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sleepy skunk

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Hitch
You can either laugh, cry or give respect after watching the following clip [www.youtube.com].

I give my respect to the lady in the front, wearing a gray t-shirt, off to the left side of the room when the camera pans around (she shows up a few times, at 0:25 seconds, 1:13, and 2:14 minute marks, before they stop including her in the pan around).

I know exactly how she feels. Bless her heart. My respect goes out to her for having the courage to not partake in the behavior regressing and thought-stopping cult org. rituals. There's always one or two in the crowd (thank goodness).

- Hitch

Is it bad if I laughed HARD out loud? I went to watch this half expecting to find it being a video of me at WPG. While I didn't oh so clearly wear disdain on my face like her (bravo!) that was me pretty much every time we had something like this, looking bored as hell.

Thank you for that I have been having a rough time.

No, I'm not going back. I'm no fool. :)

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

"MyoHo A Buddhist's Life For Me!
We encourage, empower, praise and root, chant a bodhisattva's 'MyoHo'
We conquer darkness, cheer and hoot, chant a bodhisattva's 'MyoHo'
'MyoHo-MyoHo' a buddhist's life for me!

For raising successor's we've got the knack, chant a bodhisattva's 'MyoHo'
Our lives are expanding and on the right track, chant a bodhisattva's 'Myoho'
'MyoHo-Myoho' a buddhist's life for me!

We rekindle hope and bring you light, chant a bodhisattva's 'MyoHo'
We polish our mirror's until they are bright, chant a bodhisattva's 'MyoHo'
Many in body and in mind we are one, chant a bodhisattva's 'MyoHo'
We chant away devils until we have won, chant a bodhisattva's 'MyoHo'

'MyoHo-MyoHo' a buddhist's life for me!
Obstacles are plenty, but we overcome, chant a bodhisattva's 'MyoHo'
Kosen-Rufu Warriors we shall become (!), chant a bodhisattva's 'MyoHo'

'Myoho-MyoHo' A Buddhist's Life For Me!"

[www.youtube.com]



- Hitch

Sleepy skunk, this is for you: [www.youtube.com]

We now return you to your regularly scheduled de-programming.

Heh, thanks :) It looks like I've been away from here for too long. At the same time it's good for detox not to have to be exposed to the lingo and general weirdness, I'm starting to feel like it's all just been a bad dream.

God those songs are awful. I'm so gald we never had those, I can see myself throwing up in my mouth trying to sing like that.

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Hitch
It was an understood "No-No!" that anybody give their bodily functions priority over any Cousin Rufus activities while they were going on. You had to "hold it", for Cousin Rufus, or (as I've shared the story before) wear Cousin Rufus diapers as they did in the infamous Kansai campaigns.

People actually did this? I'd have been out of there the instant they took them out for us to see. No bathroom breaks needed I guess.

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Hitch
I have another incident to share on this theme. Same temple, same $oka-han post assignment, just a different time / different day / different campaign. A fellow $oka-han had to go number #1 really bad, but rather than risk incurring the wrath of a $oka-han superior cult "leader" (if he was spotted visiting the cult building porcelain god while Cousin Rufus was on the property), ....

.... he turned around, took a few steps out into the wooded area surrounding the dirt parking lot and quickly relieved himself. Us fellow $oka-han around him, were alternately laughing and appalled at such behavior (it was funny, but not something I would have done). Then again, I wasn't in his shoes ... and when you gotta go, you gotta go.

I most certainly would have done the same, to hell with what people think of it.

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Hitch
Keep in mind, our "official" $oka-han uniforms were white pants, white long-sleeved shirts, red N$A ties, white or black shoes and a light blue windbreaker with a $oka-han Cult Secret Service Wanna-be Agent logo on the left breast area. Only the top cult $oka-han got the walkie-talkies and ear-pieces. Your average $oka-han's weapons were your flashlight, juzu-beads in your pocket and "faith" for Cousin Rufus. Lots of YMD, $oka-han amongst them, had tell-tale little yellow spots in the zipper area of their usually dirty cult uniform. Why? Because when you did have time to go to the bathroom, you did it just like everything else when you are a cult-org slave --> on the run, & quickly.

