The Soka Spirit movement is a gold mine of opportunities to learn more about Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. The basics of faith are now cast in new light, revealing their deeper meaning—with the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood’s views as points of contrast. For this reason, our understanding of the temple issue will naturally translate into a clearer view of our faith, into greater joy and benefit from our practice. The meaning…
By Alain Berger, Los Angeles I was strolling through the Renoir exhibit at the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art recently, admiring an exquisite painting of a woman holding a child, when I heard a man behind me make a comment to his female companion: “that was their nanny, she was his model, I bet you anything she was a lot more than that” he said with a sneer…
The Heritage of the Law What is the “heritage of the Law”? In other words, what is the original spirit or heritage that must not be lost in the transmission of the teachings? Is it merely the knowledge that the Law is Nam-myoho-renge-kyo? Is it something that can be passed on in writing or inscribed on the Gohonzon? In his writing “The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life,”…
Eye-opening Ceremonies Are Meaningless By SGI President Ikeda President Ikeda gave the following speech on Dec. 23, 1992 in Tokyo. It was published in the February 1993 issue of the Seikyo Times, pp. 4–9. Today I would like to speak about the concept of the “opening of the eyes,” about which a number “of people have recently inquired. As the name suggests, the original meaning of the “eye-opening” ceremony…
1) They claim SGI Gohonzon did not Receive the “Eye-Opening” Ritual Performed by the High Priest Nichiren Daishonin never mentioned an eye-opening ceremony being necessary for Gohonzon. He simply addresses the established religious tradition of this ritual as it applies to statues or painted images of the Buddha and in particular, refutes the practice in the True Word (Shingon) or esoteric Buddhism. He writes: “It is the power of…
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…