Soka Gakkai International - Nichiren Buddhism`
Posted by:
Myownwill
()
Date: November 12, 2007 01:09AM
I am disconnecting now from a group I became passively involved with: the SGI, or Soka Gakkai International. The history of this organization is documented thoroughly on this site so I needn't go into that here.
My involvement in the organization developed from my attraction to the practice and its people by observation of someone I knew. I asked her about her chanting and she invited me to one of the meetings often held at her house. I was enchanted by the mysticism and newness of their practices -- eastern philosophy had always interested me even in my youth, so I took this as a great step into a philosophical study that up to then, I had always engaged in alone.
Soon though it became apparent to me that the organization is hollow; devoid of any core ethic values or purpose. The focus on chanting, although seeming at first to be slightly metphysical and philosophical, became apparent as nothing more than a practice that not only unified the group in a single controlling purpose, but also arose in most people the dichotomy of guilt/obligation. If one's life was hard, they were invoked to chant harder, if things of the past were bad and not getting better, one was told their "karma" wasn't good and they should chant harder.
Also, I was reminded that I could chant for anything, even material wealth and that if I chanted enough it would come true. This magical thinking without basis or connection to reality was affirmed consistently at every meeting where members were encouraged to "tell an experience". Such testimonials to good things that happened would serve to encourage "faith" in the practice by hope and of course guilt ----things aren't good for you because you didn't follow the prescript to chant.
Not only does belief in the chanting efficacy require magical thinking, but also the Gohonzon, the piece of paper with a copy of the Mandala Nichiren wrote, requires religious reverence and ritualistic treatment, as if it has some magical power of its own. One leader, when imploring me to "take my troubles to the Gohonzon" even referred to this paper as "he" and "him". I was a little taken aback.
Cloaked under this obedience to the chanting (of which no questioning or further analysis was invited), was the constant grab for one's time and monetary contributions.
They get money from you from the very beginning by requiring payment of $20 for a photocopied scroll, The Gohonzon, that one is supposed to chant to, then another $20 or more for magazine subscriptions.
Twice yearly hard pressure contribution campaigns begin in earnest with "leaders" using pressure tactics based on magical thinking (great things happened to contributors and always within measure of their contribution) stories and guilt based pressure.
I was very financially strapped at the time I joined the organization to the point of near total disaster and I was none too impressed with the constant pressure to not only contribute money, but the requirement to purchase (from their SGI store no less) everything needed to practice as required. Of course, as great things are promised to those who contribute, the only obverse of this is possibly that bad things will happen to those who don't. I could not and did not contribute as they wanted and I had to use direct guilt (NO, I don't have my heat on yet, No, I don't even have a vehicle right now, "No, I had to go to the soup kitchen for food this month) with extreme examples to get them to lay off me and even then, they didn't stop at hinting and hinting.
Your time: Is not your own with this organization. They will hound you constantly to attend meetings, to go to district meetings, etc. etc. They call, email and sometimes will stop by. They want you to hold meetings at your house at least once a week. YOu will be implored to attending meetings that run into as much as three nights a week, plus one meeting each Sunday. Then, if there is a special event or occurrence, there are more meetings. Pretty soon I found myself without my own evening time.
As I stated before, meetings consist in large part, of testimonials. Chanting is a large part of the process with at least a total hour devoted to repetitive chanting. Members are encouraged to find new potential recruits and these recruits are instructed as to the proper practice ways by all members in the group, the constant attention and nurturing (seemingly) and seen overwhelming to some and most respond positively as such is seen at first as nurturing and positive. It is only after being longer in the group that the hunger for one's time and finances seems apparent.
I know one man who, suffering from what he was concerned was signs of a terminal illness, but had no health insurance, began to engage in finding new recruits and building the organization, chanting and going to meetings constantly, the result was that his health issues were not getting resolved and he was becoming obsessive and angry. At a meeting one member who knew him well said that he was getting angry at the "practice" because he wasn't getting better, but then said that he had himself to blame as his 'negative' thinking was causing his misery and he should lay off and take responsibility for his life!
I was floored at the judgmental and critical attitude of this person, who like all the rest of the members, continuously told people that by chanting all their troubles would be solved and that further participation in the organization would lead to wonderful things happening to one (better luck/fortune). I sincerely hope that this man has left the organization and gotten the support and help he needs as he was getting nothing from the organization.
