Shimutani wrote:
> You guys call it a 'hate campaign' because you're still fundamentally
> connected to christianity. First of all it's not a campaign. Second of
> all it's an activity much like many other activities for the purposes
> of clarifying the DIFFERENCE between SGI and NS so that everyboyd can
> make an honest assessment and leave NS for the sake of world peace.
In spite of the SGI spin, it is indeed a hate campaign:
SGI-USA San Francisco Regions 1 and 2 newsletters, January 28, 1999
"If you haven't already gotten your DAIMOKU CARD IN THE SHAPE OF THE
UNITED STATES it isn't too late. This is an idea of the youth division,
to have individuals chant 52 hours of daimoku for justice and victory
by Nov. 18, 1999 so that 10 billion daimoku total is chanted so that
all Danto temples will shut down. The sheer power of such daimoku had
that effect in New York. Get them at SFCC or from YD leaders."
[emphasis in the original]
SGI Vice General Director, Guy McCloskey had this to say about the
campaign to use prayers to close temples:
Subject: Temple related Mtgs Report
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 22:48:27 -0700
From: ***@sgi-usa.org (Kay Yoshikawa)
During the recent training course in Japan, the representatives of the
various SGI organizations renewed their determination to not allow one
other member to be affected (or infected) by the Nikken sect. At the
June 1999 meeting of the SGI-USA Central Executive Committee, the
members agreed to focus on faith, practice and study as the keys to
victory. We will pray to the Gohonzon that the US temples will close
and that the priests will return to Japan; that no one among our
current members will be deceived by the priesthood; and that those who
have gone to the temple will arouse doubts to understand the correct
practice of the Daishonin's Buddhism and withdraw from the temple...
>From the Official SGI "Ichinet" message board:
> Actually, Paul, you can ask Mr. Zaitsu... I resigned my position in
> official protest against the current campaign to chant to close all the
> temples.
"Tell me, why should we have such sympathy for those seeking to destroy
the Law? The only mistake I think SGI's making is not chanting 2
Billion daimoku, instead of one. There were also people who needed a
visit from Fred Zaitsu far worse than you. The only difference is that
they aren't grandstanding for attention. " Paul Wersant, SGI-USA leader
On that same board:
Mon, 09 Aug 1999 13:07:08 -0700 thomas ultican writes:
"Every morning with Gongyo, I pray for the perverted Budhist doctrines
of Nikken Abe to be totally discredited and defeated. I pray for the
demise of the Nikken Sect and that the Nichiren Shoshu temple in the
bay area be closed because of lack of support. I feel these are
positive things. I am not praying for bad things to happen to people. I
am praying for evil philosophy to be eliminated." Tom Ultican, SGI-USA
member
"It is time to stand up with the hearts of lions and chase these
heretical priests from our land. I do not want any more Americans to
fall into the spiritual death traps set by the temple." Terry Ruby,
SGI-USA member
"I'll chant for the temples to closeand for the sad people like your
self to find wisdom to cure your blindness." Public statement by Joe
Stevens, "Jinzai-net" [SGI-USA Internet propaganda organization]
security official (from the SGI Discussion board)
Subject: Re: Origins of NSS "Gojukai"
Date: Sat, 19 June 1999 02:34 PM EDT
"We learn to guide our lives to happiness and good fortune by
practicing the Mystic Law, and sometimes our actions also involve
protecting the Law. This is one of those cases... And since you, a NShu
member object to it as well, it seems the daimoku campaign is having an
effect. I will therefore redouble my own efforts to chant for the
temples to close, and I invite everybody to join me!" Wiley, SGI-USA
member (AOL Buddhism bulletin board)
"Yes, some members have mentioned using the campaign to close temples.
I PERSONALLY support that idea.... Those SGI-USA members who are
chanting for the temples to close are chanting just for that -- for the
temples in the US to close." Public statement by Kathy Ruby SGI-USA
True nature of the Daimoku campaign
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 16:08:29 GMT
From: ***@yahoo.com
All that you have proved is that some in the SF Region regard the
campaign to be a "close-the-temples" campaign. It is not represented
that way in the WT or any official national publication, as you well
know. Of course, I have no problem personally with chanting for the
Nikken Sect temple in my neighborhood to close (Public statement by
SGI member Kathy Ruby)
"We all know people going through a bad divorce, or with evil parents,
who chanted for them to die. They never did, there is no easy way to
get rid of evil ex-spouses, parents, or evil High Priests...I might
have chanted for Nikken to die if I had thought it would do any good."
