September 05, 1997

Know the Difference (No. 7): The Plot Thickens

By Craig Green & Jeff Farr
Los Angeles

Despite the Soka Gakkai?s bitter experiences with the priesthood in the late 1970s, the Soka Gakkai leadership was determined to maintain harmony between the priesthood and laity. Throughout the 1980s, aiming toward the 700th anniversary of the head temple in 1990, the organization continued to support the priests in hopes that Nikken would maintain a commitment toward achieving kosen-rufu.

Not only did the Soka Gakkai continue to build temples for Nichiren Shoshu, but members from around the world continued to support the priesthood financially. It was hoped that the egotism Nikken had shown in forcing the Soka Gakkai?s apologies in 1980 would become a thing of the past.
However, remembering SGI President Ikeda?s important guidance that the Soka Gakkai exists to make the common people happy, the Soka Gakkai leaders were also prepared to speak out if the priesthood ever went after the Soka Gakkai again.

And in 1990, soon after the 700th anniversary celebrations were completed, the priesthood did just that.

While the Soka Gakkai had spent the last decade doing everything possible to create cooperation between priesthood and laity, Nikken and his priests had been plotting to take control of the Soka Gakkai once and for all.

Nikken?s desire to run the organization was at last crystallized in Operation C (“C” meaning to “cut” the Soka Gakkai).

No. 7 in a series