The Emperor of Soka Gakkai,
Daisaku Ikeda and The Staff

The Image of Almighty Man and His Deification

The man who holds tightly the reins of Soka Gakkai-Komeito is
none other than President Daisaku Ikeda. He is not only rich in
 talent as to the manner of his performance, but he is handsome
and not in the least inferior to a first rate actor.
H J. Laski said something about politician today having to be an
excellent actor whom the masses consume. It is no exaggeration
 to say that President Daisaku Ikeda is certainly an excellent actor.
 Both in looks and appearance he can justly qualify as a "star."
At the time of the publication of this book, there were various
kinds of pressure and among them was: "Criticism of President
Ikeda is not permitted." To this I replied, "has the time come for
President Ikeda to enter political life as the Chairman of Komeito?"
The member answered: "I really agree, won't you please argue in
 favor of President Ikeda's entering political life?" This was the
statement of a Komeito member of the Tokyo Metropolitan
Assembly. Certainly, Ikeda, rather than being content to be
only the President of Soka Gakkai, we may say, is the type
 who could pass for a practical politician in public life. To quote
Itaru Kikumura:  "President Ikeda is the type to preside on TV
shows." The TV personalities in present society have become a
kind of hero, and taking this into consideration, he the man of
stature, is the top man in Soka Gakkai
Komeito. He demonstrates his ability and outstanding
personality as he fulfills this important role.  In order to realize
their ultimate ideal, and when put into words it is really a splendid
expression, he spoke as follows:

"Kosen rufu, which is the final injunction of Saint Nichiren, is propagating
 the right law in mappo era (the era when the charity of Gautma's Buddhism
 dies Out) among all the people of Japan and the world, and to banish,
misery, and estabjish a happy life for all mankind. Accordingly, this
naturally includes establishing eternal peace, and the ideal society of
 the dignity of humanity.
Today in the 20th century,  material and mechanical civilization has
been developed to the utmost, and while on the one hand it has
improved the livelhood of man to some extent, on the other hand,
because man who uses these has been neglected, and worse, his
humanity has been lost, a serious condition of alienation has
developed. This condition requires a human revolution.  Thoughtful
people today, emphasize the necessity of a true, lofty, and great
religion. The world is turned toward the Orient, and above all,
Japan is being watched with keen interest.
The phenomenon of the loss of man's humanity, and sense of
alienation of man's humanity has been caused by losing sight
of the dignity of human life.  No other religion has clearly and
 thoroughly explained the dignity of this life except Saint Nichiren's
philosophy of life, "Sikishin fuji." (identification of matter and mind).
This indeed, we are convinced, is the greatest religion, and the one
 which meets the demands of the 20th century, and breaks the dawn
of the 21st century. "A Reply to Twenty Questions," in "This is
 What I Think" by Daisaku Ikeda.)
 

