ronnymarsh wrote: ↑Wed Jul 14, 2021 1:32 pm
In fact, this is not a Gakkai innovation or change.
Because it has long been a lay branch of the Nichiren Shoshu, many people believe that her perception has always been the same as the orthodoxy of the Taisekiji order, but in fact it never was.
The Soka Gakkai emerged in 1951, replacing the previous Soka Kyoiku Gakkai. This was nothing more than a publisher for the publication and dissemination of mr. Makiguchi. Including, mr. Toda was a publishing entrepreneur, and the Soka Gakkai had long profited from the sale of newspapers that members were practically obligated to sell.
My biggest problem with the Soka Gakkai here in Brazil, even, was due to this practice that resembled a Ponzi scheme, which made me never be converted by it.
But from a philosophical point of view, since Toda Josei, the Soka Gakkai already had some interpretations that were problematic from the Nichiren Shoshu point of view. The great contribution of mr. JoseiToda for this Buddhism was the idea of "vital force", which he explained about in the "Seimei-ron" [Treatise on Vital Force] in one of his publications.
Afterwards, mr. Daisaku Ikeda also collaborated interpreting Nichiren Buddhism and the notion of "vital force" in terms of "Human Revolution".
None of these notions were endorsed by the Nichiren Shoshu clergy, for the most part, and the Soka Gakkai was only "tolerated" for some time. Anyone who lived in Japan at that time and was a member of Hokkeko or SG must know about the fights that always existed between the groups.
These two notions reflected in specific aspects about the identity of the Original Buddha.
Even though the Soka Gakkai defends Nichiren as the Original Buddha, she never understood this identification in the same way as the Nichiren Shoshu.
The Original Buddha in the understanding of the Soka Gakkai is "namumyohorenguekyo". Nichiren is the manifestation of this Buddha as a person, as he was the first to reveal this truth. However, all beings are also the Original Buddha, at least in potentiality. The difference between an ordinary mortal and a Buddha is that the former is ignorant of his status as a Buddha, while the latter is awakened to this truth.
When you worship other Buddhas, imagining that there is a distinction between those Buddhas and yourself, that is an example of ignorance of this conception.
This is one of the reasons why some supporters of Nichiren Shoshu accused Mr. Ikeda Daisaku to proclaim himself as Buddha.
This position places the Soka Gakkai as a representative of a particular interpretation that is neither that of the Nichiren Shoshu nor that of other schools like the Nichiren Shu.
The fact that it appears to be a shift in perception is just a misguided impression as it previously believed that the Gakkai was 100% upholding the Nichiren Shoshu orthodoxy.