Once irrational mistrust and fear sink their dark roots in our minds, reason is often rendered powerless to uproot them. Mistrust turns truth into falsehood, and fear turns friends into foes. Suspicion seeks confirmation where there is none. Eventually, through the lens of mistrust and fear, insanity begins to appear as reason.

The Story of Sundari

In ancient India, as Shakyamuni's teachings spread and the Buddhist community grew, the leaders of other religious schools became jealous of Shakyamuni's success. So they accused the Buddha of sexual misconduct and violent crimes to discredit him and his movement.

Some of the early texts relate the story of Sundari. When Shakyamuni was staying in the city of Shravasti, his teachings quickly spread and his renown increased. But "wanderers belonging to other sects were not respected..., not honoured, being no gainers of robe, almsfood, lodging." They were "unable to endure the respect for the Lord [Shakyamuni]."

So they asked a woman called Sundari to frequent Jeta's Grove, where Shakyamuni was preaching. After making sure that many people saw her there, they had her killed and buried in the grove. Then they reported her missing to the king and requested him to check the grove. After the body was found, they took it to the streets, accusing the Buddha and his disciples of rape and murder,"How, indeed, could a man, having performed a man's duty, deprive the woman of her life?" The citizens harassed the Buddha's disciples as "those of poor morality, evil-natured, those telling lies."

Shakyamuni reassured his bewildered disciples that this calumny would not last long and encouraged them to challenge the allegation.

Challenging Lies and Liars

Centuries later, subjected to similar accusations, Nichiren Daishonin writes: "Though I have neither wife nor child, I am known throughout the country as a monk who transgresses the code of conduct, and though I have never killed even a single ant or mole cricket, my bad reputation has spread throughout the realm. This may well resemble the situation of Shakyamuni Buddha, who was slandered by a multitude of non-Buddhists during his lifetime" (WND, 42).

In a broader sense, these "enemies" of the Lotus Sutra may include those who spread lies about the community of practitioners dedicated to the sutra's essential message, that is, respect for all life.

	Have you had a breakthrough, based on your Buddhist practice, with someone who tried to manipulate you with fear and mistrust?
	How would you respond to false reports by the media about our faith community? How can each of us become a better spokesperson for Nichiren Buddhism?

Once, the Soka Gakkai was labeled as a "gathering of the sick and poor." Now the media, especially in Japan, sometimes describe - whether intentionally or out of ignorance - our growing international movement as "powerful" or "potentially dangerous." Regarding those negative images created by the media then and now, SGI President Ikeda writes: "While these labels express opposite extremes, they share a common attitude of disdain for the people. This probably points to a feeling of resistance toward, and envy of, ordinary people becoming independent, raising their voices, and playing a decisive role in society" (May 2003 Living Buddhism, p. 24).

How then can we respond to malicious lies causing mistrust and fear toward the community of practitioners? First, by verifying facts and communicating them clearly and widely. Today this task is both facilitated and frustrated by mass media and the Internet. Facts alone, however, cannot effectively dispel mistrust and fear. More fundamentally, we ourselves must develop the courage to trust our innate Buddhahood and learn to live without fear. The rhetoric of fear and mistrust has no effect on the secure and courageous.