The Seven Damning Sins of Soka Gakkai-Komeito

The Sin of "Stop Think" and "Ignorantizing"

The fifth sin is the sin of inducing, promoting and maintaining a state of ignorance among the people.  That is a sin whereby the masses are led into ignoran ce and encouraged to remain ignorant.  Concerning the political assertions, ideology, and policies of the political line of Soka GakkaiKomeito there are various questions.  In spite of the fact that these doubts come from all quarters, within Soka Gakkai, there is no criticism worthy of the name, and we must say that this is a truly unaccountable tendency. Just what sort of political consciousness do the members of Soka Gakkai have? This is a point we must consider.
For example, a survey conducted on Japan's foreign policy revealed the following results: 27% favored a neutral policy; 15% favored cooperation with America; 11 % favored closer ties with Red China and the Soviet Union; 8% favored increasing Japan's defense capability ; 6%, other opinions; 33% said they had no opinion.  This is an example of the political consciousness of Soka Gakkai members.  How can they relate this to their policies of "Global Nationalism", and "Complete Disarmament" ? We must say that this state of affairs dumbfounds us!  Also, concerning the issue of revising the Constitution, 23% favored revision; 31 % opposed revision; 4% other opinions; 42% had no opinion.  Despite the Komeito policy of opposing revision of the Constitution, they have no power to unify their membership on this issue, instead their policies and membership are separate and apart. (see, "Hoshu Dokusai No Teihen," The Popular Political Conciousness Which Supports The Rule Of Conservative Power, by Hirotatsu Fujiwara and Nobuo Tomita.)  In a manner of speaking, this is haphazard!  Not only is it haphazard, but since they do not understand, they will by command, turn either to the right or to the left; for example, if they are commanded to oppose the U.S.A.-Japan Security Treaty, they will assert: "Oppose the U.S.A.-Japan Security Treaty," with one voice.  Therefore, according to the occasion, a complete about-face will be possible.
Their political consciousness, such as it is, concerning the nation and society, is rather shallow, and is strongly inclined toward a narrow "me-first-ism." This is a general tendency which is found in the whole of Japan, in the post-war era, but it is especially noticeable in Soka Gakkai members.  It must not be overlooked that their motive for becoming members in the first place was almost entirely that of solving their own personal problems, and not the public problems. People with personal hardships, who were dazzled by the lure of "a happiness-producing machine", joined expecting only personal happiness and personal salvation, and we might say this is only a natural consequence.  The person who is seeking personal gain, will leave for money.  When they are satisfied with their own happiness, and compare the happiness which Soka Gakkai gives and the happiness which the member themselves can seek, if both lose their balance, this gigantic organization, Soka Gakkai, will possibly weaken and collapse.
As far as doctrine is concerned, if they earnestly cherish Soka Gakkai and blindly follow President Ikeda's words, everything will go smoothly.  I think this is the attitude of the membership. We must say this is a most curious state of affairs!
President Ikeda, at the time of the House of Representatives election, in January of 1967, proclaimed as his "vision" for Komeito the following:

"There may be those who will not agree with my policies. Or on the other hand, there may be those who will say that the policies of the other parties are more advantageous for them. To such people, I would like to say, it is only natural for you to vote as you think best." (The Vision of Korneito, The Third Civilization, the Feb. number of 1967)

Apparently,  this seems to mean that Komeito has for its "vision" laissez-faire, laissez-passer~do as you like, whichever profits you the most, this is the natural, inevitable thing to do.  But in the actual election, the rank and file members are feverishly busy seeking votes for Soka Gakkai candidates. While knowing nothing of the party policy, they nevertheless work with all their might if they are mobilized. This activity of the rank and file, and President Ikeda's words about "laissez-faire" and "laissez-passer", are quite two different things.
The disunity in their political consciousness exists not only among the rank and file of the membership, but among their office holders at both the Diet and Prefectural Assembly levels. This situation embarrasses Komeito and they are having special training sessions to remedy it.  If they do not undergo such training, their political consciousness is poor and without unity and cannot take concerted action. Accordingly, President Ikeda's vision must be abstract and vague, and a pot-pourri of beautiful sounding expressions, whether true or not they do not understand. If something turns out to be clearly untrue, then there is embarrassment, and if something is said which causes a conflict, of, interest, there is also cause for embarrassment. If concrete statements are uttered by the President, then there is a possibility that someone might oppose him, and even a case of opposition might develop. So the President's speeches are, for these reasons, carefully prepared, and are filled with such vague expressions as: "Pure Democratic Politics", "Break Off Confrontation, Struggle and Insincerity"; "Revolution of Progress Without Victims"; "From a Position of Mutual Help".  "Politics For Human Beings"; "Chikyu Minzoku Shugi"; "Peace, The Only Solution To Our Problems"; "From the Standpoint of Benefit of All The People". To call this a kind of sutra, is by no means an exaggeration.
From the beginning, members renounce all critical examination as a matter of course, and neither approve nor oppose his policy.  His policies themselves do not have enough content to merit investigation.  Thus, with their various self-willed political consciousness, they visit the polling places and the one thing they are united in is the casting of their vote for a Komeito candidate. We must say that this is very strange political activity, something like 10 million canaries who have forgotten how to sing (criticise.)
Without criticism there is no progress.  When 10 million canaries forget how to sing we are anxious for their future. Soka Gakkai is proud of their Youth Division and its potential strength, but criticism is the distinctive of youth, and gives meaning to their existence.  This Youth Division which is earnestly engaging in criticising others, has even forgotten how to criticise themselves, moreover, they talk about being tbe most progressive of progressives -we must say they really flatter themselves!
Anyway, the Youth Division accepts President Ikeda's words as absolute, swallows them whole, displays a self-conceited practical philosophy, and risks their life for Soka Gakkai. As the "youth power" of Soka Gakkai they exercise their influence in the movement.  The fool hardy Youth Division only exists, but among these young members there is no criticism worthy of the name.  We must say that such an organization does not grow healthily. In this sense, there are many problems facing the future of Soka Gakkai.