In order to realize their ideal, keeping in mind this "great revolution
of the 21st century" that will accomplish their ideal, he is trying to
 practice shahubuku to the entire world and to permeate it with the
 doctrines of Soka Gakkai.  From one point of view, he is a kind
of a hero chasing a big dream, and from another, he is a Don
Quixote or a Pierrot. At any rate I admire him for his subjective
resolution.
When we think about the relationship between the leader who
 stands on the top of this religious organization and the organization
 itself, we can see that an inter-relationship exists. In the case of
 Daisaku Ikeda, his distinguishing characteristics are: skill as an
organizer, as well as his abiluty as a founder and his charismatic
character. Properly speaking, this caliber of leader of a religious
group was deified after his death, but in the case of President
 Ikeda, a kind of deification has already begun, despite the
fact that it has only been ten years since he became President.
 There is a point of political significance also in this. At least it
 holds interest in that it is an unprecdented event in the modern
history of Japan.  Before World War II, the Emperor was deified,
but in the post war society, the first person on the list to have been
 deified, while still living, is President Ikeda.  Of course it is not the
whole nation which deifies him, and the number is limited only to that
 part of the population which are members of Soka Gakkai.  President
 Ikeda is not only the man of absolute power, in Soka Gakkai, but
through Komeito, the political branch office of Soka Gakkai, he is
expanding his leadership and influence to people outside of Soka Gakkai.
When he leaves for an airplane trip, his car drives him up to the plane-side
gangway, something which has seldom if ever has been done even for the
 Emperor.  Whether this is done at his personal request, or whether it is
part of the effort of his followers to deify him~whichever it is, we must
say it is a great show of power.
Whether Ikeda, feeling it is necessary to be deified and made a
 personal object of worship, and by his personal wish allows this
 or not~or whether he is being elevated by his followers as an
"Omikoshi" (a portable Shinto Shrine carried during festival)
 probably some of both are envolved in and mutually related to
 this process of deification. Some of the staff members who are
the same age as Ikeda's father unashamedly say: "Ikeda Sensei
 (master) is like a father to us." "Sensei is a Buddha."
"The President's judgement is absolutely fautless."  I must say that
this shows their abnormality.  At the same time we must say that in a
calm attitude to allow himself to become such an object of faith raises
a big question about his sensitivity.
If this special phenomena and tendency to deify Ikeda were confined
only to the membership of Soka Gakkai-Komeito it would be less
objectionable, but when the political influence grows larger, what
will be the effect on the political world of Japan?  I must make
reference to this matter.
The members of Soka Gakkai are extremely sensitive about criticism
from outsiders, and especially when this criticism includes President
Ikeda, they will counter attack immediately like people who border
on madness. This abnormality closely resembles the behavior of the
 special secret military service police, or the police before the Pacific
War who thoroughly suppressed all criticism of the Emperor.  If any
one criticizes President Ikeda, they have a tendency to use all of their
powers to stamp it out.
With their abnormal psychology, plus being an organization in which
 this tendency has been reproduced on an enlarged scale, President
Ikeda keeps his composure.  We can't avoid grave doubts and
speculation about this fact.  Just where does Ikeda stand in the face
 of all this?  Does he or doesn't he know that he is being deified and
has become an object of worship?  Or, knowing it, does he pretend
 that he doesn't know it? A person's influence is not limited only to
 his speech and conduct.  For example, in Red China, Mao, from
 the standpoint of ideology, rejected completely the idea of a personal
cult, but he has finally been made an object of worship and deification,
and now, Daisaku Ikeda of Soka Gakkai, whether he knows it or not,
is walking down the road that leads to deification and cult worship.
There, apart from Ikeda himself as the human being, for the purpose of
expanding Soka Gakkai's power, the figure of "almighty" is being fabricated.
 As the tendency in this direction continues, and the deification of Ikeda
 progresses more and more, the personal worship of the membership will
become more and more fanatical.  Certainly in religion and among groups
 of believers, it is an inevitable tendency that there is a certain amount of
charisma as the requirement for the leader who is a great founder. But in
an abnormal group, what kind of influence does this particular charisma
exert ? When applied to Soka Gakkai this is a very serious question.
Indeed, Ikeda when speaking to a crowd uses a very calm and gentle
voice and his writings are really very ordinary, even indifferent, and
proclaim very ordinary and hackneyed truths. The problem arises, how
 are his writings introduced to the masses of the members by the staff which
 is supposed to put them into practice, and how do the masses receive these
teachings?  Ikeda's words carry weight not because of their content, but only
 because he has spoken them, and are therefore obeyed unconditionally.
 This is the problem.
It is in this sense that I am very interested in the personal history of this man.
What sort of a career has he followed? Let us, just here, take a look at his career.
It was May 3, 1960 when he took up the post of the third President of Soka
Gakkai, and as third President it was his all important appointed task was to
expand and strengthen Soka Gakkai after the era of Josci Toda.  When he was
inaugurated as President, the membership was about 1,700,000 households.
This is about one-fourth of the present member ship strength.  Would he be
able to increase this, or maintain it at that ~evel, or would he lead it down the
road to collapse? He had to make some important choices and the destiny of
Soka Gakkai depended largely on his ability.  Ikeda was thirty-two years old
at the time and was a General Manager. At that time he feverishly engaged
 in shakubuku struggles and was always in the very center of the battle for
 the faith and was the most outstanding leader ofthe membership. Perhaps
the pathetic determination and heroism like that of the captain of Tokkotai
 forces of the Second World War might have inspired his young mind.
His feelings at that time are vividly expressed in his inaugural speech which
he made in the Ryogaoku Hall of Nihon University, May 3,1960 as follows:
"Though I am very young and inexperienced, from today I will lead out and
 take a step forward in the campaign to realize kosen rufu of kegi (the form
to indoctrinate the masses) as a representative of the pupils of Toda.
It is needless to say that our Soka Gakai is a group of Nichiren Shoshu
believers.  Accordingly, I am sure that it is the fundamcntal spirit to serve
Dai Gohonzon and serve His Holiness the High Priest.
I take the same spirit as the first President Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and
 the second President and my teacher Josei Toda devoted to Sohondo
 (the general head temple) as our spirit, and now I, as the representative
 of all Soka Gakkai members, swear our loyality to his Holiness Nittatsu
Shonin. Soka Gakkai is on the side of the masses and is their best friend.
 The enemy is heretical rcligion.  It sends people to hell.  The right religious
 law makes them Buddhas. The cause of all unhappiness is to be found
 in heretical religion and heretical doctrine.  This is the golden saying of
Nichiren and our teacher Josei Toda advocated it as it was taught. We
take his great spirit to destroy heretical religion as our spirit and hope we
 will resolutely attack heretical religion.
I wish to be a President who faithfully practices the ideas and teachings
of Josei Toda. There are many guides for the future and the last injunctions
 left by our teacher Josci Toda.  One of them is his statement: 'let us practice
shakuhuku to attain 3 million households within seven years.' Our teacher Toda
said this on Feb.10, 1958. These words, have stuck in my memory. I think
 that in the word "3 million" there is deep meaning and our teacher's intention.
  I wish to attain shakubuku of 3 million which is one of his last injunctions,
 positi vely, pleasantly with harmony and with vigor, by the seventh anniversary
 of his death. He often said just before his death, 'build the Daikyakuden
 (Grand Reception Hall) at Sohonzan gathering noted products of many
different countries.  I wish to contribute this hall that is also his last
injunction, to Sohonzan by the seventh anniversary of our teacher."
 (K.Kasahara, op. cit.)

