Quote
Upgrayed
Remember, Kosen Rufu needs a steady hand to guide it for the sake of success. Nothing is more steady than Attorneys, CEO's, Real Estate executives and other financial and business management types.

It's not because it's a business disguised as a religion.......


Ikeda the Billionare, who is benevolent and sacrifices for us.......excuse me I had to throw up.

Ha! It is because of the skillful mind#$@%ing done by SGI that Dave the carpenter and his compatriots do not see that the entire premise of their org is false. Cousin Rufus would not require Ikea to be a billionaire. It is so clear that he sacrifices nothing...only lowly rank and file members do any sacrificing, but that is for their own good, to build their "fortune". SGI is indeed a very successful business thinly disguised as a "religion", although when I was in we referred to it as a "philosophy", not a religion. That was part of deceptive recruitment practices. SGI is a "prosperity" Buddhism con of the same ilk as name it or claim it prosperity Christian preachers. Give them your money, and somehow you will receive money-total bs.

Regarding "fortune" babies...the couple I mentioned in a prior post was married at the community center, and afterwards had a baby boy (she already had two kids from a previous marriage). I babysat this little boy, and if anything he was an un-fortune baby. Not only did his parents separate soon after his birth (by necessity, the father was violently abusive), but once I had to flee with the child because the father was at the door threatening to break it down when I was babysitting. Thank goodness there was a front and back entrance! The husband went on to almost kill her, did a stint in prison, and she left the state to get away, otherwise he would continue to stalk her when he was released. The org knew all about this yet did nothing. This "fortune" baby did not have a moment of peace or security, even when he was in the womb. The whole concept of fortune baby is more cult propaganda.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/02/2012 09:36PM by Freeheartandmind.

Fortune Baby.

The entire concept is cult. The moonies get matched marriages so that they can ensure that intervening through relationship and offspring equals a trap whereas no one leaves the cult. It's a cult that attempts to control your every aspect, even getting in between the sperm and the egg.


The soka gakkai can't become full blown moonie because of the particular philosophy that it hijacked. Unfortunately, Ikeda and corporation have to walk a certain line to keep their ruse intact, but find a way to fufill their "moonie" designs with a more sophisticated polish.


Fortune Baby. Reflect on this term. It's insane.


Interesting that in the SGI cult, many fortune babies are half Asian. It seems that the SGI cult throws hardcore cult members from Japan and Taiwan at western members to create a foothold in this country. I have observed this directly.
What makes it appear to be arranged to a certain extent is how those marriages either have a husband who ends up in leadership or the husband is taiten or on the fringe. Sometimes the plan backfires.

The Japanese leaders and members in general, from what I have gathered, do not trust western members and keep a close eye on everything. The trusted western members are those who are married into the asian brigade of the SGI cult.

If you are Asian and join the SGI cult, they will trust you more and subtly imply that you are superior. Depending on your Asian origins, you may be higher or lower on the pecking order, all the way up to being Japanese.

Western members must sense this subtle hierarchy and if you don't........well you are not looking closely at your environment.


Again, nothing happens within the SGI cult by accident, its all designed. For you western members, especially Japanophiles, you do realize that you are seen objectively and only tolerated because they need you to play a role to ensure their growth and continued survival. You are laughed at and looked down upon.

The Japanese leadership wring their hands, upset that they only get the crazy Americans and can't tap into mainstream America. You are just useful fodder barely tolerated as they set their eyes on the big prize, the church going middle class.

Fortune Baby. Can't you see that you are being played like a f*cking violin?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/02/2012 10:06PM by Upgrayed.

Quote
Upgrayed

...The Japanese leaders and members in general, from what I have gathered, do not trust western members and keep a close eye on everything. The trusted western members are those who are married into the asian brigade of the SGI cult.

If you are Asian and join the SGI cult, they will trust you more and subtly imply that you are superior. Depending on your Asian origins, you may be higher or lower on the pecking order, all the way up to being Japanese.

