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RothausQuote
Tsukimoto
You can see why SGI wanted to break with Nichiren Shoshu. And now this -- Ikeda's alive, but he's still in the prayers...and members are reminded, twice daily that they "owe him a debt of gratitude.
:-) Nichiren Shoshu broke with SGI not the other way round :-)
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tsukimoto
--------Beginning of Quote, SGI USA Website--------------------------------------------------------------------
...
THIRD SILENT PRAYER
For the Attainment of Kosen-rufu
I pray that the great desire for kosen-rufu be fulfilled, and that the Soka Gakkai International develop in this endeavor for countless generations to come.
I acknowledge my debt of gratitude and offer appreciation to the three founding presidents—Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Josei Toda and Daisaku Ikeda—for their eternal examples of selfless dedication to the propagation of the Law.
Chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times.
.....
Sound the bell and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo three times to conclude (group chants in unison).
-------------------------End of Quote----------------------------------------------------------------------------
...
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sushigrl
Hi everybody. This forum is interesting. I joined the SGI (NSA) in 1974 when I was 15. I was indoctrinated like everyone else, and had some pretty nasty experiences along the way with activities and the leadership etc. I left about 15 years ago in 1994 having developed a mental disorder which I believe was partly due to the unreasonable expectations of SGI tenets.
If I was an active member, any problem I had was due to my karma or my imperfect "faith". Any paranoia or disillusions I had about leaders was only due to my own "dirty mirror". Honestly, I'm amazed that I didn't commit suicide at some point because the level of gossip due to trusting unscrupulous leaders with private and very painful information for "guidance" purposes was almost too much to bear. During all my years with SGI, I think I met one or two people that I could possibly trust, and even they betrayed my confidence.
In all sincerity, the manipulation and fawning over a young woman who was admittedly very vulnerable showed to me the sick side of people and the SGI. One experience which defined this was that once after a chapter meeting, the young people were encouraged to jump naked into a pool during a "pool party" by the shibucho. We of course declined, but what a thing to do given the "precious" status we had as YWD.
Many other experiences led me to distrust leaders, especially when we learned that the general director was having an affair with the then national YWD chief, and they both subsequently "disappeared".
Everyone is human yes, but that same YWD leader had given me guidance to be a "good girl" and don't do anything she wouldn't do, as I confided that I had some personal problems with a YMD.
How laughable!
Sorry for the rant, it's been pent up for a while.
Because I wouldn't follow guidance, I was "disowned" by my HQ chief, who was a japanese transplant. Consequently, I was shunned by many of my fellow members. I guess they wouldn't be following guidance either if they associated with me.
It was a rocky ride at best, being praised as a wonderful byakuren and then ostracized as the worst Byakuren because I got lost..
My most poignant memory was as a kotekitai, we were marched for HOURS in blazing hot sun with few breaks. When we arrived back at the kaikan, I collapsed with heat exhaustion. My japanese territory leader scolded me over the PA system for not being better "prepared" and asked if there were a doctor in the house. This made me feel like the lowest of the low. I also gave many hours of service as a byakuren(what would be the english term for this...andy frain maybe) going without food or water for hours at a time in horrible conditions, only to be scolded that I had not chanted enough daimoku to get me through.
I'm sure this type of abuse is not as bad nowadays, but that it even existed was so dangerous.
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tsukimoto
And the song "Higher Than the Sky," which we also sang a lot -- "Forever Sensei," "Ring the Bell," and "Higher The Sky," were the big three -- we sang at least one of them at every meeting I attended, and even after over three years out of SGI, I could still sing any of them and get most of the lyrics.
Higher Than The Sky
Together, always, we must fight.
Together, we must win.
Happy together, side by side,
sharing tears of happiness.
Shining within our hearts,
is hope for all mankind.
Tomorrow's golden dreams
[are] always higher than the sky.
Higher -- than the sky.
[repeat 3X or 5X]