 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
| |
7. 'A Senior Priest Tells a
Story, Interview with Jisai Watanabe — Part 2 |
|
|
|
If I may, I would like to
speak about what really happened in the so-called Matoba
Incident of 1958, but first, to give some background,
I will touch on the transmission of the lineage of high
priest from Nissho Shonin, the 64h high priest, to Nichijun
Shonin, the 65th. I think this will shed some light on
how high priests of the past have wholeheartedly trusted
the Soka Gakkai, conferring upon it the mission of accomplishing
kosen-rufu.
In January of 1956, Nissho Shonin announced his intention
to retire as high priest. Just before that, he came to
the Jakunichi-bo temple to see my father after ushitora
gongyo. I had been resting, and noticed that the light
was on. After he left, I asked my father what they had
talked about. To my surprise, he said they were discussing
whether Nichijun Horigome should be the next high priest.
At that time, there were four priests who were potential
candidates for the position. Nissho Shonin had pondered
the future of kosen-rufu and decided to focus on the harmonious
unity of priests and laity. Nissho Shonin had decided
upon Nichijun Shonin as his successor because, of the
four candidates, Nichijun best understood the Soka Gakkai.
Nissho Shonin had come to ask my father’s advice
on this question, because my father had strong influence
within the priesthood.
Nichijun Shonin, who became high priest in March 1956,
was a stern, dignified man. He was very strict with us
and often said “If you have time to sleep, you should
read the Gosho and the Rokkansho (the Six-Volume Writings
by Nichikan Shonin, the 26th high priest).” His
character also had many gentle aspects.
One day, a new acolyte accidentally caught his robe on
Nichijun Shonin’s favorite potted plant, breaking
the pot. Instead of getting angry, the high priest simply
said, “It was the potted plant’s fault for
catching your robe.” Nichijun Shonin’s character
sharply contrasts with that of Nikken, who is short tempered
and unmerciful.
Nichijun Shonin also trusted his subordinates and delegated
responsibilities to them. Director Gisei Yoshida (now
chief priest of Myoren-ji temple and currently known as
Nichiyu Yoshida) was in charge of Internal Affairs, and
General Administrator Hosoi (who later become Nittatsu
Shonin) was responsible for the Administrative Office.
Nikken, however, is so inflexible that he cannot entrust
another person with anything.
What came to be known as the Matoba Incident took place
during the completion ceremony for the Grand Lecture Hall
at Taiseki-ji in March 1958. This ceremony was one of
the most important events during Nichijun Shonin’s
time. I was a witness to this incident as well as the
Ogasawara Incident.
The largest special ceremony in the history of the head
temple up until that time was the transfer and temporary
enshrinement of the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary
in the Grand Lecture Hall. The Nichiren Shoshu priesthood
and the Soka Gakkai worked together to carry off the event.
Members of the young men’s division stood guard
around the Grand Lecture Hall in the cold of the night.
President Ikeda (then Soka Gakkai chief of staff) and
Director Yoshida agreed in advance that no alcohol would
be consumed during the ceremonies.
However, the chief acolyte, Shojun Matoba, returned to
the head temple drunk almost every night. Though it was
late at night, he would create a disturbance by shouting
loudly. The young men who were on guard warned him. Matoba
swore at them, shouting, “Hey, you guys must be
students doing this as a part-time job!”
Despite repeated warnings, Matoba’s disgraceful
behavior continued. To make matters worse, he tormented
the other acolytes, using his authority as their superior.
Finally, President Ikeda encouraged Director Yoshida to
request that Matoba apologize to the young men’s
division members for his abusive behavior. However, [upon
learning of this] Matoba himself fled the head temple.
I was then asked by Director Yoshida to find Matoba because
I knew he would seek refuge in a bar that he frequented.
When I got there, however, the proprietor told me he hadn’t
come in. When I pressed, however, she told me he had left
instructions to tell anyone who came looking for him that
he wasn’t there, as I had expected. I found him
hiding in a closet.
I escorted him out of the bar and took him to face the
members of the young men’s division. We agreed that
we would demand his apology after he became sober. So,
we took him to the bank of the Urui River. Another priest,
Jiun Kanno (who had arrived later), and I had Matoba wash
his face in the river, which he did of his own accord.
