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Freeheartandmind
If anyone thinks this is Japan bashing, that is not the case... (snip)

As one of those Gaijin who spent a lot of time working with some very obnoxious Japanese "leaders" I say "here here"! Speaking the language and understanding the customs just puts you in a position of being distrusted at a higher level. Being married to a Japanese wife opens you up to a great deal of jealousy and interpersonal "battles" as the WD struggle for their own form of supremacy.

I recounted before how a Japanese leader once commented about how awful the American system was because it supressed minorities. I later asked him about he "burakumin" and he wasn't at all pleased with that question being asked.

Years later, in retrospect I can only agree strongly with what is being said here. There is a very large Xenophobic aspect to the Japanese psyche'. These days they don't have any more local wars to supress the Ainu or the Koreans, so they focus that energy into their own inflated image of themselves.

Recall Ikea's naked picture at the shohondo that got him censured by the temple. There is a pretty dark side to these sweet, smiling people besides the "sank you belly much!!"

Wakatta1

Quote
wakatta1

Recall Ikea's naked picture at the shohondo that got him censured by the temple. There is a pretty dark side to these sweet, smiling people besides the "sank you belly much!!"

Wakatta1

I still am amazed about Ikea wanting his naked picture at the entry to Sho-Hondo, which was the holiest of holies before being demolished. Someone should have questioned his sanity when he did this.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/2012 08:14AM by Freeheartandmind.

Hitch: "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.). "

Illness, old age, and death are all normal aspects of life, something I thought that Buddhism embraced. Why the need to pretend all is well with an 84 year old man who has had a stroke? It is manipulative and inhumane.

Hi to All,

This is my first time posting. I have been reading these post for awhile and i have to say thanks for all the insight. I was introduced to the practice by a friend or looking back someone who i thought was a friend. I saw how things were changing in his life and i thought id give sgi a try... when i started practing in 06' i was looking for a job and a relationship. things that the sgi said was easily obtainable. I ran into the practice not knowing anything other than you could achieve anything as long as you practice and what a warm reception it was members so friendly and so kind. looking back i was so naive. firstly i was looking for some spiritual outlet. i was raised christain, went to catholic schools, tried christain mediation, did yoga and was still looking for something to find comfort in when sgi came a long it just felt right. i was happy to be buddhist or what i thought was buddhism.. further seeking of coarse led me to find out sgi was not buddhism at all. no four noble truths no nothing. when i asked about this of coarse i got the strange looks and the no answers...

I became a district leader in 3 months and i joined byakuren in 3 MONTHS of practice i was so new... there's no way i should have been given such resposibility. I was even about to be appointed byakuren leader but things happened in my life that prevented me from taking the resposibility. Thank God. I was kind of snatched out of the practice. things started going so bad on the home front and i just couldnt chant.. i felt like there was an elephant on my back in the mornings and basicully when i was alone and just couldnt do it. i went to my leaders again and of coarse just dumb looks and no response..

Dont get me wrong the people where of coarse very nice sincere people but i got a little ticked off when if i wasnt available to do things for the sgi they would scream at me.. DO IT FOR THE SGI... I started a group for the youth in the sgi.... little did i know that there wouldnt be that muchh understanding if i couldnt keep up... I only started it because i was over zealous... and young and dumb.... i should have never taken on that resposibility.. but i did.. i hear its still growing strong... so i guess i made tremendous cause..

While i dont have anything against predisednt ikeda i dont see how mentor desciple is important and is basicully everything sgi talks about.. thats not buddhism.. i dont see why there is still so much hatred for the priesthood even though that was before my time.. it just doesnt sit right with me ... i think its so mean. and there are other things to

Recently ive been thinking about chanting. not with the sgi but i dont know if thats because ive been devoid of it for so long and those cult mind thoughts are seeping back into my head... Ive been going to church but the message has been a little scathy. there is so much i want to accomplish in my life im in my early 30's and i think that the idea of doing something tangible to receive results is starting to way heavy or do you think thats just the programming of the cult... that no dream impossible speak?

I feel like im falling into a scared season. scared to chant scared not to chant i do constantly pray and thats been helping and reading about how the sgi is a cult... just so i remeber and not get suckered back.. a few months ago a ywd called me went for lunch.. she didnt talk about sgi at all really.. i was so nervous. but i havent heard from her in a while i wonder if she was just spying.

anywho thanks for letting me vent please any replies would be greatly appreciated....
question: do you think me pondering chanting is the result of brainwashing by the sgi?
Note- things are ok in my life... there are still things i want to accomplish and sometimes i revert back to thinking that chanting can somehow help in the process

thanks please respond.

To be honest I believe that there a two likely scenarios after Ikedas passing. Since SGI in recent decades especially has practised an extreme form of personality cult will either fall apart or, which is more likely, time since the somewhat absence of the “dear leader” has been used to prepare for the post-Ikeda era. In that case I guess the Ikedaism will gain momentum and at the same time make the cult status even more evident.
Nichiren Buddhism has a long history of splits and schisms, but today the majority of at least traditional schools are on somewhat speaking terms and even the exchange with other forms of Buddhism is by far not uncommon. SGI however, has since the split with Nichiren Shoshu, come to a point of no return. It has detached itself form any other Buddhist groups and traditions let alone Nichiren Buddhism while at the same time having none or very limited resources on Buddhist studies. In the end it will end up being something entirely different and it has to be when following SGI-logic. There are too many who depend on SGI's exculisive status either financially or career wise (since such a “career” will be impossible outside of SGI). So my bet is that in a struggle for survival in the post-Ikeda era the cult like character will become even more obvious. I am only curious if there is anyone who will attempt to gain the same status as Ikeda has now – if that is the case the falling apart scenario is more likely.

