Hi everyone,

I just discovered this message board, and this is my first post. I really connect to what a lot of you have experienced in SGI. By way of introduction, I practiced for over 20 years in Canada and one year in the U.S. I’ve been there and done it – leadership positions, tozans to Japan where I visited the Sho Hondo, group photos taken with Ikeda, etc. I ended my connection with SGI in 2002. My reasons for leaving were a couple of painful personal experiences, which I’ll share at another time, as well as the ugly split with the priesthood, resulting in disquieting organizational changes.

Many of you have written about the fact that SGI is very wealthy and that there is no financial transparency. For most of my practice in the organization I never thought about the financial aspect. However, as the years went on I noticed more and more pressure and emphasis was made for members to contribute financially in higher amounts. In the last year of my association with SGI, I attended an art division conference at the Florida Nature and Culture Center at which Pasqual Olivera and his wife presided. I had never met Pasqual before or known much about him, but I subsequently learned what a long-standing, dedicated SGI leader he was. At that time Pasqual was extremely ill with cancer. Due to chemotherapy treatments, he had lost his hair and could barely stand. But his passion for the SGI never wavered, and here he was – leading this conference.

One thing that troubled me was when Pasqual spoke of his determination to give the org $10,000 a year, which he apparently had struggled to do every year for a few years at this point. He said he was telling this to us “privately”, and that he really believed that the magic number of a $10,000 donation per year would ensure his personal future fortune. The next I saw of him was a few months later in New York, where he was traveling around the country as part of an SGI contingent. He gave the same talk about the fortune that he believed would be his by giving $10,000 per year to SGI.

A year or so later, I was shocked and saddened to learn that he had died, and that his wife died not long after him, also of cancer. I had the uncomfortable thought that instead of traveling around the country encouraging members to donate their money to SGI, he probably should have stayed home and taken care of his health. The story felt so tragic to me.

Welcome aboard "Olderandwiser",

The cult org. likes to grab magic numbers out of a hat (1 million daimoku, $10,000 U$D or equivalent, etc.) to have members strive for. The higher income bracket members get fed the "10,000" number, lower income members get fed the "1,000" or "500" magic numbers - its all tailored manipulation. Just think what they celebrity members get hit up for annually. Contributing to your "future fortune" bank, until you die. And now they have estate bequeathment "Planned Giving" to screw your loved ones over once you're gone, too. Lovely organization, isn't it.

Pasqual was a very nice, sincere and devoted gentleman, from my experiences with him. Extremely dedicated and hard working for the cult org.. How sad that he was essentially a worker drone his entire life for the cult, an unknowing cult shill used to hook other credulous people into the cult org.. I saw him doing his schtick as far back as the 80's and a lot of "ordinary" members really looked up to and admired him a lot. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people like that in the $oka Gakkai cult, everywhere around the world; sincere dupes being manipulated and taken advantage of by a rich Japanese pseudo-buddhist cult organization. As the years pass, more and more, unfortunately, are not only living, but also dying, content in their ignorant delusions. Some, manage to open their eyes and escape, others, stick with it and eventually meet their individual respective fates. Look where Ikeda-ism got Mr. Williams for all of his hard work and devotion. IMO, if people couldn't see the writing on the wall after all of that (the priesthood schism and the Sadanaga sacking), they probably never will.

Incidentally,

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Olderandwiser
In the last year of my association with SGI, I attended an art division conference at the Florida Nature and Culture Center ....

FNCC = The Modern Day Cult Retreat (for intense, focused brainwashing), that has replaced the tozan-kai, of the past, since the ex-communication of the cult org..

I've heard through the grapevine that some long time adult members have come away a bit shocked that they weren't even allowed to leave the cult retreat property independently for their free time, to even go sightseeing or shopping (unless they were a part of an officially designated and chaperoned, pre-approved 'free-time' group). Having grown up in the cult org. "YOUTH!" division, that is certainly nothing new to me. Sounds like some fully grow adult members are now getting some of the same treatment. I'll be damned if I'd ever put up with that kind of stuff as an adult. How some can just shake their heads and move on like nothing ever happened, is beyond me. What's next? Mandatory Kool-Aid refreshment time?

@Nichijew....thank you for your response to my post about NMRK. It helped a lot.

@Olderandwiser (welcome!) and Hitch: I've said it before on here and I'll throw it out again. That $10,000.00 figure that Mr. Olivera had determined to fulfill each year as a donation---that was his own personal determination to donate in gratitude to the SGI, with the expectation of concrete financial fortune, as well. It is no different from tithing for Christian churches. Many, many pages ago here, I mentioned about how the evangelist Oral Roberts made a huge return on urging his followers to "plant the seed"....making regular donations to ensure that "the seeds of faith" will bear wonderful financial fruit for their futures.

