Nikken's End #1A: The Survivor Gita -
Nikken's End ? or NIKKEN ZENned ? You be the judge ...
=2E "What distinguished the Indian system from that of the
=2E ancient Western world is the absence of slavery. The
=2E caste system made formal slavery unnecessary in ancient
=2E India."
=2E
=2E - from The Two Cl***** of the Four-Fold Caste System, by
=2E Sudheer Birodkar.
In Nikken's Threefold World, which is "the world of unenlightened
beings who transmigrate within the Six Paths" ** [Hell, Hunger,
Animality, Anger, Humanity and Heaven] ... the 1st chapter describes
the structure of Nikken's World of Heaven.
** Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism
________ Table of Contents _______________________
=2E
=2E The Hindu Caste System
=2E and Brahminism
=2E
=2E The Nichiren Shoshu priesthood
=2E and Nikken Abe
=2E
=2E The First Rank of Nichiren Shoshu
=2E (Brahmin Caste - Priests and
=2E Teachers)
=2E
=2E The Second Rank of Nichiren Shoshu
=2E (Kshatriya Caste - Warriors and
=2E Proxy Rulers)
=2E
=2E The Third Rank of Nichiren Shoshu
=2E (Vaishya Caste - Farmers,
=2E Merchants, Artisans, etc.)
=2E
=2E The Fourth Rank of Nichiren Shoshu
=2E (Shudra Caste - Laborers)
=2E
=2E The Fifth Rank of Nichiren Shoshu
=2E (Untouchable Caste or Eta
=2E - Polluted Laborers)
=2E
=2E Definition of Heaven (Ten)
=2E
=2E Getting Some Help
=2E
=2E The Survivor Gita
__________________________________________________
As Nikken Abe moves ever closer to the moment that he will no longer
be the high priest of Nichiren Shoshu ... those interested in the
future occupants of Taisekiji will have in mind a question ... how
will events unfold ?
What I will attempt to do in this series, is to give a view from which
the seeming random or enigmatic quality of the various moves made by
the priesthood, can be revealed to be more predictable and easy to
understand.
In the analytic method that I have chosen, the grid for analysis, is
the Hindu caste system.
The theme that will be employed to ****tray the flow of events to come
is the "Survivor" series from CBS.
Think of it as the "Survivor Gita".
________ The Hindu Caste System __________________
________ and Brahminism
First, let's get a cursory understanding of what the phenomenon of
"Brahminism" is all about.
=46rom "The Caste System and the Stages of Life in Hinduism", by Kelley
L. Ross, Ph.D, (abridged):
=2E The Bhagavad Gita says this about the varnas (color):
=2E
=2E Brahmins (white) - Priests and Teachers: The
=2E works of a Brahmin are peace; self-harmony,
=2E austerity, and purity; loving- forgiveness and
=2E righteousness; vision and wisdom and faith.
=2E
=2E Kshatriyas (red) - Warriors and Rulers: The
=2E works of a Kshatriya are: a heroic mind, inner
=2E fire, constancy, resourcefulness, courage in
=2E battle, generosity and noble leader****p.
=2E
=2E Vaishyas (Brown) - Farmers, Merchants,
=2E Artisans, etc.: The works of a Vaishya are
=2E trade, agriculture and the rearing of cattle.
=2E
=2E Shudras (Black) - Laborers: The works of the
=2E Shudra are service.
=2E
=2E Untouchables (Outcastes - no color) - Polluted
=2E Laborers.
=2E
=2E [chapter 18, Juan Mascar=F3 translation, Penguin
=2E Books, 1962]
=2E
=2E Associated with each varna there is a traditional color.
=2E These sound suspiciously like skin colors; and, indeed,
=2E there is an expectation in India that higher caste
=2E people will have lighter skin -- although there are
=2E plenty of exceptions (especially in the South of India).
So, there are these visibly separable cl***** of people, which perform
specific functions, and which form the basic hierarchical structure of
ALL theocracies, explicit and implicit.
An explicit Brahminist theocracy would be the Vatican, where the Pope
and Cardinals =3D Brahmins, the Bishops =3D Kshatriyas, the Priests
tending the flocks =3D Vaishyas, the Monks, Nuns and the Laity =3D
Shudras, and finally the poor =3D Untouchables, except for once a year
when the Pope washes a foot or two.
An implicit Brahminist theocracy would be the a 10-year-old high tech
firm, where the Founder and the Board =3D Brahmins, the cor****ate
officers and top managers =3D Kshatriyas, the middle management and
technical leads =3D Vaishyas, the line managers and salaried workers =3D
Shudras, and finally the hourly, temp and out-sourced workers =3D
Untouchables.
You get the picture. The need, which is held by all humanity, to
improve their own and their family's condition ... is used to betray
and undermine their own humanity and render the effect of slavery
within a system that appears personally voluntary, however socially
coercive it may be in reality.
Ross goes on ...
=2E The twice born [Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas] account
=2E for about 48% of Hindus. The rest are Shudras and
=2E Untouchables. The Shudras may represent the
=2E institutional provision that the Arya made for the
=2E people they already found in India. The Shudras thus
=2E remain once born, and traditionally are not allowed to
=2E learn Sanskrit or study the Vedas. Their dharma is to
=2E work for the twice born. But even below the Shudras are
=2E the Untouchables, who are literally "outcastes," without
=2E a varna [color], and were regarded as "untouchable"
=2E because they are ritually polluting for caste Hindus.
=2E Some Untouchable subcastes are regarded as so polluted
=2E that members are supposed to keep out of sight and do
=2E their work at night: They are called "Unseeables." In
=2E India, the term "Untouchable" is now regarded as
=2E impolite or politically incorrect (like Eta in Japan for
=2E the traditional tanners and pariahs).
These kinds of divisions of people only become more bitter, over time,
as more and more distinctions need to be drawn to demonstrate clearly
that one is not a part of a lower group. (Like the insanity of
"Colored" water fountains in the South, when I was a child.)
Following the ritual tenets of animality and thereby preserving the
pecking order become the overriding preoccupation of anyone desiring a
better life. These activities will ultimately tend to occupy 100% of
all human effort, since this particular demon is determined to
undermine humanity's mission: Kosen Rufu.
Ross finishes with ...
