I was a Soka member since 2005 and I left November 2009. One of the biggest things I got back after I left is my personal power. I remember back in the day when someone did something rude or inconsiderate towards me, they would apologize to me and say next time they'll chant more. I would disparage those people. The irony here, is that I am like them. My life couldn't improve bec
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Howdy y'all. I just had this idea. First of all, I am also one of the many grateful former siggies who came across this forum. Had I not read these posts, I would still be under that weird love-hate/passive-aggressive cycle that came from the org. Obviously, we were all told in no uncertain terms that leaving the Gagkai will make our lives miserable. Didn't Nichiren say that ther
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@lthomas: It's cool. No worries there. Did someone really come to your workplace to get you back into chanting?? Are you serious!? At least she was supportive. Seriously, I would either tell them to chant more to stop being so possessive or even ask them if they were harassed into "Buddhism". I hear ya with the whole depression issue. In fact, being in the SGI amplified my depressi
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@lthomas: First of all, I want to say sorry for assuming you are a man. It is stupid of me, for sure. Also, as I was writing about slinking away from the group, I wasn't telling anyone what to do. Obviously what works for me doesn't work for everyone. It's not that I want to disconnect from my friends in the SGI, far from it. It's just I do nothing and let them go away, ignore
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@Pathetiquest: I hear ya dude. You get in thinking it's all milk and honey and then all of a sudden you get hit with this Un-Buddhist nonsense, ie Ikeda is our mentor and Nichiren Shoshu should burn in hell. It took me awhile to leave, and while I was in limbo I was pretty much a schizo, to say the least. One on hand I wanted to chant and improve my life, on the other hand I couldn't go
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hey David, The few times when we did PM each other, you didn't come across as arrogant. Confused? Maybe. Perhaps, and I am just guessing, part of the reason is that you saw some shady things the org has done or has said unofficially (or not) that made you wonder what's going on and you pushed it someplace far from your mind. In fact, the time I learned the connection between Ik
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

oh and sushigrl, I love your new terms for those siggies. Nichiren Snowshoe? Hilarious!! Benefit of leaving the Gagkai --- new and improved vocabulary!
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Yeah, tsuki, it's funny how you mention that the New Komeito Party is separated from SGI only on paper. I heard how the Komeito Party were very open as being part of the Gag-kai. When I read up on the newer version, obviously it says it has nothing to do with them, and SGI members I knew before said the same. It was when I went to China and went to my one SGI meeting. There was this Japan
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@DavidM I don't know you, obviously, but let me level with you. You have been in the SGI for 5 years? I got my gohonzon around that time, only recently leaving the org. First of all, it may be easy to say that SGI-UK is different from SGI-USA. However, they are both transplants from Japan. Whatever is done in Japan is done everywhere else. Point of reference, I believe (and this is bef
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hi lil' review I just watched the longer version of the book's trailer. I loved it how in the first two minutes it was not just a resume. It was an OVERBLOWN resume. It just kept on hitting you in the head of everything that Hentai did in his lifetime, he met leaders, he founded schools, he founded institutes, he inspired people, blah blah and blah! Seriously, this was 2 minutes out
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

As for books. There are a few books on the SGI. My favorite is called "Japan's New Buddhism" by Kiyoaki Murata. It talks about the history of SGI in the context of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren. It also talks about the controversy of the Soka Gakkai from Makiguchi's to Toda's era. However, it stops just when Hentai becomes the "Benevolent Dictator". Unfortunat
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quoteevergreen"I often wondered how these kids would feel about their parents and SGI when they were older." I guess I've tried to paint a picture in the past. In our area the children were left to their own devices, either in someone's home or at the kaikan. When I got old enough I stayed at home and took care of myself while they were out. I became a parentified chil
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Well that is very Buddhist of that woman, isn't it? I do have one question in mind. It's a question of check and balances, of accountability. Frankly, if she really did understand any Buddhist teaching, even from the so-called evil Buddhist sects, can tell you that dishonesty is a big no-no. You don't lead one honest person to commit a bad error and then blame the error on them.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Wow, Linda Johnson prosecutes death penalty cases? I remember when that's all I read about in the World Tribune, what Linda Johnson says. Now I wish I can join in again and one day ask her, "How does a Bodhisattva of the Earth feel about execution?" Just love to see her reaction, lol! @evergreen, Stay Strong! I'm sorry to hear about your parents. Hopefully they'
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

