There are actually reports of SGI and Mitsubishi misdeeds, as well as reports that SGI's main financing bank is The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi. Of course, the problem is SGI keeps all of their finances secret, so only Ikeda and his family know where the money is, and where it went.

[www.culthelp.info]
"In March 1990, a swirl of accusations over a mysterious transaction involving the Soka Gakkai, the Mitsubishi Corp and two Renoir paintings in which nearly 1.5 billion yen had gone missing."

"The organisation operates five cemeteries in Japan through a joint venture with Mitsubishi Corps. In May 1991, Soka Gakkai paid 640 million yen in profits from the sale of gravestones over the three year period ending in March 1990."


[www.caic.org.au]
The spying charges against Soka Gakkai International France, which claims 152000 members, were further detailed in a recent issue of the Shukan Bunshun. Quoting the newspaper Le Parisien, it reported that a secret network of Soka Gakkai operatives allegedly infiltrated the Mitsubishi group offices in Paris, which were used as cover for intelligence operations. It did not specify whether the secret agents were corporate employees sent from Japan or local hires, or a combination of both.

Thanks sixtyseven- glad to hear you got the magic scroll out of the house,mine's going in the post tomorrow and the daimoku book, beads and the wretched gongyo book are already binned.Hated gongyo from the off, shoulda trusted my instincts.

Re: The Malibu Training Center

I have also tried to locate it via google Earth, without any luck. Unless I'm mistaken as to where I exactly remember it being, it looks like it may have been sold (?) and even torn down. It wouldn't surprise me, as it is typical cult org. behavior to move real estate investments around for profit with the general membership out-of-the-loop. I remember the unique shaped building well and I don't see it anywhere anymore.

For those interested, go to google Earth satellite view, after entering Pepperdine University Pacific Coast Highway. If you zoom way out, you can see how to get there from Santa Monica, thru Pacific Palisades and on into Malibu. I seem to recall it used to sit shortly beyond the "Pepperdine University" sign on PCH, somewhere between Eastern and Central Malibu (specifically between Malibu Bluffs Park and Coral Canyon Park ??), oceanside of course. There is a lot of construction and new buildings oceanside now. As a result, I can no longer locate the specific property / site. I also remember you couldn't see much from the street or even standing at the closed gate - the property sat back a ways hidden behind a lot of vegetation. It also sat up on an impressive cliff that looked way down on a gorgeous view to the beach and ocean below.

Isn't it interesting how current members know nothing of this property and longtime members have conveniently let its memory slowly fade away, to the point that it doesn't even register on old members' radar any longer. Like I said, not many were ever really privy to the property in terms of being able to actually enter it. The subterfuge and elitism was quite evident to me, regarding this property, even as a teenager.

Perhaps if there are any current members or ex-members who know more about the fate of this property (or exact location), they can chime in and add more.

I'm also positive that there are old photos in NSA publications of the site and activities that took place there (The Dear Leader Garden Parties are the events that I specifically took part in as a "YOUTH!" division member). On that note, I also remember that the powers that be (all the leaders) got much uglier and fascist in their behavior at events surrounding this property (practices, preparations and events proper). The words "hypervigilance" and "paranoia" on the part of the leaders, immediately springs to my mind when it comes to this property. My memories of it, ironically, are not good, despite its breathtaking physical beauty.



- Hitch

Photo I've linked to before [crossandlotus.files.wordpress.com], that's The Malibu "Training" Center in the background (again, "training" is a euphemism for cult member brainwashing / thought reform / manipulation - just take a look at that group signed vow, "Our spirit is to never taiten - no matter what").

(The cult org. is fond of that phrase. And "taiten" is cult-speak for "stop following The Dear Leader" now. In retrospect, the cult org. appears to be constantly pretty paranoid about losing "members", looking at this photo / vow thru 2013 eyes.)

Happy Cult Memories, All!

- Hitch

Oh, on that note (cult memories), I just wanted to add:

Re: My "YOUTH!" division memories at The Cult Malibu Thought Reform Center

I felt like a potted plant, wallpaper and decoration from my time there. You were lined up, moved around, yelled at, forced to smile and otherwise appear super happy (while being yelled at and ordered around, mind you) and do your "Rah-rah-rah!" thing for the photographers and cameras, then you were put into a corner until called out to do the same thing all over again for another Dear Leader walk around. And then you were done and told to leave, until next time.

"Precious 'YOUTH!' member"? No.

Accessory / support prop for show (and treated as such)? Yep.

Such is the gakkai cult org..


- Hitch

Hitch has summed it up.

Quote

I felt like a potted plant, wallpaper and decoration from my time there. You were lined up, moved around, yelled at, forced to smile and otherwise appear super happy (while being yelled at and ordered around, mind you) and do your "Rah-rah-rah!" thing for the photographers and cameras, then you were put into a corner until called out to do the same thing all over again for another Dear Leader walk around. And then you were done and told to leave, until next time.

