Shirota Goes to Jail

Shirota Goes to Jail (62 – midcol 1 64)(1421 – 1427)

     ‘It might have been a discussion meeting in hell. Fujiya Shirota, a twenty-five-year-old missionary of kosen-rufu, began to deliver an elaborate discourse.’

     In February, 1955, R Temple demanded that all Gohonzons that had been bestowed on Sokagakkai members be returned. The Head Temple admonished R Temple for its unreasonable request. R Temple later seceded from the Head Temple. Some YMD members encountered Priest S in the suburbs of Osaka one day and asked him to explain his preposterous demand. The priest tried to avoid the YMD. A scuffle ensued and the priest filed a complaint. The police interrogated one of the young men but no further investigation followed.
     In May, 1955, a woman member of one district recanted and allowed the members of another sect to take away her Gohonzon. Goro Sagawa managed to negotiate the return of the Gohonzon, but there was an altercation between a YMD and several followers of the other sect resulting in a police investigation. After interrogating the YMD, the police declined to continue the investigation.
     In January, 1956, members of a group gathered at the group chief’s house for a New Year’s party. Two former members crashed the party. In a drunken rampage they turned over tables and broke the glass doors. The members got together and ejected the two, one of whom fell at the entrance and got a lump over his eye. There was no police involvement at the time.
     Now the local police had resurrected these cases in an apparent attempt to discredit the Sokagakkai. Six men were eventually detained.
Fujiya Shirota, a leader of the YMD corps staff, was rousted from a sound sleep early in the morning of May 15th by several plainclothes detectives and escorted to the police station. But Shirota insisted on doing gongyo before he would leave his apartment. His interrogation lasted into the evening and it was decided that he would be detained at the police station. As usual personal effects were collected but Shirota rebelled when they demanded his omamori Gohonzon. They settled, finally, for the attached cord. Shirota kept the Gohonzon safely in his shirt pocket.
In the detention room inmates stared at Shirota malevolently but he resolved to remain calm. He did evening gongyo in spite of the jailer’s admonition. Then, the next morning, after he had done gongyo, the senior inmate of the cell, the “boss”, questioned him about reciting the sutra. There followed an impromptu discussion meeting.
Shirota asserted that his was the only religion in the world that could make anyone happy. “You have been branded bad men because you did something against the law”, he said. “I admit that it is absolutely wrong to violate the law of the land, but there is one thing I want to ask you. Why did you become so wicked as to violate the law? It is because of your destiny – because your lives are terribly and fundamentally poisoned by the false religions which have been handed down from generation to generation in your families. Therefore, what should be blamed are these false religions, not you yourselves.”
The dumbfounded inmates had never heard anything like this before.

Points to ponder

     Imagine Shirota’s plight as he was unceremoniously h auled off to the police station and detained overnight. Yet he kept his cool and never missed gongyo.
     What must the other inmates have thought about Shirota’s actions?
     How should we deal with unfounded police charges?

Steep Path

Steep Path

The police try to disrupt the Soka Gakkai’s campaign in Osaka by arresting six members. Shinichi reminds the leaders about the three powerful enemies and the persecutions of the past. Toda senses the campaign in Tokyo is failing. Osaka Chapter converts 11,111 families in May, an unprecedented result.

Notes publication will be:

29 Sep - Shirota Goes to Jail (62 – midcol 1 64)(1421 – 1427)
5 Oct - Sokagakkai Under Attack (midcol 1 64 – 66)1427 – 1432)
10 Oct - Agony in Osaka (67 – midcol 1 69)(1432 – 1436)
15 Oct - Shirota’s Campaign (midcol 1 69 – midcol 1 71)(1436 – 1441)
20 Oct - Shirota’s Struggle (midcol1 71 – 72)(1441 – 1444)
25 Oct - Freedom (73 – near end 74)(1444 – 1447)
30 Oct - Deadlock (near end 74 – midcol 2 76)(1447 – 1450)
4 Nov - Political Pressure (midcol 2 76 – 78)(1450 – 1455)
9 Nov - About Ittetsu Okada (79 – near end col 1 81)( 1455 - 1459)
14 Nov - Election (near end col 1 81 – 86)(1459 – 1469)
19 Nov – Wrap-up

Leap Forward Wrapup

Leap Forward Wrap-up

Singin’ in the Rain (pp 41-43)
On April 8,1956, the Osaka-Sakai General Meeting was held outdoors in steadily falling rain. An intense shakubuku campaign, led by Shinichi Yamamoto, preceded the meeting and the members were in high spirits.

Osaka-Sakai General Meting (pp 44-midcol1 46)
1pm, 8 April 1956. The members are in high spirits, singing one gakkai song after another. The Osaka-Sakai general meeting opens in the pelting rain.
     Shinichi stated that the predominant religion or philosophy of a nation forms the foundation for the happiness of the people.
     Josei Toda declared that he wished to dispel poverty from all the members in the area. He went on to discuss the evils of false religion in light of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism.

The Joy of Victory (pp midcol1 46-47)
     The Kansai members could hardly believe their great success. They were filled with the joy of victory. The shakubuku result thus far in April (and it’s only the 9th) was reported to be well over 4000. Discussion meetings were being held in every corner of the land.

Devil Defeated (pp 48-49)
The Osaka members, buoyed by their recent success, began to resent receiving direction from the Tokyo leaders. The Tokyo leaders thought the Osaka leaders were becoming arrogant. Shinichi Yamamoto took them al to task, stressing unity as the a key to kosenrufu.

Kansai Campaign (pp 50-midcol2 52)
     Ceremonies commemorating the High Priest Nichijun inauguration were held with 700,000 Sokagakkai members making the pilgrimage to Taisekiji.
Osaka chapter reported a 9,002 shakubuku result for April; Sakai chapter – 1,111. Shinichi was certain that 10,000 converts by the Osaka chapter would be possible in the May campaign.
     The Osaka Chapter leader’s meeting was held as scheduled amid boundless enthusiasm. Shinichi strongly encouraged the members to achieve victory in May.

Victorious Kansai (midcol2 52-midcol2 54)
The amazing accomplishment of Kansai profoundly affected leaders from other areas. A senior leader chastised the Tokyo leaders for their lukewarm practice. Another called for more emphasis on discussion meetings instead of planning and organizational meetings. President Toda talked at length on the conduct of shakubuku.

The Sleeping Lion (midcol2 54-55)
District Chief Kazuyuki Sagawa proclaimed, ‘The sleeping lion has now arisen!’as he began his remarks at the Abeno district rally held in the Nakanoshima public hall on May 2nd and attended by close to 3,000 people. Their amazing success was a tribute to Shinichi’s leadership.

Young Lions (pp 56-58)
     The 14th general meeting took place on May 3rd attended by over 30,000 leaders from across the country. Several speakers addressed the attendees, jubilant over the amazing growth of the Sokagakkai.

Kansai Digs In (pp 59-61)
     Shinichi’s actions kept Osaka buzzing. He continued to do gongyo with the top leaders and give them a gosho lecture every morning. Discussion meetings were taking place all over the country every day.