Oh, By The Way...

The bathroom fixtures in Ikeda's personal community center apartment, in the old New York Community Center were golden, very shiny like his life condition. The carpets were incredibly plush like the floor of Nichiren Daishonin's hut, two inches thick. Of course, the furniture was the finest most comfortable money could buy and nobody used them. This is where your money goes, you dupes.

Please see attached file of a happy Gajokai [unpaid "protector" of the community centers) cleaning Ikeda's toilet for Kosen Rufu [the widespread propagation of the Lotus Sutra].

This quote came from page 43 of this thread. In light of our discussion of SGI's finances, it seems worth repeating. I'm sure that the toilet in Ikeda's house at the Malibu Training Center must be very clean too! It does make me wonder though -- just how many apartments and houses does President Ikeda need?

Quote
The Anticult
SGI-USA seems to be also worth many hundreds of millions of dollars in property.
Or is it billions?

________QUOTE_______________
[www.culthelp.info]
Three Conditions for Religious Corporate Tax Exemption

SGI-USA (Soka Gakkai International-United States of America), Soka Gakkai's American religious corporation, owns vast real estate around Los Angeles. We reported about this fact in our previous issue, but since most of the property purchased is owned by a religious corporation, no fixed asset taxes are assessed.

"American religious corporations, the same as in Japan, receive preferential treatment from the standpoint of tax laws. But in Japan, if a group possesses the qualifications to be a religious corporation, then no taxes are assessed unconditionally. That's different from America, where, even if religious corporate status is granted, they are not given tax exempt privileges unless a tax exempt petition is submitted to the local and state tax authorities and an audit is passed. Three prerequisites for tax exemption are stipulated in Article 501 of the City Tax Code.

The first is, political activities and political donations are forbidden. The second is, excessive for-profit enterprises are forbidden. And the third is, the privatization of the religious group's assets by the head or the leaders is forbidden. If these regulations are violated, tax exempt privileges are not given."(International Business Law Professor Ishimura of Asahi University)

I flew to Los Angeles and received from many former SGI-USA leaders detailed testimony concerning the reality of the Soka Gakkai's overseas assets and overseas activities, which up to now have remained largely unrevealed. According to their testimony, there are suspicions about whether the SGI-USA is in violation of two of the three conditions which must be met to receive tax exempt status.

Among those former leaders, former SGI-USA Chapter Chief, James Eagleton points out the privatization of the religious group. "At the Malibu Training Center, there's a house for Ikeda that we members are never allowed to enter. We are allowed to enter only the training center itself. The house is a private building which is used only when Ikeda comes to Los Angeles, and it's shrouded in a veil of secrecy."
_________________QUOTE_____________________

And from page 58 of this thread (article is from culthelpinfo.org

Quote
tsukimoto
Everything Depends on Money"

Along with the Ikeda house, SGI-USA's political contributions have also become problematic in terms of tax laws. A number of local mass media offices report that the SGI-USA sent large political contributions to the mayor of Los Angeles.

As stated in the Los Angeles Times (paraphrased), despite the fact that as a tax exempt religious organization they are prohibited from making political contributions, Nichiren Shoshu of America (NSA)...in 1985 and 1986 twice gave Mr. Bradley (Editor's note: The former L.A. mayor from 1973-93) a total of $16,700 for his election fund. This is made clear by any number of articles. (11/17/91 Los Angeles Times)

If these articles are accurate, SGI was in violation of two out of three of the requirements for being a tax-exempt religious organization: the Ikeda house (too much of the organization's resources going to an individual) and the prohibition on making political contributions.

This tells me, that if I donate money to SGI, chances are, the money will go for political bribes, or luxury furnishings on apartments and homes that Ikeda rarely, if ever, stays at. Why should I waste my hard-earned money like this?

