Thank you TandP-- you are a wise woman and your advice is tremendously helpful.
Thank you also for the links-- but Kung Fu tv-- seriously???

Kung Fu tv-- seriously???

YES!!!

I was 13 when the series started its 3-year run - it had to end because star David Carradine was getting too beat up from doing many of his own stunts - and it was *WILDLY* popular! Fast forward to just a few years ago, when I had learned a lot more about REAL Buddhism and was waning away from the SGI. I'd seen "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story", where I learned that the TV series "Kung Fu" had been Bruce Lee's brainchild! Now I was even MORE nervous - I'd loved it as a young teen, but now that I knew more about Buddhism - and had practiced a Buddhism for 20 years (!) - what would I think now? Would the Buddhism be all screwed up? It was CHINESE Buddhism, after all!

Well, I was *thrilled* when I watched it again - they got the Buddhism exactly right! And Carradine's Caine is a *perfect* example of ... wait for it ... LIVING Buddhism! LOL!!

Seriously. You will love it. Watch it - that episode is, I think, most similar to your situation with the two old ladies. Then, if you liked it, you can probably find the whole season sliced and diced into 10-minute installments on Youtube.

Another thought came to me - you mentioned that the one lady chanted to win the sweepstakes. That speaks to me of 1) fear, 2) helplessness, and 3) the feeling that she can only gain security if someone else *hands* it to her. On her own, she can't address her fear or her financial insecurity (one of the factors that makes the elderly such easy targets for con men/persons and scams), so she clings to the belief that the magic words, repeated enough times and with enough sincerity/desperation, will create a magical solution to her very real problems.

Been there, done that - only the details differ. She's in a lot of pain.

Anybody want a drink of some nice, cool and refreshing $oka Gakkai Cult Org. kool-aid??

"Japan is right over there somewhere ... beyond this beautiful horizon.
And SENSEI is there, working EVERY single day to encourage the members.
I want to learn from every step that he make in HIS life, ... I want to hear his voice, ... watch his interactions with members, ...
(hee!) ... and make funny jokes."

"World Tribune, delivering Sensei's words, ... as well as ...
members' experiences, $oka Gakkai Headquarters Meeting Video,
Every second Thursday,
7 PM
At Burbank Activity Center."

[www.youtube.com]

****

(Hiccup, BURP!) Err, excuse me.

I'm telling ya, you just can't make this stuff up.

;-)



- Hitch

I only can see a BLEAK horizon in the video.

Quote
sixtyseven
I only can see a BLEAK horizon in the video.

You need more kool-aid [www.youtube.com].


- Hitch

The $oka Gakkai Cult Practice, in a nutshell demonstration (all pun intended) - [www.youtube.com].



- Hitch

@Hitch, unfortunately we still can't download videos where I'm at. I was scrolling down the list on YouTube and saw one from a guy called Fooligan. It looked like a potshot one--"Daisaku, wanna be like youuuuu". Have you seen it?

Thanks for your reply to my query about the M/D thing. All these tributes to Sensei, I've never seen anything like it. It makes you think that it's like being in a Christian church, where hymns are sung in praise of Jesus. Jesus is one thing, but what a shiver factor to see en masse, all these love songs in praise of Sensei. Even not being able to view them, one can see that. And you always break them down, which is a huge help.

Spartacus also answered my question. He talked about brainwashing. Well, this seems to me the ultimate brainwash----cementing in members' minds the omnipotence of Sensei by way of songs of praise as one form-- the wonderful perfection that is Sensei! Get that message massaged into one's brain long enough and the inevitable happens.

Apparently the great Master-to-Sensei Toda *prohibited* advertising - but look what ELSE we see, and in the mother country at that!

Whoring for subscriptions

That one Hitch posted was hilarious - looks like someone posted a snarky comment! I'm surprised they'd let something like that sit out there with comments open O_O

This was prolly before he joined NSA/SGI: [www.youtube.com]

Oh yeah...

Bet HE never wastes HIS valuable time at lame "discussion meetings" *eye roll*

But if you're famous, ALL IS FORGIVEN!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/10/2013 03:10PM by TaitenAndProud.

My last post was about famous SGI member Herbie Hancock.