Buddhist sect to go back to original teachings to end bickering

Buddhist sect to go back to original teachings to end bickering

JAKARTA (JP): The Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist will reaffirm its
resolution to stick to its original religious teachings when it
convenes a grand synod later this month, members say.

"The grand synod is expected to put the sect back on its
original track as a religious body to prevent further internal
conflict," Rusdi Rukmarata of the Buddhist Center said.

Over the last couple of years, he said, Nichiren Shoshu
Indonesia (NSI) has been given a rough time by its members.

The situation worsened last month when a group of members
debased a ceremony, which was attended by government officials
and senior lay persons, and digressed from the sect's original
teachings.

"We realized after the incident that the internal conflicts
stemmed not only from organizational problems, but were also
caused by differences in understanding religious teachings," he
said.

Karaniya Dharmasaputra from the Buddhist Center said the grand
synod was also expected to come up with solid resolutions which
would help strengthen the faith of followers.

"This way, NSI will not be just another organization," he
pointed out.

He said the synod would also resolve to elect a new leader,
settle plans to construct the first NSI temple in the country,
establish a training center for priests and invite foreign
instructors.

Rusdi said that a patron of NSI, K. Senosoenoto, has already
declined running for the organization's top post, saying that she
prefers to supervise NSI from within the ranks of the body.

Rusdi said that the future elected leader will have to be
someone from the younger generation who is well-informed on the
current world situation and could thus anticipate social and
cultural changes.

Unlike other countries where followers are headed by a monk or
bhiksu from Japan -- where the teachings originated -- NSI is
supervised by a lay person approved by the sect's central, or
international, leaders.

Senosoenoto and her late husband were the only ones in the
country given the responsibility of conveying the teachings of
Nichiren Shoshu in its pure and original form to followers in
Indonesia.

Krisno Abianto Soekarno, secretary of the NSI Foundation
predicted that while the grand synod would make few changes to
the organizational aspects of NSI, a lot of work would be done on
the religious side.

He said the exact date of the grand synod will be decided upon
later.(pwn)