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This letter I wrote soon after I read Tariq Hassan's speech. I sent it to what I believed was his email address and also to the other leaders of SGI that I know or that I know from prior communications. He was the only one who didn't get it as an email, but I'm sure he's read it by now if he is at all interested in reading it. I had heard other stories of him being a hatchet man (See Jamie and Dave's experience at the Victorious America group from their "pages of courage" subsite.), but I'd never seen one in action so close before. I'm not used to this, though maybe I should be, and everytime I reread his speech I get more angry at what he said and not less. I was not so mad when I wrote the below letter.
I've added html links to this page to make references easier to follow for non-Buddhists or people unfamiliar with all the issues.
Dear Tarique, but also Danny, Matilde and the other dear people of SGI;
I am writing on my own behalf but also in defense of what the authors of the "Declaration" are trying to accomplish. Perhaps they are biting off more than they can chew by taking on too many things at once, but I believe that the majority of them are sincere people with no evil intentions at all. Unlike prior efforts, we are finding out that we aren't alone, and there seem to be more and more people "out there" who would love to practice with an SGI that reflected their needs and expectations. Even more people would be onboard for reform if you were. I'm sure that people would be pleased with implementations of the 1990 guidances and with representation in decisions made by the organization. Just most of us have learned to trust you and wait for you to tell us what to do. Those who would take initiative seem to be absenting themselves from the organization one way or another. This slow internal rot is what needs to end. This loss of capable people.
I signed the declaration that some members sent you because it seemed only right to do so. I didn't write this one. I learned from my experience with the IRG committee that participating in such a group carries the risk of people seeing what you are doing as an "enemy" activity aimed at destroying the SGI. This wasn't true of IRG anymore than it is of these people. Yet there are always foolish people who have an acorn fall on their head and think the sky is falling. For that reason I was tempted to not sign the declaration because I knew that the moment a group of people give themselves a name like "IRG" or "Reform-SGI" other folks would start thinking the sky was going to fall, and that they were out to destroy SGI or working for the Temple. I know that that is not what the people involved in "Reform-SGI" are doing at all.
And actually it doesn't matter if we really have the "Lion's roar" of the Buddha's teaching. Nichiren writes:
"People say that if a dog barks at a lion, its intestines will rot. The asura demon who shot an arrow at the sun had his head split into seven pieces. The Shingon teachers are like the dog or the asura, while the votary of the Lotus Sutra is like the sun or the lion."1Now I realize that this declaration must read like a threat, and so I'm not surprised that your first reaction to it was suspicion and fear. But those who want reform are not the kinds of rebels represented by Devadatta or Sanmibo. Rather they are sincere, often exasperated members who are almost at their last straw with the discrepancies between what SGI is to them and all of us, and the things that are holding back Kosenrufu in America (and the world). That is why they are calling themselves the "Loyal Opposition". We Americans understand that true unity is founded on the "One great truth" that can unite people. I think that dealing with calls for reform rather than suppressing them displays the real spirit of Buddhism and the spirit of Humanity as well. It reflects the more positive of United States Values. These issues aren't going to go away until the organization within this country becomes one that reflects the needs and habits of this country.
The declaration made the allegation that:
SGI-USA is controlled from Japan, contrary to SGI Charter Article 6. SGI-USA must create and follow its own constitution and become independent from Japan. We believe this is essential to our survival and future growth in America.
You reply that
"We are falsely claiming that we are controlled by Japan. Guess what, we are a completely independent organization, etc."
I understand that technically the SGI-USA is independent already. So technically you are right. But you know as well as I do that the organization doesn't act independently of the guidance and directions of the Leaders in Japan. Sometimes it contradicts the words and guidances of Sensei-Ikeda, but when it does so those doing so always claim to be acting in his name. The result is that the 1990 guidances are still either unfulfilled or have been reinterpreted in an almost orwellian fashion.
"Bottom up" does not mean merely that Leaders actually listen to their members, but that leaders emerge from among the members and leadership/wisdom emerges from faith and is respected by those in the organization where-ever it comes from. It is a truely wise person who listens to his juniors. People discount the role of Dozenbo as Nichiren's mentor, but he was wise enough to become his own student's disciple. Just as former President Hojo was wise enough to support and "follow" President Ikeda, but not stop following the Law. These people had a lot more guts than many of us later day followers. "Listening" isn't just "hearing" what someone says but deeply dialoguing with them and sometimes "reversing" a prior relationship. As Sensei tells us true leadership is founded on mutual respect. A genuinely independent SGI-USA would be one that reflects all of it's members. Regardless of our "technical independence." There is no real independence and that is obvious to anyone who observes what happens in this organization.