=2E The Untouchables, nevertheless, have their own
=2E traditional professions and their own subcastes. Those
=2E professions (unless they can be evaded in the greater
=2E social mobility of modern, urban, anonymous life)
=2E involve too much pollution to be performed by caste
=2E Hindus: (1) dealing with the bodies of dead animals
=2E (like the sacred cattle that wander Indian villages) or
=2E unclaimed dead humans, (2) tanning leather, from such
=2E dead animals, and manufacturing leather goods, and (3)
=2E cleaning up the human and animal waste for which in
=2E traditional villages there is no sewer system. Mah=E2tm=E2
=2E Gandhi referred to the latter euphemistically as
=2E "scavenging" but saw in it the most horrible thing
=2E imposed on the Untouchables by the caste system. His
=2E requirement on his farms in South Africa that everyone
=2E share in such tasks comes up in an early scene in the
=2E movie Gandhi. Since Gandhi equated suffering with
=2E holiness, he saw the Untouchables as hallowed by their
=2E miserable treatment and so called them "Harijans"
=2E (Hari=3DVishnu). Later Gandhi went on fasts in the hope of
=2E improving the condition of the Untouchables, or at least
=2E to avoid their being politically classified as non-
=2E Hindus. Today the status of the Shudras, Untouchables,
=2E and other "scheduled castes," and the preferential
=2E policies that the Indian government has designed for
=2E their advancement ever since Independence, are sources
=2E of serious conflict, including murders and riots, in
=2E Indian society.
If you had a difficulty in understanding precisely what tied together
the "Gandhi, King and Ikeda" exhibits around the country ... perhaps
the point will become abundantly clear after reading this article,
since all three of these men fought to end the exploitation and
oppression of a large number of hard-working common people, who
sup****ted a parasitic caste system.
Gandhi, King and Ikeda are the three Anti-Brahminist heroes of the
Common People, for the modern era.
Some argue that the SGI has Brahminist tendencies, and like all human
organizations, that is surely true ... but it is also true that those
tendencies are s****adic, very impermanent and rapidly ****fting as the
SGI undergoes it's own human revolution with the broadening of the
Soka Spirit activities to include all places where Dai-Rokuten-No-Mao
(the Devil King of the 6th Heaven, or arrogant authority) might appear
in the leader****p of any organization, or group.
But let's go a little further in understanding the phenomenon of
Brahminism. And then we will talk about the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood
and Nikken.
=46rom "The Two Cl***** of the Four-Fold Caste System", by Sudheer
Birodkar:
=2E The Brahmin-Kshatriya combine was thus the appropriating
=2E section as against the Vaishya-Shudra combine who
=2E represented the productive section. But although the two
=2E appropriating and the two appropriated sections of
=2E society performed different functions like the ritual
=2E wor****p undertaken by the Brahmins, warfare by
=2E Kshatriyas, cultivation by the Vaishyas and menial work
=2E by the Shudras they were essentially two broad economic
=2E categories with antagonistic interests of sharing the
=2E social surplus product which only the Vaishyas and
=2E Shudra created.
Dai-Rokuten-No-Mao is defined as the function of rapturous
exploitation of the efforts of others, while grinding those others
underfoot.
There is always a gloating rapture present. (Remember the gleeful
pictures of those happy Southern men standing around a burning black
corpse in the lynchings of last century? Remember how much they are
like the Abu Ghraib pictures? It is the same function, the same
demon.)
And there is always a hierarchy being enforced. Which is a denial of
the Lotus Sutra's universal equality.
Birodkar goes on ...
=2E ... Dana along with dak****na (a voluntary payment made
=2E to Brahmins for religious services which they rendered),
=2E has been represented as an offering to the clergy at our
=2E innumerable religious rites. Thus the spiritual clasp of
=2E the clergy on the general population came to play a
=2E vital role in appropriating the surplus in favour of the
=2E clergy, rendering coercion unnecessary and in
=2E perpetuating social practices which had lost relevance
=2E with day-to-day life.
The reference to day-to-day life and social relevance is indicating
that those activities which were initially tribal social functions
involving redistribution of food in an agrarian tribal culture, were
no longer serving the function of allowing farmers to survive a bad
year, or a flood in one part of the locality not affecting another
part.
Birodkar goes on ...
=2E The clergy firmly rooted in the minds of the m*****,
=2E ideas about Karma - faithfully carrying out of duties
=2E assigned to each person on virtue of being born in any
=2E particular caste. Ideas about rebirth fostered a belief
=2E that sufferings of this life were a result of deeds of
=2E one's past lives and the faithful execution of duties
=2E that fell upon one in one's present life would hold a
=2E promise of rebirth in a higher caste. With their minds
=2E enmeshed in such dogmas, the m***** mutely accepted a
=2E secondary status in the social hierarchy for centuries
=2E together.
The idea of waiting until the next time around, instead of enjoying
this one and only precious instance of YOU, which will not recur in
anyone's religious tradition ... this is the worst slander of
humanity: wasting one's life, voluntarily, for the foul rapture of
another.
________ The Nichiren Shoshu priesthood __________
________ and Nikken Abe
There are many complaints about the behavior and activities of the
Nichiren Shoshu priesthood, related to their pursuits of having a good
time with bad women and expensive food, drink and parties with the
member's money. It is not my intention to defend those activities, but
my view of those activities is frankly, sociological. Bad and
unnacceptable social behavior is to be expected when great evil is
present.
So, I do not expect Nichiren Shoshu priests, especially the priesthood
elite, to behave well. This is secondary. This is an effect or
symptom, or think of it as the warning label on a pack of smokes, or
the nuclear symbol on a container of Plutonium. (It lets you know that
you should stay away, for safety.)
Indeed, in all cases if the correct practice of Nichiren's Buddhism is
present, secular issues fade into insignificance.
=46rom Nichiren Daishonin's Gosho "On Prayer", WND p. 345:
=2E It makes no difference if the practitioner himself is
=2E lacking in worth, defective in wisdom, impure in his
=2E person, and lacking in virtue derived from observing the
=2E precepts. So long as he chants Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, they
=2E will invariably protect him. One does not throw away
=2E gold because the bag that holds it is dirty; one does
=2E not ignore the sandalwood trees because of the foul odor
=2E of the eranda trees around them; and one does not refuse
=2E to gather lotuses because the pond in the valley where
=2E they grow is not clean. If they ignore the practitioner
=2E of the Lotus Sutra, they will be going against their
=2E vow.
