from April 17, 2005
On Refuting Other Schools
Below I have enclosed an excerpt, from a recent internal memo, that clearly reaffirms the perverse goal of the Official SGI Soka Spirit Movement, also known as as the dis-association movement.
Excerpt:
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April 12, 2005
Southeastern Zone Soka Spirit Tele-conference
Good Evening,
I am Richard Yoshimachi and I have recently been appointed as a Southeastern Zone Menšs Division leader. I am truly looking forward to work with you to make the next step of our Kose Rufu movement toward the Victorious Year 2010, the year we celebrate 80th Anniversary of Soka Gakkai and 50 th year of our worlds-wide movement led by President Ikeda. This is the movement to pursue our dream and President Ikedašs based on the victory of each members.
First, I would like to recognize tremendous ongoing efforts of all of you, especially your great outreach to many temple members, which resulted in many disassociations in the month of March. Also, I had a great opportunity to discuss with your Youth Division about the creation of April 24th Discussion meeting packet. Thank you, Youth Division.
Today, because of your strong commitment and seeking spirit in Soka Spirit movement, Mr. Norimasa Saito, SGI North America Bureau Chief has joined with us in this conference. I hope we can learn further understanding and importance of the Soka Spirit movement.
President Ikeda has repeatedly expressed that one of the most important things in the path of Kosen-Rufu is to protect our precious members. One of the protections is to expand understanding and the force of Buddha, and other is to protect them from the forces to take away members opportunity to become absolutely happy and destroys the unity of our comrades.
Toward this end, we have confirmed following 3 points as important direction of Soka Spirit movement at recent CEC.
(1) Continuation of Education Movement
(2) Reconfirmation and continuation of dis-association movement
(3) Completely up-root the future cause of existence of Nikken Sect in US
end of excerpt
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Recently, many of us have expressed hope that Soka Gakkai has been moving beyond beyond the old "Temple Issue" rhetoric. While this has apparently been the case, in some local areas, it is quite clearly not central SGI policy. The SGI remains committed to the destruction of the Overseas (outside Japan) Nichiren Shoshu propagation efforts.
Some noble warriors within SGI have suggested that Soka Spirit, which is the renamed anti-Nikken, anti-Nichiren Shoshu Temple Issue Movement, should move in a new direction. Specifically the direction of reexamining Nichiren Shoshu doctrines and discarding those which are erroneous.
I have been predicting there would be internal backlash. SGI, at the top, has no wish to discard Nichiren Shoshu doctrines that erroneously support their claims of exclusivity. Their position is that Taisekiji Chief Priest Nikken has deviated, so that the lineage of Taisekiji is no longer valid. Instead, they claim this exclusive heritage for themselves, in particular, Daisaku Ikeda.
The memo speaks for itself. I would add that the arbitrary appointment of a new Southeastern Zone Chief from Japan is evidence that Soka Gakkai in Japan has no interest in autonomy for SGI-USA or a democratic process of selecting leaders from within. SGI-USA is still very much the puppet of a powerful Japanese quasi-religious political organization.
As a marginalized member of SGI-USA I still feel tremendous gratitude that I was able to find Nichiren Buddhism in a way that was accessible. For that I am grateful to both Soka Gakkai and Nichiren Shoshu. I love them like parents. As a filial son, I must repay my debt of gratitude. That is why I oppose this continued silly war against our own former Priest-hood.
I choose to follow the spirit of this recent guidance from President Ikeda:
"It is crucial for us to raise the voice of refutation against evil and negative forces. If any responsible leaders fail to do so and remain silent, it is fake, self-protection and cowardly. The destructive evil and negativity slips into this self-centered cowardice. Leaders should never create this slacken attitude. That is why we have to raise our voice of justice."
Yes, we should speak up against the evil and negative force in our own midst. I propose three counter-points:
1. Turn Soka Spirit into a movement to reexamine SGI doctrine and reform the SGI Study Department, based on credible scholarship, instead of sectarian propaganda.
