For Wayfarer:

I got out of SGI several months ago. I still haven't decided what I'm going to do with the Gohonzan as yet.

In regards to Tibetan Buddhism and really good Buddhism resources in general. Here are a few links.

[buddhistgeeks.com]
[www.theidproject.org]
These are both podcats that feature interviews and dharma talks with Buddhist scholars and teachers of a wide variety of schools and traditons, They are very informative. I like these two because it exposes to so many different schools of Buddhist thought. Buddhist Geeks can can get a little heady at times but it is great resources. Plus it can introduce you to a wide variety of teachers. It was started by two graduate students at Naropa University (founded by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche). I graduated from Naropa last year.

Tibetan or Tibetan inspired
[www.shambhala.org]
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's Shambala traditions. I've gotten a lot of the teachings. I like this tradition because it goes into depth as to how the mind works from a Tibetain Buddhist tradition.

[www.dharmaocean.org]
Reginald Ray. He was one of Rinpoche's students but like Rinpoche decided to add is own spin to the tradition. I've heard a few of his dharma talks and I really have enjoyed it.

[www.dalailama.com]
This site had resources regarding H.H. as well as links to local groups.

[www.tarabrach.com]
Tara is more Zen or Vipasana. I can't remember which. She has podcasts that can downloaded that are dharma talks intertwined with meditation. She's really great at bridging the gap between the body and the mind. Her speciality is helping people who have had traumatic experiences meditatie.

I've always been partial to Tibetain Buddhism because this was the first Buddhism I had direct experience with. I posted my experience back in August. I guess the good thing about it is it's helped me to delve deep into a Buddhist meditation practice.

Hope this helps and glad you made your great escape!

Kimberlie

wayfarer - I can one up you. I have an original Ikea block print of his name - done by him for him. What a deal!

on a more serious note - I haven't received any phone calls from my ex district or ex leaders. I might finally be in the clear. I think it will take some time for my family to swallow what their own child has done - I think I am currently seen as a traitor and a source of shame for them.

I once lost a job because I was overheard telling someone what I truly thought of my boss.

So I guess its my karma to be honest to my own detriment :)

peace and love

evergreen

Wow, Linda Johnson prosecutes death penalty cases? I remember when that's all I read about in the World Tribune, what Linda Johnson says.

Now I wish I can join in again and one day ask her, "How does a Bodhisattva of the Earth feel about execution?"

Just love to see her reaction, lol!

@evergreen, Stay Strong! I'm sorry to hear about your parents. Hopefully they'll understand that religion is a crappy reason to break up a family.

Btw, smart kid ya got there!

Dear Evergreen:

Repaying Debts of Gratitude and Letter to the Brothers address some of the issues you are going through.

Nichijew

Quote
The Anticult
Look at these news reports...translated from the french!
Perhaps someone from "Europe" will cross-post the entire article in this thread, to archive it.
There is some interesting stuff all through it, and near the bottom.

Soka Spirit Forever! California is the land of Soka Spirit Forever!



Reunion at the Top Secret Area General of the SGI-USA
The Weekly Bunshun
Edition of 04-11/01/96
pages 210 to 214
(Premiere Party)

[translate.google.com]

-----------------------Beginning of quote-------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was that Linda Johnson, who was employed at the department already possessed the absolute authority on religious corporations, which obligingly agreed to meet a demand search Odano. Worse still, she signed the "Memorandum of Agreement The obligation of confidentiality" with grace.

Within a few days, the lawyers had prepared their reports and were together 'in one place. The prosecutor, Linda Johnson, had also prepared a long report of more than ten pages. The report of Johnson, we have obtained, said: "On the foundations of the Office of the Attorney General of the State of California, in determining the feasibility of contraidre the Temple of Nichiren Shoshu and Hokkeko of Nichiren Shoshu has dissolved "she research the applicable laws and precedents. Attorney Linda Johnson had concluded his report as follows (paraphrasing '): On the foundations of the Office of the Attorney General, seeking a dissolution is an exceptional case. Accordingly, I do not know if it is possible to order the dissolution of the Temple of Nichiren Shoshu. From another species, there is a precedent or dissolution as decided on the basis of a petition of members and shareholders. If there is an illegitimate action consisting of priests has to pay high wages so unusual, so they can be prosecuted. Actions against members of the SGI resulting in the inability to let them enter a temple may also be deemed unlawful. "In other words, the search for a solution through the Office of the Attorney General is somewhat delicate. However, if the prosecution came from within the Nichiren Shoshu, the dissolution is possible.

