That makes sense....SGI has been linked to the Yakuza in the past. just google Yakuza and SGI.

[yellowpeep.blogspot.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2010 07:40AM by sushigrl.

Thanks Rothaus, but that was more by way of an invitation for someone to fill in the blanks, than my expressing any desire to study deeper into Nichiren Daishonin. Im a bit tired of all the rivalry, its become an instant turn-off, hence my above comment on seeking something that seems less tarnished. Its hard for me to trust anything that has connections to Nichiren these days. But maybe you could give some of the info that the book provides on here?

I wasnt practising when "the split" happened, so all of the vitriolic crap Ive heard from members has been... um... rather biased, to say the least. I had never heard that the DG was fake, though, thru SGI channels. is there any proof availible, on record? Its still in the SGI-UK Gongyo books, I guess that would require somewhat of a large revamp...but like a lot of stuff ND/SGI, its all a bit hazy. Easier to sweep it under the carpet...and hope no one picks up it...

@DrJesusEsq - I'll try and scan it and see if I can attach it to a PM for you. Its slightly larger than A4, anyhow, with some Japanese (?) text at the top.
Right. That didnt seem to work.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2010 08:38AM by wayfarerfree.

@Anticult et al

You know I just remembered something. Hopefully you guys can get it at a local library as it has been out-of-print for awhile. It's called Japan's New Buddhism: An Objective Account of Soka Gakkai by Kiyoaki Murata. It has been written in the 1970s, right when Ikea got ascended his Hentatorship.

It is out-of-print, but it gives a view of SG from both a historical, religious, and a more modern perspective. I think I need to read that again.

If you all want something really to gag on, read this crap [www.2009tozan.info]

Hey all,

Here is the color print wayfarerfree was talking about and I'm posting it on my blog. I'm definitely going to take the print if no one wants it.

[bodhiseeker.xanga.com]

Thanks for this info, going to take a careful look at this, over time.
The "story" told about Wendy “Byrd” Ehlmann after her passing.

First off, immediately others in the Yahoo group noticed this sounded like SGI urban legends (lies) SGI creates to manipulate, like the lie about the person who burned their gohonzon and their house burned down, or the lie about throwing your Gohonzon in the river and then losing your arms.
Those are crude propaganda.

Please correct any errors, but the poster of the "story" about Byrd was:

- Alan Simmons - kenzoku@yah****

Below that, Todd Evans says..."stories like Alan's".
So it appears Alan Simmons is the one who posted that story about the cobwebs, as that is mentioned in the other link comments as well.

Alan Simmons is still currently posting in that Yahoo group [groups.yahoo.com] with the Yahoo username:

kenzoku2

Now to find out if "Alan Simmons" is a real person, and if he actually did enter her home.
Also, there appear to be a number of people named Alan Simmons.

By the way, it appears her home was sealed for a long time by the authorities, and she was not discovered until a long time after she passed away, with cats in the home.
So as others have said, everything would have been knocked over, so NO ONE KNOWS what the condition of the home was weeks previous when she passed away.
So on that point alone, the story by Alan Simmons kenzoku2 is complete utter NONSENSE.
Just an outrageous and disgusting fabrication, as Alan Simmons had NO KNOWLEDGE WHATSOEVER of the state of her home at the time of her death.

That being said, did he enter her home after her death?
Where is the proof? Who entered her home, and how?

Byrd signed her posts "Byrd in LA", so that would mean Alan Simmons would have to be in that area.
He appears to be an SGI person, search Google for:

"Alan Simmons" Ikeda
"Alan Simmons" SGI
"Alan Simmons" "Daisaku Ikeda"
"Alan Simmons" gakkai

Alan Simmons is a fan of: Celebrities Daisaku Ikeda
[www.facebook.com]

Anyone have an old Facebook profile connected with Daisaku Ikeda? If so, they could private message any comments made by Alan Simmons on the Ikeda facebook page.


He appears to be mentioned on a blog with lots of SGI links: (this blog might be satire, or something really strange?? Don't know if this is the same Alan Simmons)

"And I arrived together with his brand-new Nichiren Buddhist butsudan, designed by my ex-fiance, Alan Simmons"
Claire Cruise's MySpace Blog [blogs.myspace.com]



How was Alan Simmons involved in the shunning campaign against Wendy “Byrd” Ehlmann due to her online postings?
Did Alan Simmons fabricate that disgusting propaganda story to win points with SGI-USA?
The truth is going to come out.


