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August 04, 2000
Nichiren Shoshu Priest From
Overseas Bureau Leaves the Priesthood
By Jeff Farr
Associate Editor
An administrator in the Nichiren Shoshu Overseas Bureau,
Endo Ishida, 47, seceded from the priesthood on July 18.
Since 1997, Mr. Ishida, who served in various posts within
the priesthood, had been working closely with Overseas
Bureau Chief Kotoku Obayashi on the development of Nichiren
Shoshu?s international movement.
In his formal notice of secession to High Priest Nikken
Abe, Mr. Ishida writes: “The corrupt, decadent priesthood
at Taiseki-ji has deviated much too far from the spirit
of Nichiren Daishonin and his successor, Nikko Shonin.
Within the priesthood, I sense not one iota of the spirit
to accomplish kosen-rufu. I have no doubt that any priest
who still has even a little seeking spirit left must share
this feeling. Wishing to express my sentiment in this
regard, I realized that if I stayed inside the priesthood,
there would be no way to fulfill my role as a priest.
I am convinced that my mission is to dedicate myself,
even in some small way, to the reformation of the priesthood.
Therefore, I proclaim my intention to secede from Nichiren
Shoshu.”
Mr. Ishida, the first priest to secede from Nichiren Shoshu
this year, joined the priesthood as a child in 1964. He
served as the chief priest of two branch temples in Japan
and as a lecturer and assistant professor in the Fuji
Seminary, which trains student priests.
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