From: jdoskow@ichinen.Tymnet.COM (Jonathan Doskow)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Buddhist Sects
Date: 16 Oct 92 20:20:21 GMT
Organization: BT North America (Tymnet)

In article <&+#@byu.edu> luke@newt.ee.byu.edu (David Luke) writes:
>
>NS is the sect -- a particular sect of Nichiren Buddhism, which was started
>by a guy named Nichiren back in the Kamakura jidai.  There are other flavors
>of Nichiren, but NS is the biggest.  Their main rival is called just 
>Nichiren-shuu, I believe.  SG is kind of an activities group or organization
>which is based on and believes in NS; so you could believe NS and not belong
>to SG.
>
>From what I've seen, NS (at least the SG version of it) seems pretty weak
>on doctrine.

SG doesn't emphasize doctrine for newer members.  The emphasis is that
understanding comes from practice.  Westerners are often puzzled by this
approach since we are accustomed to thinking we once we conceptualze
something we have grasped its essence.  This is directly contradicted in
many branches of Buddhism.  For example, in the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni
says to his smartest disciple essentially, "forget it, Sariputra.  You
can't understand it."  That said, study is an essential element of the
practice SG advocates, and there is lots of material available for
those who wish to pursue it.  The point to remember about doctrine is,
"How do you know whether the doctrine is correct or not?"  Without
practice, its impossible to tell.

>              The basic idea is that you chant the ... what do you call it?
>not really a prayer, ... anyway, chant the chant, and that gives you health
>and wealth and salvation and anything else you want.  (In the US, do they

Call it a prayer, or whatever word suits you.  The important thing to
remember is that it is an exercise that enables one to realize or
manifest his/her Buddha-nature, rather than an entreaty to some diety to
please do something on behalf of the supplicant.  That may seem obvious
but for people raised in the Judeo-Christian tradition, it sometimes
takes years to really sink in.  In any case, improved health, family
relationships, material condition that so many SG members experience are
considered external manifestations of internal changes.  The internal
changes are by far the most imortant, but are often difficult to
describe, and may well be below the level of awareness of given
individuals.

>who is the third.  SG believes in "shakubuku", a head-on form of 
>confrontational proscelyting that consists basically of saying, "we're right,
>and you're wrong, and that's all there is too it."  It also may consist of
>threats, harrassment, breaking-and-entering, and lots of other not-so-nice
>things.  They used to have their own political party, which is now officially
>disjoint, but SG members still support it and make nuisances of themselves
>at election time bugging all their neighbors to vote for their candidates.
>They are not generally well-liked in Japan, but they are the largest single
>religous group in Japan.
>-- 

It is naive to think that you could build an organization of the size and
scope of SG using such tactics.  While I never like to say, "never"
(since given that very size, SG is guaranteed to have at least one of
everything) 1) the tactics you describe definitely do not accord with
the policy of SG and 2) in my more than 20 years as a member I have
never seen an instance of threats and breaking-and-entering.  I would
sincerely appreciate it if you could post the source of this
information.  Of course, names, dates, and places would also be nice, but
perhaps that's asking too much.

Ditto, it is naive to think that a political party in a democracy in
which elections are carried out by secret ballot could possibly succeed
by annoying people.  My understanding is that the Komeito has a very
good record getting its candidates elected, which says to me that they
must be providing something that the voters want.

My personal take on the Komeito is that it provides Japanese voters with
a safety valve, allowing them to vote for an opposition party without
going in with the Communists or Socialists.  

I would love to hear some close-up observations on what Komeito does,
and how it operates.

Finally, I would love to hear from any SG members reading this.  And if 
want to post annonymously (given that, I think, Japanese people are much
more reluctant to take controvertial stands in public than Americans)
I'll be happy to post relevant comments with the senders id removed.)
+------------------------------------------------------------------+
She can marry a taxi driver.  I don't care.

Opinions expressed are those of the author.  jdoskow@Tymnet.COM