Quote
cyclops
For sure – this is the fallacy of this Mentor and Disciple concept – the premise that the disciple will in time become the Master – this the SGI will never accept – for them the one and only Master is Ikeda - so their foundation is so distorted it makes any analytical person to just get up and walk out on this junket that SGI is pulling. SO many members that I know are voting with their feet on this one! Before this Ikeda Master was pushed down our collective throats we had about 30 to 40 members @ the district meeting – the last one that I went to had about 10 and 3 were the district leader’s family members – so sad to see some of the YD being called out to confess their devotion to this Master Ikeda - because the ones that don’t buy into this are looking down and are just mouthing the words “Ikeda is my Mentor” SO group think and peer pressure are the tools of the trade! How many more honorary degrees will it take to satisfy Master Ikeda’s EGO…………. Or is he after much more valuable prize – can anyone here say “NOBLE”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I totally agree.
There is nothing less in keeping with buddhist study and personal developement than having someone manipulate you into believe that they must take Ikeda as their mentor to become happy. The saddest thing is the person doing the manipulating would've been manipulated themselves, and so on.
Yes there are genuince, sincere people in SGI, many of whom have been members for 10+ years, I believe most of the genuine people in SGI stick with it simply because they have good memories and are just simply afraid of change, as we all are on a basic human level.
In the past SGI did a pretty good job of keeping members 'harged up' with activities and meetings which (although totally un-buddhist) at least acted as a positive mental placebo.

Nowadays, its just horrible.

@ cyclops,

Your words are so true, and absolutely strange to me, why keep pushing a doctrine(m/d) that is so clearly not Buddhist and so clearly sending members away in droves??? It almost seems as if they are deliberately sabotaging the Gakkai and Buddhism.

Quote
Morgaine
Your words are so true, and absolutely strange to me, why keep pushing a doctrine(m/d) that is so clearly not Buddhist and so clearly sending members away in droves??? It almost seems as if they are deliberately sabotaging the Gakkai and Buddhism.

Well they do sabotage Buddhism big time, that's why I actually like the term Ikedaism, but the M/D relationship is indeed important in Buddhism and I would even use the term 'Master', as in a Master of a certain craft or skill, having an apprentice. The thing though is, as mentioned before, the disciple chooses the master and the master may refuse the disciple or indicate its time to move on - its a personal thing between two individuals. What SGI makes of it is ridiculous and that is why I would not even count SGI as being Buddhist at all any more (if it ever was). And even though I have strong reservations concerning Nichiren Shoshu, i.e. the Taiseki-line of Nichiren Buddhism, I do today understand why they did what they did. Its such an antagonism that SGI issues those (altered) Gohonzons of Nichikan, Nichikan who actually made Nichiren Shohsu what it is today. Any Buddhist tradition will have a certain dogma it is bound to follow, so Taiseki-ji must have said 'adhere or leave'. And they left a back door open for individual SGI-members until 1997.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2010 04:53AM by Rothaus.

For sure – I feel it’s a self inflicted purge – of course most of us old timers that have some grounding in Master – Disciple relationship know intuitively that a Master is a one to one relationship and has personal attachment and not someone who is thousands of miles away in Tokyo! SO what to do with the troublesome group of followers that know that this is all a made up chatter– well just push them out over time – then after a while all they will have are the condition Ikedabots that are programmed to the Ikeda is my Mentor – mantra – I have gone blue in the face talking with some YD about what they are saying and try to get them to do some critical thinking alas to no avail – their programming is complete – others YD that do see this as just a Cultish conditioning are pressured out as troublemakers – because they don’t see the true Master of Buddhism = Ikeda - For all of these Ikedabots I have no idea how much therapy these YD will need to get right headed once all of this plays out! SGI and the rest of the ilk will have a lot to account after Ikeda goes to Eagle Peak or will SGI just keep it going and enshrine Ikeda?

@ Rothaus,


Hope I spelled it correctly, I hear your point of view about about M/D, but the gakkai is calling it "Mentor and Disciple" a bastardization of the true term Master and Disciple as you correctly pointed out. For many years I chanted wholeheartedly to "connect with the heart of my Mentor" and saw more and more that I would get the opposite of what I chanted for. It dawned on me while chanting one day that I needed to remember what I knew about Buddhism before I became a gakkai princess and return to that. My life has soared since then, as I often say here, for me the practice does work and more each day I am finding out about Buddhism. However, I do not believe that for a grown person in Nichiren Daishonins Buddhism a mentor or master or anything is necessary, Shakyamuni's last admonition to "rely upon the law" is true. What is needed now IMHO is a direct connection to the law without any intermediary at all, no Pope. no Sensei, just you. It works for me, and actual proof has always been my measure.

The SGI is a Destructive Cult by Definition

1). Destructive cults actively recruit new members, often through deceptive "front" organizations. The SGI has the Boston Research Center, the Institute for Oriental Philosophy, and others where their affiliation to SGI is rarely if ever mentioned.

