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July 27, 1992
Volume 2, No. 7 (Part 2)
ORDEAL AT HEAD TEMPLE TOLD
Former Chief Priest Takes Legal Action Against Nikken (con't)
Q: What happened to you after Yagi and Ogawa further harassed you?
A: No one visited me or phoned me for six months. No one spoke to me even when I attended gokaihi or other ceremonies at the head temple. Everybody would throw me cold looks from a distance. This continued for months. Spiritually, it was unbearable. Even acolytes simply ignored me when they passed by me. I was completely ostracized in the community of the priesthood.
Q: Is that right? In late October, every priest was coerced to sign a document that indicated a request for the head temple′s Administrative Office to take punitive action against the executive leaders of the Soka Gakkai.
A: Yes. It took place on a sutra-reciting day when the priests recite the sutra and chant together. I was notified that after gongyo I should attend a meeting of all chief priests of Taiseki-ji′s lodging temples and bring my hanko (personal seal) with me. At this meeting, Senior Director Yagi again tried to force me to sign the document, saying: èWe want to have every certified priest′s signature on this document so that we can achieve our cause with a solid consensus.î When the senior director asked if any of us had any questions, I raised my hand and stood up, declaring that èI cannot sign it just as I could not sign the previous document.î The entire room buzzed like a beehive. Emotional accusations flew over my head. I was the target of everybody′s criticism.
Q: What did they say?
A: One priest asked me: èI believe that a deceased person
will fall into hell if the funeral is conducted by a Gakkai
leader. What do you think?î This question, or should I
say this accusation, was nothing but emotionalism; they
could not justify their points logically. However, when
I asserted that èThe deceased can carry on the good causes
they made in this lifetime into their next lifetime, so
they don′t have to worry about anything,î all the
priests present suddenly became quiet. After a brief moment,
Senior Director Yagi tried to clear the air so that nothing
would seem out of sorts. When he tried to persuade me
again by saying, èAs I told you before,î I immediately
cut in and said to him: èYou didn′t tell me anything
convincing at that time. All you did was shout at me.î
Mr. Yagi could not say anything after that. Director Komai,
the chief attendant to the high priest, stood up to say
something to me, too, so I opened my mouth and said: èDo
you want to say something to me? Why don′t you just
go ahead?î His face turned red and he just sat down without
saying anything. In the meantime, some elderly priests,
ignoring me, began signing the document, saying, èWe will
sign it even though there may be some who oppose doing
so.î I left, thinking that I had no more business there.
Q: You persisted in your sense of justice, didn′t you?
A: I wasn′t that great. I just made my points desperately. I remember they continued to attack me for about half an hour. In those days, the common understanding at the head temple was that punitive action would be taken against the Gakkai any day, so I stood up with my belief that kosen-rufu, the mandate of Nichiren Daishonin, would be achieved. I now believe that I was able to persevere under such unbearable conditions because I was so desperate. That was the only occasion I spoke out.
Q: Your refusal resulted in punitive action against you, didn′t it?
A: Yes. Mr. Nagaei, chief priest of a lodging temple, visited me after this altercation. He screamed angrily: èWhy don′t you listen to what the high priest has to say? You will find yourself in an awful position should you continue to refuse to sign it.î Director Ogawa then phoned me, implying that I would be punished. He told me: èYou will be fired if you act counter to the policy of the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood.î
At the end of October, I had a phone call from Director Ogawa, who said that the high priest wanted to see me. When I went to the designated place, Senior Director Yagi and Director Ogawa both showed up. Senior Director Yagi said to me: èFrom now on, you may not attend the gokaihi ceremony, the sutra-recitation meeting, the oko lecture and the manzan kuyo ceremony (a ceremony attended by all who reside at the head temple). Your salary will be reduced to the minimum level. You must move out of the dormitory within a month or two because it′s only for the staff of the Administrative Office.î He left hastily after reading a prepared text, never once looking me in the eye.
Q: A very cruel retaliation, wasn′t it? Did you have a chance to see Nikken after that?
A: No. At first I thought I would have a chance to see him because I had been summoned. I waited for about half an hour, during which, I assume, the high priest, Senior Director Yagi and Director Ogawa discussed what they should do with me. Senior Director Yagi, not the high priest, showed up with their conclusion. I believe it was because it wouldn′t look good if it was discovered that the decision was made by the high priest himself.
