From: owner-abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com (abolition-usa-digest) To: abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: abolition-usa-digest V1 #474 Reply-To: abolition-usa-digest Sender: owner-abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-abolition-usa-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk abolition-usa-digest Sunday, September 30 2001 Volume 01 : Number 474 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 14:46:33 -0400 From: David Culp Subject: (abolition-usa) Sen. Byrd opposes missile defense "Space Wars," by Sen. Robert C. Byrd Congressional Record, September 26, 2001, pp. S9826-28 Mr. BYRD. Madam President, during the August recess, The New York Times Magazine ran a cover story entitled "The Coming Space War" The article caught my interest, as I am sure that it intrigued many other readers. The author's contention is that the U.S. military is considering a campaign to achieve military superiority in space similar to the kind of military superiority that U.S. forces seek in the air, on land, and from the sky. Military superiority in space is deemed critical in order to protect our increasing dependence on satellites for communications, surveillance, commercial and military purposes. On August 24, President Bush named Air Force General Richard Myers, a former chief of the U.S. Space Command and of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, as the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Myers' selection as Chairman is in keeping with President Bush's strong support for building a national missile defense, NMD, the follow-on to President Reagan's Star Wars Strategic Defense Initiative, SDI. It is certainly true that our dependence--and that of other developed and developing nations--on these winking, blinking objects winging through the night sky has increased exponentially over the last decade. It has rapidly become almost impossible to imagine a world without the Internet, the World Wide Web, electronic mail on handheld computers or cellular phones, automated teller machines, instantaneous worldwide credit card use, and other forms of global telecommunications and electronic commerce. This expansion and its dependence on satellite links will continue to increase in future decades. We are all dependent, and, therefore, we are all vulnerable, to the seamless and uninterrupted access to satellites. Most people, however, do not understand these technologies. I certainly do not. Like most people, I can understand that I may be vulnerable in ways that are new to me, a boy from the Mercer County hills in southern West Virginia. But how best to address this new vulnerability? The author of The New York Times Magazine article describes three fundamentally different philosophical approaches to this brave new realm of space. The first is a military approach, which opens up a Pandora's box of weapons in space. The military, it is reported, has looked into the future and come to the conclusion that space represents the "ultimate military `high ground,' "requiring the military to develop and deploy whatever technology is necessary to achieve what has been termed "Global Battlespace Dominance," or "Full Spectrum Dominance." The tools needed might include everything from National Missile Defense to antisatellite laser or high-powered microwave weapons, or clusters of microsatellites to hyperspectral surveillance satellites and other space sensors--or all of these things. Some of these systems are under development now or due for testing soon, according to the article, already undercutting the author's assertion that the weaponization of space is coming, when, in fact, it may already be upon us. Already--already--additional funding to the tune of $190 million is being sought in the defense authorization and appropriations bills for space weapons. Now, if I, like most people, do not really understand the technologies behind satellite communications and cell phones, it is even harder to understand the technologies behind hyperspectral surveillance satellites or space-based lasers. And that lack of technical expertise means, like most Americans, I must depend on the Pentagon to explain why these new technologies are needed, why no other alternatives will work, and what new questions and challenges might be unleashed by these choices. That is not, I suggest, the best way to perform oversight, but, unfortunately, there are few good alternatives. The second philosophical approach to space outlined by the author is that of the purist, seeking to unilaterally ban weapons from space and seeking to return the heavens to an earlier, unsullied era--an earlier unsullied era. This is not, in the author's view, a realistic hope. The final philosophical approach, the one seemingly favored by the author, is that of the "pragmatist"--the "pragmatist." This approach recognizes the inevitable migration of commerce and the military to space, but hopes to hold the line at surveillance. Weapons for space would, in this view, remain in the research and test phase, to be launched only in response to another nation's attempt to put weapons in space. This launch-on-warning approach would come in conjunction with further diplomatic efforts to establish operating rules for space modeled on those in place for blue-water ships on the open ocean. In the pragmatist's scenario, existing space treaties would be retained: the 1967 Outer Space Treaty banning nuclear weapons in space and the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty which, in addition to establishing the surveillance system to avoid nuclear conflict, also forbids most antimissile testing. One way of reducing competition and tensions in space proposed in the article is by "mutually assured awareness" in space. The U.S. would develop and make globally available direct video access to space, so that anyone could confirm any hostile action in space, as opposed to mishaps from natural causes. I am not sure that this is technologically feasible, but who am I to question it. The concept of greater openness is the point. It is interesting, in this light, to note that the 1975 Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space, operated by the United Nations, has not been very successful. In fact, the nation with the largest number, if not percentage, of unregistered payloads is the United States. The United States has failed to register 141 of some 2,000 satellite payloads. Only one nation is in full compliance--Russia. And, of course, it is the Bush Administration advocating the abrogation of the ABM Treaty in order to commence construction on the first National Missile Defense ground site in Alaska. I cannot say at this point what philosophical camp that I might find myself. The author, Jack Hitt, closes his article by pointing out that if the United States is not successful at holding the line at surveillance, if we "plan, test, and deploy aggressively as the lone superpower, we make certain that after a brief respite from the cold war's nuclear competition, we will once again embark on a fresh and costly arms race. And with it, assume the dark burden of policing a rapid evolution in battlespace." This specter rings true. It should concern us, and it should be debated by the people and the people's representatives. As it stands now, the U.S. military is moving ahead on a trajectory that is both costly and one that carries with it a kind of philosophical imperialism with dangerous ramifications. Now, what do I mean by philosophical imperialism? The military's plans for "full spectrum dominance," and space superiority, if fully realized, would mean that in some not-so-distant future, the United States would be in a position to (in the words of the Air Force Strategic Master Plan) "operate freely in space, deny the use of space to our adversaries, protect ourselves from an attack in and through space and develop and deploy a N[ational] M[issile] D[efense] capability." The U.S. would presumably, then, have information dominance in this arena as well. Thus, the U.S. would be in a position to know if a conflict between two nations, say India and Pakistan, was about to explode into open, even nuclear, warfare. The U.S. would also be in a position to act, but how? Would we shoot down the missiles from one side or the other, or both? If we shot down the missiles that each nation was firing at the other, what would happen if we missed one and it destroyed a city? What is our responsibility? What if