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holly_golightly

Have you checked out this one?

[www.youtube.com]

Oh my. They are also playing a gongyo recitation during that "healing" session.

Dawkins' blinking reaction during the 4:15 minute mark conversation with her says it all. He simply can't believe what he is hearing, and then some.

I had a similar reaction when reading "Space & Eternal Life", a dialogue between the gakkai cult Dear Leader con-man Ikeda and quack scientist Chandra Wickramasinghe (who is a pro-creationist and anti-evolution "scientist"). Ikeda's remarks gave me some of the bigger laughs by far though. Surprisingly, I rather enjoyed it, because, boy oh boy, what a poseur Ikeda is. The Dear Leader's scientific ignorance and BS is woefully on display throughout.


- Hitch

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Hitch

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holly_golightly

Have you checked out this one?

[www.youtube.com]

Oh my. They are also playing a gongyo recitation during that "healing" session.

Dawkins' blinking reaction during the 4:15 minute mark conversation with her says it all. He simply can't believe what he is hearing, and then some.

I had a similar reaction when reading "Space & Eternal Life", a dialogue between the gakkai cult Dear Leader con-man Ikeda and quack scientist Chandra Wickramasinghe (who is a pro-creationist and anti-evolution "scientist"). Ikeda's remarks gave me some of the bigger laughs by far though. Surprisingly, I rather enjoyed it, because, boy oh boy, what a poseur Ikeda is. The Dear Leader's scientific ignorance and BS is woefully on display throughout.


- Hitch

HA HA = yes Dawkins' reactions really made me chuckle. He would be great at an SGI discussion meeting! I will have to check out the 'Space & Eternal Life' dialogue - sounds like a giggle.

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Hitch
The celebration at a "grand reopening" of a $GI CULT pseudo-buddhist community center [www.youtube.com].

Now, I ask you, where exactly is the "buddhism"?? All I see is bizarre cult-like behavior. I never saw anything like this when I was in the gakkai cult org.. This is completely unrecognizable to me. It just keeps getting weirder and weirder.


- Hitch

Now you are seeing more of my own experiences. When I hear of the NSA days I think way more culty than this, though. It's funny how our experiences all were in the negative no matter which expereicne we were enduring. I have to say the gifting part isn't the same. The fake affection however seems to be universal. Unfortunately I have no idea what the purpose of this is and no matter how I try to figure it out I can't. There's too much chaos for me to understand what people are saying. I had never heard any of the songs until I got here. If this kind of thing had been done more, I'd have probably seen through this much earlier.

Health services sponsored by SGI woman is more than "way out". I love his reactions, priceless :)

Hitch, two of your videos before this one have 404's.

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sleepy skunk
Now you are seeing more of my own experiences. When I hear of the NSA days I think way more culty than this, though. It's funny how our experiences all were in the negative no matter which expereicne we were enduring. I have to say the gifting part isn't the same. The fake affection however seems to be universal. Unfortunately I have no idea what the purpose of this is and no matter how I try to figure it out I can't. There's too much chaos for me to understand what people are saying. I had never heard any of the songs until I got here. If this kind of thing had been done more, I'd have probably seen through this much earlier.

The old N$A was definitely more cult-like in some ways, but the current incarnation (pun intended) of the $GI Cult Org. is also more cult-like in other ways as well (like the dancing clip and the Dear Leader worship).

The overall theme is the same (the silly mental and behavior regressing rituals), just the details differ (plastic bead necklaces, gakkai superhero costume skits, types of dancing) from area to area and country to country.

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sleepy skunk
Hitch, two of your videos before this one have 404's.

The previous ones to that one were the gakkai cult org. aligning itself with Wushu Shaolin Kung Fu and other martial arts at some community fair it sponsored (it was a rather violent martial arts demonstration with a weapon, etc.). The other was of a crazy christian lady running her family into hysterical manipulation land and the ones before that were clips of a typical larger type gakkai cult mtg. from the east coast of the United States gakkai cult org. subsidiary. They all appear to be working fine, for me (they may be blocked in your country / region?)

Here's a recent re-compilation and upload of some of the clips I've posted before on this thread way back. It shows some Japanese citizens protesting the gakkai CULT in the heart of cult town Shinanomachi, Japan. [www.youtube.com]

The $oka Gakkai *is* viewed as a CULT in the motherland, as well.



- Hitch

Ok now they are working, somehow.

The fan dance is interesting. There seems to be a constant theme of war since in this one the music sounds too much like WWII era propaganda nationalistic stuff did.

That other one with the jazz players. Just, wow. I wasn't expecting the laughter and it caught me off guard till I realized why with my initial reaction being "wtf?". This dancing makes for a good photo op I bet. I wonder how much this "spontaneous" dancing was planned. Others just look bored from the sleep inducing music before the real purpose.

The most interesting one was the shaolin one and I think I can see why they partnered up with this. Just watching the guy with all the smooth movements is mesmerizing and could lull people into a trance as well. It doesn't hurt that these are combat oriented when you consider the SGI's obsession with war.

T&P Your old butsudan is lovely, but I like what you did with it more :) I can't belive they'd take down your ads, well I can but you know what I mean right? I suspect someone might have thought you were trying to sell your only one and thought that equalled giving up the practice (the horror!) or they just want people to buy new ones since they wouldn't make anything off people buying yours. It's all about the Benjamin$.

The gakkai cult org. has always had elements of fascism related to it, both when I was in it, and now.

