Budha orders armed struggle against Brahminical people

In the Nirvana Sutra, we read: “The Buddha said, with the exception of one type of person, you may offer alms to all kinds of persons, and everyone will praise you”.

Chunda said, “what do you mean when you speak of ‘one type of people”?

WHO IS ICCHANTIKA?

The Buddha replied, I mean the type described in this sutra as violators of the precepts.

Chunda spoke again, saying, “I am afraid I still do not understand. May I ask you to explain further?”

The Buddha addressed Chunda, saying, “By violators of the precepts, I mean the icchantika. In the case of all other types of persons, you may offer alms, everyone will praise you, and you will achieve great rewards.”

Chunda spoke once more, asking, “What is the meaning of the term icchantika?”

The Budha said: “Chunda, suppose there should be monks or nuns, lay men or women who speak careless and evil words and slander the correct teaching, and that they should go on committing these grave acts without ever showing any inclination to reform or any sign of repentance in their hearts. Persons of this kind I would say are following the path of the icchantika”.

“Again there may be those who commit the four grave offences or are guilty of the five cardinal sins, and who, though aware that they are guilty of serious faults, from the beginning have no trace of fear or contrition in their hearts or, if they do, give no outward sign of it. When it comes to the correct teaching, they show no inclination to protect, treasure, and establish it over the ages, but rather speak of it with malice and contempt, their words replete with error. People of this kind too I would say are following the path of the icchantika. With the exception of this one group of people called icchantika, however, you may offer alms to all others and everyone will praise you”.

KILLING OF BRAHMINS

Elsewhere in the same sutra, the Budha spoke in these words: “When I recall the past, I remember that I was the king of a great state in this continent of Jambudvipa. My name was Sen’yo, and I loved and venerated the great vehicle scriptures. My heart was pure and good and had no trace of evil, jealousy, or stinginess. Good men, at that time I cherished the great vehicle teachings in my heart. When I heard the Brahmans slandering these correct and equal sutras, I put them to death on the spot. Good men, as a result of that action, I never thereafter fell into hell”.

In another passage it says, “In the past, when the Thus Come One was the ruler of a nation and practiced the way of the Bodhisattva, he put to death a number of Brahmans”.

Again it says: “There are three degrees of killings: the lower, middle, and upper degrees. The lower degree constitutes the killing of any humble being, from an ant to any of the various kinds of animals. But the killing of any being that a Bodhisattva has chosen to be born as [to help other living beings] is excluded. As a result of a killing of the lower degree, one will fall into the realms of hell, hungry spirits, and animals, and will suffer all the pains appropriate to a killing of the lower degree. Why should this be? Because even animals and other humble beings possess the roots of goodness, insignificant though those roots may be. That is why a person who kills such a being must suffer full retribution for his offense.

ICCHANTIKAS ARE BRAHMINS

“Killing any person from an ordinary mortal to an anagamin constitutes what is termed the middle degree. As a consequence of such an act of killing, one will fall into the realms of hell, hungry spirits and animals, and will suffer all the pains appropriate to a killing of the middle degree. The upper degree of killing refers to the killing of a parent, an arhat, a partyekabuddha, or a Bodhisattva who has reached the stage of non-retrogression. For such a crime one will fall into the great Avichi hell. Good men, if someone were to kill an icchanttika, that killing would not fall into any of the three categories just mentioned.

Good men, the various Brahmans that I have said were put to death— all of them were in fact icchantikas.

In the Benevolent Kings Sutra, we read: “The Buddha announced to King Prasenajit, ‘Thus I entrust the protection of my teachings to the ruler of the nation rather than to the monks and nuns. Why do I do so? Because they do not possess the kind of power and authority that the king has”.

CARRY WEAPONS

The Nirvana Sutra states: “Now I entrust the correct teaching, which is unexcelled, to the rulers, the ministers, the high officials, and the four kinds of Buddhists. If anyone should vilify the correct teaching, then the ministers and four kinds of Buddhists should reprimand him and bring him to order”.

It also states: “The Buddha replied: ‘[Bodhisattva] Kashyapa, it is because I was a defender of the correct teaching that I have been able to attain this diamond-like body... Good man, defenders of the correct teaching need not observe the five percepts or practice the rules of proper behavior.

Rather they should carry knives and swords, bows and arrows, halberds and lances”.

Again the Buddha said: “Even though there may be those who observe the five precepts, they do not deserve to be called practitioners of the great vehicle. But even if one does not observe the five precepts, if one defends the correct teaching, then one may be called a practitioner of the great vehicle. Defenders of the correct teaching ought to arm themselves with knives and swords, weapons and staves. Even though they carry swords and staves, I would call them men who of observe the precepts”.

