I got a pm recently about some of the discussion here regarding "soft power" physical detainment at gakkai/cult activities and meetings. It got me thinking and reminded me about some things that I've seen. With their permission, I will [paraphrase] and directly quote some of the their spot-on comments in the next paragraph:

[Preventing people from leaving venues is illegal detention and a violation of human and U.S. civil rights.] "And its part of a manipulative process that controls the physical environment, by extension controls your body, and your mind." "And it seems very well rehearsed--the rude women turning their backs, strategically placed at the ends of the powers. Doesnt seem like a random event. Some weasels are orchestrating this."

I agree 100%. This is also why I always fought against it, every time I encountered it. I can also attest to the fact that the soft power detention tricks were not random, they were ordered and orchestrated. I've seen it from both sides. Soka-han were told, "don't let people in or out of this area, keep them in their seats, turn them around and control your designated area." In the warped mind of the cult, they equate "protecting" the members with controlling them.

One example I can cite: I remember one huge meeting with the dear leader (Ikeda) in attendance. The auditorium was stuffed to the rafters with members in their seats, as was the stadium floor with performers. The building was filled waaaaay beyond its capacity obviously in violation of local fire ordinances. With all the ceiling lights turned on and glaring, some even started pop and break, showering glass down onto the performing members below. The city and county fire departments showed up in full gear, with massive fire engines and I remember them standing at the doors of the stadium arguing and yelling with the soka-han and the "leaders" scrambling to deal with the situation. The meeting was quickly cut short and dispersed, but not before the gakkai put their own spin on things. They said that "sensei", in his immense compassion was worried about the members and accidents so he cut his speech short and ended the meeting. There was never any official announcement of the fire dept. showing up and ordering it closed down. This is just one example of the dangers of unthinking obedience (filling a stadium beyond capacity) and using subtle power tricks to detain and control people against their will. Nobody was hurt in this instance, but I shudder to think what could have happened if more lights began to break and mass panic or hysteria ensued.

I was at a big Trets meeting in 1981? They are BIG on claiming they never have accidents because of their practice, telling everyone to pray for no accidents, yet, they had these inexperienced YMD putting up construction scaffolding for the event and one fell off and broke his femur real bad. The Sokahan chiefs went nuts, running around like chicken without their heads, blaming everyone for the accident, not enough ichinen, not protecting the fellow members, weak faith... never once reflecting that they were the ones putting people in harms way. Also, those stupid 5 story pyramids. Did you ever wonder why, all of a sudden, at least in America, they either stopped doing them or pared it down to 3 stories? Because one collapsed seriously injuring a YMD.

During the 1976 convention, they picked me, a nineteen year old who never drove a truck, to drive an 18 ton truck accross the Manhattan bridge and into Manhattan. You know, as Sokahan... you can't say no. I didn't even know how to drive well a standard shift at that time. I get into this old beat up truck and I'm half way across the bridge and I smell something burning and the brakes were not working well. Luckily I made it back and found out that indeed, the brakes were faulty. "Protecting the members"? What a hilarious joke.

Nichijew



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2012 08:27AM by Nichijew.

Quote
Nichijew
I was at a big Trets meeting in 1981? They are BIG on claiming they never have accidents because of their practice, telling everyone to pray for no accidents, yet, they had these inexperienced YMD putting up construction scaffolding for the event and one fell off and broke his femur real bad. The Sokahan chiefs went nuts, running around like chicken without their heads, blaming everyone for the accident, not enough ichinen, not protecting the fellow members, weak faith... never once reflecting that they were the ones putting people in harms way.

That's really horrible and so typical of the kind of idiotic stuff that was going on all the time in they ymd. I still remember one time they wanted me to do something that I considered was unsafe and I was adamant in my refusal. Just another one of those instances that I slowly filed away in the back of my mind as to how reckless and unhealthy the "organization" was, especially the fruitcakes running it. The ymd chiefs were always running around like chickens with their head cut off, so I can imagine just how much more beyond berserk that incident caused them to go.

Quote
Nichijew
Also, those stupid 5 story pyramids. Did you ever wonder why, all of a sudden, at least in America, they either stopped doing them or pared it down to 3 stories? Because one collapsed seriously injuring a YMD.

You know, I expected as much; thanks for confirming. Not surprised at all. Those 5 story roller-skate human pyramids were sheer lunacy - an accident waiting to happen.

Quote
Nichijew
During the 1976 convention, they picked me, a nineteen year old who never drove a truck, to drive an 18 ton truck accross the Manhattan bridge and into Manhattan. You know, as Sokahan... you can't say no. I didn't even know how to drive well a standard shift at that time. I get into this old beat up truck and I'm half way across the bridge and I smell something burning and the brakes were not working well. Luckily I made it back and found out that indeed, the brakes were faulty. "Protecting the members"? What a hilarious joke.

On a humorous note, that would have been a fantastic "experience" to give at a future meeting. CONGRATULATIONS !!! (They were always saying "contragulations!" for everything, like everyday was your wedding day or birthday.) My Ichinen kept those brakes working for Cousin Rufus! And you could have also added a "famous" Mr. Williams line, . . . . "HOWABOUT ZATO?!?!?!" AAO!

As I've said before, all these memories, always great for a good laugh (but not at the time).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2012 02:23PM by Hitch.

The thing that most concerns and angers me about the Soka Gakkai cult is that [in no small part] because of SGI leaders poor behavior, many people come to the same conclusions about the Buddhist Law and teachings as Tibbs and Hitch. The root cause of SGI leaders poor behavior is having altered the Pure and Perfect teachings of the Buddha for their own shallow self-interests.

