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bobze39
Hello, Shavoy, well, I talked to Danny only briefly, and it wasn't one-on-one, it was in the presence of many people, he said something like "Welcome", "Practice with determination" and some general phrases. I don't really personally dislike him, in fact, he has a certain charm and appears to be strong (or plays this role well). He speaks with an accent, actually his English isn't very good. He drops his guard, yes, he even has some sense of humor. He is certainly a fanatic and is brainwashed as others. I think he actually beleives in all the crap he is saying (or he is a very good actor), and from that point he is just another victim of SGI machine. He also can be manipulated just like all brainwashed people. But he is a general of Ikeda's army and as such he definitely shares responsibility for all SGI misdeeds.

Thank you for answering my query, bobze....He certainly has some charm..I think I did see him speak at the New England Culture Center back around 2001. My jaw is still locked in the drop position about those speeches. Talk about driving away potential members who turn out to be "Naysayers, Haters, Slanderers"...At risk of repeating my thoughts, talk about SGI shooting their feet...they don't seem to care that their direction is NOT the way to recruit millions of Americans (or elsewhere).

They keep playing people for fools, and there will always be people who will fall into their fold. But most Americans I've met smell the funky oder and stay clear away.

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quiet one

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bobze39
Morgaine, you are lucky you didn't become SGI member. I wasn't so lucky. I actually joined SGI and received Gohonzon and I did my share of free labor at SGI warehouse. In fact I personally know SGI-USA leader Danny Nagashima, I met with him on several occasions and talked to him. That was not because I was a leader, no, I simply happened to practice in the same district, where he lives (or, at least, lived at the time) - in Orange County, California. What made me quit? Well, one of the reasons - I happened to hear Danny Nagashima's speeches. He sounded so militaristic, with his calls to fight till the end against evil and to be like a lion, while comparing SGI enemies to running away mice. Then he declared war on this and war on that; words like 'power", "war", "victory", "till the end", "no surrender", "battle", "fight", and in reference to enemies - "cowards", "mice", "evil" and so on. Man, talking about the need to lighten up ... I don't know how many people quit because of his speeches - his speeches are scary!

bobze39, A speech that Danny gave REALLY helped me in my decision to leave SGI. I was at a large meeting at El Segundo College a few years back, and the MD thing was really beginning to be cramed down people's throats. In his speech, Danny said, "The only way to true happiness is through the MD relationship". That was the first time I had heard it said that you HAD to accept Pres Ikeda as your mentor, or you couldn't possibly attain happiness....That speech was a definite turning point in the end of a very long practice.

I think it's gonna be awhile before my jaw returns upward...."The only way to true happiness is through the MD relationship."

Totally understood, quiet one, why this would tip you over the edge.

Individual Karma...

Lotus Sutra Buddhism supplies answers to very profound questions of being. One child is born sightless to poverty stricken parents in a drought stricken and war ravaged region of Africa and another to immensely wealthy parents in a penthouse in Zurich. One older child was born with an IQ of 60 and can barely feed himself and another is reading an encyclopedia by the age of two. A four year old girl who never took a music lesson can play several different instruments while another with cerebral palsy can not even hold a spoon. One child is born into a the Brahman caste and another to an untouchable family. Still another overcomes her disability and goes on to develop a cure for aides while a perfectly healthy world class athlete suffers a career ending compound fracture of the femur. There are 5 billion examples of differences in fortune, wisdom, physical and mental drive and abilities. What accounts for these differences?

There are rare incredible and inexplicable abilities of some people, not long after birth. There are those with documented first hand knowledge of historical individuals, circumstances, and locations. Lastly, there are unmistakable shared physical and mental characteristics between deceased and living individuals with no associated shared heredity.

Only the doctrine of Karma reasonably explains and answers this observable reality.

Collective Karma...

Examples of collective karma are those with cerebral palsy, those born white, those killed in the holocaust, doctors, lawyers, indian chiefs. Either there is individual and group responsibility or there is none. Weal and woe happens by chance, the will of god, or through the thoughts, words, and actions of individuals and groups. I choose to believe in personal and group responsibility caused by thoughts, words, and deeds since the infinite past. Are you the agent of your weal or woe? I hit my thumb with a hammer. I would be a fool to blame someone else. Likewise, only fools blame others or the environment for their misery and misfortune.

Namu Myoho renge kyo and Karma...

Karma can be the most comforting or the most disquieting belief, depending on one’s Buddhist faith and practice. Certitude of karmic reward is always comforting while certitude of karmic retribution may or may not be disquieting. You will have to repay your karmic debt. If you have accumulated much karmic reward, the debt seems insignificant. If you have accumulated little karmic reward, your debt seems oppressive. Chanting Namu Myoho renge kyo with a correct faith and teaching others to do the same, is the way to accumulate infinite karmic reward. Your tribulations will pale in significance.

