Real Life with Ryuei

Rev. Ryuei -

I appreciate the rant, and I well understand the frustration.

However, I do think it a bit much to blame people who have been wrongly educated for operating on the basis of the education they have. Blame the people responsible for that mis-education, sure. But they aren't the ones asking you those questions, are they?

Yes, you have done much to provide information to people, so that they can understand that they have been miseducated. Some of them actually get it, if they are exposed to that information, and have time to think about it and reorganize their entire Buddhist paradigm in their heads. While this is still taking place, questions like those you list are bound to arise - AND IT'S NOT THE FAULT OF THE PEOPLE ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS.

I've now had seven years to rearrange my Buddhist paradigm - and I still find the occasional rough spot. I certainly don't blame myself for that, other than that I could have been more diligent about studying more widely the last seven years.

Here's an unrelated comment - I wonder if we ought not to use the english terminology more - especially as the different ministers and temples (within NONA anyway) don't seem to use the same terminology in Japanese for the same concepts or functions. Jukai, vs. Gojukai, vs. Taking the Precept(s), vs. Taking Refuge, etc., etc.

Namaste, Engyo Mike Barrett

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your comments. You are right - I should not blame people who have been miseducated. But I do want to grab their attention and shake them out of it. So my essay was in the way of "shakubuku." If things aren't strongly stated - people sometimes gloss over the importance and drasticness (is that a word?) of the change or difference.

And you are right about using English terminology. There really is no reason to use Gojukai instead of "Taking the Precepts" or perhaps "Accepting the Precepts." There is nothing particularly tricky about the word "Gojukai" or "Jukai" that would argue against simply translating it. For some reason the Zen Buddhists around these parts (and elsewhere I think) insist on calling it "Jukai" and I am not really sure why.

I remember being a bit startled myself when Rev. Faulconer pointed out to me that it is called "Jukai" in Nichiren Shu as well. So that was my moment of being "shakubukued." That was a couple of years ago actually.

The whole thing about Jukai being what is important really only came home to me during the Atlanta retreat. It was then I realized that many Nichiren Buddhists are focused on receiving the Gohonzon or becoming a member of some group - and I was struggling to convey to someone that there was more to it than that. And then I realized that it is Jukai that is essential and these other things have been clouding the issue. That this didn't occur to me earlier is perhaps the reason for my coming on so strong here. I am really knocking myself in the head for not seeing it before - and this is something that it is my responsibility to see.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei

Rev. Ryuei,

I appreciate your writing about Jukai. I recently took refuge and the Precepts as an Independent. It was one of the most profound moments of my life. For me it was about making the commitment, stating publicly that I am now a follower of the Buddha and Nichiren, and that I would uphold the Lotus Sutra and Odaimoku. I have a Gohonzon (received from Dan Ross), but for me the key isn't the words on paper but my commitment to myself and the world that I'll practice Buddhism with all my heart.

It was good to hear you talk about the importance of Jukai. Thank you.

Steve

Hi, Michael, and thanks for this effort to "clear up" a problem which has been sort of festering here in the LA area, particularly with the Nichiren Shu and ex-members of a "faceless monolithic religious corp. that will hound you to attend meetings, make offerings, pay dues, or go out recruiting peeople" (your language). People who are estranged or who have been marginalized within the Gakkai and have only a few years of practice are seeking somewhere else they can "join" and have a sense of community. "Getting a Gohonzon" is a sort of code for this. The mandala Gohonzon has come to be a sort of team banner within the Nichiren community - not just identifying someone as a Nichiren practitioner, but rather identifying him or her as a member of one of a number of "competing" groups. The sangha one initially joins has everything to do with how one defines "membership', "Buddhism" and the "Gohonzon". The mandala one has in one's home can "telegraph" any number of messages for those who are able to recognize the signs. It can mean anything from "I'm an old timer" to "I'll choose my own mentor, thank you."

For those of us who joined the "religious corporation" back when it was the lay organization of Nichiren Shoshu, "Gojukai" has a very specific meaning, and it's not "taking the precepts". It means getting tapped on the head by a priest of Nichiren Shoshu and receiving a mandala (all done in one fell swoop). Now, within the "religious corporation", the notion of "gojukai" no longer exists - it has been driven out in an anti-clerical crusade. The idea of "precepts" isn't even mentioned anymore, if indeed it ever was. When someone "joins", they "receive their Gohonzon" -- precepts couldn't be less relevant. The closest thing to a precept I can see is simply an implied agreement to chant and follow the leader. That's too bad, as it means we are drifting further away from Buddhism as the rest of the world knows it, and making it more difficult to communicate across the chasm.

Thanks for being a voice of Buddhist reason, Michael. Best, Byrd

"However, I do think it a bit much to blame people who have been wrongly educated for operating on the basis of the education they have."

On the other hand I think it's purely a value judgment to call Gakkai orientation "wrong". I mean I understand Gakkai bashing (bashing is a bit of a hyperbole), but SGI has their own way of thinking, other Nichiren sects have theirs. The reality is that SGI is a sect and therefore not responsible for teaching their members about *other* sects.

Kinda harsh, neh?

But seriously, think about it. Scholars and historians do have an implied responsibility to at least try and be objective and all-encompassing, but religious sects do not, hence the term "sectarian".

Unfortunately Nichiren Shu gets Gakkai fallout, those who can't hack it in SGI for whatever reason. So in fact they do come over to Nichiren Shu never ever considering that there are different values employed. Since everything in SGI is based around receiving Gohonzon, the natural assumption to join Nichiren Shu is to "get a different Gohonzon". I suspect also that many people are purely focused only on the object and really don't even wish to practice in Nichiren Shu, rather just get another Gohonzon.

