I have to admit, I was much more rabidly anti-SGI until I met Bill Aiken at the AAR. Even just hours prior to my private conversation with him after our panel together, I was telling David Chappel (I think it was) how I did not consider SGI representative of Nichiren Buddhism, but rather a cult of personality based around Daisaku Ikeda and also an offshoot of the aberrant teachings of Taisekiji. I was convinced that the SGI membership was in lockstep (aside from the IRG folks) in their determination to edge out all rivals using all means fair and foul and that they were equally determined to press forward the Taisekiji claims regarding Nikken, the Daigohonzon, and Nichiren as the True Buddha. I based this on my interactions with the more die-hard conservative members of SGI online.

But my conversation with Bill Aiken allowed me to see a very different picture, and the monolithic view of SGI that I had began to crumble. I began to realize that those SGI members that I have had good experiences with were as much or more representative of "mainstream" SGI as the people I had clashed with. I also saw where SGI was trying to steer a new course but was meeting resistance on many levels and that it was not a matter of the rank and file members being ignorant dupes and the senior leaders being manipulative, arrogant, and power-hungry (though I am sure there are people who meet both those descriptions as there are in any large org).

What I see now is a New Religion that is struggling with a legacy inherited from the aberrant Taisekiji lineage, but is nevertheless trying to find a way to make Nichiren Buddhism a progressive, practical, and universal way of Buddhism for all people. It may not be representative of traditional mainstream Nichiren Buddhism, but that can be a good thing as well as a bad thing. I certainly never felt any worse about the Won Buddhists or Rissho Kosei Kai because they are not representative of mainstream traditional Buddhism. Certainly, I do not overlook the overemphasis on Daisaku Ikeda, the continued polemic and propaganda against other Nichiren schools in official pubs, and the lingering attachment to Taiseiji doctrines, and the continued lack of real democracy and financial accountability. Those issues still concern me greatly, though as an observer. But I also see very sincere, reasonable, and compassionate people who are trying to steer a new course and create an SGI that really does live up to its charter. I hope they - both members and senior leaders - succeed. I don't see it changing fast enough for those members and former members who feel constrained or even greatly hurt by SGI the way it is now. But I will no longer make the mistake of thinking that SGI is some monolithic entity run by a cadre of human monsters. I guess what I am saying is that I now see the SGI as possessed of all ten worlds instead of just the lower ones, and that now it would make me feel bad to condemn an organization wholesale when it has members like Bill Aiken, Brian Holley, Chris Holte, Lisa Jones and many other people I have met online and off for whom I have a great deal of respect. I still have my reservations, but since the AAR I have tried to be less vehement and more even-handed in my evaluations.

One might ask, why did meeting Bill Aiken change things for you? Why didn't Brian or Chris change your mind about SGI? The reason is that the IRG people have always struck me as being marginalized in SGI. Maybe this is not an accurate view, but that has always been my impression. They were the loyal opposition but not the ones in charge. So when I want to AAR, I was ready for a fight. I was ready to explode myths, and defend myself on the panel from calumny and slander, and insinuations just like I have had to do against the Rubys and people like them online. But Bill's presentation on the panel was very positive and made no negative remarks about others. In fact, his presentation and mine had many points of agreement, which perhaps surprised us both. And talking to him, an official leader of SGI, made me realize that the SGI's leadership is composed of many different kinds of people, just like the general membership. They are not all the manipulative hard nosed partisan authoritarians that I was expecting. Of course I have no idea if Bill's private face or internal org face is different from his public persona as a representative for SGI. But I would like to think that he was playing straight with me, especially when we got a chance to talk candidly after the panel.

One last thing about this - an author on a well-known beginners book on Buddhism ran into me one night at a Chinese Buddhist Temple (they were celebrating the Chinese New Years and had invited my family to come). He recognized me as a Nichiren minister who had given a guest talk at the main h.q of the Buddhist Churches of America in Japantown a year ago. Anyway, he grilled me on a few topics and it was obvious he really really really disliked SGI and wanted to slam them. The first version of his book had left out Nichiren Buddhism entirely but now he was going to add something about it. Anyway, we traded some emails and I had a great chance to really hose the SGI and give him some counter propaganda. But instead I recommended some less judgemental and more accurate language about Nichiren Buddhism, SGI, and the traditional schools. I even gave this person Bill Aiken's email address since he asked me about sending what he wrote to the SGI as a courtesy.

So I lose big points on partisanship and I am putting a lot of trust that Bill won't hose the Nichiren Shu behind my back (though I doubt he would do that and this author knows whats what now) but I feel good about being fair to all sides. Now if I had met the Rubys at the AAR and we had interacted the way we do here I think things would have turned out differently. In reflecting on this, I believe that this shows that when you fight others they will look for ways to fight you. But if you really embrace the idea of dialogue, being reasonable, and adhereing the truth rather than partisanship, than you never know who you will influence and how that will influence their actions down the line.

I have been learning a lot from the internet over the years. I first came on with a pretty idealistic idea that everyone would share and happily discuss Buddhism. Then the reality of arbn really hit me, and when I started training to be a minister than I became especially targeted both online and off as people became jealous and/or saw me as the "Pope of Nichiren Shu in the USA" (which is incredibly absurd if you knew me or the Nichiren Shu very well - though I do carry a Discordian Pope card in my wallet). So I foolishly joined in the spirit of things and fought back as hard as I could. I began to see things in terms of us vs them, and every dialogue had to be a debate and points had to be scored and tallied. Fortunately, I began to back off and started interacting with more people offline who were not into all the fighting and partisanship. I also learned through hard experience that you get what you give. More and more I have learned that if you want tolerance and respect you must show it - even to those who are intolerant and disrespectful and even dishonest. This does not mean that I intend to be a doormat or that I will not set the record straight when it needs to be. But now I try to be more patient and less ego invested in winning. Now I realize that sincerity and truth will eventually shine through whereas vehemence and partisanship just clouds the issues no matter who is right or who is wrong. Anway, I am sure there is more to learn but that is where I am at now.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei