Okay, here we go - part II, which is...wait for it...PHASE II!!!
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There were some incidents in the 1970's which should have warned us that all was not well between two organizations, but maybe I was dense and I believed the leaders and priests when they made their assurances of mutual love and fidelity. We later found out that both the priests and the leadership of NSA were trying to shield us ordinary members from the conflicts in Japan. These started with issues dating back to World War II and only escalated with time.
Phase II
In the 1970's, the organization experienced some turbulence, largely due to three things. There were a number of reasons why the organization could not generate large numbers or sustain it's high level of effort indefinately. These were:
- The unstable dynamic of "phase one." Members were practicing almost nightly. Some of the leaders, such as Ted Osaki, gave people one night a week "off," but otherwise members were encouraged to participate in nightly "street Shakubuku efforts" meetings, activities, and other behavior all aimed at creating "Kosenrufu of America". What was inspiring about these leaders was that they put out even more effort than they expected others to contribute. There was very little jawboning for contributions and one felt free to contribute as much as one could. This is probably the best way to guarantee maximum participation. Unfortunately there were enough of these kinds of activities made the organization look cultlike and "burned" out recruits. Campagins were sometimes around the clock and one sometimes felt like a door to door salesperson in doing "Street Shakubuku."
In the Mid 1970's, President Ikeda gave guidance that that meetings should end at 8:30, and eventually that street Shakubuku should be eschewed in favor of more subtle efforts such as "freinds making campaigns." The result of this effort, dubbed "phase II" was that suddenly members began thinking for themselves and many people began living ordinary lives again. Some of them also began realizing that the organization didn't really reflect their wishes. Some felt betrayed when they realized that they had given up careers, lives, schooling, for almost no results. This led to some localized revolts, expecially as events from Japan began affecting the organization. President Ikeda's guidances were well meaning, but he really didn't understand this country and sometimes what was happening here was aggravated by his well meaning efforts to do something about problems in this country.
Mr. William's character of great enthusiasm and sometimes seeming impatience, also had an affect on things. The organization went from one campaign to another, often destroying the results of a shakubuku campaign by completely forgetting about recruits while the organization prepared for a big convention or other event. Mr. Williams seemed to be perpetually trying to please President Ikeda while putting out superhuman efforts towards Kosenrufu. Each Campaign portrayed in triumphalist fashion as a great victory. If Mr. Williams could have created World Peace by himself he would have. As it was he made massive efforts towards creating a world wide organization and was honored by Ikeda with an "honorary" Vice Presidency.
Where is your Shinichi Yamamoto NOW???
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The main cause of our difficulties however was that the central organization in Japan was always looking on. Either goading people like Mr. Williams to inhuman efforts, or subtly sabotaging independent efforts or anything that didn't meet with Japanese sensibilities. In Japan whenever the Sokagakkai made a bid for real power, members here were supposed to support it. For example in the 60's, Members in the USA held Daimoku Tosos in Los Angelos to support an election campaign. And when Ikeda sneezed, we got out the hankerchief. When the SGI began to build a Temple building to be named the "Sho Hondo" which was to symbolize "world wide Kosenrufu" with the people as sovereign, we naturally supported it. Members around the world went to extraordinary efforts to raise an extraordinary (for the time) amount of money. Mr. Williams was on hand for the completion ceremony. It was the high point for NSA.
In the seventies a number of "students" showed up in the USA, who were studying here, and some of them were also paid by the Gakkai as "leaders." I knew some of them personally. All of them were being groomed to eventually take over and "lead the way for Kosenrufu." Everyone of them later became a senior leader and reached a high position in the organization.
That's Danny Nagashima and David Aoyama (who supposedly bought it in the 9/11 terrorist attacks) - I met them during the time they were still "students" and heard their experiences, about 1989. Forget about Americans ever holding any real power or influence in the SGI - it is, and always will be, a JAPANESE organization that is controlled by JAPANESE nationals. No
gaijin need apply O_O
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The Rise and Demise of phase II
President Ikeda was constantly talking about common sense, balanced practice, and a more democratic organization. Some members took him seriously. Around 1975 something called "phase II" was instituted. The idea was a kinder gentler NSA that would be more attractive to converts and also be able to hold on to members with less "burnout" of members. Members couldn't always maintain the 6 day (or even 7 day) a week pace of "activities" and would often quit after a while. Phase II was supposed to remedy that.
uh...that was the rhythm when *I* joined in 1987! At big meetings, the women still sat on one side of the room and the men sat on the other, with an aisle in between! And everybody took their shoes off regardless of the venue!