In this case it's correct to just say "sorry, no".

It's rough, but it's all good in the end. Ryuei's essay is excellent, and Engyo Barrett's comments are patent.

All I wish to add is that SGI is a Nichiren sect with every bit as much of a right to further it's own sectarian values and teachings.

Even if not all of them match with actual history, or we're not at all sure just which teachings we're following.

RG

Ryuei,

A timely post. I think we're at a pivotal point for Nichiren Buddhism in America. The old SGI "Have a Gohonzon" days are behind us; Buddhism in general is much more acceptable to middle America than it was 30 years ago; and Nichiren Buddhism has to re-define itself.

The trick, I guess, it to find a way to reveal the deep profundity of Nichiren Buddhism while keeping the practice accessible to a broad range of people. One thing that must be avoided, as you point out, is the idea that the Gohonzon is a magical piece of paper that grants its owner spiritual power and various boons. That line of thinking is appropriate for Hogwart's, but not for our lives in the real world. At the same time, let's trash the idea that getting a Gohonzon is some kind of entry into a Buddhist 'in-group'.

I'm sure you recall the omamori Gohonzon that recently sold on Ebay for a ridiculous sum; it was listed as a "talisman". There's a perfect (if blatant) example of the mindset we need to change.

A simple step forward, I suppose, would be more emphasis on daimoku; not just recitation, but the revolutionary meaning of the phrase 'namu myoho renge kyo'. I think you make a much-needed point--if people are looking for the power of Nichiren Buddhism, they'll find it there, whether they're looking at a Gohonzon, the sky, or a bare wall.

Gassho,

Allan

Inciteful articles and great comments.

I think the focus on "getting" the stuff is also related to a Western tendency to need stuff to show what you are doing. Some people's objects of worships extend well into their personal possessions (car, house, jewelry, designer goods for example).

I remember in Nichiren's writings that over and over he admonishes to his followers to not think that the Gohonzon is outside of themselves. The object of worship is a focal point to observe one's mind, not where enlightenment lies.

Living in the SGI brand of Nichiren Buddhism, I do see a lot of focus on people getting Gohonzon right away. But I am also aware of many overseas members (such as in Korea, Latin America and Africa) who have practiced for many years (not months) without a Gohonzon. It didn't make them less of a member.

Remembering for me that faith, practice and study are as important as the "thing in the box."

Having a great time with the living Gohonzons in my life:)

Best,

Dr. Mimi

Rev. Greg -

My apologies - I intended the phrase "wrongly educated" directly in response to Rev. Ryuei's viewpoint, and not as a general statement. I didn't clearly identify it that way - and I should have.

I have no argument with SGI's existence, nor with calling it a Nichiren Buddhist organization. No organization is perfect in it's education of its members, and of course there are going to be disagreements on what is important, etc. I could wish for a bit broader viewpoint, but that decision is not mine to make.

Namaste, Engyo Mike Barrett

"I'm sure you recall the omamori Gohonzon that recently sold on Ebay for a ridiculous sum; it was listed as a "talisman". There's a perfect (if blatant) example of the mindset we need to change."

Those omamori Gohonzon given out by the Priests were very rare, and not given freely. It's no wonder that older ones fetch high prices on Ebay.

The first Gohonzon I ever saw was the Nikken Omamori. I would love a chance to see one again. It amazed me when I saw it.

Engyo Barrett, thanks for the follow up reply. Certainly SGI could be broader, but I am tending to think these days that a broader perspective of Nichiren Buddhism and Buddhism in general is an individual responsibility. Many, if not most SGI members are happy only understanding their own practice.

Rev. Greg

Hi Rev. Greg,

You said that "a broader perspective of Nichiren Buddhism and Buddhism in general is an individual responsibility." I agree. In any Buddhist school you are going to find those who are happy with their own narrow perspectives, and most traditional schools in Asia are not actively engaged in promoting a deeper understanding. They just want to keep on keeping on.

But part of the "individual responsibility" I believe is taking refuge in the Sangha and trying to find "good friends" from whom are with whom to deepen one's faith, understanding and practice. Remember that in response to Ananda's claim that "good friends" (kalyanamitra or zenchishiki) were "half the holy life" Shakyamuni Buddha said, "Do not say that Ananda. Good friends are the whole of the holy life." So it is incumbent upon us to try to find good mentors (real face-to-face mentors). And in Nichiren Buddhism (there is a gosho about this) a good mentor is someone who directs you not to himself or to an organization but directly back to the Lotus Sutra and into the Lotus Sutra as lived experience of the truth of our lives. These good friends or mentors are not always official teachers, nor are they always even members or teachers in our own school. But it is most helpful if one does find one's good friends and mentors within one's particular lineage of the Sangha (or perhaps one should begin questioning whether one's practice is advancing because of our in spite of one's lineage). The Buddha's advice to practice alone like a lone elephant in the forest was intended for those who could not otherwise find good friends and perhaps needed to get away from bad or hindering influences.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei

Ryuei,

Were you referring to the quote in the Gosho about "following the Law and not the Person?"

For me this has stuck in my mind throughout my practice. Locales may vary in their situations, all practitioners have opinions. In another spiritual group I belong to there is a saying "opinions are like lower orifices (cleaning it up), everyone has one."

I also learned there to take what I need an leave the rest.

The challenge for me is that "the taking what I need" embraces a correct practice.

Some days are more correct than others...

Best,

Dr. Mimi