Quote
Jackie_Flash
Hi. I've not posted in a while, but I thought you might find this Youtube video intersting. The speaker is a little hard to understand, but he basically talks about the causes for the rift between Nichiren Shoshu and SGI in Ghana. The Ghana Constitution allows Ghanians to elect their own leaders, but SGI tried to place their own leaders within the Ghana organization.

[www.youtube.com]

I found another video featuring Joseph Asomani, but he has a very thick accent and there background noise, so it's harder to understand.

There has never been anything even resembling democratic decision making in the cult org.. Everything (and I mean everything) is at the whim of the Japanese leaders. It's either their way or the highway - period. It has always been that way.

The cult org., from the 90's onward, along with the priesthood breakup, underwent a kind of self-inflicted radical brain surgery (lobotomy). Ever since then they have basically rallied the wagons and become ultra-paranoid control freaks, much to their own detriment. I don't think they care, either. They just want hardcore brainwashed members.

@ Rothaus...As I was leaving SGI, I guessed that many people felt like me, but just did not know what to do since SGI had become their whole world. There's always been people who come and go, but if too many long-time members leave it could be a problem. SGI never seems to grow. It just shrinks.

@ Hitch...so true. About the complete lack of democracy in SGI.

Welcome back, quiet one, Jackie_Flash and Rothaus...

@quiet one, your observation at the memorial service about members you had not seen in forever was very telling. The fact that the one member who looked better and happier than everyone else spoke a volume or 2! She is obviously listening to her gut and things always go better when you are paying attention to what it's telling you, or...as Sensei Ikeda always says, "Living true to oneself".

Yes, yes, the irony. So when people actually start living "true to oneself" and it's saying, Gakkai, I can't be down with you anymore because it justs feels wrong---there you go! Lives start to blossom.

Your other observation about how SGI never seems to grow, it just shrinks, is right on. There are people who will join or are still with the program and don't have a big issue with M/D, contributions, lack of democracy, etc.

But the numbers en masse that they want, do.

Hi Hitch and welcome back Quiet One. Examples of stories planted by the SGI are the electromagnetic waves killing parakeets and attacking my body. The first thing almost any diehard member asks about any of their critics is if they are crazy or on drugs. Typical cult bull baiting techniques.

Nichijew



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/2012 01:24AM by Nichijew.

@ Quiet One
I find it quite sad I must say. By now I follow or ctach up with SGI members life from a distance - even a family member is still with them. What should I say - its sad. I still practice this buddhism, accroding, not with yet, Nichiren Shu. Nichirens buddhism, as any other forms of buddhism are to me a guideline to live ones life, but does not mean to seperate oneself from society. I remember members criticising for instance Zen for not beinig embeded within society. To be honest any lay zen buddhist is more in contact with the rest of the world than any SGI-member running form one meeting to the other practising Ikedaism.

Lately I have been follwoing SGIist acitivity on Wikipedia ... its breathtaking in what sort of world they must live. Criticising acdemics when critical of SGI praising those apparently in deffence of SGI. In one talk page an apparent SGI member became really insulting if not to say vulgar.

Imagine the unrelenting pressure--to defend The Mentor at any cost. Because if you don't---oh, well! The Houses of Enlightenment that one thinks they are building, maybe like a 401K-will come crashing down in those flames of hell.

I think that's a large part of the SGI agenda right now. You must defend Sensei Ikeda and the org with your life.

More clips from the motherland and gakkai cult member behavior, [www.youtube.com]. In this one, a couple of protestors had their break time interrupted by a gakkai automaton cult member. They give chase, whereupon the gakkai member (who should have the faith and be fully protected by the buddhist gods) literally runs away like a frightened rabbit trying to escape. LOL!! Quite a demonstation of the power of "The LAW" of the universe & righteousness on the side of the gakkai cult members. (This kind of stuff is just plain embarrassing for the cult.)

Hi Rothaus. I checked out the talk Soka Gakkai Wikipedia article. To correct all Safwan's errors, lies, and deceptions would take weeks. I added a few articles for his reading displeasure, Dominating Tradition: The Soka Gakkai's Creation of History and the location of a 63 page pamphlet by a former Nichiren Shoshu priest on the SGI's split with the Nichiren Shoshu. Safwan lacks courage and I'm sure he will find some way to have these citations removed from Wiki. His idea of dialogue on Wiki is to slash, burn, and edit anything that doesn't place SGI in a favorable light. I think he is a coward.

@ Nichijew
I find his own talk page quite hilarious actually and must say that at least they try to keep him at bay. Somehow though its also unmasking and he does not even realise it.

@quiet one
Exactly, I think in a way being in SGI does actually detach one from the rest of society in a big way … its actually quite worrying as this tendency seems to be getting worse. Levi McLaughlin who's articles were mentioned in Wikipedia speaks of SGI that while in the 60's was a organisation led by Ikeda transformed into an organisation dedicated to Ikeda. What I also noticed is that the news on SGI's true nature has to get out more … it is in the whole of the buddhist world still quite marginal, but its dangerous potential is growing rather than declining … this comes at a point where I somehow believe its fighting for its survival. The gap between what it teaches and how it says to transform people's lives is growing … its becoming implausible more than ever. One can think of Nichiren Shoshu what may one like but I believe it also kept a lid on a lot of issues.

I just read on the soka gakkai wikipedia page that "Nam-Myôhô-Renge-Kyô" means "Devotion to the Mystic/Wonderful Dharma/Law of the Lotus Flower Sutra". As a member of NSA, we were told many time that NMRK meant devotion to the mystic law of cause and effect through sound. So what is the real translation of NMRK? The more I read this MB, the more I feel bamboozeled by NSA/SGI.