Hi Tsukimoto, you just mentioned the mansion in California/Hawaii, certainly most on this board write from an American perspective. The ting is that even here in Europe most national HQ builidings will have a suite reserved for Ikeda...and its never ever being used. I know for a fact that the one in Villa Sachsen in Germany even has a Japanese style bathroom. ( As some of you might know the ba
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hi Tsukimoto, I actually witnessed the “demonizing process” of the reassessment group in the UK at the time. The development followed pretty much the same schedule. In the north of the UK (Scotland) there were even some groups who declared themselves independent from the district system. Looking back those who were members of those groups were decent people WITH faith in Nichiren Buddhism and
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Hi there. interesting thread. I never gave much thought about the issue of psychology and psychiatry in SGI, but in my more than 20 years in SGI I noticed that members who DID seek help by an expert were kind of shunned, eventually left the "scene".
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Hi Tsukimoto, First of all, impressive research. What the SGI leaders would say? I guess someting along the line "Thats all for protecting the members of SGI". Strangely enough whenever I was told such an answer I never asked "protect from what"? Noticed that the Toda Institute does not appear in Wikipedia though. It would indeed be interesting to contact all those people
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are their also publications on the web chritical of SGI that would withstand academic standards? I am asking since this info would be realy helpful. Some recources like Wikipedia will not accept forums as a valid source of information. I wih the press would pay attention to thos forum as it gives useful links and raises issues that would be worth a second look.
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Hi Tsukimoto 100% with you again. One thing left to say though in Buddhism there is nothing wrong with the mentor (Master)/disciple relationship. Its just what it turns into in SGI. In the normal buddhist world one would personaly know their master and YOU choose you master and then !! .... there is no guarantee the he or she will accept you as your disciple and both sides can terminate this r
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Hi Tsukimoto, yes at least that is my understanding. Fujufuse was rather an attitude. The way I understand it Nichiren Shoshu did not participate in Fujufuse. Even as Nichiren Shu is the oldest school, as the text above shows, it was not founded formaly until the late 19th century. Nichiren Shoshu was founded in the beginning of the 20th century. Before one simply had Nichiren temples with sl
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Hi Tsukimoto, Just an addition to your post. The Fujufuse is not realy a school but rather a principle that many of the now Nichiren-Shu schools followed. Nichiren Buddhism no longer faced persecution, hut instead bad to deal with just the opposite danger: a life of ease and acceptance. This was exactly the offer which bad been made to the founder when he was recalled fromh his exile on Sa
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@ Songshand The Nichiren Shu is the oldest Nichiren School. One of the biggest differences is that they do not refer to Nichiren as a Buddha. They also practice silent forms of meditation and are in general not so aggressive in their mission work. You can easily find out more about them in wikipedia or google. About the excommunication: As far as I know it was first SGI that was excommunic
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@ commongirl gosh it makes me so angry what you just wrote. talk to a leader? just read what tsukimoto said - a leader who may be an ex-convict that some SGI people put trust in? And if it woks out wrong? S..t happens? thats one of the big flaws of SGI, people giving out "guidance" on urgent issues that they have by no means been trained for. How many dsifunctional families I h
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@ commongirl report to who??? the ones that will make sure things are well covered up to fit the party line? I myself have been a member of SGI for more than 20 years, please note that this sort of usual rethoric won't work here, because we talk from REAL experience. You guys call us enemies of the law and that we commit slander. Take some time and read the Lotus Sutra and Nichir
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what ever happend to Lisa Jones ... can she be contacted?
