Quotedoubtful@Rothaus and Nichijew and everyone else. I still want to know, how do 10 million honorary doctorates bestowed upon Ikeda make the lives or practice of SGI members any better? They don't plain and simple. And in your message you summed it up quite nicely I think. You gave yourself the answer. :-)
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As I once said before he just got a few degrees here in Europe, in some countries none since the standards and regulations are quite tough. Some honorary degrees have been criticised here too though, especially when awarded to certain CEO's (at least they had an academic background), but it was too obvious the true intention was to secure some 'public private partnership'. Its als
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Well it was Imelda Marcos who collected shoes ... Mr. Ikeda collects degrees and its obvious that they are bought. In some countries, especially in those were public funding for higher education is on the decline this is common practice. Ikeda or not I find that a bit disturbing in general as it diminishes the work of those who earned regular degrees and those whose work is being regarded equival
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@ chanter16 I think you have misunderstood Void's message a bit. What is very true that SGI or Soka or whatever keeps people ignorant on the Lotus Sutra and general Buddhist issues. Members were advised NOT to study the Sutra until a SGI sanctioned translation was available - thats a fact.
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@ wakatta1 Picking up on your first post one must also note that SGI to an Ikedaist could never ever be on a slippery slope, so ones own environment is always in perfect 'harmony' and if one does suffer even though one has done as being told, its to show (divine) actual proof – its a test by the (SGI-) universe so to speak. SGI and its followers can never be wrong and even if they a
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QuoteWakatta1The different transformations that SGI has gone through over the years has either brought it closer into line with the Gohonzon or taken it further away. Remember, there are a lot of different elements within the script of the Gohonzon. People consumed by the lower six worlds find them represented there (which means Jigoku (hell) is there too) other worlds such as shomon (learning) a
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And I must admit that during my active 'service' I too was one of those who would boast on how much meetings I would attend and got to as many Keibi services as possible (keibi is what it in Europe widely know as the week long or weekend long services at community centres, in Britain called lilac I think).
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QuoteoverthetopBeing angry at them isn't worth my time, but I'm not going to go back to try to change anyone's mind that is still in the organization. I think that's an important message too. Certainly one can try and speak to those that one believes to be like minded, but having been members in cult does not makes us automatically experts on how to exit a cult. But its my o
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Oh and maybe the moderator is more knowledgeable on one matter, before its being brought up by some Ikedaists. Is it not true that even Jehovah's Witnesses were at least trying to be acknowledged as an NGO at the UN?
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Some have brought up the memories of 'peace activities', song and dance rehearsals and so forth. I do not want to be the party popper, but I have my serious doubts about the true nature of those activities. They achieved what they were intended to do – the bonding of those attending, creating a familiar atmosphere, something that those attended were looking for in their lives. A few
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@ Chanter16 Hi there, well to be honest and in retrospect I believe that the cultish patterns of behaviour have been present also in the 'golden days' even long before the split. Its only since I have left that incidents come to my mind when I thought at time 'hang on this ain't right, or is it?' Today I can more clearly say 'No, it ain't right full stop�
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@ Findingmywaytoday First of al congrats on what you have achieved so far. I think it would be most interesting, especially to those who just follow the conversation, to learn if your counselling also touched on the subject of you being in a cult. It would be interesting to hear what professionals have to say on that. In terms of your Butsudan. I still have mine set up as I do chant but rol
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@ cyclops You must have some great kids that they have the guts to speak their mind at this age. I joined as as a YMD and can still sense the atmosphere, its not easy at all to convince others to use their brain at this age one is easily impressed. You must have done a great job raising them so that they develop that sort of backbone. It will serve them well also in other areas of life thats a
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@ quiet one Quotequiet oneMany of the people who write here also love to chant. As far as practicing with SGI, there are old friends that I really loved. I miss them! It was great to practice with them. The other night, my husband got "home visited" by someone who just dropped by unannounced. We both really liked him and his wife. It was good to see him. It's not that we (and
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Dear Mark,   I am somewhat surprised that you take my latest message as being offensive towards you, so it must have hit a sensitive spot. In my books one most not tolerate intolerance I could not care less if this intolerance is being practised disguised as religion, politics or whatever. Evil is a relative perception. You brought up the Taliban – well in their concept we in the West are all
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@ Wakatta I think the comparison is not in the sense to compare Jesus to Ikeda but the MUST in the two slogans. Somebody telling you what to believe in and thereby reach salvation. I also see the similarities between SGI and Christian Evangelicals. Both groups are religious fundamentalists, as any other belief is condemned and religious bigotry basically accepted. Such an atmosphere creates
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@ScoobyDooby even after five years + of having left, and over twenty years in it - its just a harsh awakening at times. You summed it up quite well.
