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Shavoy
I once posted on here that I felt inclined to help the firefighters as they were battling a blaze here in my city. They were accepting donations of gatorade, water, and snackbars to help the firefighters. I told some SGI members about that, and they said: ooh, that's nice, but if we donate, then we won't have money for our family funfest. I didn't see that a priority, so maybe I was never a dedicated member.

When there is a disaster somewhere, very often the first things SGI members think about are other SGI members. I found this as a red flag, because world peace to me means helping everyone!

Findingmywaytoday....I was always told there really is no mixing and matching in this Buddhism...it has to be "pure". So that makes total sense in an SGI context, that books such as "The Secret", would be completely taboo. But "The Secret" (which I have not read, but heard a lot about) says basically, you can visualize your dreams in life and they will happen, by positive thinking....well, we are told with NMRK, that you can chant, visualizing your dreams and they will come to reality...and if they don't, well, you will get the best outcome for your life. Jeez, not much difference there, right?

But nooo...we can't have "The Secret" or any other book or practice discussed, as that would muddy the waters to a dangerous degree. Good Grief.

And why do you have to write and report to President Ikeda, anyway???

As for contributing to other causes, SGI has always been reticent and vague about doing that, too...at least to my observation. Because do these causes slander the True Buddhism?? I mean, the Fire Department, come on!!!

But there should be plenty o' cash for a Family Funfest, deep within the SGI vault, no?

Cry poor. Cry Foul.[/quote]

Totally agree with you Shavoy! I was thinking tonight that we need to show actual proof with our lives, not to show how great our own lives are (and they already are), but to show how great the organization is: SGI, and how great and wonderful President Ikeda is. I am only kidding, but this is what I read between the lines when I talk to SGI members who are so gung-ho!

Hi everyone,

So, I don't know who any of you are and you certainly don't know me, but you have an interesting board here and I hope that we can have some really good exchanges.

A little about myself:

I became a Nichiren Shoshu - Sokka Gakkai Buddhist in 1969 when I was still in High School. Eventually I, like thousands of others, was a dedicated member and devoted nearly all of my free time to activities, which meant pretty well every evening and weekends too. The influence of a strongly organized and dynamic organization, like the Gakkai and Nichiren Buddhism, for a young and idealistic young man is overwhelming, but then again I'm sure there are many amongst you that know that already.

After a few years my natural skepticism came came back to life and I began asking questions on all aspects of what it meant to be a NS Buddhist. There were prolonged and heated arguments with my seniors, which resulted in them relegating me to a junior status, even though I was the first gaijin to become a member with 500 miles and had lead the development of the local movement. I took a strong dislike to the secrecy and mumbo-jumbo the Japanese brought with them from japan, The whole bullshit thing about Ikeda being an incarnation of the "True Buddha" was most concerning. The gakkai had (has) a way of not putting into print what it really wants to transmit to its followers and I was informed on more than one occasion by seniors I trusted that Ikeda was indeed Nichiren Daishonin.

After marriage at the age of 29, my wife, who became a member too, and I took our young family to live in France. Once we were settled we became local SGI leaders, but everything came to an end a few years later when the split arrived. After months agonizing over what to do, I decided that the information furnished by the SGI was at best misleading, so I opted for going over to the temple side. In fact I became a co-founder of the first French temple and am technically still a registered member there.

Now after 43 years I would like to see a reconciliation of all Nichiren groups. Seems we lost our way long before the split. Maybe now after we've had all this time to reflect, we can get ourselves into a new space and respond the the wishes of the Daishonin and finally do something we can all be proud of.

Looking forward to hear from you.

Brian

btw - we now live in Montreal Canada

@Findingmywaytoday...."how great and wonderful President Ikeda is"....that's the ticket!!! It boils down to that...we have to let the entire world know just HOW GREAT President Ikeda TRULY IS!!!

Gack!

It's coming out of so many members' mouths these days, Findingmywaytoday...IkedaBot-u-lism.

Like Tsukimoto said, P.I. isn't the least bit interested in becoming one with any member, but members should feel obligated out of profound debts of gratitude to become one with the True Master in Life, Sensei!

@bribri:

Welcome! It is interesting to read what you have to say about your own SGI experience. You were relegated back to Junior status? All for having legitimate, reasonable questions?? And they were saying then that P.I. is the Nichiren incarnate-True Buddha?

Do you and your wife still chant?

Shavoy

Thanks for the greeting Shavoy,

Interesting, your name, if it really is Shavoy. It looks like it may be a more phonetic pronunciation of Chavoix, a French family name.

Many supporters of SGI will claim that there was never a policy of encouraging members to think of Ikeda as the True Buddha, but there was. As I mentioned before, things like this are not written down, just like so many other things which the more senior members were cognizant of. I mean we all know, or I presume that we all know, that of all the religious organizations in the world the SGI is run like a machine. It would be unthinkable for senior leaders not to have been aware of what people were saying or doing. The admiration for people like Sadanaga was of rock star quality - actually more so. Young men and women (when I joined I was 18) easily emulate those they admire the most and people did in fact do just that. For me, when I was first told that Ikeda was the true Buddha, I felt like I was being included into the circle of the true believers - a privilege for sure.

About being held back from assuming higher leadership roles, well of course, why would they want a rebel to poison the fragile minds of newer members. But yet maybe they were right as when the split occurred, the region we were part of broke away en masse and gave their support to the temple.

Here in Montreal the SGI headquarters's chief hounded me for a few years and even said he would try to get me fired from the college where I work.

