as a liner process of adaptation and mutation is readily assimilated by Buddhism. There is no conflict, really. And I think this is an important point: Buddhism and science are, for the most part, mutually compatible. If science and Buddhism were to be in contradiction on some point, Buddhism would recognize that and adapt versus refutation of science, based on faith.
UOI: So, what are the Buddhist and Vedic ideas on creation?
CA: Well, there’s a difference there. The Vedic idea is that the universe was created by a deity, where Buddhism does not acknowledge any creator as such, but attributes the existence of the universe to wholly natural phenomena. The universe has no original beginning and no permanent end. Just an eternal repeat of appearance, development, decline, and extinction. In fact, where Vedic and Buddhist cosmology agree is that the universe repeats cycles over vast periods of time known as kalpas.
UOI: Science theorizes that the universe emerged at the moment of the Big Bang, some 14 billion years ago.
CA: I love reading Discover Magazine or watching that series on the Universe, that I call Universe, Lite. I’ve always fashioned myself as a sort of armchair astronomer or physicist. I like to keep up with that stuff. With that said, it’s clear to that we don’t have a clue as to the size, scope, age, or nature of the universe, let alone how life developed elsewhere. Ideas about the universe that some scientists put out there, with great conviction, I might add, are in a state of constant revision. In a couple hundred years, we’ll look back at what we know now and shake our heads in disbelief at our ignorance. It’s clear to me that the more we learn, the less we know and the more paradoxical it becomes.
UOI: So, the idea that the world was created 6000 years ago is absurd to you? What would you say to someone who wanted to teach this theory along with Intelligent Design in our classrooms?
CA: The 6000-year-old universe, the 6000-year-old planet theory is hilarious until you recall that the commander and chief, the guy who has his finger on the button, actually believe this! As far as Intelligent Design goes, which is a religious theme does not belong in the classroom, except as a mythology subject. Are the proponents of Intelligent Design going to be covering the Hindu take on this subject? In Hinduism, there was an intelligent design and humans began living on our earth more than a billion years ago.
UOI: These are legends that I’ve heard of, but haven’t really studied.
CA: Perhaps you should pick up one of Michael Cremo’s books like “Forbidden Archeology,” or “Human Devolution.” It’s fascinating. There’s a great deal of archeological evidence to suggest that many great civilizations have come and gone over a billion or more years, leaving artifacts and legends along the way. It’s pointless to get into this. I do not ascribe to Biblical or Vedic creators, but I am open to the idea that advanced civilizations have existed here before recorded history. The Buddhist Sutras and the Veda’s have extensive accounts of the kalpa system. According to both of these religions, human beings have risen and fell here, many, many times. These accounts could be literal, they could describe some parallel universe of other dimension, or they could be metaphors that describe the author’s fantasy of an incomprehensible universe. My money is on those legends describing different or parallel realms, beyond ordinary conception.
UOI: Just a couple more questions.
CA: How about something Buddhist?
UOI: All right, okay…there seems to be a resurgence of Buddhism in the West, almost a popular movement. What role or fate do you see for religion in the next century?
CA: I see science as diminishing the stranglehold that religion has had on humanity. Science is going to cause a lot of people to back away from religion, especially those based in superstition or faith over fact. There are quite a few people who will never let facts get in the way of their beliefs. But it seems that the more we learn the less we will be held captive by religion. I don’t know why people can’t see that Judaism, Christianity and Islam, are essentially the same religion. Their God, has a different name in each religion and each has their own prophets. But this God, fathered three remarkably similar teachings, all from the same region, all with similar commandments and afterlife views. To my way of reckoning, they’re one religion.
UOI: How about Buddhism and the Asian religions?
CA: Before I address that, you should understand that greed, capitalism, communism, regional politics, celebrity, sports, and yes, hedonism, are all, in a sense religions, having sway over peoples lives or more properly, their minds. As far as Asian religions, Buddhism will continue to grow because it dovetails nicely with science and enables people to attain higher states of consciousness.
UOI: What about the future?
CA: Unless we can shake off the illogic of religious superstition and the greedy foolishness of materialism seen everywhere, we won’t have much of a future. The earth doesn’t need us and we’ve proved our species to be, at times, despicable. I don't believe in or accept any of the final judgment doctrines, whose superstitions masquerade as prophecy. Buddhism will continue to evolve and grow, especially those Mahayana traditions that give practical guidance on self-development and ethics. Nichiren Buddhism could have a major impact on the world because of the ease of its practice and its benefits, but until Nichirenism can stop itself from being the attack dog of dharmanic zealots, and embrace other traditions, it will never live up to its potential. This is especially true for my parent religion, the SGI, which has the all the tools for promoting Buddhism on an unprecedented scale. But the SGI is root-bound right now. Until it changes its doctrines to be in line with contemporary scholarship, moves away from its cult of personality and does away with the boat anchor of Japanese custom and culture, not to mention the provincial hinderance of Japanese thinking, it will continue to be stagnent or devolve, like it has been. It’s a shame, really. Hundreds, maybe thousands of experienced SGI members, especially in America, have fled or been marginalized, because of doctrinal contradictions and a cultish heirarchy.
UO I:I find it interesting that you, a Nichiren Buddhist, criticizing your own religion.
CA: It’s not a criticism, it’s an objective fact. It would be like you statting that the Church was losing membership because of their stand on abortion, stem cell research, homosexuality, and the fear of pedophile priests. I’m convinced that the Lotus Sutra is the religious text and dharma to get us through and beyond the cycles of war and environmental catastrophe. Nichiren Buddhism offers an elegantly simple practice to transform idiots into Buddhas, and this planet is overrun with covetous idiots. It’s not like someone chants once and they’re liberated and forever transformed. It’s the process.
UOI: Seeing as how this is our last meeting, is there anything you’d like to add?
CA: Yes. Just one last thing.
UOI: What’s that?
CA: I hope your thesis is well received and that your mind will always be open to new possibilities. Remember, wisdom is more important than advanced degrees.
UOI: It’s been a pleasure.