I just don't know what to say to that. yeah I do.

ROFL!!!

I wrote before I finished reading. I just straight out imagined they literally pissed their pants, which after all this reading suggests that might not be unrealistic.

I have more stuff to PM when I get to the ones I've been waiting to get to. Not terribly interesting, I'm afraid but it's all starting to pick up again. I haven't forgotten you Corboy or T&P. Hitch I tried PMing you a while back a few times your box was full.

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sleepy skunk
I have more stuff to PM when I get to the ones I've been waiting to get to. Not terribly interesting, I'm afraid but it's all starting to pick up again. I haven't forgotten you Corboy or T&P. Hitch I tried PMing you a while back a few times your box was full.

Oops! Sorry about that! Thanks for telling me, I've done some Spring Cleaning of my mailbox. Apologies to anyone who tried to contact privately.

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sleepy skunk

Quote
Hitch
It was an understood "No-No!" that anybody give their bodily functions priority over any Cousin Rufus activities while they were going on. You had to "hold it", for Cousin Rufus, or (as I've shared the story before) wear Cousin Rufus diapers as they did in the infamous Kansai campaigns.

People actually did this? I'd have been out of there the instant they took them out for us to see. No bathroom breaks needed I guess.

It was a story that I heard more than once when I was in the YMD (maybe a couple of times, but I'm not sure). It was only ever relayed in really hardcore YMD closed door meetings. Here is some background I've posted before:


"Once of the most memorable of these early culture festivals was in
Chubu in September, 1982. It was pouring rain and all the organizers
got together at 5AM to do morning gongyo. When they finished at 6AM,
Sensei turned around to ask the YWD behind him if it was going to
stop raining. She didn't know what to say, and Sensei said, "You are
merciless. We are not God so we have no way of knowing whether this
rain will stop or not, but our prayer should be that it must stop no
matter what." Sensei ordered 30,000 towels to put on the ground so
it wouldn't be so muddy, and thousands of umbrellas and raincoats.
He went to the field very early and said, "Congratulations on this
great victory!" Then he went from the first base to the outfield to
encourage 20,000 flashcard youth division. They would have to be
there for 8 hours awaiting the late afternoon show. For the last 2
weeks they had been controlling their meals so they wouldn't have to
go to the bathroom on this day. Still, many of them wore diapers as
a precautionary measure since it would be impossible for the to get
up once they were seated. Many of them had been inactive members,
older teenagers who had showed up with their girlfriends for the
first practice. Sensei realized how important it was that they have
as good an experience as possible this meetings."

[forum.culteducation.com]

The implication was, that we YMD should strive to have that same kind of "Kansai Spirit" for The Dear Leader & Cousin Rufus, and be like those "lucky" and pure faith Japanese members. I think it was told by a Japanese YMD who couldn't speak Engrish very well. There was nervous laughter and shock from where I was sitting, with my buddy. I remember thinking, "Boy, they're nuts." However, I can also tell you that there was plenty of silent, stern constipated, stiff upper lip looks and affirmative head bobbing by some fellow YMD, as the story was shared. They wanted us YMD to be ready to literally crap our pants for Cousin Rufus, if called on to do so, and some in the room were psychologically preparing themselves to take on the task. The story was relayed with great pride, as if it would be an honor to do so.

No joke and no exaggeration; every word of it is the truth. If I hadn't lived through it, I'd scarcely believe it myself. They didn't trot this story out in "regular" meetings, only at those really hardcore kind where they let the Japanese YMD "leaders" out of their cages to play mind games with all of us behind closed doors (when all the adults were gone). I wonder if any of the YMD went home and told their parents, out of the blue, "Mom/Dad, I've decided I want to crap my pants for Sensei someday." "Well, son, where'd you get that idea from ....?"



- Hitch

Quote

For the last 2
weeks they had been controlling their meals so they wouldn't have to
go to the bathroom on this day. Still, many of them wore diapers as
a precautionary measure since it would be impossible for the to get
up once they were seated.

That's shockingly disgusting! WHO would be so *irresponsible* as to arrange an activity like this, knowing full well that those involved would be put under such extreme duress?