Here is a little early Buddhist history and its relation to the Soka Gakkai:

This idea of professional Buddhists was taken up as early as the second Buddhist council. One group argued that it was OK to accept monetary donations and the other group believed it would corrupt the Sangha. Guess who won out? Right, those who argued for accepting money won out after purportedly bribing the groups from the west, north, and the local monks. Anyway, the group who argued against taking money was banished, ended up in Kashmir, and became the Sarvisthatins. Mahayana probably arose from the influence of these Sarvasthatins (the non-money acceptors) in Kashmir. The money accepting monks became known as the Madhyamikans who were led by Mahadeva who persecuted the Sarvisthatins. Daisaku Ikeda lavishes praise on Mahadeva in his books, "The Living Buddha" and "Buddhism the First Millenium." Nichiren Daishonin, on the other hand, writes:

"Beside them, evil men such as Devadatta and Kokalika are as nothing. In fact they are in a class with Mahadeva and the Great Arrogant Brahman. And those who put faith in the teachings of such men— they too are a fearful lot indeed." -- Repaying Debts of Gratitude

He also states:

“True priests are those who are honest and who desire little and yet know satisfaction” -- The Essentials for Attaining Buddhahood

How far the Soka Gakkai leaders have strayed from the true spirit of Buddhism and Nichiren Daishonin!

Do not know why this comes to my mind right now. I was 17, one of the youngest YMD at the time in my local HQ. I was hospitalised for a broken ligament. After I was sent home my grandmother asked me if any of my “cronies” meaning SGI-members, came to visit and see how I was.
I said yes. My grandmother is gone long ago now – but I lied, no one from SGI came to see me. Might be trivial but it just crossed my mind. No idea why that memory came up.

Rothaus, after my emergency surgery, I also lied to a relative, telling him that I hadn't been able to reach anyone. The truth was, I did reach a couple of SGI members and they wouldn't help me. Strangely enough, I felt ashamed, as if their unwillingness to help me meant that I somehow wasn't good enough, or deserving of help.

As to why that memory would come up now, I don't know...maybe Nichijew's comment about the true spirit of the Daishonin. From Nichiren's writings, you get the impression that he cared greatly about his followers, thanking them for the smallest donation. He knew about their sick kids, their difficulties with bosses, and their family disagreements -- and offered encouragement about these issues. Maybe we expected SGI to be like this, a place where people knew us and cared deeply about us....and yet for many of us, it has not been like that at all.

The true aspect of SGI by Blooming Poof

>One girl I knew, who was a good person, got lured into SGI,
> and was really into it. She ended up getting sick, and refused a lot
> of early medical treatment, as she thought she could get healed by
> Chanting. Didn't work, she got worse and worse. Then she finally got
> into medical treatments, too late, and literally had hundreds of
> people Chanting for her to heal. She died, and left behind her kids.
> They don't tell those anecdotes, those who have hundreds of SGI
> followers Chanting for them, and die a pretty horrible death in a few
> months."
>
Well that has been the way of things for years! - and when things go
wrong and people lose out, lose their lives, livelihoods, homes and
even their sanity that ain't going to get reported cos anything that
might make it appear that SGI babble on Faith and Daimoku to gain
anything, have any prayer answered and Have all Earthly Desires
Fulfilled... well that might have people thinking and questioning and
possibly leaving in droves. I recall Dick Causton saying that folks
should remember that all prayers will be answered and that the answer
will sometimes be NO! It's funny how Common Sense goes out of the window
when folks are told to chant and seem to end up in a world of rapture
and as such can't see anything other than Fluffy Bunny Buddhism
forgetting that In Rapture the bubble bursts ever so quick and can drop
you on your ass!

I have seen exactly this pattern of denial of ill health and subsequent
death with loads of folks chanting for a miracle many times! It's like
the SGI Italy members setting up Gohonzons next to TV sets so that they
could chant and watch the soccer world cup final in 1994 and chant for
Roberto Baggio to score the winning goal for Italy and QED prove that
Nichiren Buddhism had some form on Mystical Power over the result. Some
may recall that the final went to a penalty shoot out and Italy Lost
with Baggio missing his penalty and loosing Italy the world Cup! In
Italy I also saw Benefit Junkies organizing Daimoku Tozos to chant to
have a miracle when some one was found to be in end stage cancer after
they had refused to consult doctors and just sat home chanting. The mass
search for Benefits was staggering with literally tens of thousands of
folks in concerted tozos all demanding proof from someone who had
already set up their own death.... and after they died many being very
callous and stating that they died because they lacked faith and in any
case all that daimoku was going to be of great benefit and they were just
waiting for their personal payout in the shares and from their
investment in Daimoku Inc!

