I just came in from my cold windy coastal back yard. Around to the back of my home I planted the giant Japanese Vivax bamboo. The plot where the bamboo is planted is not huge, but nonetheless significant for sitting by, and listening to the wind blow through. Wind blown bamboo, along with my collection of wind chimes, makes for a nice backdrop for study.
I’m studying Living Buddhism, Mar-Apr 2008, section (12), page 64 which is the study for April. It’s amazing to me how dualistic SGI can be at times. As others have noticed our study lectures are really quite high level, especially in contrast to past era’s Gakkai study efforts.
“Earthly desires are enlightenment, and the sufferings of birth and death are Nirvana” is the overriding theme of this section. I’ve been fortunate to have a WD member come into my district that has stepped up to become our study liaison. She presents very mainstream views on the material at district meetings, which leaves me free to present what I want to present. Without her I find myself grudgingly having to represent the party line more than I am comfortable with.
My Gakkai Buddhism is a Buddhism of partial omission. I simply omit cultism when I run head-long into it. In my area there is virtually none of this function, at least in view of my personal sensitivity.
I believe that the Buddhism of the Soka Gakkai is valid, and real. It’s easy to discard something that appears brand new (in the Buddhist-anthropological time line anyway). This is an important point about our Buddhism.
Mahayana, in terms of scholarship and research, did not come into being until long after the death of Shakyamuni Buddha.
This is a hard thing to grasp as Nichiren fully bases his entire life’s work on the Lotus Sutra as the Buddha’s final and ultimate teaching.
The reality remains that Buddhism can certainly not be viewed as being limited only to “the Buddha”. The teachings of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni continued to evolve and develop long after his passing. In fact it continues to develop today. This is perfectly acceptable to myself in light of the vast socio-political changes through centuries of human devolvement. We simply live in a vastly more complex and complicated world today than that of Nichiren, and certainly then that of prehistoric India.
The Buddhism of the Soka Gakkai remains, in my opinion, the newest and most applicable evolution of those teachings for today’s world, at least the omitted Buddhism of the Soka Gakkai.
What I define as the omitted Buddhism of the Soka Gakkai is primarily our tradition of practice. What I omit is the parts I simply don’t understand, which is the emerging dark cultism of M/D and exclusivism.
Enough has been written about the M/D thing, so let me elaborate on my idea of exclusivism. What I mean is our “we are number one!” mentality. Page 65 of the Living Buddhism states “The Soka Gakkai alone has inherited the ultimate law of life and death from Nichiren, correctly upholding and practicing his teaching and spreading it widely throughout the world in accord with his instructions”.
I have my own personal feelings and beliefs regarding this hard-lined stance. First, I know a lot more about other Nichiren sects than the SGI wishes I or any other member did, which makes it difficult to subscribe to such an exclusive belief.
This paragraph is italicized for the simple reason that it contains two key principles;
1) “belief”
2) “exclusive”
Number one addresses how I feel about much of the cultism that is emerging from SGI. It’s one thing to sincerely believe SGI is the one and only Nichiren sect fulfilling Nichiren’s will. As a personal conviction, epiphany or inspiration, this belief creates powerful images and feelings. As a published doctrine, it’s ugly.
Ugly - “Displeasing to the eye; unsightly. Repulsive or offensive; objectionable: an ugly remark”.
This kind of exclusive group doctrine has not played out well for the Jews. I’m at a loss as to why we continue to push this agenda, in public, for all to see. It’s the kind of thinking that is acceptable among the Japanese perhaps, but not throughout the free world.
I object. I will continue to object. My objection has nothing to do with my personal opinion of whether or not this claim is true, rather with the reality that we, as a Buddhist lay organization, shouldn’t be talking like that. For one thing, there is no metric available to prove it, and therefore it remains a belief, not a fact.
Our cult brothers the Scientologists at least have a metric to gauge one’s progress toward “clear”. They have their E-METER used in their practice of auditing, or “clutching the cans” as I have heard it called. We have no “B-METER” or Bodhisattva-of-the-Earth meter or any other method of proving our claims as fact.
I want the SGI to stop talking like we are the Jewish Buddhists. Please.