Q: Is their decision based on the Bylaws and Rules of Nichiren Shoshu?
A: No. Their decision was very personal. Yet it was serious enough to deprive me of my fundamental rights as a priest. In short, their decision indicated that they would no longer accept me as a Nichiren Shoshu priest. Beginning that very day, I received no further communicationÊno memorandums or notifications. Also, my salary was reduced to the point where my take-home is no more than $400 per month. I am now living off of my savings. However, I have no intention whatsoever to leave the head temple, for the head temple was established by Nikko Shonin. As a priest of Nichiren Shoshu, naturally, I have a right to stay here. It is the high priest himself who should leave. Amazingly, since I resolved to fight against the Nikken sect and crush it, my health is becoming better and better. I am determined to persist in my fight for justice until the Daishonin′s and Nikko Shonin′s pure lineage of faith is restored at the head temple.
Q: What happened to you after you were stripped of your basic rights as a priest last October?
A: Right after I received that final blow, my physical condition hit rock bottom.
I developed rectitis due to the overwhelming pressure I felt from my oppressive surroundings. It obviously stemmed from stress, which my doctor readily sensed.
Even before I was forced to move out of the dormitory, Senior Director Yagi called on me several times to criticize me by saying something like: èDon′t you want to apologize to the high priest? Don′t you want to follow the high priest with absolute faith and obedience? Shame on your attitude! Indeed, you are a stubborn one.î
At last when he came to see me in December, he scornfully remarked: èWe have decided you should leave here. Do you have any place in mind to go to?î I replied, èI have no place to move.î He gave me an ultimatum: èIf you have no place to live, you shall move to the dormitory in Umamizuka. In any case, you must leave here by the end of this month.î
Q: I understand that the Umamizuka dormitory is a deserted place where almost no priests go.
A: You are right. It was a lonely place in miserable condition surrounded by weeds and bushes. The galvanized iron sheet roof of the dormitory was warped, the television antenna loose and crooked, and the pillars near the front door were all decaying. It was not suitable for living in at all. I was reluctant to move to this shabby place, but Senior Director Yagi demanded that I move out [of the Suimei dormitory] as soon as possible, saying when he visited me later on: èThose who worked at a Gakkai cemetery in outlying areas will be back here, as they were fired from their jobs because we excommunicated the Gakkai. So I hope you will empty out this place very quickly.î So I had to move to Umamizuka. I somehow fixed up the place to make it inhabitable. My wife and I worked hard to pull up weeds and bamboo roots, cut down dead branches and level the ground to build a storage hut. We burned several truckloads of weeds and trees.
Q: You must have experienced a cutback in finances because of your drop in pay.
A: Yes. The chief priests of the lodging temples on the grounds of the head temple all receive this salary. Additional income comes from their attendance at the gokaihi or other ceremonies. This added income constitutes the main part of their salary. Because their attendance directly affects the amount of their income, one time I heard some young chief priests say on the way to the gokaihi ceremony site: èLet′s go. We can make money.î Because I was prohibited from attending the gokaihi and other ceremonies, my salary automatically and markedly decreased. Moreover, the income that my wife was allowed to receive was completely stopped. As a result, our income dropped to just under $400 per month. Needless to say, my punishment not based upon the Bylaws and Rules of Nichiren Shoshu.
Q: Has anything happened to you since then?
A: Until now, no one has visited me. Not even a phone call. Of course, no one could have called me anyway, because my new, shabby dormitory does not have a phone. They could not care less. They must have thought that they no longer had anything to do with me since they had already done away with me.
Q: Your story really shows how dismally Nikken has been treating you. It is far worse than we imagined. Did any priest offer you a helping hand?
A: I don′t think any priest stationed at the head temple can do anything for priests like me. At present, priests cannot express their opinion freely at the head temple. For instance, in making a comparison between Nittatsu Shonin and the current high priest, you might go as far as to say, èNittatsu Shonin was warm while the current high priest is square.î That′s all you can say. You cannot explicitly state, èThe current high priest is cold.î If you should say such a thing, you would immediately get into trouble.
Q: What would happen to you if you were to make such a comment?
A: Somebody would report the comment to his senior priest, and that would finish my career at the head temple. Tattletaling is prevalent throughout Nichiren Shoshu. The priesthood′s society is a closed one. It is just like a small village. If you express your true feelings at the head temple, you will not be able to survive there.
