Nikken's End #2B: The Takanos: Go Back, Little ****ba -
Nikken's End ? or NIKKEN ZENned ? You be the judge ...
.. "What distinguished the Indian system from that of the
.. ancient Western world is the absence of slavery. The
.. caste system made formal slavery unnecessary in ancient
.. India."
..
.. - from The Two Cl***** of the Four-Fold Caste System, by
.. 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 2nd chapter describes
the structure of Nikken's World of Hunger.
** Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism
________ Table of Contents _______________________
..
.. The Takanos
..
.. Temple Gucci
..
.. A Diligent and Useful Priest
..
.. Seeya, ****ba ... Or,
.. How To Keep Your Temple
..
.. Who Are These Guys ?
..
.. Definition of Hunger (Gaki)
..
.. Getting Some Help
..
.. The Survivor Gita
__________________________________________________
________ The Takanos _____________________________
It is well known that Nichiren Shoshu high priest Nikken Abe has
acquired the name of Abe through legal proceedings, because his
mother, the tonsured (bald) Nichiren Shoshu nun Myoshu Ama was
originally named Suma Hikosaka, and he was born as the out-of-wedlock
progeny of Nikkai Abe, the 60th High Priest.
What is less well-known ... is that sly Suma played a trick on the old
man Nikkai. She simply could not get pregnant from the dried up old
prune, so she had another priest boy-friend on the side, by the name
of Hogen Takano (later renamed as Nichijin). The resemblance between
natural father and son, and lack of resemblance between the two Abes
is very obvious.
So it's no surprise that Tai****n Takano, the latest edition of the
Takano clan is now the "American Nikken", and is holding court at the
center of NST activities at Myohoji Temple in Los Angeles.
This is even though Tai****n Takano's parents are still in the SGI.
Takano is the king of Gakkai-haters ... maybe because of their
courageous resistance to Nikkenism.
________ Temple Gucci ____________________________
Tai****n Takano's wife is of a famous Temple family, so of course she
is a big shopper. She always shows up in her latest Gucci coat,
s****ting a Luis Vuitton bag, and looking very decked-out "a la Rodeo
Drive".
This is in the pattern of the high priest's wife Masako Abe, who is
known as "the Japanese Imelda Marcos".
This makes Tai****n Takano's wife, the "American Masako Abe". A Brahmin
wife.
In the American church tradition, the parish priest's wife (even the
Bishop's wife) would always wear a cheaper coat and clothes than the
richer parish wives, so as not to offend those churchgoers whose
contributions were critical to sup****ting the church in its
activities. You simply would not attack people's sense of charity
lightly !!!
This sensible church tradition is not followed in Nichiren Shoshu or
in any of the danto (temple-follower) Buddhist religions, where they
have spread to the United States. This Brahminist cultural phenomenon
is startling: where the believers sup****t an upper class of priests
and their families and their pets, while suffering in squalor and
denying their own children.
This is the same as the Nembutsu tradition of Japan, where 70% of
Japanese Buddhists believe in a Pure Land after death, and that
praying at and sup****ting Amida Buddha's Temple will gain them
entrance to the Pure Land after their dreadful, suffering life and
hastened departure.
They are willing to suffer this disparity of fortune, because the
priesthood is a higher caste of human being, and therefore entitled to
a richer and more superior life. They will bow and scrape and take
better care of the priest's lodgings than their own home.
What is surprising is that in America, the land of op****tunity and
clothe coats for parson's wives, that this kind of subjugation of a
hard-working underclass by a parasitic priesthood can persist !!!
And it does, right in the heart of Los Angeles at Myohoji Temple for
the Takanos. America IS the land of op****tunity for priests of the
Asian danto tradition. [As well as crime families, like The Sopranos.
Is there a difference? Yes, the Sopranos deliver on their promises.]
________ A Diligent and Useful Priest ____________
Tai****n Takano, wanting to extend his domain Northward, has sought to
bring the rich territory of the San Francisco Bay Area under his
control, this includes Marin County in the North, Silicon Valley to
the South, the Peninsula, the vast East Bay region and the jewel in
the center, San Francisco.
This incredibly wealthy area is sup****ted in Nichiren Shoshu by
Myo****nji Temple, in the East Bay.