It's just insane! SCREAMINGLY insane!!!

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I wonder if any of the YMD went home and told their parents, out of the blue, "Mom/Dad, I've decided I want to crap my pants for Sensei someday." "Well, son, where'd you get that idea from ....?"

:D x a billion! >.< x a bazillion!!

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Hitch
The implication was, that we YMD should strive to have that same kind of "Kansai Spirit" for The Dear Leader & Cousin Rufus, and be like those "lucky" and pure faith Japanese members. I think it was told by a Japanese YMD who couldn't speak Engrish very well. There was nervous laughter and shock from where I was sitting, with my buddy. I remember thinking, "Boy, they're nuts." However, I can also tell you that there was plenty of silent, stern constipated, stiff upper lip looks and affirmative head bobbing by some fellow YMD, as the story was shared. They wanted us YMD to be ready to literally crap our pants for Cousin Rufus, if called on to do so, and some in the room were psychologically preparing themselves to take on the task. The story was relayed with great pride, as if it would be an honor to do so.

No joke and no exaggeration; every word of it is the truth. If I hadn't lived through it, I'd scarcely believe it myself. They didn't trot this story out in "regular" meetings, only at those really hardcore kind where they let the Japanese YMD "leaders" out of their cages to play mind games with all of us behind closed doors (when all the adults were gone). I wonder if any of the YMD went home and told their parents, out of the blue, "Mom/Dad, I've decided I want to crap my pants for Sensei someday." "Well, son, where'd you get that idea from ....?"



- Hitch

No problem. I wish I did sooner but I couldn't.

One thing I remember wanted to PM is that it seems like when I ask questions that I am coming off like I am not believing what is said. Not so, it's just these are incredible stories that some make me lauhg hard, some are disguisting. Many are disgusting I should say. I have heard a lot from older members that just screamed cult when being said. I said nothing, of course. What it is that I can't believe is how compliant people are. I know I was to an extent but I have limits and it's almost like they knew not to cross them else they'd lose me. Thanks for providing me first big laughs in a while, seriously. :)

In response to T&P's video, here is one not unlike the documentary I had seen. It's my favourite one, the spotted one doing the handstand.

[www.youtube.com]

I must have one. :)


T&P, I wanted to address this before I got caught up in a bunch of stuff, but just how much does a butsudan like that run about? The one you had the photo of quite a while back. Were you fed the line, "it will come back to you" when you got it? It's a very nice one indeed. There were some with those around here and they had gone through that as well. I'm not sure if it's confirmation bias in all their cases or what.

For anyone who knows: Do the leaders get this kind of thing discounted. Knowing what they must cost I know they can't be given. Or can they? It seemed to me like this would be one of those things like the bigger or the mini scrolls that I think people get after so many years or some other "priviledge". Is it encouraged a lot in certain circles to get one of these? It seemed to me that people who hosted meetings had one mostly and that others didn't so that is why I'm asking.

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Hitch

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sleepy skunk
I have more stuff to PM when I get to the ones I've been waiting to get to. Not terribly interesting, I'm afraid but it's all starting to pick up again. I haven't forgotten you Corboy or T&P. Hitch I tried PMing you a while back a few times your box was full.

Oops! Sorry about that! Thanks for telling me, I've done some Spring Cleaning of my mailbox. Apologies to anyone who tried to contact privately.

Quote
sleepy skunk

Quote
Hitch
It was an understood "No-No!" that anybody give their bodily functions priority over any Cousin Rufus activities while they were going on. You had to "hold it", for Cousin Rufus, or (as I've shared the story before) wear Cousin Rufus diapers as they did in the infamous Kansai campaigns.

People actually did this? I'd have been out of there the instant they took them out for us to see. No bathroom breaks needed I guess.