Number two is that ugly word exclusive;
Exclusive - Excluding or tending to exclude: exclusive barriers. Not allowing something else; incompatible: mutually exclusive conditions.
This is what we are becoming - exclusive. In western thinking exclusive usually denotes something valuable, such as an “exclusive club”. What good is a club that lets just anyone in? As Woody Allen once said, “I would never want to be a member of a club that would have me as a member”. Exclusive can be a powerful marketing tool, but for the Buddhism of ultimate human freedom, it blows.
We’re Buddhists, not the Freemasons. We should be inclusive, at least in some ways, or to some degree. Instead SGI, in my opinion, is becoming exclusive.
I don’t know why these things are happening. Perhaps we are losing members to the temple groups of Nichiren Shoshu. Problem is, the more we behave like we are, the more we will lose. "Anyone can join" you say? True, but if you aren't with us, you're against us.
MY Buddhism omits these ugly things, and so I won’t discuss them at the next study meeting - this Saturday.
My Buddhism is what I believe to be the real Buddhism of the Soka Gakkai. It’s the Buddhism of daily practice. It’s the Buddhism of “Earthly desires are enlightenment, and the sufferings of birth and death are Nirvana”. The SGI’s Buddhism is the Buddhism for those who never desired to be Buddhists, rather just wanted to chant to be happy. THAT’S what I mean by inclusive Buddhism. Anyone can chant. Simply stated, this is the Buddhism of the Lotus Sutra appropriate for our current age, an age of global universalism, the Buddhism for one world.
Rev. Greg
P.S. I'm still not signing.
Exclusivism and even the M/D cultism is not new to the SGI. They simply turned up the heat on a simmering pot. As point out; in someone's response, certainly the SGI does not exclude anyone from becoming a member. Once you are a member, the implicit expectation to propagate SGI Buddhism as the only 'true' form is consistantly reinforced. I agree with Aaron's assertion that SGI is "closing the ranks". And I think that much of what it has done since the split goes along the lines of 'damage control'. Instituting M/D was planned long ago, and strategically implemented. I remember feeling blindsided by it. Like I'd just been wacked upside the head. Whoa nelly, why didn't I see THAT coming? Two words: faith & hope. Both are good things, but to have faith and hope that a corporate organization is going to do the right thing is just plain gullible. Am I jaded? No, I've become a realist. That's not a bad thing. It was needed.
Ashley
Posted by: Ashley at May 3, 2008 12:59 AMBut I am sure they are signing.... but we really don't know what they believe in? But if they are the kind of people the SGI wants on their Exec Council Meetings? Wow, glad I left in 1975....
http://www.mafaa.org/committees/exec_council/minutes/2007_03_30.pdf
Maltz
Posted by: Bruce Maltz at April 22, 2008 06:55 AMIt's business as usual for the Rubys, that being deception and lies. They are trying to fool people, which is what you do when you don't have confidence in your own position. Typical. Sad.
Cheers!
Andy
Posted by: Andy Hanlen at April 21, 2008 03:49 PMAt first I couldn't determine if the Ruby's had gone to the temple or not, it's confusing. But yeah, pretty much they are stick to their old story. It's inconceivable that any human being could go so long and not evolve or develop in their views.
As I have suspected all along, there must be some other, non-buddhist pay-off in it for them.
Rev. Greg
Posted by: Rev. Greg at April 21, 2008 01:36 AMhttp://www.jlaforums.com/link.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nstemple.net%2F
Off topic, but I can't believe Kathy Ruby is still at it.. OY.. and this is a good result?
Maltz
http://www.jlaforums.com/link.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nstemple.net%2F
Greg, I just read a few of Aaron's post, calling you anti-Semitic. That is incorrect. What you are is Politically Incorrect in the way you state things. This should be no surprise to you.
If you were PC (as opposed to PIC) you would carefully determine if what you write MIGHT piss off or offend some person or group, and very carefully structure what you say to avoid any whiff or possibility of anything like that. You, of course, are blunt and don't really give a crap if some folks are too sensitive, so you just write what you think (which I, for one, find rather refreshing).
Glad to help out with your understanding of this matter.
Cheers!