"Precious 'YOUTH!' member"? No.

Accessory / support prop for show (and treated as such)? Yep.

Human persons cannot reach full potential if used as objects.

Hitch's description reminds one of the tales told of one Mogul emperor who played pachisi (a board game) but played it in this manner:

[www.hoparoundindia.com]

Quote

Pachisi Court History-Origin-Importance-Architecture

It is believed that Akbar played Pachisi here using slave girls as the chess pieces. Pachisi was played with humans as chessmen when both the players sitting on either sides and commanding the moves.

If a game took a long time, imagine the pain felt by the girls having to stand for long periods, barefoot or wearing flimsy slippers, on hard pavement.

As little care for their feelings, as Dear Leader showed for Hitch and the other people who were shoved around to adorn his court.

And the shoving still goes on, just in subtler forms. I will post some of my experiences with disordered leaders as time permits, but I want to say that the postings on this mb have helped me gather the strength to make the decision to leave SGInsanity! Now I am withstanding the barrage of texts and calls since my disappearing act. The "love bombing" I think you call it, has begun.

Quote
corboy
As little care for their feelings, as Dear Leader showed for Hitch and the other people who were shoved around to adorn his court.

The Dear Leader's attitude and behavior just rolls down the hill to cult org. "leaders" and is modeled by them. Truly caring for the feelings of others is something that Ikeda only does for show (e.g., his common hand over heart gesture when giving thanks) or to further his cult org. empire.

Re: full potential and growth

The cult org., in retrospect, arrested my personal growth and shackled me to superstition and wishful thinking. Full potential and growth only came after breaking away from the chains of the gakkai cult org..

****

On that related theme:

"Disordered leaders" were the worst kind, because they are scared about screwing things up and falling short (which is of course, exactly what they are doing) in the eyes of their own "leaders" and take things out on their "members" or anyone below them in the process. There were lots of them.

Unfortunately, I have had experience on both sides of the door whenever The Dear Leader blew into town. As a too young kid, I was once dragged along to a meeting with the fishing line that if my fortune permitted it, I might be able to get into The Dear Leader meeting with my parent (despite not having a ticket). It didn't happen and I was left standing on the outside of the World Culture Center (WCC) in Santa Monica being shooed away from the back door by Soka-han blue coats, along with other abandoned fortune babies whose hardcore parents had similar thwarted plans, left to wander about the open back parking lot (this was well before the marble Ikeda Auditorium was built over it) in the darkness for a few hours. (I was pretty sincere, too and it bummed me out that my so-called "fortune" was good enough to allow me passage.)

So, I practiced harder, eventually gaining access to the other side of the door and closer proximity to The Dear Leader at future events / activities over the years. Well, long story short, it was an eventual let down, because as I've stated before on this mb, I personally found that Ikeda exuded all the warmth and charisma that you would feel by getting closer to a greasy sausage; the magic never really transfered completely over to my mind and psyche as it appears to have done with others (thank goodness).

It's my personal opinion and observation that all the "leaders", even the top ones (Williams / Sadanaga included) are essentially afraid of "Pres" Ikeda and fight amongst themselves for the best positions around him to remain in his good graces. This applies all the way up and down the cult org. "leadership" ladder, too. As I've also mentioned before, I once witnessed GMW groveling to $oka Gakkai Cult Vice Pres. (and Executive Director to $GI-USA --> translation = Ikeda's personal enforcer) Wada in an attempt to please / impress him. Wada barely even acknowledged him and couldn't have cared less. It was a shocking and eye opening "experience" for me.

I've seen way too much ugliness in the gakkai cult org. to ever respect or tolerate it anymore in my life. People should do themselves a favor by getting as far away as possible from this toxic dysfunctional pseudo-buddhist cult and its lying manipulative ways.


- Hitch

Quote
WaywardBuddhistWoman
And the shoving still goes on, just in subtler forms. I will post some of my experiences with disordered leaders as time permits, but I want to say that the postings on this mb have helped me gather the strength to make the decision to leave SGInsanity! Now I am withstanding the barrage of texts and calls since my disappearing act. The "love bombing" I think you call it, has begun.

You stay strong.I have a chapter leader coming to get the Gohonzon on Friday.Im ready for the questions!

Not sure what I will do with Gohonzon. I have a lot to say to a few leaders, especially the one who stalked me, sexually harassed me, then tried to convert me to a "friend" when I told him to F Off. But then there is the leader who told me I was being replaced by a pot smoking crazy lady after 20 years as a chapter leader because I couldn't get along with a rage-aholic family member of mine who is also in the cult. These were just my experiences of the past year, the 35th year of my practice. Never too late to change and refuse to accept unacceptable behavior.