_____________________________

Quote

Could someone post the precise link where that "story" about the cobwebs was posted, so the username of the person who posted, and other posts can be looked at?
It might be possible to learn more from that, and who did it.

1. The Soka Gakkai Unofficial link:

[groups.yahoo.com]

If the link doesn't work, go to the Yahoo group Soka Gakkai Unofficial, and its message 92061, posted on Sunday, December 21, 2008.

2. Ryuei's link on Fraught With Peril:

[www.fraughtwithperil.com]

If the link doesn't work, go to www.fraughtwithperil.com, and click on "Rev. Ryuei" on the left side of the page. This was posted on December 18, 2008.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2010 09:50AM by The Anticult.

To find out more specific detail about Alan Simmons, one can search the Yahoo group [groups.yahoo.com] for his name, or the Yahoo username:
kenzoku2

Searching for "kenzoku2" turns up 42 posts by Alan Simmons.

Message #92016 contains this comment:
QUOTE: "I was told when I left SGI by another friend of Alan Simmons that I would "die a horrible death."


Very clearly, Alan Simmons fabricated, and lied and made it up. And its not even the first time, as stated, another "friend" of Alan Simmons did the same thing to someone else.
There is more material there by Alan Simmons, and about him.

Alan Simmons says QUOTE: "I have been practicing since the summer of '84. I was very much involved in the soka group, gymnastics, and designed flashcards for the-I believe it was '88 festival..."

The point of looking it up, is to show some of the longterm SGI fanatics will lie, they will fabricate, they will do anything to get approval and attention from those higher up in the SGI organization.

Well, here is a 3rd one!
Alan Simmons has tried the same SGI-BS tactics against someone else in the same forum! And he was accused of lying about even meeting those people.
Alan Simmons is a self-appointed SGI-USA hatchet-man.
You can see Simmons say things like..."I do not make these things up".
Well guess what, yes he is making them up. On his own, and in cahoots with some other SGI-USA insiders. They just make it up, they lie, bald-faced lies...(they believe to a degree they are fighting evil, so anything goes).

It was easy to spot this lie from Alan Simmons, right from the beginning. Its bad propaganda, one in a long string of tactics he is trying to use. 3 were found in 5 minutes.

Its time to find out just how Alan Simmons is connected with the SGI-USA organization.
This is the kind of dishonest manipulator that the SGI-USA managers like.



__________________________________
Message #85764

Alan Simmons
<kenzoku@...> wrote:
>
> Yes, I met him and talked with him many times. It breaks my heart.
He had a strength and a commitment that left many in the dust.
However he also disregarded President Ikeda on a fundamental level.
He praised him outwardly, but in private he onshitsued him. The
authoritarian structure was entirely Mr. William's doing. It exists
in a form today, but I disagree that it is as bad as you say. In NSA -
which I was also involved in_the dialog I have with leaders-including
Danny Nagashima would have been almost impossible if not impossible.
Danny Nagashima is very self reflective and sincere. I have had
extensive dialogs with him, expressing various concerns. He knows
that as the USA rep, if he goes down that path the retribution would
be immense. Mr. Williams has-it appears to me and many others, lost
his mind. This is an effect of slander. It would not happen in the
absence of such slander, and let it be a warning to us all.
>
> Alan
>

Alan, no. This is just stuff you have heard. First, the
organization is top down authoritarian because that is how it is in
Japan. It was established that way by Mr. Toda. It was imported
that way from Japan. It is slow to change. It hasn't changed here.
Mr. Williams had his faults, but "great slanderer?" Not a snowball's
chance in hell.

I was around Mr. Williams quite a bit and many of his close followers
a whole lot. Never did I hear a word spoken against President Ikeda
or the SGI in Japan. Only admiration.

If Mr. Williams is now suffering from Alzheimers, senility, or some
other disability, it is not due to slander. That is superstition.