It's sad that supposed leaders ( In reality folks who have been told
that they are "Leaders" with no quality control and then make it up as
they go along ) go about telling folks that they just need to chant
whilst their leg is half cut off and they are bleeding to death. Some
will find such actions and ideas impossible to accept as occurring
within SGI, but to those who have seen them they are unforgettable. Even
leaders have not been immune from such aberrant attitudes and behaviours
and as a result have died - with some referring to it as Suicide by Daimoku!

I recall one set of events where some leaders ( who I repeatedly
referred to as "Persons With A Responsibility - Formally referred to as
Leaders" ) went well beyond the limits and caused havoc for a number of
people. A New Member showed Up who was quite a wealthy Business Woman -
She had a number of businesses some of which she wanted to sell. This
Woman started to hawk these businesses about to SGI members and the
local leadership first allowed it and then encouraged it. Certain
members who were having major personal problems with everything from
marriage to debt were encouraged to Buy businesses from her, which some
foolishly did. Anyone who spoke out about this was immediately labelled
as a breaker of Itai Doshin and totally against Nichiren and the SGI.

Folks went out and borrowed money, put their houses up as collateral
and bought into the Leaders ongoing views that all that had to be done
was chant more and more and evidently as this woman was selling
businesses to SGI members whilst she herself was becoming a member the
whole thing was Perfect and Universally Ordained.

One family asked me for advice about buying a Food Outlet - It appeared
to me a gold mine as it was within about 100 metres of a new shopping
complex that was under construction. The Only Down side was it was on
the wrong side of the road, a very busy road and there were vacant shop
units better placed to provide the service on the other side of the
road. The Family were advised to get a commercial lawyer to draft a full
contract including clauses that prevented the woman from starting a
similar business within 1000 metres of the original business for say 5
years, that full disclosure of accounts were to be made and that
specific contracts as to the building, it's contents and maintenance
would also be made as the woman was selling the Business but retaining
ownership of the Building. All of the advice was ignored and they just
went ahead and bought the Business, lease on the building, and started to
sell food as hard as possible. When they were asked why they had not
undertaken the most basic of actions and set up the most basic of
protections for a commercial venture they explained that when they had
raised these issues with leaders they had been told that such actions
would simply show that they lacked faith and they were better off
chanting and having faith than consulting a lawyer or spending time and
money on legally enforceable contracts.

A few weeks after they were tied in with their house on the line the
woman opened a new Food Outlet across the Road and the customer numbers
dropped to virtually Zero. They objected and were told there was nothing
they could do.. and then they went bankrupt and lost the business, their
home and just about everything they had. Throughout, the leaders were
100% supporting this woman in disposing of business to SGI members and
of the members buying these businesses and yet these leaders had zero
knowledge or experience in commercial trading, contracts and business
management. When this was raised as an issue that should bar them from
being involved in any way with anyone who was entering into a business
situation they responded that they did not need anything other than
Daimoku and Faith. They were also a little pissed off when they were
asked to explain why they had not taken up one of these business
opportunities if all that was required was Daimoku and Faith and they
were unable to answer.

I also recall working on an exhibition in Italy between SGI and The
Italian Committee for Refugees. The Exhibition dealt with Yugoslavia and
the breakup and Genocide. I had been asked to design and build the
exhibition so that it could tour Italy. The First place on the tour was
Venice and the transport co-ordinator could not understand that we were
obliged to hire a boat to transport the exhibition from mainland Italy
to then venue in the heart of Venice. Their view was that all of the
parts of the exhibition, some over two metres long and very heavy would
be carried on foot across a causeway and through Venice and this was
great opportunity for Members to be involved in Activities. When it was
pointed out that first it was illegal to do this, second dangerous to
have literally hundreds of people handling unfamiliar equipment and that
it was also highly likely that the exhibition itself would be damaged -
well that was met with incredulity at the idea that hundreds of SGI
members chanting and holding Tozos for the exhibition would not protect
it and even not be needed or welcome. It was odd that they just could
not get it that LEGALLY it was not possible and that it had to be done
in line with the law of the land. Oddly when the leader of this
aberration was questioned as to whether they had car insurance or if
they just Chanted to not need it they were shocked and stated Of Course
I have Car Insurance - That's the law! It would seem that when folks
decide that they are to do something so that they can get their quota of
benefits they hate having it pointed out to them that they can't just
ignore reality and hope for the best!