The issue is the correct practice. THAT is my complaint against Nikken
and Nichiren Shoshu.
=46rom "Moral Philosophy and Dealings With Priests", written by myself
(sorry about that):
=2E 8. Nichiren Shoshu and the Hokkeko have always called
=2E themselves followers of Nikko's Fuji School, but from
=2E the beginning (1912) they have followed priests that
=2E disobey the 25th Admonition against ***ual abstinence,
=2E and they have followed priests that were trained by
=2E Nichiren Shu (5 Senior Priests) at Rissho University -
=2E disobeying the 2nd Admonition, and hence according to
=2E Nikko they are not his followers, but are instead
=2E followers of the Five Senior Priests. (Nikko would have
=2E kicked them out of the Fuji School just for training at
=2E Rissho.)
=2E
=2E From the end of Nikko Shonin's 26 Admonitions:
=2E
=2E "I have set forth these 26 articles for the
=2E sake of the eternal salvation and protection
=2E of humankind. Those who violate even one of
=2E these articles cannot be called disciples of
=2E Nikko."
=2E
=2E In 1969, Daisaku Ikeda founded Soka University to train
=2E the future leaders of the Soka Gakkai, among others.
=2E This was a necessary move, because of the corruption
=2E seen in attitudes of Japanese Academics, and their
=2E determined resistance to recognizing the Soka Gakkai as
=2E a valid religious organization and worthy of respect.
=2E Witness the academic quotes in the LOOK Magazine article
=2E (1963) by the President of Rissho University, Rev.
=2E Shobun Kubota, D.T. Suzuki of Zen, and other academics,
=2E that the Soka Gakkai "can not be Buddhism".
=2E
=2E ' The Rev. Dr. Shobun Kubota, vice-president
=2E of Rissho University of Tokyo, concurs. "The
=2E principle of Buddhism," he says, "is to
=2E restrain man's desires, such as ***, hunger,
=2E wealth and fame, but Soka Gakkai promises the
=2E possession of these desires. It uses man's
=2E weaknesses as a tool for its own expansion. It
=2E has the same characteristics as Nazism.
=2E Finally, it is a corruption of Buddhism." '
=2E
=2E LOOK Magazine, September 10, 1963
=2E
=2E This from academic Buddhists who signed up unanimously,
=2E institution by institution, to bear the ****nto Talisman,
=2E and promote Imperial Way Buddhism and Imperial State Zen
=2E militarism for the God-Emperor. In sup****t of that self-
=2E same Nazi Reich, while Makiguchi and Toda alone bore the
=2E brunt of oppression to the end. Such evil-doers call
=2E themselves Buddhists. Their tongues should rot in their
=2E mouths.
=2E
=2E Soka University has created at least one academic
=2E environment where the Soka Gakkai can be viewed with
=2E objectivity by students. This was and remains an
=2E absolute good.
=2E
=2E Nichiren Shoshu has continued to allow the training of
=2E their future leaders by the Nichiren Shu Minobu Sect at
=2E Rissho University, even though they were aware that this
=2E was a slander of Nikko's school, and made them not
=2E followers of Nikko.
=2E
=2E (Excerpts from
=2E http://www.geocities.com/smimoza/vol275.html,
the "Fake
=2E [High Priest]" Newsletter:)
=2E
=2E "My view of the teachings of Nichiren Shoshu
=2E has been polluted with Minobu's wicked
=2E teachings," Nikken confessed at the opening
=2E ceremony for the Fuji Gakurin School (Dai-
=2E Nichiren, May 2000 edition).
=2E
=2E Fuji Gakurin is the school that Nikken started to
=2E belatedly replace Rissho University as the source of
=2E priest trainees for Nichiren Shoshu. Apparently, he only
=2E took this action after people started talking about the
=2E 26 Admonitions publicly (Living Buddhism article by
=2E Daisaku Ikeda in 1998). The sad fact is, that Nichiren
=2E Shoshu has violated all 26, most by the letter of the
=2E admonition, but all 26 by their intent.
=2E
=2E In relatively short order after being rebuked in 1998,
=2E Nikken officially opened the Fuji Gakurin School on
=2E April 10th, 2000. Many attended and heard his
=2E statements: Nichijun Fujimoto, Nichiyu Yo****da, Nitto
=2E (Juken) Ohmura, Nichijo (Gikan) Hayase, Nissho (****nei)
=2E Yagi, Chief of the Overseas Department Kotoku Obaya****,
=2E Chief of the Public Relations Department Kogaku Akimoto
=2E and Vice Chief of the Study Department Kosho Mizu****ma.
=2E
=2E Nikken went on to state that "he had been contaminated
=2E by Minobu's teachings"...
=2E
=2E "I once attended the University run by
=2E Nichiren-shu. The hardest thing for me in my
=2E campus life was that the teacher said many
=2E false things about the teachings and history
=2E of Nichiren Daishonin. I had always thought
=2E that I should refute these false ideas.
=2E However, I cannot say that that was my true
=2E intention, because I was only a student."
=2E
=2E "When we constantly hear false things, we will
=2E be caught up in false ways of thinking, or I
=2E can say, we will be trapped in it. As I recall
=2E my early days, false ideas did exist in my
=2E view of Nichiren Buddhism, especially
=2E regarding the legitimate teachings of
=2E Nichiren-shoshu. At that time, I was not able
=2E to straighten out my thoughts sufficiently
=2E from the viewpoint of faith, action, study....
=2E If I were young now, I could study with you,
=2E young fellows, in these cl*****, taught by
=2E these engaged teachers."
=2E
=2E But his distorted views from Rissho were not left there
=2E at the University.
=2E
=2E We are reminded of Nikken's words on October 8th, 1985,
=2E when he attended the completion ceremony of Komyoji
=2E Temple, Hachioji City, Tokyo. Kotoku Hirayama, the chief
=2E priest of the temple, asked Nikken, "What is the biggest
=2E obstacle you had in your practice?" Nikken answered, "It
=2E is that I could not truly believe in the Gohonzon. I
=2E cannot believe truly now. I have to really try."