JF Christ! Again with Brazil!! That's all we have to hear about! Does he really want the siggies in America to cry like babies yearning for him like he's got milk to give?? That man is sick!
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Hey all, Here is the color print wayfarerfree was talking about and I'm posting it on my blog. I'm definitely going to take the print if no one wants it.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@Anticult et al You know I just remembered something. Hopefully you guys can get it at a local library as it has been out-of-print for awhile. It's called Japan's New Buddhism: An Objective Account of Soka Gakkai by Kiyoaki Murata. It has been written in the 1970s, right when Ikea got ascended his Hentatorship. It is out-of-print, but it gives a view of SG from both a historical,
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@wayfarerfree Well I was just saying send it an SGI center in South Africa, but you're right. The West screwed them over, sending the gohonzon would make things worse. Oh, and as for the color plates of Nichiren> Is there a way you can take a photo of it and post it on photobucket or something? I'd like to see the artwork for it, I still have a thing for Chinese and Japanese painting
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

No don't throw your Gohonzo! It is very sacred, if you do you'll----- ahhh never mind. Maybe you can send it to an SGI center in South Africa or some other country no one cares about. It is far enough that it will take months maybe to reach there. Just make sure you don't put on a return address and send it out of the nearest big city so no one can track you. This Xmas my broth
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@rothaus, tsukimoto, sushigrl Well I wasn't paranoid at all about Mao and Ikea, lol! Seriously, I still wonder that the link between SGI and China. There is no SGI center in China, and most of the members are expats. If they are any from Mainland China, it's because they picked the chanting from studying or working abroad. I do have a book from Ikea in Chinese. I picked it up thin
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Reading Brightlight's dim comments make me want to say a certain word . . . .It begins with an F and ends with an "uck". I might even add a letter "U" if I were ever to cross her. Seriously, someone's got some major issues of stupidity and disrespect to iron out.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Reading the two posts from Byrd, it reminds of Chapter 20 of the Lotus Sutra, the Bodhisattva Never Disparaging. She bows to all whomever they are and see's their Buddha-nature, only to be abused with rocks, sticks, and words by arrogant monks and nuns. This is how one becomes a True Buddha, hentai!
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Well you do know that if they use their own voices, their connection with sensei will be weak and their fundamental darkness is taking them over right? Yeah, still it is scary how they all talk the same. That's probably why reading other books is "discouraged" from the leaders. I find it unfair that only Ikea can quote from Spanish literature in his talks and I can't. Ma
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

You know, it reminds of a time I was asked to write a letter to that guy. So I did. I first told him I'm a siggy at such-and-such place and had my gohonzon for this amount of time. I also said in my heart I'm a ronin. This would probably tee him off as ronin means a wandering samurai who calls no one his master. I then asked him the meaning of enlightenment and wrote a famous Chinese Ze
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I checked out Sokacult.com. I know the guys who wrote it are supposed to be sarcastic when it comes to SGI rationalization. Yet, the irony of it is that Soka members really do talk and think like that, with a straight face! I looked it up on the year 2004 . . . .nothing has ever changed.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@wayfarerfree, To tell the truth, I thought SGI was a benign cult for a long time. It finally hit me how deep this thing runs in Japan. World Tribune, the 3rd largest newspaper published in Japan!? J.F. Christ! If I ever go to Japan, I'll just pretend I'm a Hindu and keep on chanting "Om Namo Shivaya" to scare them off. As for the tarnished Nichiren image, I can't blame y
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

To wayfarerfree: Thanks for the video clip. I was surprised that I never came across this myself. I was disappointed that he never really got too deep into what made it controversial, such as how many religious groups the siggies (my term for SGI members) infiltrated and bullied people to join their side. It's also scary how it operates as a "nation" unto its own. As for everyon
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@wayfarerfree As far as I know about the Lotus Sutra (I had the Burton Watson copy years ago), it's pretty accurate. Obviously, the (what small amount) of SGI's Lotus Sutra terminology comes from that translation. As for the gosho, I have found out in many Nichiren schools some gosho are considered authentic more than others. So even if you have the gosho in WND that is considered au
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuotetsukimotoQuotesushigrl Honestly, I felt sorry for Mr. Zaitsu, trying to give a speech with Ikeda banging on the table. I showed this video to a neighbor who teaches kindergarten. She commented that she would never let one of her kindergarteners behave so rudely when someone was speaking! Yes, Ikeda is ruder than a kindergartener. I found this video funny just because he reminded me
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Tsukimoto . . . .you forgot one thing about point #8: FNCC. It may not be Jonestown or some ashram, and sure you only stay there for 3 days, but it gets the job done. Oh, and before Monday comes around, I'd like to share a clip with you all: Just trrrryyy not to eat or drink anything in front of your PC. And make sure you have good padding around your chair so you won't hu
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families