Over the years I moved up tp a fairly prominent position within SGI and found out the person spent time kissing butt moved ahead no matter how little they were involved with their people and what lies they told without any consequences. However I was happy to take care of huge numbers of members until a new set rules and new bunch of arrogant people took over sr. leadership. Benefit, Gongyo, World Peace, were all set aside for videos of meetings in Japan, that somehow our general director and his minions were attending ( we paid for this) every month though there was never money to do anything here, and they always asked for more! I still wonder if they for they work (komentei party) over there? Also what ever happened to American SGI all I see is Japanese as leaders running the organization?
Anyway with code of conduct, The mentor disciple, on and on as the only topics of discussion and our arrogant leaders us expecting to us go along because they said so, I became less thrilled and more had I avoided the mentor disciple topic at meetings and was finally replaced as a leader so now I have time to read and surprise! The more I read the more I see SGI as it is constituted now has nothing to do with Buddhism. I have had friends tell me that our leaders tell them not to speak with me. These same SGi leaders who want people to believe and support because they know best, that's not buddhism that's sheep!
I have spoken to other people SGI has shunned and gotten different answers from different people. I wish things were better for my friends in the organization, the leaders did try to lay guilt on me for awhile but I can't get along to go along. Time to chose a new path. Maybe I should defy the bats!

tsukimoto, just think of how much you have reduced your carbon footprint since you are no longer a member of SGI and don't have to drive 3 hours to see something that you could see right in your own city! It seems like SGI was always asking us to do things that were not good for the environment, such as going to so many meetings, burning incense (also bad for your health!), and sending members from around the world every month to Japan to appear on the monthly video, etc. Of course, SGI considers itself to be very environmentally conscious. But I think a person (or organization) can do small things as well as major things to help our environmental problems.

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quiet one
tsukimoto, just think of how much you have reduced your carbon footprint since you are no longer a member of SGI and don't have to drive 3 hours to see something that you could see right in your own city! It seems like SGI was always asking us to do things that were not good for the environment, such as going to so many meetings, burning incense (also bad for your health!), and sending members from around the world every month to Japan to appear on the monthly video, etc. Of course, SGI considers itself to be very environmentally conscious. But I think a person (or organization) can do small things as well as major things to help our environmental problems.

Absolutely. Since leaving SGI, I have reduced my carbon footprint, the wear and tear on my car, and the amount of money I spend on gasoline, tolls and incense. Along with my stress levels.

When I think of all the driving we did, I just shake my head. It was as if we had to prove our loyalty and faith by traveling long distances to meetings. I got into an argument one time with my leaders about this. Every February, the senior leadership wanted us to have a big territory meeting -- in cities six or eight hours away from my hometown! I liked the meetings themselves, seeing members that I usually had no chance to see -- but questioned the timing. WHY ever did it have to be February? We live in an area that gets a lot of snow, and this particular winter, we were having more than usual.

I was a group leader, and my leaders told me to urge my members to go to this meeting. I said "If we really care about our members, we shouldn't push them to go to this meeting. The way the weather's been lately, it's not safe!"

My leaders said I was too fearful and questioned my faith! One women's division leader sneered, "Oh, do you think we should just cancel all of our activities this winter because it might snow?"

I said "Driving a few miles to a meeting here in town is very different than driving a couple hundred miles to a different state -- and possibly getting stranded along the way! Do the senior leaders in Japan, or in another state realize how harsh the winters can be here? Why does this meeting have to take place in February? Why not in the spring, summer, or fall when the weather is so much better?"

I was told, "You need to make a determination that you and your members will attend this meeting. Chant for good weather that weekend!"

I said that I would not go to that meeting, and my members were adults who could make their own choices about attending. I wasn't going to push them to do something they weren't comfortable with. Most of them agreed with me and did not go to the meeting.

I wondered if I'd be dismissed from my leadership position. I wasn't. I don't know if my leaders still thought that they could reform me -- or if it was just that nobody else wanted my position either.

