QuotewellI'llbeHi I'm new here. I recently received gohonzon in January this year.I chose to because chanting with members in my neighbourhood and occasionally attending meetings was helping me to feel part of my community. I've had misgivings about the Sensei worship thing all along. Last night I found this form and begin to understand how cults work. I recognise I've made a
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuotesimplifyHi Backnforth, Hi everyone I am new to the board but have been reading for several days. I am an SGI-UK member (District Leader) and am planning my (hopefully quiet) disengagement from the SGI. I have been trying to find out if I can carry on a practice independently and my web searches led me to this forum. I have stopped practicing once before - for some time - but found it v
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Merry Christmas to all – and to all a GOOD NIGHT!!!!!!!!
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

FOR SURE – you are SPOT ON – I was introduced to this practice in another country and back then we studied Buddhist teachings and having a MASTER in practice who was well versed in several Buddhist teachings he studied Buddhism all his life – when I came back to the U.S. I was looking for a Buddhist group and found SGI @ first it seemed community based and centered around districts and @ that tim
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

FOR SURE – When I started with my practice it was all about open forum – people acutely had dialogue- amazing things back in the day – so now it’s all about group think speak out of turn and you have a pack of Ikedabots talking you down – and if you persist in speaking your mind you are opening up yourself to Sr. Leaders doing home visitations sometimes unannounced – or last minute prior to them
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

FOR SURE – SGI copout is and has always been that you are the problem (we SGI are always perfect asks our MASTER IKEDA if you doubt us) – you need to chant more and connect to mentor IKEDA – when I asked a pointed questions to a Sr. Leader about SGI pushing IKEDA as everyone’s MENTOR in practice and in LIFE – and that this was not my position and the teachings that I had grown up with! THE Leade
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

FOR SURE – MiaPicher ............... I was in another country when I picked up the practices without SG/NS or any of the trappings - This was a good thing because I was well imbedded in the Buddhist teachings - so when all of this stuff with IKEDA and Ikedaism got started – and not being indoctrinated @ the beginning of my practice I and some others thought some of the members were little zealot
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

FOR SURE – I like you was persuaded (strongly encouraged) to become a leader – as for me I was a district leader and not by choice – it was like several Sr. Leaders coming over and staying like forever just repeating that I was the chosen one for this district – well it was really because the last one move to another state and I was a member for many years so I should step up an support the membe
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

FOR SURE Over the past few years I have also heard for example - if you want true happiness then you need to accept IKEDA as your mentor! Another you must accept IKEDA as your personal mentor to achieve enlightenment. AND yet another all YD to practices properly must take IKEDA as their mentor! Of course all of these are bogus premises. Because YOU are the one to select a MASTER that you wou
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

FOR SURE – Looking back in the day – for me when I started in the 70’s I was practicing Nichiren Buddhism without the SG. When looking back it was the most informative years of my practice – in the 80’s I got into the SGI and right away a lot of the members were awestruck with IKEDA and Ikedaism – not being indoctrinated @ the beginning of my practice I and some others thought some of the member
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Findingmywaytoday FOR SURE – All I can say is that the opening of my eyes was when the Youth Div. was being force feed that Ikeda was their mentor or better their (MASTER) – This programming was so not Buddhist practice but Ikedaism. Now on to other important matters – On chanting – I have been chanting for 30+ years and still do because it gives me a focus on my life condition it works for m
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

FOR SURE – for my nickel worth I trend to go head on when talking to a Ikedabot - I remember last year one of my kids brought over a friend - just so happened he was Youth Div Leader and hopped up on Ikeda. SO after a few Ikeda this and Ikeda that I started to ask him direct questions about his MASTER and yes I used the M word on him! Ikedabots get very unnerved when you use the proper verbi
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

DUDE – FOR SURE – we have – always seen this in the reformed SGI – and IKEDA became the head of the SGI for life. NOW it didn’t seem like that back the day! We always were told that he was the president and nothing more! Over the years it has become apparent that this was not part of the plan - he would not only be president but master to us ALL. All I can do is keep talking to members that
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

FOR SURE: IKEDA the puppet master – now years ago he started with the youth division – forcing the mantra IKEDA IS MY MENTOR! Then IKEDA moved on to all the general members to take up this nonsensical mantra -But this hasn’t gone over to well with the General Membership and lots have voted with their feet - Undaunted the SGI leadership stayed with their MASTER – a Sr. Leader once told me that
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

