The Lotus Sutra on Priests Part 1
TRuby2b
“‘Ajita, these good men and good women need not for my sake erect towers and
temples or build monks quarters or make the four kinds of offerings to the
community of monks. Why? because these good men and good women, in receiving,
embracing, reading and reciting this sutra, have already erected towers,
constructed monks quarters, and given alms to the community of monks.” LS, p.
240
“In that evil age there will be monks
with perverse wisdom and hearts that are fawning and crooked
who will suppose the have attained what they have
not attained.
being proud and boastful in heart
Or there will be forest-dwelling monks
wearing clothing of patched rags and living in retirement,
who will claim they are practicing the true way,
despising and looking down on all humankind.
Greedy for profit and support,
They will preach the Law to white-robed laymen...
These men with evil in their hearts,
constantly thinking of worldly affairs ...
take delight in proclaiming our faults... LS, p.193-194.
The Tirthikas, themselves bent on profit and honor, will say of us that we are
so, and shame on such monks! -- they will preach their own fictions.
Saddharma-Pundarika, p. 259
In that dreadful, most terrible; period of frightful general revolution will
many fiendish monks stand up as our [The Boddhisatvas of the Earth] revilers.
Ibid. 260
“The Lord [Shakyamuni] himself knows that in the last period there are (to be)
wicked monks...” Ibid. 261.
Such a young man or young lady of good family, Agita, need make no Stupas for
me, nor monasteries; need not give to the congregation of monks medicaments
for the sick or (other) requisites. For, Agita, such a young man or young
lady of good family has (spiritually) built for the worship of my relics
Stupas of seven precious substances reaching up to the Brahma-world in
height...” (Ibid. pp 321-322)
“O Ajita! Such a good man or good woman need not ever erect stupa or
monastary, build cells for the samgha, or make the four kinds of offerings to
the samgha-multitude for my sake.” Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine
Dharma, p. 252
“And again, if [anyone], after the extinction of the Tathagata, hears this
sutra, and does not defame but rejoices over it, you may know that he has had
the sign of deep faith and discernment; how much more the one who reads and
recites, receives and keeps it -- this man carries the Tathagata on his head*.
Ajita! Such a good son or good daughter need no more erect stupas, temples,
or monasteries for me, nor make offerings of the four requisites to the
monks.” The Threefold Lotus Sutra, p 264. * The Kern version has it that if
one carries the Lotus Sutra on his shoulders he carries the Tathagata [Thus
Come One] on his shoulders. The Kern version makes more sense.
These passages from the Lotus Sutra cause me to rejoice in the greatness of the
SGI.
Read The Lotus Sutra
Stop giving money to slanderous priest
Free the erroneous Nichiren Sects
Terry
At the Golden arbn Keyboard!
On 24 Oct 1997 17:47:58 GMT, tru...@aol.com (TRuby2b) wrote:
>“In that evil age there will be monks
>with perverse wisdom and hearts that are fawning and crooked
Ah, crooked:
LOS ANGELES TIMES:
Komeito must overcome not only the bad publicity from
Soka Gakkai's battle with the head temple, but also a series of
recent scandals. In April, the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum,
an affiliate of the sect, was embroiled in an art scam over the purchase
of two Renoir paintings, "Woman Bathing" and "Woman
Reading." Tax authorities say prices on the paintings were
manipulated to help one or more of the parties save on taxes.
http://www.cebunet.com/sgi/aftermath.htm
BBC WORLD NEWS REPORT:
PROF. HIROHISA KITANO (Professor of law at Nihon University):
Nobody knows actually how rich Soka Gakkai is.
Experts estimate Soka Gakkai has more than 1,000 properties
throughout Japan with total assets of more than 10,000 billion
yen (125 billion U.S. dollars).
BBC: An investigation into Soka Gakkai's gravestone business
was triggered by the discovery of the yen equivalent of 1.2 million
(U.S.) dollars in a safe discarded in a scrap yard.