Nichijew

I can't speak for Tibbs (of course), . . . . . I may have started off in the gakkai pseudo-buddhist cult, but I've come to the "same conclusions" about all superstition and religion. To each their own, but I'm a very serious agnostic.

Quote
simplify

Quote
Rattyboy

"How many times did we have to hear some guest leader at a local meeting tell us how they started with the group and how their friends and family thought they had "joined a cult". It sounds like a risky thing for them to say, but it is a neurolinguistic technique that allows the listener to relate to the experience and the discomfort about the possible cult question they might have had also, but to only partially process this in the "safe" environment of being talked at by some allegedly wise leader. The leader's story moves on, then there is the happy result. Any doubt is erased. Maybe people on the forum didn't experience this, I don't know."


Rattyboy, I definitely experienced this. At a big all leaders meeting I remember one of our national leaders giving an experience and mentioning that her boyfriend didn't practice, but that was good because he kept 'cult watch' for her. I suppose my subconscious reaction was that if a national leader was aware of this and checking out that her actions weren't culty, that everything was OK.

I noticed the same thing rattyboy. I too remember hearing this on multiple occasions at meetings and also remember lots of fellow members nodding and smiling in relief and agreement. This is a perfect example as to how the "brainwashing" in the gakkai is a very soft, under the radar form of thought reform. Just like the "soft power" tactics discussed above to physically manipulate people, this is the mental manipulation at work. It is all disarmingly subtle and almost imperceptible. Unless you are accustomed to critical thinking, it's very likely that you won't even notice it.

Quote
rattyboy
In addition to the "joined a cult" experience that a leader shared during a contribution campaign time, the leader was talking about the members' contributions going to pay the leaders' salaries. "and believe me, they need it!" the leader said. I immediately thought 2 things (besides rage): I had heard about or read that "Believe me" is an obvious but effective command. I figured "they need it" was a way of suggesting just compensation for untold great hours of work for Kosen Rufu and World Peace rather than directly stating SGI does not have the money. If I had not already been critical and on my guard, believe me, I would've been getting all misty eyed for those leaders who would be doing all that work and not getting paid enough.

There was one occasion that I explicitly remember where the members were told that sgi-usa doesn't even take in enough funds to cover the utility bills of the local community center, so Ikeda, in his immense compassion for the American members, pays for it for them out of his own pockets. Therefore, we should show our appreciation for such consideration and try to do what we can. The chutzpah, at times, could be jaw-dropping. That's one thing that I also remember about the gakkai "leaders", their condescending arrogance was always "on" full-throttle.

In set ups of this type, a story isnt just a story.

Our member The Anticult understands methods of nlp and has written many essays describing how stories can be structured to have trance inducing effects.

Use of story telling and a techique called "nested loops"

[search.culteducation.com]


[forum.culteducation.com]

The "Swish Pattern"

[forum.culteducation.com]

The "Yes Set" and head nodding (first few citations)

[search.culteducation.com]

I don't associate the SGI with Buddhism in any way. The conclusions I've made are about the SGI and not Buddhist Law and teachings.

Quote
Nichijew
During the 1976 convention, they picked me, a nineteen year old who never drove a truck, to drive an 18 ton truck accross the Manhattan bridge and into Manhattan. You know, as Sokahan... you can't say no. I didn't even know how to drive well a standard shift at that time. I get into this old beat up truck and I'm half way across the bridge and I smell something burning and the brakes were not working well. Luckily I made it back and found out that indeed, the brakes were faulty. "Protecting the members"? What a hilarious joke.

On a humorous note, that would have been a fantastic "experience" to give at a future meeting. CONGRATULATIONS !!! (They were always saying "contragulations!" for everything, like everyday was your wedding day or birthday.) My Ichinen kept those brakes working for Cousin Rufus! And you could have also added a "famous" Mr. Williams line, . . . . "HOWABOUT ZATO?!?!?!" AAO!
[/quote]

Hehe... gave that experience many times, "protection from the Buddhist gods". I should have been protected from the organization but the gods abandoned me for being a brainwashed Ikedabot.

Nichijew

Quote
Nichijew
Hi Shavoy. The short answer is, they recognize only their NST Gosho [Gosho Zenshu] in modern Japanese and its translation into English, French, Spanish.. ...etc. The original Gosho, virtually a photograph of the original manuscripts by Nichiren, is the Showa Tehon Collection. The Nichiren Shu also uses their own Gosho Zenshu as well as the Showa Tehon but the scholars and scholar priests only use the Showa Tehon [except the Nichiren Shoshu priests]. The problems arise because some priests [Nichiren Shoshu and some Nichiren Shu] and the Soka Gakkai are very slick. They change a word here or a word there, add a word here or a word there, subtract a word here or a word there, particularly in the more important passages, and voila, their perverse doctrines and practices are validated. The Japanese character flaws are not few according to Nichiren who called them the most perverse people on earth.

Nichijew

Thanks, Mark...It just goes to show, just like with the Bible and humans being human, how things are altered, it is unavoidable, but in the case of the SGI, it furthers serves The Purpose. Which I daresay, is Ikeda as The Most Revered Man in The World.

Reading the other posts in the last few days brings up another question, well, I've asked it before methinks, but here goes: It fascinates me that Japanese culture and mindset allows the unwavering devotion of the Japanese members to P.I. and the Gakkai....yet, so many Japanese resist and dislike the Gakkai--more of an individualistic, western hemisphere reaction than I thought?