Mr. Joseph Thomas
Memphis, Tn 38116

Dear Mr. Thomas:

I address this letter to you and other S.G.I. members because of the love and respect that I have for you and other S.G.I. friends. On June of this year I mention to an S.G.I. member at the Juneteenth celebration that I was going to visit the Dai-Gohonzon and I remember the S.G.I. member saying "The high Priest had gone crazy" and she wanted nothing to do with the Nichiren Shoshu organization and the Nichiren Shoshu Priesthood. I remember the anger in my friend's tone of voice regarding the Priesthood.

In receiving my Gohonzon 22 years ago I pledged to protect my Gohonzon and I at that time I joined Nichiren Shoshu while at the same time I was a member of the Soka Gakkai. A few years ago I broke away from S.G.I. and sometime afterwards I heard of a dispute between S.G.I. and the Priesthood. There were many issues that I challeged S.G.I. on and I wrote a formal letter to George Kusaba, George Williams and Daisaku Ikeda. Although being away from S.G.I. one person who I held in my heart who I loved and respected so dearly was Daisaku Ikeda. In my 22 years of studying and practicing Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism we were taught the purity of Nichiren Shoshu has been carried out by the priesthood and maintained for over 700 years.

It was you Mr. Thomas who use to talk about the purity of the practice and that the priesthood had maintained the purity of the practice of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism. At no time had I ever had concerns about the priesthood but I can point out errors perpetrated by S.G.I. In my conversation with you Saturday September 7, 1996 you made the limiting remark that you had heard that I was practicing down there with Julius. Mr. Thomas let me make the point clear that when I accepted Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism I accepted faith via the Nichiren Shoshu Temple and in my 22 years of practice I have never stopped my practice however I did stop my practice of practicing with S.G.I. Mr. Thomas let me make the point clear that whenever you mention about my practice please say that Anthony Elmore is steadfastly following the over 700 year old teachings of Nichiren Shoshu (True Buddhism). I did not just join Nichiren Shoshu or some fly by night cult I maintained my faith in Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism.

On the contrary Mr. Thomas it is you and many others who have forsaken the True law and the "Three Treasures". Mr. Thomas you and others have adopted many erroneous views regarding Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism and I am disappointed that you who we African/Americans revered as the father of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism for us has adopted mistaken views regarding Buddhism. Mr. Thomas we all loved you and through your spirit we in Memphis grew in leaps in bounds in numbers. However on the other hand when racism reeked through out S.G.I. and hindered our growth Mr. Thomas you took an Uncle Tom attitude and acquiesced to the status quo when you knew well that the Gosho read "There should be no discrimination between those who propagate Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Mr. Thomas you have no history of standing up or following True faith, if so you would have like myself, Julius Dorsey and others challenged S.G.I. on those erroneous views. When I challenged Kusaba you Mr. Thomas who was my Buddhist father never came to my aid and over a decade you have never visited my home to do gongyo or encourage me in faith.

Mr. Thomas the first person who I called since I returned from Tozan was my Buddhist father Joseph Thomas. However to my disappointment and dismay you Mr. Thomas explained to me in about hearsay and heretical interpretations of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism. Mr. Thomas it was you who use to preach about the Three proofs and when I asked you had you read any documents other that S.G.I.'s documents you said no. Also I asked you had you talked to any Nichiren Shoshu priests regarding the matter and you said no. I asked you had you talked directly to any one person who had talked directly to the priest and you said no. Mr. Thomas you well know that to qualify the three proofs you must compare doctrines, theories and actual proof.