I would not allow the YMD members to touch him. He sat
erect on his knees and finally apologized to them. The
YMD members never used any force or violence against him.
However, in 1977, 20 years later, this case was distorted
and portrayed by a weekly magazine as a “lynching”
of a priest by the Soka Gakkai.
Mr. Yoshida (Liaison Bureau chief of the Nichiren Shoshu
Administrative Office in 1977) clearly stated in the Aug.
27, 1977, Seikyo Shimbun that the Soka Gakkai did not
assault Matoba in any way, and that the magazine article
had been maliciously fabricated. Nevertheless, the priesthood
has used this article to attack the Gakkai.
Another article portraying the same incident as a lynching
appeared recently in a weekly magazine. The author, a
man named Ryu, is a former senior leader who has abandoned
the Soka Gakkai.
In 1977, at the request of the Nichiren Shoshu Study Department,
I submitted a report detailing the truth of the Matoba
Incident, which the weekly magazine had focused on. After
reading my report, the priesthood was well aware of what
actually happened.
Nevertheless, Ryu called me about his fabricated article,
saying, “I will ask the priesthood to look at the
rough draft as well, but would you look at it meanwhile?”
I ignored his request because I was convinced that senior
members of the priesthood, aware of the truth of the incident,
would correct any inaccuracies.
Although he knew the truth, Nikken did not repudiate Ryu’s
fabricated article and allowed him to submit it to the
weekly magazine unchanged; this despite the fact that
Nikken, on Aug. 28, 1980, had instructed that taking advantage
of the media in this way is a disgrace to Buddhism.
Nikken is an utter failure as a high priest and as a human
being. The successive high priests before him were great
people. Nichijun Shonin wore only cotton robes and lived
a very simple lifestyle. Nikken, on the other hand, always
wears silk. His extravagant handmade robes cost millions
of yen.
Nichiko Shonin told us right before his death, “When
I die, I hope to have only a private funeral service,
without informing the entire head temple.” He was
a person who lived a simple existence, satisfied with
his humble lifestyle until the last moment of his life.
Nittatsu Shonin always tried to maintain a simple way
of life. Unlike Nikken, he did not use expensive dishes.
I would like to share an incident that illustrates how
Nittatsu Shonin cared for the members.
In 1963, I participated in Nittatsu Shonin’s trip
to conduct the opening ceremony of a temple in Shikoku.
An elderly lady visited our hotel the night before we
left Takamatsu City for Nakamura City in Kochi Prefecture.
We asked her to leave her name, address and phone number
and sent her home because it was so late.
However, the next morning, Nittatsu Shonin, who rarely
scolded anyone, became severely angry with us for not
informing him of the visitor. He waited until she returned,
meeting with her and departing behind schedule for the
temple. He was willing to delay his schedule for even
a single member.
I think his behavior was an expression of Buddhist compassion
and the proper attitude for a high priest as a practitioner
of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. I think that we
cannot expect Nikken, who forsakes his former master,
to ever behave this way.
In 1952, Nikken vehemently opposed establishing the Soka
Gakkai as an independent religious organization. Nikken
himself admitted during a meeting for certified priests
on Aug. 28, 1992, that he has been opposed to the Gakkai
since long ago.
In 1952, the Soka Gakkai became an independent religious
corporation. Nikken stated as follows at the August 1992
meeting: “To specify, I opposed it. At that time,
Nichijun Horigome Shonin was chief priest of Josen-ji
temple, which was across the street from Hongyo-ji temple,
where I was chief priest. I told him frankly of my opposition
to the creation of a separate religious corporate body.”
Until recently, Nikken has pretended to understand the
Gakkai, while in reality harboring a boiling hatred toward
it. This is the true manifestation of the function of
the Devil of the Sixth Heaven.
Nikken’s hatred for the Gakkai, however, was occasionally
apparent. He was eager to gain danto members (those affiliated
directly and only with the temple) and establish a Hokkeko
group by inviting those who had left the Soka Gakkai to
join him during his term at Hongyo-ji temple.
When President Toda passed away, Nikken, still at Hongyo-ji
temple, wrote a eulogy for him that appeared in the Dai-Nichiren.
