Kempon Hokke

Taking Responsibility and Actual Proof or the SGI, Kempon Hokke, Bruce Maltz, ARBN and Breaking the Harmonious Unity of Believers (part 1 revised and final)

Buddhsm is about taking responsibility for everything that happens within us and to us, both good and bad, and without a single exception. This is the difference between the modern Kempon Hokke and the SGI. We don't just pay lip service to this phenomenological reality taught in the Lotus Sutra, we live and breath this reality with awareness and comprehension. How are we able to accomplish this profound realization of Buddhist truth? Only by means of a correct faith and practice in the Lotus Sutra, the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin and staunch unity.

Let me first give you my experience unretouched by an SGI or Kempon Hokke leader or priest. I have been chanting the Daimoku off and on [mostly on] variously with faith in the Gohonzon, the SGI, Daisaku Ikeda, Nittatsu Shonin Nichiren Shoshu, the Dai-Gohonzon, Nichiren as True Buddha, Shakyamuni as Original and Eternal Buddha, the Lotus Sutra, the Kempon Hokke and Bruce Maltz for 34 years. The time spent is not as important as the sequence of events or the utterness of the reality (Myoho renge kyo).

I left the SGI in 1997 to join what I thought was the Kempon Hokke but was really the Sangha of Bruce Maltz. I began to post on ARBN under the tutelage of Bruce Maltz. At the time my life, my families life, and our circumstances were as much a mixed bag as my beliefs. I had begun to earn a very good living, lived in a big house but had a headstrong disobedient daughter and son. My wife's mental and physical health was a mess.

On ARBN, I attacked everyone in sight like a rabid dog, along with my mentor Bruce Maltz: The SGI; the Nichiren Shoshu; the Nichiren Shu; the Honmon Butsuryu Shu; and various Kempon Hokke adherents who either opposed Bruce Maltz such as Graham Lamont or those who weren't in total accord with Bruce's doctrines, such as Steve Polito. We schemed and plotted. My life became evermore chaotic and filled with actual proof of the negative variety. My son who never studied but got a 1400 on his SAT's hooked up with a young girl orphan we brought into our house and dropped out of high school. My daughter hooked up with some very bad and dangerous men, although she was only 12 years old. My salary was halved in one year. No matter what we did to the garden and the beautiful flower trees nothing would grow and the beautiful flower trees failed to blossom and bear fruit and just died. This despite chanting three hours a day of daimoku for two months and two hours a day of daimoku for three months. My wife's health continued to deteriorate, my mother broke her femur, the dog went crazy but yet, I only had a vague awareness that I might be doing something wrong and continued attacking, kamikaze like whatever and whomever Bruce didn't like. And since Bruce didn't like them, even if I didn'e see them as a threat or even if I liked them, I attacked them mercilesslessly.

Things got worse. Some people actually fell for Bruce [like me] and to a lesser extent, for his vision of the "Kempon Hokke" and Buddhism, in general. I received several Nichiren Shoshu and SGI Gohonzons and burned them. Bruce began to teach that the Opening of the Eyes Ceremony for Gohonzon was nothing other than the invention of priests to accrue more power over the people. He began to download, copy, and laminate the Prayer Gohonzon and he sent me one of them which I didn't enshrine because I loved the Nichiren Nissho Gohonzon I received from Rev. Kubota. I eventually gave the Prayer Gohonzon to a new believer. My wife Nancy bought a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha in Chinatown and I still embraced the SGI teachings that statues of Shakyamuni were evil. I tried to take the statue away from my wife but she held onto it like a baby, carried it around wherever she went, and I had to relent. Thankfully, we still have this statue centered in front of the Gohonzon.

Soon, my salary agian dropped by a third, we could no longer afford the big house, my wife continued to drink and failed to watch her diet, my cats were getting killed left and right and my daughter began going out with a Blood. Nonetheless, then, I didn't even have a vague feeling that what I was doing might be wrong and I continued to attack and attempt to destroy the faith of anyone we deemed not a true believer [in retrospect, in Bruce and Stephanie Maltz]. ARBN became even more ugly and I liked it that way, more people would become disenchanted with the SGI and the Nichiren Shoshu and would join us. I thought I was practicing the Lotus Sutra and the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin, yet had this fear, real fear that Bruce would reject me if I didn't tow the line and then I would have no where to go.

Things got worse, much worse.

Teaching Daily

I teach people that: Your weight is the cause of your abscesses; your cigarettes are the cause of your poor lung function; your drinking is killing your liver; your diet is why your stomach hurts. In the secular realm, I am thanked for my advice based on the sound teachings of modern medicine whether the person institutes it or not. In the religious realm however, even if my intentions are just as noble, my arguments just as rational and based on the Lotus Sutra and Gosho, they are summarily rejected and I am attacked for attempting to help them.

