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1. Do We Need to Visit the
Dai-Gohonzon to Receive Benefit? |
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Kryssi Staikidis
New York City
As we know, High Priest Nikken and his colleagues plotted
to destroy the Soka Gakkai, the organization that has
been faithfully carrying out the true Buddha's will and
intent, thus attempting to disrupt the progress of kosen-rufu.
The head temple under the current high priest's control
has now completely lost the spirit of the Daishonin and
has become a place of slander of the Law.
The Daishonin established the Dai-Gohonzon for all humanity.
It is the object of devotion dedicated to the happiness
of all people, bestowed by the Daishonin on humankind
as a whole. Because Nichiren Shoshu's current high priest
has trampled on this far-reaching compassion of the Daishonin,
cutting off access to the Dai-Gohonzon, he is arrogantly
treating the Gohonzon as his personal possession.
In Buddhism, lending support to slanderous priests or
monks is called complicity in slander and results in sharing
the same negative causes as such priests. Therefore, visiting
the head temple under these conditions becomes a cause
for unhappiness in our lives.
In addition Nichiren Shoshu says, "There is absolutely
no benefit in refusing to visit the Dai-Gohonzon...and
worshipping just a household Gohonzon, which is a transcription
of that Dai-Gohonzon" (100 Questions and Answers,
p. 9). This idea that one cannot attain Buddhahood unless
one prays directly to the Dai-Gohonzon, as Nichiren Shoshu
insists, is simply not to be found in any of the Daishonin's
teachings and in fact runs counter to their spirit.
The Gohonzon we pray to each day in our homes or at our
SGI community centers is endowed with exactly the same
power of the Law inherent in the Dai-Gohonzon, both reflecting
our inherent Buddha nature. Those who assert that one
must visit a particular place to receive benefit are in
effect turning on its head the very spirit of Nichiren
Buddhism. The Daishonin's teachings exist to relieve the
suffering of, and bring happiness to, all people throughout
the world.
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(Originally published in the World
Tribune, June 7, 2002)
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