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Unfortunately people took those words of Ikeda literally, in much the same way that the Communist Youth of the "Cultural Revolution" China took Mao too literally. They started clamoring for transparancy in finances and a real say in the organizations direction and efforts. All over SGI members suddenly started partying, starting businesses, or trying to lead ordinary lives. This led to a situation in which meetings became non-existent, converts disapeared, and the organization nearly vanished as well. People weren't prepared for the freedom! This led to an end to phase II. The "Youth division" was disbanded due to efforts to assert independence and "stand alone spirit."
I never heard about that - did you? Perhaps it was before my time (1987)
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And a number of members were quietly removed from positions or told to mind their mouths or be kicked out.
The movement was suppressed under the term "phase III." And at the same time a "friends making campaign" and a kindler gentler NSA was instituted
under central direction. [
webspace.webring.com]
Good times, good times. (Actually, not so much.)
For all Ikeda's blathering about "equality" and "rights" and "democracy", the SGI is an authoritarian dictatorship. No one is elected. The members are told what to do, down to the topics for each month's discussion and study meetings. For all Ikeda's yammering about "soft power" and "persuasion", the SGI is all about "hard power" and "authoritarianism." We were always told that it was basically none of our business where our contributions went. For my first contribution, I stipulated that I wanted it to be used locally. My YWD HQ leader told me that "our area costs more than we collect already". So naturally, all funds could be funneled straight to the top, as we were just poor relatives so grateful for a plate of beans passed secretly to us on the back stoop while everyone else is enjoying Sunday dinner.
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Mr. Williams led most of these efforts. His enthusiasm, "bonhomme" ["bonhommie"] and tirelessness impressed many people, including the author of this page. Indeed those around him in Santa Monica are still impressed by his spirit to practice and share this Buddhism. Until 1989 he was "The General Director" and at one time he was also "Honorary Vice President." He was beloved by many American members for his genuine kindness, passion, and unwavering committment to Kosenrufu of America and propagating Nichiren Buddhism.
Unfortunately he also deserves some of the credit for things going sour. There are some people who allege that he abused his position, but I don't think he did so on purpose but was simply caught between the two cultures. He understood his "host culture" some, but didn't appreciate the value of our democratic values or openess, until those things had become a liability to the Japanese leaders. Due to his massive positivity he would have created Kosenrufu of America by himself if that had been possible using a Japanese hierarchical organizational structure and Nichiren Shoshu doctrines. He was unable to appreciate the dangers of the military style structure and the authoritarian habits of Japanese patriarchy and authoritarianism. Perhaps he took Ikeda on the surface meaning of all his speeches on democracy and "bottom up" organization. All I know is that if the NSA had been an elective organization he'd probably still have at least an honorary top position. According to Norman McCormack he later apologized for not realizing this. Of course by then it was too late to have any influence on the hierarchy. Since his departure the SGI has been run with an iron hand by Japan all the while asking us for "advise" (but disregarding it each time it is offered).
Yep, that sounds about right O_O
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In 1989 he was publicly rebuked and he was publicly "deposed" by President Ikeda officially in 1992 and replaced with Fred Zaitsu. His replacement ends the story of NSA as Nichiren Shoshu Academy [or "of America"]. In 1989 when President Ikeda gave guidances towards a "kindler gentler" version of the Gakkai in his famous 1990 "mirror guidances" everyone involved thought that meant that American's would inherit leadership of their own organization and that there would follow democratization. Unfortunately that was not to be the case, and Mr. Zaitsu was more quietly replaced with Danny Nagashima in 1999.
At this point, he links to a "sgiusa.html" that bounces immediately to some icky spammy site, and I'm not quick enough to stop it in time. Can anybody do better?