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opendoor
holly__golightly-- so sorry for what you went through in the YWD and so happy that you have managed to get out of SGI. I know many others, (myself included) who have had similar experiences. The whole thing of meeting the Mentor's expectations (replying to the Mentor) is about the most un-Buddhist idea one could possibly dream up. As I have been learning about REAL Buddhism for the past several years, I have discovered that the Buddha taught that attachment and aversion are the main causes of suffering-- that means-- being attached to certain outcomes-- EXPECTATIONS-- is a primary cause of unhappiness, discontent, disappointment, etc. The SGI sets people up to attach to certain outcomes for themselves and for the group (all those manufactured goals for meetings, etc) which can only cause anxiety and disappointment OR temporary high feeling which will soon need to be replaced by something new (all is impermanent). It's like an endless training in exactly the opposite of what the Buddha taught!!

When I was still a member but began on my own to read more widely about Buddhism, I came across this statement by the Buddha in which he basically said that ALL of his teachings (that would include the Lotus Sutra) were like a "finger pointing to the moon" and that one must be very careful not to take one for the other. When I read that quote, I thought, my god-- SGI is all finger -- moon completely dropped out of sight!!

Thanks, opendoor and others who have acknowledged my experience. You are absolutely right that the SGI sets up people in this way. However, they are clever because they also give the message that enlightenment is all about achiveing a high life state, revealing our buddhahood and drawing out the buddhahood in others, etc especially in study sessions. There are so many mixed messages, in complete opposition with each other, as there is also a big drive on people achieving their determinations for kosen rufu, based on fulfilling Ikeda's great vision of course. Everything has to be based on that otherwise it won't work - it's the law of the universe :) One theory I heard from a senior leader was if your life state was high you would naturally resolve all the problems in your life. A bit like the whole 'doing activities for kosen rufu sorting out your karma' thing yeah right, good luck with that one.

I think one (of the many) final straws for me was when someone gave us yet another 'daimoku' chart at a big meeting and started talking about how we could all draw up a Bucket List (like the film of the same name) as if it was a really new idea. I sat there thinking my whole time in this organisation has been one big Bucket List, only mine must have had a big hole in it!

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Hitch

Next on the agenda, ridiculous amateur cult member performances. This is bonding time for the retreat attendees, where everyone makes a fool of themselves in order to regress (control) your behavior and influence your emotions. Perform, be silly and be mindlessly obedient. From the 3:36 min. mark.

- Hitch

Lol, I can so relate to this. When I first started to practice I was horrified at all the singing and performing we were expected to do. I would sometimes go in the toilets to avoid one particular group song. It was all the pressure and expectation to do it that upset me. I remember being in tears at one particular incident when all the youth division seemed very happy to get up and sing a (hated) song except me. It wasn't like we were exactly ordered to do it but there were the looks of disappointment on people's faces if I didn't which got to me and I felt like I must be the odd one out.

However after years of guidance to 'open my heart' and subtle messages that the problem was with me and it was all about changing my karma, I slowly got infiltrated into into it all until there was (hardly) any embarrassment whatsoever and I could do whatever I was asked, singing, stupid plays, terrible dances, didn't matter.

I even congratulated myself on how I had won over my ego, when all the time I was just an excellent brainwash subject. I do remember feeling a twinge of embarrassment when a work colleague who had only just been introduced to the practice unexpectedly turned up at a big event and I was called on stage to sing a group song (probably something about how we all love Sensei). I think I managed to brazen it out and just told myself it was another challenge. Like you say Hitch, it's all about regressing our emotions, and stopping our thinking so that we are better influenced - I see that so clearly now.

