General Introduction
Today's post is the fifth installment in my "TO: SGI" series, which is primarily addressed to current and former members of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI). Of course, anyone else is invited to read and ponder this post, but please keep in mind that it would be helpful if you are familiar with the details of SGI Buddhism's practices and terminology.
This link will connect you to the homepage of my Lotus Sutra Champions blog so you can access links to other essays I've posted and so you can read a general introduction to this new site:
http://lotussutrachampions.blogspot.com/2013/07/lotus-sutra-champions.html
Specific Introduction
Today, I'm going to address two topics:
Benefits - Generally Speaking
When most people receive a windfall - by (say) winning the lottery or by means of inheritance - they'll spend a lot of it in an attempt to satisfy the five senses. A guy might buy his dream car and start racing about the countryside. But suppose he could get that same thrill without having to buy the car? Or some woman might decide to start buying expensive art which is to her taste but had always been unaffordable. What if she could see the Mona LIsa any time she wanted to as if she were standing 5 feet away from it, but without leaving her home in Chicago, Illinois?
Suppose instead that someone didn't win the lottery but had saved all his life to go on a world tour when he retired. When he returned home from his year-long tour, he sadly realized that he didn't enjoy it. He had worked so hard all his life at a spirit-crushing job that he had failed to develop as a human being to the extent necessary to appreciate what other cultures had to offer. Instead, he ended up having to be satisfied to show slides to his friends of all the landmark sites he had visited.
All of these people would have profited by having attempted to purify their six senses as instructed in the Lotus Sutra.
Benefits, according to the Lotus Sutra
The greatest benefit of Buddhist practice is obviously the attainment of Enlightenment. But there are other benefits that precede that, most notably as expounded in Chapter 19 of the Lotus Sutra*, which is called "Benefits of the Teacher of the Law."
QUOTE:
[page 292]
At that time the Buddha said..."If good men or good women accept and uphold this Lotus Sutra, if they read it, recite it, explain and preach it, or transcribe it, such people will obtain eight hundred eye benefits, twelve hundred ear benefits, eight hundred nose benefits, twelve hundred tongue benefits, eight hundred body benefits, and twelve hundred mind benefits....
[and also on page 292]
These good men and good women, with the pure physical eyes they received from their parents at birth, will view all that exists [without having to leave his present location!] in the inner and outer parts of the major world system, its mountains, forests, rivers, and seas, down as far as the Avichi hell and up to the Summit of Being [heaven]. And in their midst they will see all the living beings, and will also see and understand all the causes and conditions created by their deeds and the births that await them as a result and recompense for those deeds.
[and on page 299]
Through his power to detect scents he knows the thoughts of men and women...
:UNQUOTE.
These benefits and recommended practices are (as quoted above) clearly revealed in the Lotus Sutra. This is the same Lotus Sutra, which the SGI discourages its members from reading by saying, "That's Shakyamuni's Buddhism." But anyone who reads the Lotus could see that's simply not true. The Lotus was revealed during Shakyamuni's time, but that sutra points out that the Lotus is the means by which all Buddhas had attained Enlightenment and by which all bodhisattvas will do so. So the Lotus is not Shakyamuni's Buddhism but is the Buddhism of all Buddhas of the past, present, and future, who stand united in support.
Promoting Buddhism by means of Sex Appeal
Bottom line?
NSA (before it became SGI) had managed to attract a lot of young, idealistic people in the 70s. And basically, these new members fed off of each other in terms of providing support, companionship, and in a lot of cases, sex. Then there was the huge build-up of activity in support of the 1976 Bicentennial Parade, which took place in New York City (in which I participated). But after that occurred a huge let-down. Members were exhausted by that effort and SGI didn't know what to do except unveil a vague and unstructured Phase Two. That was basically an idea to encourage personal growth and to focus on growing the districts.
However, after playing follow-the-leader for so long, most members had no clue how they should take responsibility for their own development by means of this practice. And SGI didn't provide any guidance in this area. I overheard one medium-level leader say to another, "Well, I guess we're supposed to get some culture by going to museums, right?"
The SGI's idea of benefit
When I joined the NSA in 1975, one of the sales pitches was, "You can chant for anything you want." I overheard one new prospect respond to that by asking, "Will I get it?" Answer: "Yes." Follow-up question: "How about a date with so-and-so [some famous model at the time]?"
At this point, the leader says, "Go ahead and chant for that. But remember, sooner or later you're going to have to actually ask her to go out with you." And that's what I liked about SGI's buddhism - the fusion of the mystic with the practical: One had to chant but also to take action. And at that point, the leader usually talked about also taking action for kosenrufu. That is, if one made efforts on behalf of the organization, those "causes" would create effects in seemingly unrelated areas in a person's life. And that was called myoho.
Of course, there were a number of possible responses to this new prospect's questions:
About that last: After I rejoined the SGI, after a 17-year absence, the revised version went like this: "You can chant for whatever you want and you'll either get it, get something better, or lose the desire for it." Of course, they didn't mention that desire can be lost and accompanied by bitterness at the loss. But most people didn't voice such objections. The kind of person who would join the SGI would have a certain amount of hope in their hearts. And that would be enough to at least get them started in their chanting practice.