PROF. KITANO: A top member of Soka Gakkai said is
was his own, personal money, and that it had no connection with
Soka Gakkai. The tax office thought it strange, and they
started a full-scale investigation.
BBC: Tax investigators could find no trace of two French nationals
who supposedly sold the two Renoir paintings to Mitsubishi. It appears
to have been a double sale of the paintings in which 11 million (U.S.)
dollars went astray -- simply disappeared.
Japanese newspapers suggest that the money probably finished-up
in a political "slush-fund," and that Soka Gakkai is more
interested in pedaling political influence than it is in French impressionism.
http://www.cebunet.com/sgi/issues.htm
>who will suppose the have attained what they have
>not attained.
Ikeda claims that the Gak members have all attained
the status of the treasure of the priest, but the gakkers
know this is not possible so they distance themselves from the label
Ikeda has bestowed upon them:
"At the present time, the Soka Gakkai itself is the one and only
group of united priests which receives and inherits the 'lifeblood of
faith.'" (Seikyo Shinbun, 9/18/93)
"lay believers who, amoung all the people in the world,
embrace, believe in and practice the True Law...can also
be said to be the treasure of the priest"
"lay believers who are disciples of the Daishonin
individually represent the treasure of the priest"
"it can be said that the priests and lay believers
all individually represent the treasure of the priest"
Speech by Soka Gakkai DIkeda
World Fibune, Sept. 30, 1991
>being proud and boastful in heart
Proud and boastful...let me see...
I got it!:
>To achieve that elevated life condition, the individual
>requires a vehicle -- much like a rocket transports an astronaut
>into orbit -- propelled by our efforts to spread the Mystic Law.
>That rocket is the SGI, and the lay Buddhist organization will
>naturally lead us to the highest of all states of being.
> Adding to this explanation, Mr Ikeda said that daily gongyo is
>a practice conducted for oneself while SGI activities are those
>undertaken for others, the former likened to the daily rotation of
>the Earth on its axis and the latter, the Earth's annual revolution
>around the sun. In this day and age, no one can attain Buddhahood
>without participating in SGI activities, he asserted.
>Daisaku Ikeda SGI NEWSLETTER
> Tuesday, 12th March 1996 No. 2644
>"Let us PROUDLY put to an end the Nichiren Shoshu Priesthood."
>Daisaku Ikeda, World Tribune
http://www.cebunet.com/sgi/deviations.html
*******************************
>Greedy for profit and support,
>They will preach the Law to white-robed laymen...
>These men with evil in their hearts,
>constantly thinking of worldly affairs ... LS, p.193-194.
Ah! Worldly affairs. SGI are experts at coddling
the various worldly dictators and evil rulers.
They are so greedy they can't even keep track of all the
wealth they have amassed:
TOKYO, July 19 – When workers at a waste dump in Yokohama
pried open an old safe two and a half weeks ago and $1.2
million in yen notes fell to their feet, Japan at first laughed it off
as the latest in a series of madcap cases in which people here
literally threw money away.
But as the police have begun to unravel puzzle of the
Yokohama safe, it has taken a decidedly more political turn. Days before
Japan goes to the polls on Sunday in the first major election
atter two political scandals, the money has been linked to a
powerful, militant Buddhist religious sect, the Soka Gakkai.
The sect, in turn, controls the Komeito or Clean Government party
Japan's second-largest opposition party, and one of several
hoping to benefit from public disgust with the governing Liberal
Democrats.
The explanations offered to investigators by the Soka Gakkai so far –
that the money came from selling cheap trinkets at a
temple – strike many people as highly dubious.
>
>The Tirthikas, themselves bent on profit and honor, will say of us that we are
> so, and shame on such monks! -- they will preach their own fictions.
> Saddharma-Pundarika, p. 259
Ah! Fictions! Here's a good example on how preaching fictions
will just get you mixed up:
Jim Cub says:
"Naturally, when we perform the function of the Treasure of the "Priest",
we
obtain the virtue of the Treasure of the Priest."