=2E
=2E Also, we are reminded of Nikken's statement that
=2E "Daigohonzon is a fake" from the Kawabe memo. This
=2E statement seems to be influenced by the author of "view
=2E of wood honzon is false", Minobu priest Bentetsu
=2E Yasunaga, who is an associate professor at Minobu's
=2E Rissho University and chief priest of Zenshoji Temple.
=2E
=2E In recent years, the exchange of Minobu
=2E priests and Nikken sect priests has become
=2E more frequent. Monks of the Nikken sect make
=2E pilgrimages to temples of Minobu sect with
=2E Hokkeko members, or they invite Minobu monks
=2E to Taisekiji. General chief of the Hokkeko
=2E federation, Kisoji Yanagisawa, made a
=2E pilgrimage to Kuonji Temple, the general head
=2E temple of the Minobu sect. We [the Fake
=2E Newsletter] have mentioned this issue before,
=2E and even "Emyo," one of organ papers of Nikken
=2E sect, could not argue against this. Taisekiji
=2E priests Kaido Seki, Jikei Maekawa, Kosho
=2E Mizu****ma, Sonfuku Ochiai, Gishu Funaba****,
=2E all made visits to Minobu's temples
=2E themselves. They later made excuses during
=2E lectures at their temples or in their temple
=2E newsletters, saying, "We went and saw the
=2E temple but did not chant."...etc.
=2E
=2E The proof of Rissho's heritage is on their own website,
=2E the page on "History of Rissho":
=2E
=2E ' Over 120 Years of Tradition and 70 Years of
=2E History as a Modern Educational Institution '
=2E
=2E ' No other institution of higher education in
=2E Japan has a longer tradition than Rissho
=2E University. '
=2E
=2E ' Our founding dates back to 1580 when the
=2E "Iidaka- Danrin School" was established to
=2E educate student priests of the Nichiren sect
=2E of Buddhism. The school took its name from its
=2E location, Iidaka Town, which is now Yoka-
=2E lchiba City in Chiba Prefecture. Some of the
=2E ancient wooden structures have been carefully
=2E preserved and form part of the Hanko-ji
=2E Temple. These structures include the lecture
=2E hall, gate, drum tower and bell tower, which
=2E are designated as "Im****tant Cultural Assets"
=2E by the Government. The school closed its gates
=2E in 1875. During its 295-year history, it
=2E produced a great many talented figures who
=2E made prominent contributions to promoting
=2E Buddhism and education in Japan. '
=2E
=2E ' Shortly before it [Iidaka-Danrin School] was
=2E closed, the "Nichiren-shu Shukyo-in" (Nichiren
=2E Religious Academy) was established in 1872 at
=2E the Jokyo-ji Temple in Takanawa, Tokyo, to
=2E succeed the "Iidaka-Danrin School" in modern
=2E times. '
=2E
=2E ' In 1904, the Academy was moved to
=2E Osaki,Tokyo, the present site of the main
=2E campus of Rissho University. '
=2E
=2E ' Authorized by the Government ordinance
=2E concerning colleges issued that year [1904],
=2E it opened its gates as "Nichiren-shu
=2E Daigakurin" (Nichiren Religious College). '
=2E
=2E ' When the Government issued an ordinance
=2E concerning universities in 1924, the
=2E University was reorganized into Rissho
=2E University with Faculty of Letters newly
=2E opened. Its doors were opened to both Nichiren
=2E priests and ordinary students. '
=2E
=2E Hence, Nikken is more than simply an enemy of the Soka
=2E Gakkai and a very bad High Priest at the Fuji School.
=2E
=2E Nikken in clearly not a follower of Nikko's School and
=2E never has been at any time. He is a follower of the Five
=2E Senior Priests and a minion of Minobu, in spite of what
=2E his conscious mind tells him. Consciousness is, after
=2E all, only one of Five Components.
THAT is my problem with Nikken and Nichiren Shoshu priests, in
general. It is not that they hang out with bad women or good women.
Nikko's intent is absolutely clear in the 25th Admonition:
=2E 25. My disciples should conduct themselves as holy
=2E priests, patterning their behavior after that of the
=2E late master. However, even if a high priest or a priest
=2E striving for practice and understanding should
=2E tem****arily deviate from [the principle of] ***ual
=2E abstinence, he may still be allowed to remain in the
=2E priesthood [as a common priest without rank].
=2E
=2E (from Living Buddhism 4/1998)
Nikko did not want the priesthood to be a self-sustaining community,
where priesthood positions could be handed down to the kids, like a
family business. He clearly intended that every priest should come
from a family of lay believers, or spring forth spontaneously from the
new member****p.
This is abundantly clear, since abstaining priests cannot even donate
to a sperm bank for artificial insemination. THEY CAN HAVE NO
CHILDREN.
Frankly it is not my concern that that imposes an unhappy restriction
on priests. Nichiren, Nikko, Nichimoku and Nichikan followed all 26
Admonitions abundantly well, and I only need to have those four
priests in my life. I don't need any false priests that are lay-person
wanna-bes.
And I am not the author of these restrictions, Nikko is. Argue with
him (heh).
For myself, I have ABSOLUTELY no argument with Nikko, I follow all 26
of his admonitions, even the 2nd and the 25th: I will not lower his
standards on training at Nichiren Shu or in accepting a priest who
does not practice abstinence. PERIOD. Never. Not for anyone.
I will accept a priest that has never had any contact with, or priest-
training from a follower of the Five Senior Priests (Nichiren Shu or
Shoshu, or any other slanderous Buddhism), and who practices
abstinence and follows all 26 Admonitions of Nikko. From an
excommunicated (Gakkai) family or off the street (common mortals are
the true Buddha, according to Nichiren), either source is fine.
It is Nikko's undying determination in action ... that having violated
any of the 26 Admonitions in a clear and obvious way ... one will then
proceed to violate all the rest, including Admonition #1, which is to
practice Buddhism in the same way as Nichiren.
They may erect statues of Nichiren at Taisekiji and wor****p them, in
the same way that the Tendai and Nichiren Shu wor****p statues of
Shakyamuni, but there is ultimately no difference between these two
slanders. This is not Nichiren's Buddhism.