Since 1999, the priest for Myo****nji has been Cho'on ****ba. He has,
according to the members, been careful and attentive, insofar as he
could be with a responsibility stretching through Wa****ngton to
Alaska.
****ba remained loyal to Nikken in the late 1980's and early 1990's,
when assigned to Myohoji in Los Angeles. At that time, the Chief
priest of Myohoji was Gen'ei Kudo, who left Nichiren Shoshu and became
the leader of the Association for the Reformation of Nichiren Shoshu
in 1992.
Remaining to face the criticism and shame at the hands of the new
chief priest Takano at Myohoji, at the time of Kudo's attack on Nikken
in 1992, must have been painful austerity. But ****ba did not give in
and remained loyal.
Seven years later in 1999 Cho'on ****ba became Myo****nji's chief
priest. It would appear that his loyalty had paid off.
Cho'on ****ba appeared to be the kind of priest that made members want
to stay and sup****t Nichiren Shoshu.
Truth was, however, that he was deceptive and sneaky in his practices,
like all Nichiren Shoshu priests. Even though he was quite fluent in
English when he arrived, he feigned that he could neither speak nor
understand English.
This allowed the members to speak freely around him, without concern
of being understood.
Of course, he understood and took note of every utterance, including
who said what and whom they were talking to.
Did your priest when he initially arrived, or does your new priest
appear to have struggles with English? Are there translaters or
English readers there at the welcome speeches? Be careful what you say
when they are around, because this is a standard modus operandi for
new and visiting Nichiren Shoshu priests.
In the following posting from Loree, ****ba (at Myohoji at that time)
expresses the liberal attitude ... in appearance not your typical
rigid authoritarian or distantly superior priest. He appears to
express the world of Humanity, of concern for his pari****oners ...
Green Gables (loree3924205677@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
)
"Re: Food and ***, are there any rules in Nichiren Shoshu?"
| Myohoji Temple has a question and answer period
| sometimes after the Sunday morning gongyo. A young lady
| asked the priest about the guidelines for ***ual
| activity in NST. the priest said there were no rules but
| if parents wanted to come and discuss it he would be
| happy to discuss it with them, he also said as a father
| he had a natural concern for his own children. He said
| that ***ual relation****ps were usually okay if no one
| gets hurt..so he did NOT say that it was NOT
| permissible outside of marriage. He didn't get into the
| question about extramarital affairs, but that is a
| question for next time. His basic guideline was that no
| one should be hurt.
I can understand his ducking the question on extramarital affairs,
wouldn't want to drive away anyone by saying outright that some
behavior is wrong (sounds mighty original-buddhahood-Tendai to
me !!!). But he is appearing to be nice.
| Another member asked whether as Buddhists we should eat
| meat and he explained at length that both animal and
| vegetable both have the ten worlds so by choosing only
| one we are making a distinction. In addition he said
| that the animals nourish us so that we both can attain
| Buddhahood.He especially said that we should enjoy our
| food and we can chant daimoku before eating too like we
| do at Taisekiji.
A poison plant has ten worlds as well, and that is a specious
argument. But he is appearing to be nice.
| Last week I asked my priest whether it was possible to
| be reborn as an animal and he said that is possible for
| the same reasons stated above. So watch out when you are
| eating those carrots from hell and don't get sick.
|.
| greenie
Ummm, no comment. He is appearing to be nice. He will pay the price of
that duplicity ultimately.
In another story about ****ba, Patrik observes that there is wagoso
(unity following the priest) present at Myo****n-ji Temple.
Patrik A. Patterson:
| Of course in Nichiren Shoshu my observation has been the
| priests and the members working in unity.
|.
| I remember being at Myo****nji last year and talking with
| one our kanji (member representitives) and Rev ****ba,
| and Rev ****ba was talking about his ideas for expanding
| our temple, because it is getting small for our growing
| congregation.
He has big plans for Myo****nji. He really wants to grow the Temple.
Here is a piece reposted by Craig, where he trots out the glorious
results of Cho'on ****ba's Myo****nji campaign...