I do thank you for replying to my post so that I could see what
the "great slanders" of Mr. Williams were according to you and the
top leaders you talked with---I hope that you can someday see them
for the negativity (and maybe something else) that they are.
Best,
CMC

> camoonchild <camoonchild@...> wrote: -
-- In SokaGakkaiUnofficial@yahoogroups.com, Alan Simmons
> <kenzoku@> wrote:
> >
> > Sorry for not replying sooner. I have to grab what little time I
> can get. Mr. Williams is known in the Soka Gakkai japan as one who
> has betrayed the Soka Gakkai. This is official--I am not making it
> up. The information I got regarding Mr. Williams comes from very
high
> level staff members. Most of us had no idea. He is now reaping the
> effects. This was described in detail by another high level leader
> who was close to Mr. Williams.
> > 90%+ of those shakubuku'd in NSA gave up their faith. A huge
> percentage of those still practcing in or out of the SGI still
have
> an extremely shallow understanding of Buddhism. What I am saying
is
> the tip of the iceberg, and I do not make these things up.
> >
> > Alan
>
> Alan, this is just not correct. As someone who practiced during
Mr.
> William's time, and who practices now, I'd like to add just a few
> comments on this. First, when President Ikeda gave his 1990
speech,
> I was happy in that I thought SGI was going to change some aspects
of
> the organization that had always bothered me: its authoritarian
top
> down stucture and too many activities. It "seemed" right at the
time
> that Mr. Williams be replaced with someone with a "newer" vision
> perhaps. This, then, didn't seem as if it were a bad thing. I
> didn't view it as Mr. Williams being "fired."
> Now, years later, we do have fewer activities, but the
authoritarian
> top down structure of the organization hasn't changed at all.
> Along with losing Mr. Williams we lost an incredible leader. I
must
> say that in retrospect he was the hardest working most inspiring
> buddhist I've ever met. I still can't believe the amount of
passion
> he had for spreading buddhism. Mr. Williams' main thrust as
general
> director was propagation of buddhism. In recent years, it seems
as
> if the main thrust of SGI has been first Soka Spirt, and now, M/D.
> Your sources, now, years after the fact, are turning Mr. Williams
> into some kind of a traitor? Mr. Williams was always gung ho on
> praise for Pres. Ikeda in public and private. Your sources are
> twisting history.
> This is just a brief post, I could go on more, but I hope you
realize
> that people are filling your head with lies. I would like to know
> who is telling you this. What do you think their motivation is?
> Do you know Mr. Williams? Did you practice with him?
> CMC
>
> >
> > "Christopher H. Holte" <chris_holte@>
> wrote: I've got to admit the "200
years
> from now" songs and other things from
> > 1976 really are resonating now.
> >
> > --- In SokaGakkaiUnofficial@yahoogroups.com, "Andy Hanlen"
> > <andyhanlen1@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Allen wrote:
> > >
> > > << As I understand it, talking to a few staff members, and ex
> staff
> > > members, Mr. Williams tried to kick him out of Malibu at one
> time.
> > > Mr. Williams used to refer to Sensei as "Mad King George",
> though
> > > praising him publicly. >>
> > >
> > > You "understand it" wrong, and you should be ashamed for
> spreading
> > > and perpetuating this kind of ugly hearsay about a decent and
> loyal
> > > man. Sure, he made mistakes, but he adored Mr. Ikeda. It
may
> or may
> > > not have been a good move to replace him and publicly
humiliate
> him,
> > > the way Mr. Ikeda did, but crap like you are spewing here
> belongs in
> > > the National Enquirer, or the gutter.
> > >
> > > And Chris is right (below). If Mr. Williams had been as you
> > > describe, most SGI-USA members would today be Hokkeko members.
> > >
> > > Shame on you, Allen.
> > >
> > > Andy Hanlen
> > > (no longer a member of the SGI-USA, but still in possession
of
> my
> > > memories, and sense of appreciation and gratitude.)