Andy
Posted by: Andy Hanlen at April 18, 2008 09:37 PMGreg, your Buddhism is correct, but it is NOT Soka Gakkai Buddhism, nor will it ever be. SG Buddhism is the exclusive kind which you reject. Why you continue to seek your Buddhism within the SGI's is beyond me.
I mean, I can understand staying with the SGI; we've discussed that before, but with this blog post you are clearly describing what is YOUR Buddhism, and then labeling it "Soka Gakkai" Buddhism, and that's just a fading dream. Good luck with that.
Cheers!
Andy
Posted by: Andy Hanlen at April 18, 2008 09:32 PMThat was off-topic a bit, Bruce, but accurate. My copyright law professor was involved in an action back in the 70's, I think, where the Gakkai and NST tried, together, to ban a book published, (I believe) by the University of Hawaii. This book used a Nichiren mandala as the frontispiece, similar to the way that Daniel Montgomery used one as the cover for his book "Fire in the Lotus". At any event, I believe the outcome (and this could easily have been predicted), was that the mandala and daimoku were in the public domain.
This is just what I recall, it's not gospel, but I think that you can copyright the art on the fcabric which surrounds the mandala, but not the mandala itslef, if it is over a certain age, and if there is a new mandala created (i.e., an Ikeda-inscribed mandala, or something like that), then that could be copyrighted for the appropriate length of time (ie., life of the author + 75 years).
I do think it's interesting how the Gakkai tends to take a "market monopoly" approach to how it sees the practice. The SGI doen't like what it sees as "competition", and this makes it hostile to other Nichiren Buddhists it could be in cooperation with.
Bye for now, Byrd in LA
Posted by: Byrd in LA at April 18, 2008 07:19 PMIn case you didn't know, in the past Ikeda tried to copyright Namu Myoho Renge Kyo and the Mandala..
Maltz
Posted by: Bruce Maltz at April 18, 2008 11:22 AMRobin, I think evangelical christian is a good comparison and I would point out that there are christian sects which are not involved in any kind of ecuminical council and some I am sure would be opposed to it completely.
Posted by: clown hidden at April 18, 2008 06:03 AMSenju or devotion to a single path, exclusive of others, is valid, Dogen, Bichiren, Shinran, Ippen all taught it. iirc, Shingon / Vajra teaches it to initiates. The idea is to stay focused; you can't
really do Honen's Nembutsu and Nichiren's Daimoku together, unless you are fairly advanced.
That is different from exclusive in the sense of excluding people; iirc, Soka Gakkai will pretty much take anyone. They will frown on those who think for themselves, but it is hard to get kicked out. Sicking O'Reilly on them will do it.
The one true sect is different kind of animal. Not really the same as chosen people either, the Jews are not evangelical. Besides, the Koreans are the chosen people. And the freemasons are secret, not really any of the above.
Really, SGI's exclusivism might be closer to evangelical Xians, except Xians tend to be more ecumenical? At any rate, I think the more sects competing in a free & fair market place, the better.
r
Posted by: robin at April 18, 2008 04:45 AMFWIW, I don't think that Greg's post was anti-Semitic at all. As I mentioned in a comment at Ryuei's site, I am planning to write pretty soon on the topic of exclusivism and how it led to vicious anti-semitism in Europe.
Greg, I think what the Gakkai trying to do here is create a sort of market monopoly on the Daimoku, by eliminating all "competition" - in essence, this is how Christianity took over the monotheistic market in Europe, by demonizing the Jews. My concern is not that the SGI become the Jews of Buddhism, but that it becomes the Holy Inquisition. But that will be my blog,and that will be next week.
And, the world is full of souls who will call you names. I've been called a few, too - it's not always worth a fight. And I sort of figured out that Aaron was Jewish - Aaron was Moses' brother, every Lutheran (even the anti-semitic ones) knows that. ;)
Bye for now, Wahzoh
Posted by: Byrd in LA at April 17, 2008 08:54 PMI think there is a great chasm of difference between a philosophy that asserts that it is the highest truth and an organization, which is just a group of people, claiming that it exclusively posses that truth and that it can only be understood through a connection with them. Religions have made similar claims through out recorded history, in each and every case then as well as now those claims are false. It is not reasonably possible that they could ever be true.