If you lost one lung because of smoking many people would stop to preserve their other lung and to those who continued to smoke, I would emphatically reassert my admonitions to that person to stop smoking. If your life was filled with sorrow for practicing the deadly teachings of the SGI, you would think many would quit the SGI and those who remained would at least take a look at the teachings. Most don't and therefore I have no choice but to reassert my admonitions to them to leave the SGI

I conclude that the SGI is like nicotine, very pleasurable and addicting but deadly. You will excuse me if I point out how both are deadly. And yet, there are still some deluded people that argue that cigarette smoking prolongs life by reducing stress or other such nonsense. Such are the irrationalities in the secular realm. How much more so in the religious realm, where even, despite the horrific actual proof of the effects of the SGI faith and practice, the rational theoretical proof demonstrating superiority of the the authentic teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin to the SGI's, and the doctrinal proof of the superiority of the Lotus Sutra and Gosho over the Human Revoloution, Living Buddhism, and the World Tribune, there are those that continue to engage in deadly behaviors, continuing to consort with the SGI rather than the Kempon Hokke, for example. I will never stop pointing out the dangers of both behaviors.

Mark

A Pattern

There is a pattern of first born sons' of SGI leaders dying. I mentioned three, there is one I did not mention, the son of Guy MCclowsky. It is more than a coincidence. It is the result of abandoning Shakyamuni Buddha and appropriating the Lotus Sutra and the name of Nichiren Daishonin for the cult that is the SGI. By destroying the Law and scorching the seeds of Buddhahood for millions of people, the cult leaders are reaping their rewards. Inconspicuos actions leads to conspicuous results. How much more so the conspicuous actions of SGI that destroy the Pure Law of Lotus Sutra and Shakyamuni Buddha? Nichiren Daishonin warned that even his disciples, even those who chant the daimoku, could go astray and they would be punished.

Good medicine tastes bitter and good advice often grates on the ears. Nichiren Daishonin also taught that the overturned cart ahead is warning to those behind.

Certainly Soka's not a cult!

No, Certainly Not a Cult!

A cult is a group of people who...

• Give total and unquestioning loyalty to a leader as a living deity or prophet, and use deception and manipulation to recruit and keep members.

Just based on this point alone, Soka is not a cult. Soka members are free to ask questions, but they have no need to, since all answers can be found in Sensei’s guidances and in the Gosho. We encourage free, open dialogue on pertinent, approved topics. Soka does not lie except as an “expedient means,” but this is a manifestation of practical wisdom, not lying. We would never dream of going against Soka, because to do so would destroy our good fortune. People join our movement because they want world peace and nonviolence based on the true Buddhism of Soka, not to give legitimacy to a cult. Recruitment, or shakubuku, is the only way to change your karma and create a happy world. People who don't support Soka don't support real peace.

• Has a leader who is charismatic, holds a uniquely exalted position, and claims an exclusive relationship with God, truth, happiness, etc.

Howie Grunthal Tortured Soul and the SGI Faith and Practices that Drove Him to His Death

Howard Grunthal was one of my best friends. He was born in 1956. In retrospect, physically, he looked like Nichiren Daishonin, round face, large bodhisattva ears and even slight oriental eyes folds although he was German-jew through and through. I introduced him to the SGI. He had many mental and emotional problems and an IQ around 160. I remember the day he got his Gohonzon in Long Island City. He was so happy for the first and only time in his life. He became a YMD (young men's division) in the SGI who tried his very best to live up to the expectations of his leaders and to introduce as many people as he could into the SGI. He would pick up all the young men in his 1969 Mercury Comet and we were stuffed in there like sardines.

We had some good times, swimming at his apartment complex swimming pool and going down to Downey's Irish Tavern after chanting and "shakabukuing" every one we could, smoking a little weed, and downing twenty cent Schaeffer beers. We were after all 19 years old.

Howie wasn't very good with the women. He was quite engaging, talking to the ladies for hours but because of his mental condition, trichotillomania, alopecia and looking like Nichiren Daishonin, he was quite frustrated. Also, despite his enormous IQ, he wasn't a very good student. He couldn't concentrate very well. We went to Lehman College together and he really helped me with with my first wife, another student, encouraging her to go out with me. I think he had a secret crush on Dolores but was too much of a gentleman and friend to let on.

