@MajorMajor, Welcome. I am sure many of us would love to hear your Gakkai experiences. It is actually quite helpful for my recovery process to post here and read other people's messages. You wrote, "I was just wondering if any of you have noticed that Mr. Ikeda seems to have physically slipped into the background. I haven't been to a 1st Sunday in a while, but checked the SGI-USA s
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@DavidM, You wrote, "I just want to say, my head hasn't been split into 7 pieces, nor have myself or any of my family suffered tragic events.In actual fact, I got a great new job about a month ago, and I feel my personal relationships with my family and girlfriend have just gotten stronger and closer since I started viewing myself and the world without the 'SGI lense'."I
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@chirider You asked about gongyo. I joined when the prayer service was longer and we still had the priesthood. Since then it changed once or twice. I do the shorter service, the recent one because after all, it's not like I know what I am saying anyway. It's in a dead language. Because it is part of the ritual I do it and it does focus my experience a bit. However, I never was good at
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@backnforth you wrote, "I was reading in a leadership manual from'07 - '08 which is still being used today and if I had ever read anything like this as a new recruit, I would have never stuck around: 'Buddhism is a teaching conveyed through the mentor-disciple relationship . . . . the oneness . . of mentor and disciple forms the essence of Buddhist practice' THE ESSENCE?
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@backnforth You wrote, "It was such a noble idea and it felt good to be a part of a movement. But when I compare the 1980's, when I began practicing, to now, there has not been any more "peace" created in the world, in fact, more people have given up on the concept of peace I think. People are keeping to themselves more, trying to create harmony in their own lives, own famili
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@Bodhiseeker, You wrote, "How I managed to migrate from those venerable traditions to the Soka Gakkai's highly questionable version of Buddhism I don't know...but I did. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy Nichiren Buddhism. I find that the philosophy fits into my spiritual toolbox quite neatly, alongside the meditations and other techniques that I've accumulated from other trad
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@tsukimoto, You wrote, "Patent application SGI
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo I
In January 1972, the Soka Gakkai, at the request of its President, Mr. Daisaku Ikeda, filed several patent applications at the National Office of Industrial Property, concerning the trade mark “Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.” The more and more I find out about things like this in SGI's past the more I agre
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@backnforth, you wrote, "Others yet, are satisfied with an independent practice. That seems to be the only alternative for many that are soured on organized religion. We continue to miss the community though" I once thought I would miss the organization. I don't. I don't think I want organized anything anymore. Personalities soon take over the original purpose and suspicious
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Welcome exmio, you wrote, "I said with all due respect for Daisaku, I am very sorry but I cannot identify myself with me being his disciple and the more you talk about it and the more I don't want to hear about it. I don't understand why we always talk about Daisaku Ikeda's greatness at every meeting instead of teaching members how to get more out of the correct attitude while
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@Tibbs, You wrote, "Yes!! This is how I felt so many times. Usually as I was going off to attend yet another planning meeting to plan the next planning meeting. Dog and pony shows and planning meetings to plan the next dog and pony show." I hear you. With all the activities toward "world peace" it is possible to finally ask yourself, "How do any of these make the world mo
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@sgIwonder, You wrote, "Even in my days of of being super-gung-ho I did my share of eye-rolling. But I wonder if you cut yourself off from the organization how you sustain yourself and where do you get your encouragement? Don't you find constantly being upset by things draining? Someone mentioned they get it here, but this is a poor substitute for in-person human warmth (fellowship as t
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@sgIwonder, I enjoyed reading that the organization really did help you on a personal, social, and eventually professional level. See, I feel that way too and a few others here do too. I still think that what I considered a lofty goal like "world peace through individual happiness" has a very 60s ring to it. I liked that about the organization. I also became aware that other religious o
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@Tibbs, You wrote, "it was never a choice between chanting or anti-depressants. If I hadn't gotten medication, I don't know that I would be here now. That was an attitude I encountered not infrequently in SGI and it really bothered me - that if I really chanted I shouldn't need medication. Depression is an illness and like many illnesses, medication can mean the difference bet
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@backnforth, You wrote, "I feel that the majority of members stay regardless of what is taught for 2 reasons: 1) Chanting feels good, and 2) the amazing sense of community especially if access to a large center. One thought that occurred to me today was how I must have been attracted to the chanting and the feeling of community in the beginning. And I really don't mind that chanting is
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@tsukimoto, You wrote, What I want to do is look at the gakkai language, all those phrases, and buzzwords that I used for years without really thinking about them -- and think about them. What do I mean when I think about karmic retribution, attaining Buddhahood, getting benefit, making a good cause/bad cause, being in rhythm with myoho, having a high or low life condition? Words were one way tha
