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5. What's the Real Victory
We're Seeking in the Temple Issue? |
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Jeff Farr
Associate Editor
For the last 12 years of the temple issue, SGI members
have been talking about fighting the malicious and destructive
forces of the Nichiren Shoshu - achieving victory in the
temple issue.
But what exactly is this victory?
From talking to many SGI-USA leaders about this, I've
learned that the real victory we're seeking is assuring
that everyone in our organization and everyone in the
temple organization - plus anyone else who is interested
- is thoroughly educated about the difference between
the fundamental spirit of the SGI and the distorted views
of Nichiren Shoshu.
In other words, we want everyone to learn the difference
between the correct and incorrect practice of Nichiren
Daishonin's Buddhism.
It's important to understand that we are not seeking,
in any sense, the unhappiness of Nichiren Shoshu members.
We are instead seeking their happiness - their victory
in their lives - through teaching them the correct understanding
and practice of this Buddhism. Although both the SGI and
the temple teach the chanting of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo,
the two organizations' philosophies are completely at
odds. For example, the SGI believes, as the Daishonin
teaches, that all people are equal, that all people are
essentially Buddhas. All people have the Law within. This
Buddhism is thus centered on the ordinary person, and
the SGI is spreading it with this clear understanding.
The current Nichiren Shoshu priesthood, though, doesn't
see things this way. The temple believes that we are lesser
beings than priests - especially the high priest, who
has been set up as a supreme being. It's a priest-centered
religion.
The priests teach in their study publication, Dai-Nichiren,
that correct practice entails "absolute faith in
and strict obedience to the High Priest." They ignore
the Daishonin's strict assertion that we should follow
not the person but the Law - that we should put the Law,
not any high priest, in the center.
When the priesthood first excommunicated the SGI in November
1991, many SGI members felt that it was their responsibility
as disciples of the Daishonin to educate people about
the growing philosophical difference. This, we felt, was
the same as educating people about what the Daishonin's
Buddhism really is and is not, what it really teaches
and does not teach.
In other words, this education was shakubuku, the spread
of Buddhism. The true victory we seek in the temple issue
is indeed found in this educational process - one that
doesn't necessarily have a clear endpoint, similar to
the kosen-rufu movement not having a clear endpoint; kosen-rufu
just keeps going on eternally; so does this education.
The temple issue raises this question: What does Buddhism
posit as the greatest victory we can seek in our practice?
Ultimate victory to the Daishonin was to make continual
effort for kosen-rufu, to never give up. Our ultimate
victory is when we've done our best, throughout our lives,
to educate others and ourselves about this Buddhism. To
help every person attain Buddhahood.
In "Repaying Debts of Gratitude," the Daishonin
writes that "if Nichiren's compassion is truly great
and encompassing, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo will spread for
ten thousand years and more, for all eternity, for it
has the beneficial power to open the blind eyes of every
living being in the country of Japan, and it blocks off
the road that leads to the hell of incessant suffering"
(Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 736). This is his
heart, his goal, stated simply: to educate everyone about
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, to thus give everyone, "every
living being," happiness. And to block off, once
and for all, "the road that leads to the hell of
incessant suffering," the road of incorrect teachings.
If we make this goal our own and do all that we can toward
it, we win in life, we truly win.
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(Originally published in the World
Tribune, Feb. 12, 1999)
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