He really tried his best to overcome his problems through the SGI. Seeking guidance dozens of times as he was proscribed by his leaders. But they were very tough on Howie who was both a gentle and tortured soul and they knew nothing about abnormal psychology but acted as if they knew the causes and conditions of Howie's problems better than his psychotherapist. They often told Howie that he no longer needed his psychotherapist or meds because all he needed was the Daimoku, President Ikeda's guidance, and more YMD activities. He was so sincere that despite his disabilities he became a YMD group chief and his leaders pushed Howie to do more activities.

Then one day, Howie accidently severely damaged his Gohonzon. He was doing spring cleaning in his room and he removed it from the butsudon (altar box) to clean the butsudon and it accidently fell into the detergent pail. He brought it to his leaders who weren't very sypathetic. They told him he would have to chant for at least a year to get another Gohonzon. If he was tortured before he damaged his Gohonzon, after he damaged it, and with all those SGI stories about what happens to those who lose or damage their Gohonzons, he really decompensated. And his leaders, despite his continued monumental effort with the practice, were never the same towards Howie.

Shortly thereafter, Howie took his butsudon and threw it out his 14th story window and he followed it to the ground. The SGI is an evil organization made up of people who maintain they have attained what they have not. The snot-nosed leaders who can barely get their own lives together run around teaching other people how to overcome their problems with not an ounce of real life training and preparation and not an ounce of compassion. Everything is for Ikeda and the SGI at the expense of the individual.

Next, my wife's story.

Supreme Leader of the World Gosho

"....However, they are alike in that they all abandoned Shakyamuni Buddha. There is no doubt, therefore, that our country will be ruined. This is a teaching that has never yet been revealed. Keep it strictly to yourself.

If there are any among my followers who are weak in faith and go against what I, Nichiren, say, they will meet the same fate as did the Soga family. I will tell you the reason. It was due to the efforts of father and son, Soga no Iname and Umako, that Buddhism came to be established in Japan. They could have held the same position as Brahma and Shakra at the time of the Thus Come One Shakyamuni’s appearance in this world. Because they had brought Mononobe no Okoshi and his son Moriya to ruin, they became the only influential clan in the country. They rose in rank and controlled the nation, and their family enjoyed high prosperity. But Umako grew so arrogant that he had Emperor Sushun assassinated and many princes killed. Moreover, his grandson, Iruka, had his retainers put twenty-three of Prince Shotoku’s children to death. Thereupon Empress Kogyoku, following the advice of Nakatomi no Kamako, had a statue cast of Shakyamuni Buddha and prayed to it fervently. As a result, Iruka, his father, and the entire Soga family all perished at once.

Draw your own conclusions from what I said above. Those among my followers who fail to carry through their faith to the end will incur punishment even more severe. Even so, they should not harbor a grudge against me. Remember what fate Sho-bo, Notobo, and others met."

Actual Proof (Revised)

"However, they are alike in that they all abandoned Shakyamuni Buddha." In the next paragraph, Nichiren, referring to those who abandoned Shakyamuni Buddha states, "If there is anyone among my followers who is weak in faith and goes against what I, Nichiren, say, he will meet the same fate as did the Soga family." (MW vol 3, The Supreme Leader of the World, pg 237)

There are countless examples in the SGI and Nichiren Shoshu of proof of the Daishonin's assertions. Nichiu developed white leprosy. Nikkyo burned up in a conflagration while only his entrails remained. President Ikeda's first born son died of a bleeding ulcer as a young man, something virtually unheard of in this day and age. Mr. Kasahara's first born son died from a massive brain injury in a skateboarding accident. George Williams children are sociopaths. A top SGI senior leader was killed in the early eighties when a snow plow ran over his car. Another, in Detroit, died when a heavy metal stage hook took the top of his skull off. A men's division bagpiper was killed and mutilated by the Manson family on the way back from bagpipe practice. Bill Vogel was a Koto who died of an ischemic brain injury, secondary to an asthma attack and Brad Nixon who converted thousands of people to SGI and Nichiren Shoshu died at a relatively young age from Lou Gehrig's disease. Less well known american SGI and Nichiren Shoshu members who died untoward deaths number in the hundreds, if not thousands.

This is all because they denied the Eternal Buddha is Shakyamuni, positing their own ideas and destroying one of the principle teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin.

A Random Thought 1

I have had long, sometimes heated discussions about the Eternal Buddha, Gohonzon, the Lotus Sutra, and many other things with SGI members but when I criticize Ikeda and the teachings on the master/disciple relationship, as taught and practiced by the SGI, they become cold and aloof and accuse me of slandering out of jealousy. I'm sure, if I said, "Nichiren was belligerent", we would have kept right on talking and exchanging ideas. The SGI is sick and so are the true member disciples.

