Published by Soka Spirit Editor
Posted on August 11, 2009
The priesthood upholds the view that, without venerating the high priest, practitioners cannot attain enlightenment -a view that undermines the self-empowering properties of Nichiren Buddhism and the mentor-disciple relationship traditionally taught in all Buddhism. This is a relationship of oneness that results when self-reliant disciples voluntarily choose to take responsibility for the same goal of kosen-rufu as their mentor.
The priesthood asserts that the high priest of Nichiren Shoshu, and only he, has the power to determine who attains Buddhahood and who does not: “The master gives his sanction to a disciple’s enlightenment…. The sanctioning of the object of worship by the High Priest, who is the only person to be bequeathed the Daishonin’s Buddhism, is what makes the attainment of Buddhahood possible…”(Refuting the Soka Gakkai’s “Counterfeit Object of Worship”: 100 Questions and Answers [West Hollywood: Nichiren Shoshu Temple, 1996], p. 8). “(Believers should have) single-minded faith in him [the high priest] as the living body of Shakyamuni (Nichiren)” (September 2008 Nichiren Shoshu Monthly, p. 22).
“The place where the Heritage of the Law is entrusted to a single person [the high priest] exists in the noble entity that is inseparable with the Dai-Gohonzon” (October 2008 Nichiren Shoshu Monthly, p. 17).
Rather than recognizing the intent this Gohonzon embodies for the enlightenment of all humanity, however, the priests interpret their possession of it as giving them, and specifically the high priest, exclusive authority and power over all believers. They believe the high priest has the power to “turn on” or “turn off” benefit for any believer.
In 1991, as an expression of personal animosity, he pronounced that by removing his sanction the high priest had “turned off” the benefit of all members of the Soka Gakkai and SGI. In the years since, however, millions upon millions of members have clearly and indisputably disproved this childish and ridiculous contention.
While the priesthood claims its physical possession of the Dai-Gohonzon at its head temple automatically affords it mysterious powers and authority, the SGI views the Dai-Gohonzon in accord with Nichiren Daishonin’s true intent. Nichiren Daishonin inscribed his immense compassion for all humankind in the Gohonzon.
He never intended that any Gohonzon should give one person or group exclusive powers or authority over others. Nor did he teach anywhere in his writings that people must physically pray before a specific Gohonzon, such as the Dai-Gohonzon, in addition to the one enshrined in their homes, to achieve benefit. Nor did he teach anywhere that one must visit a specific location in Japan or anywhere else to achieve enlightenment.
What he did say was, “Never seek this Gohonzon outside yourself” (WND-1, 832), and “Shakyamuni … the Lotus Sutra … and we ordinary human beings are in no way different or separate from one another” (WND-1, 216).
In The Record of the Orally Transmitted Teachings, Nichiren succinctly makes this point: “The place where the person upholds and honors the Lotus Sutra is the ‘place of practice’ to which the person proceeds. It is not that he leaves his present place and goes to some other place. The ‘place of practice’ is the place where the living beings of the Ten Worlds reside. And now the place where Nichiren and his followers chant Nam-myoho- renge-kyo, ‘whether… in mountain valleys or the wide wilderness’ (chapter twenty-one, Supernatural Powers), these places are all the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light” (p. 192).
No place is in and of itself a Buddha land; a place becomes a Buddha land when the people there reveal their innate Buddhahood through their faith and practice. It is not that people become Buddhas because they visit a Buddha land; rather, they make the place where they are a Buddha land when they bring forth their Buddha nature.
It is also ironic that the priesthood places such importance on making a pilgrimage to Taiseki-ji, its head temple, when this was a practice initiated by second Soka Gakkai president Toda in 1952. Nichiren Shoshu temples sustained significant damage during World War II. Much of the head temple burned down, and many branch temples were destroyed in air raids. Furthermore, in December 1945, Taiseki-ji lost much of its land in the postwar agrarian reform.
In November 1950, the priesthood held a conference at the reception hall to discuss plans to promote Taiseki-ji as a tourist attraction to generate additional income. Conference participants proposed a scenic road, a tourist information center and a new lodging facility.
Hearing of this plan to turn the head temple into a tourist attraction, President Toda was enraged. His living beings of the Ten Worlds reside. And now the place where Nichiren and his followers chant Nam-myoho- renge-kyo, ‘whether… in mountain valleys or the wide wilderness’ (chapter twenty-one, Supernatural Powers), these places are all the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light” (p. 192).