I still chant, wife too, but my ideas about Nichiren Buddhism have changed radically over the last 20 years.

What about you?

Brian

Hi Bribri,

Welcome!

I don't visit this board that often anymore; I got a little tired of the negativity and hate that also live here. You have begun with a positive idea and I know you will soon hear from those that want nothing more than to keep the split alive and well, after all, one group is all right and the other group is all wrong!! LOL.

I am still a SGI-USA member but only attend occasional district discussion meetings. The Chapter and Area leaders are very nervous if you don't get glossy-eyed over the great mentor. It's so hard to see the people you once highly regarded and respected as brainwashed fools that are wasting their lives for the promise of "fortune" while their kids see the babysitter more than them. Many district-level leaders are so un-engaged and they never did study much and so they just can't see how far off the path the SGI is.

Anyway, enough of that. Just today I was thinking it would be great if there was a web-site launched that provided a way to link folks together in their own towns or cities if they just simply want the old fashioned discussion groups with chanting, gongyo and the gosho. It could be called ex-SGI member Connection or True Lay Organization or something like that. One problem: Nam myoho renge kyo or Namu myoho renge kyo. This is a dilema.

Thanks for the post and good luck keeping a positive idea going.

Dear Backnforth:

You must have been reading Mark Porter's mind. He created the Nichiren Sangha online community and has recently created a Nichiren Buddhist locator: [nblocater.org]

Mark

Interesting always to read the different posts from people. Today, I made the decision actually to cancel my SGI subscriptions. I thought they were gonna put up a fight on the other end, but they didn't. They said they will send me a check for the remaining amount. Wow! They did ask if I was still practicing, and I said a little. Huh, I wonder what is going to happen next.

I remember the lady who sponsored my Gohonzon saying that it isn't a big deal to get a Gohonzon. I think it is, as in one regard it is a representation of your life, or so I think it still is a little, but I don't know if that is some brainwashing that happened to me. My gohonzon has caused me to have more fear in my life than before, and good things happened before I received Gohonzon. This whole practice for sure has messed with my mind, and I am trying to pick up the ideas.

Let's see, what else? Let me ask any of you here who had been in the SGI longer than I have. I am and was always told that you can combine SGI with any other spiritual/ emotional thing, for example: yoga or other belief system. What I found was that this was hard for me. I would ask the leaders, and they would say: chant about it. It was and is hard for me to combine SGI with other belief systems because SGI members tend to feel that the SGI is the best thing out there, and nothing else.

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backnforth

I don't visit this board that often anymore; I got a little tired of the negativity and hate that also live here. You have begun with a positive idea and I know you will soon hear from those that want nothing more than to keep the split alive and well, after all, one group is all right and the other group is all wrong!! LOL.

I haven't been consistent with visiting this board. I was wondering what you mean by negativity? I haven't seen any, but was wondering if you could describe please what you mean by that? Thank you!

Hi backnforth, nice to meet you.

Well I'm used to the negativity and although new to this board, I expect that it may be plagued by persons wanting to extoll their own position, regardless of what anyone else thinks. And, to be frank, people will think that I fit that bill as well. Let's see. However, as I mentioned before, I think the time has come where perhaps there is enough common experience now, after all this time has passed since the split, that we can now begin to start anew on a better path.

The origin of the split, and not only the split, go way back to the 50's and 60's when Japanese immigrants coming to America brought with them certain sensibilities in conflict with our western, liberal-democratic culture. Specifically, we not only engage in polemics, we encourage it, whereas the Japanese are prone to sweep differences under the carpet. In fact, sweeping things under the carpet is considered to be a wise decision in Japan. Two examples of this approach spring to mind: the eradication of George Williams from the history of the SGI and the other, a similar eradication of the SGI from the history of Nichiren Shoshu. You can imagine how unthinkable it is for you Americans if all mention of Richard Nixon disappeared from text books, archives, media files etc..

I don't want to invite a tedious debate about this now when it is evident that there are enough people who know this and, with the time remaining for many, want to get on with building a new and appropriate association which is INCLUSIVE, rather than exclusive.

Leaders parroted a mistaken notion of the meaning of itai doshin and brought it down to a case of disciples following masters. It has been a major source of bad faith between people attracted to superiority based upon doctrinal interpretation. This has to be laid to rest once and for all. The Daishonin meant what he taught, many in body one in mind is not sharing the same ideas wants and desires, but rather the result of different people's putting their faith in NMRK and who try their best to learn the teachings of Nichiren's writings.

There are some web sites coming on line soon that I know of too. Tried the locator site but it appears not to function.

Would love to hear about your experience and anyone else too.

Brian

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Findingmywaytoday
Interesting always to read the different posts from people. Today, I made the decision actually to cancel my SGI subscriptions. I thought they were gonna put up a fight on the other end, but they didn't. They said they will send me a check for the remaining amount. Wow! They did ask if I was still practicing, and I said a little. Huh, I wonder what is going to happen next.

I forgot to mention that in cancelling my subscription, I thought I would feel relief. I know I did the best thing for me right now, but I didn't feel relieved. I felt a bit of sadness, not because I would miss the SGI per se, but it felt more like when you breakup with your boy or girlfriend, and even though the relationship is bad..you grieve, and feel like your hopes are dashed.

At one point, I had actually renewed my subscription, but became annoyed with the propaganda. I also became annoyed when another member acted like every word apparently written by Ikeda was gold.

I get sick to my stomach thinking about Ikeda, as I am sure many of us do, why is it so hard to fully disconnect? Has anyone turned in their Gohonzon?