That was Mr. Olivera's choice and from what I've heard here, it was made in the utmost sincerity. But, yes, in the end, he and his lovely wife lost their battles with cancer. Which leads to the SGI promising to be able to "surmount anything" and having all prayers answered.

Life does intervene, as it does for the believers in so many different faiths universally.

Welcome OlderandWiser, I love your handle. It about says it all.

Pasqual Olivera. I practiced in Chicago during the early to mid seventies, and Pasqual was the pride and joy of the NSA Chicago organization. He was the star of every big meeting, and truly talented. I can still vividly recall his performances, and advice to us kotekitai about how to march. By the way, a very young Pasqual is in one of the photos on The American Gongyo site referenced on the previous page. I also recall when he got "married". It is so sad that he went to his death without being able to be who he truly was, and that an organization he had devoted his life to did not accept him as he truly was. It is also sad that he held magical beliefs in SGI doctrine until he died. It is impossible to buy favor from the universe. He got older, and sicker, but never wiser, a victim of the same "prosperity pimping" done in the name of Christ by the likes of Oral Roberts as mentioned by Shavoy.

Most members back then did not think about the financial aspect of NSA, just like now most members do not think about the financial aspects of SGI. The org counts on this apathy. Those members that do have questions about finances, and are bold enough to ask questions, are shown the door if they persist.

Just to clarify my comment, Shavoy, when I stated that "the cult org. likes to pull numbers out of a hat", it meant that nice round numbers are always "suggested", based on various criteria (the individual's brainwashed gratitude for perceived benefits, fake karma, manufactured obligation to the cult org., etc.). There are members from my area that have gradually increased their zaimu amounts incrementally over the decades (never decrease) and want to give (and have been giving) $1,000 a month, based on those manufactured criteria just mentioned. Some of them also are retired, on disability, suffering from terminal health problems and have failing business, yet they still want to give their own chosen magic number goal, for their own personal reasons. In every case, they all do it with a sincere heart and truly believe, having convinced themselves, that they literally and figuratively "owe" it to the cult org. / The Dear Leader / & Cousin Rufus.

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Freeheartandmind
It is also sad that he held magical beliefs in SGI doctrine until he died. It is impossible to buy favor from the universe. He got older, and sicker, but never wiser, a victim of the same "prosperity pimping" done in the name of Christ by the likes of Oral Roberts as mentioned by Shavoy.

Unfortunately, that is exactly what was happening at the FNCC cult retreat. Sincere members "sharing" their own "personal" magic numbers with others, merely as "suggestions." "This is what I do and what works for me, I'm not telling you to do the same, but ......"

Those who "donate" nice big round numbers are also given reputations by the cult org. judges (which was the Japanese WD during my time in) and regarded and treated accordingly. The respect you got was directly proportional to your concrete "faith" actions (i.e., zaimu, for example). Anybody see those pics. of Orlando Bloom meeting The Dear Leader. Very unlikely that you or I could ever gain such "magic" access, based on intangible "faith" alone. I know for a fact that a big enough "donation" could also get you a very intimate and personal appearance of The Cult Org. General Director (Williams) at your "Han" (small group) meeting. (I repeat: "Han" meeting. That was a big deal back in the 80's, when Sadanaga was at the peak of his cult career.)

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Freeheartandmind
Most members back then did not think about the financial aspect of NSA, just like now most members do not think about the financial aspects of SGI. The org counts on this apathy. Those members that do have questions about finances, and are bold enough to ask questions, are shown the door if they persist.

To question finances was equivalent to doubting the daishonin himself and an act of severe slander; a severe affront. Nobody dared do it, if you wanted to stick around.

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Olderandwiser
... In the last year of my association with SGI, I attended an art division conference at the Florida Nature and Culture Center at which Pasqual Olivera and his wife presided. I had never met Pasqual before or known much about him, but I subsequently learned what a long-standing, dedicated SGI leader he was. At that time Pasqual was extremely ill with cancer. Due to chemotherapy treatments, he had lost his hair and could barely stand. But his passion for the SGI never wavered, and here he was – leading this conference.

...A year or so later, I was shocked and saddened to learn that he had died, and that his wife died not long after him, also of cancer. I had the uncomfortable thought that instead of traveling around the country encouraging members to donate their money to SGI, he probably should have stayed home and taken care of his health. The story felt so tragic to me.

