"Liberty Bells, giant chairs, this-n-that convention, world record flag marching numbers, world record rolling human pyramids" - Hitch

^ That's the summary of my years in Youth Division. I had only been a member a few months when I went on the bus trip to Philadelphia to march in the Liberty Bell parade. Want to know one of the things I remember most? Because I had marching band experience (from high school) and was more reliable than most of the others (the YWD from my HQ typically took it seriously and actually *marched*, while the other YWD from the Chicago Jt. Terr just *walked*) so I was put on the right side of the banner, the side closest to our byakuren guide, who would manage our distance from the group in front of us and tell us to speed up, slow down, whatever. Well, what I remember most is marching in our little short skirts with shorts underneath, and little boys diving for the gutter to look up and see what was under our skirts!

RE: Weed - there was a YMD, a nice looking fellow who worked as a sous-chef, who turned out to live just down the street from me. We dated briefly. At the time, he was having meetings in his apartment. That abruptly stopped, and he didn't understand why. I later heard that it was because the leaders had discovered that he was smoking *weed* - and that he'd smoked weed right before meetings!! *le horreur* Well, their decision to yank the meetings away from his apartment really hurt his feelings - it wasn't like they sat down with him and asked him to refrain from, you know, stinking up the place with weed smoke right before the members came over or anything. Truth be told, I *never* smelled weed smoke when I went over there - how could anyone, between the incense and the candles?? And I *know* what weed smoke smells like, let me tell YOU!!

"Local non-member Japanese are creeped out by the area and YouTube has many expose videos up with people going undercover to reveal what it's like to walk around or venture into some of the cult-catering shops (you can buy cult candies, snacks, cakes, flags, lapel pins, cell phone straps, stationary, bustudan and practicing accessories (all tri-colored and logo'ed), toys and stuffed chanting bears for the kids and, of course, a wide selection of Dear Leader literature and fan books). I kid you not. I'm not making one world of this up, either. "

This is true - seen it for myself. In April, 2006, I went to Japan with my family and another Gakkai member, who was my best friend at the time (and a Japanese ex-pat, so she made our trip SOOOO much easier!). One day, we went into Tokyo to visit the SGI HQ (or whatever it was). When we got there, we were told that we couldn't get guidance unless we arrived with a letter written to Sensei *eye roll* So we wandered around - Fuji Art Museum was closed, so we went into this little garden...it was nice...and we went into a Gakkai gift shop. When the workers heard that we were from the USA (pretty damn obvious - I'm 5'11" with golden brown hair, blue eyes, and fair skin with freckles), they were so happy and gave us some free stuff (can't remember what now - nothing valuable). Hey, wanna see the butsudan I eventually got?? My butsudan (currently in garage)

I put lamps like these in it - they were advertised as "temple lamps" but I really think they were hina (girls' day) display lamps: Cool looking lamps They look really cool, though.

It's funny - the whole way through, I'd always wanted a really fancy shmancy butsudan with all the bells and whistles, and when I finally got it, I didn't really care about practicing any more!!

Oh, yeah - the cultspeak!

"The no-matter-what spirit"

"Daimoku first!"

"NEVER go taiten!"

"Guidance, gosho, and gongyo!"

"Zenshi shiki"

"Obstacles"

"Overcoming obstacles!"

"Castle for kosen rufu"

"Building this treasure castle for kosen-rufu of the Mystic Law"

"Emerging from the earth"

"We are all bodhisattvas of the earth"

"Ceremony in the air!"

"Princes and princesses of the Mystic Law"

"Kings and queens of fortune"

"The mother is the sun of the family"

"Reply to your mentor in life"

"Women's Division: Serene as a swan on the surface, while paddling furiously underneath (where no one can see it)"

You know, I think my last meeting was in early 2008, but I've never had anyone I can talk to about this stuff. No one who wasn't in has any idea what I'm talking about, and it's embarrassing to have to explain, "Yeah, I was in this cult and I was really stupid and they did all this bizarro stuff" *eye roll*

I remember one study meeting of some sort or another, perhaps a gosho study (I was about the only one in the HQ who ever bothered to study that crap), and I brought up how it was a doctrine that people in the Latter Day of the Law (our time period), by definition, have made "no good causes in their lives." One WD Chapter Chief said, "Oh, I don't agree with that - I'm sure I created good causes in previous lifetimes!" But the leader - was it a visiting leader from LA HQ? I think so - stated, "No, it's a doctrine of the Nichiren school that people in the Latter Day of the Law have made no good causes in any lifetime." She really didn't like hearing THAT!! :D

But there's a problem - we are taught that chanting NMRK is not just "a good cause" - it's the *best* cause you can make! But here we are in the eeeEEEeeevil Latter Day of the Law, where, by definition, no one has made any good causes! What to do? What to do? *eye roll*

Quote
holly_golightly

Quote
Hitch

I'm sure there are many, many more examples, too. If anybody cares to share theirs, I'd love to hear them for a good laugh.