Craig Bratcher quoting ****ba:
| On the Occasion of the 750th Anniversary Tozan By
| Reverend Cho-on ****ba
|.
| ...
|.
| 4,321 Hokkeko believers from 36 countries around the
| world attended the first tozan pilgrimage in October.
| There were 631 participants from the United States. Of
| these participants, 191 were from Myo****n-ji Temple.
| There are 78 believers currently on the second
| commemorative tozan pilgrimage from Myo****n-ji Temple.
|.
| There were 191 believers from Myo****nji temple who
| attended the first tozan pilgrimage, and this was a
| record for the most tozan participants from our temple
| at one time.
So, Cho'on ****ba's Myo****nji sent 191 out of 631 participants in the
U.S. contingent to the 750th Aniversary Tozan. That's 30% of the first
wave to Nikken's do-or-die Tozan from the United States, coming from
just ****ba's Myo****nji Temple. [Such dedication to evil !!! Will that
slander go unpunished? Of course, not.]
I wonder how much of the remaining 70% came from the much larger
Myohoji Temple? It couldn't have been larger than 30%, since Hawaii is
in there as well. Uh-Oh. I wonder if that made The Takanos jealous?
Now, you would think that having that much success from one of six
Temples in the United States, and a smaller one at that ... would gain
Cho'on ****ba and Myo****nji Temple some consideration from the Head
Temple. [Ohhh ... it will, never doubt.]
________ Seeya, ****ba ... Or, ________________
________ How To Keep Your Temple
I'll repeat the comment from above ... Seven years later in 1999
Cho'on ****ba became Myo****nji's chief priest. It would appear that his
loyalty had paid off.
But appearances are deceiving. Takano recognized in Cho'on ****ba a
hard working and dedicated person, who could be used to build up
Myo****nji, which could then be passed off to a highly connected crony
of Nikken, to increase Takano's prestige and power, by creating
connections. [Did he never study the daimyo and the Shogunate? A debt
owed is a dangerous thing ... for those less-connected who have the
well-connected in their debt. Never do a favor to the powerful.]
****ba's Mistake: This is the mistaken belief that making yourself
indispensibly useful to the evil masters, will bring benefits and
safety to the slave. The truth is otherwise.
____________ Sidebar ________________________________
..
.. In the movie "Schindler's List" a Jewish inmate in a
.. Nazi concentration camp approaches Amon Goeth, the camp
.. commandant, demanding to be heard. She points out errors
.. in the architecture of the construction of the building
.. that will make it fail to function correctly later. She
.. mentions that she was a construction supervisor with
.. architectural training, and that she desired to make
.. herself of use to the Germans. She is clearly oblivious
.. to the true nature of this particular evil.
..
.. Goeth orders her to be shot. She is forced to kneel,
.. complaining that he is making a mistake, and she can be
.. useful. At the end, she says that this is insane (which
.. for her is clearly true). The guard shoots her through
.. the head (destroying this thought). Then Goeth orders
.. that the changes she listed be made to the structure,
.. exactly according to her intent.
..
.. This is what is known as the "cold joke" which
.. undermines the humanity of all who hear it, by
.. extermination of compassion. Remember this point, as it
.. occurs again, further on.
..
.. Let's call this: "The Myth of the Useful Slave."
..
.. Slaves are dispensible at the whim of their masters.
.. Period.
..
.. There is an interesting comparison to be made generally
.. between:
..
.. Nazi concentration camps with Guards and
.. Commanders.
..
.. Plantations in the Ante-Bellum South with
.. Overseers and Owners.
..
.. Slanderous Buddhist Temples (especially Nichiren
.. Shoshu Temples) with assistant and chief
.. priests.
..
.. Which of these is worse? I know, for myself, that
.. one is infinitely worse than the other two.
..
____________ End Sidebar ____________________________
****ba's big Tozan victory was recognized by a BIG meeting. With lots
of im****tant visiting priests who have smelled chum in the water.
Fresh blood. The following quotes are from the website ...
| Myo****nji Temple World General Meeting, December 8, 2002
| http://www.nichirenshoshumyo****nji.org/Photos/0_WGM.htm
| (this is a photo album of what transpired that day ...)
Some of the captions to note, accompanied by my commentary:
| The visiting priests entering the Gohonzon room of
| Myo****nji Temple to begin the commemorative ceremony
The circling sharks settle in to feast.
| Reverend Cho'on ****ba, Chief Priest of Myo****nji Temple,
| approaching the alter to make offerings to Gohonzon.
