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From the Speech of Honorary President Ikeda
Printed below are some of the portions of President Ikeda's speech that remain in question by Nichiren Shoshu. The Japanese culture is quite different from that of America and it can be hard for some of you to understand the core of the problem clearly. The Japanese Language is also different from that of English. There are many ways of addressing remarks in Japanese depending on to whom you are speaking: for instance, to a man, a woman, a child, or a boss. It can be very impolite to use the wrong forms or to speak of someone in a vulgar fashion instead of a respectful one. This is impossible to see in English if one merely reads a word-for-word translation. Please keep this in mind.1
Ikeda quote:
"The high priest's got to consider the happiness of the believers. Not power."2
This statement seems to indicate that the High Priest flaunts his authority with no consideration for the welfare of the believers. Further, it seems as if the Honorary President is publicly trying to instruct the High Priest which we find altogether lacking in humility.
"And even if you listen to his difficult dogma, it's altogether over your head. It's downright incomprehensible to everyone. Just like listening to German, you know. And he goes,
'I'm important. And you down there, you converts, you believers, you believers.'That just won't do in these times. The Gakkai's got to follow the times."3
We believe that this statement infers that the sermons and instructions of High Priest Nikken Shonin are so difficult as to be of no practical use to believers. The instructions of the High Priest explain the deep doctrines of Nichiren Shoshu. Naturally they are difficult. To make criticisms of this sort, even though it is the role of believers to listen attentively in an effort to understand, is to deride the High Priest. Further, phrases such as "I'm important. All of you..." seem to refer again to the High Priest, but he has never once said anything of the sort. We think these are clearly slanders against the High Priest.4
"It was during the time of the 50th Anniversary, right when I was being driven to the wall. I was betrayed, I was done in, and I was made to resign from the position of president, you know. I was thoroughly done in by the priesthood and the Shoshinkai group....they made an ass of me. And then to make matters worse, Mr. Hojo goes,
"The future's bleak, isn't it?'
What the hell are you saying!
Look to the 60th Anniversary! The dazzling splender will ultimately bear fruit with the 60th Anniversary, so cheer up!'
Now this is the president mind you. I'm the honorary president.
"Do you really think so?" He said.
Fool! Really now. Who can I depend on for the struggle? Really."5
We feel these words either just contradict the facts or reveal a deep hostility towards the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood as well as a failure to repent for the doctrinal deviations evident throughout 1977. Such comments entirely reverse the statements of apology and reflection made by Honorary President Ikeda on the occasion of Josei toda's twenty second memorial service (published in the May 1980 issue of the Seikyo Times under the title "Reconfirming Our Fundamental Mission.") In that article Honorary President Ikeda made the following statements:
"As the person who held the position of highest responsility at the time when the problems arose, I would like to sincerely apologize where apology is due, and at the same time express my thoughts and feelings. In so doing, I believe, I can show some measure of appreciation to the successive high priests who have enfolded us with their mercy, and also pledge my unchanging loyalty to the sixty-seventh high priest, Nikken Shonin."
"It is true that the recent troubles with the priesthood occurred in the wake of the basic policy which the Soka Gakkai adopted for the second phase of Kosen-rufu.. and also as a result of guidance which I gave based on that policy during 1977."
"It is true, however, that in our eagerness to explain difficult Buddhist doctrines in a way that everyone could readily understand, we began without ealizing it to apply them rather haphazardly or to make arbitrary interpretations which in some cases deviated from their original meanings."
"Now I admit that some of the words I uttered were too self-righteous, too much Soka Gakkai-centered, sounding as if the Soka Gakkai were primary and the priesthood secondary. This led some individuals of the priesthood to wonder if the Soka Gakkai might not be contemplating a break with Nichiren Shoshu. It is also true that some of the Gakkai members voiced emotional opinions. I deeply apologize for all this."
"I also admit that in doing so I made light of the roles of the priests and the temples of Nichiren Shoshu, creating a tendency among Soka Gakkai members to regard their own organization as more important than the priesthood. This can only be attributed to my conceit originating from my immature faith. From The bottom of my heart I apologize to the Dai-Gohonzon.
Honorary President Ikeda should withdraw these statements and once again make it clear that he resigned voluntarily as President of the Soka Gakkai in 1979.
Next:
"The Daishonin doesn't talk about the death of the disciples of our sect, that is, our death, as the death of the believers. The Daishonin Doesn't say that for the most part. (He uses the words) disciples of our sect (monks) and partner (waga ichirui), you know. The Shoshinkai group says,'believers, believers,'but we're all believers, you know, of the gohonzon. Even the Monks. Don't you agree? You can't tell me that only the monks are praying otherwise, you know."
When the Honorary President brings up questions involving the priesthood in his speeches in recent years, he says things along the lines:
"There were bad priests who used the priest's status and the authority of the cloth to look down on disciples who assiduously applied themselves to faith, practice and study."
That is to say he covers up the doctrinal deviations of the Soka Gakkai and speaks as though there have been no mistakes on its part; we believe in this way he borrows the name of the Shoshinkai to criticize the priesthood in general and that his objective is to persuade the members of Nichiren Shoshu to distrust it. Due to deviations in doctrine such as denying the correct heritage of the law, the Shoshinkai group was expelled from the Nichiren Shoshu Priesthood. At the same time, High Priest Nikken Shonin acted to protect the Soka Gakkai as well as Honorary President from the attacks of the Shoshinkai group. The current attempt to portray the priesthood as arrogant hedonists, seen in the recent publications of the lay organization, mislead the members and serve to instill distrust of the Priesthood and the temples as a whole.
Next:
"These days, you know, they say they take the tonsure, but you know, they take wives and make babies,"6
A comment lie this makes it seem as though those who upheld the Hinayana commandments, such as celibacy, were holy priests while those with spouses and children are inferior in their practice of buddhism. We believe that this kind of statement is abusive and seeks to degrade the image of the Nichiren Shoshu clergy.7