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February 18, 2000
Head Temple Faces More Lawsuits
Over Grand Main Temple Destruction
By Ted Morino
Editor In Chief
More parties in Japan are initiating lawsuits against
High Priest Nikken Abe and Taiseki-ji, the head temple
of Nichiren Shoshu, over their destruction of the Grand
Main Temple (Sho-Hondo). Reformist priest Bando Sato,
who seceded from Nichiren Shoshu in September 1999, joined
28 others from Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, in suing High
Priest Nikken and the head temple on Feb. 3. In the Yokohama
District Court, they will seek approximately $80,000 in
compensation for the psychological duress they say they
have suffered by the temple?s destruction.
According to the document they submitted to the court,
they all made contributions for the construction of the
Grand Main Temple in October 1965 with the understanding
that the Grand Main Temple would be maintained far into
the future. Mr. Bando states: “Out of his jealousy
toward his mentor, the former high priest Nittatsu, and
the Soka Gakkai, Nikken destroyed the High Sanctuary of
True Buddhism that should have been protected for all
eternity. We can?t tolerate his great slander!”
In their petition, the Kanagawa plaintiffs detail the
painstaking efforts they underwent to come up with the
money that they donated. One says, “While raising
three infants, we donated $760, juggling around our monthly
salary, which at the time was only between $95 and $190.”
Another states, “I pawned all the expensive clothes
I had bought for my new married life to come up with the
money that I donated for the Grand Main Temple?s construction.”
Also on Feb. 3, in Aichi Prefecture, 21 people brought
a similar suit against High Priest Nikken and Taiseki-ji
at the Toyohashi Branch of the Nagoya District Court.
The Feb. 3 suits bring the lawsuits against High Priest
Nikken and Taiseki-ji over the Grand Main Temple?s destruction
to a total of five. Fifteen Soka Gakkai members from Fujinomiya
City, where Taiseki-ji is located, sued High Priest Nikken
and Taiseki-ji at the Shizuoka District Court on Jan.
17, seeking around $219,000 in compensation. Twelve Soka
Gakkai members in Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, filed
a suit against High Priest Nikken and Taiseki-ji on Jan.
25, asking for around $79,000 in compensation. And Tadao
Nomoto, a member in Hachioji City, Tokyo, filed a suit
against High Priest Nikken on Jan. 26 for the return of
about $49,000 that his mother donated in 1990.
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