From this article we can detect Nikken’s tendency.
He wrote as follows: “In 1959, perhaps due to my
negative karma, or to what President Toda referred to
as ‘a monk’s nature,’ I built a wall
in my mind. This sometimes interfered with my understanding
of the spirit of President Toda, who was perfectly broad-minded
and strictly practiced the way of mentor and disciple.”
I think that “a monk’s nature” here
means a desire for monetary wealth. Nikken seemed suspicious
of President Toda even then, and leapt enthusiastically
into wooing members who had left the Gakkai to join his
temple’s Hokkeko group.
This is in contrast to the spirit of “Hokkeko Shu,”
which the Daishonin inscribed on one side of the Dai-Gohonzon
of the High Sanctuary. The original meaning of the spirit
of “Hokkeko Shu” (the order of believers in
the Daishonin’s Buddhism) is faith with the spirit
to give one’s life for kosen-rufu in the same way
that the believers involved in the Atsuhara Persecution
did.
There has always been trouble within the Hokkeko (the
general amalgamation of Nichiren Shoshu believers affiliated
directly with local temples) in general, and in the Hokkeko
of my own temple as well. Some people are hungry for fame
and seek only position. Others are starving for benefit
and practice solely for the sake of gaining profit. Where
among these people can we find the spirit of being willing
to offer one’s life for kosen-rufu?
On the other hand, the Soka Gakkai members have been devoting
their lives to kosen-rufu with the correct spirit. It
is just as Nittatsu Shonin once said at a Hokkeko meeting:
“All of you must see this. Our Soka Gakkai members
have been fighting with the willingness to give their
lives for kosen-rufu; this is the spirit of the Hokkeko
Shu” (1st Hokkeko Federation Kansai District General
Meeting, Oct. 6, 1963).
He also declared, at the 29th Headquarters General Meeting,
“The true spirit of the Hokkeko exists among the
current members of the Soka Gakkai” (May 3, 1966).
Needless to say, even without this guidance there is no
room for doubt that the true Hokkeko Shu, with a direct
connection to the Daishonin, is none other than the Soka
Gakkai.
Since the beginning of this year, as well, Nikken has
been revealing his capriciousness. His campaign to get
members to quit the Soka Gakkai having reached an impasse,
he stated on Jan. 6, “From now on we will invite
those who have yet to practice faith to our temples and
conduct shakubuku.”
Hokkeko members and priests, who have never conducted
shakubuku seriously, have not experienced how difficult
it is. Some Hokkeko members were involved in my temple’s
affairs. Rather than thinking about propagation, they
were only concerned with their own promotion within the
Hokkeko organization. President Ikeda has met and held
extensive dialogues with leading public figures. His actions
are in accord with Nichiren Daishonin’s maxim: “The
Law does not spread on its own. It must be propagated
by a person, and thus both the person and the Law are
worthy of respect.” (Gosho Zenshu, p. 856). President
Ikeda’s actions are examples of how to conduct shakubuku.
Needless to say, Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism is
the compassionate Buddhism of Sowing. The seed of the
Law is implanted in the hearts and minds of people by
those who practice it. This principle is clear when we
observe the life of Nichiren Daishonin, who was dedicated
to propagating true Buddhism. During the Kamakura period,
Nichiren Daishonin fought against erroneous sects that
were linked to the authorities and secular power, and
continued to sow the seeds of the Law through his humanistic
behavior and character, never giving in to any form of
persecution. I think the formula for accomplishing kosen-rufu
lies in actual example.
Nikken repeatedly slanders President Ikeda, making statements
like: “He does not do shakubuku. What he is doing
is not shakubuku. He acts only for his personal desire
for fame and honor.” Such criticism is completely
misdirected. President Ikeda’s actions are filled
with humanity and in accord with the teachings of Nichiren
Daishonin. Nikken is unable to see the reality of these
actions because he himself is bound by greed.
Once you realize that understanding of Nichiren Daishonin’s
Buddhism is increasing all around the world due to President
Ikeda’s character and wisdom, it becomes clear that
his actions constitute shakubuku. All members engaged
in Soka Gakkai activities, including President Ikeda,
are the true votaries of the Lotus Sutra who practice
shakubuku.