"One Europe With SENSEI!!" Beethoven's 9th symphony for The Dear Leader starts in at the 3:55 min. mark, following a propaganda video shown to a stadium of cult org. members. [www.youtube.com]

"Be embraced, you millions!
This kiss for the whole world!
Brothers, beyond the star-canopy
Must a loving Father dwell.
Be embraced,
This kiss for the whole world!
Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,
Daughter of Elysium,
Joy, beautiful spark of the gods
Spark of the gods!"

"Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, über'm Sternenzelt
Muss ein lieber Vater wohnen.
Seid umschlungen,
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Freude, schöner Götterfunken
Tochter aus Elysium,
Freude, schöner Götterfunken
Götterfunken!"

OR

"Be embraced, millions!
This kiss for the whole world!
Brothers, above the starry canopy
Must a loving Father dwell.
Do you bow down, millions?
Do you sense the Creator, world?
Seek Him beyond the starry canopy!
Beyond the stars must He dwell."

Also from Wikipedia - Japan's history with this piece:

"During World War II, the Imperial government promoted performances of the symphony, including on New Year's Eve, to encourage allegiance to Japanese nationalism. The symphony was considered appropriate in this regard because Germany was an ally of Japan."

In the clip, it is sang by a chorus, standing in front of a butsudan and tri-colored gakkai cult org. flag.

The Dear Leader's ego, is of galactic size.

This is extremely SICK stuff!

****

Here, the Men's Division partake in a silly cult mental and behavior regressing ritual, to pay homage to The Dear Leader:

[www.youtube.com]

At one point, they even shout out, "SENSEI!"

I ask again, where is the buddhism??

This is a pseudo-buddhist CULT.


- Hitch

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Your old butsudan is lovely, but I like what you did with it more :)

Heh heh - you are obviously referring to the lovely layer of dust and the place of honor in the garage?? *wink*

I still like it - I just wish we had a bigger house so we could have room for it inside. It's a beautiful piece of furniture.

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I can't belive they'd take down your ads, well I can but you know what I mean right? I suspect someone might have thought you were trying to sell your only one and thought that equalled giving up the practice (the horror!) or they just want people to buy new ones since they wouldn't make anything off people buying yours. It's all about the Benjamin$.

I never was able to figure that one out. I was "known" locally - I'd been very active in the local community and had held various leadership positions and was still active in Soka Spirit at that time - so no one would have thought I was giving up my practice (at that point). And I was trying to sell *TWO* butsudans! To me, it just felt more like I was expected to do everything for the organization, but when there was an opportunity for the organization to do something for me (to freakin' use the community bulletin board for something Buddhist-related, for goshsakes!), they wouldn't allow that. It seems it would have been a natural item for the public bulletin board, as members *use* butsudans and might be interested in buying nice butsudans, right? I really don't see the problem.

In such cases, sometimes leaders would trot out that "must never try to make money off the membership" canard, supposedly one of Makiguchi's strict guidelines, but isn't the whole organization built around making money off the membership? *WINK*

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Taitenandproud
In such cases, sometimes leaders would trot out that "must never try to make money off the membership" canard, supposedly one of Makiguchi's strict guidelines, but isn't the whole organization built around making money off the membership? *WINK*

I agree with you - I recall Toda operated a credit union among other things, and I recall he had a lot of members at that time as account holders. I don't recall anyone saying he ever worried about that.

I ended up giving my butsudan away, quite frankly because no one was prepared to pull together much more than a handful of pocket change to buy it. I think spending the big dollars is usually attributable to being "sincerely wishing to elevate ones practice". That usually occurs at a critical point in that person's practice - meaning: rarely occurs and certainly not at a convenient time for anyone else <grin>.

I suppose, if you really liked the box (as furniture) you could put a flat screen TV in it or perhaps one of those pictures you see at the chinese restaurant that slowly grinds away changing its background and rotating the picture. I suppose if there was a negative connection towards what it represents, one could set it up in front of their house and sell lemonade or bootlegged CD's from it <smile>. I could guarantee that would bring some kind of reaction from any current Ikedabots who might wander past.

Wakatta1

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no one was prepared to pull together much more than a handful of pocket change to buy it. I think spending the big dollars is usually attributable to being "sincerely wishing to elevate ones practice". That usually occurs at a critical point in that person's practice - meaning: rarely occurs and certainly not at a convenient time for anyone else <grin>.

Boy, ain't THAT the truth!! Cheap-ass bastards >:(

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I suppose, if you really liked the box (as furniture) you could put a flat screen TV in it or perhaps one of those pictures you see at the chinese restaurant that slowly grinds away changing its background and rotating the picture. I suppose if there was a negative connection towards what it represents, one could set it up in front of their house and sell lemonade or bootlegged CD's from it <smile>. I could guarantee that would bring some kind of reaction from any current Ikedabots who might wander past.

I like the way your mind works :P

Say, one of the standard Buddhist statues that I bought toward the end of my SGI tenure was of the "Weeping Buddha." Here is what it looks like, for anyone who isn't familiar with this concept:

[i.ebayimg.com]

Here is another look: [thmb.inkfrog.com]

To me, it captures the intense grief at the suffering in the world that is the source of the Buddha's infinite compassion. It symbolizes such deep feeling that I feel it is truly an eloquent statement on humanity, empathy, and compassion. Also, the heavily muscled, strong physique of the individual speaks volumes - this is no helpless weakling! This is a powerful, powerfully built individual!