Chooselife,

Have you check out other sites that ex-sgi members talk about there run-ins with members. They still practice Nichiren Buddhism without the leadership of sgi. Here is the site if you want to look and read, Buddhist Thunder dot com .

I'm happy to hear that your heart is still working. What is life without a little struggle. We all have a little set back in life as long as it does not consume you, you will be ok. Just like Rothaus said "choose your life" .

It would be safe to say the people on this site they are very supportive when people need help with their struggles with sgi.

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doubtful
I had a lot of affection for several members in and out of my district. Some of them were really there for me through some hardships. Furthermore, I have fond memories of my days in brass band and the Pride Parade in which I participated 4xs. I know what it is like to be committed to SGI and to a daily practice so I sympathize with your discomfort.

thanks so much doubtful, i totally agree. i have so many good times with my fellow members, and i believe that most are sincere. so i will miss them the most. when i have such great experiences with these folks, i tend to forget the dark times that i almost did not make it out of.

im so grateful to all of you for your insight. and rothaus, i went to that video, and it does sum things up quite nicely. i feel like some people do "play games" where theyre not as genuine as they could be because theyve got alterior motives. i just wish i knew exactly what to do next.

thank you all for your support!!!

@chooselife

I was a chapter-level leader when I left the organization. Much of my frustration with SGI (then it was NSA) surrounded protecting the chapter members. Much of the organizational "politics" and <ahem> "other" things created a very difficult environment. Finally, when NSA broke with the Temple and began manufacturing its own "Xerox" copies of the Gohonzon that was the last straw.

Looking back from this point in my life, I think I did the right thing for several reasons, one of which was to actually stand up for what I believed was right, and what I believed Nichiren stood for - integrity. (The "buddha eye" can penetrate mara's prevarications... 'nuff said)

If you leave, and if it is for the right reasons, you won't have to look back with regret. Sometimes you have to "live out" what you believe instead of just giving it lip service.

Wakatta1



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/2010 10:10AM by wakatta1.

FOR SURE – I like you was persuaded (strongly encouraged) to become a leader – as for me I was a district leader and not by choice – it was like several Sr. Leaders coming over and staying like forever just repeating that I was the chosen one for this district – well it was really because the last one move to another state and I was a member for many years so I should step up an support the members and SGI. Well they got a district leader that turned out to be a non-conformist – this was somewhat tolerated because @ the time they had little option – I guess the constant home visitations – trying to remold my way of thinking – the sore spot was that I wouldn’t pay homage to the great one IKEDA – I kept it a IKEAD free zone as much as possible. Sr. Leaders would come forth and @ the end of the meetings and expound something about the MENTOR – IKEDA - @ one district meeting we had a gosho lecture and I asked one member their view point of the gosho – and the first thing out of their month was IKEDA says – I stopped them in their tracks and said I want to know WHAT you think I am not interested in what IKEAD thinks! SO the rest of the meeting was a little tense but most like the old dayz when people came to a meeting and discuss Buddhist literature. Those dayz are long gone!

I'm almost starting to wonder if anyone ever actually wants to be a leader in the SGI. I suppose there must be some people who do.

Did anyone see the Mentor got his 300th Academic Honor? He sure is obsessed with those honorary degrees.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sgi-president-awarded-300th-academic-honor-from-university-of-massachusetts-boston-109821414.html

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cyclops
FOR SURE – I like you was persuaded (strongly encouraged) to become a leader – as for me I was a district leader and not by choice – it was like several Sr. Leaders coming over and staying like forever just repeating that I was the chosen one for this district – well it was really because the last one move to another state and I was a member for many years so I should step up an support the members and SGI. Well they got a district leader that turned out to be a non-conformist – this was somewhat tolerated because @ the time they had little option – I guess the constant home visitations – trying to remold my way of thinking – the sore spot was that I wouldn’t pay homage to the great one IKEDA – I kept it a IKEAD free zone as much as possible. Sr. Leaders would come forth and @ the end of the meetings and expound something about the MENTOR – IKEDA - @ one district meeting we had a gosho lecture and I asked one member their view point of the gosho – and the first thing out of their month was IKEDA says – I stopped them in their tracks and said I want to know WHAT you think I am not interested in what IKEAD thinks! SO the rest of the meeting was a little tense but most like the old dayz when people came to a meeting and discuss Buddhist literature. Those dayz are long gone!