The Buddha likewise said: “Good man, in past ages in this very city of Kushinagara, a Buddha appeared whose name was the Thus Come One Joy Increasing. After this Buddha passed away, the correct teaching that he had taught remained in the world of countless millions of years. Finally, only forty more years were left before the Buddhist teaching was due to come to an end.

“At that time there was a monk named Realization of Virtue who observed the precepts. There were many monks at this time who violated the percepts, and when they heard this monk preaching, they all conceived evil designs in their hearts and, arming themselves with swords and staves, approached this teacher of the Law.

KNIVES & SWORDS

“At this time the ruler of the kingdom was named Possessor of Virtue. He received reports of what was happening, and, in order to defend the teaching, he went at once to the place where the monk was preaching the Law and fought with all his might against the evil monks who broke the precepts. As a result, the monk who had been preaching was able to escape grievous injury. But the king received so many wounds from the knives and swords, helberds and lances, that there was not a spot on his body the size of a mustard seed that remained unharmed.

“At this time the monk Realization of Virtue praised the king, saying: Splendid, splendid. You, O king, are now a true defender of the correct teaching. In ages to come, this body of yours will surely become a boundless vessel of the law.”

“At that time, the king had already heard of teaching, and he felt great joy in his heart. Thereupon his life came to an end, and he was reborn in the land of the Buddha Akshobhya, where he became the Buddha’s principal disciple. Moreover, all the military leaders, citizens, and associates of the king who had fought beside him or had rejoiced in his effort were filled with an unflagging determination to achieve enlightenment, and when they died, all of them were reborn in the land of the Buddha Akshobhya.

“Later, the monk Realization of Virtue also died, and he too was reborn in the land of the Buddha Askhobhya, where he became second among the Buddha’s voice-hearer disciples. Thus, if the correct teaching is about to come to an end, this is the way one ought to support and defend it.

DEFENDERS OF DHARMA MUST CARRY WEAPONS

“Kashyapa, the king who lived at that time was I myself, and the monk who preached was the Buddha Kashyapa. Kashyapa, those who defend the correct teaching enjoy this kind of boundless reward. As a consequence, I have been able to obtain the distinguished characteristics that I possess today, to adorn myself with them, and to put on the Dharma body that can never be destroyed”.

Then the Buddha declared to Bodhisattva Kashyapa: “For this reason, laymen believers and others who wish to defend the law should arm themselves with swords and staves and protect it in this manner.

MONKS MUST BE FULLY ARMED

“Good man, in the age of impurity and evil after I have passed away, the nation will fall into devastation and disorder, men will plunder and steal from one another, and the common people will be reduced to starvation. Because of hunger, many men at that time will declare their determination to leave their families and become monks. Men such as these may be called shavepates. When this crowd of shavepates see anyone who is attempting to protect the correct teaching, they will chase after him and drive him away, or even kill him or do him injury.

That is why I now give permission for monks who observe the precepts to associate with and keep company with white-robed laymen who bear swords and staves. Even though they carry swords and staves, they should never us them to take life”.

The Lotus Sutra says: “If a person fails to have faith but instead slanders this sutra, immediately he will destroy all the seeds for becoming a Buddha in this world... When his life comes to an end he will enter the Avichi hell”.

The meaning of these passages from the sutras is perfectly clear. What need is there for me to add any further explanation? If we accept the words of the Lotus Sutra, then we must understand that slandering the Mahayana scriptures is more serious than committing the five cardinal sins countless times. Therefore, one who does so will be confined in the great citadel of the Avichi hell and cannot hope for release for an immeasurable length of time.

NIRVANA SUTRA

According to the Nirvana Sutra, even though you may give alms to a person who has committed the five cardinal sins, you must never give alms to a person who has slandered the Law.

One who kills so much as an ant will invariably fall into the three evil paths, but one who helps eradicate slander of the Law will ascend to the state from which there can be no retrogression.

Thus the passage tells us that the monk Realization of Virtue was reborn as the Buddha Kashyapa, and that King Possessor of Virtue was reborn as the Buddha Shakyamuni.

The Lotus and Nirvana sutras represent the very heart of the doctrines that Shakyamuni preached during the five periods of his teaching life.

(The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, pp.19-21).

********************

Japanese document suppressed in India

Reproduced (above) are the excerpts from a Budhist scripture named, The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, (p.19 to 21) in English translated from the Japanese text of Nichiren Daishonin’s Budhism titled Nichiren Daishonin Gosho Zenshu (the complete works of Nichiren Daishonin). It contains all the available works of Nichiren Daishonin. The name Gosho, given by Nichiren Daishonin’s immediate successor and disciple Nikko Shonin, literally means honorable writings. It was Nikko Shonin who did his utmost to preserve Nichiren Daishonin’s works as sacred texts of Nichiren Daishonin Budhism.