we chose not to act because the conflict did not involve us, and tens of thousands or millions of innocent people died? What is our responsibility? If the United States achieves, at enormous expense, space superiority, how could we avoid becoming the space marshal on this dangerous new frontier? If we detect a threat against a third party, do we warn the third party? If we provide a warning, and are asked to interdict the attack because only we can, how do we say no? How do we avoid making our military personnel and our commercial enterprises overseas the targets of reprisals from those whose attacks we thwart? It is difficult for me to envision a future in which we could avoid such an imperialist, if benevolent, dictatorship in space. The role of global policeman and space marshal would not come cheaply, either, and in this period of shrinking or perhaps vanishing surpluses, we cannot ignore those costs. Space dominance would not replace air, land, or sea dominance, but would be additive. In fact, dominance in space might conceivably add to the cost of protecting forces on ground by making them targets for the kind of retaliation I mentioned previously. Gaining and maintaining a robust presence in space is technologically challenging. An airborne laser, reportedly operational sometime around 2010, is budgeted at $11 billion. It will cost still more to build and deploy a space-based laser. The estimated cost for a working space laser test is about $4 billion--that is $4 billion merely to get to a test of a laser in space. A test is expected as early as 2010. The defense budget already consumes a bit over half of the domestic discretionary budget that Congress must allocate among programs ranging from health research to agriculture, education to highway and air traffic safety, environmental protection to diplomacy. How much more are we willing to trade between guns and butter? How much must we trade, or might alternatives be found in the course of free and open debate? As most people are now well aware, those large budget surpluses so optimistically predicted just a few weeks ago--it is not funny--while the economy was booming--and so irresponsibly paid out in the form of vote-buying "tax refunds" before the actual surpluses materialized--are now gone, gone. Indeed, the Administration has had to employ a few green-eyeshade accounting tricks just to find a few dollars beyond the Social Security surplus to spend on other priorities. And the administration's No. 1 priority seems to be the defense budget--well, that might be all right--but more particularly, the defense budget for National Missile Defense and space weapons. The President wants an additional $39 billion for defense--more, perhaps, now--including more than $8 billion to research and test his missile defense plan. I am troubled that this Administration's number one priority is a project whose scientific feasibility is in doubt. That is the problem. We could very well be rushing down a path that leads to spiraling costs and lengthy delays. In the 1960s, Congress was told that research of a Super Sonic Transport plane was essential to U.S. competitiveness in future decades. I was here. We spent nearly a billion dollars developing this aircraft before cancelling it in 1973, a billion dollars then would be much larger now. I do not think we have lost one whit of competitiveness because of the cancellation of that program. We traveled down the same path again when we considered funding the Superconducting Super Collider. The $8 billion program was supposed to fulfill a supposedly vital role in basic scientific research, but we learned that the true cost was nearly fifty percent greater than expected, and we were not even sure it could ever work. Congress had to step in to end this program in 1993. Again, I do not think that we have lost any crucial advantage by not going forward with that project. I can think of no one who believes that a national missile defense system will be deployed on-time and under budget. I am troubled, not because such weapons might be needed, but because we are spending huge sums on them without being sure in our own minds that the weaponization of space is the best course of action to ensure our security. If the United States builds a missile shield to shoot down enemy missiles as soon after they launch as possible, a smart adversary would attempt to shorten the amount of time that our defenses have to react, in addition to taking measures to fool our defenses. One way to shorten the time between launch and impact is to launch closer to the target--either from a submarine offshore, or, as the seas become more transparent to new technologies, from space. Another alternative for a wily adversary would be to switch gears entirely and employ other forms of weapons of mass destruction, such as chemical or biological weapons, that could be dispersed without using long range or intercontinental missiles whose launch points make determining the adversary a simple exercise in geometry. We must be aware that our actions produce reactions. We can assume that if the United States deploys weapons in space, even in a purely defensive posture, even in a global policeman role, not all of our friends, allies, and competitors will see this as benign. We have only to consider the reaction of the world to the recent statements by the Administration concerning National Missile Defense and the potential abrogation of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Just what would we do when some other nation--friend or competitor--threatens our space superiority by deploying their own weapons there, even if for avowedly defensive purposes? Again the vision of a space marshal comes to mind, this time facing off another gunman down the dusty main street of space. Does the U.S. Marshal fire first, second, or is it a long, tense stand-off with weapons cocked? None of the alternatives sounds particularly promising. Though it is difficult to conceive, would a military competition in space weaponry deter commercial satellite growth or the growth of e-business that depends on global satellite networked communications? Once weapons are in space, does the cost of doing business in space go up to the point that global commerce is stifled? That would be very bad news for business, for consumers, and for the prospects of returning our national budget to surplus or even to balance. These are all ramifications of our current course of action that merit discussion--broad, open, public discussion and debate. I do not wish for the United States to be left undefended--far from it--but neither do I wish for the military to be left, in the face of public silence, to make decisions that spend our treasure and which may create new problems for us in arenas yet unconsidered. In his farewell address on January 17, 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower looked upon the rising power and influence of armament producers and at the increasing share of technological research that is performed for the federal government. He warned the councils of government to "guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex .....," and to "be alert to the ..... danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite." Mr. Eisenhower was concerned that, among other things, "democracy ..... survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow." He urged that "[O]nly an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together." Coming from a former supreme commander of the Allied military forces during World War II, President Eisenhower's words carry the weight of his experience. They are also uncomfortably prophetic. Just forty years after President Eisenhower gave his warning, President Bush proposes to invest many billions of dollars to achieve military superiority in a new realm, where there currently is no threat, jeopardizing the economic health of the nation and creating instability and mistrust in the hearts of other nations. This will occur unless the citizenry--and its elected representatives--we members of the House and U.S. Senate--especially us--consider and agree upon this course of action. Silence does not equal assent. We must talk, and learn, and consider. Again, I am admittedly a layman when it comes to high-tech gadgetry on earth, let alone in space. But it seems to me that we must set aside the whizbang and drama of lasers and satellites to consider the real, age-old questions--those that have plagued the great generals throughout