Very pretty altar. The unconnected priest is offering his life to the
more highly-connected priests. "An unfortunate selection of
ancestors.", they think.
| Reverend Nis**** Obaya****, Director of the Nichiren
| Shoshu Overseas Bureau, presenting his address
The jaws of the largest shark distend as he darts in for the first
sla****ng BITE. The waters turn red, then yellow about the poor,
foolish, unknowing, and now fatally stricken priest.
| Reverend Nitto Ohmura, Chief of the Nichiren Shoshu Study
| Department, presenting his address
Ohmura thinks: "There must be something in the Gosho about submitting
to evil authority, mustn't there be ???... Let me see ... Oh, re-
interpreting the Gosho correctly is such a lot of work, what a bother.
Some other time."
| Reverend Tai****n Takano, Nichiren Shoshu Temple
| President, presenting his address
Takano thinks: "This is my address, and is where to send the Gokuyo
offerings in the future, so pari****oners, don't forget !!!"
| Reverend Cho'on ****ba, Chief Priest of Myo****nji Temple,
| offering words of appreciation
This is a much smaller picture. As if he is receding into the distance
already. "And a little hand sinks into the swirling waters..."
| 396 People attended the 750th Anniversary Commemorative
| Ceremonies
Quite a large crowd for a Nichiren Shoshu gathering.
GET A CLUE, PEOPLE.
IF YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR TEMPLE FOR ANOTHER WEEK, DON'T HAVE BIG
TURNOUTS WHEN THE POWERFUL, WELL-CONNECTED VISITORS SHOW UP.
DON'T SEND LARGE NUMBERS ON TOZAN.
DON'T RE****T THE LARGE DONATIONS.
GET THE KOTO ON YOUR SIDE AND HIDE THE MONEY ...
ANYWHERE.
ABOVE ALL, DO NOT TEMPT THE DRAGON IN TAISEKIJI WITH A TASTY MORSEL.
HE HAS AN ENORMOUS APPETITE. AND DON"T POST PICTURES OF ALL OF THE FUN
YOU ARE HAVING WITH THE MEMBERS ON THE WEB.
DAMN IT, WISE UP.
JUST TAKE YOUR TEMPLE TO THE OTHER SIDE (Soka Gakkai), BEFORE IT GETS
ROLLED UP INTO NIKKEN'S EXTENDED FAMILY BUSINESS.
Which is clearly what will happen with every single Nichiren Shoshu
Temple in every country. They will all ultimately be run personally by
someone from the six Brahmin families in the First Rank (Abe, Takano,
I****i, Hayase, Kimura and Imano).
Then the families will start the final battle for dominance: one by
one, they will be edged out until a single Survivor is left, as the
ultimate winner of the Survivor Gita.
So, ****ba's big triumphant meeting was followed in 13 months by ...
the transfer ceremony. ****ba is going to work for Obaya**** [the
biggest visiting shark, above] as a secretary in the Nichiren Shoshu
Overseas Bureau. Also from the website:
| Jan 21, 2004 -
| http://www.nichirenshoshumyo****nji.org/Photos/0_Transfer.htm
|.
| The Ceremony conducted January 21, 2004, upon the
| reassignment of Reverend Cho'on ****ba. Reverend ****ba
| was the 3rd Chief Priest of Myo****nji Temple.
Past tense. Was. Man, that was fast. These guys don't waste any time.
If ****ba had known, there might have been enough time to grab the
Temple and join the Reform movement.
| The Gongyo ceremony preceding the formal transfer of the
| Chief Priest's duties from Reverend ****ba to Reverend
| Takano.
Now it's Takano's Temple to give away. He has an astoni****ng plan, to
make a move that works if the First Rank families win, if the
Nichijyun Fujimoto-Obaya**** alliance of the Overseas Bureau wins, or
if there is open rebellion against Nikken's successor.
| Reverend Takano, the Nichiren Shoshu Temple President,
| accepting his tem****ary appointment until Reverend
| Kimura is officially appointed in March 2004.
1. Kimura is one of Nikken's six families in the First Rank. This
satisfies the insatiable greed of the Brahmins in the First Rank.
