The Sri Chinmoy book looks quite good.
"Cartwheels in a Sari: A Memoir of Growing Up Cult."

There need to be some books explaining the inner workings of SGI-Ikeda, from those who were on the inside and near Ikeda. The problem with Ikeda, is that Ikeda is far more powerful and threatening than Sri Chnmoy ever was.
If someone is high up in SGI in the inner circle in Japan, and they tried to come forward and tell what went on, that could be a risky proposition for them, in many ways.

But if a niche book about Sri Chinmoy can get published, why not some about what Ikeda has done? Chinmoy also used an army of ghostwriters to create a bunch of stuff they said was created by Chinmoy, just like Ikeda does.

The Sri Chinmoy book looks like its very accurate...

_______________________
[www.culteducation.com]

- Tamm reveals in her book a far darker side to his ministry -- which she calls a cult, led by a charismatic con man.
"He had this amazing capacity to work a room and to change people's minds," Tamm said in a recent interview. "Oftentimes, the whole thing was a sham."

- By that point, however, Tamm said she had reason to doubt Chinmoy. For years, she had seen him tour the country performing concerts and strongman feats. However, it became increasingly clear to her that these acts were a charade, the author recalled.

- For one, she said, Chinmoy was embarrassingly inept as a musician, sometimes prompting audience members to walk out of his shows midway. And his seemingly super-human feats of strength -- on display, for instance, when he "lifted" an elephant in Greenwich during a promotional stunt -- were achieved by sleight of hand, she said, through a special apparatus designed to boost his leverage.

____________________________________



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2010 06:25PM by The Anticult.

Quote
The Anticult
There need to be some books explaining the inner workings of SGI-Ikeda, from those who were on the inside and near Ikeda.

THe problem is though for a book you would need some interest by the public. I believe that many of the celebrities have distanced themselves form SGI. I somewhere heard that Thina Turner is not with SGI anymore - no idea if that is true though.

Just a few days ago I had a little online discussion with a member of Hokkeko and I was told that the exodus of members from SGI in the US must be greater than at least I believed. It seems that a lot of longtime members hold themselves back in the face of the current development - new members are left ignorant to a degree that makes one speechless.

Can anyone confirm this?

Maybe after the regime change there will be a brave soul willing to publish memoires or a diary or something. I'm sure there are people waiting in the wings for this. I'm also sure that there are still people afraid of punishment by the "buddhist gods" if they speak out. Hopefully there will be some courage.

The book about Sri Chinmoy would only have a small audience, but someone published it. So there is no reason why someone couldn't publish a similar book about SGI, especially in the USA, where there is protection for free speech.

Maybe someone out there wants to tell what happened inside SGI-USA, and SGI in their own words.
They could even go to the same publisher who published the Sri Chinmoy book.

Quote
Rothaus

Quote
The Anticult
There need to be some books explaining the inner workings of SGI-Ikeda, from those who were on the inside and near Ikeda.

THe problem is though for a book you would need some interest by the public. I believe that many of the celebrities have distanced themselves form SGI. I somewhere heard that Thina Turner is not with SGI anymore - no idea if that is true though.

I think that the story of SGI, and Ikeda could be a fascinating read, even to someone who has never heard of SGI. This organization is not even widely known outside of Japan -- yet they've become so wealthy and powerful. HOW did they do it while remaining so under-the-radar?

As for Ikeda himself: he was the son of poor seaweed seller, a poor, sickly kid trying to survived in devastated postwar Japan who became wealthy and powerful in a most unexpected way. Common theme in books, plays and TV, from Shakespeare's "MacBeth," to eighties TV series like "Dallas" and "Dynasty." (or my favorite, "Falcon Crest," which featured a ruthless, ambitious female protagonist.) --- people are fascinated with rags to riches stories, and with the lives of the rich, ambitious and famous.

Then, too the followers themselves. Ordinary Japanese, Americans, Canadians, Italians, Germans.....students, office workers, teachers, nurses, lawyers, mechanics --- falling under the sway of Ikeda and his organization. Average people, living average lives --- and then becoming involved with SGI to the point where they would be willing to give SGI money until they're broke and neglect their families --- how, and why did this happen?

Whether you focus on Ikeda himself, an average member, or the money trail -- there are just so many unanswered questions, so many potentially intriguing stories. Properly written and publicized, SGI stories could be best-sellers.

Well, they could be best sellers if they ever saw the light of day. In my opinion, the problem is not that an SGI book wouldn't sell, it's that SGI would suppress it. Unless the book speaks of Ikeda and SGI in glowing terms -- SGI will squash it like a used cigarette butt. SGI could sue the publisher...and keep appealing until the publisher was practically bankrupt. Or just buy out the printer and edit the manuscript so that it's a love letter to Ikeda and SGI.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/2010 06:19AM by tsukimoto.

And speaking of love letters to Ikeda............

--------------Beginning of Quote, Yahoo Group SokaGakkaiUnofficial--------------------------------------------------------------

Re: Daisaku Ikeda children's book video trailer

Thank you. A nice presentation.