- Hitch

Just one off the top of my head ................... FIGHTING DAIMOKU!

I would sometimes be criticised by some of my fellow members for not doing enough of this (i.e. not shouting it at the top of my voice as if about to explode) and being told 'no wonder your life is a mess' - nice buddhist attitude displayed there :)

Don't forget the ingenious expansion to Fighting Daimoku: FD against FD. The second FD being Fundamental darkness.
FIGHTING DAIMOKU AGAINST FUNDAMENTAL DARKNESS! WHOOO HOOOO! Now we're ready to rock the error! whoooooooo!
Such giddiness when they started spouting that. Wow. FD and FD ....Big F. D. ! I say.

One that I was often told, "don't think too much, just chant" and it was usually coupled with, "your faith is weak."

In retrospect, I now take it all as a compliment, seeing as how being credulous and gullible are precisely the qualities that they entrap you with.


- Hitch

And on that note, more cult-speak, directly from cult org.'s YouTube promotion videos:

"Wisdom, Courage, Passion"

"A sense of empowerment"

"It refreshes me"

"Engage in dialogue"

How to be superstitious and learn the ritual - [www.youtube.com] (Comments disabled for this video. Hmmm, I wonder why ... hee-hee.) End of clip has a spiel about not being self-centered and practicing on your own --> i.e., you need the cult org. to do it properly (you have to plug in to the Ikeda power source, so to speak).

There should also be a disclaimer: If you don't do the magic chant and prayers enough, you will not gain benefit and be overtaken by "fundamental darkness" (lmao @ rattyboy's post!). You will also have to repay debts of gratitude for confirmation bias, in the form of $$$$ (zaimu) and subscribing to multiple copies of cult propaganda materials to artificially inflate membership numbers. If you stop chanting or attending "discussion" meetings, fellow cult members will show up at your door to "home visit" you, "dialogue" with you and pressure you to return to the collective. You will have to learn cult songs ("Forever Dear Leader", "Like A Waterfall"), read Ikeda literature / poems (if you can call it those things) and perform amateur cult skits at meetings (including The Dear Leader Fan Dance).

"Never go taiten" (Never give up the superstition & rituals), or you will never gain "happiness" & "fortune" in this life. [www.youtube.com] / [www.youtube.com] (Second clip makes me want to pull my hair out.)

****

I've posted this before, but I've got to say it again, these cult org. clips remind me of an anecdote attributed to Alfred Hitchcock -

"One day when Alfred Hitchcock was still a churchgoing Catholic, he was driving through a Swiss city when he suddenly pointed out of the car window and said, "That is the most frightening sight I have ever seen."

His companion was surprised to see nothing more alarming than a priest in conversation with a little boy, his hand on the child's shoulder.

"Run, little boy," cried Hitchcock, leaning out of the car. "Run for your life!"

Cousin Rufus is inviting you in to chant, "Run for your life!"




- Hitch

They have more slogans than a presidential hopeful!

"Sansho shima!

Fundamental Darkness!

Devil King of the 6th Heaven!

Negative forces/devilish functions/etc (there's no literal hell, just oddly named demonic forces)!

Commitment!

Sincere Daimoku!

Expiate that bad karma!

Gratitude! Appreciation! (Submit!)

Donations/purchases: Don't worry, it will all come back to you! I was broke, scraped up enough to go somewhere/buy something, and it all came back and then some! (does this ever actually work?)

Shakabuku!

Ichinen!

Defeat negativity!

You must win! (What? The football game? Tennis? I don't understand.)

Faith, Practise, Study!

Study exams!

Human Revolution!

I am really grateful for...!

Before the practise I was .../now I am .../...whole new determination!

Experience!

Heart of a lion!

Guidance!

What great fortune!

Powerful!

Mentor/Disciple!

Prez. Ikeda!/3 Presidents! (but no Buddha)

Kosen Rufu!"

***

And "Tremendous!" Don't forget tremendous! There isn't an article or experience given that doesn't have the word in it.

Just now: I had to try several times to NOT say "tremendous fortune!" without a slight Japanese accent squeezing through a tightened throat ( now taitened throat). Old school exes: Try it. Deep programming.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/2013 08:49AM by rattyboy.

Quote
holly_golightly

Quote
Hitch

I'm sure there are many, many more examples, too. If anybody cares to share theirs, I'd love to hear them for a good laugh.


- Hitch

Just one off the top of my head ................... FIGHTING DAIMOKU!

I would sometimes be criticised by some of my fellow members for not doing enough of this (i.e. not shouting it at the top of my voice as if about to explode) and being told 'no wonder your life is a mess' - nice buddhist attitude displayed there :)

HAA HA!!! I had to laugh, remembering the chumps who would scream daimoku as loud as possible. It seems like they were really either just trying to get attention or trying to prove what great ichinen (focus/desire) they had to move up the leadership ladder.

George Williams once leaned in close and whispered in my ear, "Voice is God". So why would anyone want to abuse God? Just wondering.