Soka Spirit in Brazil

The Justice Chronicle, provided by Soka Gakkai International-USA, is a free monthly e-mail in support of the Soka Spirit movement. Soka Spirit is the SGI's educational effort to create value and deepen our understanding of Nichiren Buddhism through increased awareness of issues surrounding the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood and the spiritual foundation of the SGI movement.

1) NEWS: SOKA SPIRIT IN BRAZIL

In recent weeks, SGI-Brazil members have devoted themselves to helping friends disassociate from the Nichiren Shoshu temple. As a result, 139 temple members left the temple. One former temple member from an area near Sao Paolo who returned to the SGI-Brazil stated: Over the last 10 years since I left the SGI, I did lots of activities at the temple. Yet, I hardly experienced any good fortune in my life. Also, I would take my friends I introduced to Buddhism to the temple leaders, but they never offered to support us. I recognized that I was doing something wrong, so I came back to the SGI.

Another member who returned to the SGI stated: I was suffering from a bad relationship with my husband, so I got guidance from my senior leaders in the SGI. However, my relationship problem was never resolved, so I developed a grudge against the organization and left the SGI. I soon regretted my decision, which was based on emotion, and now would like to return to the SGI.

In Angra city, Brazil, 400 families have left the temple over the last 10 years, leaving 100 families remaining.

2) DEDICATE YOUR LIFE TO YOUR MISSION

This is an excerpt from a speech SGI President Ikeda gave at the 8th Friendship and Culture Festival for the staff of the Soka Gakkai Headquarters and affiliated organizations and their families, held in the main gymnasium of Soka University, Tokyo, Oct. 1, 1989, two years before Nichiren Shoshu excommunicated all members of the Soka Gakkai and the SGI. It originally appeared in the February 1990 issue of the Seikyo Times.

THE WISDOM TO DETECT THE HIDDEN ENEMIES OF THE LAW

Nichiren Daishonin wrote in a letter to Nanjo Hyoe Shichiro, the father of Nanjo Tokimitsu, However great the good causes one may make, or even if one reads and copies the entirety of the Lotus Sutra a thousand or ten thousand times, or attains the way of perceiving three thousand realms in a single moment of life, if one fails to denounce the enemies of the Lotus Sutra, it will be impossible to attain the way (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 78). This passage, while refuting the practices of the Tendai sect as being inappropriate to the current age of the Latter Day of the Law, also teaches us how we should practice faith.

There are people who think they are making many good causes by working hard at their Buddhist practice every day. There may be others who, devoting themselves solely to study mistakenly believe that they have a profound understanding of Buddhism. However, the above passage clearly indicates that all their efforts and study will end in vain if they fail to fight the enemies that try to destroy the True Law, for there is no way they will be able to attain Buddhahood.

The Daishonin also states: To illustrate, it is like the case of someone in the service of the imperial court. Even though he may have served for a decade or two, if he knows someone to be an enemy of the emperor but neither reports him to the throne nor shows personal animosity toward him, all the merit of his past services will be thereby negated, and he will instead be charged with an offense (WND, 78).

If a person with many years of practice is given a leadership position, but just sits back and refrains from making an effort to fight or reproach the enemies of Buddhism, then that person cannot be said to have a true understanding of this Buddhism or to have a correct practice of faith.

Such a person cannot attain Buddhahood. It is thus essential for us to bear in mind that it is only through following the correct path of faith, practicing exactly as the Daishonin teaches, that we can attain Buddhahood.

In any organization, if evil people are left to their own devices, they will manage to cause the internal decay of that body. Nothing is more fearful. Moreover, silently standing by and allowing its effect to spread is itself a serious offense. It is even more serious when this happens in the world of Buddhism.

The Daishonin states: The lion is consumed by parasites in its bowels. In the same manner, Buddhism cannot be destroyed by outer [non-Buddhist] teachings. Internal conditions of the inner teachings will lead to the Buddhist way being lost. These were the last words of the Buddha (Gosho Zenshu, p. 1271).

We must under no circumstances allow evil to gain a foothold in the pure, beautiful world of the True Law. Otherwise, like he lion is consumed by parasites in its bowels, the world of the Mystic Law will be consumed by parasites from within, resulting in the path of eternal kosen-rufu being closed off forever.

The world is full of famous people, people crowned with honors and people who have performed great deeds. More often than not, ordinary people are easily blinded by these embellishments. However, none of these things has anything to do with faith. In the past, there have been those in the Soka Gakkai who, under the cloak of fame, honor and distinguished deeds, tried to use our organization for personal gain. They grew arrogant and finally turned their backs on faith. And in the future, we may again see such seekers of fame and profit emerging from within our ranks. Should this happen, we must swiftly put a stop their conniving. The key to this action lies in having the wisdom to detect the hidden enemies of the Law.

Two in a series.