4/19/12:
Hitch, I absolutely agree. If you no longer want to be a part of the SGI, you have to be extremely blunt with those folks. And if you’re lucky, maybe they’ll leave you alone. I’ve seen these people go to the houses of people who no longer attend meetings and they'll even go around to their backyards if there’s no answer at the front door!

Sirmrtony, the SGI-ers must’ve been absolutely salivating when you walked through their doors. You have 2 main things that they want: you’re young, and you have a mind they can easily mold and manipulate. I’m sorry you went through what you did, but that should only make your decision to leave all the more easier. Just remember - these people don’t own you and they aren’t the boss of you, so they can’t make you do anything you don’t want to.

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SGBye
I’ve seen these people go to the houses of people who no longer attend meetings and they'll even go around to their backyards if there’s no answer at the front door!

So have I!! I've also seen them invite themselves in, too. Perfect examples as to how they don't respect "normal" social norms, therefore one shouldn't feel constrained or obligated to do the same for them in return. On a related note, I've also had them get extremely pushy, crossing the borderline right over into rudeness, even on the telephone. You absolutely, must not only stand your ground, but, in my experience, you also have to push back so that they know who they are dealing with. Being submissive, polite and hesitant will only feed their desire to control and manipulate to their way of thinking and getting what they want from you.

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SGBye
Sirmrtony, the SGI-ers must’ve been absolutely salivating when you walked through their doors. You have 2 main things that they want: you’re young, and you have a mind they can easily mold and manipulate. I’m sorry you went through what you did, but that should only make your decision to leave all the more easier. Just remember - these people don’t own you and they aren’t the boss of you, so they can’t make you do anything you don’t want to.

The salivating mode is disgusting to witness, that's when the faking goes into ridiculous overdrive.

SGBye makes excellent points. They'll try to boss you around and control you, but only to the extent that you let them from the outset. If you grant them an inch, they'll take a foot. If you grant them a foot, they'll take a yard, etc.. Just know this from the outset and don't allow it to happen.

Stand firm and push back, then they will invariably reveal their true colors rather quickly.

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Hitch

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rattyboy
sirmrtony - I'm glad I read your entire post. What helps me from what you wrote, besides reading this anecdote of recent events, is reading: "I didn't want to be rude and leave. I stayed until I could find a GOOD reason to go home". Like my experience of feeling trapped in an auditorium and countless other incidents, there was basic social politeness besides the SGi's built in self-doubt reinforcers that would keep me from protecting my self from this drivel and control.

Regarding the bolded above, I found that one has to ditch this way of thinking in order to get rid of these people quickly and efficiently, for them to receive the message clearly. Common social courtesies should never be applied to gakkai members when they are manipulating you and they will NEVER give you the same "courtesies" in return, if you try to do so. Therefore, I simply stopped doing it. In my experience, they are very quick to reveal their claws and show their fangs.

I'm tempted to discuss matters with SGI members one at a time but it isn't worth it. Like a job that didn't work out for whatever reason, sometimes it isn't worth it trying to hash out the details of what went wrong and what wasn't working. Here at this forum I find it very helpful, but as far as attempting to confront a member with so much as a level dialogue, forget it. Like the comedian Bill Hicks said about not wasting time discussing controversy in a movie that was lousy anyway: "Its a piece of Sh*t, just walk away!"

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rattyboy
I'm tempted to discuss matters with SGI members one at a time but it isn't worth it. Like a job that didn't work out for whatever reason, sometimes it isn't worth it trying to hash out the details of what went wrong and what wasn't working. Here at this forum I find it very helpful, but as far as attempting to confront a member with so much as a level dialogue, forget it. Like the comedian Bill Hicks said about not wasting time discussing controversy in a movie that was lousy anyway: "Its a piece of Sh*t, just walk away!"

You are correct, a "level" dialogue truly isn't possible with people who are incapable of thinking critically. Their minds are like a logjam and can't progress beyond a certain point. I have, unfortunately, seen it many times.