time. We should be taking stock of what we have to gain and what we have to lose by moving the lines of battle. We must consider whether or not we have the necessary weapons to protect ourselves and our land before we send our military into new and vastly different frontiers. We should assess the real, known threats to our Nation, and gauge whether we have the weapons and the resources to remain secure, and whether our time, talent, and treasure would be better spent fending off those most likely threats or devising new unproven plans of attack and fabulously expensive means of battle. And we should ponder the awesome responsibility of militarizing space and then being the world's space cop before we rush headlong into the twilight zone called national missile defense. Madam President, I believe that it would be both wise and prudent to back off just a little bit on the accelerator that is driving us in a headlong and fiscally spendthrift rush to deploy a national missile defense and to invest billions into putting weapons in space and building weapons designed to act in space. That heavy foot on the accelerator is merely the stamp and roar of rhetoric. The threat does not justify the pace. Our budget projections cannot support the pace. Let us continue to study the matter. Let us continue to conduct research. But the threat, as I say, does not justify the pace at which we are traveling. Our budget projections cannot support the pace, so let us slow down a bit, look at the map, and consider just where this path is taking us. - ------------------ - - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 15:04:13 -0700 From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) 9-11solutions: Puthoff on CIA RV, History Channel tonight, 9/27 (Thurs), w/ Hal Puthoff et al, repeats at midnight CIA RV Program on History Channel, 9/27 (Thurs), 8PM & Midnight EDT/PDT As the world edges closer to nuclear war with US preparations for a WWIII on "Islamic terrorists" reportedly in possession of "suitcase nukes" already smuggled into the United States, the History Channel is tonight airing repeating key television programs implicating apparently rogue operatives of the CIA in the Kennedy assasination and more official CIA involvement in psychic warfare (remote viewing, psi-ops, psi-war, etc) developments which in part apply knowledge gained by DOE recognized leading American "Zero-Point Energy" physicist Dr. Hal Puthoff subsequent to publication of his hard science Nature magazine article in 1974 documenting experiments with famed Israeli psychic Uri Geller. The deeper applications of this information relate to correcting the mind of science and the brutal policies of the United States government, as well as to ameliorating the inter-religious misunderstandings at the root of the present global terrorism crisis. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dcwilliams/message/120 This "Aviary, Aquarium, and Eshcaton" article names and discusses the etherial "Aviary" of scientists (including Dr. Hal Puthoff), government officials and others, in purported collaboration with the head of the CIA office of Science and Technology, who out of concern for potential public panic over any hint of US government worry about emerging end-of-the-world scenarios, utilize a "blind alley" strategy to "inflate the pieces of the puzzle so the whole picture cannot be seen" as a way to ameliorate potential public panic. While primarily discussing the UFO and related CIA remote viewing and psi-wars issues, this 9pp 1993 article's thesis may be logically extended to other issues such as secrecy policies relating to the suppressed new-energy technologies to replace nuclear and fossil fuel power, the corruption of US politicians and intel agencies whose rogue operatives facilitate the illegal drug trade (www.copvcia.com), etc. The protagonist in this story, a radical Christian activist theologian/physicist named Dan Smith, is still asking for assistance of a developing network (which he calls the "Aquarium") of more spiritually minded collaborators to help him in his efforts to infuse a more balanced spiritual perspective into government policies via his longtime lobbying efforts and collaboration with above named CIA office head. Yesterday, Sept.26, his efforts were referred to the FBI as "plotting a terrorist attack of some sort, possibly directed at the Internet" by a member of the email collaboration list of Dr. Jack Sarfatti who is working to develop more advanced weaponry instead of appplying his "post quantum physics of consciousness theory" to the reconciliation of conflicting religious ideologies (www.stardrive.org) http://www.historychannel.com use "Click here for complete listings" to access when these and related programs* repeat. - ----begin forwarded posts/announcement---- From: "Integrity Research Institute, Thomas Valone" [ new-energy researcher and former patent examiner fired for convening a Conference on Future Energy after criticism by a UMD physics professor. Valone says there are 4,000 patents in a vault at US Patent Office confiscated from inventors and ordered secret including many new-energy technologies http://users.erols.com/iri ]-dcw Subject: Fw: History Channel, 9/27 (Thurs), Puthoff et al on CIA RV Program Date: Wednesday, September 26, 2001 11:47 AM From one of the top zero point energy physicists in the world comes an announcement about a ten-year CIA program that was subjected to a disinformation report after it ended. Dr. Puthoff was directly involved in the program. -T.V. ===================== - ----- Original Message ----- From: [Hal Puthoff] To: Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2001 11:16 AM Subject: History Channel, 9/27 (Thurs), Puthoff et al on CIA RV Program According to the History Channel online schedule, "Hidden History: Psychic Espionage" will air at 8pm Eastern time (7pm Central time) on Thursday, 27 September, and again at 12:00 a.m. on the 28th. The program includes interviews with Joe McMoneagle, Hal Puthoff, Skip Atwater, and Paul Smith, among others. Here's what the History Channel's webpage had to say about this show: History Undercover *Psychic Espionage In 1970, reports leaked out of the Soviet Union about their widespread use of ESP, remote-viewing, and other psychic abilities by the military and intelligence agencies. The United States quickly began their own top-secret research into the paranormal. For over 20 years, the CIA used psychic spies in dozens of covert missions. Join us as we step into the world of the unknown and meet psychic spies from the CIA, KGB, and spy agencies in Great Britain, Poland, Germany, and Israel. - ---------end forwarded posts---- from 9/27, 8:00PM - 9:00PM *History Undercover, *Psychic Espionage 9/27, 9:00PM - 10:00PM *The Men Who Killed Kennedy The Witnesses If in 1963 there had been an honest investigation of the Kennedy assassination, we might today know the truth. In the fifth episode, witnesses help us decide for ourselves--who really killed Kennedy? TV G *The Men Who Killed Kennedy http://store.aetv.com/html/catalog/vp02.jhtml?id=17493 Six videotapes including an overview episode "Men Who Killed Kennedy: The Truth Shall Make You Free", and a five-part video series, a detailed analysis together totaling 250minutes. THE MEN WHO KILLED KENNEDY is a balanced, unflinching look at the many loose ends and troubling facts surrounding the assassination of JFK. Exclusive interviews with hundreds of people involved, including police and government officials, point to many problems with the official findings, and independently conducted studies cast doubt on many of the conclusions of the Warren Report. From the mysterious background of Oswald to the schizophrenic behavior of the Secret Service and FBI, every aspect of the case is examined, and new evidence exposes the sinister forces behind the brutal murder of JFK. Watch...and decide for yourself! *Sworn to Secrecy [related program, check website for schedule of showings] *Psychological Warfare The soldiers who employ "Psy Ops" use every means available to destroy the will of the enemy to resist. Charlton Heston narrates this look at the secret tools and techniques of wartime "persuasion". TV G - ---------end history channel website excerpts Feedback on above TV shows and suggestions for themes of future programs perhaps to more deeply explore historical implications of related themes, may be emailed to the History Channel via http://www.historychannel.com/feed_back/index.html where this post