Over the years I moved up to a prominent position in SGI and I always tried to worked for the members. I saw people move past me whose "contribution was butt kissing and telling "whatever is necessary to get ahead, lie, ignore people but sound good. Next we had the videos, Mentor- Disciple and Nikken was EVIL it sounded like something out of Sponge Bob!
So I was not happy but went along for awhile then we had a new set of leaders foisted upon us very arrogant, very Japanese, who came and wanted to push mentor/disciple and leadership training meetings where things got worse. So ignored it, I would go to my meetings and talk about benefit, and the Gohonzon. This went on for a while but I could never deal with the videos I was at a district where a leader from Santa Monica bragged he got an annual free trip to Paris to with his family. I couldn't help notice Danny Nagashima and his minions were at every leaders meeting video in Japan, but when SGI members requested money or we wanted a new community center there never was any money???
About our new area leader came to "support us" he started coming to our meetings and giving orders when I balked he didn't like it though I was successful before he came around. Next was the Code of Conduct, which I amended then signed against my better judgement, right before this, my partner had told some unbelievable lies that were not verified and of course my "fantastic leader" chose to believe without any verification. I had no place to go I ignored both of them and the slippery slope was on its way, a few months the same liar told them I was dying I was replaced for good.
So I have to study and what do I see!!!
SGI has nothing to do with Buddhism! Now they are told to believe because the leaders tell them it is so!
Now, I chant with some other shunned members, we see how weak the leaders are and how bad the organization is off the track. I spoke to several other long shunned people with different conclusions.
I still wonder what happened to American Buddhism since SGI is Japanese leaders leading sheep.
I believe for me it is time to follow a different path. In the Gosho Choosing the Heart of the Lotus Sutra it says " Opening the near and revealing the distant in concise form" I have to find my opening and revealing it in my own concise form.

defying the bats, I like your comparison of SGI's campaign to destroy the "evil" temple to the talking about "EVIL" in Sponge-Bob! I think that many people would like to see a significant change in SGI. The buddhist principles are what we were all attracted to, but SGI has defineately lost its way.

Hi there,

I loved that comparison with the wizard of Oz a few messages ago (I don't get any e Mail alerts when new messages come in any more).

I found it quite disturbing what „defying he bats „ wrote. It seems things turn for the worse in SGI. It seems though that things are boiling up here in Europe too, as a member that I started to communicate with via a Buddhist internet forum told me that she received a protocol of a district meeting in which members complained about lack of democracy, not being able to find what they sought in SGI and about cronyism … the „career opportunities“ were also mentioned.

As I said here here before I still am a Nichiren Buddhist but not in SGI or Nichiren Shoshu anymore. It hurts to see how more and more seem to suffer in SGI these days, it also does ridicule what the Buddha taught. I doubt though that the SGI concept will change that fast – to many profit from the way things are, they downgraded the Buddha's teachings and Nichirens work to “a wanna be wish fulfilling ideology” - manly though to follow some personal agendas. Sad

Gassho
Rothaus

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defying he bats
So I was not happy but went along for awhile then we had a new set of leaders foisted upon us very arrogant, very Japanese, who came and wanted to push mentor/disciple and leadership training meetings where things got worse.

I couldn't help notice Danny Nagashima and his minions were at every leaders meeting video in Japan, but when SGI members requested money or we wanted a new community center there never was any money???

Next was the Code of Conduct, which I amended then signed against my better judgement, right before this, my partner had told some unbelievable lies that were not verified and of course my "fantastic leader" chose to believe without any verification.

Sounds like nothing has changed in SGI-World. In my area, we had three American members who worked very hard to establish a Soka Gakkai group -- this was back in the late 70's, early 80's, I believe. And yet in the nineties, we had this young Japanese man come into town -- and he was appointed the area leader. Nice guy, but he could barely speak English and knew nothing of our area. How in the world could anyone justify choosing him over one of our three pioneer members? These three people had been totally dedicated to SGI, and knew the members well -- and were well-respected and trusted by the local members. And of course, none of us had any say in who our leaders would be.

Members have also asked for years, for greater financial transparency -- that we have been asked to donate money, with no idea where, or to whom, the money goes.

I have read on another online forum that I go to, that, these days, SGI is talking less about the evils of Nikken/Nichiren Shoshu -- and more about "traitors" within SGI itself, which is part of the rationale behind the Code of Conduct. Kind of makes sense, in a paranoid, cynical way. Nikken's been retired for years, Nichiren Shoshu pretty much ignores SGI...even SGI can't keep pounding the same drum for twenty years. Harping on "an enemy" is a way that leaders can manipulate followers. Hitler unified the German people by lying about and scapegoating the Jews and the Roma people (gypsies), Joe McCarthy unified Americans against the communist threat...the list goes on and on throughout history. Now, SGI will be sacrificing those members who can ask questions and think for themselves.

