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6. Why Have SGI Members Been
Exchanging Their Gohonzon? |
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Jeff Farr
Associate Editor
For almost a decade, SGI members have been exchanging
Gohonzon inscribed by Nikken for Gohonzon inscribed by
the 26th high priest, Nichikan, who lived in the 18th
century. Why have they been doing so?
A little history is necessary to explain: Once Nikken
became high priest in 1979, he began inscribing the Gohonzon
for new members of the SGI. Until 1991, the SGI happily
propagated the Nikken-transcribed Gohonzon throughout
the world.
But when Nikken excommunicated the SGI in 1991, started
altering Nichiren Daishonin's true teachings and began
propagating his delusions worldwide, Nichiren Shoshu separated
from the mainstream of the Daishonin's Buddhism and became
its own, new religion. The SGI continued to correctly
carry out the teachings of the Daishonin and the Lotus
Sutra. Nichiren Shoshu did not.
In "The Real Aspect of the Gohonzon," the Daishonin
says that the Gohonzon is "the banner of the propagation
of the Lotus Sutra" (Writings of Nichiren Daishonin,
p. 831). Conferring the Gohonzon is one way that this
Buddhism can spread. Today, the Nichikan-transcribed Gohonzon
is "the banner of the propagation of the Lotus Sutra"
of the SGI, which is practicing Buddhism correctly.
To practice this Buddhism correctly means to practice
it with the same mind or heart as the Daishonin. Of course,
we do not get the same spirit as him just by joining the
SGI or receiving the Nichikan-transcribed Gohonzon. It's
only when we have the spirit to educate ourselves and
others about the Daishonin's true philosophy-when we are
determined to speak the truth of this Law for all people's
sake-that we can say we are practicing correctly.
Nikken's excommunication of all SGI members in 1991 and
again in 1997 made it clear that he had no desire to save
people; excommunicating these millions of people, he said
at the time, guaranteed them a trip to hell.
From 1991 to 1993, no one could receive the Gohonzon from
Nichiren Shoshu unless they promised to part with the
SGI. In 1993, reformist priests thus came up with the
idea of the SGI starting to confer the Nichikan-transcribed
Gohonzon. (Nichikan is known as a high priest who brought
the Daishonin's spirit back to the priesthood at a time
when it had been forgotten.)
First, new SGI members received the Nichikan-transcribed
Gohonzon. Soon, there were many requests from other members
to exchange their Nikken-transcribed Gohonzon for the
Nichikan-transcribed; this began in 1994.
There's a lesson to this history: The temple issue is
not the case of two different organizations both practicing
the Daishonin's Buddhism and simply not being able to
get along with each other.
It's the case of two organizations that both say they
are practicing the Daishonin's Buddhism-but one is not.
Nichiren Shoshu has become its own religion; one that
actually has nothing to do with the Daishonin's Buddhism.
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(Originally published in the World
Tribune, June 4, 1999)
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