Scandalous publicity, as elaborated at the Reunion Subversive

Reports of lawyers, including that of Linda Johnson, were groups into a single report (written in Japanese) by Akio Ohtsuka, one of the lawyers who attended the reunion secret. The report made several proposals Ohtsuka. Among them, however, we note one. Its title was: "9. Survey on the private life of priests." She continued: "In America, the scandals involving religious figures are specially Devastating ... (omission) if we can report this type of information that we would be very beneficial. "He was referring to the 1987 sex scandal involving Jim Baker, the TV evangelist and a prostitute. He continued: "Two years ago, when the incident Baker, based on the discovery of tax evasion and a sex scandal, Baker, who until then had been a very popular evangelist, was baton 'by the media and ultimately lost everything he had. " Keep in mind though that this report was written over a year before the "propaganda about the incident in Seattle" which was the subject of an advertising campaign in newspapers of Gakkai, the Soka Shimpo and the Seiko Shimbun (the United States, the World Tribune)

Later, a sex scandal broke out, but it was almost as if the lawyers Gakkai and the government prosecutor had given notification as a warning that all they had concluded that a sex scandal they would " beneficial ". First there was the plot, then just as they had planned, a scandal was the subject of campaign advertising.

In other words, after investigating and obtaining information such as address, bank account, the type of vehicle, property, etc ... then they will use "other methods". Even if the cause of Daisaku Ikeda and Soka Gakkai, is that these lawyers did not allow himself to be a sprain to the law?

Another problem that the public prosecutor, Linda Johnson. The object of his inquiry: "We THERE is possible to use the authority of the Attorney General to compel the Temple of Nichiren Shoshu has dissolved?" In fact, Johnson, to investigate this issue, use the library materials of the Department of Justice, the machine processing of text of his office to write his report and then fax the office to forward his report to the Legal Ohtsuka. Even more, it used the letterhead of the Attorney General to submit its report by fax. This amounts to a full cooperation of the Department of Justice with the request for an inquiry by the Soka Gakkai.

Counsel Attorney Johnson, at the time to recognize its real participation in this case and the trial between the Soka Gakkai and the Nichiren Shoshu in the United States, gave this explanation. She said (paraphrasing '): "I write my reports outside of office hours. I did it by kindness to my friends." (Tire 'of the deposition as a declaration of the investigation report) However, regardless of the value of her claim that she did outside of office hours, but a mixture of genres between personal a symbol of public concern and the other is a statement of behavior that gives goose bumps, a prosecutor in the case of public activity ', whose task is to serve the public good, but participating at the same time has a reunion with subversive aims to attack an organization that is the enemy of one of his devotions, and above all, use his office to that effect.

We tried to keep the Attorney Johnson. We asked her: "You, as an advocate of public ministry, which seeks equity 'for the public good, which holds immense authority', how could you participate in a reunion FOR subversive attack an organization Specific religious? " She replied (paraphrasing '): "I am ready' my assistance as a private citizen who has the right to freedom 'of religion, that's all. Moreover, the work (to dissolve the Nichiren Shoshu) that the 'I was asked, was not feasible after all. So that we can not speak of attack'. " That's all she had to say in speaking to us through his front door ajar. Then she shut the door, went into his garage, got into his van and left.

A specialist of American law could not hide his astonishment at hearing the remarks of Johnson. "Not only acts of the Ministry of Public Counsel Johnson deviate from the neutral position of a public officer, in addition, she committed a crime. If she has received a fee for his actions, this may be a case or it can be investigated and prosecuted for accepting a bribe or payoff. In the United States, each state has an authority equal to that of national government. This is no small matter when Public Advocate, which is located inside the Department of Justice, took steps to eliminate a specific organization. "

Counsel Attorney Johnson said the meeting was secret (paraphrasing ') "a kind of brainstorming, and that (our plan) was not feasible." (After the declaration in the form of deposition of the report of survey mentioned above) but according to a specialist of American law, "the office of attorney general or she officiates has the authority of life or death over religious organizations. This should not be simply regarded 'as a small exercise in logic. is a serious violation of freedom 'exercise of religious faith. "

In the same series, we already publish on the use of the courts and legal system by attacking Soka Gakkai Nichiren Shoshu. In Japan, similarly, there was a case where a senior official of Soka Gakkai and member of parliament (former member of the Komeito), Takenori Kanzaki, was involved, when the seat was a lawyer in a case of illegal telephone tapping of the residence of the president of the Communist Party. The Soka Gakkai, Japan and the United States is able to obtain counsel of the seat they behave in this manner.