Whenever someone is saying this they are trying to control you by making you reliant on them.
It looks like my comment didn't post. The thing that I was agreeing with was what I thought was the maintheme that if you trimmed off the culty bits from SGI you would have left something worth having.
Posted by: clown hidden at April 17, 2008 05:50 PMThe SGI has ever right to assert that they are the one and only true sect of Buddhism - the problem is that such a statement is utterly absurd. Based on the Lotus Sutra, that is most inclusive, unless you're an actor, a butcher, a wrestler, and so on, the Lotus Sutra clearly states that those who embrace it will please Shakyamuni and all other Buddhas. The benefits of those who embrace, read, recite, copy, etc. the sutra are also lavishly described. But no where in there does it designate one particular sect as being the only possible way to attain Buddhahood or avoid avichi hell.
When the SGI proclaims that they are the one and true inheriters of true Buddhism, they are saying that all the other Nichiren sects, and all the other sects of Buddhism in the world are heretical. But what evidence can they cite to validate this assertion. It certainly isnt in the Lotus Sutra. I never read in the Lotus Sutra a prediction that the one true school of Buddhism would appear in Japan, led by three great lay masters who would unify the world with the essence of their perfect teaching. You are in deep trouble when you use some portions of the sutra as metaphors, and others as historical predicition, like in the fifth five hundred year period after my passing. Heck, the Chinese and Japanese thought that Shakyamuni was born some five hundred years earlier than modern scholarship has proven.
In reference to Vanya's comment: " If your concern is that it's unprovable, well, it can't be proven chanting daimoku does anything, at least not scientifically."
I have often challenged the SGI to have daimoku studied by impartial scientists, like the prayer studies being conducted at Universities throughout the world and at the prayer research group Spindrift. I suspect thy will find that daimoku has the same result as the Lord's Prayer, those nasty heretical mantras, and perhaps the phrase bingo-bango-bongo.
You can claim superiority a million times but that doesn't make it so.
Charles
I guess I still don't get it. If you want a namby-pamby-new-age-everything-is-beautiful -all-roads-lead-to-the-same-place buddhism, SGI ain't it. In fact, Greg, you don't seem like the kind of person who would want that, so I don't know what your problem is. If SGI believes they are the one true sect, they should say so, up front, and anyone who doesn't like it, tough. If your concern is that it's unprovable, well, it can't be proven chanting daimoku does anything, at least not scientifically.
Posted by: Vanya at April 17, 2008 02:19 AMLali, please read the Senji Sho by Nichiren himself. The people in this time have lost the power to receive benefit. Tendai and Dengyo wrote about it as well, don't believe me. You might even want to read the works of Shakyamuni.
If you do read the Sutra, you will see that you have already practiced the Buddha Way, with the Eternal Buddha.
Your outward appearance, dynamic rhythm of life as you say, material possessions are cheap toys in the Burning House and are not a result of understanding the Lotus Sutra. Many people have a dynamic life, great fortunes, good health and do not have a SGI Gohonzon, never heard of Daisaku Ikeda, and have no religious faith. You are stubbornly holding on to a irrational object while drowning in the ocean.
The SGI really doesn't make you happy, your practice doesn't really make you happy it is an addiction.
Maltz
Posted by: Bruce Maltz at April 16, 2008 11:05 PM"It’s one thing to sincerely believe SGI is the one and only Nichiren sect fulfilling Nichiren’s will. As a PERSONAL CONVICTION, EPIPHANY OR INSPIRATION, this belief creates powerful images and feelings. As a published doctrine, it’s ugly."
This time Vanya does not see meaning of what is said. Religion feeling or experience if you prefer, is deep personal. And I have every right to live my religion in the way Greg mentioned. RELIGION ORGANISATION with official doctrine cannot behave it that manner. Otherwise it could become political organisation, ergo ideology, ergo just one side-what is the last thing religion organisation want to be, since every large religion is by definition universal.
Vanya asks; "I don't get it. So SGI can believe they are the one true sect, but they shouldn't say it out loud. Isn't that one definition of a cult, saying one thing and believing another?"
