The sad part is that these insights only come from experience. Hindsight is always 20/20, so they say.

I hope rothaus is right, and that sgi is in decline and disappears like a festering boil on the arse of humanity.

Speaking of festering boils, I think that senseless' death is going to be pretty cataclysmic. Fat-boy was a pretty well-known charismatic figure when toda died, so there was already a certain level of recognition and trust for him. Is his son as widely known in Japan? Truly, even though I've probably seen him a bazillion times in videos, I wouldn't know who he was if he was standing in front of me. A lot of hokeypokeybwahahaha will attach itself to him because of his father, but beyond that, has he established himself in any way? Daddy's got some leadership skills, but I get the impression that sonny-boy is kind of a non-entity. I'm wondering if the actual leadership is going to roll down to national leaders like danny n, who will just be conveying messages from the divine spawn . . . whether you like big-daddy or not, you have to admit that he knows how to sell a bridge.

By the by, rothaus, I sent my gohonzons to my local community center with no further identification other than a return address on the package. I got rid of every publication and book the day I decided to leave; I don't throw away books (sort of a problem, space-wise), but I had no problem giving the sgi ones the old heave-ho. Every once in awhile I'll come across something - an article that someone Xeroxed or something, and that goes in the garbage immediately (I live in an apartment and no recycling).

I did formally resign sgi because I wanted to make a statement to them and to myself - I wanted to firmly close that door and lock it behind me. It took me a couple of months to decide what to do with my gohonzons (I had the regular one and an omamuri), but sending them back to the center seemed like the right choice. I know some people hold on to them, but I had no desire to have that pile of spiritual shite stinking up my space.

Recently I came across this link on the Wikipedia talk page on SGI. I must say quite well researched article: http://www.geocities.ws/chris_holte/Buddhism/IssuesInBuddhism/nikken.html

Wow, rothaus - that's a lot of background information that I didn't have before. The only thing I take issue with is the condition of the shohondo when it was pulled down; from what I've read, it was doomed to fail because of the location and materials selected. This link is blatantly anti-sgi (and may not be completely accurate, but:

[www.toride.org]

it's an interesting read, and it suggests that the real reason it was destroyed was that because of its deteriorating condition, it was to expensive to maintain and impossible to repair.

I would not say it is anti-SGI as Nichiren Shoshu get their fair share too. It is quite objective I think.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/2014 04:28AM by Rothaus.

You're right, both sides get pretty equal treatment; that's one of the reasons I find the whole thing fairly credible.

Hey, there's an interesting review of Soka U here: [www.cappex.com]

Do a search on "Tate from mission viejo, CA". It's always sketchy to read reviews, as I'm sure the business in question has a full-time staff position that does nothing but write up glowing reviews and posting them on various review sites.

I followed ST&P's link to www.cappex.com. Here are some chilling student reviews of Soka University that reveal just how closely the school reflects the commonly employed use of indoctrination and mind control that earmark the control-freak Soka Gakkai cult. Soku U is part of the SGI, which rakes in a phenomenal 2 billion dollars a year (tax-free), while masquerading as the ONLY religious organization that can save mankind and usher in a new era of peace.


"90% is SGI buddhist, and if you don't know about them you should do your research. A cult never admits to being a cult. Don't even ask them about that because they will try their best to persuade you that it is completely normal to be so obsessed with this unity they strive so hard to maintain. They dazzle it up with their cool hip hop dance club, and all the other upbeat performances but in the end you realize there is so much crap underlying this uplifting atmosphere. There is so much conformity that it makes me want to vomit. Yes look how wonderful we are when we work as one big team of respectful coexisting students. Here respectful means you will be fine if you smile all day and don't question anything. To coexist means to force yourself to give in to the power of the SGI. It's gettin' real, people."

"Do not buy into the image Soka portrays, find out for yourself. Ask students of all kinds how much they like it, why they do/dont, and make your own decision. It can be stressful here, and it is not the all-loving, peaceful place some people claim it is. Also the food you get during the specified freshman overnight visit event, is much much better than usual, so dont get used to it."

"Half of the classes at Soka will WASTE your time. These students somehow believe that their opinions count as truths about the world around them. Genuine observation of society is lacking. Most students repeat what they read from some famous writer and pretend it's their own original thought process. I can not tell you how annoying it is to listen to them all day."

"Do not listen to these ridiculous reviews that only state the awesomeness of this school. When there is no criticism you know something is wrong."

I found a site last week that went into a pretty deep discussion of what was wrong with suck-a u; I'm still digging for it and will post when I find it.

The comment "Half the classes at Soka will WASTE your time" is one of the most ominous and telling . . . In my experience, the children I was around when I was in das org were some of the most obnoxious kids I've met; they were undisciplined and allowed to run wild during meetings as if making them learn to sit and learn to listen respectfully (or at least quietly) would crush their tender little spirits. They weren't encouraged to have respect for people or property. I'm all for encouraging kids to have self-esteem, but when it becomes a sense of entitlement . . . that doesn't do them any good at all. The comment above really seems to illustrate that - not every word that emanates from their lip is a pearl of wisdom, but they've been encouraged to believe that it is. And the confusion of opinions with facts is symptomatic of the entire org. They can't make any sensible observations about society, because they've been so sheltered from exposure to people outside of the cult; they may know non-members from schools that they've attended prior to s-u, but you can bet their parents have been much more encouraging of them forming friendships within their districts. They've been cloistered, and fed a certain amount of suspicion (and disdain as well) for outsiders. I can't even imagine how they're going to function in a world that doesn't regard them as special little snowflakes.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/2014 09:30PM by meh.

Found the link:

[www.buddhistchannel.tv]

As you read through, you'll find the big reveal as to how s-u draws in non-member students; anyone whose family has a less-than $50k annual income gets free tuition. Brilliant! Let's bring in all those low-income kids, encourage them to believe that their fortune lies in chanting, and that sgi is the only thing that loves you!