On the other hand, the priests of Nichiren Shoshu have
rarely if ever practiced shakubuku, and so have fallen
into a lackadaisical Buddhist practice that has won Buddhism
in Japan the derisive designation, “Funeral Buddhism.”
This is most likely the essence of all of the problems,
including the Shoshinkai Incident, that the Nichiren Shoshu
priesthood has been experiencing. During that time they
desperately plotted to subjugate the members by hiding
the truth and touting tradition in order to protect the
authority of the priests.
Up until and during the so-called 1977 Problem and the
Shoshinkai Incident, the Soka Gakkai was busy promoting
kosen-rufu and consistently striving for harmonious unity
between priesthood and laity.
I mentioned earlier that President Toda warmly encouraged
young priests. President Ikeda has also shown great care
and concern for youthful priests. The first Eiko-kai (Glory
Group) meeting (of youthful Nichiren Shoshu priests) was
held on Sept. 24, 1968. President Ikeda ate sukiyaki with
us youthful priests and listened to our opinions. There
were 15 priests in attendance at the first Eiko-kai meeting,
including Juken Omura, Jiun Kanno, Gikan Hayase and myself.
President Ikeda gave us the name “Eiko-kai.”
He encouraged us many times, asking each of us to “please
become priests who take serious responsibility for the
development of Nichiren Shoshu.” He also proposed
the compilation of two books, The Life of Nichiren Daishonin
and The Accounts of Nichiren Daishonin’s Disciples
and Lay Believers. We did indeed publish these books.
One day President Ikeda asked the priesthood to please
tell him if we had any requests of the Soka Gakkai. One
priest, Juken Omura, asked that the number of participants
in the monthly oko lectures increase. Immediately following
this request, attendance at oko lectures increased throughout
Japan. The young priests were deeply impressed by the
sincerity with which President Ikeda followed through.
Nevertheless, priests have used the occasion of the oko
lecture to criticize the Soka Gakkai in front of the members.
This is truly shameful. This time as well, just as in
1977, priests immediately began attacking President Ikeda
once conflict arose. This sort of action reflects their
deep ingratitude, and [according to the Daishonin’s
teachings,] places them on a level lower than animals.
I am among the graduates of the first session of the Eiko-kai.
Immediately after the second session was formed in July
1970, trouble began.
These problems are also related to the Shoshinkai Incident,
which followed later. Ten people were involved, including
Kotoku Obayashi, Gijun Hayase and Kosai Watanabe, who
later became chairman of the Shoshinkai. President Ikeda
proposed that the Gakkai and the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood
work together in the area of study. However, the priesthood
responded that there was no need for them to cooperate
with the Gakkai in Buddhist study, claiming differences
between the Gakkai’s approach to study and theirs,
and citing their own busy schedule. It was amid this atmosphere
that the Eiko-kai dialogues ceased.
I think this situation arose due to disrespect for President
Ikeda. Before the second Eiko-kai session began, it seems
that Nikken, then the head of the Nichiren Shoshu Study
Department, secretly directed the priests involved to
use their authority as priests to say whatever they wanted
to say, no matter how brazen.
I regret deeply that this opportunity for sincere dialogue,
created by President Ikeda, was lost to such appalling
circumstances.
Half of the participants of the second session later joined
the Shoshinkai, which was beginning to grow about this
time.
Their conceit prevented them from understanding anything
of President Ikeda’s intentions, particularly his
desire for harmonious unity among priests and lay believers.
When the Shoshinkai Incident occurred, Nikken pretended
to support the Soka Gakkai, but was already taking actions
against it.
Nikken is duplicitous. This became apparent when a problem
arose from a study thesis written by a Nichiren Shoshu
priest. The story began when Mr. Kendo Kanno’s thesis,
which criticized the Gakkai, was printed in the priesthood’s
publication, the Fuji-Gakuho. Nikken, then Study Department
chief, rather than reprimanding Kanno, praised his thesis
as excellent. This is proof that Nikken already harbored
anti-Gakkai sentiments.