The Advocate of Siege Johnson made his debut in the Big League

The former superior of the seat Johnson's lawyer, Advocate General for the State of California JV DeCamp commented: "I am a member of the Catholic faith. Even if one works in the Office of the Attorney General, go at the church, or become a director of an organization of members of a church, it is not forbidden. It does not just involve his work. She (Johnson) has used the office for his report. This does can not be permitted '. "

In fact, after the discovery of acts of Attorney Johnson in the Department of Justice, as she reprimanded and punished. (she was demoted to his former position) Despite this, it seems she did not think. She said (paraphrasing '): "I no longer use the equipment of the office again. However, if you ask me, I will make inquiries as a private', outside of office hours." (pulls 'the survey report on the statement in the form of deposition mentions' above)

Soka Gakkai (SGI) praised the conduct of Attorney Johnson. It was announced in 1995, four years after the reunion subversive it was one of the executive director of the "General Meeting Commemorative Japan Exchange of America Division of Women "in 1996. On behalf of the Attorney Johnson was quoted just after the wife of the Director General of the SGI-USA. In other words, she made her debut in the big league.
---------------------------End of Quote----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interesting article despite the bad English translation. So our gal Linda's office regulates religious organizations in California...and SGI asked her to look for ways to close Nichiren Shoshu down, which she did -- writing the report on her office's letterhead. And she really doesn't consider that an ethical problem or a serious conflict of interest, despite the fact that her office demoted her for it.

I never saw that experience in the World Tribune.

When I read her statement in the second-last paragraph as "I'd do the same thing again, I'd just be more careful not to get caught the next time."

And all's well that ends well; for proving her undying loyalty to SGI, Linda's now in the big leagues of SGI, the inner circle. Such wonderful, ethical leaders SGI has, both in the United States and Japan -- apparently the same kind of thing goes on in Japan too.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2010 06:25AM by tsukimoto.

The previous post referred to a group of SGI leaders, including Linda Johnson, trying to find a way to kick Nichiren Shoshu out of California. One of the suggestions was a sex scandal --and not surprisingly, a tale of a sex scandal involving Nikken, the then- Nichiren Shoshu high priest, came up after this meeting.

This was the "Seattle Incident," which allegedly happened in 1963 when Nikken (who was not high priest in 1963) visited Seattle. In the 1990's, a Soka Gakkai Women's Division member, Hiroe Clow, came forward and said that the Seattle police called her on that night in 1963. According to Mrs. Clow's account, the Seattle police had picked up a Japanese priest who didn't speak much English -- soliciting prostitutes in Seattle!

Hiroe Clow says she bailed this priest, the Reverend Nikken, out of jail, took him back to his hotel, and did not speak of the incident for 30 years. Then why speak of it thirty years later? Apparently she was upset about the SGI/Nichiren Shoshu split and wanted to set the record straight. So she said.

This case dragged through the Japanese courts for years, inconclusively. It was a "he said, she said," situation, Hiroe Clow's word against Nikken Abe's. Neither side could really prove anything. The Seattle police force did not have a record of a minor crime like that from that long ago. It got ugly, with SGI insisting that Nikken spent the members' money on prostitutes, and Nichiren Shoshu saying that Hiroe Clow was a former prostitute herself.

Mrs. Clow died in 1996, of lung cancer. Nichiren Shoshu insisted upon an autopsy, as some SGI members were accusing them of poisoning her. The family didn't want an autopsy, but finally one was done. According to the autopsy, Mrs. Clow died of her cancer. Some SGI folk said that Nichiren Shoshu had just used a poison that didn't show on the autopsy.

sokaspirit.com and gakkaionline.net have pro-SGI versions of this tale. Antony Elmore, on proudblackbuddhist.com has a pro Nichiren Shoshu version on his site.