Also what got me turned off from them was that their enveloping of people's lives and minds required that they turn away from taking responsiblity for or action toward their own self improvement beyond small steps and that they attribute every positive experience to chanting, not to their own intelligence, the odds of the universe or hard work. Such thinking disempowers people who begin to feel that without this exterior 'practice' they are nothing and therefore, their sense of individual worth diminishes. In replace of this the organization feeds members with the importance of 'growth' through group adherence and obedience to "The Law" which fosters a sense of specialness by association and practice and exclusive superiority over the masses of non-followers.
Cult of personality:
Finally, I have concluded through my own direct observation and experience and by researching here and elsewhere online, that the organization's roots lie in developing the ever-expanding empire of the "leader" Daisaku Ikeda and nothing more.
Although Ikeda is presented as simply the "President" and leader of the organization, the blind worshipping of this individual is very troubling. He has written a lot of texts and has also met with dignitaries and illuminaries far and wide, but these meetings are staged and have no real resolution beyond the development of the aura of greatness and profundity that the Ikeda wishes to portray.
His speeches are transcribed in the weekly newsletter that members are required to pay for and receive. Meetings often focus on "studying" Ikeda's speeches, writings and musings and relating them as profound or sacred words worthy of much retrospection and reverence. No questioning exists of the obvious massing of wealth and adulation around this man. No one seems to wonder what function he actually serves in the organization other than Leader and why such adulation is deserved for this one man.
Additionally, the power structure of the organization is rigid and almost fascist like with orders and directives given from leadership at the top (Ikeda) with responsibilities carried out and distributed downward among the organization. Although much is made of "district leaders" -- men's and women's division, etc. fact is that there function is as a cheerleader for the organization and organizer of meetings and events as proscribed by upper leadership.
NO explanation exists as to what happens to where the funds go that are gathered from the millions of members worldwide, save for the procurement of properties and the support of Universities )two I believe, of which their teaching and goals is very vague.
Lastly, the organization gets a lot of mileage in the US by appearing as an organization that upholds traditionally liberal or left wing political and social views. Although the organization is accepting of all ethnic groups, etc., adherence to a structure that is entirely Japanese in origin and practice is required without question. Also, although the "peace" proclamations of the greater organization also help to bring about this left wing/liberal facade, the fact is that the organization at its core seems to replicate not a humanist organization (one that values the contribution of everyone and sees all as equal in value), but more a fascist/tyrannical organization that operates on the belief that all individuals do not matter, that the only important virtue is worship and the welfare of the supreme leader and that all persons should meld into a monolithic mass, devoid of individuation, that serves blindly and obediently, the will of the leader and the growth of his/her power.
My involvement in the organization developed from my attraction to the practice and its people by observation of someone I knew. I asked her about her chanting and she invited me to one of the meetings often held at her house. I was enchanted by the mysticism and newness of their practices -- eastern philosophy had always interested me even in my youth, so I took this as a great step into a philosophical study that up to then, I had always engaged in alone.
Soon though it became apparent to me that the organization is hollow; devoid of any core ethic values or purpose. The focus on chanting, although seeming at first to be slightly metphysical and philosophical, became apparent as nothing more than a practice that not only unified the group in a single controlling purpose, but also arose in most people the dichotomy of guilt/obligation. If one's life was hard, they were invoked to chant harder, if things of the past were bad and not getting better, one was told their "karma" wasn't good and they should chant harder.
Also, I was reminded that I could chant for anything, even material wealth and that if I chanted enough it would come true. This magical thinking without basis or connection to reality was affirmed consistently at every meeting where members were encouraged to "tell an experience". Such testimonials to good things that happened would serve to encourage "faith" in the practice by hope and of course guilt ----things aren't good for you because you didn't follow the prescript to chant.
Not only does belief in the chanting efficacy require magical thinking, but also the Gohonzon, the piece of paper with a copy of the Mandala Nichiren wrote, requires religious reverence and ritualistic treatment, as if it has some magical power of its own. One leader, when imploring me to "take my troubles to the Gohonzon" even referred to this paper as "he" and "him". I was a little taken aback.