“If we truly wish to reach this point, we must read President Ikeda’s guidance repeatedly. We must get to the point where we can’t distinguish between our own speech and action and what we would do if we were the SGI President. It’s incorrect for us to put our opinions about how to behave over what we believe President Ikeda would do. It’s *even worse* to act *without thinking* about *what President Ikeda would do*. This is not acting as a disciple.” -- Some stupid SGI Vice President



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/2010 07:59AM by Nichijew.

What Is Planned Giving?

Planned Giving is the making of a gift to SGI-USA by including SGI-USA as a beneficiary in a provision of your will, estate document, or transfer during life. The gift may be money, real estate, shares of stock, life insurance proceeds, proceeds from pension funds, IRAs or 401(k) plans or other property which can be readily sold. The gifts can take effect either during life or after death.

As the name implies, Planned Giving requires making a plan and thinking clearly about how you want to distribute your assets. Outlined below are several ways you can insure that your desires are carried out. SGI-USA has a national staff of professionals who are available for consultation on a confidential basis.
What Is the Most Common Way to Make a Planned Gift to SGI-USA?

The “bequest in a will” is the most common and easiest way to make a gift to SGI-USA. A bequest is property specified in a will naming a beneficiary (recipient) of the specified property. A “will” is a signed legal document that states the details of the will maker’s decisions as to the distribution of his or her property upon death. A will must be written, signed and witnessed according to the law of your State. A will can be changed at any time before death.

Examples of bequests: Long Tom Member has practiced Nichiren Buddhism for twenty years. Although he was broke at the beginning of his practice, he has since accumulated a comfortable amount of assets and job security. Long Tom attributes his change in fortune to changing his attitude towards work and his relationships with others. Following President Ikeda’s guidance, he became “indispensable” at his work place. He “created harmonious relations with his colleagues and superiors, using wisdom and discretion along the way.” As a result of his practice, he was promoted four times and became the third ranking executive at his company.

With his children grown and he and his wife comfortably set, Long Tom amended his will (a codicil) by making a bequest to SGI-USA, using the services his family lawyer. His bequest reads:

I give, devise and bequeath to the Soka Gakkai International-USA of 606 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, California 90401, a not-for-profit-corporation of California and an exempt religious organization under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code the amount of $xx,xxx (xx,xxx dollars). I further direct that interest or other income that may be earned by said bequest shall also be paid to the Soka Gakkai-USA from the date of my decease until distributed.

Jane Nan Member, Long Tom’s wife, is not a Nichiren Buddhist but appreciates his practice because he has gone from an angry man who changed jobs on a regular basis, to a valued, respected executive and loving husband and father. John also was a great help to Jane’s father during his final illness. Jane decides to leave (devise) a piece of land she got as a child to SGI-USA. Jane’s bequest reads the same as John’s except that instead of “$xx,xxx (xx,xxx dollars)” the legal description of the land is used:

“lot 4, block 2 in the Cinder Block subdivision, commonly know as 888 Tarantula Place, assessor’s parcel number 7711, all within the City of Nukedville, NV 89111.”

I don’t have a will but it sounds like a good idea. How do I make a valid will or other estate plan?

1. Make a complete list of all of your property. Include identifying and descriptive information such as account numbers (for bank accounts, IRA and 401K accounts, pension funds, insurance policies), serial numbers of especially valuable items, vehicle identification numbers, legal descriptions of real estate etc. It is a good idea to check the beneficiaries of all your various accounts and policies. Many times a divorced spouse unintentionally remains as the beneficiary. Also check free term life insurance policies offered by banks, credit unions and credit card companies. These are usually in the amounts of $1,000 or $2,000 and remain in effect for as long as your account is current.

