What is the Priesthood’s Issue?

Contents

Chapter 1 Overview of the Priesthood’s Issue

1 What is the Priesthood’s Issue?

2 The Priesthood and the Laity

3 The degradation and corruption within the priesthood is root of the priesthood’s issue

4 How it all started and the events that followed

5 What are the different points of contention?

Chapter 2 Understanding the degradation and corruption of the priesthood

1 Difficulty of believing that Priests can be corrupt

2 The Buddhist sutras warn of the appearance of evil priests

3 Unique Historical Development of Buddhist Temple and Priests in Japan

3.1 Strong dependence on the Wealthy and Powerful

3.2 Imposing a Superior-subordinate Relationship

3.3 The Danka system

3.4 The Custom of Allowing Marriage in the Priesthood

4 Jealousy and Arrogance towards laity

5 Arrogance and Insensitivity to a diverse and rapidly changing world

Chapter 3 A History of Betraying Nichiren Daishonin’s Teachings

1 Nichiren Shoshu’s History of Slanders and Improper Succession

1.1 Priests disciples who betrayed Nichiren Daishonin

1.2 Inappropriate Succession and Slanders of past high priests

1.3 Slanders and events relating to the 67th high priest

2 Slanderous and Inappropraite Acts against the Gohonzon

3 Nichiren Daishonin Teaches Strict Refutation of Slanderers of Buddhism

Chapter 4 What the Daishonin says about the behaviour of true priests and evil priests

Chapter 5 The Behaviour of the Nichiren Shoshu priests

1 Treatment and Erroneous Teachings in Acolytes Training

2 The outrageous behaviour of high priest Nikken

3 Intolerable Discrimination

4 Money Seeking Attitude of Priests

5 Priesthood’s Support of Japan’s War Efforts during World War II

6 Nichiren Shoshu’s Unremorseful of Predecessor’s Support for the War

Conclusion