Good clarifying question. No, SGI shouldn't believe it, and shouldn't teach it, because it can't be proved and it just makes us exclusive. If we as individual believers perhaps have an epiphany that we are the Bodhisatvas of the Earth - whatever. As a doctrine of policy, it's ugly, and unprovable.
Unprovable was really the point I was making. To proclaim something as TRUTH when it is really a BELIEF is what fundamentalists do, not Buddhists.
What I should have added to my blog is that this belief of exclusivism isn't getting us ANYTHING, and may be driving people away from us.
Rev. Greg
Posted by: Rev. Greg at April 16, 2008 09:48 PM
Where in Lotus Sutra is said that in Mappo people will not benefit from any practice? I understood Lotus Sutra mentioned previous practices in that manner, just that. Second, yes, this religion have real potention to make people better. If they have such need at all. Not wish to be better, but need to be better. So, it takes to be in some way weak. To have a heart. Law is revealing. And, what do you know about "after life"? I bet you simply misunderstood even that.
Again, it is realy ugly to atacking someone for antisemitism or prejudice basing just on word regardless the meaning of what he is talking about. Like: I know you hate me, just waiting for the word escaping you. It is simply mean.
I don't get it. So SGI can believe they are the one true sect, but they shouldn't say it out loud. Isn't that one definition of a cult, saying one thing and believing another?
Posted by: Vanya at April 16, 2008 08:31 PMLali, do you really think Religion makes people better? Religion divides people. Just look at the results. Anyway, my point, was the teaching of Buddha, the Lotus Sutra actually say in Mappo people will not benefit from any practice. Everything you do is HUMAN invented. HUMANS have no power to make a Buddhist practice to give you enlightenment.The actual instruction is ignored, and people like Ryueieie make up stuff so they can feel important and get people even more confused. SGI gives people the "chosen one" mentality, yes like "Jews", Greg is right. I remember when was in NSA, and we would sit with Ikeda and wonder, "Why were we chosen?" Truth is , we are all the same, the law is for everyone, everyone has Buddha Nature, when you die, no one is going to ask you what sect you were in.
Maltz
Posted by: Bruce Maltz at April 16, 2008 07:17 PMThis is excellent blog Rev Greg. I enjoy very much reading it for quite some time. Almost everything you posted, I understood, I think. What some people posted here however I don't understand. Brus Maltz for example. Who states no need to anything. No practise, no Gohonzon, no religion. Maybe, and I am sincere, I am just stupid. Maybe I don't see how perfect am I, so no need for me to want to be better. Or, maybe I am what I am and couldn't be better, even if I want to. No hope for me. Never mind. Now, Aaron. Just use some words, jewish for instance, and you are instantly ill, discarded, shut your mouth better to say. Passive agresive.
Posted by: lali at April 16, 2008 06:38 PMHi all,
Ok, I am going to share my reaction to the blog - setting aside Aaron and Greg's back and forth.
I understood the point was not to put down the Jews, but to say that SGI should not set itself up as the "chosen people" of Nichiren Buddhism. The problem is that this analogy implies that Jews are necessarily chauvanistic and in that are not to be emulated. So I could see where a Jewish person might take umbrage to that. I have not ever personally found any Jewish people I have known to be chauvanistic about their ethnicity or faith, and in fact I have read books by rabbis about Judaism and the Bible who have taken great pains to explain why the "chosen people" idea enshrined in their holy scriptures should not be interpreted in an elitiest, exclusivistic, or chauvanistic way.
From what I know of Greg he is no anti-Semite (and that is a pretty harsh charge to accuse someone of right off the bat) but he does enjoy provoking the provokeable. I think it is a hobby of his. Sometimes though, this might come across as very insensitive. Maybe I am wrong. If so, please Greg do not put out a ninja contract on me. :)
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei
Hi Boys:
Now stop fighting, I will be a real Bodhisatta and take away your suffering while giving joy and peace of mind.
Aaron, I'm with you all the way about the SGI. I can't understand wy an intelligent man like Greg still clings to the SGI organization when he has all the tools to go out there and garner some converts for True Buddhism on his very own.
