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Cult Watcher International wrote:
> 3.SGI shall respect and protect the freedom of religion and religious
> expression.
>
> 7.SGI shall, based on the Buddhist spirit of tolerance, respect other
> religions...
> SOURCE: SGI Homepage
>
>
I respect and agree with the following guidance from SGI Vice Director Mr. Wada.
The following are a few points made by SGI General Director Eiichi Wada in his recent visit to the United States in conjunction with how to view the temple issue.
*The temple issue won��t end suddenly. It is important that each member of SGI-USA truly understand its essential nature, and take it as an opportunity to deepen our faith in and understanding of Nichiren Daishonin��s Buddhism. Just using emotional statements against the priesthood will not help solve this issue at all. What counts is our steady effort to further awaken ourselves and others to the profound significance of this issue.
* As we have observed the past destructiveness of Nikken, the current high priest of Nichiren Shoshu, it is vital to know what Nikken��s will do in the next few years against the flow of kosen-rufu. After destroying all the precious buildings donated over the years by the members of the Soka Gakkai out of their sincere faith, including the Grand Reception Hall and the Grand Main Temple (Sho-Hondo), the Nikken sect is now focusing on the year 2002 that commemorates the 750th anniversary of the establishment of Nichiren Daishonin��s Buddhism. Nikken��s goal is to have 300,000 people make a pilgrimage to the head temple to celebrate the occasion. At that time he wants to glorify himself with the completion of a new temple called Hoando. Toward this end, Nikken has instructed temple members to raise 120 million dollars over the next three years.
* Nikken reportedly has promised to retire once this new temple is completed in the year of 2002 with the accomplishment of the 300,000 people pilgrimage. Even if Nikken should retire, the temple issue is going to last a long time, since future high priests will be as ��muddy�� as Nikken in their faith.
* Ever since around 1995, the Nikken sect, which did not have much success in recruiting SGI members in Japan, where the members of the Soka Gakkai are aware of the reality of the priesthood��s faith and lifestyle, Nikken has ordered the priests to shift their focus to countries outside Japan. SGI members outside Japan are usually very innocent in terms of their experience with the priesthood of Nichiren Shoshu and can be susceptible to the superficial dignity of the priesthood��s religious robes and deceived by their hidden weakness and arrogance.
* After the temple issue broke out in 1990, BSGI (Brazilian organization of SGI), which had donated a temple called Ichijo-ji to Nichiren Shoshu, began legal steps to reclaim the facility. Facing what appeared to be an impossible challenge, the members set out for battle with one key weapon, daimoku. Over an eight year period, sometimes winning, sometimes losing during the legal process, the Brazilian members continued to chant to get back their building for kosen-rufu. Finally in May of this year the situation turned in their favor, with a court ruling that temple property should be returned to the BSGI. At that time the members celebrated a great victory by renaming the temple, ��Ever Victorious Community Center.�� But the battle was not yet over. The priest occupying the residential portion of the temple, refused to move out. Then SGI members of Brazil again went back to court and very recently the court ruled that the priest was guilty of illegal occupancy and was ordered to leave the property completely. Following this ruling, representatives of the court went to the former temple grounds to execute the court��s decision. The SGI Brazilian members�� victory finally became complete in this eight-year-battle. Hearing of this great v ictory by the SGI members of Brazil President Ikeda remarked, ��It is actually daimoku that determined whether you win or lose. Only through daimoku will kosen-rufu advance.�� We have a lot to learn from this example set by Brazilian members.
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