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Hitch
For a reflection as to how dumb some of the so-called "leaders" are, take a look at this "special" pullout section from the WT used to encourage members to do May zaimu [www.sgi-usa.org].

Hitch - I know nothing of Ethan Gelbaum but his so-called experience, though he doesn't admit it, suggest that he struggled with substance/alcohol abuse. Waking up in the morning says it all. Overall it's vague and rushed but it's the classic SGI testimonial - I was desperate, I went a meeting, I struggled, I chanted, gave money, things changed around me, all praises to the SGI

I just wanted quote a passage from Ethan Gelbaum's experience then illustrate how silly it is:

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"My determination to continue was challenged many times. In the early years of my Buddhist practice, I had to drive long distances to attend activities. My first job after joining was pumping gas at a filling station, where I would fill my tank and have the charge deducted from my pay. When my paycheck came, there was almost nothing left. One of my leaders encouraged me saying "The tire marks that you leave behind for the sake of kosen-rufu are creating great fortune in life."

Why is it that ALL SGI MEMBERS INSIST on writing in such a soppy dramatic style sad thing is it's so anti-climatic? (It's to invoke emotion of course) Mr. Gelbaum is determined to give money to SGI whereas normal people are determined to pay the light bill.

This is why SGI meetings (especially around May) are so excruciating:

I had to drive long distances to attend activities.
Somebody buy me a violin.

My first job after joining was pumping gas at a filling station, where I would fill my tank and have the charge deducted from my pay.
Gees, who hasn't held a shitty job in their life?

When my paycheck came, there was almost nothing left.
And whose fault is that? Cry me a river

One of my leaders encouraged me saying "The tire marks that you leave behind for the sake of kosen-rufu are creating great fortune in life."
Unless those tire marks leads to the parking lot of a NST Temple

This is so vapid. Shall I continue on your behalf?...

"I also struggled with waking up in the mornings, causing me to lose job after job."
Maybe Buddhism isn't for Ethan. A sarcastic Jew or Christian will say "This is why God invented alarm clocks."

I was broke and hungry most of the time.
Congratulations.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2012 09:09AM by KR.

You see how SGI and other sects and groups (like Byron Katie) deliberately target people who are vulnerable and desperate.

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KR

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Hitch
For a reflection as to how dumb some of the so-called "leaders" are, take a look at this "special" pullout section from the WT used to encourage members to do May zaimu [www.sgi-usa.org].

Hitch - I know nothing of Ethan Gelbaum but his so-called experience, though he doesn't admit it, suggest that he struggled with substance/alcohol abuse. Waking up in the morning says it all. Overall it's vague and rushed but it's the classic SGI testimonial - I was desperate, I went a meeting, I struggled, I chanted, gave money, things changed around me, all praises to the SGI

I just wanted quote a passage from Ethan Gelbaum's experience then illustrate how silly it is:

Quote

"My determination to continue was challenged many times. In the early years of my Buddhist practice, I had to drive long distances to attend activities. My first job after joining was pumping gas at a filling station, where I would fill my tank and have the charge deducted from my pay. When my paycheck came, there was almost nothing left. One of my leaders encouraged me saying "The tire marks that you leave behind for the sake of kosen-rufu are creating great fortune in life."

Why is it that ALL SGI MEMBERS INSIST on writing in such a soppy dramatic style sad thing is it's so anti-climatic? (It's to invoke emotion of course) Mr. Gelbaum is determined to give money to SGI whereas normal people are determined to pay the light bill.

This is why SGI meetings (especially around May) are so excruciating:

I had to drive long distances to attend activities.
Somebody buy me a violin.

My first job after joining was pumping gas at a filling station, where I would fill my tank and have the charge deducted from my pay.
Gees, who hasn't held a shitty job in their life?

When my paycheck came, there was almost nothing left.
And whose fault is that? Cry me a river

One of my leaders encouraged me saying "The tire marks that you leave behind for the sake of kosen-rufu are creating great fortune in life."
Unless those tire marks leads to the parking lot of a NST Temple

This is so vapid. Shall I continue on your behalf?...

"I also struggled with waking up in the mornings, causing me to lose job after job."
Maybe Buddhism isn't for Ethan. A sarcastic Jew or Christian will say "This is why God invented alarm clocks."

I was broke and hungry most of the time.
Congratulations.

Agreed, on all counts. I suspect many, if not all, of the so-called senior "leaders" have gone through some kind of critical life event (as we all eventually do in some form or another) that is the trigger for them to lose all their faculties and devote their lives to a cult or religion.

Anti-climactic is right and it also sums up just about every gakkai "experience" I've ever heard (and I've heard a lot). I've heard this same one of Goon Gelbaum's over and over and over again; always wanted to roll my eyes every single time, too. Unsophisticated and stupid, pretty much sums him up, too, IMO. All I remember him ever doing was yelling at members (not me) and his unbelievably rude lack of manners, with no common sense and always full of himself.

