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High Priest Nichinyo Scolded Shinsho Abe, Nikken's Son
The Nichiren Shoshu Administrative Office published a booklet titled "A Guideline for Shakubuku and Fostering New Members." Behind its publication there was High Priest Nichinyo's rage against Shinsho Abe, General Affairs Bureau chief, for his poor handling of shakubuku efforts and members' care. After a conversation with Shinsho Abe, Nichinyo ordered administrative office to make a booklet.
On August 30th, Shinsho Abe recalled his conversation with Nichinyo and shared it at an Oko meeting at Myokoku-ji temple in Itabashi, Tokyo.
| Shinsho: |
"I'm sorry. The reality is as follows..." |
| Nichinyo: |
"It is not good! There are two points! Two points, I'd like to mention!" |
| Shinsho: |
"Ha? What are these?" |
| Nichinyo: |
"These two points are: one of them is shakubuku! The situation you just mentioned is the result of your poor shakubuku! After just saying 'you'd better receive the Gohonzon,' you don't take any care after that. You don't refute the slander of the new members. --- You are doing poor shakubuku by simply saying 'please just keep the Gohonzon.' You are wrong from the beginning. What --- what are you doing as a priest?! You must go together with members! You have a list of new contacts for shakubuku, right?" |
| Shinsho: |
"Yes, sir, there is a list ready now." |
Shinsho Abe was in tears, begging the temple members to submit names for contact.
This was not the first time he shared the poor situation of his temple. In fact, in March 2005, at an Oko meeting, he also reported on the situation of his temple: "We conferred 80 Gohonzons in last year and half, but only nine of the new members enshrined the Gohonzon and participated in the Oko meeting or attended pilgrimage to the head temple. The other seventy have stopped practicing..."
Many voices are heard among the temple members saying "these booklets will do nothing good."
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