The fact is Mr. Thomas you do not have the guts or passion to seek the True Buddhist teachings if so you would have reached out for objective views regarding the issues of S.G.I. and Nichiren Shoshu. Mr. Thomas if you were to search out you would know that the issue of the Priesthood and S.G.I. namely Daisaku Ikeda did not just began and documented evidence of this can be researched with High priest Nikken Shonin's sermons published over 15 years ago. Mr. Thomas please refer to the publication "SERMONS BY NIKKEN SHONIN 67 HIGH PRIEST OF NICHIREN SHOSHU". Published on June 27, 1981 by Nichiren Shoshu Temple. These sermons were Reprinted by the Seikyo Times
Sermon at the Formal Succession Ceremony: Delivered April 6, 1980 (reprinted by Seikyo Times June 1980).
First Formal Sermon: Delivered April 6, 1980 (reprinted by Seikyo times October 1980).
High Priest Sermon to Lay Believers: Given November 26, 1980 to representative leaders of the Soka Gakkai. (Reprinted from the April/May issue of the Seikyo times)

Mr. Thomas please examine the May 1980 issue of the Seikyo Times "Reconfirming Our Fundamental Mission" whereby Daisaku Ikeda apologizes for the problems of the priests and the laity.
Page three of the Lay believers sermon said " We can also say, the extremely rapid growth of the Soka Gakkai brought about a variety of new circumstances contrasting markedly with the time honored ecclesiastical traditions of thought and custom, thus harboring the potential for disharmony"

Also he said that a "pronounced tendency emerged to regard the Soka Gakkai as primary and the priesthood as secondary in achieving Kosen-rufu". President Ikeda apologized for many mis-directions to the members in words but in action things never changed.

Mr. Thomas you must examine S.G.I. writings prior to 1979 when the apology was made and examine writings after 1979 you will see a stark difference. The major writings of Nichiren Daishonin printed its first edition 1979 and referred to the Three Treasures and notice changes from 1979 to the third volume printed in 1985 changed the Third Treasure Priest. In 1979 it states that the third treasure is "Nikko Shonin, who succeeded Nichiren Daishonin, and also indicates the successive high priests. Little by little the third treasure changed, refer to your three volumes of the "Major Writings. Also check the revised and expanded edition of "Fundamentals of Buddhism" printed in 1984 and I understand why you Mr. Thomas explained to me about the erroneous view of the priesthood as you explained in your conversation with me on September 7, 1996.

Mr. Thomas you expressed to me the erroneous notion of the Nichiren Shoshu priests acting as if they were above the laity. Mr. Thomas I just returned from Taisekiji Temple in Japan and I can dispel that foolish notion. During my visit to Taisekiji I documented my entire visit using my professional Panasonic Ag-455 professional video camera and my compaq 4/25 computer . My tape document the hand and glove relationship between the priest and laity in Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism. Mr. Thomas I ask you to present one shred of evidence of the Nichiren Shoshu priests acting above laity. I personally documented in almost every frame of my video whereas priests and laity are together. In conversations I recorded of members they all speak of the wonderful relationship of the priest and laity.

Mr. Thomas this is a known fact that in S.G.I. and N.S.A. we were taught that all Nichiren Shoshu Priests did was ceremonial things like funerals, weddings ect. Mr. Thomas you know that this is a fact. We in NSA never had a relationship with our Priests and all of our Buddhist teachings came from lay persons and never from our priests. Mr. Thomas you and other members never had the opportunity to get the benefit of practicing with a priest and many of S.G.I.'s perception of the priesthood is mis-directed and erroneous . Resultantly you like many S.G.I. member snort their noses up at the priests in disrespect.

Mr. Thomas in my conversation with you, you pointed out several concerns regarding the priesthood. 1.The first concern you said was that the high priest is using the members money to purchase golf county club memberships for his friends. Mr. Thomas this charge can be answered by the Nichiren Shoshu Priesthood. You mention that Koreans could not visit the head temple and this charge can also be answered on my video tape at Taisekiji interview Korean members with other members from around the world we prayed together. In your denial of worshipping to the Dai-Gohonzon you quote from the Gosho "Attaining Buddhahood "Never seek the Gohonzon out side of you own life and you deny the importance of worshipping to the Dai-Gohonzon.
Mr. Thomas you have adopted a form of Zen Buddhism by denying the three treasures and you deny the basic tenets of Nichiren Daishonin's True Buddhism. Notice in the Glossary of the "Major Writings of Nichiren Daishonin it states "In Nichiren Shoshu volume #One 1. "The Buddha indicates the True Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin, 2. "The Law" is the Dai-Gohonzon, the object of worship; and 3. "The Priest is Nikko Shonin who succeeded Nichiren Daishonin, and also indicates the successive high Priests.
In the course of its propagation S.G.I. have little by little changed the writing to suit its needs and any charges against the Priesthood that mentioned in your September 7, 1996 conversation can be challenged and the attitude that you have chosen are heretical views of Buddhism.