Sorry, Hitch, but I can’t help you with your mountain retreat question - I surely would’ve remembered a cow sliced in half! But your post made me recall some local NSA campouts we had in our area. I was never a nature person to begin with, so the combination of the great outdoors and goofy YMD shenanigans was truly horrifying. I also recall traveling out-of-state to attend culture festival practices and having to stay in a nasty youth hostel while the adult chaperones spent the night in a comfy hotel. Battling a millipede while showering with a bunch of other YMD was one of my not-so-golden-memories from that trip. Speaking of which, whenever the youth division was asked to do something less than desirable (which was quite often), we were always given the old “You are creating golden memories for your future!” speech. Tweny-plus years later, I honestly can’t come up with one single “golden memory” that I’d like to relive.

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Hitch
For a reflection as to how dumb some of the so-called "leaders" are, take a look at this "special" pullout section from the WT used to encourage members to do May zaimu [www.sgi-usa.org].

That “Message of Thanks” by Danny Nagashima is a real hoot:

“I am sincerely praying that your participation in this coming May Commemorative Contribution activity will be the most personally fulfilling and joyful experience.”

Is he serious?! Stuffing a check into an envelope is considered a “personally fulfilling and joyful experience“? Only in the SGI!

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SGBye
the old “You are creating golden memories for your future!” speech. Tweny-plus years later, I honestly can’t come up with one single “golden memory” that I’d like to relive.

My one true golden memory is when I finally dropped all the superstition for good, reclaimed my life and got the hell out.

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SGBye

That “Message of Thanks” by Danny Nagashima is a real hoot:

“I am sincerely praying that ....."

I hope he writes a letter to Santa Claus, too. It's the same thing.

IMO, many of the senior leaders (and much of the membership for that matter), are not really sane people (and I include myself briefly in that category, when I was at the peak of my blissfully willfully ignorant brainwashed time in).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2012 07:19PM by Hitch.

Hi Hitch. This is my friends Facebook page on which an SGI member posted a picture of this giant SGI YMD camp out on his wall. Go down 6 or 7 wall posts. Is this it?

[www.facebook.com]

Nichijew



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2012 10:07PM by Nichijew.

Thanks, Nichijew. I don't do facebook, so, unfortunately, I can't see the photo(s).

There was a period of time in my "practice" that I just did whatever it was I was told to do. This particular cult camping activity coincided with that time. I often never knew what I was getting myself into, just practicing to keep my parents happy and basically be a good boy. This horrible "golden" sh** memory was one of the events that gradually changed that naive mindset and made me start to think about some of the things that were being asked of me and to begin to question my blind allegiance. As SGBye stated, it was quite often that we were expected to do some less than desirable things. I also started to notice the pattern that the authoritarianism would be ratcheted up and the psycho alter egos would come out to play whenever the normal adults were safely out of the picture. Gakkai cult "youth training" is a euphemism for mind games.

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SGBye

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Hitch
For a reflection as to how dumb some of the so-called "leaders" are, take a look at this "special" pullout section from the WT used to encourage members to do May zaimu [www.sgi-usa.org].

That “Message of Thanks” by Danny Nagashima is a real hoot:

“I am sincerely praying that your participation in this coming May Commemorative Contribution activity will be the most personally fulfilling and joyful experience.”

Is he serious?! Stuffing a check into an envelope is considered a “personally fulfilling and joyful experience“? Only in the SGI!

Oh, I also forgot to add: reading that article just reminded me how much I hated hearing them quote so-and-so page of the gosho or so-and-so paragraph of the dear phantom leader's vague and meaningless verbiage. It always made me think of primitive bible thumpers who clutch their books to their chests with tears in their eyes, incapable of thinking for themselves and under the delusion that the primitive words that they are quoting have as much a profound meaning and magical powers to everyone else as it does to them. I never could get fully onboard with any of that stuff.

My sincerest prayers to SGBye so that he could make a joyful fulfilling financial contribution to his local Children's Hospital Foundation.

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SGBye

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Hitch
For a reflection as to how dumb some of the so-called "leaders" are, take a look at this "special" pullout section from the WT used to encourage members to do May zaimu [www.sgi-usa.org].

That “Message of Thanks” by Danny Nagashima is a real hoot:

My sincerest prayers to Nichijew so that he could make the most joyful fulfilling financial contribution to his local Children's Hospital Foundation.

“I am sincerely praying that your participation in this coming May Commemorative Contribution activity will be the most personally fulfilling and joyful experience.”

Is he serious?! Stuffing a check into an envelope is considered a “personally fulfilling and joyful experience“? Only in the SGI!

I thought people usually prayed for miracles, good health, safety, etc. Who goes out of there way to pray for someone to give money? I'm pretty sure the Foundation would appreciate his charity but even they know that it doesn't have to be done in such over-the-top, self-celebratory, grandiose fashion?

*sigh* SGI's manipulation of words is so transparent to the point that they make themselves appear beyond foolish. Why can't the SGI wake up to this?