There's also an account on:

[groups.google.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2010 07:12AM by tsukimoto.

Wow Tsuki, SGI really knows how to use its members. Or maybe Linda thought this one up herself and "volunteered". She was demoted at work, but promoted in SGI. Isn't that sort of ass backward? But giving one's life to cousin rufus requires some sacrifices, doesn't it. Very damning, but great information.

The second article is even better!! I never knew this slant, only heard of the "heroic" Mrs Clow.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2010 07:07AM by sushigrl.

Antony Elmore's take on both the Seattle Incident and SGI's use of priests,

[www.proudblackbuddhist.org]

--------Beginning of quote, www.proudblackbuddhist.org------------------------------------------------------------

When the SGI orchestrated the Hiroe Clow scheme the SGI raised in the excess of 15 million dollars for the supposedly Hiroe Clow defense fund. SGI Ikeda hired former prostitute Hiroe Clow who worked in a bar in Japan called Casino to implement an Ikeda scheme. In addition to hiring a whore to discredit high Priest Nikken Shonin an SGI law firm commission their star witness Ronald Sprinkle $4000.00 per month to assist in the SGI Con Game. It was revealed in court that in time of the alleged dispute that Sprinkle was paid to lie by the SGI, Sprinkle was out of town on a military assignment when the alleged "Seattle Incident" was to suppose to have happen. The SGI is notorious for using cons and schemes to manipulate SGI members.

The SGI Con Pamphlet: Priests Speak Out

66th High priest Nittasu Shonin in a March 1979 speech to a group of priest young Priest mentioned that as far back as 1964 SGI members and study chiefs were already saying "The President is a Buddha". High Priest Nittatsu Shonin knew that they could not undue in a short period of time what SGI has spent over 15 years developing.

Priests Speak Out: Old SGI Story Repackaged To Reprogram!!!

SGI Daisaku Ikeda planted SGI represented Priests into Nichiren Shoshu years ago. Refer back to the SGI published Reformist book published by SGI's reformist Priest. The Reformist priests published erroneous stories about 67th high priest Nikken Shonin in the past. Years ago the SGI Reformist Priest maliciously published manipulating stories one in particular that stated the high priest buying things like golf memberships for his friends and other lies and cons. The reformist priest are Ikeda control staff members utilized to implement an Ikeda agenda. Notice how Ikeda recently went to his paid Ikeda Priest staff and dispersed an Ikeda priest to Ghana to placate disgruntle African SGI members. Not only does the Ikeda religious empire have priests outside of SGI, but Ikeda has priests inside of Nichiren Shoshu. Nichiren Shoshu was corrupted by SGI and is corrupted by SGI influence. Nichiren Shoshu 67th high priest Nikken Shonin had to insulate himself and Isolate himself from the SGI manipulative exposure.
----------------------------End of Quote------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote
sushigrl
Wow Tsuki, SGI really knows how to use its members. Or maybe Linda thought this one up herself and "volunteered". She was demoted at work, but promoted in SGI. Isn't that sort of ass backward? But giving one's life to cousin rufus requires some sacrifices, doesn't it. Very damning, but great information.

The second article is even better!! I never knew this slant, only heard of the "heroic" Mrs Clow.

Sushigrl, I also remember going to meetings and hearing about the "heroic" Mrs. Clow. And really, who knows what the truth is regarding Mrs. Clow and Nikken? Nobody can prove anything. Like so much in SGI/Nichiren Shoshu history, there are all these angry and sordid allegations with little or no evidence either way.

Regarding Linda Johnson's involvement with that committee...well, do you wonder why she got that job, with that government agency, in the first place? I would bet my rent that SGI encouraged her to take that job...maybe even used connections or paid someone so that she'd get that position. Why not? Ikeda and his buddies plan things years in advance. Ikeda knows the value of having friends in high places, especially friends who are SGI True Believers.

Interestingly enough, Linda gave an experience a few years back about wanting to get married. I can't see it happening. Not only because of her workload (both legal and for SGI). Her experiences sound to me like she is so in love with her image of Ikeda -- how could any other man compare? If she did marry, her husband would be a distant second to Ikeda and SGI...how many men could live with that?