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Hitch

(Hitch's comment: I can't tell you how many old cliches these "leaders" are still parroting. None of them have changed. "From the bottom of my heart", "it's *SO* unusual that sensei does this for us", "congratulations!', "the essential thing to take back is sensei's words, his "special" message

- Hitch

I know what you mean with this one Hitch. Everything is always so unusual isn't it? I think nearly every course I went on there was some kind of 'unusual' quality attributed to it. Whether it was the first time that a particular area were together for the first time, or the first time that Sensei had directed a message toward a particular group it was all very unusual, special and deeply significant. I always tried to pay serious attention when these unusual things were mentioned, always feeling slightly guilty that I couldn't feel as excited about them as I should. Just another way of dressing something up into being a huge deal when it wasn't at all.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/02/2013 07:52PM by holly_golightly.

I invited a colleague to one of those big Buddhist pep rallies, in the NSA days. He told everyone at work he had attended a Buddhist hootenanny. I too was always embarrassed but gradually internalized the message that there was something wrong with me for not being able to suspend my critical thinking, or as they frame it, looking outside myself and using intellect, like a "sharihotsu" another word for a know-it-all.

Trying to find Buddhism in the current SGI is like trying to buy bread at a hardware store.

"Moonlight smiling in the night...la la la la la"

LOL!!! One of my teenage son's new friends, who is tall, handsome, charming, and charismatic, identified himself as Christian right up front, and commented that he hopes for a career in the ministry (uh oh), and this afternoon, on the way back from the beach, he was saying stuff about "before I turned my life around." Telling the 4 other boys that you're allowed to kiss but not do anything else. So, since I just read what is posted of Spartacus' "experience" (see link upstream this thread), I piped up that one of the first things a cult tries to do is to control your sexuality, telling you what you're "allowed" to do and when and with whom, because that's a big ploy in gaining control over you. Mr. Christian then started blathering about how "cult" comes from "culture" and that it's just different, not necessarily bad, that people think "cult" means voodoo or Satanism OH WHAT THE HELL!!!

This boy's parents divorced when he was 1, his dad lives in another town, he lives with his mom and stepdad, new younger siblings on both sides, so it's very likely that he's got those messy father issues, just like what Spartacus was talking about.

I maintain a religion-free zone for my kids and their friends, so I'm always on the alert when a new friend announces right up front his religious affiliation. Been there, done that - know what I mean??? Anyone who thinks he's going to poach on *MY* territory is going to find himself in for some serious dialogue!!!

Here's the Spartacus experience I mentioned: [spartacusrebel.weebly.com]

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TaitenAndProud
Hey, I was just over at Spartan's site, and where's Chapter 5???

I don't believe he (Spartacus) ever finished it. What's on-line may also be just a preview for a future book (?). I can't really say, because I don't know. One thing I do know, however, is that much of what's in that story rings absolutely true.


- Hitch

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holly_golightly
I would sometimes go in the toilets to avoid one particular group song. It was all the pressure and expectation to do it that upset me.

I would do the EXACT same thing. I kid you not. It was my way to avoid the torture of having to sit through some of that ridiculous stuff. Sometimes I returned to the meeting later, other times, I didn't - I just left entirely.

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holly_golightly
However after years of guidance to 'open my heart' and subtle messages that the problem was with me and it was all about changing my karma, I slowly got infiltrated into into it all until there was (hardly) any embarrassment whatsoever and I could do whatever I was asked, singing, stupid plays, terrible dances, didn't matter.

I did a stupid thing or two when I was in the cult org. (some of the uniforms come to mind). Looking back now, I don't know how I ever did it. I would never stand for such a thing today. I will say, however, that as a YMD, there were certain dangerous stunts that I just flat out refused to participate in - and I mean just flat out refused; that was a line that I wasn't going to allow them to cross. I got hell for it to, but I didn't care.

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holly_golightly
Everything is always so unusual isn't it? I think nearly every course I went on there was some kind of 'unusual' quality attributed to it. Whether it was the first time that a particular area were together for the first time, or the first time that Sensei had directed a message toward a particular group it was all very unusual, special and deeply significant. I always tried to pay serious attention when these unusual things were mentioned, always feeling slightly guilty that I couldn't feel as excited about them as I should. Just another way of dressing something up into being a huge deal when it wasn't at all.