2. Consider how you want your assets distributed either during life or after death. A will or other estate document is a declaration of your values in life, of your relationships and loyalties. For example, a life partner who is not married to you will get nothing without your valid will. Your family may decide you need a good Baptist funeral and burial. Your pets will probably be destroyed if you do not make arrangements for them and set aside funding for their care. A will is one way to insure you accomplish your wishes. There are several others, such as trusts, that might be appropriate for a person in your circumstances.

3. Talk with your lawyer about drafting a will or trust document. If your lawyer does not practice estate planning, have him refer you to one that does. If you do not have a lawyer, ask your friends for recommendations. Please remember, your lawyer works only for you. His or her job is to advise you and to draft the appropriate documents to effectively carry out your intentions. A good lawyer will save you and your beneficiaries money, time and aggravation.

4. Do-it-yourself will and trust documents are not quite as bad as do-it-yourself dentistry, but almost. In many areas, a lawyer will advise you and draft a will for about $100-$200. A do-it-yourself will or trust kit will cost between $10 and $20. If you make every optimal decision and do everything right, which is doubtful, you might save $150, the cost detailing your car or a case of cheap wine.

Is There a Simple Way of Making a Gift to SGI-USA Using Life Insurance?

Yes. You can name SGI-USA as the beneficiary of a new or existing policy. For an existing policy , ask your insurance agent how to change the beneficiary of a policy . This usually involves filling out a form and submitting to your company. Upon death, SGI-USA receives the proceeds from the policy. For a new policy, simply make SGI-USA a beneficiary or partial beneficiary.

There are two basic types of Insurance: “whole life” and “term.” Insurance policies are contracts between the insurance company, “insurer,” and the policy owner or “insured.”

In a “term” policy, the owner pays a relatively small amount of premium for a large amount of coverage. If the owner stops paying the premium, the policy is cancelled. Nothing is due the owner from the insurance company. Depending on the wording of a term policy, the policy may or may not be cancelable by the insurance company. As the owner grows older, the premiums go up.

In a whole life policy, the owner of the policy pays a higher premium and creates a “cash surrender value” for the policy. Generally, the insurance company may not cancel whole life policies. Eventually, the whole life policy will be “paid up” meaning that no more premium payments are due, yet the face amount of the insurance is paid the beneficiary upon death of the insured.

Whole life policies upon which premiums have been paid for a number of years may still have value to the owner, even if the owner stopped making premium payments.

You can make a gift of a “paid up” or partially paid up whole life policy to SGI-USA by transferring the ownership of the policy. Since this gift is made during life, it qualifies for an income tax deduction.

Is there a way of making a gift to SGI-USA during my lifetime and maybe save on income taxes?

Yes. Because SGI USA is a tax-exempt organization under section 501 (c) (3), your gifts generate an income tax deduction. The specific amount of your deduction is governed by the tax code and depends on the type of gift you make. If you are interested in these options or other options that may be available, please talk to our National Planned Giving Staff.

Here are examples of gifts made during life.

Gift Annuity Agreements — The donor transfers cash, securities or property to SGI-USA now and SGI-USA agrees by contract to pay the donor a fixed income for life. This annuity is qualified for an income tax deduction. In addition, part of the annual income paid to you by SGI-USA also qualifies for an income tax deduction.

Life Estate Agreements — The donor transfers a farm or residence to SGI-USA now and reserves a life estate for the donor and the donor’s spouse. The donor and the donor’s spouse continue to have full enjoyment of the property for the life. The value of the real estate qualifies for a current income tax deduction.

Sale of Real Estate to SGI-USA at Less-than-fair Market Value — The donor sells real estate at less than fair market value to SGI-USA. Generally, the donor receives an income tax deduction for difference between the fair market value and the sale price.

