Hi Guys, thank god for this forum. I did post a long reply to Tsukimoto's posting as I really liked it. I made what I consider to be a "LUCKY ESCAPE" from SGI after following it on and off for 20 Years and finally receiving Gohonzon in July. I handed it back in December. Does anyone know if there is anything else I need to do to finalise everything on my departure? Three of the members came to my house and took the Gohonzon away and did a small ceremony. They told me afterwards that they keep it for me for 2 Months after which time it's returned to the Head Office/Centre in Taplow and then back to Japan. They said if I ever wished to re-join I would have to wait a year? It all sounded very strange to me. When I received Gohonzon in July I signed a form at the centre. I have no idea really what I was signing up for or what the form said exactly? Does anyone know if I have to formally sign something else to say I'm no longer a member? My only concern is that, god forbid, something should happen to me they would be able to overturn my will and take my money away from my family?
I would really appreciate your "guidance" on this! :)
Thanks

@hertfort65, How are you doing since leaving the SGI? They can be a weird bunch of people. More so because over the years I have seen that new members, who joined the group after the split with the Nichiren Shoshu, more and more add their own interpretations to their organisation's policy. That may be the reason they gave such strange explanations about the honzon. It's a pity you had to meet Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism through the corrupted view of the SGI, because it is a real and beautiful practice. The group was expelled from the NS for a purpose. Hope you are well.

Of course, they cannot overturn your will! I left the organization without a problem. I know of no member who would even think of overturning a will. It is not a cult, but it does have it's issues. There no doubt about that. In hind sight most of the issues are of the cultural variety. The organization acts as if it is still in Japan. It is trying to become more Americanized, but is not where it needs to be. I swear if I heard one more thing about Daisaku Ikeda, I was going to blow. That master disciple mentality is part of the Japanese cultural heritage not Buddhism itself.

You returned the Gohonzon and said you were leaving. There is nothing else you need to do. If you have one of those pushy members bugging you, stop worrying. Just tell them you do not wish them to contact you anymore. Just as in any religion, there are always the zealots. When I left I made myself clear and left on good terms. No one hounded me. I said I wished them well, but I had to do what was right for me. It was that simple. I was wished well in return.

I am a former Nichiren Buddhist/SGI member, and I actually created my own mantra as it was obvious that it was merely the ACT of chanting, the FOCUS during chanting, the BELIEFS about what the person is chanting and expecting, the BELIEFS about the Gohonzon, what they were told to EXPECT by the practice, etc. They might as well had a picture of Mickey Mouse up there, I didn't really think it would have mattered. So I tried a mantra that I wrote...Nam-why-logo when I was going through an Ahteist phase a while back(although I changed it to Namahlooga as I consider myself a Deist now and this mantra has NO dogma attached to it whatsoever and it means NOTHING although I kept the simultaneouty of cause and effect, mutual possession of the ten worlds, 3000 realms in a single moment of life, and Karma) and I downloaded a colorful mandala that I feel good when I look at it-and it represents the law of cause and effect/God, had it laminated, and enshrined it in my Butsudan. I chant for things and behavior modifications/freedom from attachments just like I did in SGI and it seems to work better(as I don't have all the drama to deal with). I don't have the Dogma from the Gosho to deal with that SGI members always ignored and swept under the rug. Saying that the kind of Shakabuku that Nichiren did is not for today and not for outside of Japan, CONTRADICTS the Gosho. It is one of those points I will NOT debate with Nichiren Buddhists because I know what I read and I know what bothered me, and I know when I heard cop outs and rationalizations that sounded as hollow as people explaining away contradictions in the Bible. If you want to still chant, just create your own mantra, pick a generic mandala or picture(like of the beach, mountains, or ocean and it is important because as you focus on that it WILL affect your life), it works.