It was a story that I heard more than once when I was in the YMD (maybe a couple of times, but I'm not sure). It was only ever relayed in really hardcore YMD closed door meetings. Here is some background I've posted before:


"Once of the most memorable of these early culture festivals was in
Chubu in September, 1982. It was pouring rain and all the organizers
got together at 5AM to do morning gongyo. When they finished at 6AM,
Sensei turned around to ask the YWD behind him if it was going to
stop raining. She didn't know what to say, and Sensei said, "You are
merciless. We are not God so we have no way of knowing whether this
rain will stop or not, but our prayer should be that it must stop no
matter what." Sensei ordered 30,000 towels to put on the ground so
it wouldn't be so muddy, and thousands of umbrellas and raincoats.
He went to the field very early and said, "Congratulations on this
great victory!" Then he went from the first base to the outfield to
encourage 20,000 flashcard youth division. They would have to be
there for 8 hours awaiting the late afternoon show. For the last 2
weeks they had been controlling their meals so they wouldn't have to
go to the bathroom on this day. Still, many of them wore diapers as
a precautionary measure since it would be impossible for the to get
up once they were seated. Many of them had been inactive members,
older teenagers who had showed up with their girlfriends for the
first practice. Sensei realized how important it was that they have
as good an experience as possible this meetings."

[forum.culteducation.com]

The implication was, that we YMD should strive to have that same kind of "Kansai Spirit" for The Dear Leader & Cousin Rufus, and be like those "lucky" and pure faith Japanese members. I think it was told by a Japanese YMD who couldn't speak Engrish very well. There was nervous laughter and shock from where I was sitting, with my buddy. I remember thinking, "Boy, they're nuts." However, I can also tell you that there was plenty of silent, stern constipated, stiff upper lip looks and affirmative head bobbing by some fellow YMD, as the story was shared. They wanted us YMD to be ready to literally crap our pants for Cousin Rufus, if called on to do so, and some in the room were psychologically preparing themselves to take on the task. The story was relayed with great pride, as if it would be an honor to do so.

No joke and no exaggeration; every word of it is the truth. If I hadn't lived through it, I'd scarcely believe it myself. They didn't trot this story out in "regular" meetings, only at those really hardcore kind where they let the Japanese YMD "leaders" out of their cages to play mind games with all of us behind closed doors (when all the adults were gone). I wonder if any of the YMD went home and told their parents, out of the blue, "Mom/Dad, I've decided I want to crap my pants for Sensei someday." "Well, son, where'd you get that idea from ....?"



- Hitch

I find it interesting that Sensei said "We are not God, so we have no way of knowing whether this rain will stop or not.."

Sensei...God? I thought there was no God in this Buddhism.

People would poop in their pants for the Man. They also would, if Sensei decided every SGI member must die for KR, do so without question. Most likely not everyone, some I'm sure would come to their senses.

@Hitch, thanks for explaining what the Lady in Gray was doing!

The last few years I participated in meetings, especially when the P.I. videos were the main course, I found myself retracting and looking around to gage others' reactions. That's when the interest started going down the drain.

@Taiten, I agree with you about accepting degrees on the members' behalf. P.I. knows that everything he does "for the members" will be considered gold and make the die-harders praise him even more. Can't have enough of that!

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Shavoy
People would poop in their pants for the Man. They also would, if Sensei decided every SGI member must die for KR, do so without question. Most likely not everyone, some I'm sure would come to their senses.

"'Kosen-Rufu' Warriors" = more (oxymoronic) gakkai specific cult doublespeak that just washes over most of the unthinking members.

****

Bigger butsudans were supposed to be a reflection of the "depth of your faith", desire to "repay your debt of gratitude", show your "appreciation" (not to mention having more cult meetings at your house so others could be impressed and appreciate it, too), and were touted to be better antenna tuner receivers for more "Mystic Law" benefits to find their way to you. The bigger ones (used to) cost around 10 grand (plus or minus, depending on the type of wood / coating / decoration details), probably more now.

Speaking of which, I wonder if the daishonin ever chanted to 8-10 foot golden bustsudans, like some of those seen in gakkai kaikans?

I watched longtime gakkai cult members pry their nichiren shohsu crane emblems off of their bustudans and replace them with the gakkai (lotus flower) logo. They also replaced the golden crane paperweights (for lack of a better term) that stood in front of the gohonzon on the inside, with golden gakkai logo'ed ones. It was puzzling to me, so I asked them, "what are you going to do about the cranes imprinted on the border paper of the gohonzon itself?" All I got in response, ... was silence.



- Hitch