Hello,
This is my first post. I have been practicing Theravada for 4 years now. I do both sitting and walking meditation daily. I strive to be mindful always. So when I met a lovely woman who said she was a Buddhist thought this could be a great relationship. As I got to know her though she said she couldn't date me because I practiced Theravada. I had never heard of such a thing from any Buddhist (religious prejudice). I then found out that she was SGI. I went to a concert at their New York City center and I couldn't believe how different it was from where I practice. People talking about their greed and envy as if it were a good thing. Totally the opposite of what I practice. I then did some research online and to my surprise on the bottom of the Google page (for suggested alternate searches) was SGI cult. That is how I found this site. So after doing more research on SGI, both on what they had to say and from the many people who had negative things to say about it this is my opinion. I do not think SGI is Buddhism- it ignores so much of what Buddha taught. Buddha was enlightened by meditating, not by chanting. Buddha gave up a life of luxury to find an end to suffering, not to chant for greed and possessions he chose to gave up. If they are going to follow what Nichiren taught call it Nichirism. Who was Nichiren to say what really is Buddhism? Who was he to say that other forms of Buddhism are inferior? He is to Buddhism what David Koresh and Jim Jones are to Catholicism- a self serving, bastardization, half truth. And a half truth is a full lie. Back to the ex girl friend. When I told her that her reasons for leaving me were religious prejudice, She got very excited and asked to explain herself. She said she was brought up this way, that that is what SGI taught her. In doing my research I have found this to be true- SGI teaches prejudice. Yet they claim to be for world peace. Sounds kind of like the Nazis. I asked her if she was brought up in Hitler youth would it be alright to hate Jews. She had no response.
Now is what I wrote attachment? I don't think so. I think I am stating how things really are, not wishing they are different. If you think I am wrong please post a reply.
Metta to ALL,
Theravada Guy

Well, Theravada Guy, welcome to Rick Ross, and sorry that the relationship didn't work out. Have you read the "Former SGI Members" thread? It discusses a lot of the points you've mentioned here.

Nichiren was a monk in 13th century Japan. As a young man, he wondered why there were so many different Buddhist sects in Japan -- and why life there was so miserable, with plagues, famines, and civil strife, different factions fighting all the time.

Buddha travelled about India teaching for about fifty years. After his death, his followers wrote down various things he'd said or that they'd heard other followers say that he said. So there are a lot of different Buddhist sutras. Which one, then, is most important? Which teaching do you follow?

Nichiren studied many different Buddhist scriptures, and finally decided that the Buddha's highest teaching was the Lotus Sutra. He judged the other sutras to be provisional teachings, really intended to prepare Buddha's followers for the message of the Lotus Sutra. Thus, he decided, Buddhists needed to chant "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo," "Devotion to the Lotus Sutra," as well as chanting parts of the sutra daily.

Nichiren then spent the rest of his life fighting with the other Buddhist sects in Japan. He considered them heretical and limited, as they were based on the Buddha's provisional teachings and not Buddha's ultimate, highest teaching, the Lotus Sutra. He felt that these other sects would not relieve people's suffering. On the contrary, he felt that if the Japanese continued to follow other sects like Zen, Shingon, Ritsu, and Pure Land Buddhism, Japan would continue to be plagued with violence, disease and famine. He wasn't shy about saying this to those in power either and was exiled twice and nearly executed for his refusal to stop speaking out. The Japanese government in the 1200's was not exactly into freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

From Nichiren's writings, he seems courageous and deeply concerned for his followers' happiness, but no, you couldn't call him tolerant. My interpretation of Nichiren's writings, the Gosho, is that he revered Buddha, and like the Buddha, wanted to save humans from suffering. Nichiren just felt that his Buddhism was the only way to do this.

After his death, his followers continued to practice, and some formed new Nichiren sects. Still, these sects were all pretty small and obscure until the 1930's, when a principal named Tsunesaburo Makiguchi joined the Nichiren Shoshu sect. He formed a lay organization called the Soka Gakkai, which was persecuted by the Japanese military government during World War II. Makiguchi died during the war, and his friend, Josei Toda, took over.

After the war, the Soka Gakkai (SGI) grew hugely. Toda, and his successor, Daisaku Ikeda, really made the organization what it is today...the greed, the intolerance, the let's chant to be rich. One wonders what Nichiren, who lived in poverty and under the threat of persecution all his life, would think of people chanting for a new car or a new lover. Toda referred to the practice as a "Wish-granting machine," telling people that they could get whatever they wanted if they just chanted enough -- and brought other people into SGi.