Zen, Bushido, and the SGI

There are several reasons for the abberations which have crept into the SGI's version of the Daishonin's Buddhism:

Except for Makiguchi, the SGI members have not experienced martyrdom. They have had a relatively easy go with propagation and have, on occassion, even resorted to bullying tactics themselves, something someone who has experienced severe persecutions first hand would never resort to.

Others reasons for the abberrations, are the "way of the Samurai" and Bushido (way of the warrior), remnants of the retainer/lord relationship, the idea of saving face, and the Zen Buddhist master/disciple realtionships.

One of the most horrific digressions from the Way of Buddha and Nichiren Daishonin is the zennification of the SGI. The Buddha stated: "be a lamp unto yourself" and the Buddha as well as the Daishonin taught that we should base ourselves on the Law rather than on persons. It should be fairly obvious that the admonishments to seek guidance in the SGI and going so far as having a Guidance Division is actual proof of these distortions. Those who embrace the highest Law and the Supreme Object of Worship, need never be exhorted to seek guidance and develop what is virtually a master disciple relationship with anyone who is deemed a senior in faith. Even President Ikeda falls into the category of person. In Zen Buddhism too, whatever the master says is followed without hesitation or question. Such zenlike warrior irrationalities such as, "Follow no matter what" or "'if you sincerely follow the guidance of your leaders, even if they are wrong, you will gain tremendous benefit", are common SGI teachings. This is based on Zen and Bushido, not Buddhism

Even if the SGI were to superficially adopt the Object of Worship of the Original Doctrine and admit that the identity of the Original Eternal Buddha was Lord Shakya, I feel that it will take many generations to purge the SGI of the Way of the Samurai, Bushido values, the way of lords and retainers and the insidious teachings of Zen.

Mark

Formal Debate

It is not anyone or any organization against another. This is not Buddhism. It is the life state of Bodhisattva to correct the evil or mistakes of another in order to help the other attain Buddhahood. This is a Bodhisattvas greatest wish.

Trust me, I get corrected almost every day by the Nichiren Shu, the SGI, the Independents and the members of my own sect of Buddhism and even non-Buddhists. I also do my share of correcting. Maybe because of this I have come to see who really has my best interests at heart, who really wants me to grow and develop and who just wants to destroy me. Likewise, I am able to see clearly my own motivations, caring and lack of caring in reguards to those I am engaging. This is the benefit of shakabuku. Everything we do in Buddhism is to become aware.

Sometimes, when one is badly mistaken one has to take unbelievable steps to overcome the negative consequences of his mistake. One extroadinarily learned man, defeated by T'ien-t'ai in debate, ceased to give lectures or teach the Dharma (through speech), garnered a hundred emminent priests to listen to lectures by T'ien-t'ai, made his body into a stool so that T'ien-t'ai could ascend to a raised platform to preach and eventually, I think, after T'ien-t'ai died, committed himself to self exile.

If Bruce or Greg Martin were ever able to do such in a formal debate, I would do the same. This is not going to happen because they would never have a formal debate with me.

Lecture On The Lotus Sutra Chapter 1 cont...

[Essential sentence] 3

"Manjusri,Son of the Buddha! Remove our doubts! The four kinds of devotees are looking up with joy at you and me, wishing to know why this ray of light is emitted by the World-Honored One. Son of the Buddha, answer me! Remove our doubts and cause us to rejoice! For what purpose is the Buddha emitting this ray of light?

This good omen we see now is not different from what I saw at that time. Therefore, I think that the Tathagata of today also will expoud the sutra of the Great Vehicle called the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, the Dharma for Bodhisattvas, the Dharma Upheld by the Buddhas."

[The gist]

Maitreya Bodhisattva represented people that were surprised at this extraordinary spectacle, and he asked Manjusri Bodhisattva who had served infinite various Buddhas in the past. Manjusri answered Maitreya that this good omen was the same spectacle as when he had served a Buddha called Sun-Moon-Light. And he said that it was for preaching the sutra of the Great Vehicle called the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, the Dharma for Bodhisattvas, the Dharma Upheld by the Buddhas. Maitreya played the role of asking the meaning of this spectacle without knowing anything. Manjusri revealed that he was a bodhisattva called Wonderful-Light who continued to preach the Lotus sutra after Sun-Moon-Light Buddha's nirvana and that Maitreya was his lazy disciple who was called Fame-seeking. This situation suggests to the audience gathered to hear the Lotus Sutra that they could not remember the relation between teacher and disciple in the far past.