Yes, it is tragic, the lack of love and concern shown by SGI toward Pasqual as he battled cancer. Why didn't the org. encourage him to obtain the best possible medical care and rest, instead of traveling around to various meetings? It would have been hard for me to see him barely able to stand. An organization you were faithful to for 40 years should care about you more than this. It reminds me of when I was in high school having no time to complete my studies, staying up at the community center until all hours, riding unsafe public transportation at night, while not one of the "leaders" expressed any concern. Yes, it was my "choice", but the org highly encouraged a fanatical level of involvement, to the detriment of your own life and responsibilities. Fanatics were praised, promoted, and held in high esteem. If there is really love and concern in an org, it looks out for the welfare of the rank and file members. I don't know if the Japanese cultural template that overlays SGI (and NSA too) is partly to blame, but the org comes across as cold-hearted and uncaring.

It sounds like small group meetings were abolished. They were an important part of the practice when I was in, and the closest, most caring relationships were in the small group.

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Freeheartandmind
It reminds me of when I was in high school having no time to complete my studies, staying up at the community center until all hours, riding unsafe public transportation at night, while not one of the "leaders" expressed any concern. Yes, it was my "choice", but the org highly encouraged a fanatical level of involvement, to the detriment of your own life and responsibilities. Fanatics were praised, promoted, and held in high esteem. If there is really love and concern in an org, it looks out for the welfare of the rank and file members. I don't know if the Japanese cultural template that overlays SGI (and NSA too) is partly to blame, but the org comes across as cold-hearted and uncaring.

Your "experience" (sorry for the cult speak here) pretty much echoes mine. Some of my high school years were a blur, all because of the cult org.. High school coincided with the height of my time in, too. If you couldn't juggle school, a part-time job and activities (literally almost every night of the week and every weekend, including all day Sundays and invariably hours and hours of driving to and from them), you met with guilt trips / manipulation and were made to feel somehow deficient in your abilities, efforts, and subsequently, "faith." Looking back on it all, it was ridiculous insanity. They never cared about me and were openly hostile when you didn't do as you were ordered (err, "asked") by your immediate "leaders." It was this kind of bizarre behavior that alerted me to something being not quite right in the cult org..

It's very interesting to note, though, that when I managed to back off from activities and actually accomplish something in my life, school, job, the cult org. was always ever so anxious to try and rush back in to claim all of the credit for it (cue in grateful zaimu suggestions and friendly stranger "leaders" popping-up with requests for you to do this or promote that). Utterly shameless and aggressively predatory behavior. In fact, sometimes their presumptuous behavior would leave me flabbergasted. Again, more signs that something was off-kilter with both, the people and "organization." In fact, I'm of the honest opinion that many of the so-called "leaders" in cult org., are legitimately mentally ill in some ways.

Its an evil and vile "organization" that eats people up, spits them out and just moves right once finished. The problem is, too many people are only more than happy to let them do so. I'd have to say that it isn't a Japanese quality, rather, it's specifically a destructive cult quality.

Some random examples (in photos and clips) of $oka Gakkai Cult brainwashing (thought reform):

1. In-house "glory" certificates [blog-imgs-42.fc2.com] (be sure to read the award inscription, in English). These things are common and given out to hardcore (i.e., deeply brainwashed) members. Certificates (or other) unique paraphernalia, progressively signed / inscribed by higher and higher cult "leaders" all the way up the cult ladder, culminating in the ultimately coveted "Dear Leader" associated items.

2. Magical thinking (celebrities are not immune) [blog-imgs-41.fc2.com] cult amulets.

3. Some worldwide clips [www.youtube.com].

4. Japanese gakkai cult propaganda video: Sing together in the rain, wash your mind clean for Cousin Rufus (i.e., cult manufactured mass group 'struggles' for members to emotionally bond over --> these kinds of events have a strong potential to lock people into the cult mindset for life). [www.youtube.com]

English translation of the song in #4 [www.youtube.com]. "Youth! Scale the mountain of Kosen-rufu for the 21st century!" By Shin'ichi Yamamoto (aka: The Dear Leader). Notice how the song correlates well to the circumstances in #4 video clip. In the culties minds, this is a deep and significant 'mystical' connection to those brought together to fight for Cousin Rufus - a 'high honor'.

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Being made to feel ultra-special within the cult, magical thinking, manufactured cult events for forging common imaginary mystical bonds, fighting for imaginary mission goals, and of course, everything directly or indirectly centered around The Dear Leader.