I do regret that I was so org focused and self focused during my NSA years that I all but abandoned my family, who was facing many challenges. I feel that I escaped into the org rather than deal with the situation. My brothers are deceased now, but I wish I had been more involved in their lives during that time.

This forum is wonderful. I have had no NSA scenes infringing on my unconsious mind as of late, and it had been happenning at least once or twice a week, much to my dismay. Whatever remnant of nostalgia I had for the org has dissolved with the realization of what I was really involved with-a CULT. The only memory I want to retain is of the Japanese pen pals I met while on the pilgrimage, who sent me beautiful postcards and did not talk about the org at all in our communications. I also enjoyed my introduction to coffee milk and apple pears while in Japan. Otherwise it is al something I would rather forget. thank you all so much for reading my posts and for your encouraging and understanding feedback. Cult damage runs deep but with the support of other victims there is much hope.

This is another standard technique used by many sects and cults.
They tell brazen lies to their followers, that doing _____ will cure your cancer.
Usually the _______ involves the cult making money off the desperate person.

So SGI tells their people they can cure cancer by SGI Chanting, which is complete bullshit.
Of course the cult leaders know its all totall bullshit.
They know people are dying, like everyone else. Some people get sick, and they get the entire city SGI chanting for them, and unfortunately it doesn't do anything, and they die.

Its just a primitive superstition, manipulating sick and desperate people by SGI.
Why not take 2 sticks and bang them together instead to cure cancer? Or light a fire, dance in a circle, and spit water on the sick person to remove the Evil Spirit?
Its just complete nonsense sold by SGI.

Its evil, as the SGI leadership knows its bullshit and doesn't work.

The proof of this, is that every single cult who claims healing from technique ________ REFUSES to allow their sect to be studied in a controlled trial.
Christian (anti)Science, who also believes their Mental Treatment cures disease, refuses to be tested.
Why?
Because they tested their own people, and found out their people were dying MORE than the general public as they don't see doctors. So they suppress this, and refuse to let their people be studied.

If SGI really believed SGI fake-chanting-for-dollars cures cancer, they would have approached a real university to do a study.
Then the university selects a random sample of SGI chanters, does medical tests, and follows the people for years, and tests for diseases, etc.
Its doing a double-blind controlled trial, which all these sects refuse to submit to, as they cannot control the result.

For sure, SGI has done these informal studies on their own, and realized there is NO EFFECT whatsoever from SGI Chanting.
So the leaders of these huge sects know its bullshit, but they also know the mass of followers want to believe that bullshit, so they tell them what they want to hear, and collect the money.
They also know sick people can be desperate and will give all their assets to SGI in exchange for a false hope of a Miracle Healing.

SGI truly is a vile vile organization.

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Hitch

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Nichijew
Lets not forget, CONGATULATIONS [on having AIDS/lung ca/having had a heart attack....] Now you can change it for cousin ruff ruff.

One of my favorites along this vein was telling a member who contracted pancreatic ca that they could overcome it and show actual proof as to the validity of the practice. Of course, they couldn't. (It's things like this that make me really hate some of those ignorant cult "leader" pigs, with a burning passion.)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/2012 12:30PM by The Anticult.

Quote
Hitch
Anybody read these books by Mark Gaber?

[www.amazon.com]

1. Sho Hondo
2. Rijicho

"Officially" labelled as "fiction" (for legal reasons), but definitely not.

I've read them both and was constantly shaking my head, nodding "Yup!" all the way through them. Fascinating reads and recommended.

Sho hondo looks like interesting reading, especially since I was there, although the five very positive reviews seem to be by SGI folks, I'm hesitating getting it for that reason. Also interesting is that there are no reviews for the other book, which has George Williams as a central character. No SGI endorsements there!

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Freeheartandmind

Quote
Hitch
Anybody read these books by Mark Gaber?

[www.amazon.com]

1. Sho Hondo
2. Rijicho

"Officially" labelled as "fiction" (for legal reasons), but definitely not.

I've read them both and was constantly shaking my head, nodding "Yup!" all the way through them. Fascinating reads and recommended.

Sho hondo looks like interesting reading, especially since I was there, although the five very positive reviews seem to be by SGI folks, I'm hesitating getting it for that reason. Also interesting is that there are no reviews for the other book, which has George Williams as a central character. No SGI endorsements there!