Western members must sense this subtle hierarchy and if you don't........well you are not looking closely at your environment.

...For you western members, especially Japanophiles, you do realize that you are seen objectively and only tolerated because they need you to play a role to ensure their growth and continued survival. You are laughed at and looked down upon.

The Japanese leadership wring their hands, upset that they only get the crazy Americans and can't tap into mainstream America. You are just useful fodder barely tolerated as they set their eyes on the big prize, the church going middle class.

There was and is a definite preference for Japanese men in particular to be in positions of power. Even in low level group leader positions, half-Japanese were preferred. Japanese members were always smug, now I understand this was because American members were tolerated as a necessary evil. We couldn't kneel for long periods, or kneel sitting ramrod straight, and most of us ate too much as far as they were concerned.

I'm sure many gakkai-heads would point to Linda Johnson and say-"non Japanese! non-white!-non-male! You gakkai haters are wrong. Of course they have no concept of tokenism, or that she is an Ikea shill with no real power, a puppet on a string.

The Soka Gakkai hit these shores with the same determination as an attack on Pearl Harbor. They have no scruples and everything is permitted for survival. Instead of throwing bombs, they throw hardcore female cult members from Asia to burrow down into the fabric of American society. They use mind control with the same focus and aim as a smoking rifle.

Not to get people riled up in hatred against an ethnicity based on historic events, but this is a good metaphor for the level of concentration and purpose that the Soka Gakkai has brought regarding it's mission in this country.

They view this as war. They are here to make this country SGI. This is the energy. Many of the original "missionaries" are old now, but new blood is being flown in all the time. From the stories that I have read, there's always a young Japanese that comes into an area and becomes leader, trumping the locals, many who have the qualifications for leading.

Why? Because they don't trust people who have qualifications. If you are western and you are too successful, show natural leadership and have concrete study and insight, you are not trusted. You might even be brushed aside out of jealousy due to the influence you may have over other members, something that they covet.


Why is it that the Western leadership is always inept and backwards? Haven't you noticed that strong members with natural leadership and independent thought are ultimately pushed aside? This is not coincidence. They do not want anything that threatens their hegemony.

Because the chosen (because of their weakness) western leadership can be controlled, soka gakkai's control freak attitude has in fact, kept the SGI-USA from flourishing. The war like sentiment and energy that burns under the facade is a response to fear, Japanese leaders in over their heads with outlandish visions of conquest.

Get it straight in your head and figure out the reality. All the signs are there, just look closely. Now, obviously, not every person is a war hound Soka missionary soldier, but many are and headquarters is squarely a general command center.

Think about it. The military structure, the march music, rigid ritual systems ( kneel sitting ramrod straight) .......

Most of the leadership around George Williams were either Issei or Nisei and it was run like an army. Understand this. Today, it's more diverse, but only to keep the actual mission under cover.


Look at the national leaders. They are either Japanese, half Japanese or hardcore western members who talk and act in their speech like Japanese....surely this isn't so that they keep in good graces and be allowed to stay in their delusional reality.

You , those who stay in the SGI cult, all you are doing is stroking the ego's of these control freaks that are here for the purpose of fighting for their emperor, uh I mean Ikeda.

You are the defeated. You are the subjugated. You are their fuel to continue this madness. So, little slaves, go and spread the "gospel" and help these kind missionaries have over the top ego trips with the capture of middle class America.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/02/2012 10:57PM by Upgrayed.

If anyone thinks this is Japan bashing, that is not the case (I have driven nothing but Hondas and Toyotas for the last 25 years). I was enamored of many aspects of Japanese culture, and accepted their smugness, and imposition of Japanese cultural norms on we Americans because NSA was essentially a Japanese import. And we were "fortunate" to be able to participate in creating Cousin Rufus under their guidance, that was the mindset. So, being a second-class citizen in an org you practically gave your life to was OK. When some members decided it was not OK, they were shown the door (ie., the IRG).

