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April 01, 1998
An Explanation of Nikko Shonin's
26 Admonitions (Part II)
14. As for practitioners who treasure the
Law more highly than their own lives, even if they are
but humble teachers of the Law, you must hold them in
great esteem, revering them as you would the Buddha.
ARTICLES 14, 15 and 16 concern faith, practice and study,
respectively.
With these three admonitions, Nikko Shonin teaches that
faith is concerned with the individual?s practice and
real ability. It is not a person with outward status or
position but one who is actually spreading the teachings
and advancing kosen-rufu who should be respected.
Article 14 admonishes us that we should revere as a Buddha
those who spread the teachings without begrudging their
lives.
This is an anecdote I have mentioned before, but a television
program once aired footage of a woman Soka Gakkai member
propagating this Buddhism, making her a target of ridicule.
Nittatsu explained that he was so moved at viewing the
TV program that he cried and bowed his head to the woman,
“because I saw in this poor woman a noble Buddha
working to save the people.”
Nittatsu also once remarked, “The offense of those
who speak ill of and obstruct the votaries of the Lotus
Sutra in the Latter Day of the Law—we who embrace
faith in the Daishonin?s Buddhism—is in fact more
serious than the offense of Devadatta, who for a long
time bore great malice toward Shakyamuni in his actions,
words and thoughts.”
The phrase practitioners who treasure the Law more highly
than their own lives refers to SGI members. Who apart
from SGI members could it possibly indicate? The offense
of evil priests who disdain and seek to plunge respectable
SGI members into difficulties far exceeds that of Devadatta.
15. You should revere a teacher of the Law
who engages in its propagation as a sacred priest, even
though he may be your junior.
AS the testimony of priests who have severed ties with
the head temple makes clear, discrimination along hierarchical
lines pervades the priesthood to an extreme degree.The
current priesthood is totally out of accord with Nikko
Shonin?s admonition that persons excelling in faith and
practice should be respected, even though they may be
of low rank or junior in age or position.
The SGI, by contrast, treasures those who practice in
earnest, even though they may have joined only recently,
prays for their growth and seeks to give them guidance
and training in faith. For precisely this reason, we have
succeeded in creating a steady stream of capable people
for kosen-rufu and have raised many young successors.
The appellation a teacher of the Law who engages in its
propagation refers to the SGI. However, inspired by contempt
for the SGI, the priesthood excommunicated us.
16.Even though they may be lowly, you should deeply respect
and regard as your teachers those whose understanding
of Buddhism surpasses your own.
SESSON Doji learned the Law from a lowly demon. Herein
lies the Buddhist spirit of seeking the Law.
This spirit, too, is entirely lacking in the priesthood,
which is dominated by authoritarian and discriminatory
attitudes.
The SGI is a world where people study together and support
one another in seeking the Law—irrespective of social
standing, profession or age—as members of the Soka
family. Further, it is a realm where seniors apply themselves
to raising their juniors, burning with a sense of responsibility
to enable them to become more capable than they are themselves.
It is a world of equality; a world where one?s real ability
counts; a world based on the Law.
17. Do not follow even the high priest if
he goes against the Buddha?s Law and propounds his own
views.
NIKKO Shonin strictly warns that we must not follow a
high priest who undermines Buddhism and the Law.
Nikko Shonin?s inclusion of this article among the twenty-six
admonitions clearly demonstrates that he did not think
that the high priest was infallible.
On the contrary, we can infer that Nikko Shonin was concerned
about the emergence of the kind of high priests who should
not be followed. For this reason, we have refused to follow
Nikken, who propounds his own views, and we have strictly
taken him to task for his slander of the Law; in so doing,
we have been carrying out a practice that exactly accords
with the admonitions of Nikko Shonin.
President Toda once wrote:
In June 1943, Soka Gakkai leaders were ordered to the
head temple. The Rev. Jikai Watanabe, on behalf of the
Nichiren Shoshu priesthood, suggested that the Soka Gakkai
direct its members to temporarily accept the Shinto talisman
[to appease the authorities]. This suggestion was made
with the current and retired high priests on hand as witnesses.
Again, in the “Twenty-six Admonitions of Nikko,”
Nikko Shonin states that we should not follow even the
high priest if he goes against the Buddha?s Law and propounds
his own views. In this spirit, President Makiguchi flatly
refused to accept the Shinto talisman and then left the
head temple. (—from “The History and Conviction
of the Soka Gakkai”)
It is precisely because President Makiguchi refused to
go along with the authorities, persevered in following
the true teaching and stood by the admonitions of Nikko
Shonin to the end that the path of kosen-rufu was not
lost.