_________QUOTE_________________
Message #92016

--- In SokaGakkaiUnofficial@yahoogroups.com, brightlightcity
> <no_reply@> wrote:
> >
> > I can't comment on what Byrd's last place was like, but I used to
> > visit her frequently in years past when she lived in Los Feliz and
> her
> > housekeeping seemed okay to me, but then I wouldn't win any Good
> > Housekeeping awards myself. . . I doubt that she would allow her
> > butsudan to fall over or whatever. . . one thing Byrd did, above
> > almost all else, was chant lots of daimoku.
> >
> > Now, things could have changed, who knows? But, frankly, whether
> Byrd
> > lived in a state of squalor towards the end or "backslid" in her
> > practice, is not of great importance to me. But what I find totally
> > disgusting is that someone would bring that up in a public forum and
> > try to make some kind of "gotcha" point about it.
> >
> > I guess in the quest to make points about the validity of this
> > practice, anything is fair game and not even the departed are given
> > their due respect.
> >
> > The idea that someone will "die a horrible death" because they leave
> > the SGI is such nonsense that its difficult to believe that
> > intelligent people would accept such a notion. AND, no one, so far,
> > has ever been able to explain to me how such a link could be
> > established or how the punishment of a horrible death is meted out.
> >
> > How does the Lotus Sutra know who deserves punishment and how does
> it
> > go about making it happen? Riddle me that, Batmen and women.
> >
> > The unfortunate consequence of mistaking the mythical for the
> mystical
> > is that it confuses and hurts people. Much of what I read here in
> this
> > forum promoting the "Mentor" and his mystical organization, and, on
> > the other hand, slamming the "Mentor" in favor of say, Kempon Hokke,
> > is actually destructive, because once you start setting up profiles
> of
> > who will be vindicated and who will not, it just grinds into
> becoming
> > a fear tactic, a weapon to use to divide people, to manipulate them.
> >
> > There is nothing mystical about Buddhism, it is just a form of
> > meditation with a supporting philosophy, however that philosophy
> > really has nothing to do supreme teachings, eternal Buddhas, Mystic
> > Laws or the slime and punishment that some people allow themselves
> to
> > be brainwashed into thinking is real. Well, maybe the slime is
> real. . .
> >
> >
> > --- In SokaGakkaiUnofficial@yahoogroups.com, Michele Chavez
> > <micheledc@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi CMC,
> > >
> > > Byrd was in high spirits, excited about working on the screenplay
> she
> > > was writing, but also expressed feeling stressed regarding being
> told
> > > not to attend district activity (or activities?).
> > >
> > > I should clarify that I was never in her apartment. We never met
> at
> > her
> > > place. We'd see each other either at the Gathering of Friends or
> the
> > > Legger in Santa Monica or she would either drive or take the
> Metrolink
> > > out to visit here in the Antelope Valley or we'd go other places
> > > together. We did speak on the phone and email many times almost
> > every day.
> > >
> > > Since I wasn't there, I'm only speculating about how her butsudan
> could
> > > have ended up in a disheveled condition. It's not hard for me to
> > > imagine, during the 10 days or so between her death (I theorize
> that
> > was
> > > the day after we last spoke on July 24th) and when she was found
> (on
> > > August 6th), that one or more of her 4 cats could have knocked
> things