2. Reaffirm our SGI charter supporting religious freedom by ending this pathetically silly dis-association movement immediately.
3. Completely stop worrying about Nichiren Shoshu, and promote friendly relations with all Buddhist schools.
Lastly, I think what is most important, at this point, is to consciously cultivate the four immeasurables of Metta, Compassion, Shared Joy, and Equinamity in our hearts. Good always defeats evil, love conquers hatred. Evil can only win by seducing us to respond in kind. Then Mara, the Buddhist Lucifer, laughs while we sit with our heads in our hands, defeated again.
Let us not consent to be pawns in this foreign sectarian turf war. We are all noble "Buddhas to Be". We did not sign up to be the rope in some sinister game of tug of war. Let us stand up and just say, "Thanks anyway, but NO!", to this sectarian nonsense.
Posted by rbeck at April 17, 2005 01:26 AM
robin,
I feel much the same as you on this issue. It will change because of the perseverance of individuals who refuse to ignore the obvious and who do not relinquish personal vows to peer presure regardless of the supposed authority granted to the same by individuals either set on a path without recourse or simply those who need to be told what to think. Patience and diligence is reqiured. Here is one personal example why.
Recently I posed a question to the publications about a statement which the Soka Spirirt website made which was not only erroneous but completely contradictory to the Soka Gakkai position. It conviently dissapeared. But no other comment or communication was forthcomming from anyone to me about it. It changed. And, apparently, it never happened. LOL and call it anything you'd like, it still is what it is.
Soka Spirit
People's Republic of China
Patriot Act
The Soka Spirit, because it only deals with one aspect of this religion, the refutation of NST, is political. I care not what they do in Japan. But I live in a secular country and I intend to keep it that way or die in the effort. The cool part is, because of this practice I have enormous gratitude and will enjoy the whole process. Yahoo!
davey
"I was introduced to Buddhism via the SGI. What is wrong with you? I think the Soka Dis-association movement is working superbly well! It's stimulating many many SGI members to disassociate completely with the SGI. I am a case in point."
Soka Spirit is the virus within the lion and Ikeda ironically planted it himself.
Posted by: Mark Porter at August 20, 2005 07:17 PM
Good work Robin. Patty`s comment about the "Pig" pretty much sums it up for me.
Yoshimachi, and Saito trying to tell Americans how to think about the "hate the temple" business? Please!
I have a lot of friends in the Temple and still a few in the GI(Gakkai.) Americans treasure Freedom of Religion above all else. Nichiren said we should be doing shoju in a country with a non-Buddhist tradition. Shoju means to "Present the teachings and allow the person to make up his or her own mind."
This SS stuff has caused the Amirican GI to shrink dramaticly - but alas, I see a silver lining. When it finally gets down to Yoshimachi, Saito, Nagishima preaching Sensei`s wisdom to themselves, then perhaps a workable American sangha will emerge. I hope so.
Norman-san
Posted by: Norman at April 17, 2005 07:49 PM
Posted by rbeck at April 17, 2006 02:04 AM
Robin,
Thank you for posting the memo.
I was introduced to Buddhism via the SGI. What is wrong with you? I think the Soka Dis-association movement is working superbly well! It's stimulating many many SGI members to disassociate completely with the SGI. I am a case in point.
But seriously, and sarcasm aside, this need for the upper echelons of the SGI to persist in "protecting the members" (a term I find to be dreadfully patronizing that seemingly assumes a general member is not as "enlightened" as the SGI leadership) and to engage in encouraging negative daimoku and life states of hatred and anger (ie, the underlying tenet that it's good to hate and be angry with Nikken and with Nichiren Shoshu) is so antithetical, in my humble opinion, to what the Lotus Sutra, specifically, and Buddhism, in general, teach.
Like Dharmajim, the Soka Spirit thing caused me to consider abandoning Nichiren Buddhism entirely.