has also been copied. David Crockett Williams, September 27, 2001 (3M-89)** Science and Technology in Society and Public Policy list moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dcwilliams an American Peace Movement member http://groups.yahoo.com/group/an-american-peace-movement **The Third Millennium Project http://groups.yahoo.com/group/third-millennium-project - - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 19:22:38 -0400 From: John Burroughs Subject: (abolition-usa) Sept 11 articles: special edition of LCNP newsletter A preview edition of the Lawyers' Committee on Nuclear Policy newsletter Bombs Away! concerning September 11 related issues is now at http://lcnp.org/pubs/Bombsaway!SPE01/contents.htm It contains articles by myself, Peter Weiss, and Saul Mendlovitz concerning the need and requirement for multilateralism under the UN Charter; the constraints of humanitarian law; the inapplicability of the concept of "war"; possible use of a special international tribunal to try suspects like those used for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia; and the current status of terrorism treaties and possible developments. John Burroughs, Executive Director Lawyers' Committee on Nuclear Policy 211 E. 43d St., Suite 1204 New York, New York 10017 USA tel: +1 212 818 1861 fax: 818 1857 e-mail: johnburroughs@lcnp.org website: www.lcnp.org Part of the Abolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons - - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2001 18:23:54 +0100 From: Sally Light Subject: (abolition-usa) [Fwd: Protesting Use of Nukes and Subcritical Test] This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - --------------9A7517063B40464D575889C5 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit - --------------9A7517063B40464D575889C5 Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Disposition: inline Return-Path: Received: from misc.twics.com ([192.135.222.5]) by emu (EarthLink SMTP Server) with ESMTP id tr51kt.nvr.37tiu8v for ; Wed, 26 Sep 2001 18:53:33 -0700 (PDT) Received: from intlmain (ip43-68.fli.psinet.ne.jp [210.158.43.68]) by misc.twics.com (8.9.1/8.9.1) with SMTP id KAA11014; Thu, 27 Sep 2001 10:51:03 +0900 (JST) Message-ID: <003b01c146f6$9eb2c660$0300a8c0@intlmain> From: "antiatom" To: "Sally Light" , "Abolition-Caucus@egroup" Subject: Protesting Use of Nukes and Subcritical Test Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2001 10:49:10 +0900 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by snipe.mail.pas.earthlink.net id f8U16Za09900 Dear Abolitionist friends, On September 26, Gensuikyo sent the following two letters of protest to U.S. President Bush on: (1) The possible use of nuclear weapons in the imminent U.S. military action, and (2) The planned "Oboe 8" subcritical nuclear test at Nevada Test Site to be conducted on September 26. There will be a protest action over the subcritical test in front of the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo at 11:30 on September 28. Members of Hibakusha organizations and peace groups will take part in the action. Sally, thank you for your valuable information on the subcritical test. Rieko Asato Japan Council against A & H Bombs (Gensuikyo) - ------------------------------------------------------------------ President George W. Bush The United States of America The White House, Washington D.C. U.S.A. September 26, 2001 Dear Mr. President, The terrorist attacks conducted in the USA on Sept. 11 caused a tragedy o= f unprecedented degree. As we expressed in our letter to the Peace Movemen= ts of the USA, we have deep sentiment of sympathy to the families and friend= s of the victims who lost their lives in the atrocities. The terrorism, wh= ich uses general citizens as targets or means or as both, cannot be justified for whatever reason. This crime must be thoroughly investigated and rigorously tried by law. We, at the same time, are deeply concerned about such an approach in whic= h, from the earliest moment, the current crime has been confused with a =93w= ar=94, and the armed retaliation has been made as pre-requisite. Even if the terrorist attacks are found to have an international background, the crim= e must be handled strictly on the basis of the UN Charter and other international laws and by legally justified means. A unilateral military action by any state or a group of states cannot but generate a new round = of vicious circle of violence. Further, following your recent statement about a possible use of =93all necessary weapons=94, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld suggested that= the US would not exclude a possible use of nuclear weapons. These statements contradict the =93unequivocal undertaking=94 to accomplish the eliminatio= n of nuclear weapons, which was agreed upon by the US Administration, and seriously undermine the credibility of your own government. We therefore urge you to withdraw all the statements made by you and othe= r US officials that have suggested the use of nuclear weapons, and seek a solution of the problem based on law, reason and the strength of international opinion, excluding the military retaliation as a means to address the problem. Sincerely yours, Hiroshi Taka Secretary General - --------------------------------------------------- President George W. Bush The United States of America The White House, Washington, D.C. U.S.A. September 26, 2001 Dear Mr. President, According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Government is going = to conduct the "Oboe 8" subcritical nuclear test at the Nevada Test Site on September 26, the 14th test of this kind. The abolition of nuclear weapons now represents the common desire of the people of the world. Even the US Administration, along with the nuclear weapons states promised "unequivocally" to eliminate all nuclear arsenals= at the May 2000 NPT Review Conference. The planned "subcritical" nuclear te= st goes against this common will, as well as the spirit of the pledge mentio= ned above. Further, when world opinion is severely denouncing the terrorist crimes and demanding a world order based on law and reason, rejecting the vicious cycle of violence, the nuclear test, if conducted, would definite= ly cause strong repulsion among the people all over the world. Together with the people of the world demanding the abolition of nuclear weapons, we in Japan Gensuikyo urge you to cancel all plans and programs = of nuclear tests and nuclear weapons development, including the "Oboe 8", an= d to carry out the "undertaking to eliminate nuclear weapons" in a sincere manner. Sincerely, Hiroshi Taka Secretary General =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Japan Council against A & H Bombs (Japan Gensuikyo) 2-4-4 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8464 Japan Tel: +81-3-5842-6034 Fax: +81-3-5842-6033 Email: antiatom@twics.com Web Site: http://www.twics.com/~antiatom/ =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D - --------------9A7517063B40464D575889C5-- - - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2001 21:27:51 -0700 From: "David Crockett Williams" Subject: (abolition-usa) 911 Nuclear Technologies and the Future of Humanity, Nichidatsu Fujii http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sun-reach/message/3 "The time has come. The time has come when we can no longer contain the urge to do something, but rush out of our houses. The time has come to look up to heaven, prostrate ourselves to earth, to voice our grief, and to share it with everyone" -- Nichidatsu His associate whom Mahatma Gandhi named "Guruji", revered teacher, the most venerable Nichidatsu Fujii's spiritual practice was embraced by Gandhiji who beat the Dharma drum and chanted the prayer brought from the origin of the sun as described below while leading the non-violent spiritual-political revolution to success in India. Fujii Guruji, as he was known in the West, was born on August 6, 1885, and experienced his physical demise on January 9, 1985. Following the teachings and prophecies in the Lotus Sutra of Buddha describing the Great Law, The One Law, he went to India in the 1930's to begin the revival of Buddhism there in its birthplace where it had become dormant, after receiving the vision of the Dharma drum during a seven day fasting session with no food or water or sleep for a full week. Thereafter he practiced this walking drum chanting prayer for the rest of his life which his successors continue in peacewalks around the world to awaken