> > > over or that after she was found that police and others who may
> have
> > had
> > > no idea what a butsudan was, much less cared, could have knocked
> it
> > > over. She may not have been the world's greatest housekeeper.
> Who
> > > knows. But, that certainly didn't seem to affect her practice, as
> she
> > > chanted every day, and as attested to by others as well, she
> cared
> > > deeply about other people and was always thinking about ways to
> help
> > > others. She took great joy in being mindful of her surroundings
> and
> > > found child-like delight in the mundane occurrences of daily
> life. I
> > > know she also very much enjoyed her SGI district activities.
> > >
> > > It's possible that knowing the Gohonzon exists inside each of us,
> she
> > > simply didn't care about a physical paper Gohonzon. I don't
> know.
> > But,
> > > her faith was deep. I can attest to chanting with her at the
> Anker's
> > > each month in front of their Nittatsu Gohonzon, to attending the
> > Retreat
> > > with her in Port Hueneme last summer, where she had a lot of fun
> doing
> > > things like learning how to copy daimoku, to her coming over to
> our
> > > house and chanting with me and my husband, either to his Nichikan
> > > Gohonzon or my Shutei Gohonzon, to going with her and Barbara
> Pike to
> > > Mt. Wilson to chant on the mountaintop as the sun dawned on the
> morning
> > > of April 28th, and to the Nichiren Shu temple in Los Angeles for
> > Oeshiki.
> > >
> > > I was told when I left SGI by another friend of Alan Simmons that
> I
> > > would "die a horrible death." She's very deep into Soka Spirit.
> Yet,
> > > she lacks housekeeping skills. Let's hope that when she passes,
> no one
> > > equates her lousy cleaning habits with a lack of faith, because,
> even
> > > though she and I disagree vehemently on doctrine, no one could
> ever
> > > question her faith. (However, she was once admonished by local
> SGI
> > > leadership and kept from having SGI meetings at her home on
> account of
> > > the height of her butsudan.)
> > >
> > > Isn't one of the points of the Lotus Sutra that we can attain
> > > enlightenment as we are? Wouldn't that include slovenly as well
> as
> > tidy?
> > >
> > > Death is one of the 4 sufferings and is a given and I don't think
> it
> > > reflects on the nature of our faith. Nichiren died of stomach
> cancer,
> > > but I've never heard anyone say that his faith must have weakened
> or he
> > > didn't have a high life condition.
> > >
> > > Back to lurking mode,
> > > Michele
> > >
> > > camoonchild wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hi, Todd. Love your postings this morning. This one, though,
> I have
> > > > to add some clarification to. After posting my original
> response to
> > > > Alan, I received an email from Byrd's best friend. She stated
> that
> > > > Byrd didn't "lapse" and loved to chant until the end of her
> life.
> > > > They spoke on the phone every day, and Byrd was in high
> spirits. She
> > > > said that the overturned butsudan was most likely a result of
> the
> > > > police investigators/cleanup people tramping through the co-op
> that
> > > > Byrd owned, and not knowing how to treat it, or that Byrd's
> cats may
> > > > have toppled it during the time it took to discover her body
> (days)
> > > > looking for food and being upset.
> > > > For anyone (Alan) to distort Byrd's death into some kind of
> white
> > > > leprosy punishment experience is beyond the pale.
> > > > Just wanted to give you another side to this gossip.
> > > > CMC
> > >
> >
____________________QUOTE__________________