=46rom "The True Aspect of All Phenomena", WND p. 384:
=2E A common mortal is an entity of the three bodies, and a
=2E true Buddha. A Buddha is a function of the three bodies,
=2E and a provisional Buddha. In that case, though it is
=2E thought that Shakyamuni Buddha possesses the three
=2E virtues of sovereign, teacher, and parent for the sake
=2E of all of us living beings, that is not so. On the
=2E contrary, it is common mortals who endow him with the
=2E three virtues.
"A common mortal is ... a true Buddha". And Nichiren and Shakyamuni
are endowed with the three virtues of sovereign, teacher, and parent
BY the common mortal, who is the true Buddha.
If Nichiren and Shakyamuni are somehow "special people", then we
cannot match their accomplishment, and attain their Buddhahood.
They are NOT special humans. And we CAN attain their determination for
Kosen Rufu, which is no more and no less than their Buddhahood.
Indeed, we MUST attain that determination, or we shall surely fail to
accomplish the ultimate intent of the Thus Come One (our true self).
This is why it is a slander for common mortals to wor****p statues of
provisional Buddhas (these are the only statues of people possible).
This is why we have the Gohonzon, which reflects the Thus Come One
inside our very own Sense Field =3D Five Components in Three Realms.
This is why we do shakubuku. The common mortal (true Buddha) we
shakubuku endows the three virtues upon us, and that is our
provisional Buddhahood.
So ... slander of Buddhism will always identify itself, by raising one
person over another: over the common mortal. In the end, slanderers of
the Law all make the same appearance, by wor****pping statues of
someone or other. (And, by the way, appreciation of your mentors:
those who helped you along ... is NOT wor****p, it is merely showing
your gratitude. We need to discard that fallacy.)
Next, we will apply the grid of the Hindu caste system to the Nichiren
Shoshu priesthood. We will talk about some of the priesthood's
socially unnacceptable behavior, but really ... I only mention these
instances to show pattern and connections between priest families.
(The families that click together, stick together.)
________ The First Rank of Nichiren Shoshu _______
________ (Brahmin Caste - Priests and
________ Teachers)
These are the top members of the priesthood for whom everyone else
exists to serve. They are the six families that Nikken Abe and his
family are intimately connected with.
=2E Nikken and the Abe Clan
___________________________
=2E
=2E Nikken was originally named Nobuo Hikosaka. His mother
=2E was Suma Hikosaka. Suma Hikosaka, who was unmarried at
=2E the time of Nobuo's birth, would 15 years later marry
=2E the man named Houn Abe, who was ultimately to become
=2E 60th Nichiren Shoshu high priest Nikkai Abe.
=2E
=2E Nikkai did not recognize Nobuo Hikosaka as his son. This
=2E is because he knew that Suma had actually had relations
=2E with Hogen Takano, later to become chief priest Nichijin
=2E Takano, sire to the Takano Clan. Ultimately Nikkai did
=2E recognize Nobuo, and later married Suma, who became the
=2E tonsured (shavepate) nun Myoshu Ama.
=2E
=2E [One can imagine a Maury Povich moment: "High Priest
=2E Nikkai, according to the DNA testing ... you are NOT the
=2E father of Suma's little Nikken !!!"]
=2E
=2E Nobuo later changed his name to Nobuo Abe legally, in
=2E spite of clearly appearing not to be Nikkai Abe's son,
=2E but instead Nichijin Takano's.
=2E
=2E To this day, the Takano Clan is favored by Nikken, and
=2E the original Abe Clan has not received the highest favor
=2E of Nikken. Trees grow from the roots, not from tangled
=2E branches with other trees.
=2E
=2E Current Abe(Takano) priests include: Nikken Abe, ****nsho
=2E Abe (General Affairs Department Vice Chief) and Shokyo
=2E Abe, ****nsho's son.
=2E
=2E The Takano Clan
___________________
=2E
=2E Nikken and Masako's children ****nsho and Yuriko have a
=2E great grandfather named Takatomo I****kawa, through his
=2E mistress Bun Hikosaka, whose illegitimate daughter Suma
=2E Hikosaka ALSO had an illegitimate son named Nobuo
=2E Hikosaka with the 60th high priest of Nichiren Shoshu
=2E Nikkai (Houn) Abe, and that son was ultimately renamed
=2E Nobuo Abe and then Nikken Abe.
=2E
=2E Surprisingly, Nikken and Masako's children ****nsho and
=2E Yuriko ALSO have a great great grandfather named
=2E Takatomo I****kawa (same guy), through his lawful wife
=2E Taki, whose daughter Matsu Ito had a daughter named Ai
=2E Nosaka, who was the mother of Masako. So, Masako is
=2E Nikken's half-second cousin (kissin' cousins), as well
=2E as his wife.
=2E
=2E Most of the closely-tethered connections between the top
=2E 6 clans of Nichiren Shoshu are by marriage. This was not
=2E necessary in the case of Nikken's family and the
=2E Takanos, who are connected secretly through Nichijin
=2E Takano's seminal contributions to Nikken's mother Myoshu
=2E Ama.
=2E
=2E Current Takano priests include: Nichikai Takano (the
=2E chief priest of the Hongyo-ji temple in Sumida Ward,
=2E Tokyo), Tai****n Takano (the chief priest of Myoho-ji
=2E temple in Los Angeles, California), Kensho Takano and
=2E Sendo Takano.
=2E
=2E The I****i Clan
__________________
=2E
=2E ****nryo I****i and Eijyun I****i became Nichiren Shoshu
=2E priests when they were poor and in need of a career
=2E which would bring them fortune, with little risk. The
=2E priesthood is certainly that. Climbing the ladder of
=2E success under Nikken requires some unusual moves.
=2E
=2E ****nryo made his connection to Nikken by first being a
=2E good "Uchide****" (disciple-apprentice), and then by
=2E being the receiver of Nikken's "Osage Wata****" (handed-
=2E down-girl), his wife Natsuko. That makes him the number
=2E one "Uchide****" for life.
=2E
=2E Natsuko was first Nikken's maid and then his girl. The
=2E priesthood manner of handling this problem later
=2E involves handing the girl off to a junior priest to
=2E marry.
=2E
=2E This makes for a very close connection between Nikken
=2E and the I****i brothers, who can do no wrong at
=2E Taisekiji. There are stories of ****nryo receiving boxes
=2E of Gohonzon from ****do Ogawa, that actually contained
=2E ****o collections, by those who inadvertently opened
=2E them, and of ****nryo spending 20% of Taisekiji's budget
=2E on land deals ($55 million).