Cloaked under this obedience to the chanting (of which no questioning or further analysis was invited), was the constant grab for one's time and monetary contributions.
They get money from you from the very beginning by requiring payment of $20 for a photocopied scroll, The Gohonzon, that one is supposed to chant to, then another $20 or more for magazine subscriptions.
Twice yearly hard pressure contribution campaigns begin in earnest with "leaders" using pressure tactics based on magical thinking (great things happened to contributors and always within measure of their contribution) stories and guilt based pressure.
I was very financially strapped at the time I joined the organization to the point of near total disaster and I was none too impressed with the constant pressure to not only contribute money, but the requirement to purchase (from their SGI store no less) everything needed to practice as required. Of course, as great things are promised to those who contribute, the only obverse of this is possibly that bad things will happen to those who don't. I could not and did not contribute as they wanted and I had to use direct guilt (NO, I don't have my heat on yet, No, I don't even have a vehicle right now, "No, I had to go to the soup kitchen for food this month) with extreme examples to get them to lay off me and even then, they didn't stop at hinting and hinting.
Your time: Is not your own with this organization. They will hound you constantly to attend meetings, to go to district meetings, etc. etc. They call, email and sometimes will stop by. They want you to hold meetings at your house at least once a week. YOu will be implored to attending meetings that run into as much as three nights a week, plus one meeting each Sunday. Then, if there is a special event or occurrence, there are more meetings. Pretty soon I found myself without my own evening time.
As I stated before, meetings consist in large part, of testimonials. Chanting is a large part of the process with at least a total hour devoted to repetitive chanting. Members are encouraged to find new potential recruits and these recruits are instructed as to the proper practice ways by all members in the group, the constant attention and nurturing (seemingly) and seen overwhelming to some and most respond positively as such is seen at first as nurturing and positive. It is only after being longer in the group that the hunger for one's time and finances seems apparent.
I know one man who, suffering from what he was concerned was signs of a terminal illness, but had no health insurance, began to engage in finding new recruits and building the organization, chanting and going to meetings constantly, the result was that his health issues were not getting resolved and he was becoming obsessive and angry. At a meeting one member who knew him well said that he was getting angry at the "practice" because he wasn't getting better, but then said that he had himself to blame as his 'negative' thinking was causing his misery and he should lay off and take responsibility for his life!
I was floored at the judgmental and critical attitude of this person, who like all the rest of the members, continuously told people that by chanting all their troubles would be solved and that further participation in the organization would lead to wonderful things happening to one (better luck/fortune). I sincerely hope that this man has left the organization and gotten the support and help he needs as he was getting nothing from the organization.
Also what got me turned off from them was that their enveloping of people's lives and minds required that they turn away from taking responsiblity for or action toward their own self improvement beyond small steps and that they attribute every positive experience to chanting, not to their own intelligence, the odds of the universe or hard work. Such thinking disempowers people who begin to feel that without this exterior 'practice' they are nothing and therefore, their sense of individual worth diminishes. In replace of this the organization feeds members with the importance of 'growth' through group adherence and obedience to "The Law" which fosters a sense of specialness by association and practice and exclusive superiority over the masses of non-followers.
Cult of personality:
Finally, I have concluded through my own direct observation and experience and by researching here and elsewhere online, that the organization's roots lie in developing the ever-expanding empire of the "leader" Daisaku Ikeda and nothing more.
Although Ikeda is presented as simply the "President" and leader of the organization, the blind worshipping of this individual is very troubling. He has written a lot of texts and has also met with dignitaries and illuminaries far and wide, but these meetings are staged and have no real resolution beyond the development of the aura of greatness and profundity that the Ikeda wishes to portray.
His speeches are transcribed in the weekly newsletter that members are required to pay for and receive. Meetings often focus on "studying" Ikeda's speeches, writings and musings and relating them as profound or sacred words worthy of much retrospection and reverence. No questioning exists of the obvious massing of wealth and adulation around this man. No one seems to wonder what function he actually serves in the organization other than Leader and why such adulation is deserved for this one man.
Additionally, the power structure of the organization is rigid and almost fascist like with orders and directives given from leadership at the top (Ikeda) with responsibilities carried out and distributed downward among the organization. Although much is made of "district leaders" -- men's and women's division, etc. fact is that there function is as a cheerleader for the organization and organizer of meetings and events as proscribed by upper leadership.
