Throughout the conflict, I understood that there was no intermediary between myself and Nichiren’s teachings, especially concerning the Gohonzon. There is no buying "indulgence" in Buddhism. No external authority, in any form, shall mediate my enlightenment. Priests conducting funerals, memorial ceremonies with toba (the memorial tablet), and pilgrimages to Taiseki-ji temple and the Dai-Gohozon will contribute nothing to my enlightenment. The eye-opening ceremony to "officiate" Gohonzon by priests is superfluous at best.
The ultimate law of life and death will directly flow in my life when I simply practice as Nichiren teaches. "Shakyamuni Buddha, who attained enlightenment countless kalpas ago, the Lotus Sutra that leads all people to Buddhahood, and we ordinary human beings are in no way different or separate from one another" (WND p. 216).
I consider the priesthood issue as the Reformation of Nichiren Buddhism. The Christian Reformation movement started when Martin Luther saw the spiritual problem with the sale of indulgences. Indulgence was the spiritual forgiveness awarded by the church for the confession of sin, and it has taken many different forms over the years. If you took part in a crusade or sent someone (for example, a servant) on a crusade for you, your sins could be forgiven. When the Papal Court fell into financial trouble you were allowed to donate money for a crusade in order to expiate your sins. It was as effective as going on a crusade yourself.
All one had to do was buy indulgence and everything was fine. Repentance was no longer a sign of remorse. Martin Luther stated, “Indulgences are most pernicious because they induce complacency and thereby imperil salvation.” Wracked by despair, Luther finally found release in the pages of the Bible when he discovered that it was not the Church, but his own individual faith that would guarantee his salvation. One could say that he discovered his individuality, and the medieval era ended with his discovery.
Though my belief is different from that of Martin Luther’s, the discovery of an individual is something I can relate to. To paraphrase Martin Luther, what I understand is that prior to the Priesthood Issue, the inner search for my Buddha nature became meaningless; all I had to do was follow the authority and everything was fine. In light of the Priesthood Issue I also discovered that it is not external authorities, but my own process of human revolution in itself that guarantees manifestation of my Buddha Nature.
I must abandon an authority-dependent practice and courageously pursue one based on self-reliance. I believe that the true spirit of Buddhism has required this type of practice ever since Siddhartha’s time. Only individual faith and human revolution matter. This is why we find a well known similarity between existentialism and Buddhist philosophy.
This point is clearly stated by Nichiren. He proclaims that the essence of his teaching (in fact, Siddhartha’s teaching) is expressed in the life of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging who believed in the existence of the Buddha nature in himself and others. He lived and died for his conviction in spite of numerous persecutions. Nichiren further states, "The purpose of the appearance in this world of Shakyamuni Buddha, the lord of teachings, lies in his behavior as a human being" (WND p848). Makiguchi and Toda also lived and died with this conviction. It follows then that we, as Bodhisattvas of the Earth, should hold this same conviction.
This distinction, however, must be absolutely clear: the practice is based on self-reliance and is not simply self-centered. I value the Mahayana Buddhism movement that was initiated by those who criticized the Theravada and Mahasamghika schools which focused too much on the theoretical aspect of Buddhism and neglected the salvation of people, calling these schools "hinayana" (lesser vehicle).
The dependent origination principle connects my life to other people, society, biosphere, earth and universe. Therefore, my practice must be based on the way of the bodhisattva, and the pledge:
-
To save innumerable living beings.
-
To eradicate countless earthly desires.
-
To master immeasurable Buddhist teachings.
-
To attain the supreme enlightenment.
These Four Universal Vows do not apply directly to actions of Bodhisattvas of the Earth; rather, they reveal principles that I must reflect upon in my daily life.
From the perspective of self-reliant practice, criticism of injustice in me and others (person, organization, system, religion, government and etc.) is essential. Ikeda coined the term "creative criticism" in his dialogue with Gorbachev. Furthermore, he stated that cultural relativism creates an attitude that everything is "right," hence nothing matters. This attitude is essentially an irresponsible expression of nihilism, and it destroys the creativity of people.
