I can tell you 99% of what Carlita said is false. Wildly false.
Carlita said
"Nichiren Diashonin is a Buddhist monk in the Tiantai school (as his teacher is from that school) from Japan. At the time (1800 century) there was a big war in Japan and different Buddhist sects were competing against each other. Each sect focused in different aspects of the Buddhist teachings which Nicherien defined as the Former and Middle Day of the Law. (the Older Buddhist). He thought that the war was centered around his outright rejection of their teachings for that of the Higher teachings of the Buddha (what He said was the only true teachings) the Lotus Sutra."
For example, and an ironic one, Nichiren was not of the T'ien T'ai school. Nichiren was of the Nembutsu, or Jodo Shu (pure land school)... he then took the teachings of T'ien T'ai, ie categorization of sutras and declared a new buddhism, consistent with T'ien T'ai. Nichiren himself tells you he invented nothing, including the 3 ages. Those weren't new to Nichiren, but he talked about them a lot-not the same thing at all.
What war are you talking about? There was civil strife, within the leading family... there was Mongolian Imperialism happening... but that's not big war of buddhist sects-what the heck are you talking about?
Carlita said, "Nichiren Diashonin is a Buddhist monk in the Tiantai school (as his teacher is from that school) from Japan. At the time (1800 century) there was a big war in Japan and different Buddhist sects were competing against each other. Each sect focused in different aspects of the Buddhist teachings which Nicherien defined as the Former and Middle Day of the Law. (the Older Buddhist). He thought that the war was centered around his outright rejection of their teachings for that of the Higher teachings of the Buddha (what He said was the only true teachings) the Lotus Sutra.
So to believe in Nichiren Buddhism, you must believe in the Lotus Sutra. To believe and practice the Lotus Sutra is to change Nan Myoho Renge Kyo (I devote myself to the mystic Law of cause and effect) aka life."
so you "practiced for 4 years" yet can't get his name right... can't get his sect right... and can't even get the daimoku right. I've never heard any chant that starts with "Nan"
Many start with "Nam" which is short for "Namas" meaning devotion. And it applies to BOTH sects, one has as the mantra "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo," the other "Nam Amidabutsu."
Extremely different theoretically. Jodo (pure land) is like xianity, it's about escaping this world to a pure land of perfect bliss, by chanting a savior's name (Amita/Amida), an allegorical buddha from the perspective of Nichiren Buddhism.
Carlita said, "The sects:
Nichiren Shoshu. I dislike because they replace the Buddha with Nichiren saying that Nichiren is the reincarnation of the Buddha. It is very formal and if you like dogma and cultured faiths, they have that too.
This is again 100% false
They don't say this at all. First of all, you must understand (and you WOULD if you practiced this for 1 year, much less "four" as you erroneously claim, it looks like you attended a handful of meetings and learned enough jargon to spread a bunch of bad info as I'm showing.... ) the 2 forms of Nichiren from the perspective of his Buddhism. His first form as he claims is "Bodhisattva Jogyo" the leader of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth that appear in the Lotus Sutra. He does indeed claim he is the reincarnation of this bodhisattva. This bodhisattva is never, in any sutra, used by SGI or any Nichiren or any sect, Buddhist or otherwise, claimed to be an incarnation/reincarnation of Buddha.
That said, this is his "transient form." His true form is the "Original Buddha" which is a totally different Buddha than Shakyamuni. It does indeed overshadow him, just as Nichiren's Buddhism (buddhism of sewing) overshadows the original teachings, which are now, in this age (as agreed with by Nichiren, not declared by him) useless, this is the time for the "Buddhism of the Sewing", the Buddhism of Shakyamuni, is the Buddhism of the Harvest, and no longer effective in Mappo. So, back to clarifying all Carlita's false information: Nichiren is just a man, but he is also the True Buddha of Kuon Ganjo, who is supposed to arrive to propagate the sutra...
He himself, just as Shakyamuni, are just men, or were. But they fulfilled these missions. That doesn't make them special, it does make them buddhas. Amida Buddha never existed, he's just a story. Nor would the concept make sense-from the Nichiren perspective, to seek enlightenment outside the self, in Amida or otherwise, is not only escapist, but reverts to non-Buddhism. Pure Land clearly theoretically ignores the core concept of karma.... without karma... it's hard to fathom how it's buddhism.
Carlita said,
"SGI was a part of ShoShu. They expressed that Nichiren was not a reincarnation; He is a Buddha just like you and I. What I don't care about their practice is their focus on the organization (rather than religion) founder. They do not read from Nichiren's teachings nor do they from any other Buddist teachings included the one their religion is based on, the Lotus Sutra (and the Pali Canons) themselves. Depending on if you're in the states or not, depends on how strict they are because they don't care for Shoshu. Shoshu's priest excommunicated them for not going with their teachings (like protestants to Catholics). So you will get a lot of bias between the two sects. A lot of people are nice, just their history and focus does not mirror the beliefs of Nichiren Himself--which is that of the Buddha."
SGI believes the same thing as Nichiren Shoshu on this issue, they believe what I said to your last false section. So again, this is false and so very careless. and "They do not read from Nichiren's teachings." This is really idiotic. It was SGI, that originally compiled them all and had them translated... SGI reads from Nichiren's letters and treatises all the time. Every meeting would quote Nichiren and every issue of the magazine, and paper had a huge Gosho (his writings) study in it, if not 2. So this is just a ridiculous lie and now reveals the "i was a member for 4 years" claim to be utter nonsense. They read the Lotus Sutra, they published it for Burton Watson's translation... Toda (2nd president of the Soka Gakkai) has the 2nd and 16th chapter translated and most of his book "Lecture on Buddhism" is nothing but the sutra... and nichiren's teachings. As an SGI member, I recite those same 2 chapters of the Lotus Sutra, every day... yet you say we never study the buddha's teachings or nichirens.
Here is the best translation of his teachings, thanks to SGI, and Nichiren Shoshu, has over 90% of Nichiren's actual letters and treatises.... there should be no question of their legitimacy on original line of Nichiren at least....
This information that was supposedly given by a seasoned SGI member was beyond fallacious, and I can't imagine why someone would blather on and on about a topic they know so little about.... She knows more about Jodo than Nichiren, trust me
Nichiren Buddhism Library
strange... the biggest nichiren library there is.... is on the sgi site.. how could that be Carlita? they ignore his teachings according to you...