NO explanation exists as to what happens to where the funds go that are gathered from the millions of members worldwide, save for the procurement of properties and the support of Universities )two I believe, of which their teaching and goals is very vague.
Lastly, the organization gets a lot of mileage in the US by appearing as an organization that upholds traditionally liberal or left wing political and social views. Although the organization is accepting of all ethnic groups, etc., adherence to a structure that is entirely Japanese in origin and practice is required without question. Also, although the "peace" proclamations of the greater organization also help to bring about this left wing/liberal facade, the fact is that the organization at its core seems to replicate not a humanist organization (one that values the contribution of everyone and sees all as equal in value), but more a fascist/tyrannical organization that operates on the belief that all individuals do not matter, that the only important virtue is worship and the welfare of the supreme leader and that all persons should meld into a monolithic mass, devoid of individuation, that serves blindly and obediently, the will of the leader and the growth of his/her power.
Re: Soka Gakkai International - Nichiren Buddhism`
Posted by:
The Anticult
()
Date: November 13, 2007 04:56AM
yeah, SGI is a waste. I have known many people into SGI, they seem to attract a "NewAge" crowd of folks, who like the social aspect of getting together, and the Magical Thinking of Chanting and Desiring material goods, better sex, nicer cars, and basically everything else the Buddha said is the origin of Suffering. How can something that is the opposite of Buddhism claim to be Buddhism?
One girl I knew, who was a good person, got lured into SGI, and was really into it. She ended up getting sick, and refused a lot of early medical treatment, as she thought she could get healed by Chanting.
Didn't work, she got worse and worse.
Then she finally got into medical treatments, too late, and literally had hundreds of people Chanting for her to heal.
She died, and left behind her kids.
They don't tell those anecdotes, those who have hundreds of SGI followers Chanting for them, and die a pretty horrible death in a few months.
One girl I knew, who was a good person, got lured into SGI, and was really into it. She ended up getting sick, and refused a lot of early medical treatment, as she thought she could get healed by Chanting.
Didn't work, she got worse and worse.
Then she finally got into medical treatments, too late, and literally had hundreds of people Chanting for her to heal.
She died, and left behind her kids.
They don't tell those anecdotes, those who have hundreds of SGI followers Chanting for them, and die a pretty horrible death in a few months.
Re: Soka Gakkai International - Nichiren Buddhism`
Posted by:
Fishbulb
()
Date: November 15, 2007 11:26AM
Thanks, Myownwill and Anticult for the personal anecdotes about this sect. I am interested in Buddhism in a casual sense (I can't see myself actually joining any religion anymore, at least not at this point) and would hate to waste time on stuff like the Soka Gakkai. Yet it's probably something I would have checked out at some point, as these flaky groups tend to make good publicity for themselves. I shall steer clear!
Re: Soka Gakkai International - Nichiren Buddhism`
Posted by:
Sparky
()
Date: December 13, 2007 07:13AM
QUOTE:"Finally, I have concluded through my own direct observation and experience and by researching here and elsewhere online, that the organization's roots lie in developing the ever-expanding empire of the "leader" Daisaku Ikeda and nothing more.
Although Ikeda is presented as simply the "President" and leader of the organization, the blind worshipping of this individual is very troubling. He has written a lot of texts and has also met with dignitaries and illuminaries far and wide, but these meetings are staged and have no real resolution beyond the development of the aura of greatness and profundity that the Ikeda wishes to portray."
Yeah...this is one of the classic Rick Ross definitions of a cult and it fits to a "T".
Having a photograph of the
rapist
leader Ikeda on you alter is sort of a give-away as well.
Although Ikeda is presented as simply the "President" and leader of the organization, the blind worshipping of this individual is very troubling. He has written a lot of texts and has also met with dignitaries and illuminaries far and wide, but these meetings are staged and have no real resolution beyond the development of the aura of greatness and profundity that the Ikeda wishes to portray."
Yeah...this is one of the classic Rick Ross definitions of a cult and it fits to a "T".
Having a photograph of the
rapist
leader Ikeda on you alter is sort of a give-away as well.
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