=2E
=2E In one observation:
=2E
=2E At the National Teacher's guidance meeting
=2E held on 26 May 1994, Nikken attempted to
=2E protect ****nryo from the criticism of [a
=2E priest] Nikken said, "If someone asked you
=2E whether you have visited a red-light town
=2E while you were young, just answer "Yes, I
=2E did." If someone asked whether you have bought
=2E a land, just answer "Yes, I did." Don't worry
=2E about such trivial matters!"
=2E
=2E The brazen nature of these people is no accident. They
=2E feel they have the right, since they are superior, by
=2E fortune of their position in the structure of Nichiren
=2E Shoshu.
=2E
=2E And of course, this is true. They have a perfect right
=2E to abuse their position of trust, in an inherently
=2E corrupt and patently false priesthood.
=2E
=2E Current I****i priests include: ****nryo I****i (Internal
=2E Affairs Division, Director), son Ryokai I****i, Eijyun
=2E I****i (chief priest of Hosho-ji temple, Japan), sons
=2E ****n'oh and Sho'on I****i, and Kendo Hayakawa, ****nryo's
=2E brother-in-law.
=2E
=2E The Hayase Clan
___________________
=2E
=2E Back when Nikken was the Study Department Chief, his
=2E daughter Yuriko made a big career move by marrying up a
=2E level into the Hayase family. She married Gijun Hayase
=2E whose father Nichiji (Doou) Hayase was the chief priest
=2E at Hodo-in Temple.
=2E
=2E Nichiji Hayase was a powerful priest who endeavored to
=2E increase his influence by many means. First, his
=2E children were married off to create many connections to
=2E powerful families, to guarantee that one of those
=2E connections would be to the next high priest.
=2E
=2E Secondly, during Nittatsu's time Nichiji Hayase created
=2E his own faction within the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood
=2E called the "Hoki-Kai". Because Nittatsu did not like
=2E this, he countered that move by creating the "Myokan-
=2E Kai". These young priests later formed the core of the
=2E Sho****n-Kai and rebelled against the Soka Gakkai and
=2E high priest Nikken at the instigation of Yamazaki.
=2E
=2E Forming an elite organization, inside of an ostensibly
=2E egalitarian organization like the Sangha is supposed to
=2E be, is never a good idea. Of course, that particular
=2E logical formulation is not obvious to the elitist
=2E priest-mind. And in a corrupt priesthood, it doesn't
=2E really matter. Worse is better, since it is more
=2E obviously wrong and less misleading.
=2E
=2E Nikken Abe's son-in-law Gijun Hayase is a graduate of
=2E Rissho University, which is run by Nichiren Shu Minobu
=2E Sect, just the same as Nikken and all the priests of the
=2E top families.
=2E
=2E Yuriko, Nikken's daughter lives close to her mother and
=2E father, so as to eat with them regularly, to discuss
=2E Nichiren Shoshu politics. Because of this, most priests
=2E and their families will curry favor with her, constantly
=2E showering her with gifts and flattery, which she
=2E accepts.
=2E
=2E Current Hayase priests include: Nichinyo (Gikan) Hayase
=2E (General Affairs chief priest, chief priest of Daigan-ji
=2E temple in ****njuku Ward, Tokyo), Gijun Hayase, Giyu
=2E Hayase and Dogi Hayase.
=2E
=2E The Kimura and Imano Clans
______________________________
=2E
=2E Because Yuriko and Gijun Hayase's daughters are from two
=2E of the most prominent Nichiren Shoshu priesthood
=2E families, their marriages were well thought out. Both of
=2E their daughters married priests, whose fathers were
=2E priests of prominent families: the Kimura and Imano
=2E Clans.
=2E
=2E Current Kimura priests include: Jido Kimura, Shogu
=2E Kimura (was Shumu-in secretary, now chief priest of
=2E Myo****n-ji temple in San Francisco), ****nryu Kimura
=2E (married to Yuriko's oldest daughter), Shoka Kimura and
=2E Yuo Kimura.
=2E
=2E Current Imano priests include: Jifu Imano and ****n'en
=2E Imano (married to Yuriko's second daughter).
=2E
=2E I'M A SURVIVOR ! ! !
________________________
=2E
=2E So, there are six powerful families at the heart of
=2E Nichiren Shoshu, that constitute the Brahmin Caste of
=2E Nichiren Shoshu. By all appearances, they would seem to
=2E have a lock on the succession of the next high priest
=2E after Nikken, and those that follow.
=2E
=2E This is the question which is posed in the ultimate
=2E Survivor Gita: which of the ****fting coalitions of clans
=2E in Nichiren Shoshu will control the succession and the
=2E absolute power that is the prize?
________ The Second Rank of Nichiren Shoshu ______
________ (Kshatriya Caste - Warriors and
________ Proxy-Rulers)
Loosely-tethered (to the Abe Clan) and untethered prominent priesthood
families occupy this position in the Nichiren Shoshu hierarchy. These
men have the power to change the outcome of the Survivor Gita through
alliances. They are players, deciding whether to be passive or active.
=2E Nobuko, who is ****nsho Abe's wife, is not from a
=2E prominent Nichiren Shoshu priesthood family, and so, the
=2E marriages of their children were not into First Rank
=2E priesthood families: the Suzuki and the ****n families
=2E are Second Rank.
=2E
=2E Included are the families of:
=2E
=2E Nichijyun (****nkyo) Fujimoto, General Director
=2E of Nichiren Shoshu
=2E [****nkyo Fujimoto, Dojun Fujimoto, Ido Mitani,
=2E ****nkyo's son-in-law]
=2E
=2E Nichiyu Yo****da, executive secretary to Nikken
=2E [Dojo Yo****da of Hokkeji temple in Ghana]
=2E
=2E Nitto (Juken) Ohmura, Study Department chief
=2E
=2E Nissho (****n'ei) Yagi, Taisekiji temple chief
=2E Administrator, and President of Fuji Gakurin
=2E University (Rissho University at Taisekiji)
=2E [Hogaku Yagi, Dogen Munekata, Nissho's son-in-
=2E law]
=2E
=2E Nis**** (Kotoku) Obaya****, Overseas Bureau
=2E chief priest, chief priest of Myoko-ji temple
=2E
=2E ****nko Takaha****, Nikken's 2nd Disciple
=2E [Shokun Takaha****, Jiho Takaha****, ****do
=2E Takaha****]
=2E 1998 was a bad year for the Takaha**** boys,
=2E Jiho and ****do lost their jobs as chief
=2E priests for Myo****n-ji in San Francisco and
=2E Honsei-ji in Hawaii.
