Re: Former SGI members
Posted by:
wayfarerfree
()
Date: December 25, 2009 03:53AM
To be fair, I havnt encountered the pressure for donations as others seem to elsewhere in the world.
Thats not to say that I dont agree with reports of the opaque nature of where all the contributions go, and the lack of disclosure.
That said, during my time practising, Ive been broke, so they knew better than to hustle me for cash, but the guidance was always to contribute "with the spirit of helping kosen rufu", and that it was the fastest way to "change my financial karma" (lol! it never worked, anyway, no matter how much I could afford to give, or how sinscerely I did so). Contibutions were done anonymously, in little sealed envelopes.
It is said here in the UK that SGI is still not self-sufficient, and mostly subsidised by Japanese funds.
There was constant spiel to encourage folk to subscribe to the "Art of Living", SGIs UK magazine, which was only £3 a month or so, and that dosnt seem that much to me.
Taplow Court, the UK centre, reeks of money though, IMO.
Thats not to say that I dont agree with reports of the opaque nature of where all the contributions go, and the lack of disclosure.
That said, during my time practising, Ive been broke, so they knew better than to hustle me for cash, but the guidance was always to contribute "with the spirit of helping kosen rufu", and that it was the fastest way to "change my financial karma" (lol! it never worked, anyway, no matter how much I could afford to give, or how sinscerely I did so). Contibutions were done anonymously, in little sealed envelopes.
It is said here in the UK that SGI is still not self-sufficient, and mostly subsidised by Japanese funds.
There was constant spiel to encourage folk to subscribe to the "Art of Living", SGIs UK magazine, which was only £3 a month or so, and that dosnt seem that much to me.
Taplow Court, the UK centre, reeks of money though, IMO.
Re: Former SGI members
Posted by:
sushigrl
()
Date: December 25, 2009 05:01AM
Yes I think that the SGI satellite countries are subsidized by Japan, by the holdings and investments of SGI> Why not...they are worth billions. The SGI owns property here in the US and England; they have a lot of money to party with. Zaimu and special Zaimu were a bigger thing in the past. Leaders, however, are required to donate to set a good example. Fund raising is in their contract. And of course, they will build financial fortune to be millionaires (snicker).
SGI-USA is a destructive cult with extreme financial exploitation
Posted by:
The Anticult
()
Date: December 25, 2009 05:03AM
Just to go back to this SGI "story" about giving SGI all of your emergency savings.
Its found at the links below.
Contribution and “Fighting Daimoku”
[www.gakkaionline.net]
[forum.culteducation.com]
That posted "story" is a persuasion process. Its not a true story, is a written story that is designed to persuade people and modify their behavior and beliefs. Its very obvious how they do it.
SGI is targeting those in very bad physical health, and who are out of work and short on money, with bad relationships.
SGI members who are desperate.
Then in the persuasion story, SGI targets your emergency savings, with a flippant comment. Then SGI tries to persuade you to raid your emergency fund.
QUOTE: [www.gakkaionline.net] "Later that afternoon, an experience arrived in my inbox from a Yahoo Group about contribution. It left me no room for excuses and taking a leap of faith, I went to the SGI-USA website and made a contribution using the “emergency fund.” It wasn’t what I really planned on contributing, but it was a lot more than I’d given so far."
Notice the tricky language, no excuses, faith, website promotion, and about giving A LOT MORE than you've given before, in a direct transfer from your bank accounts emergency fund.
Then SGI spreads their nonsense, lies and propaganda, that right after he gave SGI-USA ALL OF HIS MONEY, his "3 month fever" began to break. A 3 month fever? What a fraud.
He then says his relationships improved, got a new "car", and everything is wonderful because he gave SGI-USA all of his money.
This is such transparent manipulation its really pathetic.
What makes it even worse, is that SGI-USA is targeting SGI members who are DESPERATE.
Byron Katie also targets people who are desperate and in dire straits.
Why? Because desperate people do crazy things, like empty their bank accounts, if they have one.
