Another little goodie:

Date: Tue, Apr 17, 2012 at 8:10 AM
Subject: Day 2 April SGI Training Course

Today was a packed schedule from morning until night. We began with a tour of the Min-On Culture Center which was a fantastic experience for all participants as they were treated to performances on historic pianos dating from the 1600's up until now. The final piece played was Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man" on the piano famous cellist Pablo Casals played while in Puerto Rico. The members from Puerto Rico were especially encouraged by this piece.

Next, we visited the SGI Women's International Center where we saw the SGI-USA Women's flag displayed along with many artifacts of Sensei's struggle together with Mrs. Ikeda. The members were especially wowed by the Cyrstal Ship Chandelier hanging in the lobby.

We were then able to view the new 3 Presidents Exhibit at the Soka Friendship Center. After chanting daimoku in the Vow room, the training course participants saw many never seen before treasures on exhibit such as the message from President Toda to young Daisaku Ikeda on May 3, 1951, the day of his inauguration. The message was written on the back of a photograph of President Toda marking his inauguration and expressed President Toda's eternal bond of mentor and disciple with Daisaku Ikeda. We also saw the headline of a popular Osaka newspaper in July 1956 which declared that the Soka Gakkai made the Impossible, Possible in reporting the election victory of the Soka Gakkai candidate which was the result of Sensei's victorious Kansai campaign.

Afterwards we received an earth-shaking 1 hour lecture by Soka Gakkai Vice General Director Hasegawa. He spoke extensively and passionately about the deep significance of May 3rd. He said that it is the day when disciples rise and fulfill their mission, it is the day of the shared struggle of mentor and disciple and shared victory of mentor and disciple. Mr. Hasegawa also stressed that the determination "I will not be defeated by anything" is another name for "genuine disciple" There is so much more to share but in conclusion, he shared the following 6 points of Sensei on how to live our lives:

1. Never build one's own happiness on the unhappiness of others.
2. Having the heart to feel the joy of dedicating one's life for the sake of the people, society and the country.
3. Be honest and sincere to everyone and treasure those working behind the scenes.
4. Become a person who can instill people with hope and courage.
5. Never, ever backslide in faith
6. The path of mentor and disciple is the very path to victory and happiness.

Mr. Hasegawa encouraged us to confirm these six principles in our lives before this May 3rd , upholding them as our philosophy and put them into practice.

Lastly all the SGI Training Course participants were able to have one to one dialogues with the top SGI leaders, getting direction and encouragement for their respective countries. We can't wait until tomorrow's Headquarters Leaders meeting which will be in commemoration of May 3rd, Presidents Day and SGI Mothers Day. We will report again tomorrow evening.

Thank you, Training Course Participants.

And one more:

(Sent to all zone 4D leaders in West)

Date: Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 8:44 AM
Subject: April 2012 Training Course Day 1

There are 17 members from SGI-USA on this April 2012 Training Course. This is an historic training course with participants from the islands in the Pacific and in the Caribbean: 5 from Hawaii, 1 from Guam, 2 each from Puerto Rico and St. Maarten, 1 each from Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and Curacao. Some of the members in the Caribbean actually traveled over 24 hours in total to reach Japan!! With great pride, members from each island brought a stone from their country which will be placed among the stones of the 192 SGI countries in the new SGI Central HQ building!!

We began the first day of activities at the SGI HQ with an inspiring message from Sensei. He said in part: "The SGI is now welcoming a new era of kosen-rufu with a groundswell of capable Bodhisattvas of the Earth emerging from every corner of the world...Towards the centennial of the founding of the Soka Gakkai and the completion of the new Central Headquarters in 2013, let us seek out and foster many individuals of ability and build a solid, Soka castle of capable people in your respective countries."

Afterwards, we did Gongyo with SGI General Director Oba, he shared that on April 4th, Sensei had been taking photographs of the different kinds of cherry blossoms. Later in the day, the island participants were so fortunate to each receive a photograph of these cherry blossoms. Mr. Oba spent time conversing with each participant, asking in detail about their lives and their struggles for kosen-rufu in their own countries. It was moving to hear from each participant about their unique activities in their homelands.

In the afternoon, the MD and YMD were able to have an in-depth question and answer session with Soka Gakkai Vice President Yoshihara. The WD and YWD met with SGI Vice WD leader Ms.Morimoto and also got a special surprise visit from Mrs.Hachiya. Their session was supposed to last only one hour but due to the great seeking minds of the participants, the session lasted almost 3 hours!! The WD leaders truly gave their all to encourage the visiting members.

Most of the participants have never been to Japan and attended an SGI Training Course. They are all beyond excited with every experience and opportunity to seek Sensei and make an eternal bond with him while here in Japan.

Thank you very much,

From the April 2012 Training Course!

"No matter how daunting the present realities or how treacherous the path forward, we must remember that hope is fostered only through ceaseless, tenacious efforts for peace." Daisaku Ikeda

It's the worse reason to stay in the org and it's deceitful to the other person. NO HOOK UPS young man!!!!!