this innate Great Law in the minds of humankind for the cause of "Global Peace Now!" This is the first time that his below August 6, 1956, speech delivered in Hiroshima, Japan, has appeared in the English language and it contains a powerful and synchronistically timely message for these critical times in human history. The name Nichidatsu in English is "The Reach of The Sun." http://www.indiano.org/pagoda Walks: http://www.dharmawalk.org Fujii Guruji study group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sun-reach ___________________________________________________ "Nuclear Technologies and the Future of Humanity" By the Most Venerable Nichidatsu Fujii The above is the title of Hideki Yukawa's article published in the Arts and Sciences section of the Asahi Shinbun on June 12. I would like to explore and ponder on this title, especially as it relates to the future of humanity. According to Hideki Yukawa: "For one, the innate tendency of a human being is to desire to do whatever it is imagined that can be done. With the extension of a rocket's launching distance came plans to go to the moon or Mars. With the development of machinery came the desire not only to substitute them for the functions of human limbs, but the desire to mechanistically substitute human brain functions. Today's computers are capable of computing complex calculations at a speeds of no comparison to human beings." From time immemorial the process of human growth and development, starting from birth after leaving a mother's womb, has been characterized by the adage that says, "parental love looks forward to the child standing upright when it starts crawling, and to walking when it starts standing upright." This is not only the hope of parents, but it also describes the innate developmental process of most infants. It is true that the tendency of human beings to attempt whatever that seems possible leads to personal growth as well as to that of the society. However, as individuals grow and society has developed, the consumption of alcohol, indulgence in gambling and engaging in fights have become tempting things that are possible to do. Yet, reckless indulgence in alcohol, gambling and physical competition creates a number of harms to the growth of an individual and a society. Therefore, there arises a need to prohibit this reckless indulgence, and embracing a moral code is a prerequisite to proper prohibition. Regardless of whether it is something that might be done simply because an individual wants to do it, there are some things that should not ever be done. This is called Zen, goodness. On the other hand, there are bad things that one cannot resist doing. This is called Aku, evil. Those things that do not matter either way are called Muki, neither good nor evil. Distinguishing between these three is an exercise commonly seen in societies regardless of time and location. These are common ideals in societies, and the compilation of such commonly held concepts in societies constitutes a moral code. Honorific titles, such as "saint", "sage" and "person of virtue", are given to those who actually practice the moral code. Individuals grow harmoniously and societies show healthy development in an era where the moral code is upheld. In an era in which the moral code is slighted, ridiculed and destroyed, individuals become corrupt and societies become chaotic. Believing in violence as omnipotent is a characteristic of such an era, and murder and destruction are the skills of the times. The conditions of such times are described by Buddhism as "concealment of the Genuine Law with resultant prevalence of strife and confrontation." Marital dispute or murders are possible, yet they are to a great extent prevented by commonly accepted moral ideals of modern societies. No matter how much advancement takes place in computers and artificial intelligence, or whether the program to send man to the moon becomes a reality, they do not particularly give joy or anxiety to the lives of the general public. These are matters that are neutral in nature which are neither good nor evil. However, we are living in times, when as a reality, highly advanced science and technology are being utilized for murder and destruction without fail. In this case, it is extremely likely that all of the scientific inventions starting with nuclear power have become the root cause of a human evil that could commit diabolic crimes. Herein lies the curse of the civilization of science. Neither the moral code nor religious admonishment has found a place in modern international warfare. Those who adhere to the moral code or religious belief are punished and branded traitors. The only ultimate judgment in war is who won. For that matter, once in war it must be won. It has been common knowledge in war throughout the times that in order to win, the opponent's fighting force needs to be undermined by killing and injuring them in greater numbers than your own. However, at the end of World War II the United States secured its victory through what is referred to as "strategic bombing", which culminated in the atomic bombing of Japan's Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The indiscriminate, instantaneous cruel destruction of the opponent's most vulnerable civilian population, irrespective of age and gender, and their cities, brought striking change to how war is fought. This is the origin of the greatest fear in war that is common to modern humanity. Once interested in the use of nuclear weapons, the United States even after the war dedicated its national resources to an all-out effort for the production and stockpiling of nuclear weapons. The magnitude of the killing and destructive powers of the hydrogen bomb which was tested at the Bikini atolls this May is said to be equivalent to approximately five hundred times of that of the nuclear bombs exploded over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The United States is on a course in pursuit of the possibility to manufacture bombs with powers that could be in the thousand-folds, even tens of thousand-folds. This effort is not limited to the United States. The Soviet Union and England are also following suit. Even though science has progressed propelled by the simple human urge to attempt whatever that seems possible, the ultimate calamity of the potential total destruction of humanity and its civilization is now more and more apparent at the apex of scientific advancement. Those who showed the greatest surprise, the greatest fright, the greatest regret and the greatest emaciation, in light of the appalling disaster caused by nuclear weapons that could lead to total annihilation, were the members of the scientific circle that discovered and manufactured these very nuclear weapons. This is evidenced firstly in Albert Einstein's reflection in his last years, and more recently in the statements issued by Bertrand Russell on July 9th of last year, [1*], and Lindu (sp) on July 15th the same year. These repeated keen statements issued by world-renowned learned men do not appear to be easing the fear of use of nuclear weapons in the world. It is because the war plutocracy in Russia, the United States, England and the like, as well as politicians hired by the plutocracy and the professional military, want nuclear weapons to be greater in scale, destruction, and excessively brutal. They are exaggerating and applauding the power of nuclear weapons. Be it Harry Truman who commanded their use, Douglas McArthur who came to Japan as the Commander in Chief of the Occupation Force, or even the general American public, not a trace of repentance is shown after obtaining knowledge of the catastrophic disaster, the grave crime against humanity committed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Instead, they hold pride claiming that the atomic bombings were effective in accelerating the closure of the war. Hideki Yukawa stated: "Science can never become a moral code no matter how much it progresses." In this regard Albert Einstein stated: "To a scientist there is only existence. There is no desire, valuation, difference or purpose." Science, economics, politics, and even war are all either antagonistic to or critical of moral codes and religious belief in the modern civilization. Herein lies the dark side of the modern world. All of modern civilization, including its science, economics and politics, solely exists to serve worldly values. Satisfaction of the desires that derive from possessing a physical body, momentary