The Gosho "The Supreme Leader of the World" contains a strict admonishment to priests, sages and "leaders" of all kinds who practice Buddhism. Nichiren writes:
If there is anyone among my followers who is weak in faith and goes against what I, Nichiren, say, he will meet the same fate as did the Soga family. I will tell you the reason. It was due to the efforts of father and son, Soga no Sukune and Umako, that Buddhism came to be established in Japan. They could have held the same position as Bonten and Taishaku at the time of Shakyamuni Buddha's appearance in this world. Because they had brought Mononobe no Okoshi and his son Moriya to ruin, they became the only influential clan in the country. They rose in rank, controlled the nation, and their family enjoyed high prosperity." 1
Doing a little background checking at the encyclopedia Brittanica: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=109544&tocid=23132#23132.toc" I find that Nichiren is referring to the fate of what had been the most powerful clan in Japan. He notes that they acquired their power by championing Buddhism (against the nativist Mononobe clan) and could have established themselves as pre-emminent. However, rather than practicing Buddhism in a harmoneous and enlightened manner, they sought to take over the empire. Specifically they killed Prince Shotoku's son and all his family.
They did this, and in so doing wiped out all the benefit that their practice of Buddhism had brought them. Nichiren describes what happened next:
The Japanese students, sent to China to study Buddhism, brought back actual Buddhism and the Soga Clan could no longer claim to be the only ones embracing the dharma. In 645 Prince Nakano Oe and Nakatomi Kamatari engineered a coup d'�tat within the palace, killing the Soga family and wiping out all forces opposed to the imperial family.3 The Soga Clan, by allowing their practice of Buddhism to become corrupted let secular concerns sway them from a harmoneous and enlightened practice. The Soga Clan had treated Buddhism as a kind of "talisman" for getting protection from magical sources. It doesn't work that way."But Umako therefore grew so arrogant that he had Emperor Sushun assassinated and many princes killed. Moreover, his grandson, Iruka, had his retainers put to death twenty-three of Prince Shotoku's children. Thereupon Empress Kogyoku, following the advice of Nakatomi no Kamako, had a statue cast of Shakyamuni Buddha and prayed to it fervently. As a result, Iruka, his father and the entire Soga family all perished at once."2
We see a similar pattern through-out History. The Japanese being the only place this Buddhism has been practiced have provided us with abundant examples of how not to practice Nichiren Buddhism as well as examples of how to do things right. Other peoples also illustrate the general principle, but people don't get the message when one talks about the errors of Catholics or Protestants. The desire for secular fame and fortune (high position within an organization, money, comfort, adulation) has always proved to be more tempting, and it is always easy to rationalize that diversion and "mixing" as okay or even as proof of ones practice.
For instance, Michael McCormick (who became a Nichiren Shu Priest) writes about propagation efforts in Kyoto (Kansai) in this essay excerpted by Don Ross about the Kansho Accords.4 He says that the people of Kansai (Kyoto), led by the "Machishu" or (merchants/ city folks, -- strangely the same people that form the core of the Sokagakkai in that region in this age), led a rising to defend themselves against the depredations of the warrior monks of Mt. Hiei and other depredations caused by the lay societies and warrior monks of Jodo faith who had their primary basis in the countryside. These Machishu joined together and agreed to set aside sectarian concerns for a time. Yet they couldn't stick to this agreement and eventually the accords fell apart due to the . When a Nichiren Monk defeated a Tendai Monk in debate, the warrior monks of Mt. Hiei systematically destroyed the Machishu and their temples in southern Kyoto and they never recovered secular power. This is an example of what happens when people are in Dotai Isshin (one body many minds). The warrior monks sensed the disunity in the Nichiren community and took advantage.
In my examination of the history of Nichiren's followers, in every case, the brilliant efforts of pioneers and deep thinkers have been undermined, often from within, by the secular concerns of their group or their participation in that group. Often personal grudges, self-aggrandizement, and monetary concerns have had paramount importance in creating and maintaining disputes that would otherwise be easily resolved. This is the workings of fundamental darkness, and it is far more insidious and universal than any overt "persecution" could ever be -- because it can affect any group of believers (or priests) anytime.
I believe that Nichiren wrote this passage to one of his leading lay disciples as a strict warning to his own disciples and to our times that we should not use our practice of Buddhism as an excuse for triumphalism, lies, self aggrandizement or any other dishonorable, unethical, or ignoble deads. And that indeed such behavior will lead to others taking over the lead for Kosenrufu and stepping over our "fallen bodies".5