Public statement by Chris Holte SGI-USA
"Based on the amount of needless hostility that has arrisen between the
Gakkai and the Temple over some clearly self serving dogmas that needed
to be jettisoned by both organizations, I can understand that members
should just chant that he would "die or something". I still wish I
could lock Nikken on Sado in a temple in a graveyard for about one
year, while Nembutsu believers wait in ambush and the snow comes in
through the walls." Public statement by Chris Holte
"All I've ever heard about is SGI members CHANTING for temples to close
- not the outlawing of a religion." Public statement by Jim Celer,
SGI-USA
Re: Inter- or Intra-Faith Dialogue with SGI
Date: 24 Mar 1999 20:09:45 GMT
From: ***@aol.com (Jim Celer)
Why do you think it's a misfortune for "Nichiren" Shoshu if its temples
close? (Public statement by Jim Celer, SGI "Living Buddhism" magazine
midwest Bureau Chief)
"We are merely chanting for the sources of the confusion to close, so
the Daishonin's Buddhism can apread more freely. Pretty good karma, I
would say." Public statement by Jim Celer, (SGI "Living Buddhism"
magazine midwest Bureau Chief )
Subject: RE: [Fwd: Here I am finally. (From July 1998)]
Date: Fri, 21 May 1999 17:31:59 -0700
From: Craig Ellis [SGI member]
regarding chanting to close temples: I regret that this campaign was
given such a poor shortcut to what we really need to chant about. Since
I do view that the SGI is correct and generally doing okay in its
approach to Buddhism, I want to see it continue to grow. I don't need
to tell you that the Daishonin always debated and was not subtle in his
attacks against religious organizations that he felt were leading
people to unhappiness. Well, SGI feels this way about Nichiren
Shoshu... -- >From your perspective, you should be overjoyed that we
have the 10 billion campaign to close the temples. Chanting Daimoku
works. If Nichiren Shoshu is indeed correct in it's study and
interpretation of Buddhism, then we will receive the negative
consequences of our campaign. It really is putting everything on the
line, isn't it? (Email from Craig Ellis, SGI-USA member)
>From the public AOL Buddhist newsgroup:
> Has anyone heard about the latest chanting goal for SGI members?
> Goal: Chant one billion Daimoku to close all NSTemples
Perhaps most disturbing of all is how the SGI members don't even try to
hide their hate and intolerance, blatently disregarding basic Human
Rights and even their own SGI Charter:
" I just recently heard about how the New York members did a special
daimoku [Buddhist Prayer] campain [sic] to close the temple annex that
was near the Cultural Center. Great work! Now the youth division of San
Francisco region will be starting a daimoku [Buddhist Prayer] campain
[sic] to close all the temples in the U.S.A. Maybe it will have an
effect on the temple in Spain." Public statement by Michael, SGI
member, Stockton (posted on the SGI's public bulletin board 1-10-99)
From: Ten_Ren (34/F/San Mateo, CA) (SGI member)
Jan 11 1999 1:33PM EST
I finally got to go to the Culture Center again. It was such fun. They
had a little play called Spiritually Incorrect. They gave us a good
laugh about the situation as kind of a kick off to ask for 1 billion
daimoku to close all the temples. Everyone was excited by it. I plan on
filling up several cards of chant time. (ibid)
Subject: Re: 10 Billion Daimoku.
Date: 1/28/99 11:33 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id: ***@ng12.aol.com
<<SGI has set a daimoku goal to close NST Temples?<<
[Marc Strumpf, before he left Honmon Butsuryu Shu in favour of
Christianity] If it works..can we have them?
Marc, Please join in. I think it's a great idea to use daimoku for
problems, and the Nikken sect is such a negative force that I can't see
what's wrong with chanting to close their temples down.I certainly
don't want a Nikken temple in my area. I have no problem with people
who practice with other Nichiren sects, the only problem I have is when
they single out situations they may have had with individuals and blame
it on the whole organization, or when they spread tabloid stories
around about President Ikeda that aren't true... The less Nikken
temples the less opportunities for people to support Devadatta. Is it
true the followers of Devadatta had a small sect that lasted about 500
years after the Buddha's passing? Hopefully, with daimoku, the Nikken
sect won't last that long. (Public statement by Maureen, SGI-USA)
Re: The Prophecies of the World Phibune
Author: mbh ***@nospamzimailbox.com
Date:1999/01/21
Closing all the temples is not a positive thing? I don't see anything
negative about it. You are not unlike the hoards of sterile bugs they
breed to destroy a species, after they think they have mated and stop
looking to mate, they find out that they were fooled, and have nothing
in side, they just die empty. Of course it is a result of our communal
actions from the past that we have to suffer the likes of you and the
Nikken Shu. I don't think the most of us want to repeat those causes
and for you to go away and stop causing misery and confusion means that
we would have to change our negative karma first. So chanting to close
the temples is a good thing and the result will be that we finally over
come the negative destiny we have to suffer y'all and then y'all will
have some other mission to fullfill cause one hand clapping doesn't
make much sound, like you gotta make the cause to get the effect. At a
more profound level, you actually are no different than the despots and
dictators you complain about. You just haven't been give the power to
enact your will to that degree. They have just kept you tethered in.
Even when you get loose for a moment, you still stay put. Like the guy
infront of the fire making boogeyman shadows and the fools who believe
in those shadows. Chanting to close the temples is a good thing.
Chanting for your happiness ridiculus. Oh please MrBill can't you just
make the cancer happy? (Public statement by Bruce H. Miller SGI
member, San Francisco)
"What right does any religion have to persecute individuals, temples,
churches, etc. in this country? They have no right and it is strictly
forbidden by our laws.Yet an army has been formed to fight a religous
war in the USA that started and belongs in japan. Many people chanted
for the high priest to die before chanting to close the temples. While
most people in sgi-usa find this disgusting, and have not
participated,there are those who do." (From an SGI message board)
---
Derek Juhl