One other feature of the SGI sales pitch I found attractive: "You don't even have to believe in this Buddhism in order for it to work for you. SGI believes in the law of cause and effect which, like other laws (such as the law of gravitational attraction), works whether you believe in it or not." But SGI always stressed consistency of effort. If you want killer abs, you can't skip days from your exercise routine. Or you can't pound down a six-pack after every workout. In like manner, you can't skip morning or evening gongyo and you can't put out bad causes which will act to counter all the good causes you've created by chanting.
All of this made a certain amount of sense, and was enough to sustain a person's practice. But for how long? How many years, how many decades must pass before members would start (at least in secret) noticing a few things. Like how many more have quit the practice than have stayed with it, even though SGI was supposedly, at one time at least, on the verge of achieving worldwide success in its propagation efforts? How many long-term members can you point at and exclaim, "This person has definitely attained enlightenment?"
About that last: It always bothered me that nobody I ever knew in the SGI (well, except for me) actually chanted to become a Buddha at all, let alone in this lifetime. One local leader informed me that Buddahood is a journey, not a destination. In other words, one doesn't become a Buddha, one manifests (more and more as practice develops) one's buddha nature. To which I responded, "You obviously have never read the Lotus Sutra." Another leader told me that everyone who chants is chanting for enlightenment by means of the silent prayers. The closest I could find in support of this claim lies in the first sentence of the fourth prayer: "I pray to bring forth Buddhahood from within my life and accomplish my own human revolution, change my destiny and fulfill my wishes in the present and the future."
That sounds way too indirect to me. How about something like this: "I pray to become a fully-enlightened Buddha in this lifetime?" To my way of thinking, it's not good enough to always be praying to "bring forth Buddhahood." That sounds too much like, "I want to always bring forth my best possible behavior." While that's laudable, it's not quite as satisfying as having someone point at you and say, "I see a Buddha, who is in complete possession of all of the supernatural powers possessed by all of the Buddhas!"
To current SGI members: "How many Buddhas do you see running around in the SGI?"
Steven Searle, just another member of the Virtual Lotus Samgha
* Chapter 19 of the Lotus Sutra - This was published by the SGI in 2009 under the title, "The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras," as translated by Burton Watson.
Contact me at bpa_cinc@yahoo.com
- The benefits to be obtained from practicing Buddhism correctly;
- How the SGI failed, in spite of its sex appeal, in its ambitious propagation efforts.
Benefits - Generally Speaking
When most people receive a windfall - by (say) winning the lottery or by means of inheritance - they'll spend a lot of it in an attempt to satisfy the five senses. A guy might buy his dream car and start racing about the countryside. But suppose he could get that same thrill without having to buy the car? Or some woman might decide to start buying expensive art which is to her taste but had always been unaffordable. What if she could see the Mona LIsa any time she wanted to as if she were standing 5 feet away from it, but without leaving her home in Chicago, Illinois?
Suppose instead that someone didn't win the lottery but had saved all his life to go on a world tour when he retired. When he returned home from his year-long tour, he sadly realized that he didn't enjoy it. He had worked so hard all his life at a spirit-crushing job that he had failed to develop as a human being to the extent necessary to appreciate what other cultures had to offer. Instead, he ended up having to be satisfied to show slides to his friends of all the landmark sites he had visited.
All of these people would have profited by having attempted to purify their six senses as instructed in the Lotus Sutra.
Benefits, according to the Lotus Sutra
The greatest benefit of Buddhist practice is obviously the attainment of Enlightenment. But there are other benefits that precede that, most notably as expounded in Chapter 19 of the Lotus Sutra*, which is called "Benefits of the Teacher of the Law."
QUOTE:
[page 292]
At that time the Buddha said..."If good men or good women accept and uphold this Lotus Sutra, if they read it, recite it, explain and preach it, or transcribe it, such people will obtain eight hundred eye benefits, twelve hundred ear benefits, eight hundred nose benefits, twelve hundred tongue benefits, eight hundred body benefits, and twelve hundred mind benefits....
[and also on page 292]
These good men and good women, with the pure physical eyes they received from their parents at birth, will view all that exists [without having to leave his present location!] in the inner and outer parts of the major world system, its mountains, forests, rivers, and seas, down as far as the Avichi hell and up to the Summit of Being [heaven]. And in their midst they will see all the living beings, and will also see and understand all the causes and conditions created by their deeds and the births that await them as a result and recompense for those deeds.
[and on page 299]
Through his power to detect scents he knows the thoughts of men and women...
:UNQUOTE.
These benefits and recommended practices are (as quoted above) clearly revealed in the Lotus Sutra. This is the same Lotus Sutra, which the SGI discourages its members from reading by saying, "That's Shakyamuni's Buddhism." But anyone who reads the Lotus could see that's simply not true. The Lotus was revealed during Shakyamuni's time, but that sutra points out that the Lotus is the means by which all Buddhas had attained Enlightenment and by which all bodhisattvas will do so. So the Lotus is not Shakyamuni's Buddhism but is the Buddhism of all Buddhas of the past, present, and future, who stand united in support.