If you are familiar with even basic Japanese history, you know that the Japanese have considered themselves above other Asians, and gajin are never really fully accepted, no matter how long they reside in Japan. It is similar to the deeply embedded racism in American culture, so deep that it is not recognized for what it is, and is even denied. There was no way to avoid Japanese preference in NSA/SGI, I do not think the "leaders" or Ikea ever considered the USA to be an equal player.

NSA/SGI leaders would mention that Sensei has great hope for the U.S. and its members as being the leaders in kosen rufu. The creative types are kept busy chasing the carrot knowing that celebrity worship is huge in the U.S. and the "behind the scenes" members who probably actually work harder, and this is profoundly noted in pronounced whispery stereotypically 'Asian' tones, well they would receive inconspicuous benefit down the line. I'm not sure how "Treasure Tower" is treated in other Nichiren teachings but it sounds like a Disney ride for pre-schoolers or a scratch ticket in the context of SGI usage.

Well its an interesting point to mention most of the so called general directors world wide in place are Japanese and if not other key positions are held by Japanese. As one of my fore-speakers I do not mean that in a racist way. SGI is a predominantly Japanese organisation and for any Japanese expats any where in the world and who are members of SGI it serves as a safehaven. Interesting enough other Nichiren schools like Nichiren Shu make a point in recent years to encourage the ordination of non-Japanese (men AND women). It is bound to have an effect on this school as whole in years to come, one just has to wait and see. At the same time it is even more interesting that for an organisation that underlines so called world citizenship, world peace etc. and so forth it is still so heavily Japanese based and controlled. Okay rather rhetoric that question in a way.

At any rate I too get the impression that SGI seems to be loosing its impetus … the number of members as stated by SGI is no indicator as they only count (if the do at all) Gohonzons issued and not those leaving or dormant.

The question of assets is also a tricky one, as at least here in Europe policy has been to obtain prestigious estates, most of them even listed buildings – so they can still keep up a mainstream appearance with the odd children paintings exhibitions or so called cultural events … having said that SGI's definition of culture is quite mediocre and (what a surprise) uncritical.

A certain kind of xenophobia has always been present in Japanese history this was also targeted against Buddhism as whole as the so called Haibutsu kishaku shows.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/2012 05:06AM by Rothaus.

Great posts. In case there is any confusion, I am no way bashing Japan or Japanese people in general. What I am bashing is the cult mentality which in this case, happens to be Japanese. I am sure christian missionaries that have gone abroad beyond the west had their own form of zealotry and sense of conquest, of course this thread is not about the attitudes of christian missionaries.

Because of historical ties, the issue may waiver on being politically incorrect, but ultimately, we are discussing cults and more specifically a Japanese cult, the Soka Gakkai. This particular cult as most cults, uses mind control and rhetoric to get people to follow. It's a domino effect. The Japanese members themselves were and are manipulated and used, played like violins. They then come here and do the same to us. It's less nationality and ethnicity, but more the
cold steel of cult manipulation and its grip which watersheds like a virus upon everyone who comes within its contact.

What was the process of leaving cult NSA/SGI like for you? Mine was gradual, going through the motions of practicing for a while after doubts had entered my mind. I recall feeling disoriented for a time, both in and out of the org at the same time. Of course I had to overcome the superstitious fear that something bad would happen if I stopped chanting and left the cult. I did not seek "guidance". It was a bewildering experience, but I pushed through it until eventually I woke up.

I find it interesting that some who went "taiten" continued to chant, and some like myself discarded the entire practice. I returned my Gohonzon to the community center, got rid of all the other paraphernalia, and moved on. I am sorry that I discarded pictures from the 1973 pilgrimage. I had felt oppressed by the twice daily mandatory prayers which were quite longer back then. And I had realized that confirmation bias was at the root of the "it works!" proclamations by giddy members, of which I was once one. However, chanting did have some meditative value that the pressure to chant for longer and longer periods cancelled out. It never occurred to me to disassociate Buddhism from NSA, but I can see why some went that route.