Has anyone been keeping up with the news from Japan? The Soka Gakkai's political party, the New Komeito Party has been allied with the party that has the most seats in the Japanese Diet, or parliament. These two parties have lost power, special elections will be held at the end of August, and the opposition party is gaining power. Wonder if SGI's political problems in Japan have anything to do with their paranoia outside of Japan?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2009 01:47AM by tsukimoto.

Links on the political situation in Japan: www.csmonitor.com/2009/0713/ www.irishtimes.com

In Japan, the Soka Gakkai's New Komeito Party has been allied with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). In a July election for city assembly seats, the LDP/New Komeito coalition lost their majority to the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). Prime Minister Taro Aso has been forced to set elections for the end of August. Quite possible, that in the August election, the DPJ could win a majority in the lower house of Parliament in Japan. Prime Minister Aso, an LDP man, could also be replaced by a man whom the DPJ chooses. The LDP has held power in Japan for almost 50 years, with few breaks. This could be a real shift in Japanese politics.

So our friends in SGI-Japan are probably working -- and chanting nonstop trying to make sure this doesn't happen. What does it mean to nonJapanese SGI members? I don't know. Probably not much. Possibly greater paranoia from the leadership in Japan, cracking down on nonconformist and questioning members worldwide? Overseas members' donations being diverted to Japan for campaign funding?

There is a new party, who is also seeking greater power in this election: Japan's Happiness Realization Party (HRP). Its leader and founder, Ryuho Okawa, has said the following:

--Japan should discard its constitution, rearm, and take over Asia before China and North Korea do.

--The guardian angel of Kim Jong-il, leader of North Korea, appeared to Okawa, warning him that Kim has plans to launch nuclear missiles at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. (Okawa can also communicate with the spirits of the late Emperor Hirohito and other dead emperors.)

--He, Okawa, is a reincarnation of the Buddha, and his wife, Kyoko, is the reincarnation of the Greek goddess Aphrodite.

--He, Okawa, has been enlightened since 1981 and has channeled the Buddha, Jesus Christ, Mohammed and Confucius, writing books in their name. Interestingly enough, all of these figures support Japanese remilitarization and conquest of Asia. Presumably Aphrodite and all the other Greek/Roman gods and goddesses do too. (Odin, Thor, and the Norse gods have not yet communicated their wishes.)

I didn't go to work today, instead I stayed home and did some badly needed housework! While cleaning out some drawers, guess what I found?? Some almost 20 year old World Tribunes! (We're real packrats!) I found two old World Tribunes, in great shape, from February of 1990. President Ikeda was making a trip to the United States, and the World Tribunes were about his trip. One of the papers contained a speech that he gave commenerating the 30th anniversary of NSA, Feb. 13, 1990. The speech was so different than what is contained in the World Tribune today. It was so much more positive. No references to the evil Nichiren Shoshu organization and members. No claims that "you are my disiciples". No demands to give NSA money. In the speech Preident Ikeda encourages members to become happy, and to hold joyful meetings where you see your friends and "your heart becomes filled with hope". He further states, "Intellect will play a very important role in the coming age. By intellect I mean refined wisdom, clear reasoning, profound philosophy and broad-ranging knowledge. We are entering an age when the people will develop their intelligence and wisdom, infusing society with their new outlook."

Wow. What happened???

The SGI of today is not what I joined over 30 years ago. Sometimes I wonder if today's President Ikeda is really the same individual who wrote that speech in 1990.

Oh, Ikeda is the same person.
Guys like General Ikeda are very strategic, and can think long-term.

There are many many sects that start of with very cheap or free materials, but once the people get hooked, the price gets jacked-up.
People who sell drugs also give away a lot of product at first too.
Even a farmer knows you first raise the cows and pigs for many years, and only later do you get the milk and the piglets for market.
People who run global "cults" are not idiots, and sometimes the more they play the fool, the smarter they are.

And also, there is a fact of reality. Power corrupts.
And being at the top of a global organization for so many years, really warps people's perceptions of reality. Their narcissism can completely take over, it was always there, but it just goes out of control.

All signs from Ikeda is that he will not let go of their reigns of power until the last breath, even if someone else is installed while he is still alive.
Even though SGI is chaotic, it really is brilliantly run, with very low-cost, with all of the power concentrated at the top.
The SGI of the west, where regular folks go to chant, is just a very small part of the global operation.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/2009 12:57PM by The Anticult.