Dear Chooselife

after reading your old posts I believe it is important to start rationalising your time in SGI. The 'fear' to abandon 'your' members to me is part of the old SGI-guilt trip. Certainly many in SGI will negate that having a bad conscious is not Buddhist, yet the very same will create those feelings.

I guess for yourself you have already become aware of what is and goes wrong in SGI. Have you tried to look at this from a different angle too though? You remaining in SGI, continuing to play the game, would at the same time hold those back to come to same conclusion as you did. Would it really be helpful to their lives to keep up what you have come to consider to be wrong?
I am not saying that when you officially leave they will automatically come to the same conclusion, but you are NOT responsible for that either. If you talk to a professional counsellor, minister/priest anyone who deals with giving people advice, guiding them in certain phases of their life you will find that they themselves most of the time will be eager to keep a professional distance too. The reason for that is that they will have to function as a human being in order to do their job. They can not solve the problems for them but just give directions to those who they take care of to find a solution– they themselves can not be the path to travel/stamp on. Saying that I believe this to be one of the most tricky parts in the SGI-System. The system is not designed to metaphorical speaking trust your own wings to fly, but to create dependencies. One would certainly read 'guidances' which sound encouraging, but the reality of the system is different. The dependencies created are not a one way road though. On top of that in most religious beliefs you will find the virtue of giving, including giving help, but in most cases you ought not to do that waiting for some sort of benefit just because you did something that is fundamentally an act of being human. So start being human and kind to YOURSELF and ask yourself if you want to continue being in such a system of dependencies.

Great points, Rothaus.

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Tibbs
I'm almost starting to wonder if anyone ever actually wants to be a leader in the SGI. I suppose there must be some people who do.

Did anyone see the Mentor got his 300th Academic Honor? He sure is obsessed with those honorary degrees.

There must some people who want to be SGI leaders....but there are/were sure a lot of us who didn't want to be leaders! I had three fairly low-level leadership jobs while I was in SGI, none of which I wanted. So why did I accept? Fear, guilt, peer pressure. I felt guilty about not working my tail off for SGI when other members were doing so, I was afraid that other members would say that I was lazy, and I was also afraid that I would not get any benefits if I said no to leadership positions.

I worked hard at the first two positions and I think I did a good job. At that time, what I liked about SGI outweighed what I didn't like. However, by the time I got the third, I was having serious doubts about SGI. I was tired and resentful about all of its demands. I had realized that however much I did, it would never be enough. SGI would always demand more. I just could not see how planning and carrying out all these activities was creating world peace. It just seemed to be creating more stress in the members, including myself. I had that last position, hated it, did the bare minimum -- and yet I couldn't just resign. I felt that I would be letting other members down, and creating extra work for them.

At this time, I had a sudden medical crisis. It was truly a blessing in disguise! The recovery period forced me to rest a lot -- and think about my life. It made me realize that life is short -- and can end at any moment, even if you think you are relatively young and healthy. I saw no point in wasting any more of this short and precious life doing something that I didn't believe in. Also, during this period, I discovered that the members that I'd felt so responsible for -- did not feel the same way about me. They knew that I had been very sick and in the hospital -- and yet couldn't be bothered to even call to say hello or see how I was.

All of that just made it really easy to resign my position, and quit going to SGI activities. As far as I know, the SGI group in my area, and the members that I used to know, have survived without me. I figure, if the jobs that I used to do are important enough to someone -- someone will step in and do them. If the work doesn't get done -- then it wasn't that essential to anyone. I did not HAVE to be stressed, guilty, tired, and resentful! What a realization!

I don't regret leaving. I do regret not leaving sooner. While I was in, I did question a lot of things in SGI, and I did complain about some of the policies. I'd hoped that this might encourage other members to speak up too. It didn't. SGI is not going to change for the better. It is not going to become what many of us would like it to be -- more open, and democratic, less mentor/disciple. If I'd stayed in -- that would be telling the organization: "I accept how you are doing things." -- and I don't.