However I'm sure I'm not the only one wondering why Soka Gakkai's founding
president Tsunesaburo Makiguchi isn't included

--- In SokaGakkaiUnofficial@yahoogroups.com, "mlavoraperry" <mlavoraperry@...>
wrote:
>
> Hey all,
>
> I created video book trailers for my upcoming children's book biography,
"Daisaku Ikeda & Josei Toda, Buddhist Leaders. Please pass this message on if
you don't mind.
>
> This is the short version (2.56 min):
>
> [www.youtube.com]
>
> This is the long version (5.44 min), it's starts out the same as the shorter
video then includes the story of Daisaku Ikeda's growing up from the book,
starting at age 9:
>
> [www.youtube.com]
>
> Thanks.
>
> LaVora
-----------------------------End of Quote--------------------------------------------------------------

LaVora Perry owns Fortune Child Press, which, as you might guess, publishes books on Buddhism and SGI for children. She has a new children's book, a biography of Ikeda and Toda, published by Forest Hill Press (a division of Fortune Child Press?)

I watched both the longer and shorter youtube promo videos. Both show many pictures of Ikeda, especially with famous people. (I think that Forest Hills Press was wise enough not to include the photos of Ikeda with Noriega and Castro, however.) Ikeda, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi are cropped into a picture together. It almost looks like they were all friends! The youtube promos make Ikeda look like a saint -- combination of Gandhi, King, Abraham Lincoln, Jesus Christ, and Mother Theresa.

The longer video shows pictures of nine year old Daisaku and talks about him saying goodbye to his older brother Kiichi, a soldier in the Imperial Japanese Army -- and about how little Daisaku thought his big brother was a hero. There are also many shots of the Allied bombing of Tokyo and the devastation of Japan during and immediately after the war.

The video says NOTHING about JAPAN's actions before and during the war. No mention of little things like Japan's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and Japanese Imperial Army soldiers raping and slaughtering civilians in China and Southeast Asia. LaVora also seems to have forgotten to mention that the Japanese invaded Korea in 1910, killing untold numbers of Koreans and occupying Korea for 35 years -- and taking many Koreans to Japan as slaves. Japanese soldiers forcibly kidnapped Korean women, as well as Chinese and Filipina women. These women became "comfort women." Nice phrase for a horrifying life -- these girls, or women could be raped many times a day, every day, by Japanese soldiers.

Certainly, the average Japanese civilian also suffered during the war -- and really couldn't be held responsible for what their government did. People who opposed the military dictatorship back then were jailed,tortured, murdered. Still, I think that the point needs to be made -- the Allies were not evil fiends who took pleasure in killing innocent women and kids. The Japanese people suffered so much because of their own government's actions.

And Ikeda himself, Mr. World Peace? He owns stock in companies that sell weapons, and his Komeito Party voted to provide support to coalition military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Nor has he opposed capital punishment, though his buddies Gandhi and King spoke out against it many times. A September 2008 entry on Amnesty International's website, indicates that thirteen prisoners in Japan were executed between January -- September 2008. Another 102 prisoners were on Death Row. In Japan, mentally ill prisoners can be executed, regardless of whether they understand what they've done. Not a peep from our friend Daisaku about this practice, despite his blather about the preciousness of human life.

That wasn't on the video either, and somehow, I don't think it will be in the book either.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/2010 07:11AM by tsukimoto.

I sincerely hope that someone will do a book review on the titles put out by this SGI Fortune Baby Press. Gads!!! I'm sincerely hoping that a discerning public will see through the candy sweetness and ask, who is this schmuck Daisaku Ikeda anyway? I wonder if they publish all of his fake degrees on the book jacket....

As for books.

There are a few books on the SGI. My favorite is called "Japan's New Buddhism" by Kiyoaki Murata. It talks about the history of SGI in the context of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren. It also talks about the controversy of the Soka Gakkai from Makiguchi's to Toda's era. However, it stops just when Hentai becomes the "Benevolent Dictator". Unfortunately it's out of print, but if you can get your hands on it, it will be worth the read.


Daniel Mettraux also wrote many books on the SGI as well. I think he may be a current member, but he doesn't shy away from the controversy. In fact, when I read one of his books, I first learned about the drama going on in Chicago.

So check those guys out.

Maybe if one you reads Japanese there could possibly be a plethora of them in Japan.

Actually, in the USA they can't do that.
The publishers fend off that stuff all the time. Speech is protected, if done correctly.
So as long as the book is written properly, SGI-USA cannot stop it, a judge won't fall for the SGI nonsense.
The SGI attacks on the publisher, could just result in free advertising for the book in the media.

Quote
tsukimoto
Well, they could be best sellers if they ever saw the light of day. In my opinion, the problem is not that an SGI book wouldn't sell, it's that SGI would suppress it. Unless the book speaks of Ikeda and SGI in glowing terms -- SGI will squash it like a used cigarette butt. SGI could sue the publisher...and keep appealing until the publisher was practically bankrupt. Or just buy out the printer and edit the manuscript so that it's a love letter to Ikeda and SGI.

Hi lil' review

I just watched the longer version of the book's trailer. I loved it how in the first two minutes it was not just a resume. It was an OVERBLOWN resume. It just kept on hitting you in the head of everything that Hentai did in his lifetime, he met leaders, he founded schools, he founded institutes, he inspired people, blah blah and blah! Seriously, this was 2 minutes out of a five minute video! I was about to lose my patience!

Then they used the picture of a mushroom to show the firebombing of Tokyo. Last time I checked, mushroom clouds belonged to Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

Wow, and there is a kiddie version of his UN Proposal?

Funny stuff.