That's a gakkai cult org.'s leader's job, to manufacture and cultivate a delusion. It's always some kind of "anniversary" or some mystically significant gakkai cult date, event, or meeting. The Dear Leader is speaking especially to you, your group or your area. I've also heard, at big events, .... "I have a special announcement: I've just been handed a special message from $GI President Daisaku Ikeda, SENSEI!!" multiple times. "He wrote this message especially for us, on this historically significant day!" Every event, every meeting, is your "special" time. "CONGRATULATIONS!" In the gakkai cult org., everyday is your birthday, with a special mystical message directly from "Sensei" - who always knows (just like Santa Claus).

It took me a while, but I eventually caught on. Sometimes, I would even "Congratulate" a "leader" first before they could do it to me. That one always made them freeze up with surprise for a couple of seconds. One way to confuse a gakkai leader, is to throw sarcasm back in their face. They simply are not used to it.

In between perennially special events, they also create significant goal years to work towards. It's always going to be "The Year of this" or "The Year of that" in the cult org.. I believe it is also different in the different countries, depending on the state of the cult org. in that particular country (e.g., if they need more "YOUTH!", then it will be "The Year of Developing Youth", etc.). Currently, I believe the big manufactured cult org. goal is 2030. 2030 will come, be anti-climactic, and go, then there will be another. Repeat, endlessly.

It's one big con-job for Cousin Rufus. "Tomorrow's Golden Dream" for Cousin Rufus, is always going to be "Higher Than Sky, HIIIIIIIGHER than the sky!"


- Hitch

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Hitch
Currently, I believe the big manufactured cult org. goal is 2030. 2030 will come, be anti-climactic, and go, then there will be another. Repeat, endlessly.

- Hitch

Yes, indeed 2030 - I've heard about this one. By making it so far into the future they have given themselves an opportunity to hype this one to the skies and to keep people practising despite not seeing the results.

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sixtyseven
article
Found the article at Focus online politics. All in German, maybe you can look for an equivalent article in the US or UK. Would be interesting, if the article is on worldwide media.
Ikeda the LEADING BUDDHIST in the headline.
Ikeda the good man helps the poor.
Ikeda commanding for training of education in Human Rights at global level. Should we all join SGI to learn about human dignity? Get rid of your democratic rights folks and devote yourself to the Cult!
Ikeda the philosopher. Hahaha. Is he allowed to call himself a philosopher? You can call yourself a philosopher anytime, that means not that Ikeda is an academic philosopher! Ask Wikipedia and he is only the japanese author first.
Ikeda the peacemaker to China-Japan by talking, he is called "Friedensstifter". Thats the icing of the cake, his 45 years of deep friendship with China is affected and my tears are now flowing, the good man is in grief. He proposes dialog, even a hot debate is welcome. Ever heard the Leader in a hot debate. No? Guess thats why he alone is talking all the time and nobody is allowed to confront/challenge him.
Build up Cousin Rufus Reich with his peace proposal title:" COMPASSION, WISDOM and COURAGE-Establishing a global society of peace and creative coexistence"
Welcome in hell!
Wrong Wrong Wrong. Who can stop the man, he is a LIAR!

article canadian news
Prepare sandwiches for Eastasia Youth will go fishing to Senseikaku-Diaoyu-Islands.
I ask myself if he will be driven by the heated debate seated on the back seat of a black limousine waving with a white cap.

Years ago, Umberto Eco wrote an essay on the basic structure of fascism. For fun you can look at it and see whether there are any similiarities to what you saw for yourselves in SGI. Uts consists of 14 checkpoints.

Here is # 9 -- sound familiar?

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9. For Ur-Fascism there is no struggle for life but, rather, life is lived for struggle.

Thus pacifism is trafficking with the enemy. It is bad because life is permanent warfare. This, however, brings about an Armageddon complex. Since enemies have to be defeated, there must be a final battle, after which the movement will have control of the world. But such "final solutions" implies a further era of peace, a Golden Age, which contradicts the principle of permanent war. No fascist leader has ever succeeded in solving this predicament.

[www.themodernword.com]