Issues regarding the successsion

When on follows the issues as they developed, one is often surprised when what seems certain at one time in ones life suddenly is questioned. One is even more surprised when "rebels" turn out to have been "right all along." (We were told that the Shoshinkai's concerns were invalid and slanderous in 1979, now the Gakkai repeats them). Nichiren Shoshu claims an unbroken lineage from Nichiren through Nikko and Nichimoku Shonin. I created a time line at this fujilineagei.html link. We also talk about this at nstissue.html and at the page I've devoted to the High Pirest Nikken Shonin himself. Rather than putting all the information in my own words, I saved this dialogue from the many at alt.religion.buddhism.nichiren. Nikken's succession isn't the only time that the succession has been "up in the air."

A Dialogue on the succession.

Artie's email address at [email protected]

From a online debate between Mike Cody, Craig Bratcher and Artie Shaw

Cody in Spain asked Artie Shaw (on dejanews):

Who do you think should be the legitimate High Priest? One of theShoshinkai priests per chance?

Artie writes:

Mike,

Neither I nor Shoshinkai make any such claim. Nichiren Shoshu has, in its bylaws, procedures for selecting a High Priest if an incumbent High Priest dies without naming a successor.

Are you telling me that your one factual reason is that no one else claims to be High Priest?

Craig Bratcher then said:

Actually that's a darned good reason. You know that a current HP picks a successive HP in advance. Why doesn't he come forward then??? Hmmmm???

Artie replied

Craig (and Mike Cody), When did you learn this? I have some more news for you. When a High Priest designates a successor (according to the bylaws of Nichiren Shoshu), that successor is elevated to a rank known as Gakuto. Further, according to the bylaws, unless matters are "urgent and unavoidable", the High Priest is to select a successor from a group of priests with the rank Noke. Guess what? Rev. Abe was never appointed Gakuto; he was never even appointed Noke. At the time of Nittatsu Shonin's death, he held the rank of Dai Sozu, the rank below Noke. Know what else? The tradition of Nichiren Shoshu is that when a High Priest passes on the Heritage (as opposed to naming a successor), he immediately steps down, becoming a Zen-Hossu (retired High Priest), while the designated successor immediately assumes the role of High Priest (Hossu). But on April 16, 1978, Nittatsu Shonin was still the High Priest and Rev. Abe was still a Dai Sozu.

Which means he hadn't designated anyone as his legitimate successor!

Now to confuse matters even more, Craig's original post, which provoked this thread (see my original message), claimed that Rev. Abe assumed the High Priesthood immediately on receiving the Heritage. Only problem is, he announce that he was the chosen one, let alone assume the High Priesthood, until after Nittatsu Shonin was dead. A somewhat rational person might find it difficult to rationalize that claim with the claim that Rev. Abe's claim to the High Priesthood rests on a meeting that took place with Nittatsu Shonin on April 15, 1978, about a year prior to his death. So, if you would like to base your belief that Rev. Abe is the legitimate High Priest on the fact that there is no one else who claims to be so, that's your choice. Just don't tell me it makes a lot of sense. And by the way, 62nd High Priest, Nikkyo Shonin (who died in the fire at Taisekiji) died without naming a successor. Another modern High Priest (I forget whether it was Nittatsu Shonin or Nichijun Shonin), received the Heritage at his predecessor's death bed.

Go figure.

So if you judge from this information, which was posted by a fellow who is close to one of the Shoshinkai priests (Reverend Tono). Nikken Shonin decided to ensure that there was a "transmission" and to also ensure that that transmission was himself by visiting Nittatsu Shonin on his deathbed. If Nittatsu had died without a successor, Nichiren Shoshu would have had to chose a successor by invoking it's rules. By circumventing this Nikken opened himself up to questions about his legitimacy. It would have been better for all concerned if Nittatsu had passed on his heritage and stepped down, but he was in the middle of a crises. As is usual some people like to float all sorts of theories about a thing before they come up with one that people will accept. Nittatsu was on his deathbed. If he was conscious he probably figured he'd better give the "golden utterance" to somebody or it might be "lost." After all this had been a tradition of 700 years and only broken a few times, and each of those times a way to save the "face" of it was managed. Nikken was trying tto avoid the sort of procedural nightmare that had caused some of his predecessors grief.

source="Dejanews" post to "Alt.Religion.Buddhism.Nichiren" on July 1st 1999

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