The Dharma for Bodhisattvas, the Dharma Upheld by the Buddhas, means the highest teachings protected by the Buddhas. The Dharma which teaches Bodhisattvas is not to get personal benefits and rights but to get ability that benefits other people by encouraging their great spirits. Whether it is material or mental, personal satisfaction and benefits are denied as egoistic Hinayana by Mahayana. Bodhisattvas have to pursue the wisdom of the Buddha upward and then to enlighten people downward. Bodhisattvas have to cherish lofty ideals and be actively altruistic. Because the Lotus sutra includes these important teachings, it is also called the Dharma for Bodhisattvas, the Dharma Upheld by the Buddhas is an honorific title.

BUDDHA JONES ARCHIVES; SGI Will Not Like This

Lisa Jones was a paid SGI staff member, propagandist and ghost writer for Daisaku Ikeda until she came to her senses. The problem was that she signed a contract not to disclose her relationship with SGI. I just found the archive of her writings about SGI. Here, in all its glory!!!! BUDDHA JONES:

http://web.archive.org/web/*hh_/buddhajones.com/

SGI Testimonials You Won't Hear Anywhere Else

The Anticult
Date Added: 03/18/2006
Posts: 843 Re: Soka Gakkai International - Nichiren Buddhism`yeah, SGI is a waste. I have known many people into SGI, they seem to attract a "NewAge" crowd of folks, who like the social aspect of getting together, and the Magical Thinking of Chanting and Desiring material goods, better sex, nicer cars, and basically everything else the Buddha said is the origin of Suffering. How can something that is the opposite of Buddhism claim to be Buddhism?

One girl I knew, who was a good person, got lured into SGI, and was really into it. She ended up getting sick, and refused a lot of early medical treatment, as she thought she could get healed by Chanting. Didn't work, she got worse and worse. Then she finally got into medical treatments, too late, and literally had hundreds of people Chanting for her to heal.

She died, and left behind her kids.

They don't tell those anecdotes, those who have hundreds of SGI followers Chanting for them, and die a pretty horrible death in a few months.

Nichiren Quotes on Shakabuku

"If, failing to understand this principle, one were to practice shoju or shakubuku at an inappropriate time, then not only would one be unable to attain Buddhahood, but one would fall into the evil paths. This is firmly laid down in the Lotus and Nirvana sutras, and is also clearly stated in the commentaries by T’ien-t’ai and Miao-lo. It is, in fact, an important principle of Buddhist practice." (pg. 126)

"Some people criticize me, saying, 'Nichiren does not understand the capacities of the people of the time, but goes around preaching in a harsh manner—that is why he meets with difficulties.' Other people say, 'The practices described in the "Encouraging Devotion" chapter are for bodhisattvas who are far advanced in practice; [Nichiren ought to follow the practices of] the "Peaceful Practices" chapter, yet he fails to do so.' Others say, 'I, too, know the Lotus Sutra is supreme, but I say nothing about it.' Still others complain that I give all my attention to doctrinal teachings. I am well aware of all these criticisms against me. But I recall the case of Pien Ho, who had his legs cut off at the knee, and of Kiyomaro (Pure Man), who was dubbed Kegaremaro (Filthy Man) and almost put to death. All the people of the time laughed at them with scorn, but unlike those two men, those who laughed left no good name behind them. And all the people who level unjust criticisms at me will meet with a similar fate. The 'Encouraging Devotion' chapter says, 'There will be many ignorant people who will curse and speak ill of us.' I observe my own situation in this passage. Why should it not apply to all of you as well? 'They will attack us with swords and staves,' the passage continues. I have experienced this passage from the sutra with my own body. Why do you, my disciples, not do likewise?" (pg. 209)

Failing to Proclaim the Exclusive Faith and Practice of the Lotus Sutra

"To ignore the supremacy of the Lotus Sutra and assert that other sutras stand on a par with it is to commit the worst possible slander of the Law, a major offense of the utmost gravity. No analogy could suffice to illustrate it. The Buddhas, for all their powers of magical transformation, could never finish describing its consequences, and the bodhisattvas, with all the wisdom at their command, could not fathom its immensity. Thus, the “Simile and Parable” chapter of the Lotus Sutra says, “If I were to describe the punishments [that fall on persons who slander this sutra], I could exhaust a kalpa and never come to the end.” This passage means that not even a whole kalpa would be time enough to explain the full gravity of the offense of a person who acts even once against the Lotus Sutra.

For this reason, a person who commits this offense will never be able to hear the preaching of the Buddhas of the three existences, and will be cut off from the doctrines of the Thus Come Ones, who are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Such a person will move from darkness into greater darkness. How could he escape the pains and sufferings of the great citadel of the Avichi hell? Could a thoughtful person fail to dread the prospect of lengthy kalpas of misery?" (Embracing the Lotus Sutra).