Priests there only care about how to protect themselves first. If you should say anything against the high priest, you will be ècut.î Because of a tremendous sense of fear, no one dares to speak out.
This is exactly how they are at the head temple: even though they may know in their hearts that the high priest is wrong, they cannot do anything to improve things at the head temple. Although terribly dissatisfied deep in their hearts, they have no choice but to accept the status quo. The feeling that èWe cannot do anything about itî is rife at the head temple. One priest told me: èThis is how Nichiren Shoshu has been over the past 700 years. You can′t oppose it.î Another elderly priest said, èYou will be all right here as long as you continue to say ′Yes′ about everything.î
Q: Then wouldn′t you say that Nikken is a dictator in the true sense of the word?
A: Almost every priest has the feeling that something terrible will happen to Nichiren Shoshu if things continue to evolve as they are now. They appear to follow the high priest, but in their hearts they are opposed to him. They are, as it were, aboard a sinking ship, yet they do nothing about saving Nichiren Shoshu. Whenever they get together, they just say: èWe are in trouble. What should we do?î Indeed, such priests have made an unparalleled mistake in the 700-year history of Nichiren Shoshu. They fear the power of the slanderous high priest more than the admonitions of Nichiren Daishonin. This indicates that they don′t believe in the Daishonin′s teachings in the first place. You can tell how little faith the priests of the head temple have. Whereas they themselves doubt the supremacy of the high priest, they insist that the laity should follow him with absolute faith and obedience. No one could be more insincere and two-faced. People are justified in their claim that the priesthood has been resorting to false authority in whatever it′s been carrying out.
Q: You have been at the head temple since you became chief priest of Jorai-bo in 1972. You must be very aware of the many changes the head temple has been through. What was the atmosphere like during the time of Nittatsu Shonin?
A: In those days, there was an atmosphere at the head temple in which we could discuss anything. Nittatsu Shonin was the kind of high priest who was willing to listen to the people. For instance, when he had to make a decision, he first showed everybody the contents of the subject matter and tried to get a consensus. He was very considerate. We could say anything we wanted to during the incident 10 years ago, for example. In contrast, the current high priest imposes his own ideas upon other priests, and we cannot even rebut him. As a matter of fact, I once troubled Nittatsu Shonin when I was an acolyte by saying what I wanted to say.
Q: What happened?
A: It was before I became chief priest of Jorai-bo. I was ordained in
In those days, there was an atmosphere at the head temple in which we could discuss anything. Nittatsu Shonin was the kind of high priest who was willing to listen to the people. For instance, when he had to make a decision, he first showed everybody the contents of the subject matter and tried to get a consensus. He was very considerate. We could say anything we wanted to during the incident 10 years ago, for example. In contrast, the current high priest imposes his own ideas upon other priests, and we cannot even rebut him. As a matter of fact, I once troubled Nittatsu Shonin when I was an acolyte by saying what I wanted to say.
Q: What happened?
A: It was before I became chief priest of Jorai-bo. I was ordained in 1963, but afterwards I attempted twice to quit the priesthood. On both occasions I was stationed at a local temple, whose chief priest was horribly inhumane. The chief priests under whom I worked were all sly, irresponsible and inconsiderate toward believers. For one chief priest, the priesthood was nothing but a job. Another was very short-tempered and lacked the ability to guide people to faith. He often angered visitors to the temple because of his lack of consideration. I was deeply concerned that these priests did not care about kosen-rufu.
Q: Are you talking about priests like those whose bad conduct has lately been revealed?
A: Not really. In those days, the priesthood behaved itself, compared to the way it is today. Yes, some priests lived luxurious lifestyles to a certain degree even then, but the way they lived was still not as bad as today.
Because their lifestyles were so distant from the spirit of the Daishonin, I thought I had better quit. I often said to myself: èI can′t continue being a priest. I can′t waste my precious time by being with such lowly priests. The temple is not the right place for me to practice Buddhism.î
On the first occasion when I was ready to quit, I went to the head temple to let them know that I would be quitting. The second time, I went straight to my hometown from the temple where I was assigned. Persuaded by those who cared about me, I returned to the head temple later to see Nittatsu Shonin. Each time the high priest convinced me that I had better remain a priest. When I frankly explained exactly how I felt about being a priest, Nittatsu Shonin listened intently. Then he voiced his own opinion, saying: èThere are some good priests among many priests. There also are excellent believers among many believers.î He further encouraged me by saying, èTrue, there are bad priests, but the important thing is for you to become a good priest.î
Q: Nittatsu Shonin sounds so different from Nikken, doesn′t he?