Sirmrtony, I forgot to add: regarding members fawning all over you, the ones who are the super-nicest will most likely be some of the same ones who can potentially transform into hideously rude people should you "abandon your faith." It's luck of the draw, but just be forewarned.

***********

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TheVoid
Man this stuff is so embarrassing. It's a cult we all know it.

As bad as those clips are, I've seen far worse from my actual days in the cult (gakkai communities/buildings in Japan - aka: a rich version of mini-North Korea mentality once inside; members' experiences at meetings; members' behavior in campaigns; actually doing soka-han/gajokai myself).

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TheVoid
They are all to a greater or lesser degree trying to brainwash people into FAITH. Faith is belief in unprovable beings and forces. And ultimately faith is seen as more important than knowledge. We need to wake up to this devisive nonsense.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Agreed 100%. Faith is not a virtue, nor is it a badge of honor and something to be proud of. It's precisely the opposite on all counts.

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simplify
Oh and it spends a lot of money buying honours, monuments and recognition for its dear leader. If an honour can't be bought, Ikeda has his own universities where he can give honours to others so that he will be repaid in kind.

That's exactly what he does.

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simplify
SGI makes a big song and dance about being an organisation committed to promoting world peace, but what does it actually do as an organisation (as opposed to efforts that individual members may make)? It does a lot of talking about it and a team of ghost writers produce Ikeda's 'Peace Proposal' each year. My personal view on this is that Ikeda wants the Nobel peace prize, so gets his PR team to set up photo ops with as many world leaders as he can and the Peace proposals are part of that goal. It is all a load of talk and no action. Ikeda doesnt particularly want world peace, he wants the Nobel Peace prize and more power.

Nobel nominations come from previous winners in the same category; hence, all of his "dialogues" with such people. I'm sure there are intense machinations going on behind the scenes after his meetings to get these people to officially nominate him as well. I don't think the Swedish Academy is as naive as Ikeda would like them be, however.

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simplify
Yes there are lots of good, kind, even admirable people in the organisation, but that doesn't mean it isn't a cult. Nobody who is in a cult likes to admit to themselves that they've been deceived, so a lot of these good people stay with it. And some of them are so deeply brainwashed and their perception of reality is so flawed that they will never see what the SGI is. And for some of them it is such a major part of their lives that it would be almost cruel if they were to realise the truth.

I, unfortunately, know people in both categories. Some of them actually need the cult's support mechanisms and environment to simply live and function - essentially, to be unsane, but happy.

Nobody in the organization will want to admit it's a cult and for anybody just getting out, it's a bitter pill to swallow. It most definitely is a cult, a very rich one with money and power.

Redrose - those are some great insight into the purpose behind the cult retreats, the mentality and the brain roto-rootering that accompanies.

@sirmrtony: I was visiting a crowded SGI community center with some friends and walking through the center of the auditorium with a big smile on my face when a beautiful young woman with perfectly conditioned hair stepped in front of me with her entourage of smiling girl friends around her and said to me very flirtatiously: "I bet you shakabuku a LOT of people". I couldn't help but be honest and had already been working on my escape from the SGI, (ever so slowly). So I said in this kind of Jerry Seinfeld off the cuff way, "Nahh." The beautiful woman and her entourage froze for a moment and then quickly retreated into the crowd. Sure, for a moment I thought that was lame of me to say, there was a potential benefit, friendship, relationship what have you, but I was also immediately amused and satisfied in my honesty and that I had encountered shallowness.

Thank you, redrose, for posting those emails. The mindset in which they’re written is so warped and creepy. They act as if being given a photograph shot by Ikeda is some priceless treasure that will transform their lives. They’re also soooo appreciative that the big leaders are spending their valuable time talking to them. Isn’t that what they’re supposed to be doing anyway? What did they travel all the way to Japan for in the first place?

And when did Hiromasa Ikeda become Vice President? Either I forgot that this had already happened or it happened recently. Nevertheless, it’s no earth-shattering surprise that the SGI will now be run as a monarchy.

Did you notice the reference to the new HQ buildings. My question is how long will they go on with the charade that Ikeda is still running everything. I do not wish him any ill well, just be transparent. I know, I'm asking for too much.

Guys..Again I'm saying PRES IKEDA HAS NOT BEEN IN A NEW PHOTO SINCE 2010! He has had some permanent incident such as a ztroke AND IT IS BEING COVERED UP. Why, i don't know. If u look through your WT u will see that they are doctoring old photos to look current but therw is no date. You can totally tell! His son is the only person to recieve for his dad.....crazy!
As for myself, got my third SGI contact today. We r takibg bets. It's Ziamo time. This time the person said she is coming to bring us inhalers which we were accepting in return for books. I can't believe it....we could bet on how many SGI members will contact people before ziamu is due! Then someone here will win victoriously!