I went on to date a guy whose mom was a Jehovah's Witness, and she was so relentless I agreed to a "bible study", which is how they begin their brainwashing process. I almost joined, but could never pull the trigger on officially becoming a member, thank goodness. After dodging this bullet I started critically examining my NSA experience and became a lot more discerning about religions in general. I experienced NSA nightmares (they are much more infrequent now) and even felt strange urges to re-connect, leading me to the Taiten group on Yahoo and this thread, for which I am grateful.

There is life after cults, good, free-thinking life.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/2012 06:58AM by Freeheartandmind.

One of the keys to understanding specifically the gakkai cult, is to understand the Japanese mindset and way of doing things. Of course, these things exist in any culture, but they are particularly engraved in stone, pervasive and instinctively respect worthy in Nippon-koku, and by natural extension the metastasized cult org. hot spots internationally.

Cult org. pockets outside of Japan serve as instant ready made communities for multigenerational transplanted Japanese abroad. Instantaneous acceptance and trustworthiness, by mere virtue of racial background. Any Japanese ancestry is an automatic fast track through the door of the cult org. and promotion. It's not guaranteed, but it's a definite leg up over anyone else that isn't. Racial nepotism is understood with an illicit wink and a nod by all of the Japanese members and, especially, leadership in the gakkai. The whole concept of "race" in and of itself is so ignorant and, ironically, goes against everything the pseudo-buddhist cult org. is supposed to stand for at its core, that it truly exposes the org. for what it is - a superficial, hypocritical, lying, manipulative and self-serving cult.

Nobody is ever going to come right out and say it, but non-Japanese members are pretty much regarded and treated on a different (lower) level from the Japanese members. There are token round eyes here and there, but the vast majority of them, if you look closely, have a Japanese spouse standing behind them somewhere to keep them on the proper path, lest they stray. Most are also Japanophiles to begin with, to some degree, and if they don't enter with a Japanese spouse, then they are eventually harvested one, either from the local transplanted crop or original stock back in the motherland. I could give an alphabetized listing of names of salaried leaders who either fall into these categories or eventually will (Japanese spouse pre- or post- membership / Japanese expatriate / Asian or Japanophile, with or to someday have a Japanese spouse / fortune babies to one or more Japanese parents / etc.).

Ironically, in the motherland, the international Japanese members themselves are relegated to secondary (again lower) member status than those who never ventured abroad. There is, of course, lip service to the contrary, but the reality of it in practice keeps 100% in tune with the original mindset discussed above.

***********

On that same theme (Japanese mindset), it also explains the perceived justification for keeping the dear leader's current situation under wraps. He is more than likely post-stroke status (left hemisphere) and not ambulating well, but recovering. The sudden disappearance and later phantom status, for years, the gradual reappearance in only still photos (looking odd) and now, brief, staged, semi-public appearances in hardcore gakkai venues being driven around in a tri-colored mini-gakkai-mobile, where he only waves and nods to smiling members at a distance. Private health issues are just that in Japan - private. In this case, however, any public admission serves to open the cult org. up to reverse negative confirmation bias (head being split open into seven pieces and being struck down before Nikken, etc.). The cult org. is in orchestrated image spin control for the sake of its power and influence. Once again, the hypocrisy of this kind of behavior is of no concern whatsoever to the cult leadership (honesty to the membership, giving them a chance to pray for and support an ill person, etc.).

Say one thing and do the complete opposite. It happens all the time, everywhere, but it's an instinctive mandatory mode of behavior in the cult org.. Always has been and shall always be. The cult brainwashing justifies it and the inherent denial of the membership allows such a state to exist. The cult org. uses credulity to abuse and manipulate to perpetuate itself first, and do altruistic window dressing as a secondary afterthought just to keep up appearances.