However, Aaron, I don't agree one little bit what you said about Greg being anti-semitic and this coming from a paisono, if you know what I mean. It is ingrained in the jewish religion that, "we are the chosen people" and Rabbi Schlofnitz, when talking off the record and in private with faithful, would surely proclaim the very same. That is why the Jewish faith has not expanded but is contracting. There are just so many chosen people to go around and this is what Greg was etting it. the sGI too is not growing and may in fact be losing members and that is why they are becoming desperate and making so many mistakes.
The sGI is ugly through and through. Mixing the clean with the unclean is worse than the unclean itself and this was a significant teaching by Nichiren Daishonin. Those terribly people who put ground glasss in a steak and feed it to a dog are not unlike the SGI. This is why I fear for my friend Greg. He is complicit because he doesn't understan this teaching.
Mark
Posted by: Mark Rogow at April 16, 2008 05:35 PMI didn't take your comments as anti-semitic. I'm Jewish. I thought they were illustrative of your point about exclusivism.
I'm reading What the Buddha Taught. Here's a relevant passage from page 10:
"Then the Buddha gave advice of extreme importance to the group of Brahmins: 'It is not proper for a wise man who maintains (lit. protects) truth to come to the conclusion: "This alone is Truth, and everything else is false".'
Asked by the young Brahmin to explain the idea of maintaining or protecting the truth, the Buddha said: 'A man has a faith. If he says "This is my faith", so far he maintains truth. But by that he cannot proceed to the absolute conclusion: "This alone is Truth, and everything else is false".' In other words, a man may believe what he likes, and he may say "I believe this'. So far, he respects truth. But because of his belief or faith, he should not say that what he believes is alone the Truth, and everything else is false.
The Buddha says: 'To be attached to one thing (to a certain view) and to look down upon other things (views) as inferior -- this the wise men call a fetter.'
Aaron - the only thing that makes me mad is that you jumped on my blog and started throwing serious accusations without being IN THE LEAST prepared to support them with any reasoning.
I think you just liked how it felt to defend an issue and use grown-up words like "despicable" and "unevolved".
You blew it buddy, you really screwed the pooch on this one. Next time be better prepared.
Clown - what exactly did you agree with? And yeah, I'm thinking it was Woody who was quoting Groucho. Thanks.
RG
Posted by: Rev. Greg at April 16, 2008 03:50 PMI couldn't agree more. The only thing is I think Groucho said it first.
Posted by: clown hidden at April 16, 2008 03:43 PMGreg,
Take a pill and get some help for your rage. There is something seriously wrong wit you.
And this has been my experience with people in the SGI and another reason to run (not walk) away from that org as fast as possible. The sorts of people that get off on being in a cult are unstable. You Greg, are not the first of your ilk I have encountered.
I will not be posting anymore on this blog until I can see that you are dealing with your illness.
Shalom and Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Aaron
Posted by: Aaron at April 16, 2008 03:27 PMFirst of all, let me say, I have a Jewish Heritage, I had a Bar Mitzvah, second there is no such thing as a Buddhism of EDAEATSOFADAN, it is something the SGI invented. You don't have to chant to be happy, you can be happy without chanting, I do not chant. Your confusion of the historical Sakyamuni needs some fine tuning, probably because of your SGI training, no one needs a Mandala, it is the Ceremony in Space, and there is hope for you if you can only shake your addiction to RELIGION. How can you be a Buddhist, if you follow a non Buddhist teaching? I like you Gregg, I am not being confrontational, when are you going to stop being abused? The Law is for all, the Law is the Lifespan of the Buddha, not SGI, or chanting, or gongyo, or meetings, gohonzons, kempon, lamont, etc. I can walk you through the Lotus Sutra, step by step, you can accept or reject, I agree to disagree, but at least be open to an American approach to what the hell is wrong with this picture. My door is open to you or anyone.
Maltz
Oh, now you are a Jew. Why didn't you state that in your first comment? Didn't that seem sort of relevant to you? You said you shared it with your Jewish friends, you didn't say you shared my blog with ANOTHER Jew.
You're an idiot Aaron. I'm offended by your childish attempts at ambushing me, and your baseless accusations of antisemitism and bigotry which you have totally failed to back up with any explanation whatsoever.