I found #2 better than the first (also longer), just because it's centered around a time and places that I lived through. I also know most of the "characters" firsthand.

I would classify them as being "softly" pro-gakkai in general, but they also don't mince words, are not politically correct and (if you lived it) you'll definitely find very familiar dramas being described.

#1 is heavily YMD centric, but there are some YWD anecdotes thrown in. #2 picks up where the first left off. GMW is not made out to be the devil incarnate, which is probably the reason there are no "endorsements" from "members."

If read with a critical mindset, I think they offer another interesting perspective from the viewpoint of people who once did, but no longer "practice." The fact that they no longer "practice", pretty much says it all.

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Freeheartandmind
I do regret that I was so org focused and self focused during my NSA years that I all but abandoned my family, who was facing many challenges. I feel that I escaped into the org rather than deal with the situation. My brothers are deceased now, but I wish I had been more involved in their lives during that time.

I too escaped into the org rather than deal with my family. To elaborate on this for you, let me share a few new paragraghs I just wrote for my blog:

"My total involvement with NSA continued to deepen, at the expense of my personal relationships and responsibilities. When my maternal grandfather passed away during the middle of yet another NSA campaign, I told my mom that I was too busy with my NSA leadership responsibilities to attend his funeral. Appallingly, after getting “guidance”, I believed that helping to run some campaign or another for NSA (the SGcult) was more important than consoling my own mother at my grandfather’s funeral. I knew it would really hurt my mom’s already battered feelings if I didn’t go, but I couldn’t say no to my “seniors in faith”! For many years afterward, I suffered shame at how selfishly I acted. Not only was she my mom, but after all, I wouldn’t have made it to Japan for the pilgrimage without her financial help. Now that she needed my emotional support, I blew her off for yet another all-important SGcult campaign. What an insulated and unfeeling zombie-fied dick I had become. "

"Now in retrospect, I realize how my leader manipulated me into making a rationalized decision that would certainly cause me to suffer from guilt, confusion, anxiety, and isolation from family. Exhausted, beaten down people in a weakened or altered emotional state make easy prey for “suggestions” from cult leaders. (hey, its okay to abandon your family - cousin rufus needs you more!)"

Spartacus

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Spartacus
I lived in Japan in 2000-2001. I was employed there under a work visa as a musician/entertainer. At first, I would tell the native folks I met that I was an SGI member. But after all the negative reactions I encountered, I decided it was better to keep that info to myself to avoid the sour faces. The SGI is not popular at all in Japan. To my surprise. it was just the opposite - the SGI is reviled and hated. They are like the Moonies over there.

You are 100% absolutely correct. In fact, I've personally never met one one single person in Japan, whom is not a brainwashed gakkai member, who has a "positive" view on the gakkai in general. Many members outside of Japan are not aware of this. If you tell non-gakkai Japanese people (i.e., normal people) that you are a gakkai member, they will be shocked and may forever view you a bit differently. The gakkai's reputation in Japan, is shot completely to hell.

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Spartacus

"My total involvement with NSA continued to deepen, at the expense of my personal relationships and responsibilities. When my maternal grandfather passed away during the middle of yet another NSA campaign, I told my mom that I was too busy with my NSA leadership responsibilities to attend his funeral. Appallingly, after getting “guidance”, I believed that helping to run some campaign or another for NSA (the SGcult) was more important than consoling my own mother at my grandfather’s funeral. I knew it would really hurt my mom’s already battered feelings if I didn’t go, but I couldn’t say no to my “seniors in faith”! For many years afterward, I suffered shame at how selfishly I acted. Not only was she my mom, but after all, I wouldn’t have made it to Japan for the pilgrimage without her financial help. Now that she needed my emotional support, I blew her off for yet another all-important SGcult campaign. What an insulated and unfeeling zombie-fied dick I had become. "

"Now in retrospect, I realize how my leader manipulated me into making a rationalized decision that would certainly cause me to suffer from guilt, confusion, anxiety, and isolation from family. Exhausted, beaten down people in a weakened or altered emotional state make easy prey for “suggestions” from cult leaders. (hey, its okay to abandon your family - cousin rufus needs you more!)"

