Reform the Nichiren Buddhist Debate

This web site is devoted to bringing civility to the discussion of Nichiren Buddhism on the internet.  I and all of those supporting the positions in the essay hope to protect and purify the online perception of Nichiren Buddhism in its various forms by proposing the following:

1. The disputants in the various inter-Nichiren debates should immediately agree to cease their angry, hateful rhetoric online and in every other forum.
2. The forums of the individual schools should be left to those individual schools unless a member of another school invites an individual to participate.
3. Participants in forums for those of more than one school (ecumenical forums) or as an invited guest in the forum of a particular school should behave in a courteous manner, humbly, politely, and unabusively stating his or her opinions on subjects of contention.
4. Attacks on persons not in a particular forum, besides being contrary to the above principles, should also cease in respect of the fact that the individual is not able to respond to them.
5. These propositions should be applied with the spirit that each individual and each school has the right to practice as it sees fit without interference from other individuals and schools, regardless of one's personal beliefs as to that school's truth or efficacy.

The full rationale for these propositions can be found in the essay The Illness within Nichiren Buddhism, subtitled "Shoju and Shakubuku."  Those who support the propositions do so from the perspective of the doctrines of the schools of Buddhism to which they belong; they have not forgone their beliefs in those schools, nor should their support of these propositions be seen as indicating agreement with any of the author's opinions other than the propositions above.

You can add your name to those supporting these proposals.  Go to the I Support the Reform of the Nichiren Buddhist Debate page to find out about having your name added to those below.

People Supporting the Propositions
(this list is alphabetical)

Note: an opposing opinion has been expressed by H. G. Lamont, writing for the official position of the Kempon Hokke.  To enable you to make an informed decision regarding the propositions and the essay, I feel that it is only fair to provide you with an opportunity to read that opinion. Before doing so, however, I must note that it seems to me that the opposing essay results from a misunderstanding of the intent of these propositions.  To address the major issues: this essay, these propositions, and the author personally does not call for an end to shakubuku; this essay, these propositions, and the author personally does not believe that this is no longer Mappo (indeed, I do believe that this is the Latter Age of the Dharma); there is not a subversive purpose to validate one school and denigrate another in this essay - indeed, it should be clear from the propositions and the essay that it is in opposition to such practices that they were written.  It is my opinion that many of the positions that are opposed in Mr. Lamont's essay are in response to issues that he has with another person or group's beliefs, not addressed in any way within my essay or its propositions; most of the items refuted neither appear within the essay nor reflect my personal opinion.  I am not sure how this misinterpretation resulted; however, you may be nonetheless be interested in reading Mr. Lamont's response so that you can make your own decision regarding what he perceives as being our differences of opinion. It appears at http://www.geocities.com/bukkokukai/antishoju1.html on the Kempon Hokke web site.