=2E
=2E ****npo Sugawara, Nikken's 3rd Disciple
=2E [****npo Sugawara, ****nnen Sugawara]
=2E
=2E ****nfuku Suzuki
=2E [Jisho Suzuki, Jo****n Suzuki, chief priest of
=2E Myoin-ji temple in Koto Ward, Tokyo]
=2E
=2E Dofu ****n
=2E [Dofi ****n]
=2E
=2E These nine powerful families in the Second Rank pose
=2E perhaps the greatest danger to those in the First Rank
=2E as the Survivor Gita unfolds.
=2E
=2E This is because among them are Nis**** Obaya**** and
=2E Nichijyun (Eido) Fujimoto, who together control the
=2E Overseas Bureau: the network guiding the worldwide
=2E network of Temples outside Japan.
=2E
=2E When the Survivor Gita for the succession is finished,
=2E the final Survivors will be in league with Fujimoto and
=2E Obaya****, because no number of temples in Japan will be
=2E sufficient to offset the im****tance and influence of the
=2E overseas network of Temples.
=2E
=2E I really, sincerely believe that "Jyun's the One." He
=2E has the inside track, unless something big changes in
=2E the Survivor Gita.
________ The Third Rank of Nichiren Shoshu _______
________ (Vaishya Caste - Farmers,
________ Merchants, Artisans, etc.)
Lesser administrator and chief priests clans occupy this position in
the Nichiren Shoshu hierarchy. Let's call them useful men with no real
power to change the outcome of the Survivor Gita. They are playing
pieces, not players.
=2E Included are the families of:
=2E
=2E Nichiko (Taiken) Mitsuhisa
=2E [Kendo Mitsuhisa, ****nyu Mitsuhisa]
=2E
=2E Nichijo Akiyama, chief priest of Hoten-ji
=2E temple, Kitakyushu City, Japan
=2E [Kenei Akiyama]
=2E
=2E ****do Ogawa, Taisekiji Administrator, chief
=2E priest at Rikyo-bo Lodging temple
=2E [Shogo Ogawa, Assistant priest of Rikyo-bo]
=2E
=2E Kogaku Akimoto, Public Relations Dept. Chief
=2E
=2E Kyomei Nagakura, Finance Dept. Chief
=2E
=2E Josei Doizaki, Council Chairman
=2E
=2E Daido ****amoto, chief secretary of Overseas
=2E Bureau
=2E
=2E Cho'do I****ba****, Overseas Bureau chief
=2E secretary
=2E
=2E Kakudo Abe of the non-Nikken, original Abe
=2E Clan [you never see him on a trip with any of
=2E the the Abe(Takano) clan]
=2E
=2E Keido Hosoi (Nikken hates Nittatsu's family
=2E with a passion)
=2E [Dojin Hosoi]
=2E
=2E Jicho Sato, chief priest of the Hongyo-ji
=2E temple in Osaka
=2E [Doko Sato, chief priest of Honseiji temple at
=2E Hawaii, Komei Sato, ****nshun Sato, Shoshun
=2E Sato]
=2E
=2E Kotoku Hirayama, chief priest at Komyoji
=2E temple in Hachioji, Tokyo
=2E
=2E Shoso Nagasawa, priest-in-charge of Chungtai
=2E Propagation Centre
=2E
=2E Yuso Tsuchiya, chief priest of Shomyoji temple
=2E
=2E Ryobin Tsukago****, assistant priest of Hodoin
=2E temple
=2E
=2E Kyodo Kurosawa, chief priest of Honkoin
=2E temple, Taipei City, Taiwan
=2E
=2E ****do Goto, priest-in-charge of the Hong Kong
=2E Office
=2E
=2E ****nga Takikawa, priest-in-charge of the
=2E Singa****e Kaimyo Propagation Centre
=2E
=2E ****ngyoku Yamazumi, priest-in-charge of the
=2E Philippines Office
=2E
=2E ****nsen Hotta, chief priest of Hosenin temple
=2E in Taiwan
=2E
=2E Hakudo Mori, chief priest of Myogenzan
=2E ****ngyoji temple at Montreuil, Paris, France
=2E
=2E Doshu Oyabu, chief priest of Keidoji temple in
=2E Japan
=2E
=2E Doken ****ano, chief priest of Myoshoji temple
=2E in Madrid, Spain
=2E
=2E ****nsen Hotta, chief priest of Hosenin temple
=2E in Taiwan
=2E
=2E Jitoku Kawabe (of the very embarrassing Kawabe
=2E Memo} [Sho****n Kawabe, who just lost his job
=2E as chief priest of Myosen-ji in Wa****ngton
=2E D.C.]
________ The Fourth Rank of Nichiren Shoshu ______
________ (Shudra Caste - Laborers)
These don't count in the Survivor Gita, except as points in the total
score, and are functionally useless to those above.
=2E Included are: sll the rest of the priest families.
=2E
=2E Also included are: Kisoji Yanagisawa and the leaders of
=2E the Hokkeko Federation, the Local Division and the
=2E Chapters.
=2E
=2E Certainly, if a priest has his degree from Fuji Gakurin,
=2E a non-accredited school, that priest cannot rise above
=2E this rank. He is trapped in Nichiren Shoshu because his
=2E degree is worthless.
________ The Fifth Rank of Nichiren Shoshu _______
________ (Untouchable Caste or Eta
________ - Polluted Laborers)
These only count if players touch them by accident, or become attached
to them in some way. That removes points and constitutes a setback in
the Survivor Gita.
=2E Included are: the Hokkeko members, and in the past,
=2E the SGI.