So this SGi-USA tactic alone, actually proves that SGI is a cult. And not just a cult, but a destructive cult.
Any cult who will target their members who are sick, and broke, and then persuade them to hand their last dollars over to Ikeda SGI-USA who have billions, is a destructive cult. That is very extreme abuse for vulnerable people.
Then what happens when they spend all their money? Then they are much worse off, and SGI casts them aside and blames them for not chanting hard enough.
Any group should CARE for its members. And people should be encouraged to save money for a rainy day, and take care of themselves. SGI-USA has billions, and they never dip into their money, they lie and tell every country that they lose money, and that Japan supports them. That is a lie.
SGI has almost no expenses in each country, they pay no tax, its all pure profit.
And when SGI-USA target their own members who are sick, broke, and emotionally desperate, and then leads them by the nose to give SGI-USA their last dollars from their emergency bank account, that is a destructive cult which is severely exploiting their own members.
You would not treat your worse enemy that way.
Who would take the last money from someone who was broke, sick, without insurance, and emotionally desperate?
You would have to be a sociopath to do that.
Desperate people read things like that "story" written by SGI-USA, and some of them do as they are persuaded to.
If SGI was not a destructive cult, they would help their members, and remind people to always save as much money as possible just in case.
But no, SGI has to retrain people to do the exact opposite. They have to retrain their own SGI members to empty their bank accounts and give it to the multi-billionaire Ikeda so he can invest more billions in the stock market.
In terms of the exploitation and abuse of their own SGI members, SGI-USA is a cult, and not just a cult, but a destructive cult in many ways. In this case, its financially a very destructive cult, it can't get much worse than that.
SGI-USA is cleverly promising miracle health cures, if you give SGI-USA all of the money in your emergency bank account.
Just because a person has not been exploited to that extreme level by SGI yet themselves, its not as important as the fact that SGI-USA is trying to do this to people.
One can be assured there are even worse exploitations online from SGI-USA that have not been noticed yet. The worst are exploiting people's ill health for the benefit of SGI.
SGI-USA is a destructive cult, with extreme exploitation of their own members in many different ways.
Its found at the links below.
Contribution and “Fighting Daimoku”
[www.gakkaionline.net]
[forum.culteducation.com]
That posted "story" is a persuasion process. Its not a true story, is a written story that is designed to persuade people and modify their behavior and beliefs. Its very obvious how they do it.
SGI is targeting those in very bad physical health, and who are out of work and short on money, with bad relationships.
SGI members who are desperate.
Then in the persuasion story, SGI targets your emergency savings, with a flippant comment. Then SGI tries to persuade you to raid your emergency fund.
QUOTE: [www.gakkaionline.net] "Later that afternoon, an experience arrived in my inbox from a Yahoo Group about contribution. It left me no room for excuses and taking a leap of faith, I went to the SGI-USA website and made a contribution using the “emergency fund.” It wasn’t what I really planned on contributing, but it was a lot more than I’d given so far."
Notice the tricky language, no excuses, faith, website promotion, and about giving A LOT MORE than you've given before, in a direct transfer from your bank accounts emergency fund.
Then SGI spreads their nonsense, lies and propaganda, that right after he gave SGI-USA ALL OF HIS MONEY, his "3 month fever" began to break. A 3 month fever? What a fraud.
He then says his relationships improved, got a new "car", and everything is wonderful because he gave SGI-USA all of his money.
This is such transparent manipulation its really pathetic.
What makes it even worse, is that SGI-USA is targeting SGI members who are DESPERATE.
Byron Katie also targets people who are desperate and in dire straits.
Why? Because desperate people do crazy things, like empty their bank accounts, if they have one.
So this SGi-USA tactic alone, actually proves that SGI is a cult. And not just a cult, but a destructive cult.
Any cult who will target their members who are sick, and broke, and then persuade them to hand their last dollars over to Ikeda SGI-USA who have billions, is a destructive cult. That is very extreme abuse for vulnerable people.
Then what happens when they spend all their money? Then they are much worse off, and SGI casts them aside and blames them for not chanting hard enough.
