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TaitenAndProud
One of the more troubling aspects of SGI and Ikeda for me was the use of language (all the win, fight, victory, victory victory, struggle, enemy, defeat, lose, win, on and on ). Even though I was hardly knowledgable about Buddhism outside of the organization, I felt instinctively that there was something terribly wrong with this language-- the emphasis on conflict, the emphasis on having to change things, the emphasis on the enemy (within and without). - opendoor

I agree entirely. I don't know if you've read much up the thread, but one of the Four Noble Truths of (real) Buddhism is "Attachment causes suffering." All this "bend reality to your will" is really nothing more than an expression of deep-seated attachment, demonstrating the delusion that one cannot regard oneself as happy/successful unless a certain outcome is attained. And you're right - this is NOT Buddhism!

Here's what the REAL Buddha had to say on the subject: "Winning gives birth to hostility. Losing, one lies down in pain. The calmed lie down with ease, having set winning and losing aside."

I have noticed a similar change - when I was with the SGI, they always referred to the kaikans as "Community Centers" if they were small or "Culture Centers" if they were larger. And I actually heard leaders explaining that our Community Centers were truly "community centers", where anyone in the community could, you know, drop by, enjoy the artwork, whatever! Talk about deluded! Nobody ever came in. And frankly, President Ikeda's photos, that he supposedly takes by just holding out the camera and clicking away? They looked like they were taken with that technique. I never understood the fawning and exaggerated praise for his photos. They're nearly as bad as his poems!!

When I got back together with my one (1) friend from the SGI last month, she said they'd moved to a bigger community center because their lease had run out at the other place. And she told me that they *bought* this new place! It's in a business park, you know, strip-mall-style sandwiched between a golf shop and an emergency veterinarian office, among others. In fact, their name, on the *bottom* of the plaza's directory out front, is "SGI-USA BUDDHIST CENTER"! I've been trying to call the leasing agents for the plaza, Red Rock Center, to confirm that *every* space in the center is leased. I simply don't see any way that a *leased* center would allow businesses to *purchase* spaces/units - how, then, could the leasing agents assure the proper maintenance and behavior for that space/unit's neighbors, which all share walls?? So I don't know where she got the idea that this was a purchased building, because there's just no way that could be.

I agree with you, opendoor, that what little of REAL Buddhism the SGI included was very helpful to me. I *like* the idea of being responsible for myself, of making wise choices, and of living with the results (for better or for worse). I never liked those religions with their "get out of hell free" cards and all that "saved" rubbish. Behave properly, people! That's the key! So I found that the principles of Buddhism motivated me to behave well. So then I thought to myself that, since Buddhism has these great guidelines in it, it will reliably motivate EVERYONE to behave well, too! Until I learned of the man who had raped his step-daughter (lots of times) and the one guy in my district murdered his wife - shot her dead! - and that Korean couple who had had a magazine/newspaper shop converted it to cigars and a smoking room instead, and the list goes on and on and on. It only worked for me because I made the conscious decision to live my life that way.

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sleepy skunk
For me it was also a lot of little things that seemed to pile up one after the other. Between the endless eventual demands for money, visiting the brainwashing center (and paying for the privilege), confirmation bias laden "experiences", the annoying language, constant magical thinking, the useless guidance, people meddling in others business, the gossip, and lastly, the absolute loons I came across. Add that to all the signs I had been ignoring for years during which my unconscious was demanding my attention the whole time right from the beginning. I've really learned the value of trusting my gut and always using my head. One experience I've had that others have here was the quashing of critical thinking. I couldn't understand why this was until I came back here and read the first hundred or so pages. The techniques, all of that. It's so obvious once you distance yourself and educate yourself. How I managed to escape I'll never know, but one thing is certain. Not doing any of the practice ever except quite rarely probably helped save me. I had my reasons not to, but mostly my gut told me to stop and just observe and that's when I think it all hit the fan. I really hated those magazines and their constant reinforcement that we were all owing gratitude to people we've never met nor have done anything direct for anyone as far as anyone can see. Any time I heard an experience or was about to hear one I'd roll my eyes and phase out until they were done. I have more important things to think about than that, like how fast I can twiddle my fingers as I listen to that crap. Separately, all the techniques they use might not be so bad but together I can only think it's good to be gone. I am like many here in thinking "How could I be so stupid to go for this stuff?" When I think about the question of what did the practice actually do for me? Good question. Like others here, I've met some interesting people I probably wouldn't have any other way yes, but it's not worth making myself a mind-slave for Cousin Rufus. I learned a lot about emotional and psychological manipulation techniques, however. Thank you all for aiding my exit. I've given back the scroll already and all that other garbage is exactly where it belongs, and I'm never looking back!

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Hitch

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Shavoy
When I practiced, it was a joke with myself, because I never did gongyo consistently as prescribed. May have chanted on a daily basis, but not a lot of two-times-a-day. I say it is a joke, especially now, because STILL I received benefits and answers to the prayers I was putting out to the universe with NMRK. Got out of some major pickles, which, yes, I attributed to at least, my SINCERITY. This carried on for the 25 years of my practice!

Other members frantically and understandably wanted ASAP answers to their dilemmas and would do the prescription, and the results seemed to be what people experience regardless: sometimes answers and relief would come; other times the situation(s) dragged on.

What is the difference, I ask?

If you got results, you changed your karma, were sincere in your faith and diligent in your practice. If not, it was your karma again, or you didn't have the proper attitude in faith, or you didn't practice hard enough (whatever the case may be and whatever they need to say to pull your strings).

When bad things really hit the fan, the default answer always was, "it's your karma."

So, the difference is whether or not one believes in "karma." Can't say that I ever really did, so I called their BS, walked and the sky never fell - it only kept getting brighter, sunnier and clearer for me the further I got away from the gakkai cult org.'s poisonous atmosphere.


- Hitch