Thanks for this information. It shows how carefully and strategically SGI operates on the minds of those in the USA.
SGI-USA have chosen the term "Mentor" as that is a politically correct term in the west, as opposed to "Guru" or Master.
And the term "disciple" does what SGI wants it to do, and its an acceptable term in the USA with deep meaning, as its in the bible. Its about power and submission to that power.

In reality, what SGI-USA is doing here is very careful mental engineering using words.
Mentor, in the context of SGI is referring to the Godman Ikeda, they have reframed the meaning of the word mentor for SGI, to mean something very different. But the word mentor is an acceptable term to use in western public society.
And disciple, reinforces that same concept. And of course a disciple literally is completely submissive to the power of the Guru-Mentor-God.
Jesus had disciples in the bible, so SGI-USA is plugging into the biblical hard-wiring of those raised in the USA.

The text below from SGI is very very carefully engineered. Its literally group persuasion engineering.
SGI-USA says you should BASE YOUR LIFE on ONENESS of mentor disciple. That is as powerful as it can get. ONENESS is a term used in these cults/groups to FUSE the identity of the Guru with the identity of the follower. The exact same technique used by Byron Katie, James Ray, Sai Baba and many others.
SGI-USA knows this is all happening in your MIND, as most SGI people don't know Ikeda of course, he's a mythical figure. Ikeda is a MENTAL CONCEPT to SGI members, a mental construct. And SGI pushes people to FUSE and insert Ikeda right into the deepest parts of their minds for LIFE.

They want SGI-Ikeda to be the primary focus(quest) of your life.
They use the terms FIGHT, as SGI knows they are in a war for people's minds, and General Ikeda gives the orders, and the disciple foot-soldiers follow orders.

SGI-USA even uses some mental supernatural paranoia when they say you should fight where your "where your mentor may not be watching". This is a blatant technique to get right into the private and secret recesses of your mind.
Its like telling a child they better be good because Santa will know if you are good or bad as he sees you when you're sleeping and knows when your awake, so you better be a good little SGI disciple for goodness sake!
SGI-USA knows that stuff works on many people, as the SGI process is regressive.


So SGI-USA has some western trained and raised brainwashing-experts on staff.
Who is writing this SGI stuff? Can some SGI-USA insider give us the name of the senior SGI-USA expert in the propaganda and brainwashing department?
They are very skilled.

Because they know they don't have to be too subtle with the SGI-USA members, and they have to use politically correct western terms, that have a double-meaning for SGI members.
But SGI-USA comes right out and tells people to be a submissive disciple for LIFE and make SGI the center of their life, and to FUSE with the mental image of Ikeda the Godman, to fight for SGI in the war for people's minds, to propagate, donate, work for free, and do whatever else SGI-USA tells them to do.

SGI-USA have completely reframed what Buddhism is, and turned it upside down.

Someone at SGI-USA has studied every single aspect of group influence, persuasion, mind-control and brainwashing.
There is probably one main person calling the shots, as that text is written by someone who knows what they are doing, and is self-conscious of the techniques for the western mind. Its not simply an SGI true believer, but an SGI believer who is highly trained in group persuasion.

It would be very useful to get the name of the western people at the top of SGI who are in control of the SGI message in the USA.
The name might even be in the SGI magazine The World Tribune, or perhaps they just use a fake name for who writes the article.

But who's name is listed in the article as writing that text below about oneness?
Its time to get the name of the SGI-USA expert in group persuasion. It could just be one person.

Quote
SGBye
Although I no longer have a subscription to The World Tribune (the SGI's main publication that I kick myself for wasting so much money on), I currently have access to someone else's. This is great for me because I'm able to keep up-to-date on what's being spewed out to the members. A recent issue (11/6/09) had a message from Ikeda to the U.S. members that contained a few sentences that sent a chill up my spine. It reads:

"You should base your lives on the oneness of mentor and disciple. You must decide that pursuing the oneness of mentor and disciple is the primary quest of your lives. You should continue to fight, especially in those areas where your mentor may not be watching, but with the same spirit as your mentor. Such dedicated disciples are surely praiseworthy. This is the essence of Buddhism."

And The World Tribune is constantly flooded with articles regarding Ikeda the mentor. Here are the titles of some recent ones, followed by the issue date:

"Capturing the Spirit of Our Mentor" (9/25/09)
"Mentor and Disciple Hall Opens" (10/23/09)
"Treasures of the Oneness of Mentor and Disciple Exhibition" (10/23/09)
"Rocking the Era, Together With Sensei!" (10/30/09)
"If I Win, Then My Mentor Wins" (11/6/09)
"Running with the Mentor" (11/27/09)

@ Anticult
My guess is that you will not find that person in SGI-USA, as SGI's agenda is the same round the globe, Brazil, Europe, Asia - so you will be looking at SGI-HQ in Tokyo.