To its credit, the SGI has been the most visible Nichiren Buddhist organization. Lamentably, though - the Soka Spirit movement is bound to make many, many sensible and sensitive individuals turn away from Nichiren Buddhism before they get a chance to get to the true and beautiful heart of it. It's sad to see the SGI salt the sowing fields of the US in this way.
I don't like to be truculent - but I do think it important for American Nichiren Buddhists of all stripes to speak up, with as much love and patience as possible, about what Nichiren Buddhism IS - and is not.
With metta to you all,
Kris
Posted by: Kris at April 17, 2005 02:15 PM
***"New Soka Spirit direction?" My comment is an old country saying around here. You can dress up a pig and put shoes on it but it's still a pig.***
I was thinking they have harmed the term Soka in sort of the way Hitler did the svastika?
I thought it made sense at the time to have a division to adapt to the split.
I would still like to see it make a 180 degree turn. To internal self reflection instead of finger pointing.
But that would mean Ikeda adsmitting he was wrong, and that does not seem possible.
Maybe he could blame it on Yamizake?
robin
Posted by: robin at April 17, 2005 08:44 AM
"New Soka Spirit direction?" My comment is an old country saying around here. You can dress up a pig and put shoes on it but it's still a pig.
"Soka Spirit" is a poison pumping through SGI. Anyone who pussyfoots around this or makes excuses for it should read the Lotus Sutra and decide for themself.
Good work Robin. Take care, Patty
Posted by: Patty at April 17, 2005 06:34 AM
Hi Robin,
Terrific blog, thanks.
I find the SGI's goal to shut down Nichiren Shoshu temples, rid them from countries, etc., truly horrifying, an exercise in fascism. Granted, those are strong words, but I don't know how it can be looked at any other way. Why can't refutation suffice?
The last straw for me occurred at an SGI discussion meeting, where a brilliant sunset shone through the window and the moderator of the talk attributed its appearance to Nikken leaving New York. (Trust me, she wasn't kidding.) The grim irony is that the topic of this meeting was ethnic and religious tolerance.
Robin, I commend your rebuttals to this nonsense and I hope it makes for change. After seeing such hopes dashed over time, I tend to be among those who think it's futile, although this is one point I'd love to be proven wrong on.
Take care,
Gabrielle
Posted by: Gabrielle Wise at April 16, 2005 10:55 PM
Hi Robin.
I was refering the realm of society and the realm of environment. Collectively, the weight of individuals tips the scales one way or the other.
Granted, some individuals are heavier that others.
Posted by: chikushonin 智倶諸人 at April 16, 2005 09:32 PM
We need to gain some more "weight" Chikusan.
robin
Posted by: robin at April 16, 2005 10:33 PM
"I beg to differ. The stronger influence prevails."
And what is stronger? What did the Buddha teach about Hatred? Or Metta? There is an interesting story about why the Buddha taught the Metta Sutta.
Anyway, I agree with what you wrote to an extent. What we allow to be the stronger influence wins. But ANYONE who practices the Metta Cultivation will experience a change.
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
robin
Posted by: robin at April 16, 2005 09:01 PM
Good luck with Soka Spirit Robin.
"Good always defeats evil, love conquers hatred."
I beg to differ. The stronger influence prevails.
Posted by: chikushonin 智倶諸人 at April 16, 2005 07:25 PM
Good to hear from you again Dharmajim
Posted by: chikushonin 智倶諸人 at April 16, 2005 07:27 PM
***"I suspect that this campaign has kept more than a few newcomers away from Nichiren Buddhism altogether."***
What is distressing is that Richard Yoshimachi is a 'heavy hitter'; a product of Mr. Ikeda'a Soka Education System. At least that is what I understand.
There was a little more to the memo, but it is predictable Gakkia Speak. The leaders from Japan always reminded me of Chatty Kathy dolls or wind up robots. Clones of Ikeda?