Spartacus

It was common for sincere, hard practicing members to neglect their home & family life. I know, because I came from just such a family. The rationale is/was that the person's non-stop efforts for fellow members and Cousin Rufus would have a trickle-down-effect, bringing "fortune" (i.e., good luck) for the entire family in the future. All it brought in reality, was resentment from the entire family.

Freemindandheart - Spartacus' book, so far, is much better than the Gaber books, because Spartacus' account is more objective and rational.

Anti-Cult - It was common for the implied meaning, when giving "guidance" to members, that it was "OK" to promise just about anything if you "practiced" with the right "spirit." I heard it, many times. If you do 'this' or 'that', then you can "overcome" your health karma and get better or be cured. Many stupid leaders, including salaried ones, said these kind of ignoramus comments. Pure, sheer, evil manipulation of vulnerable people.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/2012 06:20PM by Hitch.

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Nichijew
"He must be suffering SO much."... Ironically referring to someone who left the Gakkai.

Nichijew

I remember being in a meeting when SGI was talking about someone who had left, they said 'I can't believe that they no longer care about their life'. Loaded language! to make everyone feel like that by abandoning SGI they no longer card about themselves.

I also remember the claims of people beating illness by Chanting, the book 'The Buddha in daily life' even mentions somebodies futile fight against aids as some kind of victory. But in our area there was a family who lost a child at a very young age, they chanted for the lost child, no one questioned why chanting hadn't worked in the first place to save it.

I remember going to various big meetings in Manchester, everything seemed a stressful mess and at everyone of the larger gatherings, their was a message from Ikeda, to this precise gathering, that usually said something meaningless like 'Stand up' the people reading these messages were bordering on tears and read into such nonsense very deep meanings about how we should incorporate these words of wisdom into our lives, What bullshit!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/2012 06:48PM by TheVoid.

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Freeheartandmind
Here in Chicago you never read much about SGI endorsing candidates or anything like that. I do not recall NSA being active politically active back in the seventies. That's why I thought perhaps politics was not part of the plan for the usa. On a smaller scale, it appears that it is. Scary for sure.

SGI-USA SAYS that it is a nonprofit religious organization -- this is why it doesn't pay taxes on its wealth. However, nonprofit religious orgs are supposed to stay out of politics. SGI cannot be openly political in the United States. They cannot endorse candidates. It doesn't mean that they are not political, however. They have donated money to candidates in exchange for favors -- and what little we know is probably just the tip of a huge iceberg. Pages 58 and 188 of this thread:


From the Cult Awareness and Information Centre website www.culthelpinfo.org; Political bribery and violations of nonprofit organization regulations:

-------------------------------Beginning of quote---------------------------------------------

Everything Depends on Money"

Along with the Ikeda house, SGI-USA's political contributions have also become problematic in terms of tax laws. ]A number of local mass media offices report that the SGI-USA sent large political contributions to the mayor of Los Angeles. As stated in the Los Angeles Times (paraphrased), despite the fact that as a tax exempt religious organization they are prohibited from making political contributions, Nichiren Shoshu of America (NSA)...in 1985 and 1986 twice gave Mr. Bradley (Editor's note: The former L.A. mayor from 1973-93) a total of $16,700 for his election fund. This is made clear by any number of articles. (11/17/91 Los Angeles Times)

Former SGI-USA Vice Headquarters Chief Thomas McCord (50), who left the organization in 1992, says, "Political contributions have become a problem within NSA as well. In 1986, Mayor Tom Bradley attended the opening ceremony for the World Peace Ikeda Auditorium and sat shoulder to shoulder with Ikeda. I had doubts about it, thinking, 'Mayor Bradley has no faith. Why is he here?' Later a member discovered a copy of a personal check which NSA had hurriedly sent to the mayor. This became a problem.

As may be expected, they had many political problems, such as trouble over buying the land for the site of the Los Angeles branch of Soka University. The aim of the political contributions was to receive accommodations over these problems."

Mr. Steve Gore has very interesting testimony about political contributions. "It was the end of 1971, Christmas night, I think. Williams and I visited the municipal mansion of Mayor Sam Yoty with a political contribution. The purpose was to request that Ikeda receive the title of Honorary Citizen and to request approval for a planned parade down Wilshire Boulevard, a principal city street, when NSA held its nation-wide general meeting in April the following year. I waited outside the room, but when Williams came out, he laughed, saying, 'Steve, it's OK. Everything depends on money.' The impression I received from that remains with me."