Nichijew

Nichijew:

Please refrain from preaching religious doctrine on this message board.

See [forum.culteducation.com]

The rules you agreed to before posting here state, "The purpose of this message board is not to promote a specific religious and/or political viewpoint. Don't use it to preach or proselytize."

The subject of this thread is "SGI," not "karma."

Please stay focused on the subject and not your religious viewpoint.

Dear Bobze:

You haven't looked hard enough:

The Soka Gakkai also has begun a campaign of harassment
against the priests. Rumors have been spread that the Taisekiji
Temple grounds are in disarray, with stray dogs wandering
about and robbers lurking in the shadows. Right-wing groups
park their sound trucks outside the temple and blast out their
criticism of the priests..."
Los Angeles Times, 12/16/91


"I know what the group does to people whom it
regards as its enemies. It's not safe for anyone
who dares to criticize it."
TIME - THE POWER OF SOKA GAKKAI


[pathfinder.com]...


Ms. U witnessed four SGI senior leaders storm Bukkenji Temple.
She attempted to take a photograph of the vehicle that they
had arrived in. The four persons turned their attention on her
and charged her, knocking her into the air. When she hit the
ground, they brutally kicked and assaulted her. She suffered
multiple serious injuries, a broken hip and spinal fractures.
Shukan Jitsuwa 12/02/93


The list showed this powerful
nonprofit group, which has been involved in several other scandals
this year, received slightly more than $3 million from
Kokusai Securities...
New York Times - THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1991


But as the police have begun to unravel puzzle of the Yokohama safe
...the money has been linked to a powerful, militant Buddhist religious
sect, the Soka Gakkai. The sect, in turn, controls the Komeito or Clean
Government party.."
New York Times 7/20/ 89 - - Japan Finds Latest Scandal in a Dump


One member of the group of four monks and six followers
said they were verbally abused and punched by local members of
the Singapore Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist Association
(SNSBA) [Soka Gakkai Singapore].
The Straits Times - TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 1991


"They tried to chase us when my sisters
went out. They came to our home to try to harass us. My former
friends told lies to get my phone number. When they called,
they said,‘You will go to hell, you will be unhappy’. Some were
subjected to physical violence. There was an order by Ikeda to
harass members who leave the cult."
Japan’s Rush Hour of The Gods
THE AUSTRALIAN MAGAZINE
[www.cebunet.com]


..."a mob of Soka Gakkai members, marched into the Kaishinji temple during a
religious service. Shoving aside worshippers, they seized Yahiro and
Kashiwazaki. I thought I was going to die, recalls Yahiro, an
asthmatic. He almost did. A large man grabbed Yahiro by his necktie and lifted
him off the floor, and others took turns punching him until he passed out."
TIME Magazine November 20, 1995 Volume 146, No. 21
[pathfinder.com]...


"...several hundred Soka Gakkai members invaded his temple during a
service and beat him so severely that he was hospitalized for three months.
Yahiro's hospitalization in April 1991 brought to light a brewing battle..."
San Francisco Chronicle: - Japan Fears Another Religious Sect
[www.sfgate.com]...

SGI-USA MEMBERS SUED FOR HARASSMENT
FILE
IN CLERKS OFFICE
COURT OF APPEALS
STATE OF WASHINGTON, DIVISION III
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
KEN B No. 13065-7-III
Respondent,
V.
LARRY T Panel Four
Appellant.
KEN B No. 13066-5-III
Respondent
V.
EDDIE Y
Appellant. FILED JUN - 9 1994
SCHULTHEIS, J.-- After trial to the bench, the Spokane County Superior Court found in favor of Ken B on his civil harassment claim and entered protection orders against Larry T and Eddie Y. Appellants contend: (1) the findings are unsupported by the evidence and in turn fail to support the conclusions; and (2) the civil harassment statute is vague and overbroad. We reverse.
Nichiren Shoshu Temple (NST) is the "temple side" of Japanese Buddhism and is a religious order operated by ordained priests. Various lay groups also practice Buddhism, but without official sanction by NST. One of these is Soka Gakkai International (SGI). SGI was affiliated with NST and supported the parent organization, financially and otherwise, but about a year prior to the events giving rise to this controversy, NST expelled SGI. The record does not disclose what prompted this action.