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QuotedoubtfulI really wish a new President of the SGI would assume office WHILE Ikeda is alive. I wish this leader would find some creative way to focus this organization around Nichiren Buddhism and other Buddhist perspectives. I think this was not the purpose of SGI at least since Ikeda took up presidency. For the core membership Buddhism, SGI, Nichiren-Buddhism, World Peace, Daily lives are
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@ rrmoderator Thank you !
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@ Doubtful Leaving the Nichijew comment aside I would however doubt to talk of the 'good' SGI or Ikeda have caused. What good are we talking about? An introduction to Buddhism? By all standards set by Buddhist umbrella organisations I would seriously doubt that what SGI and Ikeda preach has anything to do with Buddhism. Cultish patterns in my books begin were one excludes anot
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QuoteNichijewinterfaith. though politically correct and superficially noble, is not in accord with the Lotus Sutra and writings of Nichiren Daishonin. What a load of bull sh.t You guys just seem as bad as the Gakkai folks.
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well guys go there ... even if its just to tell the tale ;-)
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Dear god that RTE stuff you guys have going on is worse than I thought. On the other hand it reveals SGI true nature even to an outsider. So in a sick sense I hope they do more of that stuff - emperors new clothes style.
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As to the times I felt happy at meetings. I joined in the mid 80s, still a teen, I guess as it just was few years after Ikeda had to step down as SGI president it seems to me everything was toned down a little – I joined during a calm period so to speak. Yes, I enjoyed the meetings at that time and maybe it was due to my age I was not more critical, although the man who showed up in a white suit
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who was DSM?
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QuotechloeWhen I told my friend that I REALLY am disturbed she just said show me the site I am not afraid when I did she said that they were just a bunch of disgruntled memebers and most of the stuff was during the split when there was a lot of confusion.. Well most of us here left after the split. But yes, after the split SGI showed a new face which was Ikeda all the way ... actually they did
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Quotewakatta1I remember the good old days when you sacrificed time, fortune and energy based upon (what seemed to be) consistent philosophical basis Quotedragon14I spent 16 years doubting my feeling that something was very wrong in NSA/SGI, and just kept pushing. Funny enough though I can relate to both of you. Compared to what I witnessed before I left (80's and 90's) there seemd t
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@ DrJesusEsq I am out of SGI since 2005 - so I am not really that up to date. But RTE does not seem to happen here. Having said that such mass events do not go well with most Europeans anyway has something fascist about it. The do hold Youth fetsivals (facsist in my books). I guess SGI-USA is a sort of test tube at the moment.
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@ Doubtful well as you might have come across in the Fire in the Lotus not all Goshos are being regarded as authentic, Secondly as Nichijew has pointed out the words can easily be twisted and the notion of a nation i.e. nationalism was not in existence in the 13th century. The schools Nichiren attacked were supported by the government and one has to see writings also as going against the gover
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@doubtful QuoteI am starting to wonder if Nichiren might be part of the problem. He was not tolerant of other faiths, unless the Lotus Sutra was regarded as the highest teaching. Only then could people deal with others. SGI will not deal with others at all, unlike Nichiren. What are they so afraid of? Never forget to look at Nichiren in his historic context. Buddhism unlike today was a s
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