Mentor and Disciple Discussion

We were just discussing that and there is no proof that anyone in the SGI that worships president Ikeda. He is a great mentor in our Buddhist practice, and he established the International side to the Soka Gakkai . In other words, he has enabled the SGI to spread the Law of the Buddhas across the World, why would you not respect him? There are no videos or documents proving that anyone worships president Ikeda, I know people that have said that president Ikeda was their mentor, but the Heritage of Mentor and Disciple is not worship and spans back to Shakyamuni Buddha and his Disciples. Am I denying that some people idolize president Ikeda? No more than a 16 year old girl idolizes Paris Hilton! However, in our Buddhism we are just as personal as we are a community. No one has the exact same relationship with their Buddhists practice, nor do they have the exact same relationship with President Ikeda. Over generalization can be dangerous when coupled with assumptions. Sensei is always pointing away from himself to things like, the youth or to kosen -rufu, because we are told in the Lotus Sutra that they only reason Buddhas appear in the world is to show others the path to the Unsurpassed Way, enlightenment. Our youth will accomplish what my generation of YMD have started. Good Luck and Keep Chanting! -Chris I have been studying with SGI for a while and I have never seen nor have I heard of any person require to pay homage or devotion to the President. As a matt er of fact President Ikeda constantly warns us against the doctrines of Nichiren Shu and Sho-Shu priests that require the same kind of devotion as the Gohonzon itself. You can find this information at http://www.sokaspirit.org/ The President oversees the issues of the organization and helps guide the members including shakubuku. He doesn't require nor has he verbally asked to be venerated, at least that I have heard of.[/QUOTE]Chris & all

I'm a fairly new member of SGI, but have been studying Buddhism for a while. From what I have studied, I don't think we should look at the mentor / disciple relationship as a relationship with a perfect individual. Ikeda acts more as a guide, or inspirational leader. The true teaching is through the lotus sutra. It can be seen as "Ikeda worship", I myself have asked that question. The real benefit lies in chanting and the dialogue between individuals. Ikeda didn't write the lotus sutra, he just tries to help us understand it . I look more at the members in my community or group as mentors, or Nichiren himself. There are no rules in SGI, so if you don't want to have Ikeda as your mentor, you don't have too. Also, Ikeda is the president of SGI, he is honorary president of Soka Gakkai. Whoever takes over, will hopefully be there to lead the way for human revolution, that is the main point.

My understanding of Mentor-Disciple is to recognize that Buddha wisdom can only be attained by experience for oneself and that the proof of the teaching is manif est by the life condition of a good mentor. You will notice that Nichiren did not have statues of himself created as the object of devotion - he purposefully inscribed the Gohonzon: an abstract series of symbols. What a wonderful way to avoid deification!

From the standpoint of average citizens our knowledge of the priesthood only comes from the Soka Gakkai. The priesthood regimes that we know from near history has never engaged in Shakubuku and the refutation of authoritarian Japanese elites. Japanese elite society is a fuedalistic regime which has sought to hold and control worldly power over its citizens for thous ands of years. The result has been deep oppression and suffering of the regul ar people. The actions of the Soka Gakkai leaders has been much like the actions of the Atsuhara matyrs in the time of Nichiren. While the times may change the peoples minds are always governed by the ten worlds. Once the Bodhisattvas of the Lotus Sutra a ppear the three powerful enemies will also naturally arise. This is a function of the Law.

Nichiren states that the non-Buddhists who attacked Shakyamuni during his time are in his time the believers in the provisional Buddhist teachings who attacked Nichiren. Nichirens goal was always to free the average citizens from Japanese authoritarianism. It was only after world war two that s uch citizens were free to exerc ise their conscience seeking justice and truth. The Soka Gakkai is the embodiment of such a qu est.

http://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/43861/13359199/SGI_and_Daisaku_Ikeda?pg=2

"If the minds of living beings are impure, their land is also impure, but if their minds are pure, so is their land. There are not two lands, pure or impure in themselves. The difference lies solely in the good or evil of our minds. It is the same with a Buddha and an ordinary being. While deluded, one is called an ordinary being, but when enlightened, one is called a Buddha. This is similar to a tarnished mirror that will shine like a jewel when polished." (The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime Written to Toki Jonin in 1255)