Any group should CARE for its members. And people should be encouraged to save money for a rainy day, and take care of themselves. SGI-USA has billions, and they never dip into their money, they lie and tell every country that they lose money, and that Japan supports them. That is a lie.
SGI has almost no expenses in each country, they pay no tax, its all pure profit.
And when SGI-USA target their own members who are sick, broke, and emotionally desperate, and then leads them by the nose to give SGI-USA their last dollars from their emergency bank account, that is a destructive cult which is severely exploiting their own members.
You would not treat your worse enemy that way.
Who would take the last money from someone who was broke, sick, without insurance, and emotionally desperate?
You would have to be a sociopath to do that.
Desperate people read things like that "story" written by SGI-USA, and some of them do as they are persuaded to.
If SGI was not a destructive cult, they would help their members, and remind people to always save as much money as possible just in case.
But no, SGI has to retrain people to do the exact opposite. They have to retrain their own SGI members to empty their bank accounts and give it to the multi-billionaire Ikeda so he can invest more billions in the stock market.
In terms of the exploitation and abuse of their own SGI members, SGI-USA is a cult, and not just a cult, but a destructive cult in many ways. In this case, its financially a very destructive cult, it can't get much worse than that.
SGI-USA is cleverly promising miracle health cures, if you give SGI-USA all of the money in your emergency bank account.
Just because a person has not been exploited to that extreme level by SGI yet themselves, its not as important as the fact that SGI-USA is trying to do this to people.
One can be assured there are even worse exploitations online from SGI-USA that have not been noticed yet. The worst are exploiting people's ill health for the benefit of SGI.
SGI-USA is a destructive cult, with extreme exploitation of their own members in many different ways.
SGi has to PROVE IT with the financial documents
Posted by:
The Anticult
()
Date: December 25, 2009 05:15AM
I do not believe for one second that SGI Japan subsidizes anything or any other country.
First off, its probably very illegal for SGI to be funneling money between "non-profits" in different countries.
If SGI says SGI-Japan money is coming into a country, SGI has to PROVE IT with the financial documents. SGI proves nothing, so their claims carry no weight.
What SGI is doing, is trying to use guilt and shame to get more money out of each country, by saying Japan is supporting them.
There is no proof of that.
These global cults make each area support itself, and produce a profit locally. That is how they operate.
As a matter of fact, SGI makes a fortune in every country, as they do NOT PAY TAX, they have NO EXPENSES, they have almost no paid staff, members fix up their properties, and the rest of it.
SGI is full of SGI-BS when they say Japan supports the US or UK.
SGI has to prove their claims.
As a matter of fact, countried like the US and UK are the serious cash cows for these global cults.
Its just one more lie...from the SGI.
First off, its probably very illegal for SGI to be funneling money between "non-profits" in different countries.
If SGI says SGI-Japan money is coming into a country, SGI has to PROVE IT with the financial documents. SGI proves nothing, so their claims carry no weight.
What SGI is doing, is trying to use guilt and shame to get more money out of each country, by saying Japan is supporting them.
There is no proof of that.
These global cults make each area support itself, and produce a profit locally. That is how they operate.
As a matter of fact, SGI makes a fortune in every country, as they do NOT PAY TAX, they have NO EXPENSES, they have almost no paid staff, members fix up their properties, and the rest of it.
SGI is full of SGI-BS when they say Japan supports the US or UK.
SGI has to prove their claims.
As a matter of fact, countried like the US and UK are the serious cash cows for these global cults.
Its just one more lie...from the SGI.
Quote
sushigrl
Yes I think that the SGI satellite countries are subsidized by Japan, by the holdings and investments of SGI> Why not...they are worth billions. The SGI owns property here in the US and England; they have a lot of money to party with. Zaimu and special Zaimu were a bigger thing in the past. Leaders, however, are required to donate to set a good example. Fund raising is in their contract. And of course, they will build financial fortune to be millionaires (snicker).
