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From: moskowit@paul.rutgers.edu (Len Moskowitz)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Is Nicherin Shoshu Buddhism?
Keywords: A query to a Ch'an monk
Message-ID: <Feb.11.15.49.47.1991.9097@paul.rutgers.edu>
Date: 11 Feb 91 20:49:47 GMT
Sender: news@sun13.scri.fsu.edu
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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Approved: mayne@nu.cs.fsu.edu

I have been concerned about Keith Evans' posts describing the Nicherin
Shoshu sect.  What he describes is nothing like the Buddhism with
which I'm familiar.  I asked a Ch'an monk whom I greatly respect, the
Ven. Shih Shen Lung, (a dharma heir also known as "That Old Frog" and
Ryugen Fisher, telephone: 715-362-3371) to tell me about Nicherin
Shoshu.  This is his reply:


From:    Old Frog                               Rec'd Sent 
To:      Len Moskowitz                          Msg #765, 12:33pm Feb-06-91
Subject: Re: Inter-sect rivalries

The Nicherin Shoshu folks are Buddhists only insofar as they call
themselves Buddhists. The common feeling from ALL OTHER Buddhist
persuasions that I know of is that calling one's self a Buddhist (or
calling one's philosophy Buddhism) don't necessarily make it true. ...
Buddhism (with this exception) has three and only three defining
criteria:

   1) That one take refuge in the Buddha 
        (this can be either the historical Shakyamuni of India or
         of the "Cosmic Buddha-Nature" [Vairocana] flavor {or both})

   2) That one take refuge in the Dharma
        (dharma being either the body of texts attributed to the
         historical Buddha and/or a selected number of his followers,
         but being based on the 4 Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path;
         OR the more subtle meaning of dharma [truth] which means in
	 this context the former AND the body of experiential knowledge
	 that one personally aquires)

   3) That one take refuge in the Sangha
         (Sangha being the community of those persons who subscribe to
	 #1 and #2 above and further pledge their support for likeminded
         others)

The militant proselytizing of the Nicherin Shoshu cult fails the first
two tests in that they take refuge in their teacher Nicherin
Daishonin, who was kicked out of his own country for his radical
political views and aggressive militancy (he espoused taking arms
before one even came to a sea of troubles...) and they do not practice
the Eightfold Path. What few Westerners know is that $$$ from
contributions to the Nicherin Shosho Sect (in Japan) are given to the
Sokka Geikai - an ultra rightwing political party (yep, same views as
got the founder exiled) in Japan. The Sokka Geikai is on record as
believing in the renunciation of the Japanese Constitution
(specifically as regards Japan creating Armed Forces [i.e. Army, Navy,
etc.]), tariff protectionism, Japanese ownership of the Okinawan
islands (and parts of the Phillipines), second class citizenship for
'non-ethnic Japanese' (Koreans, etc.).... generally they are the KKK
of Japan.

That "...long winded, but finished for now..." Old Frog

-----

Len Moskowitz