Again (in August 1951), shortly after his inauguration
as the second Soka Gakkai president, Josei Toda spoke
as follows:
At this time 700 years after the founding of true Buddhism,
the entire body of Nichiren Shoshu believers amounts to
a mere 10 or 20,000 households throughout the country.
The present reality shames us before the two masters [Nichiren
Daishonin, founder of true Buddhism, and Nikko Shonin,
founder of the Head Temple Taiseki-ji].
My heart is filled with trepidation at the thought of
how the two masters would decry this situation and take
us to task were they here today. My sense of unworthiness
and shame pains me mentally and physically....
It is truly most unfortunate that at such a time as this
there should be some in the priesthood who obstruct the
advance of propagation out of senseless feelings of jealousy.
President Toda felt personally responsible for kosen-rufu.
He stood up alone in the vanguard and took direct leadership
of the propagation campaign.
However, far from cooperating with the Soka Gakkai, the
priesthood at the time refused to show any understanding
whatsoever. In addition, some priests, succumbing to irrational
feelings of jealousy, actively obstructed efforts to propagate
this Buddhism.
For President Makiguchi, too, the lack of understanding
and obstructive actions of priests had been a constant
source of irritation. And, in the end, he died in prison
as a result of the priesthood?s betrayal.
President Toda continued: “The long tradition of
this school (Nichiren Shoshu), dating back 700 years,
is on the one hand noble and pure, truly something that
is worthy of respect. Nevertheless, it is bound to be
plagued by ?mice and stray cats.? But eventually it will
be rid of them, so there is nothing to worry about.”
Sadly, the priesthood today has been overrun “by
mice and stray cats.” Odious priests, who prey on
the Daishonin?s Buddhism like so many stray cats and hungry
mice and spend their time frantically jostling for offerings,
must be driven off from the world of faith directed toward
advancing kosen-rufu.
And what in fact has happened is that these corrupt priests,
finding it impossible to remain in the pure world of kosen-rufu,
have left it of their own accord.
18. Even if a view is set forth unanimously by a conference
[of believers], the high priest should repudiate it if
it goes against the Buddha?s Law.
THIS warning article is paired with Article 17. The phrase
if he [it] goes against the Buddha?s Law is found in both.
The basic point is that truth or falsity should be determined
neither by authority (i.e., by the high priest) nor by
the weight of the view of the multitude (i.e., by a conference
of believers). In all matters, what counts most is whether
something accords with the correct Buddhist teaching.
And it goes without saying that the Daishonin?s golden
words are the standard to be used in making any such determination.
In using his authority as high priest in an attempt to
crush the correct views of the believers based on the
Gosho, Nikken is going completely against this admonition.
19. Black robes should not be worn [by priests].
SINCE the time of Nichiren Daishonin, it has been part
of the code of the Fuji school that priests should wear
robes of a light-grey color [contrary to the black robes
worn by priests of other sects]. In the first place, the
reason for this was to protect the correct teaching. A
sutra passage states, “Wearing black robes is slanderous;
those who do so will certainly fall into hell.”
By admonishing priests to wear garments different in color
from those of the priests of other sects, Nikko Shonin
taught that they should always conduct themselves in a
manner befitting followers of Nichiren Daishonin. Being
immediately recognizable as priests of the Fuji school,
they would have to be careful to conduct themselves properly
and in an upright manner. The spirit of this warning article
is that followers of the Fuji school, as the Daishonin?s
followers, should be careful to ensure that their conduct
and their faith are free of any blemish.
However, priests of the Nikken sect change their priestly
robes to be less conspicuous in their immoral pursuits,
with some going so far as to use pseudonyms to further
conceal their identity.
The conduct of Nichiren Shoshu priests has become so deplorable
that lightgrey robes have now come to symbolize the height
of priestly decadence. How Nikko Shonin would deplore
the current state of affairs.
20. Jikitotsu should not be worn [by priests].
JIKITOTSU are ornamental garments, pleated from the waist
down, that are generally worn by priests of other sects.
Nikko Shonin admonishes that priests must not wear ornate
robes, but should be simple in their attire.
Thus, even though he may not be wearing a jikitotsu per
se, a priest who wears such costly and luxurious robes
as Nikken does is going completely against the spirit
of this admonition.
21. You should not sit together with slanderers
of the Law [at religious ceremonies] for fear of suffering
the same punishment as they.
IN October 1922, a Nichiren Shoshu high priest (the fifty-seventh,
Nissho) sat down together with the high priests of the
Nichiren sect (Minobu school), the Kempon Hokke sect and
other schools of the Nichiren sect and read the “Juryo”
chapter and chanted daimoku in a ceremony led by the high
priest of the Minobu school.
