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HitchOn that note - I know it's hard to listen to this kind of stuff once you've been in and are now out, but in this clip [
www.youtube.com], there is a very telling portion if you skip to the approx. halfway portion ~ 4 min. mark, where George Williams is talking about the nature of Osaka people as being greedy:
(Paraphrased) "
In Osaka, people don't say 'Good Morning' to each other like normal people, instead they say "Are you making much money?!?" "Making profit!?!" That's their greeting! And this is why the Osaka-Kansai region was so important to conquer in terms of shakubuku. The Kansai Spirt."
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Osaka people are greedy? Really? It's interesting how much this quote about Osaka people sounds like something that President Toda said in the 1950's (also quoted on page 274 of this thread, March 3, 2011)
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forum.culteducation.com]
Toda was also not speaking metaphorically about material benefits. For Toda, true faith should bring rewards in terms of health and wealth,as is made clear in another talk ;
When I meet you, I don't ask: "Are you keeping faith?" The reason is that I take your shakubuku for granted. What I really want to ask you is how your business is, whether you are making money, and if you are healthy. Only when all of you receive divine benefits do I feel happy.
A person who says "I keep faith; I conduct shakubuku" when he is poor - I don't consider him my pupil. Your faith has only one purpose: to improve your business and family life.Those who talk about "faith" and do not attend to their business are sacrilegious. Business is a service to the community. I will expel those of you who do nothing but shakubuku without engaging in business. (Murata, pp.107-8)
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And speaking of money and business:
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[
www.costar.com]
May 2, 2012
Soka Gakkai International - USA acquired the Beber Silverstein office building at 3361 SW 3rd Ave. in Miami, FL from the Beber Silverstein Group for $3.5 million, or $175 per square foot. The two-story, 20,000-square-foot office building was built in 1956 in the Coral Way submarket.
Jeff Cohen of Esslinger Wooten Maxwell Commercial represented the seller.
The buyer was represented in-house. Please refer to CoStar COMPS #2290638 for more information on this transaction.
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I wouldn't say that SGI is going broke anytime soon, even if their American membership is decreasing. They've been investing in real estate, valuable art, and the stock market since the 1950's, they're tax exempt as a religious organization, and they also have reduced their operating expenses by getting members to do much of the organization's work for free. Even if they didn't take in another cent from their members -- SGI owns real estate and fine art that is appreciating in value, and all kind of businesses and financial investments that are making money.