Hello goodgirl,

Thank you for sharing your story and I am sure people here will attempt to help you with the best of their abilities. Also, this site is perfect for healing. Leaving the SGI cult is similar to food poisoning. You continue to eject (throw up) what you digested (SGI cult) through analysis and sharing with others your insights and stories. This thread is actually quite good for detoxifying and getting clear of the mind control that was used. It will be difficult because we are creatures of habit and SGI cult uses highly ritualistic and repetitious tactics to make sure that one is hooked. So, there will be withdrawal, which is what you most likely are going through. Also, losing the community which surrounded you may leave you back to square one, perhaps where you were before you entered the SGI Cult.

It will be a difficult process, as you are likely aware. Many people try to overcome that feeling of withdrawal by going to a different organization ( a church, or another cult) but that most likely won't be the answer to give you comfort during your change in life, basically that's just attempting to fill the void that was created when you left the SGI cult, something that had, from your experiences, taken over your life.


Share your thoughts here and be patient with the changes that will come. For myself , patience. Every day away from the SGI cult, gives you a little more strength to expel the "poison" that you digested.

I will share my personal opinion regarding your question about chanting.


Personally, I would wait a year to chant. The SGI cult garbage that has been absorbed will take time to expel. I remember that when I left the SGI cult, I suddenly found myself more isolated. It was odd, even for myself, how much time had been used participating in the SGI cult. Suddenly after you leave, its odd to have so much time suddenly available.

Chanting itself is historical and there are different Nichiren based schools that aren't cults. The problem is that depending where you live, you might not be able to find something local to plug into. You could study and relearn Nichiren Daishonin from books independent of the SGI cult. I would not suggest going to the Nichiren Shoshu, as they appear to be jumping on the SGI cult bandwagon, turning their high priest into an Ikeda type leader. They are making a mistake following the SGI cult in a bid for more power, but as Hitch stated, the Nichiren Shoshu are a smaller cult enterprise that got trumped by it's bastard son, the Soka Gakkai.


Learn about confirmation bias and demystify chanting from it's magic pedestal where the SGI cult has placed it. This will diminish the idea that you must cling to the practice otherwise your life will fall apart. This is a SGI cult mind control trap.

Again, goodgirl, I strongly suggest that you continue to post here and share your stories, not just for others to get insight, but for yourself to gain insight. This process will be important in making sense of everything that happened to you.

Also, patience. If chanting is so pure and good, then it can wait a year while you detox. What's great about this site is that if you have a moment where you feel vulnerable to the SGI cult, post here and you'll find relief.
That's what this site is for.


So, thank you for the courage to step forward and I think you made a good choice. You actually help me, in that I gain another perspective and further insight into the fact that yes, SGI is a cult. The viewers gain this insight too.

In conclusion, continue to ask questions and share your stories! You might be surprised how healing that process is.


Stay strong.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/2012 11:24PM by Upgrayed.

Is there anyone on this forum who has SGI/Nichiren Shoshu items that they would like to part with? [such as old gongyo books, Gohonzon etc]
If so, please pm me or post your info here.

Also, the issues with SGI raised here seem to center on its organization and operation, including its leadership.

Two questions:

1. Aside from SGI, did anyone have issues with the actual practice of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism itself [gongyo, daimoku, study, propogation]?
To discuss SGI, it is necessary to discuss the religion that SGI practices - namely Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism.

2. Has anyone left SGI to practice in another Nichiren group [such as Nichiren Shoshu or Shoshinkai] and how was your experience there?
Since this is a forum about cults, any sect would be presumably fair game in relation to Buddhism [although it is unclear here if people think that Buddhism itself is a cult]

kasumi

Hi Goodgirl,

welcome here! As Upgrayed has already mentioned its important to detox … take your time to do so! Even ministers of Nichiren Shu who in recent years are confronted with ex-SGIists underline this. The starting point for me to leave SGI was when I did research on Buddhist related issues for a thesis I wrote during my time at university. I did not receive much help from within SGI. Today I know they could not have helped me anyway – as this was not Buddhism. I am not an official member of any faith these days, but if you want to chant do it. But if you chant due some sort of guilt or because you think some “bad” things may happen if you don't, then you should refrain from doing so as you are still in SGI-mode. You are a grown up girl and if you feel that you still want to strive for spiritual answers that you may have inside then do so. A few posts back I cited the “Klama Sutta”. In the end what it says is to listen to your gut feeling, if you have reservations, if you feel that there is “something foul in the state of Denmark” then listen to that voice. A spiritual path is right if it makes you grow as who you are, when it is based on humanism and agrees to altruistic ideas. If a faith forces you to strip off what you and who you are in order to fit into a set mould then ignore it. And most of all … who says that your spiritual side has to have adhere to an organised form??? The people that I met in my life and who took their faith serious were those who used their faith to gain strength, but not those who used their faith to discriminate others. I do have met people of faith and the ones that left a mark were those who due to their faith realised and became aware of what they are … human and not super humans.

To whom it may concern:

It is against the rules to post contact information at this message board.

It also seems prudent to be careful about sharing your identity or contact information with an anonymous member of the board that you don't know through the private messaging system.

kasumi .... back off
This is a forum for those who left the SGI-CULT. Which path they have chosen afterwards is none of SGI'$€ buisness.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/04/2012 04:52AM by Rothaus.