Would any of you keep your jobs if President Ikeda, or any of his leutenants, asked for your head personally? A few years ago Mr. Williams was removed from his office without any kind of vote or consensus. A few years later Mr. Zaitsu stepped down, also without any kind of genuine input from the rest of us. An independent Organization is one that belongs to the members of SGI-USA. Now I know that a lot of people were unhappy with Mr. Williams, but he got to be in such a state because he had absolute unquestioned authority and he got removed not because of that authority but because President Ikeda asked him to. He might never have gotten in such trouble if the processes that we are asking for had been in place at the time. It's the authoritarianism that has to go, not the people who are, after all, only doing their best. When we meet again 174 years from now I don't want to find that "liberty has been left behind." We owe a sense of appreciation even to flawed human beings, and the way to repay that appreciation is to create an organization where people don't get into that sort of trouble.
The next point of the declaration was:
2. Adulation Of The Leader
3. Soka Spirit / Temple Issue"Excessive focus on President Ikeda in our publications and by the leadership has given many the feeling that the SGI-USA is a cult of personality based around him. We feel this is diametrically opposed to the actual message of individual empowerment that is at the heart of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. This cult-like appearance severely impedes our ability to effectively fulfill the mission of spreading this Buddhism in America."
You respond:
2>They misrepresented our relationship with President Ikeda.Could you have said any thing different? Have you seen the way some folks put his pictures on the wall despite him asking for them to be taken down? Have you seen the articles that build him up as a "universal mentor" when mentor here is really a codeword for the dreaded word "master." How is that misrepresented?
You say that at the same time as Danny was saying that Ikeda is one of the "eternal leaders of the SGI." Now, I can understand why Ikeda should be respected as our central figure, and how we are all indebted to him for his efforts and his accomplishments. But he is still a common mortal of "First hearing and rejoicing on hearing the words of the Buddha" the same as are we.
As Nichiren said he was as well. We owe respect for what he has to say about Buddhism. On other matters he is like anyone else. We should respect everyone.
American's like process because they distrust "person." Many Japanese like "person" ("Master/Mentor-Disciple") because they distrust written things. Either written things or person can become distorted in the transmission or interpretation. The position of mentor gives a person power, and power is demonstrably corrupting. The proposed solution, that that person be a person who is in turn "following" his own teacher or mentor, is a useful solution, but doesn't solve the power corrupts problem because all people are vessels and all of us have the properties of being leaky, contaminated, broken, or spilling. Thus we in the west have learned the value of checks and balances against corruption of any sort, while in the East, the Buddha told us to rely on the Dharma or Law.
This was also Nichiren's innovation. Nichiren's own view would be easily harmonized with a truly bottom up democratic organization. He, like we in the west, distrusted oral transmissions. But the Fuji School wasn't comfortable with notions like follow the Dharma and so they made the High Priest and Nichiren equal to the Dharma and that allowed them to continue relying on oral teachings in the face of our Founders teaching that we should follow the scriptures. They claimed a one way version of mentor/disciple that allowed them to make a real mess of things for us. Unscrambling that mess is what shakubuku is.
Led by President Ikeda, SGI-USA has followed the Japanese Soka Gakkai into a war against another Buddhist sect, with no articulated goals. This has been accompanied by a long string of petty lawsuits from both sides, sordid accusations, doctored photographs, etc....
You stated last night that they incorrectly assessed the Soka Spirit movement as a private fight between Ikeda and Nikken. And then you went on to explain how important it really is to refute Nikken as NS are destroying Buddhism and leading people away from Buddhism.
Their complaint wasn't that it was a private fight between Ikeda and Nikken. Is that how you see it?
But this was a mischaracterization of what that document said and the point of them saying it. I personally led an effort to defend the Gakkai against Hokkeko allegations and to refute Nichiren Shoshu errors one by one. I found that, however, the personal issues and the attitude of my fellow believers often undermined my efforts. People seemed more interested in the High Priest's personal habits than in the mistaken teaching that decrying those personal matters was intended to refute.
It has indeed been a fight that has been waged in the Tabloids, on the news groups, with personal invective, accusations, fear and misinformation, and with lawsuits. There are some people whose small minds and anger have them already in the Avici hell in their present form on account of their wish to "protect" either the High Priest or Ikeda. My statements are grounded on facts that anyone can check. It is not shakubuku to mischaracterize the opponant or to get into shouting matches at Airports. It is not shakubuku to republish endless copies of ancient allegations. This war has been so ugly in the way it has been pursued that it has driven many people from both Fuji Schools. To the point where I'm having to explain why I remain with the Gakkai and don't join Nichiren Shu of all things! The Gakkai at least has backed away from these behaviors, but as long as we don't repudiate them, we are destroying ourselves. There is a fine line between rebuking slander and committing it. I'm treading close to that line in this letter. I feel that I could avoid problems by keeping my mouth shut. But I might suffer more for it in my "next existence."