A: Yes. The current high priest would only say: èYou are not cut out to be a priest. Why don′t you quit?î He wouldn′t even see me personally.
Nittatsu Shonin, on the other hand, compassionately guided each person in a positive direction.
Q: Specifically, how is Nikken different from Nittatsu Shonin?
A: The current high priest demands that we respect him. Of course we have to be courteousÊthis is just a matter of common sense. We naturally feel respect for someone who is worthy of it. But the current high priest forces us to show respect. Not only that, he judges our loyalty according to how we appreciate him. Nittatsu Shonin would often say to us, èYou don′t have to do that for meî or èYou don′t have to stop and greet me. You can just go.î In contrast, the current high priest does not allow us to go unless we extend our courtesy to him. The head temple′s atmosphere really became uptight after the current high priest took office. The way he scolds people differs from the way Nittatsu Shonin did. Under any circumstances, Nittatsu Shonin was very clear-cut, and the way he scolded people was not at all dismal. Even after he raised his voice in anger, he did not hold on to his anger for long. On the other hand, the current high priest is so sinister that once he develops a negative impression of you, you will probably be damned in his heart forever. I have perceived that the high priest is such a childish person that he thinks every human being should act exactly in the way he wants them to. Intending to place everyone under his rule signifies that his life-condition is that of the Devil of the Sixth Heaven.
Q: Talking about the difference between him and Nittatsu Shonin, Nikken remodeled many buildings at the head temple, didn′t he?
A: He loves the way of aristocracy. Also, his taste is like that of the nouveau riche. In fact, he tried to remodel Taiseki-ji in the style of Kyoto nobility. He redid the garden and created one with a Kyoto flavor. In the days of the former high priest, the head temple maintained a pure, unaffected image; but Nikken took down much of what Nittatsu Shonin built. In the final analysis, he must have harbored a sick grudge toward anything created by Nittatsu Shonin. Everybody acknowledged how much Nittatsu had contributed to developing the head temple, but out of his jealousy, Nikken alone was critical of the late high priest′s achievements. He is proud that his style differs from that of Nittatsu Shonin. His point of emphasis: èI will do something different from what the late high priest did. My way is the correct, traditional
Q: It was Nikken who pardoned Jikido Yagi, the stepfather of Senior Director Yagi, wasn′t it?
[Editor′s note: Jikido Yagi was severely refuted and eventually defrocked by Nittatsu Shonin in 1974 as Yagi stubbornly sided with the Myoshin-ko (a splinter group now called the Kensei-kai). But his status as a Nichiren Shoshu priest was suddenly restored on Dec. 8, 1985, by Nikken, and he became a legitimate Nichiren Shoshu priest again.]
A: The high priest abruptly said at a meeting attended by the chief priests of the Taiseki-ji lodging temples: èThis is why I will officially recognize him [Jikido Yagi] as a priest in Nichiren Shoshu. In addition, he is now old.î No one at the head temple opposed the high priest′s idea. This is how things function at the head temple nowadays. No priests have faith in their own ideas. They cowardly accept anything the high priest says. Nittatsu Shonin would be furious at Nikken if he knew about this. Knowing how much Jikido Yagi troubled Nittatsu Shonin, Nikken pardoned him. Nikken is opposed to the former high priest in every respect. My simple question is, how can he be opposed to the successive high priests, including Nittatsu Shonin, from whom he inherited the lineage of Nichiren Shoshu? In no way is he free from committing the slander of running counter to his mentor.
Q: I now clearly understand why you, who deeply understands the greatness of the Soka Gakkai, were severely punished by Nikken. Nikken abhors the Gakkai, and you have been practicing exactly as Nittatsu Shonin taught.
A: His ugly act of slandering his mentor reminds me of the five senior priests who betrayed [second High Priest] Nikko Shonin. Just as their reputations are so bad even today, 700 years after Nikko Shonin′s days, I have no doubt that the high priest, other executive priests and those who blindly follow them will continue to sadden their relatives and friends in this lifetime and for posterity as they will be eternally branded as èevil priests of the Heisei period.î This is indeed deplorable.
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(The second half of this interview
will appear in a future issue of the SGI-USA Newsletter.)
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