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You mention five locations - do you happen to know what they are? I know the member box is one, the subscriptions report . . . in my experience this isn't the most technologically advanced org I've ever seen and they use a fairly simple reporting system. I'd definitely be concerned about them having my children's info.

I meant physical locations - I've practiced (within the organization) in Minneapolis MN, St. Thomas US VI, Raleigh NC, exchanged gohonzons in Kansas, and now San Diego county.

I got together last month with my former best friend who is still SGI (Japanese fortune baby - she can't help it) and she mentioned that she had a membership card for me and it said "REMOVED" on top. But she still had the card!! WTF!! So I'm going to get together with her next month (she was planning on going home to Japan this month) and follow up on it. Perhaps I'll ask her to give it to me, since it's MY membership card! >.<

I probably won't push her too hard - her life royally *sucks* and as I said before, she can't help it. I don't want to make her already difficult situation more difficult.

That cc: ...PA line is a good idea. I was thinking that in my followup letter I would mention that I will not hesitate to go to court over this, so the cc: line would be good. They've got lawyer Linda Johnson on staff, of course, so I'd have to look up a lawyer's real name first :P

My heart goes out to genuinely good people who are mired in the organization; they really and truly are blind to what's going on. I can't even imagine being raised in this stuff - my experience with mis-fortune babies is that they either are more committed than their parents or that they run off screaming in the opposite direction as soon as they can . . . I haven't seen much middle ground there. So much for family harmony; I guess that only counts when everybody is in lock-step with das org. I get so angry when I think about how sgi has sliced and diced peoples' minds and lives.

My armchair lawyer take is that while LJ might be their attorney, as a state-penalty prosecutor, her experience in this stuff would be somewhat limited. But you're right, use a real attorney's name, since she would be able to check. I'd check the resources on the rick ross homepage? I haven't looked there for that specific info. I don't think that sgi would particularly want to have something go to court . . . bad publicity and (having the big freaking mouth that I do), I'd make as much noise about it as I could.

Having been a district gypsy myself, my understanding is that my membership card followed me from ABQ to Las Cruces to El Paso to Reading; Reading dropped the ball, and I had to fill out a new one when I moved to the Philly area. If you have cards in each district, and you're concerned about them having info (remember, the one in San Diego is probably the only one that has correct information at this point), you might want to think about writing a letter to the district leaders and tell them that you want the cards returned to you, reminding them that it's your property. Make particular noise about your minor children. If you still have email addresses, that should be just as effective. You don't need to implicate your friend, just say that it hasn't been returned to you yet, and that you expect it by such-and-such a date - don't give those shits any wiggle room. These people are really just common school-yard bullies - they're so used to getting their own way by intimidation and guilting people that I think getting in their faces kind of throws them for a little bit of a loop. I think.

"They Live" is actually going to be on Cinemax next weekend; unfortunately not a station I have. Maybe I can watch it through Amazon!

Dude - you can watch *ANYTHING* through Amazon! Watch "They Live" and get back to me. The ending's a complete crapfest, but there are plenty of memorable scenes and images up to then.

SGI and Codependency

Denial patterns:

--I have difficulty identifying what I am feeling. — So busy are you with SGI activities and ingratiating yourself to higher level leaders.
--I minimize, alter or deny how I truly feel. — about the SGI mentor disciple teachings, for example.
--I perceive myself as completely unselfish and dedicated to the well being of others. — Even chanting for a female marijuana seed is an activity for SGI and Kosen Rufu.

Low self-esteem patterns:

--I have difficulty making decisions. — Seeking guidance from every SGI Tom, Dick, and Harry.
--I judge everything I think, say or do harshly, as never “good enough.” — You need to rededicate yourself to SGI, more meetings, more activities.
--I am embarrassed to receive recognition and praise or gifts. — Only the mentor can receive such praise and gifts.
--I do not ask others to meet my needs or desires. — I live for the Soka Gakkai and protecting the mentor.
--I value others’ approval of my thinking, feelings and behavior over my own. — What if my leader should tell me I have weak faith or I am shunned for my beliefs?