2. It undermines ****ba's family, and he is Nobody. If a tree falls in
the forest, and Nobody is around, is there a sound? Nobody knows.
Nobody notices.
3. This is such an overt move, it is sure to strike fear into the
hearts of those in the big and wealthy overseas temples, who are in
Second Rank clans (Kshatriya - Proxy-Ruler and Warrior caste), or
Third Rank clans (Vaishya - Merchant, Farmer caste). Takano knows
this, as does Obaya**** and Nichijyun Fujimoto. This plays into their
hands, as it raises the twin demons of hostile resentment and fear in
those unconnected priests, outside the Brahmin enclave.
Win. Win. Win. Tai****n Takano must be hugging himself in delight.
| Reverend I****ba****, Chief of Internal Affairs for the
| Overseas Department, between Reverend Takaha**** and
| Reverend ****ba. Although Reverend ****ba had a sad face
| for the camera, it is believed he was actually looking
| forward to his new position with the Bureau of Foreign
| Affairs.
This comment about ****ba looking sad? It is a textbook example of the
"cold joke", which removes one's compassion. It is designed to get all
website readers and viewers of it to gloat. Gloating on anyone's
suffering is the behavior of the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven, in
each and every case.
| Reverend ****ba's family performing Gongyo in the temple
| lobby during the Transfer Ceremony.
His family doing Gongyo IN THE LOBBY. Man, do they look tiny and
forlorn. Well ... off they go. It's not too late to join with Gen'ei
Kudo and the Reform movement. You've dug a deep hole, ****ba, but you
can get out. The exit door is a phone. Just dial it.
Cho'on ****ba was elevated to a great height by the priesthood, and
given an op****tunity to show what he could do, be all that he could
be. In the end his reward for all that effort went to those who were
better connected than he.
He was in the Second Rank, a Kshatriya warrior, placed high in the
order of names at any gathering of priests.
Now ****ba has slipped into obscurity, and he has joined the Fourth
Rank of Shudra ... the Laborers of little consequence and no hope for
the future.
________ Who Are These Guys ? ____________________
Well, Shogu Kimura is well-connected. He has correctly executed his
selection of ancestors, unlike Cho'on ****ba, who has chosen obscurity
and isolation from power.
You make your bed, and then you sleep in it. That is, unless you can
kick someone else out of their carefully-made bed.
In Shogu Kimura's case he has selected a brother, named ****nryu
Kimura, who has married the oldest daughter of Yuriko Abe and Gijun
Hayase, who is the grand-daughter of high priest Nikken Abe. Excellent
work, Shogu !!!
| Kimura's installation:
| http://www.nsglobalnet.jp/page/movement/200405.htm
|.
| Myo****nji Temple's Forth Chief Priest
| Transfer Ceremony
| March 7th, 2004
| (San Francisco, California, United States of America)
|.
| On March 7th, 2004, at San Francisco's Myo****nji Temple,
| Rev. Shogu Kimura's Transfer Ceremony was conducted
| solemnly and successfully. The former Chief Priest Rev.
| Cho'on ****ba recently became a Chief Secretary of the
| Overseas Bureau, and Rev. Kimura was transferred to take
| his place.
Some events went unmentioned here. As in the "Silence of the Lambs",
when Clarice of the FBI visits the site of Buffalo Bill's first
victim, she remembers Hannibal Lecter's words about "simplicity" and
"we covet what we see".
First, they see what ****ba has built, then they covet what ****ba has
built, and then they remove him, to take what ****ba has built.
Dai-Rokuten-No-Mao, the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven (another famous
Brahmin) is the function which gloats in enjoyment while enjoying the
fruits of the labor of others, making sure that those others are
crushed in the process.
| The day before the ceremony, at 11:00 am, Myo****nji's
| affairs were passed from the NST president, Rev. Takano
| to Rev. Kimura, and the next day, March 7th, at 11:00
| am, the Transfer Ceremony was held.
|.
| From Japan, Hoshoji Temple's Chief Priest, Rev. Eijyun
| I****i, as well as several other relative priests
| attended this ceremony. From the U.S.A., the NST
| President and Los Angeles' Myohoji Temple Chief Priest,
| Reverend Tai****n Takano, as well as some representative
| priests attended. Myo****nji Temple's Koto, as well as a
| large number of this temple's believers also attended to
| celebrate and welcome the new Chief Priest.