Re: Former SGI members
Posted by:
DrJesusEsq
()
Date: December 25, 2009 05:21AM
To wayfarerfree: Thanks for the video clip. I was surprised that I never came across this myself. I was disappointed that he never really got too deep into what made it controversial, such as how many religious groups the siggies (my term for SGI members) infiltrated and bullied people to join their side. It's also scary how it operates as a "nation" unto its own.
As for everyone else: Merry New Years and Happy Christmas!
Hentai our lives are growing,
Hentai our tears are flowing,
As shining eyes call to you,
Hentai! Hentai! Forrrever Hentai!
As for everyone else: Merry New Years and Happy Christmas!
Hentai our lives are growing,
Hentai our tears are flowing,
As shining eyes call to you,
Hentai! Hentai! Forrrever Hentai!
Re: SGi has to PROVE IT with the financial documents
Posted by:
sushigrl
()
Date: December 25, 2009 05:32AM
Its just one more lie...from the SGI.
Anticult: Yah you're right, it was just years of a guilt trip making us think that we actually OWED something to Ikeda™ brand buddhism in Japan. Ya all those Japanese members donating their hearts out so we SGI-USA members could have our "luxurious" meeting places. And don't forget those "community events" like Ikeda™ Gandhi King exhibit (barf). Sorry for the slip up of my previous Ikeda™ programming!
[/quote]Quote
sushigrl
Yes I think that the SGI satellite countries are subsidized by Japan, by the holdings and investments
of SGI> Why not...they are worth billions. The SGI owns property here in the US and England; they have a lot of money to party with. Zaimu and special Zaimu were a bigger thing in the past. Leaders, however, are required to donate to set a good example. Fund raising is in their contract. And of course, they will build financial fortune to be millionaires (snicker).
Anticult: Yah you're right, it was just years of a guilt trip making us think that we actually OWED something to Ikeda™ brand buddhism in Japan. Ya all those Japanese members donating their hearts out so we SGI-USA members could have our "luxurious" meeting places. And don't forget those "community events" like Ikeda™ Gandhi King exhibit (barf). Sorry for the slip up of my previous Ikeda™ programming!
Re: Former SGI members
Posted by:
Nichijew
()
Date: December 25, 2009 08:08AM
Dear All:
I just want to thank you all so much for what you are doing for the sake of the Lotus Sutra. You may think it only for your sake, for the sake of the people, or for the members of the Soka Gakkai but it is also for the sake of the Dharma.
Nichiren wrote:
"The fourth volume of the Lotus Sutra states, “[I will send . . .] men and women of pure faith, to offer alms to the teachers of the Law.” The meaning of this sutra passage is that the heavenly gods and benevolent deities will assume various forms such as those of men and women, and present offerings to help the persons who practice the Lotus Sutra."
Nichijew
I just want to thank you all so much for what you are doing for the sake of the Lotus Sutra. You may think it only for your sake, for the sake of the people, or for the members of the Soka Gakkai but it is also for the sake of the Dharma.
Nichiren wrote:
"The fourth volume of the Lotus Sutra states, “[I will send . . .] men and women of pure faith, to offer alms to the teachers of the Law.” The meaning of this sutra passage is that the heavenly gods and benevolent deities will assume various forms such as those of men and women, and present offerings to help the persons who practice the Lotus Sutra."
Nichijew
Re: Former SGI members
Posted by:
wakatta1
()
Date: December 25, 2009 10:35AM
Happy holidays, Merry Christmas ad happy new year to all here.
I've been following this thread and every day I'm thankful I got out of that Cult when I did. Glad I wasn't the only one who was having problems with it too!
Wakatta
I've been following this thread and every day I'm thankful I got out of that Cult when I did. Glad I wasn't the only one who was having problems with it too!
Wakatta
Re: Former SGI members
Posted by:
tsukimoto
()
Date: December 25, 2009 11:07AM
Hey, Wakatta, good to see you again!
The following is from sgi-usa's website, "Resources for Leaders" -- some end of the year words of wisdom from President Ikeda.