Here we can see the depth of President Ikeda's determination. He repeatedly
emphasized the accomplishing of the last injunctions of former President
Toda as the burden of his work.  In his speech he refers often to the name
of Toda. Ikeda respects Toda as his teacher and was his tool. In April
1958, Josei Toda closed his stormy life at the age of 59.
It is said about his successor, that he expressed as his last will, "Choose
 the next President from the Youth Division". It may be said that in this
request he revealed his deep consideration.  Had he made as his last request :
 "The next president will be Daisaku Ikeda", it would doubtless have caused
 disappointment among those leading staff members who had hoped to be
 the next President.  I think therefore he must have thought it would be better
 for them to choose the next President after mutual consultation, and figured it
would also be good for their unity.
It might be supposed that he probably forsaw that if only he had expressed
"choose the next President from the Youth Division," Ikeda would be the
 natural choice, since there were no others of the caliber of Ikeda.  Since
"dead men tell no tales," this is only the conjecture of a third person, but I
believe it is close to the truth.
According to the book "Daisaku Ikeda" by Tadakuni Nakaba, it was on the
14th of August of 1947 when Ikeda and Josei Toda met for the first time.
 Before that, Ikeda, it is said, had been a sort of wanderer.
He was born January 2, 1928, the fifth son of Minokichi Ikeda, who was
 a process manufacturer and seller of laver in Omori, Tokyo.  His father's
 business was very dull.  The family lived in the depth of poverty, moreover
Ikeda had poor health and was at a loss as to what to do. After finishing
primary school and higher primary school he entered the Toyo Commercial
School, and shortly afterwards was stricken with tuberculosis. He was
compelled to be hospitalized at Kashima, Ibaragi Prefecture, and there
can be no doubt that the discipline which suffering imposes on human beings
 undoubtedly affected his life at this t;me and resulted in spiritual growth.
His illness caused him to be unable to continue his studies, since later he was
 forced to drop out of Fuji Jr. College (then Taisei Academy), due to ill health.
 The fact that he had been unable to receive a satisfactory education seems
 to have become an obsession with him and he at last received a diploma
 from Fuji Jr. College by presenting of theses only.  I do not think that a
college diploma is required in order to become President, but in his mind
at that time, there was strong desire to have the prestige of a college graduate.
At any rate he became a polite, mild mannered, and ordinary man of the
 "salary man" type and doubtless the suffering during his illness affected his personality.
When a man happens to find himself sitting in the President's position of an
organization of fanatics, which has become large by means of shakubuku
 activities, the position could bring about some change in his personality.
This position makes demands upon the individtial for the advantage of the
organization regardless of the individual's personal feelings, and develops
their leadership abihty even as it requires him to use the power of the
organization.  As the organization increases in size, the power and prestige
 of the position increases commensurately.  Unless the organization increases
 in size, he will be unable to preserve and maintain it.  Ikeda sits in such a
very big chair.  It is a chair which makes various demands of the man who
 sits in it.  No matter what Ikeda's individual personality may be, the
organization may make him its robot or its man behind the scenes, or its
object of individual worship.  The leader of this organization must have
a nerve so strong that it will permit him to sit unconcernedly upon the
charisma of the worship of individuals.
From the standpoint of appearance, Ikeda seems to have developed a
career of an unimaginably audacious man.  But his writings, in spite of a
wordy writing style, lack content. There are doubts as to whether he has
 superior intelligence, and his statements are very abstract and vague and
when compared to other fascists leaders he is not nearly as charming as
 was Hitler or Mussolini.  About the best that can be said for him is that
 he is the type who would make good as a television personality.
Ordinarily speaking, he would be estimated as a man of the bank branch
 manager capacity, but the problem is, that as he has these ordinary abilities
 be is the head of a group of fanatics.
It is well to recall that the Japanese militarists waged a fanatic war in the
 name of the Emperor.  This shows that in Japan the man who is able to
grow up to be the head of a huge organization is the leader who himself
is unable to put his principles into practice.  This is different from the European
 leaders.  Indeed, the man sitting in such a position, must be careful about his
 balance, and be as vague as possible in his statements, and reveal as little
of his true character as possible, and as much as possible give a performance
which offends no one, otherwise he cannot control the organization.
The Ikeda who had been a fiery and restive leader, after becoming
 President, suddenly changed to a mild, quiet, "Emperor" type individual,
and it may be said that this is a type of personality change which seems
 unavoidable for leaders of a fanatical group in Japanese social conditions.