April 07, 2008
Moving On
My reading of recent events is that SGI members must accept Daisaku Ikeda as their infallible mentor; if they wish to be in good standing. I think the words quoted mean exactly what they appear to mean. I am moving on because it has become too much of an energy drain to continue as an internal reformer, so to speak.
Circa 1996, NST set requirements for continued membership. I accepted their right to do so, and moved on. I have never felt any real enmity toward Nichiren Shoshu. As I gained some distance, I realized that I had never really even accepted their doctrines. They certainly have the right to teach them. The same applies to Soka Gakkai. They have every right to teach that Ikeda is the mentor for this time. I can not accept that, so it would be hypocrisy to continue to call myself a member.
I had been encouraged by some positive developments in recent years. Some good sources indicated to me that key people in the Study Department wanted the Soka Gakkai to move more to the mainstream of Buddhist Scholarship. It even appeared that Ikeda supported this.
My present take is that Ikeda did want the Gakkai to be on the cutting edge of scholarship; provided that did not infringe on one core doctrine. It is fine for leaders to use up to date to date lingo, like calling the Daimoku a mantra. The Study Department also backed off their old understanding of the concept of Emptiness. They even hedged a bit on the True Buddha and Dai Gohonzon dogmas.
However, it appears the line is drawn on the doctrine of "Nikko as Sole Heir." In the comments I cite below, Ikeda continues to trumpet the Nichiren Shoshu slander of the other 5 elders. I suspect this doctrine might be sacrosanct because it provides a foundation for "One True Mentor" and "One True Sect." Daisaku Ikeda and Soka Gakkai implicitly claim to be the true modern heirs of Nikko Shonon and the Fujimon.
We are presently seeing Ikeda's role as the sole mentor ratcheted up to an unprecedented and embarrassing level. There is also a lot of talk about betrayers. Now, they are trotting out the pointless slander of the 5 Elders; comparing them to some unnamed modern betrayers. Meanwhile, Byrd gets reprimanded for publicly expressing some rather mild criticisms.
I have had enough. It is distracting me from my mettawaves practice. I had already effectively left in 2002. Since that time, my health and financial condition have gone from nothing left to lose to at least minimally acceptable. More importantly, I have gone from being miserable to more contented and emotionally stable than ever before. For the first time, each day is better than the day before.
There is very little about my daily practices that SGI would approve of. My doctrinal views are very different from what SGI officially promotes. The only reason I hung on was I wanted to part of a Sangha. At this point, I feel comfortable proceeding as a Sangha of one; or as part of SFI {Sangha For Independents · Independent Nichiren, Tusker Sangha}. The Gakkai I loved, that of VP Tsuji among others, simply no longer exists; if it ever did.
Daisaku Ikeda from
Daibyakurenge March 2008:
The Ukranian philosopher Hryhorii Skovoroda (1722-1794) warned:'An ungrateful heart is a source of the sufferings of hell. A grateful heart is a paradise abounding with myriad joys.'
The distinguishing features of all who have turned against the Soka Gakkai in the past are ingratitude, arrogance, self-interest and envy.Individuals who forget their gratitude to their mentor and betray their fellow members inevitably embark on course resulting in their own terrible suffering.
More than fifty years after the Daishonin's death, his direct disciple and true successor Nikko Shonin wrote 'The Twenty-Six Admonitions of Nikko'. In this document, he repudiates the erroneous views of the five senior priests who, losing sight of the profound debt they owed the Daishonin, turned their backs on his teachings. For half a century, Nikko Shonin waged an unrelenting struggle to preserve the Daishonin's legacy.
Up to the very end of his life, President Toda was filled with righteous outrage against the devilish nature of authority and the despicable behaviour of the priesthood, which together led to his mentor Tsunesaburo Makiguchi's death in prison. The path of repaying one's gratitude to one's mentor is an unceasing, earnest, lifelong endeavour.
Got here from a search nice blog, i like the layout of your site any ideas where i can get simliar for a new blog im going to start?
Thanks appreciated.
The way I think of it I may not be a member of a certain group anymore, but I am still a member of the sangha of all buddhist believers. And I'm still a part of the "all living beings" that all buddhists are working for the enlightenment of, so I'm not worried. As to your declaration I offer my congratulations.
ch
My reading of recent events is that SGI members must accept Daisaku Ikeda as their infallible mentor; if they wish to be in good standing. I do think one can disagree with the Party Line and be a member in poor standing, or keep one's mouth shut. Am I missing anything?
gassho
robin
Posted by: robin at April 8, 2008 10:26 PMRobin:
Based on the new requirements to be an SGI member, I will be making an announcement of my own status at Phantom City in the next few days.
Charles
Posted by: Charles at April 8, 2008 05:22 PMHi, Robin - for what it's worth, the most recent "Living Buddhism" magazine had an article about Mentor/Disciple and Nikko's spirit to protect Nichiren's teachings, and then the usual -how everyone else took the easy way out, and everyone else strayed and so on and so on. So, you are right that we are holding into this particular slander because it makes us feel big to ourselves.
Personally, I think this is too bad, since sooner or later, anyone who reads outside the box will learn that this is a lie, and it will cause the Gakkai to lose credbilty as a source of Buddhist scholarship.
Anyway, at the end of the piece, the author states that "the function of the mentor is to connect the disciple to the Law" - so it does seem official that the Gakkai is abandoning Nichiren's focus on the Eternal Buddha except perhaps as theory you can learn about ina lecture. If you want to actually "connect to the Law" at this point, you need to go through Ikeda.
In the years to come, I will be genuinely interested to see how this plays in the Christian fundamentalist areas of the US. I imagine that other schools of Buddhism will really want to put a bit more distance between them and the Gakki, if we are going to continue developing this doctrine. But that's me. On the other hand it may appeal to ex-Christians since the structure is so similar.
I was going to send you an e-mail, which you requested in a comment to my blog, Robin, but I don't have your e-mail address. Please send to me at wahzoh@yahoo.com and I will give you the info you seek. Best, Wahzoh
Posted by: Byrd in LA at April 8, 2008 03:29 PMRobin, you are never alone, you just bought their ramadula, and it is hard to see the goings on, but the Bodhisattva from Earth appear in Mappo, they were taught by Buddha and you remember that is why you can't take it anymore. Everyday is like taking a nice clean wonderful shower of jewels as you walk in the world knowing that each person has Buddha Nature, best to you. Nothing can touch you and infecting the Buddha teaching with SGI and Shoshu, Kempon teaching and trying to figure it out is a trap, to make you figure it out.
Good healthy eyes to you
Maltz
May your path be smooth and may you enjoy travelling it!
Namaste, Engyo Mike Barrett
Posted by: Engyo Mike Barrett at April 8, 2008 08:52 AMDear Robin, I am a member of a different, non-Nichiren 'Japanese' Buddhist tradition but follow your blog with interest in order to gain a deeper insight into Japanese religious phenomena. I wish you all the best in your new more solitary path and will be thinking of you. Gassho, K
Posted by: Kyoushin at April 8, 2008 02:22 AM