2). Destructive cults claim to offer absolute Truth. Their teachings are not (to them) mere theory or speculation. The most effective cult doctrines are those which are unverifiable and unevaluable. The SGI claims that their believers are the only Nichiren Lotus Sutra believers capable of obtaining Buddhahood, going so far to claim that all SGI members are Buddhas while those of the Nichiren Shu and Kempon Hokke are "deluded Shakyamuni worshippers".

3). Destructive cults reduce everything to a bi-polar attitude: "for us, or against us." Anyone who criticizes the SGI, no matter how wise, is a fool and anyone who praises the SGI, no matter how foolish, is wise. Daisaku Ikeda writes, for example:

"Seven years have passed since then. The outcome of the struggle of good and evil and the workings of the law of cause and effect have been strict and uncompromising. The decline of the crazed and destructive Nichiren Shoshu is clearly apparent. The victims, unfortunately, are the lay believers who practice with the temple, who are not aware of Nichiren Shoshu’s evil and have been deceived by the priests."

4). Destructive cults generate some kind of external "pet devil" with which to threaten their members if they should doubt, or fail, or ever leave the group. The SGI has dozens of "pet devils". Those who leave will have misfortune on their jobs, in their families, in the social lives, have accidents, fall into hell, etc. President Toda stated: “If you keep this up, you’re going to come to a pitiful end in life." and "Betraying the Soka Gakkai is betraying the Daishonin. In the end, they’ll receive the punishment of the Buddha, you’ll see.” Ikeda says, "To take action to fight against whatever forces appear as the enemies of the Soka Gakkai is our most noble mission." Matilda Buck says, "How tragic it would be for even one person to have found the great means of bringing forth Buddhahood only to be diverted to another, seemingly similar, path that is incapable of leading that individual to his or her deepest happiness." This is the jist of the Gakkai's attempt to chain the members to the Gakkai way of life. The Biggest ''pet devil" is Nikken of the Nichiren Shoshu:

"When Buddhism speaks of “devilish functions,” what does that really mean? These represent whatever tries to prevent us from advancing in our Buddhist practice. In a sense, they are frightened when we expand the Buddha?s forces, because the realm they want to control will then be changed into a pure land. In our case right now, this function is being manifested in the current high priest of Nichiren Shoshu."

5). Destructive cults lead their members to believe they are somehow superior to all other humans on the earth. In many of Ikeda's speeches we see how the SGI members are to view themselves: "Sons of the Gakkai", "inheritors of Myoho", "Lions of the Mystic Law", "the sole group of true believers", "Truly praiseworthy are you who resolve to work hard for kosen-rufu and the SGI. You are the most noble of all people."

6). Destructive cults put the will of the group above the will of the individual. This is often reinforced with simplistic games or rituals of some type designed to make the individual subservient to the group. If you search, you will find such quotes from the eternal Soka Gakkai mentor, "the Soka Gakkai is more important than my life." We also see the special Soka Gakkai holidays like May 3rd, day of mentor and disciple, and such slogans as, "reaffirming the prime point of the Soka Gakkai" We can see inordinate references to Soka Gakkai, SGI, and Ikeda in nearly every experience given by an SGI member. There used to be dress and hair (short) and beard (none) codes for the SGI Young Men's Division and on saturdays everyone had to dress in white pants and white tee-shirts.

7). Destructive cults teach that the end justifies the means. How they misuse upaya (expedient means) is a travesty. Flirtatious shakabuku by young women's division, telling people they can get new cars and even drugs if the chant, teaching people that they will immediately become Buddhas if they join the SGI, and the list goes on and on how they utilize the ends justify the means philosophy of Machiavelli, the antithesis of the Buddha's teachings.

8). Destructive cults teach strict obedience to superiors and encourage the development of behavior patterns that are similar to those of the leader. Is there any doubt why the Soka Gakkai is known throughout the ten directions as the Ikeda cult? Guidance division, never criticizing leaders, "follow no matter what", this is so apparent to everyone but the brainwashed SGI member himself. Lately, the SGI has abandoned any subtle pretense with such overt youth division guidelines as, "Reveal your true identity as Shinichi Yamamoto" and "I want to be Shinichi Yamamoto"

9). Destructive cults offer acceptance by the group for good performance, and conversely, withhold it for poor performance. Moving up the ladder from Jr Group Chief, to Group Chief, to District Chief, to Chapter Chief, to Area Chief, to Territory Chief, to Joint Territory Chief and so on. Busting people from their position or moving them at the leaders will.

10). In destructive cults, fear is a major motivator. Guilt is a close second, and shame is third. Only the cult leader is perfect, so everyone below is fearful that those above will find out their shortcomings. Cult members feel constantly guilty for having those real or imagined shortcomings, and are ashamed that they haven't worked harder to get rid of them.

"Never talk about your problems to the members until they are resolved." "Did you know that so and so got hit by a car and is paralyzed. He should have stayed with the Soka Gakkai." "She turned in her SGI Gohonzon and lost her job and her house." "He committed suicide not soon after joining the Nikken sect."

11). Destructive cult members swing from emotional highs, to emotional lows regularly. Lows are not long tolerated, and result in more indoctrination, or even ejection from the group if they last too long.