That so much odd behaviour makes it appear that SGI is a Cult - or at
best filled with individuals who seem programmed to exhibit Cult Like
Behaviour - one has to wonder why SGI in all it's forms does not advise
against such aberration and even protect people from it internally!

For some they will simply invent Nichiren Buddhism in their own image,
to service their own need and to fill massive gaps that exist within
their own minds and lives. What I have seen when this occurs is to my
way of thinking Evil and having highlighted the situations and what is
occurring to National Leaders/Employees of SGI I have not been surprised
that aberration verging on mental instability has been supported and
anyone questioning the actions of anyone with the title of leader is to
be seen as evil and shunned! It would seem that SGI is an organization
that is programmed to self destruct under the mental aberration of its
employees and hierarchy members with the aberration being more and more
self referential and inward facing. It would seem that their Dogma Will
eventually Be Run Over By Their Karma and one has to wonder how they
will react when this happens - will they seek first aid and medical
attention or simply lie on their backs and chant as they Discorporate.

Examples of really bad (actually rather typical SGI) guidance

Posted by mroakes, buddhajones.com

-----------------Beginning of Quote----------------------------------------------------

Here's a stash of "guidance in faith" that's sure to turn you into a sheep. This festival of stinko is attributed to "SGI Vice President Kawai, or Mr. Kawai's guidance in faith, conveyed by Mr. Noro, based on President Ikeda's guidance." Including SGI chestnuts such as:

...The leader went on to say that President Toda's guidance was that when we determine that the only one thing we can trust is the gohonzon, then the body begins to recover from sickness....

...When our life philosophy is polluted by slander, and impurities then our life cannot produce its healing power....

...She was asked "do you think that your disease can be cured?" She replied "No!" "So then that is your desire. Your state of mind and that is why the answer from the Gohonzon is - - no cure!" replied the senior leader....

...One should never criticize leaders. Right or wrong, one should not complain at all. Instead, one can chant for them to grow and one will benefit from that too....
----------------------------End of Quote-----------------------------------------------------

SGI just gets people coming and going, don't they? If you can't chant your cancer, heart attack, diabetes, or kidney disease away, why, you didn't trust the Gohonzon enough, or you slandered someone, or your state of mind just wasn't good enough. All your fault, you slanderer, you! But in that case, why did President Toda die of diabetes-related complications?

And leaders apparently have free rein to behave as badly as they like. If a leader behaves horribly to you, well, that must be your fault too. EVERYTHING is your fault. Maybe you can improve your karma if you volunteer to clean President Ikeda's toilet.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/2009 03:34AM by tsukimoto.

A man that I knew had a sad story, and according to SGI leadership it was his fault. This man was a long-time member, and a district leader. He was smart, had a good job, and a nice house. But he did not have a wife, which apparently he wanted. He met a girl who lived overseas. They developed a relationship, and eventually he brought her here and they got married. She was younger than him, and I thought that she didn't seem very happy. She drank a lot. After about a year or so, he sold his house and they moved, but he still practiced. Actually, he became a district leader at the location where they moved. He kept in touch with people here, so we heard about him once in a while. One day, he came home to find his wife drowned in the bathtub. About six months or so later he died of a heart attack. He was maybe in his early 50's. I went to his funeral, and at the funeral an area leader explained to me what had happened. She said, "He did not follow guidance".

Oh, so that explains it! Once you are a member of SGI, you need to do exactly as your leaders tell you, or you will end up having horrible things happen in your life just like this man.