The complete works of Nichiren Daishonin was initiated by the second Soka Gakkai president, Josei Toda, under the editorial supervision of Japanese Budhist scholar, Nichiko Hori. It was first published in Japanese in one volume in 1952 by Soka Gakkai, to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the founding of Nichiren Daishonin Budhism.

Soka Gakkai movement is spread in hundreds of countries across the globe.

One of the major chapters from which the excerpts are taken is titled the “Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land” replete with references from remote sutras. Nichiren Daishonin himself writes that he began work on this chapter between 1257-1259 AD and completed it in 1260 AD (p.31). Thus the laborious work from which the present excerpts are derived, itself proves the authenticity of information, besides the fact that it is this book, that was written by the famous Japanese Budhist monk, who was an acknowledged authority on Budhism of his times and who lived and died for “Correct Teachings of Budhism”. It will not be too much to say that he will be an authority on Budhism for all times to come. He is himself honored as Budha of the Latter Day of the Law, under Soka Gakkai movement that follows Budhism set up by him.

No such important and relevant material on Budhism is available world over, not at least in India where this authentic text is suppressed by its Brahminical enemies.

THE WRITINGS OF NICHIREN DAISHONIN

(in two volumes)

Vol.1

English translation of 172 works

1999 pp.1,300 price not marked

Vol. 2

English translation of 234 works

2006 pp.1,270 price not marked

Written in 13th century Japan, the works are not only universally valid but a must for every Indian made mince-meat under Brahminical violence.

Soka Gakkai
32 - Shinanomachi, Shinji-ku
Tokyo 160-8583
Japan

Photocpy available with DV. Rs.1,200 for photocpy & postage.

COMMUNICATION

Maharashtra’s corrupted Dalit leadership

The Dalit leadership of 34 organizations/parties in Maharashtra no doubt get inspiration from Shivaji, Phule, Shahu Maharaj, Babasaheb Ambedkar etc. but they are all under the control of dominant political parties controlled by the upper castes. The class character of this Dalit leadership is elitist, largely with bureaucratic background. Some of them belong to upper class. Their economic interests, especially the sustaining aspect of it, make them depend on upper castes. They do not have permanent assets. The party fund comes from upper castes. That is why they are always under upper caste obligations. Their economic background forces them to remain away from revolutionary programs of Babasaheb. Their egoistic interests are generally to gain individual benefits as victims of Brahminism.

The Dalit leadership hesitates to accept Mayawati because of their attachment to upper caste bosses. But the masses of Maharashtra who are brought up under the values of Shivaji, Phule, Shahu Maharaj and Dr. Ambedkar will follow Bahujan Samaj and become the base of the BSP.

COMMUNICATION

Hindu confederation ?

Pakistan will never join the “Hindu confederation”. Your article in the DV about your visit to Pakistan was good but you spoiled it in the end by suggesting that Pakistan, Bangladesh and “Fascist India” should form a confederation in the region. This proposal is totally unacceptable to us.

We know the Gandhis (Hindus) very well and we know that we will never, never be safe in “fascist India” under the rule of the Gandhis. Our Jinnah Sahib, who was the most intelligent, most honest and the most truthful leader of the 20th century, saw this clearly and decided that the security of the Muslims of “fascist India” was in the formation of Pakistan.

We have no intention of giving up our precious Pakistan and join “fascist India” which is always ready to annihilate us whenever it finds the opportunity. Our ancestors gave many sacrifices for the formation of our “Golden Pakistan” and we have no intention of incorporating it in the boundaries of “fascist India”..

INDIA SHINING

India as a failed state

New Delhi: In the Failed States Index India has improved its ranking from 93 to 110. However, on some of the political indicators used in the survey, India clearly falls shorts. “Progressive deterioration of public services” and “criminalisation and/or delegitimisation of the state’ are two among six political indicators used in the survey. On both counts, India comes up short. Thus there remains some bad news to go with the good. The inability of government to deliver basic services continues to be a worry, even as the economy keeps growing at a steady clip. India’s poor record on health and education is reflected in its abysmal ranking in the Human Development Index, published by the UNDP. Government has also failed to keep up with the growing demand for infrastructure. The other cause for worry is the breakdown of the state in several parts of the country. According to some estimates, Maoists are active in around 150 districts. The success of Maoist groups in certain areas may be a partial result of the Indian state’s failure to spread the benefits of development wide enough. If matters are not to spin totally out of control, urgent steps are necessary to solve problems of dire poverty in these regions.

—(Times of India, June 23, 2007)

*****