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lthomas
Also, another thing that I noticed within SGI was the fact that, the higher you were promoted, the more colder you seemed. It was as if normal human emotions such as, sadness (and in some cases anger) were not allowed. I remember one time suffering as a result of a emotionally abusive relationship. I got no support at all. The members kept telling me that, I was the one who cause this to happen to me. They purport to this as if it was the result of a past life time that I had shared with this person that cause this to happen. I also remember a young woman being molested and her going for guidance and being told that she chose for it to happen to her as a result of a past life. There was ( and still is) so much of that going on. The thing about it though was those same people who were talking about all of these things would slander, curse, and demean others if something bad happen to them.
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tsukimoto
SGI leaders are not necessarily the sharpest knives in the drawer anyway...they're more on the look-out for people who question or criticize SGI.
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bobze39
Hitch, you are absolutely right, I totally brought it all on myself by screwing around, (I am not the only one, who brought bad stuff on himself by screwing around, I mean, look at Clinton, there is a new PBS documentary about him) in fact, because of this realization, for a while, I didn't even feel angry at SGI, I almost felt, that they were punishing me fairly. But the time passed, and just as Clinton and Monica Lewinsky are allowed to return back to their normal lives, I feel that I should be too. But here is the difference between SGI "justice" and regular justice, in a regular justice system, even if you are punished by public opinion, there is always a time limit (unless you get life in prison). But religious fanatics just keep it up. And that's when I realized, that it wasn't even about me anymore, SGI just needs enemies! Once again I will quote Tsukimoto's post on page 27, because it is really the key to understanding the way SGI thinks: I have read on another online forum that I go to, that, these days, SGI is talking less about the evils of Nikken/Nichiren Shoshu -- and more about "traitors" within SGI itself, which is part of the rationale behind the Code of Conduct. Kind of makes sense, in a paranoid, cynical way. Nikken's been retired for years, Nichiren Shoshu pretty much ignores SGI...even SGI can't keep pounding the same drum for twenty years. Harping on "an enemy" is a way that leaders can manipulate followers. Hitler unified the German people by lying about and scapegoating the Jews and the Roma people (gypsies), Joe McCarthy unified Americans against the communist threat...the list goes on and on throughout history. Now, SGI will be sacrificing those members who can ask questions and think for themselves.
For those of you, who read my previous post, it might seem unlikely that it's possible to turn people against someone to the point that they are going to refuse to give recommendation letters. Well, to clarify this, they use the same technique they use to shakubuku people. The same idea, BREAK AND SUBDUE, they break person's old belief system and impose a new one. A little human revolution. If person believed that it's good to go to the church on Sundays, now he/she believes that it's good to chant for a new car. Quite a transformation, right? Also might seem unlikely. But they do accomplish it by some psychological tricks. Well, the same with defaming someone, you just have to break the old belief system about the person and impose a new one. Before your teacher (or a colleague, a neighbour) believed that you are a good person, and oversudden they believe, that you are a piece of ... Can be done. Just another little human revolution. The same set of psychological tricks.
I my case, they needed to make a little human revolution in the heart of the key person in my life at the time, my mentor and academic advisor, who was going to give me the most important recommendation. They learned that he was gay, and decided to go from there. (Probably if they wanted to shakubuku him, they would tell him that Nichiren loved gays). They played him like a violin. But they played it smart. They didn't just approach him and say "your such and such student is a homophobe." He probably wouldn't believe them. No, they approached his best friend, and convinced his best friend that I was a piece of ... (by telling him that I took advantage of one female student, who was his favorite) and homophobic. And then this best friend told my advisor that I was homophobe. Now - he believed his best friend. People tend to believe their friends. That's why SGI encourages members to bring their friends to meetings. Shakubuku through friends works. Defaming through friends works too.
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Hitch
Sgi leaders' code of conduct = SIEG HEIL!![/quote
HAI
SGI leader: Hai!
SGI member: Hi!
SGI leader: No. HAI
SGI member: How high?
SGI leader: Can you give an experience at the next Area meeting?:
SGI member: Ok. How about the time I went to Atlantic City and lost all my money. I had to beg the toll man to let me through the Lincoln tunnel. I chanted to myself and he let me go through. Then I went home and ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and spaghetti, ketchup, and canned peas for two weeks.
SGI leader: Did you learn anything from the experience?
SGI member: Yes, to always leave toll money in the car and stock up on food before I go to Atlantic city. I also thought about what Sensei would do in my situation.
SGI leader: You did?
SGI member: He would call his chauffer to bring him another bag of Zaimu.
SGI leader: You certainly have done a lot of human revolution.
SGI member: Like Zapata?
SGI leader: No. Like Sennichi Yamamoto.
SGI member: Who dat?
SGI leader: That is Sensei’s fictionalized name in his book, The Human Revolution.
SGI member: Oh yeah, I forgot. We read about him last year, the year before that, the year before that, and the year before that. There were no battles or anything except with that old priest Ogasawara. Sennichi roughed him up pretty good.
SGI leader: Of course there are no battles except with the Dantos, the Kempon Hokke, and the Nichiren Shu. This is a battle with yourself, a battle to follow Sensei no matter what, like he followed his mentor, President Toda.
SGI member: Like Simon Bolivar says?
SGI leader: More like Simple Simon says: President Ikeda says do this, President Ikeda says do that, President Ikeda says do this, and President Ikeda says do that, and you do it. But if your heart and mind says do this or do that, don’t do it.
SGI Member: You mean if President Ikeda says, Nichiren is the True Buddha, and President Ikeda says, only recite the Hoben-pon and Jiga-ge sections of the Lotus Sutra, and President Ikeda says, only believe in the Nichikan Gohonzon, and President Ikeda says, touch your nose, and President Ikeda says touch your left shoulder, you do it. But if you feel like chanting the entire 16th Chapter, or if you feel compelled to revere Shakyamuni as the Eternal Original Buddha, or if your tushy itches, you don’t scratch it because President Ikeda didn’t say to touch your tushy.
SGI leader: That is overcoming your negativity and your ego. That is human revolution!
SGI member: Now I understand. Sennichi threw that old priest, Ogassawara, into the pond because President Toda said to throw him in. I bet President Ikeda would tell us to throw Rev. Nagasaki of the New York temple into the Hudson river.
SGI leader: That would be too good for him. But first you have to clean President Ikeda’s toilet in the President’s room.
SGI member: But no one has been up to that room in 12 years.
SGI leader: President Ikeda says to keep his toilet clean because you never know when he might show up.
SGI member: Hai!
SGI leader: Heil
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Nichijew
SGI leader: That would be too good for him. But first you have to clean President Ikeda’s toilet in the President’s room.
SGI member: But no one has been up to that room in 12 years.
SGI leader: President Ikeda says to keep his toilet clean because you never know when he might show up.
SGI member: Hai!
SGI leader: Heil
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bobze39
Now - he believed his best friend. People tend to believe their friends. That's why SGI encourages members to bring their friends to meetings. Shakubuku through friends works. Defaming through friends works too.
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Hitch
The Führer Ikeda room is another fascinating glimpse into psychology. I've seen those rooms, sitting under lock and key (controlled by a pioneer Japanese SS-Obaasan), fully and grandly furnished, yet empty shrines where they even bow before entering to clean them. Again, creepy, but also sad.