And Jim says:
"No, we're not priests, if by "priests" you mean clergy. What we are --
hopefully merited through our practice -- is the Third Treasure."
Jim
But Jim says:
"There are in fact many, may references to the Three Treasures from
before 1977 or so, all of which declare that the Treasure of the Priest is
Nikko and Nikko alone.
Nittatsu said: " ...Nikko Shonin, the Treasure of the Priest."
But Kathy Says:
Most other sects of Buddhism translate that treasure to be the Treasure
of the Sangha or order (sect) -- which is generally made up of all
members of the sect -- priests, lay believers, whatever. However, the
sect to which you belong has always translated it as "priest". What is
really meant by "Priest"? Well, historically, it has always meant Nikko
Shonin and him alone.
However, in the BROADER sense it can be said to include the "Sangha"
definition -- all members of the sect, regardless of their roles.
And Ikeda says:
"At the present time, the Soka Gakkai itself is the one and only
group of united priests which receives and inherits the 'lifeblood of
faith.'" (Seikyo Shinbun, 9/18/93)
But Kathy says:
"No one in SGI is a priest...This does not mean that SGIers ARE priests.
I personally would regard it as an insult to be mistaken for a priest."
But the Daishonin says:
"...both the Treasure of the Buddha and the treasure of the Law are
invariably perpetuated by Priests....Even though Buddhism existed,
without the Priests who studied it and passed it on, it would never
have been transmitted throughout the 2000 years of the Former & Middle
Days into the Latter Day of the Law."
MWND (MW5 p11)
"This Sutra cannot be understood other than
receiving the transmission"
Zenshu p398
As I expected, many of the disciples who appeared even after the Sage's
passing are saying that they are the Sage's direct disciples. These people
are slanderers."
(Nikko Shonin, The Complete Writings of the Successive High Priests of
Nichiren Shoshu, Vol 1, p. 184)
And 1983 NSIC (SGI) Dictionary of Buddhist Terms says:
Kechimyaku
The "Nichiren Ichigo Guho Fuzoku Sho" reads in part, "Order of the
heritage: from Nichiren to Nikko," This is called in Nichiren Shoshu
the heritage of the entity of the Law (Jap: hottai no kechimyaku), or
the specific transmission from Nichiren Daishonin to his
immediate successor Nikko Shonin, and in turn, to each of the
successive high priests.
And the pre-1991 SGI MWND says:
Three Treasures
In Nichiren Shoshu, "the Buddha" indicates the True Buddha, Nichiren
Daishonin;
"the Law" is the Dai-Gohonzon, the object of worship;
and "the priest" is Nikko Shonin, and also indicates the successive
High Priests.
Kathy says:
"I've heard that visiting Taisekiji was an invention of the Gakkai, as a
way to support the priesthood financially."
But Josei Toda Said:
"When all is said and done, if you
don't go on Tozan yourself and pray to the Dai-Gohon-
zon, your faith will not mature." (The Collected Lec-
tures of Josei Toda, vol I, p. 112)
But James Trail says:
>To be expelled from Nichiren Shoshu and find oneself unable even
: to SEE the DaiGohonzon is the ULTIMATE disgrace and misfortune.
Oh, really! This is silly!!!
This is not Buddhism but idol worship. The Gohonzon is only to be found
within. If I depend upon an external object for salvation my practice
my life will never be satisfied, never advance.
I must seek within, to know the outer.
But Kathy says:
I wish I could go too, Craig, but it would pointless to compromise my
faith by supporting Taisekiji in this way at this time.
James says:
"Anyhow so happy that now
Daisaku Ikeda can be fully true to himself. He looks so much happier
and healthier these days than 20 years ago. He had to bide his time
tolerating the evil priests."
And Kathy says:
"Those words were spoken during a period of
deliberate accomodation [of the prisethood] by the SGI"
But Ikeda says:
" I, as the representative of all Soka Gakkai
members, swear our loyality to his Holiness Nittatsu Shonin."