The priesthood is focused on the geography of the land; the SGI is focused on the geography of the heart -“It is the heart that is important” (WND-1, 951). Nowhere does Nichiren say that physically visiting a specific religious site is important. His statement that the “heart is important” specifically means that faith-in this case the sincerity of the lay nun Sennichi, who could not come to see him-is more important than physical proximity.
Most of what we know of Nichiren’s views on the Gohonzon was written prior to October 12, 1279, the date attributed to the inscription of the Dai-Gohonzon. In 1272, he wrote to Abutsu-bo: “Abutsu-bo is therefore the treasure tower itself, and the treasure tower is Abutsu-bo himself…. Faith like yours is so extremely rare that I will inscribe the treasure tower especially for you. You must never transfer it to anyone but your son. You must never show it to others unless they have steadfast faith. This is the reason for my advent in this world” (WND-1, 299¬300). In 1273, he wrote: “I, Nichiren, have inscribed my life in sumi ink, so believe in the Gohonzon with your whole heart” (WND-1, 412). And in 1277 he wrote: “How wondrous it is that, around two hundred years and more into the Latter Day of the Law, I was the first to reveal as the banner of propagation of the Lotus Sutra this great mandala” (WND-1, 831).
The Banner of Propagation
That Nichiren went from words of caution concerning the Gohonzon in 1272 to proclaiming it to be “the banner of propagation” in 1277 can be attributed to the strength of faith his followers developed during that period. Soon after his exile to Sado Island in 1271, he realized that most of the believers in the capital of Kamakura had quit their faith because they were confused by his continued persecution. He addressed their doubts in his treatise “The Opening of the Eyes.” After his pardon from exile and return to the mainland, government persecution was directed at his followers-in particular, the believers in Atsuhara where propagation activities were led by Nichiren’s immediate successor, Nikko Shonin. When faced with the full weight of government authority, including incarceration and execution, the farmer-believers did not waiver.
SGI President Ikeda states: “The followers in Atsuhara were neither nobles nor samurai nor priests; they were farmers occupying a low status in society. Yet these nameless practitioners of the Mystic Law did not retreat a single step in the face of persecution by corrupt priests and highhanded samurai officials misusing their authority. No one, no matter how powerful, could make them give up their faith. This was a struggle for human rights that shines with jewel-like brilliance in the history of the ordinary people of Japan” (The World of Nichiren Daishonin’s Writings, vol. 1, p. 179). Nichiren viewed the appearance of ordinary people who were willing to struggle with the same spirit as him as proof that the Gohonzon should be widely propagated.
This mandate to widely propagate the teaching of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo to the Gohonzon is the purpose of the Dai-Gohonzon’s inscription. The idea set forth by the priesthood that practitioners must chant to a particular Gohonzon -that the priesthood owns-to gain the ultimate benefit is an obvious attempt to manipulate temple members and flies in the face of the Daishonin’s admonition, “Never seek this Gohonzon outside yourself…. This Gohonzon also is found only in the two characters for faith…. What is most important is that, by chanting Nam-myoho- renge-kyo alone, you can attain Buddhahood. It will no doubt depend on the strength of your faith. To have faith is the basis of Buddhism” (WND-1, 832). The priesthood’s emphasis on what is external over what is internal is contrary to the heart of Nichiren Buddhism.
The SGI view that the power of the Dai-Gohonzon is not contained in a material object but resides in the faith of believers is a teaching of Nichiren’s that has been embraced by the Soka Gakkai since its inception. Second Soka Gakkai president Toda said: “While we may think that we are praying to the Dai-Gohonzon outside us, when we chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo believing in the Gohonzon of the Three Great Secret Laws, the Dai-Gohonzon in fact dwells within our own life. This is a most wondrous teaching” (Collected Writings of Josei Toda, vol. 6, p. 608).
This is the time for the worldwide propagation of the Daishonin’s ultimate teaching-the Gohonzon. This is the Buddha’s will, and it is not limited to a few acres of land in Japan or a single mandala. The Gohonzon and the practice of Nichiren Buddhism can relieve the suffering of all humanity. To distort the teachings with formalities, rituals and falsehoods to promote the personal agenda of the priesthood is a clear example of the devilish nature of life depicted in Buddhist scriptures.
The priesthood’s contention that one must visit the Nichiren Shoshu head temple and Japan and physically pray to the Gohonzon enshrined there to attain enlightenment has absolutely no basis in Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings. It is designed solely to gain revenue and to make believers dependent on a priesthood that has chosen a course of obstructing and slandering those who practice Nichiren’s teachings with the correct spirit. As such, allowing ourselves to be fooled by them and visiting Taiseki-ji amounts to complicity in their slander, a cause that will erase rather than enhance our good fortune.
—Soka Spirit Committee