The reason is that what is happening in SGI is not unique. We are facing the common enemy of mankind. That enemy is fear, hatred, jealousy, ignorance and self interested delusion itself. It's our common enemy. Not you, not me.
Next the declaration states:
4. One-True-Sect Rhetoric
"The declarations that we alone possess correct understanding of the Law, and the idea that SGI activities and policies are exclusively synonymous with Buddhism, whether one believes it or not, are embarrassingly grandiose. This attitude appears self righteous to new members, encourages hostility towards other Buddhist sects, and sows the seeds of distrust and suspicion towards fellow members who do not accept all aspects of SGI doctrine, leading to talk of traitors, shunning of members, warnings of Karmic retribution, and threats of the Avici Hell."
To which you replied
4> They are wrong about the one true sect stuff. The members practicing with the SGI really are the only people on the planet who are practicing Nichiren's Buddhism correctly. We are the only religion which can build Kosen Rufu.
I too think that the Sokagakkai is the best group to build Kosenrufu. But not based on us versus them rhetoric. Based on our prior record we have little room for triumphalism or hubris, but a lot of work to do if we are to demonstrate that we are practicing correctly in actual fact as much as we are in rhetoric. Much of our "One true Sect" rhetoric is based on the Oral Legacy of Nichiren Shoshu, which in turn was based on it's minority and embattled status as a minority school within a minority religion. The Dharma is the lion's roar. Those who roar the lion's roar have nothing to fear from others. They don't need "one true sect" rhetoric, because the truth of what they are teaching speaks for itself. This kind of rhetoric actually demonstrates unrighteousness to people.
Only angry immature people feel the need to destroy their enemies. The wise feel only compassion for foolish people who are out to destroy themselves. If they have a thing that is superior they state it matter of factly. Nichiren criticizes the teachers of his day for asserting the supremacy of their sects without relying on sutra and the three proofs. And as we can see from our revisions of the practice of Gongyo, there is no single prescription for a "correct practice" other than the very broad prescriptions set forth in the Gosho.
It makes no sense that everytime people have a disagreement over how to do something that they have to go off and form another "one true sect" that is then the only one who knows how to practice while everyone else is headed for the Avichi hell. If you ask me, that attitude is the kind of pernicious attitude that has been holding back Kosenrufu of Japan, and now threatens to destroy it's attainment in our Country. In the history of true Buddhism it wasn't the mentors, but their competing disciples, who destroyed Buddhism. Usually in the name of their teacher or lineage. That "my way or the highway" thing is part of why we rejected the priests. Why are we so quick to adopt it now? If the SGI continues to keep it's finances a state secret and to refuse to listen to it's members it won't be the "only correct group" forever. It will self destruct. We learn from each other. We underestimate our opponents of the moment at our own risk. Someday they could be our friends. Sometimes they are like Hei No Saemon was to Nichiren -- our best friends. Conversely our worst enemies are often those who pose as our friends and flatter us to our faces and then stab us in the back later.
Nichiren/Gosho/SupremacyLaw.htm">http://www.sgi-usa.org/buddhism/library/Nichiren/Gosho/SupremacyLaw.htm
Personally I'd rather "retire" to a mountain and spend all my time studying and teaching Buddhism. But I have to work for a living and SGI plaza is a mess. It's getting better but you really can't afford to create disharmony by continuing to treat dissidents as if they were slanderers of the Dharma. One thing is not the same as the other, though often the two go together. My observation is that when people start fighting both start slandering the dharma. A better approach is that of Bodhisattva Never Despise.
Chao,
Chris
Since I wrote this, I've been thinking about the subject. There really was no excuse for this speech. He talked about "dialogue" in the same breath that he showed that he has no idea how to conduct one. He dealt with the first four points raised in the Declaration but not with the last three, and he dealt with them dishonestly. Among the fourteen slanders of Buddhism is the one of "vilification." And that speech counts as a pure example of someone using lies and dissembling to calumnify people he sees as opponants. Rather than retracting it and apologizing, the US Gakkai has put it proudly for display on their website. It is still there at http://www.sgi-usa.org/thesgiusa/divisional/md/thasan_speech052202.html. We can't expect any apology or explaination. Rather what we are fighting is authoritarianism from within our own organization. This is insane behavior and it has to cease. People like Tariq should be encouraged to return to other civilian employment.
Written August 22, 2002
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