Robin Beck

Dialogue with Reverend Tsuchiya

From:

KEMPON HOKKE INTERNATIONAL Click on BBS.

Reverend Tsuchiya: "Honmon-no-Honzon, the only real Buddha, is most important thing of Nichiren's doctrine. Therefore, SGI has not justice to criticize Nchiren-shu at all because they deny Buddha Shakamuni is an eternal Buddha against Nichiren's true teachings."

Robin: I agree on this. Many in SGI disagree with the "Three Taisekiji Innovations." We can read the Gosho [and Lotus Sutra] and figure that out.

Reverend Tsuchiya: "I have been relieved that you can read Lotus Sutra and Nichiren's works. It is not a problem of SGI's members. It is a problem of SGI which continue to educate people by wrong doctrine of Taisekiji's. SGI has expanded their power strongly by using Taisekiji's doctrine for 60 years.

"Nichiren shonin criticized other sects which slandered the eternal Buddha Shakamuni and worshiped other Buddha. He said it is like slandering Lord and respecting vassal. SGI is doing the same thing."

Robin: Once again, I agree. I have been pondering the reasons why Taisekiji’s three innovations had such broad appeal in:

1. Post World War II Japan.
2. Vietnam Era United States.

I think there were very different reasons. I shall skip Japan for now, but offer some brief ideas on “2.” Views of Buddhism in the US 30-40 years ago were mostly negative. The Soka Gakkai accidentally addressed some of the issues many Americans had about Buddhism. No statue worship was a big one;
pragmatism was another. Also, they distanced themselves from misinformed negativity about Shakyamuni, by making Nichiren the Buddha.

Many Americans once thought Shakyamuni was the same as Hotei. Others thought Buddhists set themselves on fire. Meditation was associated with skinny Yogins who wore diapers and twisted their bodies like pretzels. Buddhism was viewed as impractical, nihilistic, mystical, and anti-world.

Nichiren as the True Buddha was presented as a Christ like figure; a charismatic reformer who was persecuted by the authorities. In the Taisekeji scheme, his ‘new testament’ teaching superceded the ‘old testament’ of Shakyamuni. Nichiren's battle with evil was "Armageddonesque." All this, and the apparent ban on idolatry, appealed to defeated and disillusioned Christians; who were looking for a religion that "worked," but still had familiar messianic elements.

There is more to it, but that is the gist. Anyway, times have changed. Americans today mostly have more positive and accurate views of Shakyamuni, Buddhism, and meditation. Buddhism is viewed as intrinsically practical. Americans these days are interested in mindfulness and insight meditation. Cultivation of the Brahma-Vihara has appeal. These offer real relief from the stresses and anxieties of modern daily life. More sectarian strife does not.

Nichiren as the True Buddha, who eclipses Shakyamuni in the Last Days, no longer has the same messianic appeal. It also looks too much like covert Japanese Nationalism at work. Attachment to Taisekiji’s three innovations has caused SGI-USA's growth to stagnate. Sadly, many Americans now think Nichiren and Nikko really taught those things. It is important that other Nichiren schools get their message aired.

Posted by rbeck at January 2, 2007 11:58 AM