All posts by Soka Spirit Editor

Bill Aiken Director of Public Affairs Soka Gakkai International-USA In a lecture delivered on July 11, 2010, Yuzui Murata, Chief Priest of the Nichiren Shoshu Myosen-ji Temple launched a vicious attack on the Abrahamic faith traditions (Christianity, Judaism and Islam), calling them “truly erroneous” and blaming them for the “sufferings and uncertainties which seem to be multiplying in this country and throughout the world.” I believe that it is…

Fallacy of “The Bequeathal Received by Only a Single Person.” During an August 15, 2010 lecture at Myosenji Temple in Washington, D.C., Rev. Yuzui Murata said: “Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism is based on the doctrine of the transfer of the Living Essence to each successive High Priest. This is called the specific heritage. By firmly believing in the High Priest as our True Master of Buddhism, and by striving in…

Dave Baldschun SGI-USA Vice Study Department Leader Question: What is the difference between the historical figure of Shakyamuni Buddha in India and Shakyamuni Buddha of the “Life Span of the Thus Come One” chapter of the Lotus Sutra? Answer: This raises an important point that applies to many figures, terms and stories in the study of Buddhism. There are several levels of understanding or perspectives. There is the surface…

The Birth of Buddhism: The Internalization of Ritual (Excerpt from President Ikeda’s dialogue with the scholar of Tibetan, Mongolian and Sino-Japanese Buddhism, Lokesh Chandra in their book Buddhism A Way of Values, pp. 12–13.) In the time Shakyamuni lived, Brahmanism had become formalized, and Brahman rituals had become an integral part of the ceremonial life of the aristocracy. The Brahmans performed religious rituals and prayed to God for blessings in this…

“The purpose of Buddhism is not to produce dupes who blindly follow their leader. It is to produce people of wisdom who can judge right from wrong on their own in the clear mirror of Buddhism.” (SGI President Ikeda, My Dear Friends in America, p. 103) The importance of the mentor–disciple relationship is clearly stated in the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin. He writes: “If there is someone who knows…

The Fallacy of The Eye-opening Ceremony The Nichiren Shoshu priesthood contends that a Gohonzon that has not received a ritual “eye-opening” by the high priest has no power of benefit. They claim “the opening of the eyes conducted by the High Priests is of paramount importance for Nichiren Shoshu. (Nichiren Shoshu Monthly, February 2009, pp. 21–22) Although they claim it is of “paramount importance” there is no supporting doctrinal…

Defeating the Enemy Within, Vanquishing the Enemy Without “There will be many ignorant people who will curse and speak ill of us. In that evil age there will be monks with perverse wisdom and hearts that are fawning and crooked.” (The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras, p. 232). Buddhism is the ultimate practice and philosophy for transforming our lives for the better. It therefore deals with…

It would be much easier if chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo were as simple as a magician invoking abracadabra. Then anyone in any group could chant and get the same result by calling on some magical power in the universe. But it is not so. Although the Law is universal, if we cannot perceive it to be within our own lives, we cannot manifest its power. Nichiren explains this throughout his writings….

Promoting People-Centered Buddhism   By Katsuji Saito, SGI Study Department Leader Revealing our innate Buddhahood against the gravity of our deep-seated ignorance of it may be likened to walking uphill. It is much easier to go along with an authoritarian vision of religion, which is why former Nichiren Shoshu high priest Nikken Abe’s religious orientation can easily sway many people. For this reason, we as SGI members have never…

In our practice to the Gohonzon, the Daishonin stresses our individual and direct relationship with the Gohonzon. In this regard, he writes to one believer: “No matter how earnestly Nichiren prays for you, if you lack faith, it will be like trying to set fire to wet tinder. Spur yourself to muster the power of faith” (WND, 1000-01). Daishonin makes it clear that each practitioner’s relationship with the Gohonzon…