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The Line Between Serving the
Members and Being Self-Serving |
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Dave Baldschun
SGI-USA Vice Study Department Leader
Unity is a primary concern in Buddhism. Among the five
cardinal sins mentioned in various Buddhist texts, which
include murdering one’s parents and injuring a Buddha,
is causing disunity in the community of believers.
Nichiren Daishonin wrote frankly about those believers
who betrayed him and his followers. In “The Workings
of Brahma and Shakra,” he writes: “Sho-bo,
Noto-bo, and the lay nun of Nagoe were once Nichiren’s
disciples. Greedy, cowardly, and foolish, they nonetheless
pass themselves off as wise persons. When persecutions
befell me, they took advantage of these to convince many
of my followers to drop out” (The Writings of Nichiren
Daishonin, p. 800). SGI President Ikeda often warns us
today of the dangers of those whose behavior disrupts
and attempts to even destroy our organization. So, who
are these people?
This summer, in a series of lectures to leaders, President
Ikeda said: “Our organization is important, but
any leaders who exploit it and behave arrogantly because
of their position have got their priorities completely
reversed. We must strictly reprimand anyone who is guilty
of such conduct” (September 23, 2005, World Tribune,
p. II).
“Those who obstruct the advancement of the Soka
Gakkai — an organization carrying out the Buddha’s
will and decree — and inflict suffering on its members
are far worse than any fearsome bandit” (September
23, 2005, World Tribune, p. IV).
Although it may be distasteful, Buddhism tells us that
people will attempt to thwart our efforts for kosen-rufu—both
from within and without our community of believers. This
is not a case of criticizing or holding contrary opinions.
The organization would wither without strenuous dialogue
reflecting honest and differing views. We are talking
about devious and manipulative behavior that is a genuine
threat to the health of the organization, and thus to
our movement for peace.
Actually, the history of the Soka Gakkai is one of confronting
this type of opposition. Those who caused the most trouble
were in high positions in the organization. But the common
denominator is to use the organization for one’s
own advancement or profit, or to undermine the organization
entirely. Probably the most notorious is Masatomo Yamazaki,
a former lawyer for the Soka Gakkai who spent a few years
in jail for trying to extort money from the organization.
He continues to attack the Soka Gakkai, having aligned
himself with the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood. (See The
Untold History of the Fuji School, pp. 139–53.)
Another well-known troublemaker for the Soka Gakkai was
a vice president named Genjiro Fukushima. I actually met
Mr. Fukushima a few times during an extended stay in Japan
in 1970. At that time, he was an up-and-coming “star”
in the Soka Gakkai — handsome, charming and charismatic.
I immediately liked him. Everyone did.
The story was that, as a student and before joining the
Soka Gakkai, he was obsessed with finding a mentor. All
his classmates knew that was his goal in life. Of course,
after he joined, he was an exemplary disciple of President
Ikeda. Or appeared to be. One of my conversations with
him centered on that topic, and his guidance was right
on. I believed he would go on to do great things.
What he ended up doing was anything but great. He played
a pivotal role in sabotaging the relationship between
the Soka Gakkai and the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood that
resulted in the April 24, 1979, resignation of Mr. Ikeda
as the third president of the Soka Gakkai.
I can only guess that, as President Ikeda says, people
in positions of influence must grapple with dark compulsions
arising from their innate ignorance of Buddhahood’s
universality—arrogance and jealousy being the Achilles
heel in such a battle. In “Letter to the Brothers,”
Nichiren explains: “To deceive the true mind of
the Buddha nature, he [the devil king of the sixth heaven]
causes the people to drink the wine of greed, anger, and
foolishness, and feeds them nothing but dishes of evil
that leave them prostrate on the ground of the three evil
paths” (WND, 495–96).
There are many other lesser-known incidents of people
feeling justified in turning against the organization.
Some are leaders, others just members who have attracted
their own following from within the SGI for their own
purposes. This is not just a my-chapter-leader-is-a-jerk
kind of thing. Or the self-inflicted wounds of hatred
and grudge. The behavior that Nichiren and President Ikeda
warn about is what Buddhism calls a devilish function
to fracture the unity of believers. Nichiren states, “This
devil king, we are told, attaches himself like a plague
demon to people in a way that cannot be detected by the
eye” (WND, 779). Here, the “devil king”
is a metaphorical expression for people’s fundamental
delusion and selfishness.
To some degree or another, all of us must deal with the
tendency to succumb to egocentricity. We must struggle
to overcome our own innate darkness of greed, anger and
foolishness. Over the years, I have seen some do better
than others. I have done better at certain times than
at others myself. But in the end, we are all exerting
ourselves for the greater goal of kosen-rufu—relieving
the misery of others and empowering them in their efforts
to be happy. This is what we should be united on.
In “The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life,”
Nichiren does not say “While you are accomplishing
kosen-rufu, it would be nice if you create unity.”
He says that the spiritual bond of unity based on faith
is “the basis for the universal transmission of
the ultimate Law of life and death” and “the
true goal of Nichiren’s propagation.” This
is a goal that requires strenuous exertion on our part.
The Daishonin’s instruction to transcend “all
differences among themselves” (WND, 217) is not
a passive activity. It does not mean that we must all
think alike or not hold different opinions. What it means
is that we transcend these differences by manifesting
our desire for kosen-rufu and finding common ground in
that mission.
The Daishonin also warns us that, “if any of Nichiren’s
disciples disrupt the unity of many in body but one in
mind, they would be like warriors who destroy their own
castle from within” (WND, 217).
When we take on the responsibilities of an organizational
position, we pledge to care for others within this amazing
and precious community of believers in Nichiren Buddhism.
All leadership positions within the SGI are positions
of responsibilities, not of authority. Because we exert
ourselves on behalf of others, they often express gratitude
and sometimes even adulation. This can be intoxicating.
I believe this is why President Ikeda is so strict with
leaders. As they say in Hollywood, “Don’t
believe your own press releases.”
I hear members say things that make me wonder, such as,
“If it wasn’t for him or her, I wouldn't still
be practicing.” It is fitting to feel appreciation
and acknowledge our debt of gratitude to those who encouraged
our faith, but let’s take a step back for a second.
We also owe a great debt of gratitude to the organization
itself. If that particular person hadn’t been around,
there surely would have been someone else who would have
stepped up to the plate. That person was available because
of the organization founded and nourished by its three
founding presidents.
It would be a shame to myopically focus on just one person
and not acknowledge the community of believers who made
it possible. It is our shared sense of mission with the
larger body of believers that is the source of the unity
that Nichiren encourages us to attain.
I also believe we should appreciate our own efforts to
practice Nichiren Buddhism, to persevere, to reach out
for encouragement when we are discouraged and strive to
understand how to apply Buddhism to life’s challenges.
But we have to acknowledge the challenge in accomplishing
Buddhist unity. In “Letter to Misawa,” Nichiren
explains that “Although people study Buddhism, it
is difficult for them to practice it correctly either
because of the ignorance of their minds, or because, even
though wise, they fail to realize that they are being
misled by their teachers” (WND, 894).
Ideally, leaders serve to strengthen rather than weaken
our bonds to the Buddhist order, and, above all else,
they serve to protect this precious gathering.
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