pleasures and secular happiness, all of which religion and moral codes strictly restricted in the past, is given the highest priority. For this reason, people aimlessly compete in focusing their efforts on increasing production to fulfill human desire. By maintaining such a purely materialistic view of life, that such fulfillment of desires will rid all social evils and serve to immediately create a paradise in this world, true religion, ethics and morals are denied. Instead, economic production, and moreover, money, which is a means of exchange, is prized, worshipped and served as an almighty god on earth. This distorted object of worship is the subject of devout zeal. Spiritual inversion gradually takes place without being noticed, and societies of modern civilization at the zenith of prosperity are suddenly about to be confronted with the risk of being reduced to ashes by the flames of an eternal hell. Modern civilization's two favorites, the United States, a free nation, and the Soviet Union, a communist nation, both represent nothing but outright blunt realities of power. There is not a hint of ethos that honors religion and morality, which are the pillars of human ideals. US expansion of military bases in Okinawa, forceful implementation of lump sum payment of land rent, compulsory expropriation of former Japanese military bases such as Sunagawa and Komaki, and the Soviet Union's forced labor on Japanese prisoners, war tribunes and the like, are all acts of the greatest barbarity, acts only possible by those who have lost their perspective on the all encompassing issues that relate to the mind and spirituality. Unless the spirit is infused back to these people, they will come to ignite the conflagration of annihilation whose escape path is not found in science and technology, i.e., nuclear technology, economics or politics, which they profess faith in. The dreadful calamities of the atomic and hydrogen warfare we fear are an agony reflective of the disease of inner darkness that will cause the breakdown of the civilization of science on its own. Atomic and hydrogen warfare is divine retribution on us, human beings who lead immoral social lives. Atomic and hydrogen warfare is the great fire into which we human beings who lead faithless lives will inevitably fall. Hideki Yukawa grieves and states: "When we think this way we are tempted to despair. However, there is no need for despair yet. Not a single religion, or any doctrine worthy of faith and acknowledgement by many people, affirms mutual mass killing, much less an act of humanity's self-destruction." Hideki Yukawa's despair is well founded. It has the ring of the funeral sounding of a temple gong that one hopes will lay to rest the last days of the civilization of science, the "modern civilization", which is also referred to as the civilization of the West or the civilization of machines. Everything that relates to the civilization of science must now step down from the leadership position in our societies. Should the civilization of science continue to take lead, there is no other course that could be found but self-destruction of the human race. The only thing that could emerge in the latter half of the twentieth century to replace the civilization of science to avert the great catastrophe of the annihilation of humanity is the spiritual civilization. This is the super theoretical conclusion that he, who is a scientist himself, finally arrived at. It is a direct and realistic remedy that does not require rationalization or justification. The motto at the beginning of the modern civilization was "liberty, equality and fraternity." Among these three, the love of humankind denoted by "fraternity" is not found anywhere in science, economics or politics. There is no room for this fraternity to exist where religion and morality are denied. Here, equality is a demand of liberty by the majority who are ruled by the minority. Thus, the modern civilization is characterized by its intent pursuit and assertion of "freedom". Science has also developed to liberate humanity from constraints on freedom. Every idea in politics and economics, which were influenced by the trend of liberalism, were asserted to make adherents free from the restrictions posed by religion and morality. The single term of "freedom" is regarded as a sacred maxim that surpasses morality and religion. In the realm called freedom, freedom to do good is discarded due to its association with morality and religion. The freedom to assert and do evil is considered to be true freedom. The greater scope of freedom that is released from restrictions of morality and religion is nothing more than sophistry that increases vice in the human world. Whether it is science and technology or politics and economics, they are in the end applied to suit the wishes and objectives of man. The more distant our wishes and aims become from the constraints of morality and religion, the more we are then absorbed in the pursuit of beastly desires, physical pleasures, comfort, indulgence, power and fame. If we, modern humanity, call ourselves civilized and pride ourselves in the power of science and technology, we will concurrently risk regressing back to the greatest savage. Nuclear warfare is the epitome of unprecedented savagery not only in the human history of wars, but also in the history of struggle among living creatures of the world. In chapter sixteen of the Lotus Sutra, the Eternal Life of the Tathagata, delivered by Lord Sakyamuni Buddha at Mt. Gridhrakuta (Divine Vulture Peak) in Rajagriha of the ancient Magadha Kingdom in India, the World Honored One preached on the aspects of this predicted "modern age", the evil "Era of the Decline of the Genuine Law", which was to come far in the future, and he left a teaching showing the way out of the current situation: "Even when all the living see, at the kalpa's end, The conflagration when it is burning, Tranquil is this realm of mine Ever filled with celestial beings Parks, and many places with every kind of gem adorned Precious trees full of blossoms and fruits Where all creatures take their pleasure; All the gods strike the heavenly drums And ever more make music, Showering mandarara flowers On the Buddha and his great assembly. My Pure Land will never be destroyed, Yet all view it as being burned up, And grief and horror and distress Fill them all like this." The import of this passage is that we human beings have ourselves created an accursed time of potential annihilation of humanity. The potential disaster of the annihilation of humanity is not the Deluge, but rather the sutra prophesizes that it is the conflagration whose flame from eternal hell reaches us reducing everything on earth to ashes. No one until now believed that a conflagration that engulfs the entire world could ever occur. But, are not today's new weapons, the atomic and hydrogen bombs, precisely that? There is a single gate open for us to escape from the calamity of this conflagration. That is to dispel the delusion of the military and the politicians who view all of the triple worlds, i.e., the heavens, earth and underwater, as battlefields for murder and destruction. Instead, we are to believe that this very world we live in is essentially a sacred Pure Land, where the practice of the Dharma brings pleasure, and everything we produce can become gems to adorn our land, such as gardens, parks, temples and pavilions. In this Pure Land the Enlightened World Honored One, the people who listen to Him preach, and the golden words of the Dharma are all equally revered. We must make this very world of ours such a solemn ceremonial ground where flowers are always offered. To practice the Bodhisattva work of creating the Pure Land with faith in the eternal presence of the Lord, without ever leaving this world of ours, and to believe in the intrinsic existence of the Pure Land are the ultimate and fundamental aims that can be undertaken by human beings. Religions in general encourage devoted practice in pursuit of a noble and supreme goal with a view toward eternal life without departing from our reality as a physical existence. This is the great vow of the Eternal Sakyamuni Buddha, The World Honored One, expounded in the chapter of the Eternal Life of the Tathagata of the Lotus Sutra: "At all times making this my thought: 'How shall I cause all the living To enter the Way supreme And speedily accomplish their buddhahood?' " To this end, the Buddha laid down different precepts in varying degrees as