Japanese commercials featuring the soka cult:

1. [www.youtube.com] "Got anything good to read? Seikyo Shimbun."
2. [www.youtube.com] "Put a new rhythm into your life. A new day for you starting tomorrow." With a soka gakkai jingle at the end.
3. [www.youtube.com] "What is your dream? Soka University."
4. [www.youtube.com] Soka Univ. U.S.A. promo.
5. [www.youtube.com] Japanese talk show apologizes for remarks about Ikeda ("send him back to China along with the pandas").

Also has some interesting political related clips for those that understand Japanese. Enjoy, watch & learn about the cult in Japan, while you can.

Here are some amateur sgi-usa member made commercials (these are pretty stomach churning). Enjoy the heavily sugared kool-aid on these two:

1. [www.youtube.com] Sensei worship.
2. [www.youtube.com] Protect the castle. Watch the dorky and overweight soka-han/gajokai superheroes watch over and protect the precious members and community centers. "We Will Protect The Gakkai."

And one more sip of the kool-aid before you go:

L.A. Parade, 99% of the clip is just crap but the highlight comes at the very end, ~ 1:40 min. mark [www.youtube.com]. 9-10 foot Gandhi, King, Ikeda banner portraits.

So it begins. May coming up its contribution time! Yesterday a member showed up at the store he works out & tells him she has
a gift for me. Great. Just got. a call fm someon e else who will
no doubt showup. That leaves sev more calls & visits to myhusband.
I can't believe this. I don't answer. It is annoying.

Lynne

Creep videos! Holy crap!

Hitch, those videos… Wow! I can’t believe that guy on the beach saying, “I want to hear his voice, watch his interaction with members, and make funny jokes” (I guess there are folks who enjoy watching Ikeda ridicule others). And I don’t care how many slow motion effects you put on footage of the Soka Group, they’re not ever going to look cool. Ever. To anyone.

BTW, just took a glimpse at the latest World Tribune and, as usual, their obsession with a certain word is in full throttle. It contains 6 main articles, three of which have the word “victory” or a variation of the word “victory” in their title. The centerpiece article covers their favorite subject: “The Ever-Victorious Kansai Spirit of Mentor and Disciple.” It’s amazing how they can get people to subscribe to this thing year after year when 90% of the articles are just rehashes of previous ones.

I feel so weird about this stuff. I was one of them.Not manipulative but still I can't be arrogant &point the finger. I need to
understand the psychology behind this. I don't think its productive otherwise. Who knows what the intent is? Is it in Japan where
tbwy plot to take over the world? I didn't know there were creepy commercials. I liked many of the members. So what is the trigger that turns good people into something else? I think I know. NoIt's not good. Why doesn't someone do an expose on the SGI? I wonder about how damaged I really am after so long entrenched, anxiety ridden &miserable?

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jlynneda63
Creep videos! Holy crap!

I agree. Creepy as hell.

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jlynneda63
I feel so weird about this stuff. I was one of them.Not manipulative but still I can't be arrogant &point the finger. I need to
understand the psychology behind this. I don't think its productive otherwise. Who knows what the intent is? Is it in Japan where
tbwy plot to take over the world? I didn't know there were creepy commercials. I liked many of the members. So what is the trigger that turns good people into something else? I think I know. NoIt's not good. Why doesn't someone do an expose on the SGI? I wonder about how damaged I really am after so long entrenched, anxiety ridden &miserable?

I was one of them, too. We all were.

The intent is to legitimize the cult and gain members. Lots of people don't know a lot of things about the cult in Japan, simply because they don't tell you and they don't want you to know. Just look at how they kept the priesthood problems away from everyone until it all blew up in their faces and they couldn't anymore. Well, the internet is the same way. They just can't control it. Doesn't mean they won't try, but they can't. Same thing applies to critical thinking, there's no defense against it.

Trigger? There are many. Fanaticism, dogma, ignorance, human nature. I think it's just a matter of time before an expose is done.

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SGBye
And I don’t care how many slow motion effects you put on footage of the Soka Group, they’re not ever going to look cool. Ever. To anyone.

All that matters is that they feel (sorry, I just gotta say it) "victorious", on the inside. ;-)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/2012 01:38PM by Hitch.