It seems to me that throughout history the big question for all Nichiren Buddhists has been, how orthodox?, and of course just what IS orthodoxy in Nichiren Buddhism?
One version of history states that Nikko left Minobu because the Lord of that province had enshrined a statue of Shakyamuni without accompanying statues of the four Bodhisattvas thus making the statues representative of the historical and not the eternal Shakyamuni Buddha. This strict stance on the part of Nichiren’s leading disciple set an early standard for Nichiren orthodoxy.
As centuries rolled by this question of orthodoxy and strictness resurfaced again and again, providing a large foundation for the history of Nichiren’s teaching as well as the practice of Shakabuku, the cornerstone of Nichiren practice.
Fuju Fuse
There is an aspect of Nichiren history that is especially interesting, the part that encompasses fuju fuse, or “not giving or receiving alms”. This policy truly embodies the Nichiren sects beginning sectarian struggle with “how orthodox?”
Throughout early history the Nichiren sect seems to have been able to skirt having to participate in Government-sponsored religious events. In 1595, according to Jacqueline Stone, Toyotomi Hideyoshi demanded that one hundred monks from every sect participate in monthly rituals to prayer for his deceased relatives. At that time a council of Nichiren monks from Kyoto decided to compromise. It appears that after this event in history the Nichiren sect would remain divided on whether to accommodate the Government in such matters, or to remain aloof for the sake of Nichiren’s original intent and doctrine.
The factions of the fuju fuse movement and jufuse (receiving but not giving alms) fought it out bitterly. In one instance the opponents of the monk Nichio, who strongly opposed fuju fuse, managed to have him exiled. The teacher Nikkyo and his five students, all proponents of fuju fuse, were paraded through the streets of Kyoto and then had their ears and noses cut off. The fuju fuse movement eventually moved underground due to Government insistence and crackdown that all sects cooperate with each other
In spite of this much later in history a priest by the name of Nichiki (1800-1859) who advocated abandoning shakabuku for the milder shoju, felt that the Rissho Ankoku Ron , the key document of Nichiren from which all shakabuku is based, in fact clearly illustrated that the time for Shakabuku had passed, and that Japan had moved from a period where it slandered the law to a time when it was ignorant of the law. He was one of many priests who would decide that measured compromise was befitting our modern age.
SGI and Nichiren Shoshu
I was surprised and fascinated by Jacqueline Stone’s assertion that the schism between Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai was caused not by a struggle for authority, rather by a difference in opinions regarding compromise. Nichiren exclusivism vs. a more lenient global stance towards interfaith cooperation were the stances at the root of the breakup. I myself was surprised since I was practicing when it happened, but I remain accepting that members of SGI are not always told the real truth. This, I believe, is an intercultural communication struggle between we and the Japanese, who clearly have a different standard for truth telling.
Stone expresses that the Nichiren Shoshu overseas department objected to Pres. Ikeda’s beliefs that it is SGI’s peace movement and cultural activities are the legitimate and appropriate form of propagation rather than traditional shakabuku. I remain confident at least a part of our protest was to their insistance that the High Priest was a living embodiment of the law.
Orthodoxy today
The struggle for orthodoxy today is an interesting one. First, I cannot help believing that the movement of Nichiren’s Buddhism outside of Japan and Japanese culture is itself grounds for a redefinition for propagation and how we co-exist with our neighbors on a religious level. Fundamentalism is intensely frowned upon in the US, and our current struggle maintaining the separation of Church and State as guaranteed in our Constitution is made more difficult by the modern climate of global fear, sending many deep inside the most fundamentalist recesses of their own religious beliefs.
Since 1990/91, marking both the break up of the NSS-SGI relationship AND a time when the internet had become more readily accessible, other sects of Nichiren Buddhism founds roots in America, and new sub-sects of SGI members who were dissatisfied came into being. These sub-groups could never exist without the internet communication platform. The new era of the internet sangha came into being.