Eijyun I****i, brother of ****nryo I****i (the number-one "Uchide****" who
married Nikken's "Osage Wata****": Natsuko), is the BIC for this
ceremony: Brahmin-In-Charge representing Nikken. "Let's Get This Party
Started" is the motto for the day.
| Rev. Kimura sincerely conducted Kenzen (the offering of
| rice), Dokkyo (the ceremonial recitation of the Lotus
| Sutra) and Shodai (chanting Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo). Rev.
| Takano then gave his congratulatory speech, and
| officially introduced Myo****nji Temple's new Chief
| Priest, Rev. Shogu Kimura. Next, Rev. I****i, and the
| Myo****nji Temple Koto, also shared congratulatory
| speeches. Lastly, Rev. Kimura addressed all participants
| in Japanese and English, asking them to sincerely and
| respectfully share his appreciation and determination.
Definitely, congratulations are in order. ****ba has built up a real
cash-cow operation here, and the Koto runs it smoothly and
automatically. It's like ... Nirvana for our brightest Brahmin boy,
Shogu Kimura.
And it's a well-earned reward, received from ****ba. ****ba's begrudging
the gift ... only improves the savory taste in Shogu's mouth.
| After an intermission, a commemorative photo was taken
| in the Main Hall, smoothly completing the Transfer
| Ceremony.
Bbbbut ... where's ****ba? Guess he didn't feel like having fun.
You really ought to show up at your own wake, since the funeral's over
and a party's a party. No sense of humor !!!
| The participating priests from Japan: Rev. Eijyun I****i,
| Rev. Jido Kimura [father], Rev. Kido Harada, Rev.
| ****nryu Kimura [brother], Rev. Shomyo Oba, Rev. Shoshun
| Sato, and Rev. Yuo Kimura. The participating priests
| from NST and other countries: Rev. Tai****n Takano, Rev.
| Doko Sato, Rev. Yuzui Murata, Rev. Shokun Takaha****, and
| Rev. ****ngaku Kato.
Notice the large crowd of priests in attendance. They really show up
in droves, when one of the I****i brothers is in town.
The I****i boys have unlimited cash, and know how to have a good time.
There will be fun, girls and booze overflowing !!!
And always remember the words of the high priest Nikken Abe to Eijyun
I****i's brother ****nryo:
| At the National Teacher's guidance meeting held on 26
| May 1994, Nikken attempted to protect ****nryo from the
| criticism of [a priest] Nikken said, "If someone asked
| you whether you have visited a red-light town while you
| were young, just answer "Yes, I did." If someone asked
| whether you have bought a land, just answer "Yes, I
| did." Don't worry about such trivial matters!"
Yeah, worry about the party matters. Babes and booze are non-trivial
issues, as the high priest will tell you anytime !!!
________ Definition of Hunger (Gaki) _____________
From (http://www.sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/SokaGakkai/Study/
Elementary/Text3.htm):
| The second world is Hunger (gaki). In this state, we are
| governed by constant cravings for objects or certain
| experiences, such as wealth, fame, power and pleasure.
| The causes of this state are to be found in such
| tendencies as greed, miserliness and jealousy.
| Originally the world of Hunger was viewed as a realm
| inhabited by the spirits of the dead, who were thought
| to be suffering from starvation as karmic retribution
| for the greed and selfishness they had displayed while
| alive; in art they are often depicted with distended
| bellies and needle-thin throats. In his "Treatise on
| Accordance with the Correct Doctrine," the Indian
| scholar Samghabhadra, who lived during the fifth
| century, describes three kinds of hungry spirits, each
| of which is further subdivided into three; the Sutra of
| Meditation on the True Law lists thirty-six kinds. The
| realm inhabited by these hungry spirits was said to be
| located 500 yojana beneath the surface of the Earth. (A
| yojana was a unit of measurement used in ancient India:
| estimates as to its length vary from 9.6-24 km.) The
| image of a dark, narrow dwelling, deep underground,
| vividly conveys the restrictions of the state of Hunger,
| in which we are imprisoned by our insatiable desires.
________ 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=90401)
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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