If you wish to comment on my blog, please get your shit together and figure out what you really have to say, instead of just wishing you had a reason.
Truthfully I don't believe a thing you have written.
Rev. Greg
Posted by: Rev. Greg at April 16, 2008 06:36 AMGreg,
I just reread your last post. You know, the one where you call me a liar.
Just to let you know, a Jew did read your thread. I am a Jew. My mother is Jewish and my father is Jewish. Irregardless of the fact that I practice Buddhism, I am a Jew.
Aaron
Greg,
Name calling? Wow - and rather than take responsibility for your bigotry you call me a liar. I am not a liar.
So much for Peace, Culture and Education.
Aaron
First, I do have a Jewish friend and I have sent a message to her via facebook. I am waiting for her to respond. It takes time for people to reply. Not everyone is sitting by their keyboard. You mentioned friends, Buddhist and Jewish, and some Gakkai. I'm thinking you've implied no less than four friends.
You're a liar Aaron, as it regards your friends. It's possible of course, but highly unlikely. You're using the classic "Many people have told me...". That aside, and until a Jew replies to this thread, I am still waiting for you to explain to me why my comments are antisemitic. You seem an intelligent person, I'm sure you can explain it to me. It's NOT self-evident to me at all. Just because I mentioned the Jewish people, and use a tenant of their religion as an illustration to make a point about MY religion, does not make me or my comments antisemitic.
Perhaps you want me to mention the Jehovah's Witnesses, or the Catholics? Or the Muslims? I did mention the Freemasons, and my family has strong ties to the Masonic temple.
I think you're looking for a fight, and created one where none exists.
Rev. Greg
Posted by: Rev. Greg at April 16, 2008 04:59 AMGreg,
Go back and reread my first response. I think the anti-semitism is easy to grasp.
Or better yet, do you have any Jewish friends? Ask them to read your blog and see what kind of reaction you get. Or even better, why don't you chant about it and see what kind of clarity the Dharma can provide you with. I believe your comments (in Buddhism) constitute slander.
I am not being hyperbolic or over-sensitive. And it's very easy to circulate your comments with the click of a button. It took 10 minutes to share this stuff with friends.
Aaron
Posted by: Aaron at April 16, 2008 04:52 AMWHAT!?!?!? My freakin' blog is less than an hour old! But seriously Aaron, stop the hyperbole and explain to me why my comments are anti-Jewish, please. I hope it isn't just because I mention "the Jews". It had better be more than that.
I am, for the record, anti-exclusivism, and the Jewish religion with it's "Chosen people" doctrine served as an accurate analogy.
Rev. Greg
Posted by: Rev. Greg at April 16, 2008 04:40 AMGreg,
Your comments are not inflammatory - they are anti-semitic. I don't think I could convince you so I am not going to try. I have shared your comments with online friends - both Jewish and Buddhist (even with a few Gakkai friends) and they all agree that they are despicable and the product of some very unevolved thinking about Jews.
Aaron
Posted by: Aaron at April 16, 2008 04:07 AMMy comments regarding the Jewish religion were not meant to be inflammatory. I didn't even make that view up, rather it came from a Jewish comic.
Convince me that it was antisemitic and I'll update my blog. I am not antisemitic to my knowledge, but I think the "chosen people" in all the groups, sects and cults is exclusively short-sighted.
Rev. Greg
Posted by: Rev. Greg at April 16, 2008 03:54 AMGreg,
Do you have any idea how anti-semitic your references to Jews read in this post? I'm shocked.
In one statement you relate the historical pesecution of the Jewish people to some kind of ugly elitism and in another you express further contempt for the Jewish people (yes, the Jewa are a people not an "organization") by stating that you want the SGI to stop talking like the Jewish Buddhists.
I am surprised. I thought you were more enlightened. I won't bother to try and correct your perception (I already know it's going to relate to some narrow gentile interpretation of the "chosen people" thing) but you could turn down the anti-semitic rhetoric a little bit.
On another note: The SGI is becoming somewhat more elitist in doctine to close ranks and make more money as other Buddhist options are becoming more attractive to potential members. It's that simple.
Truly disappointed,
Aaron
Posted by: Aaron at April 16, 2008 03:23 AM