What do my condominium homeowners association (HOA) and the SGI have in common? Bylaws unavailable!

I didn't know SGI had bylaws until the World Tribune announced that the bylaws had been revised. I was able to practice Buddhism for almost twenty years in total ignorance of the bylaws. They must not be very important in SGI.

Bylaws are important in an HOA. As most HOA participants will tell you, you need a clear, detailed set of bylaws to keep your condo complex from turning into a fiefdom controlled by people with good intentions gone overboard.

Have you ever noticed that busy-body autocratic-type people always want to be the leader of the HOA? Have you ever noticed how an HOA can turn little things among neighbors into crazy, vicious operatic drama?

Ah-ha...maybe SGI and my HOA have more in common than I initially thought!

In my HOA I got to read the bylaws before I joined, and I get to vote on any revisions. Not so in SGI. But then, the SGI's bylaws aren't just cruddy condo bylaws. They're the Mystic Bylaws of Cause and Effect.

I start with the preamble, which sets forth the assumptions on which the bylaws are based. The Lotus Sutra is identified as the quintessence of Buddhism. So far so good. I don't trip until I get to this part: "The Soka Gakkai is a religious organization in accord with the Buddha's will and mandate, charged with the mission of kosen-rufu, to spread Nichiren Buddhism worldwide."

Hmm. It says "a religious organization..." rather that "the religious organization." The bylaws do not preclude the possibility that there are other such organizations. I take this as a positive sign.

This is where I stumble: "...in accord with the Buddha's will and mandate, charged with the mission of kosen-rufu...." This makes it sound as if the Buddha is hovering around giving orders. This deification of Buddha is contrary to the teachings of Buddhism.

Buddhism isn't mandatory. Peace and kosen-rufu cannot be mandated. A mandate is an authoritative order or command -- just the opposite of a compassionate, liberative teaching.

The use of the word "mandate" says to me that whoever wrote these bylaws has a much different understanding of Buddhism than I do. I propagate the teachings out of a sense of joy and compassion, not because I have been given a mandate and "charged" with a mission. I don't think anyone (even a Buddha) can tell another person what his or her mission is. Mission is something we all have to understand for ourselves in our own way. And, usually, our mission becomes clear only in retrospect.

I'm splitting hairs, maybe, and quibbling too much about this "mandate" thing. The word bothers me.

Moving on, the preamble tells of the origins of the organization, a tale that has been mythologized in the hearts of almost every SGI member. We feel that we are spiritual hiers to Makiguchi and Toda, and their martyrdom and accomplishments give us legitimacy.

I am not going to quibble with this other than to ask that we please not deify these men. They were ordinary people who upheld an extraordinary teaching. Having gratitude for them does not mean we need to put them in a Buddhist pantheon and adore them uncritically.

Ditto with President Ikeda.

Now I read down to where it says of the three presidents: "Herein lies our eternal guiding model." Now, I don't know about you, but I have taken Nichiren as my eternal guiding model -- a man, flawed and ugly (by his own description) yet possessing a golden Buddha potential and practicing his heart out. The three presidents inspire me, but Nichiren inspires me more.

Now I've reached the general provisions of the bylaws...

"Article 1. Name: This association shall be called the Soka Gakkai."

"Soka Gakkai" will never sound anything other than Japanese. Mitsubishi may manufacture cars in North America and sell them under a Dodge or Chrysler brand name, but we all know that Mitsubishi is Japanese and those are Japanese cars.

On the other hand, I cannot think of a better name that's not already taken. Nichiren Buddhist Chanters. World Nichiren Sangha. Global Lotus Fellowship. Maybe Soka Gakkai is as good as it gets.

Articles 2 and 3 are loaded with doctrinal catchphrases that can be interpreted in different ways. For instance, "faith in the Dai-Gohonzon" can mean faith that Nichiren's mandala was meant for the whole world. It doesn't say that we assert the legitimacy of the specific wooden mandala residing at Taiseki-ji -- or does it?

Article 4 says something interesting. It says that "the association" will conduct ceremonies and functions. I like this. It says to me that we do not require a priestly class to conduct our ceremonies and functions for us.

And, now, moving on to the juicy part....

There is no juicy part!

Where are the rules and regulations for how "the association" runs?

How are leaders selected? How can they be removed from their positions?

How are monies to be collected and used?

Is there a grievance procedure to resolve internal problems?

There may be more to the bylaws than what was printed in the World Tribune. If so, I'd like to see what the bylaws say in full. The bylaws ought to get into the nitty-gritty of how an association works, so all participants can agree to abide by the same set of rules.

Robert Frost said that fences make good neighbors. Similarly, clear boundaries, such as those spelled out in bylaws, make good associations, whether they're homeowners associations or religious organizations.

If the SGI bylaws don't address the specifics of day-to-day operations, there needs to be another revision of the bylaws, and soon.