Compliance patterns:

--I compromise my own values and integrity to avoid rejection or others’ anger. — Never voicing one’s doubts, uncertainties, or criticisms of the SGI
--I am very sensitive to how others are feeling and feel the same. — What if the others reject me for the way I feel [or don't feel] about the mentor, for example?
--I am extremely loyal, remaining in harmful situations too long. — Loyalty prized above actual accomplishment in the Soka Gakkai.
--I value others’ opinions and feelings more than my own and am afraid to express differing opinions and feelings of my own. –See above.
--I put aside my own interests and hobbies in order to do what others want. — More meetings, May Contribution and August shakubuku campaigns, for example

Control patterns:

--I believe most other people are incapable of taking care of themselves. — Giving guidance whether or not guidance is sought.
--I attempt to convince others of what they “should” think and how they “truly” feel. — “President Ikeda says we should…”
--I become resentful when others will not let me help them. — “You lack faith”.
--I freely offer others advice and directions without being asked. — see above

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I do not ask others to meet my needs or desires.

I know I've shared this before, but this thread is really long - and growing O_O

When I mentioned to my men's division district leader that I wasn't getting any of my own needs met through the district or other SGI activities (or my children's needs), he told me I was being selfish and that I should instead be thinking about how I could use all my years of experience and my leadership training and all my study to help others O_O

That was my last meeting, coincidentally. It wasn't that, when he said that, I decided I'd never go back. It's just that after that, I never went back :P

And nobody called me to see why I suddenly wasn't attending meetings any more, either! Sometimes people who speak plainly appear quite scary, especially to the brainwashed.

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Giving guidance whether or not guidance is sought. I freely offer others advice and directions without being asked.

Hint: If someone asks your advice, you may share your opinion. If you share your opinion without being asked, it's meddling.

All the double-speak . . . you're encouraged to chant to improve your own life but when that doesn't work, you're told you're being selfish and you should be chanting for others. Those idiots don't even hear what comes out of their mouths any more.

I think everybody's decision point is different - it's always a personal holy-shit-moment. I'll repeat the gist of a couple of my early postings; I left when my WD district leader - who had completely supported me on some issues that I had with the MD district and the WD chapter leaders - turned on a dime. There had been a leaders' meeting, during which the decision was made to remove me from sending out the monthly schedule and having planning meetings at my place; clearly punitive, and designed to put me in my place.

I didn't leave because my widdle feelings was hurted; I left because the disagreement I had with the leaders was over whether one of the district members should be allowed to have a toso or not. The leaders (in oh-so-carefully-couched terms) indicated that since this member wasn't attending district and study meetings (she had recently lost her husband in a tragic accident and was trying to support her 12-year old son), she really shouldn't be allowed to have tosos. Initially, I found the whole scene unbelievable . . . surely, I'd misunderstood this message from my wonderful, caring leaders?

I'd been feeling for some time that, despite Senseless's directive that the org existed for the members and not the other way around, what I was seeing in reality was that the organization was everything . . . all that truly mattered. And when my WD district leader called to let me know about the decision made at the leadership meeting, it completely confirmed my every doubt I was having at that point. I started reading the postings here and general reading about cults . . . talk about "the opening of the eyes"! I didn't seek any stupid guidance at that point, because I knew exactly what I'd hear - robotic defenses and denials of everything I had issues with; I also admit that there was also an element of fear at that point that I could be talked into reconsidering my decision. Truly, I didn't want to believe that sgi was such a sinister, destructive creature.

But it is. It freaking is.

A posting from today on facebook by a young woman from soka university:

"President Ikeda came to Soka University last Saturday(29th June). Seikyo Shinbun reported about it. :D No one saw him though but he was with the President of Soka University and other senior professors. Today we received a delicious cake from him. And now I just wait for the day when I will meet him &#9829; Sensei... sensei. .&#9829; Yaayyy :D"


Oh so mystic, no one saw Ikeda the good man and Seikyo Shinbun reported about it? It seems that the cake trick is still working. (The &#9829 are heart symbols)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/02/2013 03:09AM by sixtyseven.

Was the cake home made, or at least from a good bakery?

Or the sort of thing one can get from a supermarket/Costco?

Inquiring minds want to know.

At least make the cake using real butter, real eggs. And if chocolate, the frosting should contain melted hard chocolate, powdered sugar, and butter, with genuine vanilla and a touch of salt.

Thanks, Nichijew for your greetings to us new folks here!

Horrific. (re: Blockbuster News @ Buddha Jones) What remains to be seen is how the organization responds. Will the award be rescinded or will the whole thing be swept under the rug? Will the org. close ranks to protect its image or make a public statement against human rights violations? It's the worst case scenario of the fallacy of equating enlightenment with earthly desires. One could justify anything.