In January 1977, Nikken visited the Soka Gakkai Headquarters
together with Kanno regarding this matter. Judging from
Nikken’s stance until then, Kanno believed that
the Study Department chief (Nikken) would stand by him
and refute the Gakkai’s position. Kanno therefore
felt secure enough to accompany Nikken. However, as soon
as they arrived, Nikken made no attempt to protect or
stand up for his subordinate, but instead instructed him
to apologize unconditionally. Kanno could not comprehend
this behavior. Hadn’t the Study Department chief,
who must have been well qualified to judge, praised his
article? Yet Nikken merely reprimanded him to avoid taking
the blame himself.
Under these circumstances, it was quite natural that the
young priests’ distrust of Nikken increased. I would
guess that one of the reasons for the Shoshinkai’s
attacks on Nikken can be traced to this story.
Those days were a bitter experience for me because I had
not taken an active role in criticizing the Soka Gakkai
during the Shoshinkai Incident.
I was reproached by two acolytes and about 20 Hokkeko
members for four or five hours for my failure to criticize
the Soka Gakkai. It is now the same as it was then. A
resident priest at Daikyo-ji temple summoned my wife and
me to the reception hall and read aloud a list of items
charging us with treating believers too kindly. From this
we can sense the backwardness and insanity of their world.
However, it is absolutely impossible for me to criticize
President Ikeda, to whom I am deeply indebted.
My wife and I met President Ikeda for the first time in
1961. He visited me right after I was assigned as chief
priest of Ryusen-ji temple in Fuji City (which has a close
connection to the Three Martyrs of Atsuhara). Since he
was unaware before his visit that I was married, he told
me that he would definitely bring something for my wife
on his next visit. He later carried out this promise.
This kind of concern shows what sort of person he is.
I will never forget his thoughtful consideration.
It is pointed out that Nikken has rarely praised the Gakkai
since he took office as high priest of Nichiren Shoshu.
Nikken rebuts this argument by saying that he rarely had
opportunities to attend Gakkai functions. However, this
is wholly a case of sophistry. So long as he appreciated
the Gakkai’s efforts, any praise would have been
acceptable. Though he attended the openings of more than
100 temples donated by the Gakkai where he saw many Gakkai
members and could have expressed his gratitude to them,
he did not do so. He naturally failed to do so because
burning deep within his heart was a dark desire to some
day sever relations with the Soka Gakkai.
Nikken often received invitations to Soka Gakkai culture
festivals. I, too, was often invited to the Gakkai’s
culture festivals. Yet, whenever he attended such an event,
his jealousy toward President Ikeda increased.
At each culture festival, the participants would tearfully
express their heartfelt appreciation to President Ikeda
after their performance. They would call out “Sensei!”
but not “High Priest Nikken!” This intensified
Nikken’s resentment against President Ikeda. In
short, he could not tolerate the natural heart-to-heart
exchange that exists between President Ikeda and the Gakkai
members.
The warm world of the Soka Gakkai, centering on the successive
presidents, is depicted in the novel The Human Revolution.
I feel that Nikken and many other priests became jealous
of this as well. They pressured the Gakkai to cancel the
serialization of this novel. Such a negative atmosphere
toward The Human Revolution certainly existed within Nichiren
Shoshu.
At any rate, the priests have been too steeped in protecting
their own status and have always functioned as major obstacles
to the Soka Gakkai in its sincere, painstaking effort
to promote kosen-rufu. There is no doubt about this. This
time, Nikken revealed his true identity as the manifestation
of the third of the three powerful enemies in Buddhism
(sensho zojoman—respected priests who appear as
saints or sages yet conspire, out of self-interest, to
persecute the votaries of the Lotus Sutra). In this sense,
he can only serve as a harbinger to the commencement of
the substantial worldwide propagation of Nichiren Daishonin’s
Buddhism.
I will continue to share the noble history of the Soka
Gakkai so that I may repay my great debt of gratitude
to the second Soka Gakkai president, Josei Toda, President
Ikeda and the Soka Gakkai itself. I will do my best, making
it my utmost lifelong mission, to fight resolutely against
the unpardonable mercilessness of Nikken and his anti-Buddhist
behavior, which I have witnessed over the past several
decades.
|
|
(Previously published in The
SGI-USA Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 3, April 19, 1993)
|
|
|
|
|