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@quiet one and BeingAdagio You two suggested that backnforth's post sounded like proselytizing. I hope that there is some room for those of us here who want to hold on to the practice, provided that we do not become aggressive in getting others to return or reconsider doing it. I agree with Morgaine when she says, "I think it is hard to stop the Gakkai speak, especially after 20-plus y
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@Wakatta1, I hated you for saying, "when you disallow any restrictions on your thinking, suddenly everything means everything. For me, recognizing the modality of cult thinking is important because once you see it for what it is, then you can take steps to protect yourself from its influence...Lastly, Buddhism teaches that "right thought" is where everything begins. If you adopt th
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@tsukimoto, You wrote, "Some of my Christian friends say that they experience peace, joy and changes in their lives through their prayer to, and faith in Christ. Does that mean we should all become Christians? Many Muslims would also say the same about their faith in Islam. Nichijew would say that we should all become Kempon Hokke members to experience true faith, joy and actual proof. So, a
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@tsukimoto, you wrote, "I don't remember any of our leaders reacting to Ikeda's ridicule of George Williams. In other videos, I remember him ridiculing Eichi Wada, another senior leader. I thought that was mean; my fellow group members just laughed and said, "Oh, it's just friendly teasing." To me, it just sounded like the "joking" had a nasty edge to it.&q
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@tsukimoto, you wrote to Morgaine, "I'm in a skeptical mood these days, and maybe it is because I was too trusting when I was in SGI. At this point, I think that chanting seems to work because we expect it to, and because chanting anything causes neurological changes in the brain. You believe otherwise. As with my Christian friends, I just accept that people believe different things.&qu
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@tsukimoto, you wrote to SecretSquirrel, "It was only after leaving that I began to see how much my thinking had been manipulated by SGI. I did fear that terrible things would happen to me or to my family because I left, and began to criticize SGI. And again, I found that I wasn't the only ex-SGI member with these fears. If you're going to say things that make someone anxious -- it
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@SecretSquirrel, You wrote, "just letting you all know that I won't continue on this board because I see some things in the messages here which are truly negative and even disturbing. 1. There are many messages which interpret SGI issues and actions with pure conjecture without any basis in reality - to me there is more than enough factual issues with the SGI and this is exactly what I
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@Dioforever, You quoted Dr. Lawrence Carter that Ikeda, "is a solid human being, I feel that Gandhi King,and Jesus are living inside Dr Ikeda.'' Then you wrote, "this is not to be taken to mean he is Jesus. Dr Carter is expressing his firm conviction that Dr Ikeda is a true modern day peace builder and educator...hope this helps." I never understood the nature of Dr. Cart
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@Wakatta1, You wrote, "as a previously-long-time member I wonder just exactly what standing SGI has to issue their own gohonzons, and what is the difference between them doing such a thing and you or I simply running a gohonzon through the copier? Is it just because they say so?" I couldn't agree with you more. Anyone can create a mandala similar to or exactly like any of the ones
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@v3rsus You wrote, "The more I talk, the more things come back to me about shit SGI folks told ME about MY LIFE. And I just went on, letting 'em do it! I sucked it all in like some kind of psycho-sponge for such a long time." This is something that came to bother me as l learned more and more about "advice" or "guidance" given to members. How in the hell do ot
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@Nichijew, You wrote, "...Doubtful wants to put Ikeda on the Gohonzon. Might as well put Enchin, Jikaku, or Annen on the Gohonzon. They were all practitioners of the Lotus Sutra for whom Nichiren had nothing but criticism ." Just a minute Mark, I never said I WANT to put him on the Gohonzon. I said, or meant, that if SGI were to do that I could understand it. I know it's not a popu
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@v3rsus, You wrote that your district leader finally left you a voice mail saying, " 'Since you are no longer practicing, it is imperative that you return your Gohonzon to your local community center. That is property of SGI, on loan to you, and you may not keep it if you're going to slouch in your practice in this way'. I didn't call her back. I've been chanting, st
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@The Void, To me you wrote, "Your mind is your own matter, in how you decide to acknowledge SGI pros and 'CONS' But i truly think it is just a Professional Con, and we have been had!" I like your use of upper case. Who knows? Maybe I have not exorcised all traces of SGI out of my system and maybe I will hold onto some parts deliberately. You also wrote, "People were enco
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Welcome Mashkadov, You are right. With very few exceptions the institutions awarding these honorary doctorates are obscure, probably poor, and easily enticed. I have no doubt that the only reason they know about Ikeda is because an SGI member or SGI officially has approached the school and started the paperwork(and probably the check, oops, I mean the contribution). In my city I know of one membe
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@cyclops, I wrote before that it's probably not a horrible idea for Ikeda to be depicted on the Gohonzon. Others like T'ien-tai and Dengyo are represented on it already. They are not regarded as deities. We don't chant to them when we face the Gohonzon. As long as NMRK remains down the center, it does not matter if Ikeda or any future leaders end up on the Gohonzon. Truthfully, Ike
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families