________ Definition of Heaven (Ten) ______________
=46rom (http://www.sgi-usa.org/publications/world_tribune/b2b/
examintenworlds.htm
and
http://www.sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/SokaGakkai/Study/Elementary/Text=
3.htm):
=2E The world of heavenly beings (also called heaven or
=2E rapture): This state can best be understood by thinking
=2E of the intense joy we experience when, for example, we
=2E have the satisfaction of attaining something we have
=2E long desired, or when long term suffering has finally
=2E been relieved. Although it is intense, the joy
=2E experienced in this state is short-lived and extremely
=2E vulnerable to external influences.
________ Getting Some Help _______________________
If you are a Nichiren Shoshu Priest, or a Hokkeko member from anywhere
in the world, and are thinking about switching to the Soka Gakkai
(SGI) call or contact the Headquarters at SGI Plaza (http://www.sgi-
usa.org/cgi-bin/locator.cgi?ZIP=3D90401)
Tell them that you are a Nichiren Shoshu Priest or Hokkeko member, and
wish to speak to someone about the SGI, and what to do.
________ The Survivor Gita _______________________
Who will replace the "Sen'ou Nezumi" ?
Nikken, the Usurper King of the Rats at Taisekiji, has been replaced
by Nichinyo, who is an angry member of the elite, due to too many
blows to the head. A little punchy, and brief in his rule, since
Nikken has plans for his son to take over.
One thing that is known for certain: There will be a new Rat King. And
quickly there will be another.
Another thing that is known for certain: All the alliances will
change, and more than once. Anyone that has watched Survivor knows
this.
Rule Number Zero:
The War of the Rodents can only be won by ... King Rat.
More to come ... These questions will be answered !!!
-Chas.
_____________________________________________
Reading from "Reply to the Mother of Ueno", Writings of Nichiren
Daishonin, p. 1073-1074 ...
'However, those who declare that the Lotus Sutra is superior to all
the other sutras are justified in doing so. In fact, they will enjoy
great benefits. This is because their declaration accords with what
the sutra itself says.'
'Prefacing the Lotus Sutra is a work called the Immeasurable
Meanings Sutra. It is like the vanguard of generals who go before the
procession of a great king to quell disturbances. This Immeasurable
Meanings Sutra states, "In these more than forty years, I have not yet
revealed the truth." These words are like the great bows that the
generals carry to drive away the king's enemies with arrows, or the
swords with which they cut those enemies down. They are like a royal
proclamation, sharp as a sword, directed to the members of the Flower
Garland school who read only the Flower Garland Sutra, the priests of
the Precepts school with their Agama sutras, the Nembutsu believers
with their Meditation Sutra, and the True Word teachers with their
Mahavairochana Sutra, chastising them for failing to follow the Lotus
Sutra and bringing them to submission. They are like Yo****ie attacking
Sadato, or Yoritomo destroying the forces of Kiyomori. These words of
the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra, "In these more than forty
years . . . ," are the sword and rope of the wisdom king Immovable, or
the bow and arrows of the wisdom king Craving-Filled.'
'When the late Nanjo Goro made his way across the mountains of
death and the river of three crossings, the soldiers who escorted him
and repulsed the mountain bandits of earthly desires and the pirates
of past offenses and allowed him to proceed safely to the pure land of
Eagle Peak were these words of the Immeasurable Meanings Sutra, "In
these more than forty years, I have not yet revealed the truth." '
'The "Expedient Means" chapter in the first volume of the Lotus
Sutra states, "The World-Honored One has long expounded his doctrines
and now must reveal the truth." It also says, "Honestly discarding
expedient means, I will preach only the unsurpassed way." In the fifth
volume we read, "Only the bright jewel that is in his
topknot . . . ," [Lotus Sutra Chapter 14] "This one jewel exists only
on the top of the king's head," and "the way that powerful ruler did
when he took the bright jewel he had guarded for so long and finally
gave it away." '
'The im****t of these passages is this: The great collection of
scriptures has been brought to this country of Japan, numbering 7,399
volumes, and each one of these various scriptures is a follower and
retainer of the Lotus Sutra. To illustrate, the men and women in this
country number 4,994,828, but all are subjects of one man, the ruler
of the country.'
'As for the significance of these various scriptures, let me give
an analogy that even an uncomprehending woman can understand
immediately. Suppose that one is building a great pagoda. In addition
to the lumber to be used in the pagoda itself, one gathers together a
large quantity of small timbers and uses them to build a scaffolding
ten or twenty feet in height. After one has done this, one uses the
original lumber to construct the pagoda. And when the pagoda is
completed, one then removes the scaffolding and discards it, leaving
the pagoda in place.'
'Now the scaffolding represents the various other sutras, and the
great pagoda, the Lotus Sutra. When the Buddha preached the other
sutras, he was in effect erecting a scaffolding in preparation for the
preaching of the Lotus Sutra.'
'In the same manner as the sutra describes when it says, "honestly
discarding expedient means," persons who put their faith in the Lotus
Sutra should first cast aside and fling away the Namu Amida Butsu
invocation based on the Amida and other sutras, the teachings of the
True Word school based on the Mahavairochana and other sutras, and the
two hundred and fifty precepts of the Precepts school based on the
Agama sutras, and other teachings, and then they should embrace the
Lotus Sutra alone. When one is preparing to build a great pagoda, the
scaffolding is of great im****tance. But once the pagoda is completed,
then the scaffolding is removed and thrown away. This is the meaning
of the passage about "honestly discarding expedient means." '
'Though the scaffolding is necessary to complete the pagoda, no one
would ever dream of discarding the pagoda and wor****ping the
scaffolding. And yet the people who seek the way in the world today
spend their whole lives reciting Namu Amida Butsu only, and never once
chant Nam-myoho-rengekyo. They are like persons who discard the pagoda
and wor****p the scaffolding. They are examples of the secular saying,
"seemingly wise, but actually foolish." '
'The late ****chiro Goro did not take after other people in Japan
today. Though still a youth, he followed in the footsteps of his
sagacious father. And at an early age, having not yet turned twenty,
he began chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, and thus he became a Buddha.
This is what the sutra means when it says, "Then not a one will fail
to attain Buddhahood." [Lotus Sutra Chapter 2] I hope that, if you,
his loving mother, are thinking with longing about your son, you will
chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and pray to be reborn in the same place as
the late ****chiro Goro and your husband, the late Nanjo.'
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