The SGI has no legitimate connection to Nichiren - so much for "Soka Spirit"

The Soka Gakkai began as the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai, a teachers' organization whose leaders were members of Nichiren Shoshu, and was officially inaugurated in 1930. Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, whose brainchild this was, had only joined Nichiren Shoshu in 1928, and we all know it's the newest converts who radicalize up the most easily. The Pacific War happened; Makiguchi and 20 other members of his educators' group were sent to prison for fomenting disorder and rebellion by refusing to support the Shinto state religion that legitimized the Emperor's rule and was seen as the "magic bullet" that would win the Pacific War for Japan. His crime was essentially being an intolerant bigoted religious asshole.

Interestingly enough, given the SGI's obsessive focus and endless blathering about "the importance of mentor and disciple", nobody seems to have the slightest interest in whoever it was who convinced Makiguchi to convert, Makiguchi's "mentoar" O_O

Apparently, "mentor and disciple" began in 1928 with Makiguchi. There's nothing before that.

Meanwhile, Nichiren Shoshu, itself an offshoot of parent Nichiren Shu, only gaining its independence from Nichiren Shu (and nifty new name) in 1912. By all accounts, Nichiren Shoshu is the most extremely intolerant of all the already intolerant Nichiren schools. Nichiren was a real asshole, frankly.

Nichiren Shoshu claims one of Nichiren's inner circle, the 6 senior priests, as the "one true heir" to Nichiren's teachings. This one is Nikko. Nikko is perhaps most famous for his "26 Admonitions of Nikko" that nobody pays any attention to.

"Those who violate even one of these articles cannot be called disciples of Nikko." Source

Now, you all may recall how I've mentioned (a gazillion times) that I was one of the very few who actually studied. The "Three Pillars" were "faith, practice, and study", and I was, like, the ONLY ONE who did all three. But anyhow, I dutifully scrutinized the 26 Admonitions of Nikko and saw this:

6. Lay believers should be strictly prohibited from visiting [heretical] temples and shrines. Moreover, priests should not visit slanderous temples or shrines, which are inhabited by demons, even if only to have a look around. To do so would be a pitiful violation [of the Daishonin's Buddhism.] This is not my own personal view; it wholly derives from the sutras [of Shakyamuni] and the writings [of Nichiren Daishonin].

Okay! Well, after we moved to North San Diego county, I learned that there was a local Nembutsu (aka Pure Land aka Shin) Buddhist temple that had a bunch of festivals and stuff! So I asked one of my top senior leaders, who was a Japanese ex-pat, about this Admonition of Nikko. She told me, "Oh, it's fine to go visit - don't worry about that." Considering that she's the one who dropped dead 2 weeks after telling me I needed to chant until I agreed with her (thus demonstrating the danger of declaring that your own opinion is actually Buddhist doctrine), perhaps she wasn't the best authority in this case O_O

But regardless, the Nembutsu temple hosted some great parties, AND they were the only local source of Japanese school, where children could attend classes and learn how to read and write and speak Japanese. They also had a Taiko drum corps, but I think you had to be temple members to join it.

Here's another of the Admonitions of Nikko:

8. Those of insufficient learning who are bent on obtaining fame and fortune are not qualified to call themselves my followers.

Sound like anyone YOU know???

Okay, so anyhow, back to the Soka Gakkai. Toda, who started the Soka Gakkai in its recognizable form, insisted upon following the Nichiren Shoshu High Priest no matter what. In his mind, having the spiritual guidance of trained professionals who had devoted careers and lifetimes, who had the proper education and credentials, was essential.

Ikeda, who seized the presidency of the Soka Gakkai at the age of 32 after Toda's early death of alcoholism and basically being stupid and not taking care of himself, had practiced for a mere 13 years, yet was misleading the gullible (and very stupid) Soka Gakkai members into thinking he was a "modern day Buddha". Even today, his vanity press claims he's "the world's foremost authority on Nichiren Buddhism". Bullshit! Ikeda doesn't know shit! But we already know that Soka Gakkai members aren't the sharpest tools in the toolbox O_O

So anyhow, the Soka Gakkai's understanding of Nichiren Buddhism was based entirely on Nichiren Shoshu. The first three presidents of the lay organization - Makiguchi, Toda, and Ikeda - were ADAMANT that Nichiren Shoshu was the ONLY correct religion in the entire world! Without Nichiren Shoshu, there could be no kosen-rufu:

President Daisaku Ikeda Sensei: "It is obvious from every angle that Nichiren Shoshu inherits the true teaching of Buddhism."

Toda: "Nichiren Sho-shu is the one great religion which follows that basic truth, purifies life, strengthens life, and makes possible the turning of this miserable human life into a joyous paradise"

"All religions except Nichiren Shoshu are evil and poisonous to society and must be destroyed." - All Three Soka Gakkai Presidents

"Any person who is not obedient to the High Priest, whatever the reason may be, is no longer a Priest or lay member of Nichiren Shoshu. This is because there is no error more fundamental than this." SGI President Daisaku Ikeda, November 24, 1981, predicting his excommunication a decade later

In fact, Nichiren Shoshu's claim to fame/authority, the Dai-Gohonzon, was held up as indispensable for kosen-rufu!

BUT THEN the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood surprised Ikeda by excommunicating HIM in late 1991! All of a sudden, Ikeda & Co. had to create a new religion out of whole cloth, because they no longer had the historical legitimacy of Nichiren Shoshu to keep their tax-exempt religion status! So they all got bizay O_O

Thing is, the SGI still uses Nichiren Shoshu's translation of Nichiren's writings, a translation so sectarian and unreliable that no Nichiren scholars will touch it. It's a translation only used by Nichiren Shoshu! There are other translations available; why isn't the SGI using one of THOSE?

Because Ikeda planned all along to take over Nichiren Shoshu, to boot any priests who didn't obey and submit to his authority, and to subordinate the entire religion to his rule.

In order to establish Nichiren Shoshu International Centre, two Gakkai leaders have come up with a proposal for creating Nichiren Shoshu International Centre as an umbrella entity over both the Soka Gakkai and Nichiren Shoshu. I rejected their proposal outright. It would be wrong to have any authority positioned above Nichiren Shoshu, which exists for the sole purpose of protecting the Dai-Gohonzon. So they went home. - High Priest Nittatsu Shonin

That's the High Priest during Toda's presidency and during the first part of Ikeda's presidency as well. He was replaced by Nikken, who some say was hand-picked by Ikeda to succeed Nittatsu when he died under suspicious circumstances (just like Toda).

Now that Ikeda's goal has been so unfairly snatched out of his reach, he's trying for it anyway! And, oddly enough, the tactic the SGI is using is to declare that Nichiren Shoshu is hopelessly corrupt, so that means that only the SGI has correctly inherited the "spirit" of Nikko Shonin! It's CRAZYCAKES!!

Ikeda and his SGI apparently don't realize that, by smearing Nichiren Shoshu, they thus remove any and all legitimacy they're trying to claim. They're admitting that their only exposure to Nichiren Buddhism was through a completely corrupt and wrongheaded group, whose texts, doctrines, tenets, and rituals the SGI continues to use! Even after identifying them as being completely false and corrupt!

Talk about stoopid O_O

• This topic was inspired by this quote from new/one-time contributor sokaspiritscum on a now-removed topic:

If they don't have a lineage you don't have one either, you stole their religion and turned into a cult remember?, so you're left you Shu and Kempon to argue amongst themselves for legitimacy. You have no business here.