Kempon Hokke, a sect with a rich tradition of orthodoxy and the already existing Nichiren Shu became two repositories for disgruntled SGI members. During this time a new struggle for orthodoxy emerged which is best illustrated by Stone’s observation regarding Nikko’s departure from Mt. Minobu for reasons based on his dissatisfaction of the behavior of his fellow disciples of Nichiren and the acts of the Lord of that province;
“Here we see the beginning of a pattern within the tradition, whereby individuals and groups would seek to establish their own orthodoxy vis-à-vis rival Nichiren lineages by re-appropriating the exclusivist position of their founder.” (From “Nichiren Exclusivism…”)
Americans and other Westerners have gravitated to and in some cases hijacked traditional Nichiren sects in order to stake their claims of orthodoxy nearly all of whom using Soka Gakki International as the metric for their level of orthodoxy. Most, but not all of these break-away believers were once SGI members themselves.
A few have, in fact, become actual Nichiren fundamentalists.
Fundamentalism in Nichiren
This is brings us to the real question, is a Nichiren Fundamentalist really even a Buddhist?
We here in America were not born with the Buddhistic traditions and values. As our country thrives on a rich tradition of acceptance of other peoples, cultures and religion (in theory at least) I think it is only reasonable to accept that fundamentalist behavior in ANY religion violates American cultural ethos.
A few Nichiren fundamentalists have become so narrow that they talk and write in ways wholly offensive, labeling virtually everyone who does not accept their authority and narrow view of ultra-Nichiren orthodoxy as slanderers and heretics. While their fight is especially aimed towards SGI and Nichiren Shu members, they completely disregard all other religious faiths and traditions en mass. If an SGI Nichiren Buddhist falls short of being a true Nichiren believer, and is instead is an evil slanderer, how much worst is a Catholic or a Jew? I do not know that answer. Anyone attempting to answer that question would have to improvise since there is no mention of interfaith policy in the cannon of Nichiren Daishonin.
There must emerge a base-line value system for Buddhists. While most Buddhists do not fit in the general perception of non-violent vegetarian robed monks, none-the-less there must emerge some basic values which become universal for those of us who consider ourselves folowers of the Buddhist tradition.
Whatever those values are, tribal fundamentalism is not among them. Those who preach their fire and brimstone version of Nichiren’s Buddhism will remain in groups who share the characteristics of cults, with one single authoritarian leader dictating doctrine to a small group who seeks safety and comfort in their shadow. In some cases these personalities use education and language skill to hold their position, while others simply use authoritarian behavior and rhetoric to maintain their place.
In all cases, and I am purposely avoiding naming the groups of which I am referring, the leaders vehemently deny even being a leader, while their speech and actions clearly indicate otherwise.
Combative and exclusivist behavior and speech is not in keeping with our Western culture. It is not appropriate for the propagation of Nichiren’s teachings worldwide, regardless of the sect or group. We do not live in medieval Japan and our actions must reflect that. To behave as though we are ourselves Nichiren is akin to being a historical re-creationist and not a true Nichiren believer of this time.
It’s all something to examine and re-examine as our history unfolds. Nichiren’s teachings have clearly taken root. Regardless of what some of us wish to believe, there is no single organization for the practice of true Buddhism for all people. This is simply not how real life works. In every incarnation of Nichiren sangha there will be strengths and weaknesses. In reality members will join and quit SGI and other groups not because of the orthodoxy of their teachings, rather the individual behavior of members and leaders within that group.
THIS fact has been at the very root of SGI’s struggles to compassionately support and teach it’s members. As hard as SGI works to evolve into the world event-shaping organization it strives to be, there will still be intercultural conflicts between the Japanese and citizens of other non-Asiatic Countries, and poorly behaving leaders and members will continue to use and abuse SGI to exercise their own agendas and desire for power over others.
In the end we all have Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and the Gohonzon. No one can truly determine which sub-sect or specific teaching leads to, or leads away from enlightenment. Even SGI has begun to re-embrace the Lotus Sutra and the Eternal Shakyamuni and I believe a time will come when we will completel walk away from the ficticious mythology of our ex-preiesthood.
One thing I do believe is that fundamentalists will not attain enlightenement in this lifetime.
Rev. Greg