Promoting Buddhism by means of Sex Appeal
Bottom line?
NSA (before it became SGI) had managed to attract a lot of young, idealistic people in the 70s. And basically, these new members fed off of each other in terms of providing support, companionship, and in a lot of cases, sex. Then there was the huge build-up of activity in support of the 1976 Bicentennial Parade, which took place in New York City (in which I participated). But after that occurred a huge let-down. Members were exhausted by that effort and SGI didn't know what to do except unveil a vague and unstructured Phase Two. That was basically an idea to encourage personal growth and to focus on growing the districts.
However, after playing follow-the-leader for so long, most members had no clue how they should take responsibility for their own development by means of this practice. And SGI didn't provide any guidance in this area. I overheard one medium-level leader say to another, "Well, I guess we're supposed to get some culture by going to museums, right?"
The SGI's idea of benefit
When I joined the NSA in 1975, one of the sales pitches was, "You can chant for anything you want." I overheard one new prospect respond to that by asking, "Will I get it?" Answer: "Yes." Follow-up question: "How about a date with so-and-so [some famous model at the time]?"
At this point, the leader says, "Go ahead and chant for that. But remember, sooner or later you're going to have to actually ask her to go out with you." And that's what I liked about SGI's buddhism - the fusion of the mystic with the practical: One had to chant but also to take action. And at that point, the leader usually talked about also taking action for kosenrufu. That is, if one made efforts on behalf of the organization, those "causes" would create effects in seemingly unrelated areas in a person's life. And that was called myoho.
Of course, there were a number of possible responses to this new prospect's questions:
- "It would help if you bathed more frequently...no offense, but I'm just saying...."
- "If she agreed to go out with you, would you be able to even pay for (say) dinner and a movie? Or would you have chanted all along that she pay for the both of you? After all, she's the one who's got money - and you're so awesome, she wouldn't even consider letting you pay."
- "Are you the kind of person who a worldly, sophisticated young lady would find interesting enough to go out with? If not, maybe you should chant for that, too. And do something about it."
- "If you don't get that date, don't worry. That would simply be her karma dictating that she blow this chance with you. Or your negative karma which hadn't been sufficiently overcome with your new Buddhist practice."
About that last: After I rejoined the SGI, after a 17-year absence, the revised version went like this: "You can chant for whatever you want and you'll either get it, get something better, or lose the desire for it." Of course, they didn't mention that desire can be lost and accompanied by bitterness at the loss. But most people didn't voice such objections. The kind of person who would join the SGI would have a certain amount of hope in their hearts. And that would be enough to at least get them started in their chanting practice.
One other feature of the SGI sales pitch I found attractive: "You don't even have to believe in this Buddhism in order for it to work for you. SGI believes in the law of cause and effect which, like other laws (such as the law of gravitational attraction), works whether you believe in it or not." But SGI always stressed consistency of effort. If you want killer abs, you can't skip days from your exercise routine. Or you can't pound down a six-pack after every workout. In like manner, you can't skip morning or evening gongyo and you can't put out bad causes which will act to counter all the good causes you've created by chanting.
All of this made a certain amount of sense, and was enough to sustain a person's practice. But for how long? How many years, how many decades must pass before members would start (at least in secret) noticing a few things. Like how many more have quit the practice than have stayed with it, even though SGI was supposedly, at one time at least, on the verge of achieving worldwide success in its propagation efforts? How many long-term members can you point at and exclaim, "This person has definitely attained enlightenment?"
About that last: It always bothered me that nobody I ever knew in the SGI (well, except for me) actually chanted to become a Buddha at all, let alone in this lifetime. One local leader informed me that Buddahood is a journey, not a destination. In other words, one doesn't become a Buddha, one manifests (more and more as practice develops) one's buddha nature. To which I responded, "You obviously have never read the Lotus Sutra." Another leader told me that everyone who chants is chanting for enlightenment by means of the silent prayers. The closest I could find in support of this claim lies in the first sentence of the fourth prayer: "I pray to bring forth Buddhahood from within my life and accomplish my own human revolution, change my destiny and fulfill my wishes in the present and the future."
That sounds way too indirect to me. How about something like this: "I pray to become a fully-enlightened Buddha in this lifetime?" To my way of thinking, it's not good enough to always be praying to "bring forth Buddhahood." That sounds too much like, "I want to always bring forth my best possible behavior." While that's laudable, it's not quite as satisfying as having someone point at you and say, "I see a Buddha, who is in complete possession of all of the supernatural powers possessed by all of the Buddhas!"
To current SGI members: "How many Buddhas do you see running around in the SGI?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Steven Searle, just another member of the Virtual Lotus Samgha
* Chapter 19 of the Lotus Sutra - This was published by the SGI in 2009 under the title, "The Lotus Sutra and Its Opening and Closing Sutras," as translated by Burton Watson.
Contact me at bpa_cinc@yahoo.com
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