I joined in the 1980's, when the Soka Gakkai was a lay organization of the Nichiren Shoshu sect. In the 1990's, SGI split with Nichiren Shoshu. It was very ugly, hateful accusations and rhetoric on both sides, especially SGI, and really made me start questioning why I was involved with this group. Some members I knew were even chanting for the then-Nichiren Shoshu high priest, Nikken Abe, to die.

It's only gotten worse in recent years and I've quit SGI totally, though I still chant. I wouldn't even say that SGI practices Nichirenism these days. What it practices is IKEDAISM -- so much reverence and audulation is given to Ikeda. SGI is teaching that if you don't take Ikeda as your mentor, "you will fall into the hell of incessant suffering." Now, where does it say anything like that in ANY Buddhist sutra!? SGI is teaching that even people in other Nichiren sects cannot reach enlightenment. They teach that people who leave SGI, as I did, will have horrible things happen to them.

Sadly, there are SGI members who are lovely, caring people -- but the organization itself teaches intolerance and fear-mongering. I find the Lotus Sutra beautiful because it says that all humans are equal...that we all suffer from the poisons of greed, anger and stupidity, but that we all also have the Buddha nature within us and the potential for enlightenment. The Lotus Sutra doesn't say that you have to be 'saved' by anyone else, or that you should have contempt for people whose beliefs are different -- how CAN you have contempt for someone else when he or she has the same potential for Buddhahood that you do?

So no, I couldn't advise anyone to join SGI at this point. It has totally gone off the rails. Some of the members are likable people who haven't really bought into the nonsense that the leaders are preaching -- sounds like you met one of the hardcore members. I don't think that they can have a relationship with anyone but another hardcore member. Well, imagine trying to have a relationship with a girl who is a hard-core, evangelical Christian who thinks that anyone who has not accepted Jesus Christ as his or her personal savior is damned to hell. She'd just be pushing you to accept Christ all the time. And probably with good intentions, because she'd have been taught so much fear -- that you have to have certain beliefs or horrible things will happen to you. The devout Ikedaists of SGI, are very much like some fundamentalist Christians, they just follow Daisaku Ikeda instead of Jesus Christ.

hey, its a good idea to repost your posts into the main SGI thread, as single posts tend to get lost.
Just copy/paste the same post into the main thread, for future reference. (you may have to change it a little). Just repost it there, if you want.

Former SGI members
[forum.culteducation.com]


That is the same experience that can be seen with many SGI people, in that what they are doing is not "Buddhism". Its more than kinds nuts to say Greed, Lust, Vanity, hate your enemies, and Worldly Power, are Buddhism?
uh...not quite!
Ikeda is just using methods he is calling "Buddhism", to manage and control large groups of people. Similar perhaps how "Roman" Catholicism was used by the Romans and after to manage large masses of people. And the guys at the top didn't live by the same rules either!

also, there are many other groups who claim what they do is some kind of Buddhism.
Why? It seems that in the west, Buddhism still has a good reputation, and now is trendy, like Yoga. So they call whatever they are doing Buddhism, and it gives them a fig-leaf to hide behind.


There is a so-called Korean "Zen" group, the Kwan Um School of Zen from Seung Sahn, who do all sorts of aggressive, dishonest, and harmful stuff. Their leader Seung Sahn even told people to disregard Buddhist texts, and find the Buddha inside.
Well, what if what you are finding is not the Buddha within, but Bubba within? What if you find a greedy, dishonest, lazy, corrupt, sex-abusing Bubba within, and they act like you are a evil "Buddha" who can do anything you want, including having sex with your students, like Seung Sahn did?
(Seung Sahn) Kwan Um School of Zen [forum.culteducation.com]

There is also a type of OMing sex-chanting group/cult, who do all sorts of stuff, like women getting naked from the waist down, and have strangers "massage" them wearing surgical gloves...and they call that "Buddhist" too.
OneTaste and "Buddhism". [forum.culteducation.com]

So Greed, Vanity, Lust, Deception, Political Power, Narcissism, capitalism, lying, promiscuous sex, hating your enemies, revenge, drugs, booze, thats the New Buddhism.


What is NOT Buddhism of course, is the 4 Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

I have a friend who is in SGI...he insisted I go to a meeting..it was at P werners house,,,the producer? of the 70s show.
I find SGI to be a cult or cult like. They encourage members to ' tithe'. or so I gather.
It has asked / demanded members to ' bring strangers in off the street' to recruit.
and has got alot of members!

one person I know said ' I stopped going , TOO MANY LOOSERS THERE' !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately SGI has taken a very nice practice of chanting sections of the Lotus Sutra and Nam Myoho Renge Kyo and have turned them into hooks to reel in more paying members. There is too much contradiction going on in their "teachings" about Buddhism. Many people also use it for social purposes. Like a church. I guess it's one way to meet people, but the people you meet definitely will want you to chant and donate!!