------------------------end of quote--------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is from the International Cultic Studies Association website, www.icsahome.com, 1991

----------------------------Beginning of Quote-----------------------------------------

Soka Gakkai [the Japan-based politico-religious movement operating in the U.S. as Nichiren Shoshu] is suspected of benefiting from the connections of former Interior Department official Lou Gallegos by the inclusion in a House bill of language prohibiting use of federal funds to purchase the Soka group's vast California acreage.

Local conservationist groups and the National Park Service want the government to buy the land and keep it undeveloped. Gallegos, formerly right-hand-man to the Secretary of the Interior, and now a consultant to Soka, says his only role in the matter is in "developing strategies" for his client.
----------------------------------------end of quote--------------------------------------------------------------------


Also, some allegations about SGI's political activities in France:

----------------beginning of quote-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The acronym VSD, (pronounced vah-ess-day), which stands for Vendredi-Saraedi-Dimanche (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), is a racy scandal magazine (with an unusually large volume of stories on Japan) published by a Paris-based media group. In August. it was revealed that the VSD general director, Jean-Pierre Canat, is a high-level official of Soka Gakkai International France, and that the media group's companies have been used by the sect to penetrate French political circles. ;The charges, published in the weekly L'Evenement du Jeudi (EDJ), go much further: They allege that Canat may be linked to a break-in and eavesdropping at the EDJ offices, and that France's counterintelligence service suspects Soka Gakkai of having been engaged in espionage.

---------------------------end of quote-----------------------------------------------------------------------------



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/2012 11:07PM by tsukimoto.

Hi everyyone,
There r so many layers to the crap I bought into that I never paid attention to & the scary thing is that I DID QUIT for thirteen years without ever coming to grips with any of this! THANK GOODNESS for this forum! At least I think I have enough reality in my face this time,to not repeat the same mistake. How can I possibly make up for all the times that I, like u, spent doing nothing but meetings? Trying to get other people to practice & neglecting my family?

What I am beginning to grasp is that this is a process. I would like to understand more of the actual techniques used in controlling & brainwashing. Up to Anticults post about Japan I heard it but couldn't see how their was intent behind it. Do the so called "leaders" in Japan get together & devise these systems? After them, does anyone else have the same intent? Or r they all sheep just doing as told? I wonder if there is anyone in our country's intelligence service that is concerned with SGI? Maybe they don't think it has the power to do "real" damage! What do u call this?

One thing that I feel is that I'm not quite ready to watch anything SGI related yet. I'm alittle nervous about it. What is this! POST TRAUMATIC STRESS? Sounds ridiculous. Just something I used to b involved in, right?

I really wonder what defect of character I have to b so gullible?

Quote
Hitch

Quote
Freeheartandmind

Quote
Hitch
Anybody read these books by Mark Gaber?

1. Sho Hondo
2. Rijicho

"Officially" labelled as "fiction" (for legal reasons), but definitely not.

I've read them both and was constantly shaking my head, nodding "Yup!" all the way through them. Fascinating reads and recommended.

Sho hondo looks like interesting reading, especially since I was there, although the five very positive reviews seem to be by SGI folks, I'm hesitating getting it for that reason. Also interesting is that there are no reviews for the other book, which has George Williams as a central character. No SGI endorsements there!

I found #2 better than the first (also longer), just because it's centered around a time and places that I lived through. I also know most of the "characters" firsthand.

I would classify them as being "softly" pro-gakkai in general, but they also don't mince words, are not politically correct and (if you lived it) you'll definitely find very familiar dramas being described.

#1 is heavily YMD centric, but there are some YWD anecdotes thrown in. #2 picks up where the first left off. GMW is not made out to be the devil incarnate, which is probably the reason there are no "endorsements" from "members."

If read with a critical mindset, I think they offer another interesting perspective from the viewpoint of people who once did, but no longer "practice." The fact that they no longer "practice", pretty much says it all.

OK, I'm going to pull the trigger and read these, I'm a sucker for books anyway. I'll let you know what I think when I finish.