I suppose there might be a silver lining to this latest SS push. They want to reach out to former members. Hopefully, more people will become educated as to what SS really is about.
What I want to do is encourage former members, and other American Buddhists, to respond. Make ourselves accesible. Let them know that their nonsense does not play here. It is not Buddhism; it is not what Nichiren taught.
"President Ikeda has repeatedly expressed that one of the most important things in the path of Kosen-Rufu is to protect our precious members. One of the protections is to expand understanding and the force of Buddha, and other is to protect them from the forces to take away members opportunity to become absolutely happy and destroys the unity of our comrades."
That is scary stuff. But I am chuckling. I guess we are the among the forces the precious members need protection from?
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo
robin
Posted by: robin at April 16, 2005 02:53 PM
Hi Robin:
I'm not a member of either SGI or Nichiren Shoshu and never have been. I came to Nichiren Buddhism through a different route. So I wanted to share an outsiders view of Soka Spirit, for what it's worth.
When I first heard that SS was chanting daimoku to curse Nikken and prevent him from arriving in the U.S. (I think this was for his New York visit) I was so disgusted that I almost gave up on Nichiren Buddhism altogether. For a while I actually stopped chanting daimoku (I substituted a different mantra, "Namu Shakyamuni Hum", which has a basis in the Lotus Sutra, so I was keeping my connection to the Lotus Sutra). What disgusted me was that people were attempting to turn a marvelous meditative tool into some kind of black magic spellcasting. Instead of using daimoku to open one's mind and heart to the deathelss, the compassionate presence of eternity, the daimoku was being transmuted for utterly egotistical purposes.
After a couple of months I found my equanimity again. I decided I wasn't going to let some group (of which I wasn't even a member) define the meaning of this marvelous practice. I returned to the daimoku and once again practice it on a daily basis.
It is an incomparable practice, but intention does matter. If one is chanting with the intention of cursing, very little, even anything, constructive will arise out of chanting. If one is chanting with a sense of the altrustic intention, I can think of no better practice for deepening one's sense that all beings have Buddha Nature.
In closing, I think Soka Spirit is damaging Nichiren Buddhism across the board. I don't think my reaction is isolated, or that I am the only person to react to its campaign in the way I did. I suspect that this campaign has kept more than a few newcomers away from Nichiren Buddhism altogether.
Best wishes,
Dharmajim
Posted by: Dharmajim at April 16, 2005 11:34 AM
I agree with you, and such is my wish too. I am very marginalized. Very rare do I attend an SGI activity, though I do maintain friendly association. I have said this many many times, and it seems no one "gets it". SGI still believes in Nichiren Shoshu, and I do not believe that will change. This means they will uphold all the Shoshu doctrines as Holy Truth. They only changed on the transfer of the lifeblood to the High Priest because they had to. And so, Nikken has become the Devil King. Sure, Nikken didn't "change" anything, except maybe tolerating Ikeda's megalomania and attempt to usurp control. Nikken "cut" the SGI off from the magic Daigohonzon and mystic lineage from Nikko the sole succesor. So, SGI is all against the "Nikken sect" as the one evil to be defeated. Yeah, it seems crazy to me too. Most honestly SGI has become the Ikeda Sect. But, back to the topic, Nichiren Shoshu remains the religion of SGI, and I don't see it changing. After the excomm, SGI now has to say the HP deviated, and somehow the Lifeblood of the Law has moved into the SGI, which is now the True Nichiren Shoshu sect, and so their SS goal is to destroy the priesthood and take their members. Sorta like how Christians wanna save souls. Anyway.
Posted by: Joe at April 16, 2005 08:06 AM
"I was introduced to Buddhism via the SGI. What is wrong with you? I think the Soka Dis-association movement is working superbly well! It's stimulating many many SGI members to disassociate completely with the SGI. I am a case in point."
Soka Spirit is the virus within the lion and Ikeda ironically planted it himself.
Posted by: Mark Porter at August 20, 2005 07:17 PM