In this respect, the following points that my SGI-Japan friends made are universally important to my conduct. It states:
-
If one criticizes others on a certain issue, one must subject oneself to the same criticism. One must find the issue within oneself and try to overcome the issue in one's life as well. For example, if one criticizes Nikken Sect on the account of authoritarianism, then one must overcome one's authoritarianism within oneself. Otherwise "Nikken Sect" shall not cease to exist.
-
Injustice must not be ignored, so that one aware of the existence of injustice must criticize it with courage. By so doing, one can conduct right action and overcome one's weakness as well.
-
By conducting open dialogue, one can find the way to overcome injustice, and create a new right way of life.
If Nichiren's Buddhism is to serve as the foundation of true Democracy, it must enhance the independence of the individual. It must also guarantee free interactions among those individuals, because democracy is a policy that requires such freedom in order to function properly. (Please read the first amendment of the US constitution.) This is the only way to prevent the emergence of a second Hitler. I must not forget that Hitler emerged from a state based on the Weimar Constitution, which was widely regarded as the most democratic constitution at that time.
It can also be said that the principle of "One in mind, many in bodies" can easily give in to totalitarianism if members of the organization are just following authority and forget the spirit of "creative criticism." Fundamentally, I believe "One in mind" to be seeking world peace through propagating true teaching in the world as Nichiren-Makiguchi-Toda-Ikeda described. However, there are many different approaches possible within the various aspects of the movement, because cultural, political, geographical, and economical variations do matter. I cannot take the principle of "Zuiho-bini" (adapting precept to the locality) lightly. Therefore, the only proper way to build consensus is open dialogue and the sharing of all information available.
For instance, I believe that SGI-USA as an organization should have totally opposed the current invasion of Iraq. I am convinced that war opposes the principle of the absolute dignity of life in Buddhism. History also shows that a violent retaliation only induces violent responses that become entrenched in a never-ending cycle, which is so clear to me from the example of the Middle East situation. Wars have too often been fought for the sake of defending the motherland. Nationalism and patriotic slogans tap our deep emotions. However, I must not forget what happened in Vietnam. The war took over 68,000 American lives and over million more Vietnamese lives to test successive administrations' belief in the Domino Theory.
I must overcome my emotional response to nationalism and must act as a world citizen first. As a responsible US citizen and Buddhist, I totally disagree with the CEC of the SGI-USA for choosing not to come out clearly against the state-authorized violence now being perpetrated in the guise of the solution for national security and world peace. SGI-USA should be against any war and any policy that condones violence as a justified means to an end. I have expressed my dissenting opinion to a CEC member.
I continue to participate in anti-war activities with Christians, socialists, atheists, Buddhists, etc. What the SGI-USA does or does not do is really a secondary issue. My primary focus shall be how I act as a Buddhist under any given circumstance. This is where my human revolution takes place. I will continue to express my dissenting opinion as a member of this great organization and will continue to work as an individual to prevent war.
As a practitioner of Nichiren's Buddhism, I am formulating principles that will serve as the basis for living the rest of my life. It is individually based, not defined by religious organizations or traditions, but based on how I act, speak, and think.
I place absolute value in life; that is, life (both mine and others) cannot be a means of accomplishing any goals. From this, it follows that my responsibilities as a true Buddhist are:
-
To enhance peace within myself, and among my community, nation, and world. Non-violence and non-killing are the way to conduct my endeavors.
-
To enhance environmentalism, because I am not living alone.
-
To promote community building (not mass movements). This includes fighting against racism, sexism, economical injustice, political injustice and for human rights.
Inspiration and strength for my life come from within my life. From this, it follows that:
-
The highest authority resides within the individual. Therefore, I must reject authoritarianism.
-
The practice must be the source of courage to stand alone if necessary. I must choose to be the honorable minority.
Those are my ideals, so now begins the struggle between ideals and reality in my life. However, isn't that what spiritual life is all about? After all, if I live in accordance with what "reality" dictates, then I do not need to practice any religion. I believe that Nichiren inscribed Gohonzon for empower those people who take this struggle seriously.