SGI-USA is clearly using someone from the USA to work on their methods/tactics for the US market. Of course that person follows orders from head office, but SGI learned decades ago that mass influence techniques are culturally specific.
The crude Maoist stuff is not going to work in the USA. They really smoothed down their methods in the US mant years ago, and continue to refine it extremely carefully.
SGI-USA is very carefully designed.

Someone very very carefully chose the terms Mentor/Disciple.
What words are they using in Japan, Europe, and other areas?
Mentor is an acceptable term now in the mainstream US, but SGI has redefined the word to mean Master. There are areas in the world where Master/Disciple still works.
Master/Slave doesn't go over too well in the US!

But from looking at much of the SGI-USA material, you can be 100% guaranteed they are using US based people to fine-tune their methods, with approval from SGI head office of course.
And not just the mainstream PR. Someone in SGI-USA knows exactly what they are doing in terms of subtle and powerful group influence, and is a native speaker of american english, and knows the US culture, that is certain.

The message is the same, but the cultural presentation has to be adapted to each culture.
The actual SGI-USA person could probably be indentified with some research. Getting his/her name in this thread could be helpful.

Sorry Anticult, but I am in Europe and they use the term Mentor just as well - the term Master was still used in the early, nineties, thats one of the few adjustemnst made as a reaction to the sentiments amongst members, mentor just sounds more pleasing, helpful etc . The sublte fine tuning - just the same. Here and there some adjsutments - somtething like "Victorious America" would not work here i.E victorious Germany, France or UK --- in the ears of Europeans that would go down the wrong throught, i.e. nationalism. In the US there is a subtle difference being made between patriotism and nationalism, for most (liberal) europeans that is the same thing, which is due to experiences in the 20th century, where both terms were used by the wrong people. No use of parades and uniforms over here either. But contentwise speeches - full of Vistory, defeat, battle, priest bad - very bad people etc. Speeches are being published world wide, the videos shown all over the globe. Its a bit like Tuperware or McDonalds - slight adjustmenst to fit the national gusto and thats it. I would even got as far as that to before the split there were more differneces. SGI all the way is the theme now and certainly Ikeda the mentor for mankind. The term zadankai is being used in the US and France not so in Germany the most important meeting there seems to be the Guest meeting - overall though the content is the same, the same sort of inner structure with groups districts HQ's and so forth. One thing I could not see in Europe so far is SGI opening a university (even a private one) or runnig schools for that SGI has not arrived in the mainstream yet. Jewish, Christian and even Muslim schools can be seen just as Chrsitian universities but they too have to obey state regulations in most places. From all the experineces on the way SGI operates I read here there is not one single one that I could point out as being typical American. It shows the same jargon being used (just in a differnt language) and the reasons for those leaving seem identical. Okay SGI might try to sneek in on some national writers and traditions. France = Vicor Hugo; Germany = Goethe; US = Witman. So in one of his usual speeches Ikeda might mention one odd national writer, philosopher, politician so that each one can feel very special and that they are maybe slightly closer to "Seneis" heart or more speacial that any other national SGI organistaion. They all get their share of special treatment. Hey in Brazil park and streets are named after him now we should get him a civic honour over here ... etc etc. Yawn.
Not to forgert the "poems" he wrote on Italy, Germany, France and that they are all on the forefront of Kosen-Rufu. Get the drift, change a few words you can fit it to any country...Tuperware,AmWay, McDonalds quite a good comparison actually. Look at it this way, North America (me including Canada) compromises in a way the whole world any ethnic group on this planet faith and custom can be found there. So any selling tactic working in the US will with some adjustments will work world wide. The only exception I would make for Japan were SGI is one one side more far more wide spread but also the controversy far more fierce as to a none SGI-Japanes SGI will be familiar. And if you were to tell a none SGI-Japanese that you are an SGI member be prepared for the reaction - might not be friendly.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2009 05:56AM by Rothaus.

Quote
Rothaus
From all the experineces on the way SGI operates I read here there is not one single one that I could point out as being typical American. It shows the same jargon being used (just in a differnt language) and the reasons for those leaving seem identical. Okay SGI might try to sneek in on some national writers and traditions. France = Vicor Hugo; Germany = Goethe; US = Witman. So in one of his usual speeches Ikeda might mention one odd national writer, philosopher, politician so that each one can feel very special and that they are maybe slightly closer to "Seneis" heart or more speacial that any other national SGI organistaion. .