This high priest had joined representatives of other Nichiren
schools in petitioning the government to grant the Daishonin
the title of “Great Teacher (Daishi).” They
gathered at a ceremony held to commemorate the conferral
of the title of “Great Teacher of the Establishment
of the True Teaching (Rissho Daishi).” [By joining
the leaders of these heretical sects in this undertaking,]
this high priest, in stark contrast with the conduct of
the Daishonin, sought to ingratiate himself with the authorities.
After this, there was also a high-ranking priest (the
sixtieth high priest, Nichikai, Nikken?s father) who drafted
a memorandum stating that the Daishonin?s sacred tomb
was at Minobu and submitted it to the government authorities.
Trampling on the sublime spirit of Nikko Shonin, who departed
from Minobu [because of slander], these former high priests
aligned themselves with the slanderers of Minobu. By acting
in such a manner, they incurred the same offense as the
Minobu school; they committed great slander.
22. You must not accept offerings from slanderers of the
Law.
TO accept offerings made by slanderers is to condone their
slander. The result of accepting offerings from slanderers,
as with the previous warning article, is that one suffers
the same retribution as they.
For this reason, priests who do not refute the mistaken
views of lay followers who enshrine slanderous objects
of worship, yet accept offerings from such followers,
are turning their backs on this admonition.
Also, after the war, to increase the revenues of the impoverished
head temple, the priesthood at one time planned to follow
the example of other slanderous temples and turn Taiseki-ji
into a tourist site. It was President Toda who stopped
them from doing this. Thus the Soka Gakkai saved the priesthood
from accepting the offerings of non-believers.
In light of this warning article, the contradictions in
the priesthood?s stance— in accusing the Soka Gakkai
of slander while at the same time accepting the donations
of Soka Gakkai members and living in temples donated by
the Soka Gakkai—become apparent. In short, their
true motive lies not in abiding by Nikko Shonin?s admonitions
but in amassing wealth; they have not the slightest interest
in the distinction between correct and erroneous Buddhist
teachings. Some people even believe that money is the
current priesthood?s object of worship.
23. Carrying a sword or staff in order to protect the
Buddhist Law is permissible. However, [weapons] should
not be worn when presiding over religious services, though
accompanying priests may be permitted to carry them [to
protect themselves and others].
NICHIKO commented on this warning article, saying, “This
article applied to weapons of self-defense during certain
periods of social unrest and turmoil in feudal times.”
We should ponder the solemn spirit of Nikko Shonin conveyed
by the clause “in order to protect the Buddhist
Law.” No matter how dangerous the circumstances,
to protect the Buddhist Law, we must not begrudge our
lives.
The SGI has persevered in protecting the Buddhist Law
while undergoing great persecutions to pioneer kosen-rufu
in the midst of the harsh realities of society. In this
sense, we have truly put the spirit of this admonition
into practice.
By contrast, the members of the priesthood, having completely
relied on the SGI?s efforts to protect Buddhism and Nichiren
Shoshu, have grown decadent. They know nothing of the
spirit to protect the Buddhist Law. All that concerns
them is their own base self-preservation.
24. [At religious ceremonies] young acolytes should not
occupy seats lower than those of high-ranking lay followers.
NIKKO Shonin instructs priests on the fundamental attitude
they must take. He says that priests must not flatter
or curry favor with lay followers who lack faith, even
if they be of high social standing, because to do so would
amount to degrading the Law.
In explaining this warning article, Nichiko once pointed
out: “During times of strife, the warrior was all-powerful.
In religious circles, the ordinary non-ranking priests
faced poverty and hardships in their daily lives; therefore
they tended to show the powerful feudal clans special
treatment, which led the warrior to grow arrogant.”
Simply put, though they might be impoverished, priests
must not court money. Placing Buddhism above the mundane
concerns of their daily lives, priests must possess the
dignity to win the respect of lay followers. They should
respect not people of high standing or power but people
of faith. This is the spirit that Nikko Shonin stresses
in this article.
However, not only have the members of the Nikken sect
gone money-mad, but taking advantage of the respect and
reverence that SGI members showed them, they discriminated
against and looked down on lay followers.
Furthermore, they have denigrated and persecuted the SGI—a
most praiseworthy organization of faith made up of ordinary
people who have no special standing in society.
They are going completely against Nikko Shonin?s admonition
to make Buddhism the standard and not to fawn upon people
of high standing.
25. My disciples should conduct themselves as holy priests,
patterning their behavior after that of the late master.
However, even if a high priest or a priest striving for
practice and understanding should temporarily deviate
from [the principle of] sexual abstinence, he may still
be allowed to remain in the priesthood [as a common priest
without rank].