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2010 11:51AM by The Anticult.

Here Alan Simmons says he is an SGI -USA "district men's division leader".

Is that correct, and if so where exactly?
Was Alan Simmons the man from SGI who was attempting to meet with "Byrd", due to her online comments? Its starting to sound like it was.

There are many more quite obvious lies in this post by Alan Simmons. There is a lot of arrogance in his postings, as well as the malicious gossip and outright shameless lies.

Beware of the SGI Soka Gakkai lifers, and the SGI-USA propagandists.
They will lie right to your face, and not blink.

The "story" told by Alan Simmons about "Byrd" was a lie, a fabrication, unadulterated bullshit. He lied, he made it up.
Welcome to SGI-USA.


QUOTE________Message #85760 _____________
[groups.yahoo.com]
Alan Simmons <kenzoku@...>
Sat Feb 9, 2008 11:45 pm

Re: [SGI] Re: Now I'm Worried (was: Is it Onshitsu to name names?)

A good question. I have been practicing since the summer of '84. I was very
much involved in the soka group, gymnastics, and designed flashcards for the-I
believe it was '88 festival. When we split from the priesthood I noticed that
there was a lot of confusion. I made a suggestion at a district-chapter planning
meeting--I was Y.M.D chapter rep at the time-- that we study the priesthood
issue to find out what was going on. The negativity that followed was such that
I had never experienced at a meeting before. This got me especially interested
in the issue. I chanted about it, and opened up the Gosho, and I have to say
that although I had read many gosho up till then, for the first time in my
practice I actually began to study. The Daishonin' writings actually came alive
for me, and his guidance was very clear. I therefore became involved; I joined
study groups, and began to visit temple members to dialog. The first member I
visited used to be in my district. We started
what seemed to be an honest and calm dialog, but he exploded at me and the
person who accompanied me, his ex district leader. He threatened me with
physical violence, though fortunately it did not manifest. The next time I
visited him I brought a senior visiting YMD from Japan, one Yoshitaka Wada. The
temple member strongly suggested that I go to the temple during the next meeting
there. I did, and met a few Hokkeko members who invited me to meetings. I began
attending. My purpose was not to argue or refute, just to be friendly and dialog
when they were open to it.
By this time I had studied and memorized many gosho passages, specifically
related to the SGI-NST conflict. This was on such issues as the Heritage of the
Law, the Three Powerful Enemies, the Opening of the Eyes of a Gohonzon, the
authority concerning priests-specifically the high Priest, the issue of Tozan,
and so on. After a while one or two temple members began asking me why I was
still in the Gakkai. I replied that they are, to the best of their ability,
practicing in line with the Gosho; that is the official stance that the SGI has
on various issues is in line with the Gosho.
Eventually they had me dialog with one of their top study people at the
time, Brad Nixon. Twice I went to his house, by myself, to dialog with him and
some temple members that showed up. I was able to refute every doctrinal
allegation he threw at me. I could see that it was not making much difference to
his/their beliefs, so I just gave my own personal experience, that is what
positive breakthroughs I had made with what they called my "counterfeit"
Gohonzon. They took a picture of me, circulating it around the Nichiren Shoshu
meetings with instruction that this person was no longer welcome at the
meetings. Brad sent me a letter as well. I called the local temple member, who
said that they liked me; that I was very well behaved and more considerate than
the regular members, but that there was no point in talking to me any more as I
would not change.
I wrote a thirty two page document, simply comparing the Nichiren Shoshu
allegations with the Gosho. This was for the benefit of SGI members. Years
later, I met up with the local temple member whose meetings I had attended, and
we are friends.
Obviously I am drastically over simplifying. I am now a district men's
division leader, and my involvement with the Temple issue has had a positive
effect on the members in my district. When one men's division--not a
particularly consistent fellow in the practice, was riding the bus one day he
encountered a temple member, who tried to convert him. When he looked at their
manual, he could see immediately what was glaringly incorrect in light of
Buddhism. I feel, therefore, that at that moment he was protected.
Take care.

Alan

Don Gropp <djgropp@...> wrote: I've got to
ask, who are you, Mr. Simmons? Just a mystery person to
me. I haven't yet heard anything subsantial and I don't know anything
about you. Right now I'm inclined to give your posts little more than
a cursory glance. You are a stranger without roots or foundation as
far as I can tell. I should like to hear your background so we might
know where your coming from.


_________________________________________________

To see what a global cult leader Daisaku Ikeda has made himself into, just read the comments on his facebook page from his disciples. www.facebook.com/pages/Daisaku-Ikeda/20431481291?v=wall


Below appears to be a comment Alan Simmons made for Daisaku Ikeda. Can anyone else verify that?
The key part is DISCIPLE and I WILL PROTECT THE SGI.
That gives them the license to lie and do whatever it takes, as they tell themselves they are protecting the SGI.
Never underestimate the depth of the indoctrination of those who are deeply involved with the SGI.
And they are ready and willing to do whatever it takes for SGI, including very dirty tactics.

_________________________________
Daisaku Ikeda | Facebook
Alan Simmons
"Here I was supposed to be a disciple and not a fan.Anyway, thank you Sensei--I will always follow the Buddha's golden words, not the opinions of others, and I will protect the SGI."
Sun at 11:15pm
www.facebook.com/pages/Daisaku-Ikeda/20431481291?v=wall
_____________________________

That is why Ikeda manufactured such paranoia and fear of the imagined "enemies" of the Soka Gakkai.
Ikead knows if you make people afraid, they will do what they are told, and seek a strong leader.

Ikeda also knows, if you manufacture some terrible "enemy", then that makes your followers circle the wagons and feel like they are "protecting the SGI" from the imagined enemies.
It also shields their minds to outside criticism, as they just blame it on an enemy. The more criticism they get, the stronger the imagined SGI persecution belief becomes.
The more an enemy is just imagined, the better as well for SGI.

Daisaku Ikeda is quite a brilliant global cult leader. He's not subtle, but he's been able to make billions of dollars, and manage quite a large group of disciples using fairly standard and crude techniques of mass persuasion.