Ryogaoku Hall of Nihon University, May 3, 1960
But Kathy says:
"It's not OK to dupe people."
But Ikeda says:
" I remained silent for 10 years concerning the behavior of the
priesthood."
He further says:
"They [the priesthood] are enemies of Kosenrufu and enemies
of Buddhism who seek to render the Buddha's words meaningless.
For this reason, we must resolutely CRUSH them."
But the SGI charter says:
"3. SGI shall respect and protect the freedom of religion and religious
expression."
"7. SGI shall, based on the Buddhist spirit of tolerance, respect other
religions
But Ikeda says:
"Let us proudly advance on the supreme road to Kosenrufu as we
BRING AN END to the Nikken sect."
But Ikeda says:
"As long as one is a nichiren shoshu priest or lay believer, he or she
should absolutely be obedient to the high priest. Those priests and lay
believers who, instead of following him, go against him or attack him,
are
no longer considered practitioners of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism.
Despite countless slanderous words or malicious plots, we consistently
have protected the Head Temple and followed the high priest, for we
believe doing so is truly correct faith."
Feb. 1, 1982 speech at Oita Community Center commemoration ceremony
And The Nirvana Sutra says:
"If even a good priest sees someone slandering the Law and
disregards him, failing to reproach him, to oust him or to punish
him for his offense, then that priest is betraying Buddhism. But if he
takes
the slanderer severely to task, drives him off or punishes him,
then he is my disciple and one who truly understands my teachings."
I don't know about you but I'm getting dizzy from watching SGI run
around in circles like a cat with a piece of tape stuck to it's tail.
Maybe that's the idea. Keep 'em dizzy so they won't know which
way is up...
>“The Lord [Shakyamuni] himself knows that in the last period there are (to be)
> wicked monks...” Ibid. 261.
"At the present time, the Soka Gakkai itself is the one and only
group of united priests which receives and inherits the 'lifeblood of
faith.'" (Seikyo Shinbun, 9/18/93)
"lay believers who, amoung all the people in the world,
embrace, believe in and practice the True Law...can also
be said to be the treasure of the priest"
"lay believers who are disciples of the Daishonin
individually represent the treasure of the priest"
"it can be said that the priests and lay believers
all individually represent the treasure of the priest"
Speech by Soka Gakkai DIkeda
World Fibune, Sept. 30, 1991
>
>Such a good son or good daughter need no more erect stupas, temples,
> or monasteries for me, nor make offerings of the four requisites to the
> monks.” The Threefold Lotus Sutra, p 264.
Then what the hell is Ikeda/SGI inc doing building temples in Africa, clown?
Don't you feel silly criticising your own org?
>
>These passages from the Lotus Sutra cause me to rejoice in the greatness of the
> SGI.
>Terry
How bout dem gak priests in Africa, Teery? Ikeda
didn't say anything about that kind of priest other than that
those priests who wear dem magic robes are e-e-e-e-vil
and all member-priests should be seated high above them.
But is the African temple built differently than any other?
Do the SGI priests sit on the pews and pick their noses while
the gak members all get up high above them in front and sing
songs written by the SGI pr?
In a please-all strategy, the gakkers are becoming more and more confused
in their rhetoric. They attempt to please Jim and the Ruby shus by claiming
all members are priests. The "treasure of the community" as it would be.
But since the African members aren't going for that like, well, I guess
the gak org can "accomodate" them and give them priests. You cannot have it
both ways. Either all members are priests and priests are not neccesary
or you have temples and priests.
The gak org in it's hypocritical state is one big contradiction.
No wonder you cannot find any "Buddhist" study materials
on the gak org. website. It's all DIFFERENT depending on where
you are at. They are stuck with merely publishing PR crap on the net
for fear of the Truth of the confusion in SGI getting out.
Craig
To reply by E-mail: jqpu...@netnitco.net
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