3/4 The S G Why?

In previous posts I've looked at the differences in leadership (http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/14-leaders-of-pack.html) and how chanting differs (http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/24-mantra-and-mandala.html). Today's topics are things that are more specific to the SGI and are the four most common issues that other Nichiren groups criticise us for. 

DAYS

One complaint against the SGI is that we celebrate lots of “insignificant” SGI dates, but ignore significant dates from the life of Nichiren Daishonin?   I don’t know where this comes from, but as long as I’ve been a member, we have always remembered key events such as The Birth of Nichiren Daishonin, The Tatsunokuchi Persecution and The First Invocation of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo.  We also have SGI specific dates, such as the formation of the men’s, women’s and youth divisions, the day that our lay religion was founded, kosen-rufu day (when Toda assumed the position of 2^nd President and said he would achieve 750,000 families before his death
 – which occurred), mentor-disciple day, etc.

As with many organisations, religious and otherwise, some key events in our history will be remembered, but they are not National Holidays and not all of them are considered major celebrations, just dates to note in your diary.  Some districts may decide to focus on some of these dates (including the Nichiren ones) for discussion in a meeting if they consider it significant, but generally it’s just something of interest or for you to reflect on yourself.

MONEY

Traditionally, Nichiren, and other priests/monks of varying Buddhist groups, received gifts from their followers to help them live – this may be food, clothing or money.   When Toda left prison and was restarting the Soka Gakkai he used his own savings and profits from his own companies to support himself and finance Buddhist initiatives.  For special expenses, such as the reconstruction of Taiseki-ji temples damages during the war, he would ask members for voluntary contributions. 

Later, when he assumed the presidency as a full time position, he began to allow members to make sincere contributions to the organisation and to the Nichiren Shoshu Priesthood.  This money was primarily used to support kosen rufu activities, to help with the upkeep and construction of Soka Gakkai community centres and Nichiren Shoshu temples and to support the priesthood.

Only members who have received Gohonzon are allowed to make donations and it is 100% voluntary.  I have never practised in a district that uses peer pressure or intimidation to force contributions, and if any district were to engage in such a practise, it would certainly be breaching the guidelines concerning VOLUNTARY contributions.

As a lay organisation, members typically support themselves and their families through their own jobs, investment portfolios, etc., but as a full time spiritual leader, President Ikeda’s income comes from a variety of means which may include members contributions, profits from business investments and companies he has shares in, and profits from the sales of his books.

Some schools feel President Ikeda should live in poverty, surviving on rice and other basic rations supplied by his followers, but he has a wife (and did have children to support) and the success of the SGI in shakubuku campaigns as well as the personal success members enjoy in their own lives, means that there are a large number of members making contributions to the organisation.

POLITICS

Why does the SGI have a political wing through the New Komeito Party?  There are two reasons.  Firstly, Josei Toda wanted to develop young people within the Soka Gakkai that would be knowledgeable enough to hold senior positions within the fields of education, politics, banking, business, etc. so that they could use the humanistic philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism to create a society in which people respect each other and everyone wins.  It’s not going to be achieved overnight, but it is a worthy cause.

Secondly, in Nichiren’s time, priests would remonstrate with the government/leader to try and convert them to Nichiren Buddhism and ensure the peace of the land, but since the war, most leaders were now figureheads and the changes in policy made it clear that power was now in the hands of the general public.  If the public chooses their politicians, it’s fitting that we should enter the field of politics and remonstrate with members of the public, who have the ability to control the outcome of elections. 

As more people vote for the New Komeito Party, they are saying that they believe that candidates who are Soka Gakai members have the answers to society’s problems and they would like us to work for them to make society a safer, more harmonious, place to live and practise.

RELIGION

What should our attitude be towards other religions or other Buddhist groups?

According to the SGI Charter, the SGI shall respect and protect the freedom of religion and religious expression (no. 3) and the SGI shall, based on the Buddhist spirit of tolerance, respect other religions, engage in dialogue and work together with them toward the resolution of fundamental issues concerning humanity. (no. 7)

This is one of the many areas of difference which will come back to an interpretation of “taking account of the age”.  Do we practice EXACTLY as Nichiren did?  Do we practise with his intention? Or do we need to find some kind of middle ground which “takes account of the age”?

Some Nichiren schools are very strict and believe that we should practice exactly as Nichiren did (refuting Zen, Nembutsu, Pure Land and Ritsu), some believe we should practice with his intention (refuting the four major religions of today) and some think it’s enough to just criticize the SGI. 

The SGI is a little more relaxed and believes in cooperation with other faiths in some initiatives, especially where it will bring peace and tolerance to multi-faith communities.  These multi-faith initiatives, also give us an opportunity to advertise ourselves and let’s the public draw comparisons between us.  Obviously this leaves us open to criticism from stricter schools, and some schools believe that the SGI has been so successful at propagation because it has adapted itself to be all things to all people, but to be honest, without having to dilute the philosophy or practice of Nichiren Buddhism IT IS FOR EVERYONE no matter what race, gender, social class, life state or concerns they have.


Come back tomorrow for a look at the differences between the Gosho (http://nichirenbuddhist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/44-write-stuff.html)