Oh, Rothaus! You mean that the United States isn't special to Sensei's heart? That he's just like the sailor with a girl in every port, telling each girl that she's special, the only one for him? Oh, my heart is just broken!

My subscriptions to The World Tribune and Living Buddhism ran out quite a while ago -- does anyone here have a recent copy of either publication, where they could look and see who the editor(s) are?

SGI's website lists Guy McCloskey as the Publisher for SGI USA. He is also one of the nine directors on SGI-USA's Board of Directors, and a member since 1968. If he is not the editor of the American editions of the World Tribune and Living Buddhism, then the editors of those publications must report to him. He may also be responsible for publishing SGI's study materials...such as they are.

Bill Aiken is the Director of Public Affairs for SGI, but he is not on the Board of Directors.

For what it's worth, in the eighties, we studied the "Master/Disciple" relationship. I am told that some African-American members protested the term because of America's history of slavery. So it was changed to the "Mentor/Disciple" relationship.

Rothaus, what term is used in German -- and do you know which is used in England, 'master,' or 'mentor'?

Rothaus, the funny thing is if you go on youtube and type Soka Gakkai (in Roman letters mind you), you will get so many videos of how Ikea is the greatest and how wonderful Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo is. Copy and paste the Japanese term for SGI (創価学会) and you get a lot more videos from a very different perspective, ie what kind of a manic that guy is.

Anticult, the only place I know that has the top SGI leaders in the US is in LA. The World Tribune comes from there and for a long time that's where you would have to send your donations. So if there is a current/former member there, someone can tell us.

That's all I can say.

Dear all:

There are a few "general members" that have tremendous power and influence in the Soka Gakkai. Greg Wolpert, for one. He is a financial real estate genius who is on the board. I have seen for myself, such high level leaders as David Kasahara, a Vice General Director, literally fawning over him, approaching him as if he were a living god. Greg may go to a zadankai or even host one but he surely is not pushed to do anything he might not want to do. Even a Territory Leader, should he state, even in passing, "we have promoted enough World Tribunes for the month", will get a good scolding from a Vice General Director. Money talks in the Soka Gakkai. I could venture a guess as to those others who really wield power and influence in the SGI-USA but I have not observed their interpersonal dynamics lately. They proclaim that they eschew secrecy and criticize secretive organizations like the Freemasons but every two levels or so of leaders have meetings that are never attended by leaders of a lower level [by invitation only]. They are quite compartmentalized, like the terrorists or the Mafia.

Nichijew.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2009 02:14PM by Nichijew.

What I was trying to say is not just about the current terminology.
Looking at the overall history of SGI in the USA, they have drastically changed tactics to adapt to the western american culture over the decades.
They probably do just copy the american methods for other western countries.

But SGI-USA is a highly sophisticated operation. I've been saying that since the beginning, that they know exactly what they are doing, and they are making hundreds of millions of dollars, tax-free. That is not easy to do.

There is no way that Ikeda wrote that material, but of course they attribute it to him. It would be interesting if anyone can speak Japanese, to find the similar articles in Japanese and do a direct translation.
Someone in SGI-USA does the "translations" but of course its more than that. They are re-writing the material, and they have a lot of knowledge in these methods.

The US is very special to Ikeda, a large chunk of his money is in the tax-free investment holding company, called Soka University.
Only Ikeda and his inner circle know how many billions are held in his SGI "religion" in the USA. SGI conceals that information.
So Ikeda cares very much about the USA!

but its really a bad mistake to underestimate SGI in any way. Early in this thread, it appeared to some that SGI was ineffective in their methods. But they are not.
Its all very carefully designed to give Ikeda and SGI what they want.

That text above by SGI is very powerful for those who are indocrinated in SGI. Many people do dedicate their entire lives to SGI, and spend decades as an unpaid staffer.
But SGI-USA is very in-tune with mainstream US culture, and that is NOT coming from Ikeda. That is impossible.
Its coming from his highly trained SGI propaganda henchmen, and those people know exactly what they are doing.

From all that I know its the term mentor that is being used in Germany and the UK. The shift of using it came around the same time as Tsukimoto pointed out but for other reasons - certsinnly I can not make a bet on that for all languages. Waht I can imagine though that ther is (must) be a inner circle of decission makers otherwise the curiculum would not basically be the same all over the world. S direction is set and some adjustments in each country made. In the end all this has to get translated. The inner circle being devout longtime members.