Tabloid found Guilty of Libel

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 GAKKAI CRITIC FOUND GUILTY OF LIBEL AGAIN

The Tokyo High Court found Masao Okkotsu, a critic of the Soka Gakkai and freelance contributor to tabloid weeklies, guilty of libel on Jan. 29, upholding a previous district court ruling.

The Soka Gakkai filed suit against the writer in November 2001, after the defendant told a gathering of some 2,000 Nichiren Shoshu priests that the Soka Gakkai had reaped a windfall through illicit real estate dealings. The Tokyo District Court ruled on Sept. 18, 2002, that the defendant had willfully defamed the plaintiff without any factual evidence to corroborate his allegations. The lower court awarded the Soka Gakkai compensation for damages. The defendant then filed an appeal to the Tokyo High Court, which was rejected after only one court session.

Okkotsu, along with publisher Shinchosha and its weekly tabloid, Shukan Shincho, was found guilty of libel by the Supreme Court of Japan just three months ago in another suit filed by the Soka Gakkai. In that trial, the nation's highest court ordered the defendants to pay compensation, as well as a printed apology.

2) FROM MY DEAR FRIENDS IN AMERICA

This series contains excerpts of speeches SGI President Ikeda made in the United Statesÿ which relate to Soka Spirit and are contained in the book My Dear Friends in America.

This excerpt is from a speech given on Sept. 16, 1993, in Malibu, Calif.

THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH, PRACTICE AND STUDY

When we analyze faith, we find that it can be divided into three essential components: faith, practice and study. Fifty-ninth high priest Nichiko discussed the relationship between the three. Basically, he makes the analogy of faith being a general; practice, the first officer; and study, the second officer. He wrote: The purpose of practice is to assist and support faith, and the purpose of study is to support practice.

We can also say that practice is led by faith, and that study follows practice. Thus we must not practice in a way that contradicts our faith. And we must not engage in study in such a way that it obstructs our practice.

In every case, faith is primary; its first lieutenant is practice; and its second lieutenant is study.

When there is a gap in this relationship and it does not move smoothly, faith, practice and study fall out of synchronization. They die or wither, and they cannot function effectively.

When faith, which is central, is not complete or true, a much larger danger arises, and both practice and study are destroyed.

Even though not as drastic perhaps, we frequently see cases in which practice and study fail because they are led by an incomplete faith or the mere appearance of faith, without sincere spirit.

For example, when a person without true faith in his heart preaches the Law to others, trying to force faith on them, all he does is toss about empty and futile notions. Though he may read from Nichiren Daishonin's writings and present them with time-honored passages, his words last only as long as he speaks to them and leave no impression on his listeners' hearts.

Nichiko made these comments in 1923, lamenting on the state of the priesthood, but it applies perfectly to the present-day priesthood as well. The priests of Nichiren Shoshu have completely lost their faith, while their practice and study have fallen into ruin. Faith, practice and study alike have perished there.

Nichiko's remark that those who lack true faith only toss about empty concepts and cannot make an impression on their listeners applies perfectly to High Priest Nikken. Nikken has defended himself against criticism that his lectures are so difficult to understand that they seem to be in a foreign language by asserting that the truth of Buddhism can only be understood and shared between Buddhas and that it would be far odder if his lectures were easy to understand!

Without practice and study, there can be no Buddhism (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, p. 386), teaches Nichiren Daishonin. The three elements of faith, practice and study are the eternal standards for the practice of Buddhism as taught by the Daishonin. Only the SGI, directly connected to the Daishonin, has upheld correct faith, following the path of faith, practice and study. That is why Nichiren Buddhism lives only in the SGI.

Nichijun, the sixty-fifth high priest, said: Once you get deeply involved in doctrinal studies, you tend to be negligent in your practice. But when we ask what the core of religion, of religious faith is, the answer is practice. Doctrine is meant to be a support for practice. We must never forget that practice does not exist for the sake of doctrine but that doctrine exists for the sake of practice.

I hope you will always remember that, if you forget practice and get carried away with doctrinal studies, you are just playing with Buddhism. Therefore, please devote yourselves to the study of doctrine as a support to practice (May 3, 1956).

As these words of Nichijun indicate, Nichiren Shoshu, which has forgotten about its practice for kosen-rufu yet continues to hold forth on Nichiren Daishonin's writings and Buddhist doctrine, is only playing with Nichiren Buddhism.

Mr. Toda always said our doctrinal studies must not lapse into an obsession with textual analysis but must always remain study based on faith, study for the sake of kosen-rufu. (My Dear Friends in America, pp. 306-308.)

Twenty-three in a series.