Among those SGI members affected were Mr. Y, Mr. T , Dave M , Shizuko S and Melissa S. Mr.Y learned the regional high priest of NST, Reverend Jiho Takahashi, had left San Francisco and was due to arrive in Spokane. Mr. Y alerted Mr. T who contacted Ms. S and Ms. S. They decided to meet Reverend Takahashi's plane so Mr. Y and Ms. S could confront him about the rift. Mr. Y left his home in Seattle, bringing with him surveillance equipment, and met with the others in the group who resided in Spokane. On May 23, 1992, they drove to the Spokane International Airport. Mr. T and Mr. M did not enter the terminal and remained in their respective vehicles, each equipped with a walkie-talkie.

Forewarned of a possible confrontation, two NST members, Mr. B and Paul K , were at the airport to greet the plane. Mr. B had been a member of SGI but left to join NST. The reason for Reverend Takahashi's presence in Spokane was to officiate at Mr. B's wedding over the weekend. Reverend Takahashi and his assistant, Yoshiko Huseth, deplaned and as the four of them stood together, Mr. Y approached the group and began speaking to the priest in a loud and aggressive manner. The two were in bodily contact and Mr. Y was "in his face". Mr. B directed Mr. Y to step back. A scuffle ensued when Mr. B interposed himself between Mr. Y and Reverend Takahashi in response to a perceived threat of physical violence. The NST party then proceeded through the concourse toward the exit. Along the way, Mr. Y continued to shout at Reverend Takahashi who did not respond. The one-sided conversation was in both English and Japanese. Mr. B did not understand Japanese and at trial, the only comments he could attribute to Mr. Y were "Stop. We want to talk to you. We want to talk to your priest. We want to go to your meeting."

As the party walked toward the main terminal, Ms. S, accompanied by Ms. S, confronted Reverend Takahashi. Mr. K positioned himself between the priest and his adversary. In the process, he hooked Ms. S's purse with a luggage cart and tugged it from her grasp. On reaching the magnetometer station, Mr. B asked one of the attendants to summon airport security for assistance in preventing the SGI contingent from following and harassing Reverend Takahashi. Mr. Y and Ms. S continued to try to talk to the priest. All of the SGI members were chattering loudly and several were grasping at the NST group. Security personnel contacted the SGI contingent in the terminal parking garage which allowed the Takahashi party to escape. After engaging in brief conversation, the officers took no action.

The NST members retrieved their automobile and prepared to drive to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, where Mr. B resides. Still intent on confronting Reverend Takahashi, the SGI group put into operation a backup plan to maintain contact. Mr. M observed Mr. B's vehicle leave the parking garage and radioed Mr. T on a
walkie-talkie. The two surveillance vehicles fell in behind Mr. B's vehicle as he left the airport. While on the Interstate 90 freeway, Mr. B sensed he was being followed and brought his vehicle to a halt at an access ramp to confirm his suspicions. Another vehicle did likewise, and in the front seat were Mr. Y and
Mr. T . No threats, menacing gestures or verbal abuse occurred, although Mr. B did observe one of the men had what appeared to be a walkie-talkie. Mr. B then took evasive action by leaving the freeway. He was followed by Mr. T . He re-entered the freeway, again followed by Mr. T 's car, and proceeded to his destination.

Various incidents occurred in Idaho later in the day and the following morning. Among them, Mr. Y and Mr T had "difficulty finding accommodations" that evening and finally located a bed and breakfast facility where they remained for the night. It happened to be the same bed and breakfast where Reverend Takahashi and his assistant were staying. Testimony relating to events transpiring in Idaho was excluded because the court concluded that extraterritorial harassment, if any, was not relevant. Some information developed nonetheless when Mr. T testified without objection to meeting Reverend Takahashi in Coeur d'Alene. The priest and his assistant were having breakfast. Mr. Y and Mr. T joined them, there apparently being only one table at the facility. The situation was "tense", but not confrontational. The SGI members were still intent on engaging the priest in dialogue, but another couple staying at the bed and breakfast sat down at the table and Mr. T felt it would not have been "really appropriate to talk to him" under the circumstances. The priest left the table after the first course of the meal and did not return.

Mr. Y, Ms. S and several other SGI members returned to the airport later that day in the belief Reverend Takahashi would be departing and they might again have an opportunity to speak with him. He was, but security personnel allowed the priest to avoid public access areas and to leave through a special gate. There was no contact at the time between any of the NST and SGI members.

Mr. B commenced an action under RCW 10.14 seeking civil antiharassment orders against Mr. Y, Mr. T and Ms. S . At the close of the evidence, the court dismissed the action as to Ms. S <strong>but held against her male companions and restrained them from engaging in acts of intimidation or harassment directed at Mr. B.</strong>

Then there are the videos. Here are a few of the violent Soka Cult;

[www.google.com]

You haven't looked hard enough.

Here is an even better one:

[www.google.com]