By Hiroshi Hoto
Soka Gakkai General Director
Now at the outset of our journey toward the list century, I would like to refer to the new keynote the Soka Gakkai will base itself on from now. To begin with, let me look back to the previous relationship between Nichi ren Shoshu and the Soka Gakkai.
In 1952, the Soka Gakkai legally be came a religious corporation, thus making a new start. On that occasion, the head temple of Nichiren Shoshu instructed the Soka Gakkai to abide by the following three agreements.
In accordance with these three principles, the Soka Gakkai has been devoted to protecting Nichiren Shoshu since then, thus setting out toward kosen-rufu.
As we forged ahead the movement of kosen-rufu, whose accomplishment is the last will of Nichiren Daishonin, expanded to a global scale. For many years until the completion of the Sho Hondo (Grand Main Temple of Nichiren Shoshu), the Soka Gakkai committed itself to protecting Nichiren Shoshu with all its heart. As a result, we could establish the unprecedented foundation of kosen-rufu. Thus bringing about the unparalleled prosperity of Nichiren Shoshu, we believe.
In the meantime, however, as we went through various difficulties including the "case of freedom of publication."1 A hard situation lay before us, one in which we first needed, we believed, to establish the foundation of the Soka Gakkai so that we could cope with the radically changing climate of society and successfully fulfill our mission to protect Nichiren Shoshu. Holding the vision that developing the Soka Gakkai itself and completing it's foundation will hopefully lead to developing and protecting the entirety of Nichiren Shoshu, we advanced along these lines after the completion of the Sho Hondo.
Meanwhile, it was a fact that the righteousness of allowing the Soka Gakkai to remain as a religious corporation was painted out by some authorities concerned. Not only that with the ultimate mission of spreading Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism widely in society, the Soka Gakkai has been confronted with an eternal subject-- how can we harmonize the practice of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism with the demands of the times and society. Indeed we have been doomed to solve the eternal topic of "religion and society."
This is the concern which has underlain the movement of the Soka Gakkai since the completion of the Sho Hondo. But as we reflect on our past orientation, we now know that the last few years we pursued the establishment of the Gakkai's individuality and foundation in society so much that we came to disregard the promise the Soka Gakkai must live up to as a lay organization of Nichiren Shoshu. And thus Nichiren Shoshu's traditional doctrines dimmed in the Soka Gakkai.
This has been pointed out by Nichiren Shoshu for the last several years, but we were so deeply involved in our immediate problems that we failed to realize the true weight of the issues. We felt we would have to do something about it eventually, but meanwhile we only forged straight ahead along the course we had already decided to take.
Especially at the beginning of last year, we delved into an aspect of laymen's religious role in view of the mission of religion itself in modern times. By this we intended to evaluate the unprecedented rise of a laymen's organization in contemporary times. Unfortunately, however, the result was, we only added momentum to slighting Nichiren Shoshu and its temples and priests. It is under these circumstances that the trouble between Nichiren Shoshu and the Soka Gakkai has been growing since last year.
Now to summarize all these factors, we have no choice but to frankly admit that we have been lacking in consideration toward Nichiren Shoshu's traditions. its interpretation of Nichiren Daishonin's teachings and its legitimate formalities.
Because we allowed our inconsiderations and lack of awareness of the significance of these fundamental aspects of Nichiren Shoshu's teachings to continue to dominate us, we only invited further friction between Nichiren Shoshu and the Soka Gakkai.
In the meantime, to bridge this gap in the level of understanding of those basics between Nichiren Shoshu and the Soka Gakkai, we have been striving to settle the entire dispute through discussion with the honorable priests of Nichiren Shoshu. For this purpose, we also repeatedly received direction directly from High Priest Nittatsu Shonin. In this vein, we, the Soka Gakkai, frankly admit the next two points, and in its application of Nichiren Daishonin s teachings.
We executive of the Soka Gakkai, deeply apologize for these two points.
Based on such self-reflection and in line with our relationship with Nichiren Shoshu during the last 30 years since the reconstruction of our organization in post-war days, the Soka Gakkai pledges to abide by the three principles which we received from the Head Temple of Nichiren Shoshu at the time we became a religious corporation. We will also make clearer our identity as a lay organization of Nichiren Shoshu.
From the beginning, the sincerest determination of the Soka Gakkai has been to protect Nichiren Shoshu ever since the days of our first President Makiguchi. It is this determination of ours that justifies the reason d'etre of the Soka Gakkai. Moreover, when we talk about protecting Nichiren Shoshu, we acknowledge we first must do so in a fundamental way, respecting the self-identity of Nichiren Shoshu and the way its temples manage themselves. Namely, the keynote which we should realize from now on should be, I believe, "cherishing respective self-identity" or "developing mutual understanding and a sense of cooperation in faith."
On top of that, we believers will stress the significance of visiting temples. As a sutra defines the Buddhist temple as "a place where one attains enlightenment," it is a site believers are naturally encouraged to visit. Whereas, in the community center of the Soka Gakkai, its membership, comprised of lay persons, should aim at polishing their faith and doing activities for kosen-rufu in unity; therefore, as broad believers of Nichiren Shoshu, we should courteously visit the temples, while we should also devote ourselves to kosen-rufu as good members of the Soka Gakkai. In this connection,we would like to ask the honorable priests of Nichiren Shoshu to extend their warm understanding and merciful hospitality to lay believers so that they can enjoy visiting their temple.Also, as we respect the activities held at local temples, such as regular lectures and memorial services, we will take care not to influence these events by carefully reconsidering our schedules for similar activities in the Soka Gakkai. For this reason, from now on, we won't hold the spring and fall memorial services or the Urabon [Memorial] Ceremony in local areas. We will thus have them only at the Soka Gakkai Headquarters in Tokyo and the main community center of each prefecture. Regarding the New Year's Gongyo, we will refrain from having it in areas where the temple and a community center are in the same neighborhood.
As far as recommending a lay representative of the temple, we will, upon request for the recommendation of a certain person, recommend somebody who seems to have goad judgment, common sense and staunch faith, in the belief that he or she will promote our cooperative relationship with the Nichiren Shoshu temple. With regard to the persons who are now holding a position to represent a temple as its chief lay believer. we will carefully instruct them to further devote themselves to protecting their temple.
Lastly, as far as those people who came to directly belong to one of the local temples of Nichiren Shoshu this time, we would like to stop criticizing, and get along well with each other as we intend to understand their feelings and thoughts. After all, we believe in the same teachings of Nichiren Shoshu. Confirming these few points, I will conclude my speech.
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