Also in your conversation you mention that there was no distinction between the clergy and laity. In fact many S.G.I. members feel that the S.G.I. is the soul reason for the spread of Nichiren Shoshu.
In the high Priest Sermon to the Lay Believers printed in the Seikyo Times April/May 1981 issue the high priests answers your mistaken views Mr. Thomas. The 67th high priest Nikken Shonin states "Clergy and laity in Nichiren Shoshu have the same mission for eternally handing down the Law to posterity and for achieving Kosen-rufu. Although I mentioned that they have the same mission, there is a distinction between the two. The priest's mission lies in Keeping the Law for eternity , while lay believers have the mission of doing shakubuku and promoting kosenrufu."

"In Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, the significance of the transmission of the law and Kosen-rufu cannot be fully clariified without the existence of priests. In the Gosho, "Four kinds of Gratitude" (Shion Sho), we find a passage which states, "The treasures of the Buddha and the Law will be eternally handed down by priests… You cannot fully reward the debt of gratitude you owe priests.(Gosho Zenshu p. 938). The priesthood headed by the high priests protects the Law from within, while lay believers protect it as they live in society. The high priest who receives the heritage of the Law which originated with Nichiren Daishonin appears from among the priests. The nirvana Sutra gives a basic understanding about the roles of clergy and laity in Buddhism it states, "Within there are wise disciples who understand the profound doctrines and outside there are lay believers who are pure in faith, thus eternalizing the Law". I hope you will understand that priests have transmitted the Law until this day and will do so forever. Priest and lay believers must unite in promoting kosen-rufu with this awareness……(unquote)

Mr. Thomas I am not talking about hearsay I with my own eyes and ears have recently returned from seeing the Dai-Gohonzon and I spent time with the priests and I challenge any arrogant egotistical assertion that you and many S.G.I. members are making about the Priests. You can only tell me what you have read and I am telling you what I saw and recorded with my video camera. Mr. Thomas not at one time had you ever attempted to investigate charges regarding the priests. In the fourteen slanders 1.Arrogance: you arrogantly assume that the priest are corrupt 2. Negligence: You are too lazy to travel to Taisekiji to examine things for yourself. 3.Egotistical Judgment: you are judging things via you own egotistical judgement.4.Shallow understanding: you are judging via your shallow understanding

Mr. Thomas I can go down all 14 Buddhist slanders and point out errors as to how you and many of my family in S.G.I. are unjustly showing contempt to the priests. My aim is not to throw stones at you but I hope that you would look into your hearts and have faith enough to challenge me and at lease examine my claims. I have a video tape of my recent Tozan that will answer many questions and we can arrange an audience with a priest for you and any member who claim that the priests are corrupt or that they have lost the True Buddhism.

Mr. Thomas this letter is addressed to you because you are the father to all of us African/Americans in Nichiren Shoshu in Memphis and I love and respect you as much as the Daishonin respected his master Dozenbo. The Gosho "On Flowers and Seeds" reads;" It is said that if a master has a good disciple, both will attain Buddhahood , but if a master fosters a bad disciple, both will fall into hell." Mr. Thomas I am a good disciple and respect you as my Buddhist father. Mr. Thomas it was the "Three great secret laws and the Three Treasures when we talked about our faith and the Three great secret laws now. Although I addressed this letter to you this letter is for anyone who asserts that the Nichiren Shoshu Priests are corrupt or the Dai-Gohonzon is no longer valid.
I close my letter with a quote from the Gosho; Letter to Niike;" The sutra explains that people in the latter day of the law will be arrogant, though their knowledge of Buddhism is trifling, and will show disrespect to the Priest, neglect the Law and thereby fall into the evil paths. If one truly understands Buddhism, he should show this in his respect for the Priest, " (major writings page 260).