"You have weak faith." 'You had better go for guidance if you want to quickly resolve that problem." Rumors to stay away from depressed individuals. Not inviting less than enthusiastic members to certain meetings or not telling them about "important" meetings. Lectures about "emotionalism" unless the emotion is rapture. Every last former SGI cult member will attest to this.

12). Destructive cults tend to re-write their members' past, manipulate their present, and distort their future. Disrupting time orientation is an honored technique of all such cults. Human Revolution, New Human Revolution, New New Human Revolution. Need I say more?

13). And, finally, there is never a legitimate reason for leaving a destructive cult. The only reason members leave a perfect system, is because they are imperfect in some respect, and will be punished for it. "He was angry." "He was jealous." He couldn't get along with his leader." "He had weak faith." (even if he continues to chant three hours a day and does shakabuku with the Nichiren Shu or the Kempon Hokke). "No matter which destructive cult you choose, the above 13 items will almost universally apply.

The author of these 13 points [whose name escapes me] then goes on to conclude:

Study the methods of est, LaRouche, Transcendental Meditation, Truth Station, Soka Gakkai, The Way International, Children of God, Temple of Set, Synanon, Scientology ®, The Peoples Temple, Unification Church, Hare Krishnas, House of Judah, Ramtha, Garbage Eaters, Rajneesh, ECK, Church Universal and Triumphant, Elan Vital, Posse Comitatus, or any of the others.... they use the same techniques, even though each of them claims unique and absolute ownership of the "truth."

@ Morgaine

I agree. One must however not forget that many Buddhist traditions do have ordained people … out of a traditions that pre-dates our modern communication methods they have a a whole stack of traditions and rituals to learn to pass on to the generation. I think its here were the M/D idea made and indeed still makes sense. It goes without saying that in such a context its about the respective teaching that is supposed to be passed on an not about personal veneration of a any kind. Having said that there is always the danger that the person, the master is being idolised. To rely upon the law and not the person is in my books a warning that Nichiren left behind not without a reason. The more time passes since I have left SGI, the more I am puzzled who SGI on such a massive scale goes against the traditions it says to be propagating. The reports by those in this forum who still are in SGI saying that people vote with their feet is however also a sign that more and more are becoming aware of the issue. At the end though one will have an SGI that is even more radical since only the staunch Ikedaists will remain. When this happens SGI will have dug its own grave though as even an outsider won't count SGI as being Buddhist any more.

You guys remember the film 'The Wave' it must be from the early eighties?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2010 01:44PM by Rothaus.

It is funny how some memories come back out of the blue. One just hit me, that was one of the first warning signs I brushed away.
A new Kaikan (Culture Centere) was opened up. In the grand Butsuma there were two portraits hanging on the wall – hard to miss while chanting by the way. One was of the then High Priest. He did not come across as being a very happy or indeed even friendly person … definitely not as soemone to have a good time with :-)

The second one was of Mr. Ikeda – and sorry folks - I immediately had to think of the portrait of you know who hanging from the main gate of the forbidden city in Beijing.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2010 02:14PM by Rothaus.

Quote
Nichijew
The SGI is a Destructive Cult by Definition

6). Destructive cults put the will of the group above the will of the individual. This is often reinforced with simplistic games or rituals of some type designed to make the individual subservient to the group. If you search, you will find such quotes from the eternal Soka Gakkai mentor, "the Soka Gakkai is more important than my life." We also see the special Soka Gakkai holidays like May 3rd, day of mentor and disciple, and such slogans as, "reaffirming the prime point of the Soka Gakkai" We can see inordinate references to Soka Gakkai, SGI, and Ikeda in nearly every experience given by an SGI member. There used to be dress and hair (short) and beard (none) codes for the SGI Young Men's Division and on saturdays everyone had to dress in white pants and white tee-shirts.

In my area quite a few people would state to me that 'I am SGI and SGI is me, SGI is my life' if that isn't brainwashed cult thinking i don't know what it is.

Also yesterday i attended a peace memorial ceromony in my hometown to commemorate the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I did not see one familiar face from the SGI. If they aren't willing to attend a non sanctioned Soka event for the sake of peace then how do they expect to achieve anything, which they never will.

WOW back in the day I do remember the white blazer with the NSA badge on the left breast pocket and white paints – dude what up with that – surely cultish with all of the YMD looking like an army of the SG. Yes it’s still their but not so much in the uniform but in the conditioning of the members focus on the YD because they are more programmable – sure a person who has a low life condition is more open to the prospects of a better life like chant to become Happy nonsense – I asked one leader where did Nichiren ever said chant to become happy – he acted like I never asked the question! And that’s how they respond to any insightful question posed to them! OR the best is when they are in a tight spot – they will reveries the question posed and readdress back to you - and end with you should chant more about this issue code words for get with the program –
My Masters in the practice never backed down from a question and would never put anyone down or put them on the spot – so this is another Ikedaism don’t bother me with meaningful dialog – just accept Ikeda as your Master in practice and in your life and you will be happier for it! Where is the enlightenment option in the SGI? Or is the motto now is don’t worry – be happy!!!!!!!!!!
Buddhist yah to my backside it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!