passive laws, out of the wish to encourage people to take actions that are valuable to life. The teachings of the four great vows of a bodhisattva and the six Haramitsu, [2*], (Sat paramita: six kinds of practice by which bodhisattvas are able to attain enlightenment) were taught as affirmative laws. In a letter (by Maha Bodhisattva Nichiren) in response to Saemon-no-jo, he states: "Life is the greatest treasure to all sentient beings. Those who deprive it will inevitably fall into the three evil worlds. This is why Cakra-varti-raja (Wheel-Rolling Saint King) listed the precept of non-killing first among the Ten Good Deeds, why the precept of non-killing is listed at the beginning of the Five Precepts laid down by the Buddha, why it is listed first among the Ten Precepts of the Mahayana Brahmajala sutra, and why the chapter of the Eternal Life of the Tathagata is dedicated entirely to Sakyamuni Buddha's virtue of practicing the precept of non-killing. Accordingly, the Buddhas of the Triple World shall forsake those who commit killing, and Devahs (gods) for the Six Heavens of the World of Desire will not lend their protection." If today's politicians were able to believe that the precept of non-killing is an objective truth and a sacred act of man that holds value, murderous machines like nuclear weapons would have never been produced. Even if they were to be produced they would not have been used in war. Furthermore, if people had not dismissed the precept of non-killing like a torn sandal, there would have been no room for manipulation by the architects of war. The only salvation in the modern time is to believe and accept that the precept of non-killing is what has transcendent value. Hideki Yukawa has finally come to this realization. However, how can this awareness be brought about and create a resonance in the hearts and minds of the people? This is where spirituality comes in. The answer is not found in science. Distorted views cause the truth of the precept of non-killing to be negated, despised and dismissed. A misguided sense of freedom leads to competition, which leads to victory or defeat, which leads to the incorporation of the law of the jungle into human societies. Even the act of murder is given moral justification, and wars are inspired with religious overtones. Recently we are once again hearing terms such as "European Crusades." This is what is causing our societies to be at a risk of being burnt by the bloody flames of war. Science lies at the root of the distorted views towards life. The theory of evolution is such an example. In Buddhism this is called Kenjyoku (misled views towards life creating confusion in the minds of men and causing corruption and social disorder). Then how would the civilization of science be able to have faith in and accept the precept of non-killing? It is no wonder that those who believe and accept the path of the Buddha become gentle, straightforward and honest, and lead peaceful social lives. The history of peace that prevailed in Japan from the reign of Crown Prince Shoutoku until the end of the Nara period stands as its evidence. Those who do not believe and accept the Way of the Buddha, those who resent and harbor grudges and even bloodthirsty killers who only seek strife, must be transformed through the Way. This is the kind of deliverance that is required by the modern times. In the chapter of the Eternal life of the Tathagata of the Lotus Sutra it says: "I know always which living beings Practice the way, and which do not, And in response to their need for salvation I expound the most appropriate Law." How can we dispel the delusions of those who do not practice the Way of the Buddha or who by choice or ignorance violate the precept of non-killing or who do not practice offering? In the Kannjinn-honzon-sho (by Maha Bodhisattva Nichiren) it says: "We are now at the beginning of the Era of Declined Law when Hinayana adherents attack Mahayana doctrines and provisional Mahayana believers denounce the true Mahayana teachings. East is mistaken for West, and the heavens and earth are turned upside down. The four ranks of bodhisattvas of the theoretical teaching of the Lotus sutra are gone, and all the gods have deserted the country and no longer lend it protection. At this very time the Bodhisattvas of the Earth appear in the world for the first time to administer the superb medicine of the five characters "Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo" to the unenlightened people in the Era of Declined Law. This is what is meant by "even if they revile the true teachings and fall into the evil paths, they thereby create the causes for eventual attainment of Buddhahood." Inversion of the heavens and earth is the state of the Era of Declined Law. Because the Buddha would "cause perverted beings, though they are near, not to see," a state of perversion is created where people lose sight of the true savior, the entity which should be the sacred object of faith, and instead worship money which initially was nothing more than a means of trade, as God on earth. Thereby an aberration is seen as if people are ruled by money. Finally, in the stage of financial capitalism, individuals, the state and even the world are chained down by money, and true freedom is lost. The reason why Japan has no choice but to follow the United States is due to the shackles of financial capitalism. Workers have become slaves to machines; capitalists have become slaves to the pursuit of profit. Everyone in civilized societies has been turned into slaves. The sweet wine of civilization brought about the vagary of such aberration. The modern civilization at this time is secreting poison and is thrashing around in agony. The superb medicine kept by Lord Sakyamuni Buddha specifically for the Era of Declined Law is the five or seven characters of Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo. The Lotus Sutra says: "This superb medicine I now leave here. You may take it and have no fear of not being better." If we were to simply chant Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo without adhering to the precept of non-killing or practicing the Dana paramita (offerings) how could that possibly make us buddhas or transform the world into a Pure Land? This is a question that would naturally come to anyone's mind. The answer is, all we need to do is chant Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo. We must chant Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo for those to hear who do not chant it. We must constantly chant Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo with great compassion and without neglect for those who close their mouth and cover their ears and refuse to chant or hear it. In the letter to Sogaya-nyudo, Maha Bodhisattva Nichiren says: "We are at the Era of Declined Law when those who had the opportunity to receive the teachings of Lord Buddha during his time have gradually declined. The people with aptitudes to seek salvation through both Lord Buddha's expedient and genuine teachings are now no longer. It is now time for the Bodhisattva Who Never Despises (Sadaparibhuta) to emerge in the Era of Decline Law and beat the poisonous drum." The people who are addicted to civilization abhor the voice chanting Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo and the beat of the drum of the Great Law because they perceive them as poisonous. For this reason they slander Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo and hold the sound of the Dharma drum in contempt. Those who chant the Odaimoku (Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo) and beat the Dharma drum are resented, abused and struck. This is the time when the three formidable adversaries, [3*], of the practitioners of the Lotus sutra compete in their attacks. It takes extraordinary compassion to beat the poisonous drum while persevering the attacks of these three daunting enemies. Because of the expansive compassion of Maha Bodhisattva Nichiren I have been able to chant Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo. Lord Sakyamuni Buddha's merit of practicing the bodhisattva way leading to Buddhahood, as well as His teachings and deliverance of all sentient beings since His attainment of Buddhahood, have altogether been bundled in the five characters, Myo, Ho, Ren, Ge, Kyo, out of His immense compassion. This is my religious belief. Even those with distorted views will not be able to find room for argument on the universal salvation brought about to