------Beginning of Quote--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, December 24, 2009
The year-end is a hectic time.
Let's remind one another to take
extra precautions to check the locks (doors and windows)
and possible fire hazards (stove, oven, heater, etc.)
[before going to bed or stepping out].
Watch out for purse-snatchers, too.
Let's take to heart the warning, "Carelessness is
one's greatest enemy."
Above is a translation of "To My Friends" that is based on President Ikeda's recent guidance, published in the Seikyo Shimbun. Week of December 21, 2009
The essence of our Buddhist practice
is chanting daimoku.
Don't get caught up in calculating
schemes and tactics.
Let's first begin with prayer,
thus opening the way to seizing
victory in the new year, 2010,
with the "strategy of the Lotus Sutra."
--------------------------------------------------End of Quote---------------------------------------------------------------
Watch out for purse-snatchers? Interesting that he should say that. SGI members' purses and wallets are in far more danger from Ikeda and SGI! Didn't Byron Katie also have stories about getting robbed?
If the essence of Nichiren's Buddhism is chanting daimoku, why all this mentor-disciple nonsense?
Don't get caught up in calculating schemes and tactics? No, don't. That's for Ikeda and his cronies, not for you.
Seizing victory...those military metaphors again.
And are we really to believe that Ikeda cares if I turn off my stove and lock my door before I go to bed? Does he really think I'm so silly that I wouldn't do these things?
The following is from sgi-usa's website, "Resources for Leaders" -- some end of the year words of wisdom from President Ikeda.
------Beginning of Quote--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, December 24, 2009
The year-end is a hectic time.
Let's remind one another to take
extra precautions to check the locks (doors and windows)
and possible fire hazards (stove, oven, heater, etc.)
[before going to bed or stepping out].
Watch out for purse-snatchers, too.
Let's take to heart the warning, "Carelessness is
one's greatest enemy."
Above is a translation of "To My Friends" that is based on President Ikeda's recent guidance, published in the Seikyo Shimbun. Week of December 21, 2009
The essence of our Buddhist practice
is chanting daimoku.
Don't get caught up in calculating
schemes and tactics.
Let's first begin with prayer,
thus opening the way to seizing
victory in the new year, 2010,
with the "strategy of the Lotus Sutra."
--------------------------------------------------End of Quote---------------------------------------------------------------
Watch out for purse-snatchers? Interesting that he should say that. SGI members' purses and wallets are in far more danger from Ikeda and SGI! Didn't Byron Katie also have stories about getting robbed?
If the essence of Nichiren's Buddhism is chanting daimoku, why all this mentor-disciple nonsense?
Don't get caught up in calculating schemes and tactics? No, don't. That's for Ikeda and his cronies, not for you.
Seizing victory...those military metaphors again.
And are we really to believe that Ikeda cares if I turn off my stove and lock my door before I go to bed? Does he really think I'm so silly that I wouldn't do these things?
Re: Former SGI members
Posted by:
evergreen
()
Date: December 25, 2009 01:12PM
Tsuki - Ikeda knows all your trials and tribulations. You mean you didn't you know that Ikeda is all-knowing and all-seeing? LMAO
Nichijew - I know that gosho I read growing up said something about the New Year. Do you know whether Nichiren followed the Gregorian calendar or the lunar year or something else entirely. I always felt weird at New Year's gongyo. I thought to myself siliently something akin to "hey, Nichiren wasn't talking about January 1st 19__/200____fill in the blank."
Anyway for those who do care about the holiday I wish you a good one with your friends and loved ones.
I think I care about the winter solstice - does that make me a pagan? :)
Nichijew - I know that gosho I read growing up said something about the New Year. Do you know whether Nichiren followed the Gregorian calendar or the lunar year or something else entirely. I always felt weird at New Year's gongyo. I thought to myself siliently something akin to "hey, Nichiren wasn't talking about January 1st 19__/200____fill in the blank."
Anyway for those who do care about the holiday I wish you a good one with your friends and loved ones.
I think I care about the winter solstice - does that make me a pagan? :)
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