12. How Does the SGI's Stance Toward Nichiren Shoshu Accord With Our Stated Religious Tolerance?

Jeff Farr
Associate Editor

Buddhism stands for tolerance. Our religion seeks to build bridges among all people, among people of extremely different backgrounds.

The Preamble of the SGI Charter expresses this in saying that our organization will aise high the banner of world citizenship, the spirit of tolerance. We will, eased on the spirit of Buddhist tolerance, respect other religions.

If this is an important part of the SGI's mission, why is the SGI so critical of Nichiren Shoshu? Why doesn't the SGI show more tolerance toward the priesthood? Are we contradicting ourselves?

There is something fundamentally different about Nichiren Shoshu, then, from other religions in the world: It is the one and only religious group taking action to eradicate the Daishonin's Buddhism by attempting to destroy the SGI-the only organization that has successfully propagated Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism throughout the world. Nichiren Shoshu is against the Daishonin's Buddhism-but it's pretending to be the Daishonin's Buddhism. And it's spreading.

The SGI Charter's Preamble expresses our desire to work with other religions toward common goals like protecting the people, to work with other religions based on mutual respect. The Preamble never says that we want to work with religions that share no goals with us, that hold our philosophy in contempt or that are trying to bring about the end of our religion.

Buddhism seeks to embrace all people, but when people act unfairly, unjustly-when they don't respect others and try to corrupt them-Buddhism does not ignore it. The Daishonin thus spoke up against the many religions of his day that were confusing people and leading them into deep suffering. He even says, I am fully aware that if I do not speak out [against such sects], I will be lacking in compassion (Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 239). His intolerance of religious injustice was an expression of his great heart; he attacked slanderous teachings to save people from misery.

We would cut ourselves off from the heart of this religion if we just let Nichiren Shoshu's corruption of Nichiren Daishonin's teachings and spirit occur right in front of us and did nothing.

(Originally published in the World Tribune, Sept. 17, 1999)

The current course of Nichiren Shoshu requires a response of active, educated tolerance. Not of passive, ill-informed indifference.