sentient beings in this world by the golden voice of the Sakyamuni Buddha over the vast expansion of time. The voices reciting and maintaining sutras heard in the mornings and evenings from the altars of households are the peaceful guiding light in the spiritual lives of the people. The five characters of Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo represent the ultimate teaching among all the teachings delivered by Sakyamuni Buddha throughout his 50 years of life in this world. They are the original purpose of the Buddhas of the past, present and future appearing in this world. Then how could Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo not cure the spiritual ailment of the Era of Declined Law? The efficacy of this superb medicine is obvious. The diagnosis of the symptom of human aberration proved true. Furthermore, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth who have been entrusted to spread the Genuine Law to bring deliverance in the Era of Declined Law have already emerged. The single word of Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo is the one and only promise made to the human world to rescue it from the collapse of civilization. Be it the precept of non-killing or the Dana Paramita (practice of offering), these syllables themselves cannot bring deliverance to individuals or societies. These syllables alone are not that different from the syllables of legal articles. Neither the precept of non-killing nor the Dana Paramita is a constraint on form, but is rather a spiritual act. This is known as Kaitai (spiritual essence of precepts). This is why Kaitai is also referred to as Muhyoshiki (non-manifest matter), [4*], or Musa (natural state of being), [5*]. Expression through form consisting of three categories of action, i.e., deeds, words and thought, is required to induce the spiritual essence of precepts, which is an inherent existence that cannot be seen. Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo is the Kaitai of the Buddhas of the past, present and future. The Lotus Sutra states: "Such a one is named precept-keeper." Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo is the Kaitai through which all people can attain buddhahood. It also states, "This person shall in the Way of the Buddha Be resolved and have no doubts." Maha Bodhisattva Nichiren taught that Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo is neither in essence just a word nor its meaning, but it is the essential core of the Lotus Sutra as a function of the mind. Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo is the embodiment of the Buddha's essence of precepts that is at a constant state of nirvana, condensed into a single word of mystery given to the human world. Through the visible act of enunciating Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo, the non-manifest essence of Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo is induced. This is the reason why we can have faith in the attainment of our buddhahood as well as transforming this very world of ours to a land of tranquility, the Pure Land. Whether it is the highly advanced science and technology, or the politics and economics of liberalism or communism that employs science and technology, the way to prevent humanity from self-destruction is not found in any of these doctrines advocated, or in any of the new weapons they produce. The pathway to prevent humanity from self-destruction can only be found in the moral code and religion, which are deemed superfluous and are cast aside as antiquated by the modern civilization. But it is religious belief that has the power to purify and transform even the evils that cannot be restrained by the moral code. Science and technology led to the discovery of the atomic and hydrogen bombs and a democratic nation used them for murder and warfare. This has become a subject of major international debate as to its being right or wrong. After World War II, the United States invited Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India to speak. In his address Nehru stated that what India wishes to tell the American people with great pride is that India will not produce or use atomic and hydrogen bombs. The production and use of atomic and hydrogen bombs are a great disgrace to human civilization. The moral code will criticize this as an indelible disgrace on the United States. The Supreme Soviet, which is the governing body of the Soviet Union, recently announced its support for the resolution calling for a ban on testing atomic and hydrogen bombs by the Japanese parliament. The British Prime Minister subsequently expressed similar views. American presidential candidate Stevenson announced several months ago that the United States should resolutely engage in a unilateral ban on nuclear testing and call on the Soviet Union and Great Britain to follow suit. The current administrations of the United States and Japan are still dreaming of the virtues of nuclear weapons and are in opposition to the ban on their testing. As this shows, it is clear that the conception of nuclear warfare is closely linked to the moral code transcending victory or defeat in war. The moral code is a practical rule. Whether this rule is adhered to or not is ultimately determined by the action or non-action of the non-manifest Kaitai of the precept of non-killing hidden deep within our minds. We need to recognize that while morals and religion exist in different spheres they share the same life. Religious belief is not a personal matter as claimed by those who advocate communism. It is a great beacon that illuminates the darkness of the modern civilization. Religion's purification of the mind through transformation of evil transcends the merits of doctrines. This brings about the fundamental prohibition of murder itself, which is the greatest tragedy of all tragedies in the human world. This fundamental prohibition of murder is the basis for an ultimate civilization of humanity, which has never been given heed by science, economics or politics. This fundamental prohibition of murder is the major issue that extends throughout and beyond politics, economics and science. This is the ultimate issue that must be addressed in order to deliver humanity from its otherwise potential extinction. Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo August 6, 1956 Footnotes [*1] Issued in London, July 9, 1955, The Russell-Einsten Manifesto appealing for the renunciation of war itself in order to avert human extinction, written by Bertrand Russell, signed by nine Nobel Prize winners including Hideki Yukawa and Albert Einstein, asks: "Shall we put an end to the human race; or shall mankind renounce war?" http://www.pugwash.org/about/manifesto.htm [*2] Paramita refers to the crossing over from this shore of birth and death to the other shore of nirvana. Frequently the practices leading to this objective are themselves termed Haramitsu. The six paramita are the practice of offering (dana), observance of precepts, perseverance of insult and persecution, devotion, meditation (dhyana) and to shed light on truth (prajna). [*3] The Three Formidable Enemies: Arrogance of those in the lay world, including state power; Arrogance of those among the clergy; Arrogance of exulted sages -- all of which through perversion persecute those who practice the Genuine Law. [*4] Muhyoshiki: Avijnapti-rupa. According to Buddhist traditions, when a vow to preserve the precepts of the Buddha is made, certain invisible dharma is produced in the body, which is instrumental in keeping the precepts and eschewing evil. It is termed non-manifest because it cannot be seen. [*5] Musa: Not being produced by conditions, the natural state of being. According to the Tendai school of Buddhism, all phenomenological matters exist "as they are" and are not produced. ________________________ Translated by Yumiko Miyazaki from the original Japanese between September 1-28, 2001, proofreading by David Crockett Williams. This translation was prepared as an offering to honor the November 3, 2001, dedication of the Lumbini Stupa in Lumbini, Nepal, the birthplace of Sakyamuni Buddha over 2500 years ago. - - To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message. ------------------------------ End of abolition-usa-digest V1 #474 *********************************** - To unsubscribe to $LIST, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with "unsubscribe $LIST" in the body of the message. For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.