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If the allegations prove to be true, that SGI may already be in the education business in the U.S. (besides Soka University) by holding shares in existing companies, it would be a full blown scandal. I admit though that its up to you guys to judge that – I can only relate to this from a European perspective. The more I learn about SGI, its sources of income, its dubious political ambitions
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Even if I do not agree with the Nichiren Shoshu on a doctrinal level. With the time gone by I can well understand why they kicked out SGI. SGI in my mind became so fiercely opposed to Nichiren Shoshu as with the excommunication went access to the Dai-Gohonzon --- bye bye to all those mystical aspects that surounded Taiseki-ji. SGI behaved like a child stripped of its favourite toy. SGI deep do
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Well guys, I am in Europe here, but the thought that SGI may open schools here in the West does send chills down my spine. Just read the article on Rick Ross about the NY principal. Now we all have been members of SGI and we know that everything they do has at least the hidden agenda to recruit new members. If one could be sure the SGI would respect the separation between state and church I wo
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Hi wakatta1 well at least in Nichiren Shu they seems to be able to have disputes without calling each other names :-) The fox thing is something that Iwas told in SGI too. They said Nichiren Shu worships foxes - checked that its a load of crap. I hope I get this right at some buddhist temples, one may find a shinto shrine, in most cases this is not on the premises of the temples just near b
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Hi wakatta I must say that since the late 90s I never really believed that "kechimyaku" story anyway. Historically documents that were to prove this claim were "rediscovered" in 1488 by Nikkyo, a priets at Taiseki-ji. Also the Dai-Gohonzon was pulled out of the hat quite late in time. In his book "fire in the lotos" Montgomery claims that at the time this was not
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Dear Anticult, Repeating those articles does really help the matter. If the articles you mention are not listed in Rick Ross, why don’t you get them added? This forum is one of the rare places in the internet, where those who HAVE been members or struggle with SGI can turn to and exchange their experiences and views. Not second hand information, not from the press, not from tabloids, but te
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Its not about criticising you, its just when you spent just a bit of time in google or bing one will find the articles you quote, which makes me wonder – if I may ask- if you have been a member of SGI yourself. Personally I could not care less how much money SGI has but rather how they got this fortune and where it is invested apart form the obvious real estate. I have no reason whatsoever ever
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good grief anticult those articles are already on the SGI page here in rick ross
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Hi Anticult, I agree with you at this point. The experience that “quiet one” shared is so true and reflects what I said earlier about people giving „guidance“ that should be left to a professional. Thing is that when still part of SGI one does now and again gets the notion “hang on this ain't right”, but one would not speak up as the SGI rhetoric keeps critics in their place branding the
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hi quiet one you may be right what you said about my post, BUT the experience you gave is to my mind so much more valubale than any old sculpture. Thank you !!!
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Hi there, do not get me wrong, but all theses sculpture and rape allegations are like beating a dead horse, they are old and sources not really reliable. The rape case never been proved … and the sculpture?Who really cares. Its yesterdays news (the day before yesterday actually). I think for those wishing or in the process of leaving SGI other issues are more important and pressing. Its the
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QuotetsukimotoFine, maybe some of us yearn for spiritual direction, but do we really need a priest? I don't like this notion that I need a priest or I won't attain enlightenment -- how is that any different than the idea that I need Ikeda as a mentor to attain enlightenment? Hi tsukimoto, Since I am in the process joining Nichiren Shu I found your rethoric question interesting, becau
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Hi there I guess Anticult is right the degrees are basically bought. Its interesting to see he hardly has received any of those degrees in Europe. In most EU countries the state has a far bigger role supporting those institutions fnancially than in the US. I was surprised to see when he recieved a degree from Glasgow University, but in the UK private funding for academic institutions has been
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Hi gingermarie, if I may give my opinion to this healing phase I would say the anger stage will take a while its part of the "detoxing", in my case I gave up on buddhism for a while. But gathering knowledge is a good way to heal and slowly finding a rationale behind it all. Its also a question if you are still interested in buddhism or not. As such much information was withheld from
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@ Arckangel in my books nichirens buddhism is not about granting wishes. you may also read into nichtiren shu which is the oldest nichiren school ( not the same as nichiren shoshu). a good idea in your case might be is to get a good overview of buddhism as a whole an if you wish then to learn more on nichiren buddhism. the book "fire in the lotos" gives a good basis for that. t
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@ quiet one: do you seriously believe that Ikeda writes all that stuff himself - I do not think so. Even when translated the style does not seem to be consistent. What worries me is what "tsukimoto" wrote that SGI now targets so called traitors. Do you have more information on that? To be honest people that’s us here! Never the less it’s encouraging that people appear to be speak
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Hi there, I loved that comparison with the wizard of Oz a few messages ago (I don't get any e Mail alerts when new messages come in any more). I found it quite disturbing what „defying he bats „ wrote. It seems things turn for the worse in SGI. It seems though that things are boiling up here in Europe too, as a member that I started to communicate with via a Buddhist internet forum tol
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@lthomas I think you are not the only one in this forum continuing to chant. I can only pass on my experience that the reason for me to leave SGI was also because I undertook my own studies – not sticking to the SGI sanctioned curriculum and study material. I would strongly suggest to get a hold of a book called “Fire in the Lotus” by Daniel B. Montgomery. As it is out of print by now, you
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