Young people should cherish dreams that seem almost too big to accomplish. Inevitably in life, we re only able to achieve a fraction of what we d like to. So if your dreams are to small to begin with, you ll end up not being able to accomplish anything meaningful at all. (Josei Toda SGI NL 7902)

When you joyfully do gongyo and carry out activities with the determination to accumulate more good fortune in your life, the heavenly deities will be delighted and will valiantly perform their duty." (SGI President Ikeda s guidance at the first NSA women s division training session, held at the Soka University, Los Angeles, campus on February 27.)

A great human revolution in just a single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of a natio n and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of all humankind.

Human revolutions

N one of us can exist in isolation. Our lives and existence are supported by
others in seen and unseen ways, be it by parents, mentors or society at large. To be aware of thes e connections, to feel appreciation for them, and to strive to give something back to soci et y in a spirit of gratitude is the proper wa y for human beings to live. person fully awakened to the jewel-like dignity of their own life is capable of trul y r especting that same treasur e in others.

M aterial wealth does not necessarily make for happiness. Nor does fame. Hope
is life's great est treasur e. A life without hop e is bleak and gray. If you have no hop e, cr eat e some.

ake today blossom in the manner most appropriate to the person you uniquely are! ou cannot judge the quality of another's friendship by superficial appearances, especially when things are going smoothly. It is onl y when we have exp erienced the worst, most crus hing of times-when we have plumbed the depths of life-that we can exp erience the joys of genuine fri endship. Onl y a man of principle, a woman of resolve-a pers on who stays true to their chos en path-can be a trusted and true fri end, and have real fri ends in tur n. nly by overcoming life's problems and obstacles can we b ecome trul y strong. If ever yt hing alwa ys goes smoothl y, we will grow complacent and be unable to build a solid foundation for our lives. Onl y b y experi encing suffering ourselves can we understand the suffering of others and deepen our compassion. ow aware are we of our own inner life, our spirituality-something so intangible yet so priceless? How much effort do we make to per ceive that which is not obvious, which can neither be seen nor heard? I believe the exploration and enrichment of the human spirit is what det er mines our ver y humanit y. Such enrichment provides an inner compass that can lead ci vilizations to greatness.

M Y

O f course, people want to live long. But in the end, what matters more is what
we have been able to leave behind -- the value we have cr eat ed in our lives, the numb er of people we have made happ y and how much we have been ab le to grow and expand as a person.

R e s ol v i ng t o t a k e a c t i on i s pr oof t ha t y ou ar e pr og r e s s i ng . E v e n i f y o u ha v e t he t e nde nc y
t o ma k e a de t e r mi na t i o n but o nl y s ti c k t o i t f or tw o or t hr e e da y s, j us t k e e p r e ne w i ng t ha t de t e r m i na t i o n. T he n y o u w il l be c o m e t h e k i nd of pe r s o n w ho c a n pe r s e v e r e a nd r e a c h t he i r g oa l s.

E ven if things don't unfold the way you expected, don't be disheartened or give
up. One who continues to advance will win in the end. o matter what may have happened yesterday, a new day of fr esh possibility has dawned. You are not the same person today as you wer e yest erda y!

G r a t i t ude m a k e s a pe r s on m ode s t . A s e ns e of g r a t it ude e x pa nds t he he a rt .

E very hardship is an opportunity to strengthen ourselves, to temp er our life and
make it shine with gr eater luster.

eep moving forward, even one or two steps, in your own wa y. Thos e who live out their lives to the fullest, unperturbed b y the nois y clamor around them, are the true winners. our character is determined by how you challenge yourself, and how you wr estle with your problems, in a way that is unique to you. This is how character is polished and become diamond -like. ne thing is certain: That is that the power of belief, the power of thought, will move reality in the direction of what we believe and conceive of it. If you r eall y believe you can do somethi ng, you can. That is a fact.

K Y O

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