THIS admonition is clear documentary proof that Nichiren
Daishonin and Nikko Shonin absolutely prohibited priests
from marrying.
The term holy priests, which may also be interpreted as
pure priests, denotes priests who refrain from marrying
and eating meat. That Nichiren Daishonin himself had neither
wife nor children, nor ate meat, is clear from the Gosho
passage, “I, Nichiren, have neither wife nor children,
nor do I eat fish or fowl” (MW-5, 6).
Again, to his follower Sairen-bo, he wrote: “Even
a priest who belongs to one of the provisional sects should
do so [observe the precepts not to marry or eat meat].
It goes without saying that it applies even more so to
a practitioner of the True Law” (Gosho Zenshu, p.
1357).
Nichiko, touching on this admonition, once remarked: “I
see the present situation as a temporary anomaly.... Eventually
and as a natural development, I pray, we will reform ourselves
and return to the conditions that prevailed during the
time of our founder, Nichiren Daishonin, and Nikko Shonin,
who succeeded him and established the head temple.”
[Nichiko himself observed the precept of celibacy throughout
his life.]
Based on the premise that a priest who has relations with
a woman should by rights be defrocked and made to return
to secular life, Nikko Shonin here stipulates that, in
the event that a high priest temporarily deviates from
the principle of sexual abstinence, his rank should be
reduced to that of common priest.
Nichiko comments on this admonition, “It can only
be interpreted as meaning that the person should lose
the position of high priest and descend to a low status.”
Far from “temporarily deviating,” Nikken,
by his repeated shameless conduct and the fact that he
is married, has long continued to defile the character
of the school and bring disgrace upon the chair of the
high priest. Nikko Shonin clearly directs that such a
person should be removed from his post and stripped of
his rank. Those who go against this admonition are traitors
of Nikko Shonin.
26. You should treasure those practitioners who are skilled
in difficult debate, just as the late master did.
THE phrase skilled in difficult debate is from a passage
of the “Yujutsu” (Emerging From the Earth)
chapter of the Lotus Sutra. These are words spoken in
praise of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.
Nichiren Daishonin devoted himself to raising people of
outstanding ability, comparable to those described in
this sutra passage. For example, in a doctrinal debate
with a scholar of the Tendai sect, the Daishonin appointed
Nichimoku to represent him. To the astonishment of many,
the youthful Nichimoku completely refuted the learned
priest.
There are many masters of propagation in the SGI who have
developed formidable skill in difficult debate. All along,
we have highly praised, respected and honored the courageous
practitioners of kosen-rufu who refute false teachings
and spread the true teaching, thereby leading people to
take faith in the Gohonzon. This is the tradition of the
SGI.
For this reason, while spreading the True Law throughout
the world, we have been able to prosper along with the
Law.
Without people who spread the Law, kosen-rufu would never
be anything more than an empty dream. In this final admonition,
Nikko Shonin reiterates the point that those who spread
the Law should be treasured.
The Nikken sect, however, looked down on, used and ultimately
excommunicated the Soka Gakkai—an order of emissaries
of the original Buddha and practitioners of propagation.
In reading each of these warning articles, it becomes
clear that the present priesthood has gone against every
one of Nikko Shonin?s admonitions and trampled on their
spirit.
Nikko Shonin states, “Those who violate even one
of these articles cannot be called disciples of Nikko.”
This is the strictness of the path of master and disciple.
The priesthood, which has violated not one but every article,
is an “anti-Nichiren Daishonin” and “anti-Nikko
Shonin” group who has separated itself from the
lifeline of the True Law.
Today, there is no legitimate body apart from the SGI—no
body that inherits and carries on the correct teaching
and practice directly connected to Nichiren Daishonin
and Nikko Shonin. In light of Nikko Shonin?s articles
of warning, in light of the Gosho, and in light of the
reality of worldwide kosen-rufu, this is something that
no one can deny.
The priesthood recovered its legitimacy thanks to the
Soka Gakkai. The Soka Gakkai made Nichiren Shoshu the
correct school (shoshu) again. However, by excommunicating
the Soka Gakkai, the priesthood has of its own accord
completely cut itself off from the world of correct faith.
Without the Soka Gakkai, it has become a heretical school.
The SGI is the order of the original Buddha. Those who
advance together with the SGI will definitely enter the
path of attaining Buddhahood. Their lives will be bathed
in great benefit and fortune over the three existences.
o1. Six difficult and nine easy acts: A series of comparisons
set forth by Shakyamuni in “The Emergence of the
Treasure Tower”(eleventh) chapter of the Lotus Sutra
to show how difficult it will be to embrace the sutra
in the evil age after his death. (Refer to A Dictionary
of Buddhist Terms and Concepts, p. 400–01.)
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