FOR SURE: What is the end game Ikeda has for SGI. The youth are under the Ikeda is my Mentor mind control and now they go around with their new mantra as the Ikeda Youth Ensemble - WHAT UP WITH THAT! I am just waiting to hear when Ikeda is going to go for broke and rename his empire as Ikeda Buddhism and totally erase Shakyamuni – Nichiren from the scene – he has already done it except in nam
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

For Sure I hate to go here – but earlier in the year on separate occasions I was hearing that some Sr. Leaders were going to Districts and given words of encouragement – Of course staring off and finishing with IKEDA – however @ the end they tossed in that IKEDA was equal to Shakyamuni – Nichiren and added that it was a great time to be in the SGI with our Mentor IKEDA…….. And members if asked w
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Well here we go again – a mile isn’t enough – got this from a member who is concerned with all of these events: so now SGI has in true form renamed all of the Youth Performing Groups to, you guess it – the IKEDA Youth Ensemble – ALL hail the all highest MENTOR of all time IKEDA MASTER to us all…… WHY not just do a name change from Nichiren to Ikeda sect - it would save a lot of time instead o
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

For Sure – a group of likeminded people that want to engage and learn about Buddhism – I guess I was lucky my first ten years or so I had a what I would call a Buddhist MASTER well versed in Buddhist teachings he wasn’t about ego or power - he would lecture about once or twice a month and people would come from miles away to hear his lectures – It was a less wearisome time. No Gohonzon – no orga
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

For Sure – I and others like me spent many years without a Gohonzon I feel it is not necessary, years ago many members did not have a Gohonzon – my MASTER in this practice always said the Buddha is inside you, you don’t have to look outward for enlightenment – in my journey over these many years I have seen many members look @ the Gohonzon as a wishing well – and the butsudan as a wishing box –
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

For Sure – WOW the olden dayz (it was in the 1970ish years when I started practicing) when we actually took time to read and understand gosho! I say that ended a good twenty years ago – when I stated to practice that’s what it was all about and the meeting had meaning! And @ discussion meetings where we dug into Buddhism – philosophizing – and not talking about our MASTER IKEDA and his all know
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

FOR SURE: This is why IKEDA failed in his world conquest – he kept it Japanese centric while the other world religions incorporated other cultures – no matter where you go in SGI you are always in Japan – the goal is world peace but you have the entire organization – centered around Japanese corporate leaders and with IKEDA as MASTER to all doesn’t play well outside Japan where the culture needs
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

For Sure – The SGI juggernaut – was in the beginning stages when I joined in the 70’s – If someone told me that this is how it would end up replacing – GOD – with IKEDA I would have gone another way – Because if you talk to a member – true believers in IKEDA – they equate IKEDA & Nichiren that they are on par with one another, it just boggles the mind – Most times when you make a point with
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

For Sure - POWER is the key – throughout time there has always been a mindset to control others – religion is one of the highest forms - Follow me so that you can be saved – protected - enlighten – and so on – SO it’s not too surprising that SGI and IKEDA has evolved into this juggernaut – unfortunately they are taking a whole generation with them who will know nothing about Buddhism only th
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

FOR SURE – flashback – I guess I was lucky practicing for several years without the SG / NS juggernaut “guiding me to enlightenment” because as we have all learned we can’t do anything without our divine mentor in chief IKEDA and his able minions of the SGI!!! The meetings of late have been like attending a AA meeting – just about every experience one way or another gravitates to their MAST
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

For Sure - Just my two cents on this – when I was younger there seemed to be clicks within the SGI that tried to arrange couples – ie dating – marriages – and so on – also with my children we had several attempts to get my kids involved with other SGI in relationships and I have seen lots of members marrying other members! SO for sure there is a underlying emphasis on trying to get and keep SGI
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

For sure – I was practicing when the SGI was ramping –up and the slogan was SGI is here to support your practice and to help out members. A duality – NSA / SGI – well it took a few decades but now the servant to all – is now the MASTER to all. From helping out the members to fatting up the SGI coffers just how many BILLIONS does it take to become a Buddha? I am very sadden in the way this h
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Yes for sure lots of stress as a leader I remember well a few dayz before a meeting we would be crunching the numbers – guestimating on how many members and guest would be coming, last minute changes and who is doing what @ the meeting. The power play for guest speakers. It would get so bad @ times my kids would just ask us to quit! AH but you don’t just get up and quit the SGI – so it’s sort o
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

On the Gohonzon – I came from a different era – I practiced for almost a decade without a Gohonzon, I only heard tails about this relic – I still chanted and we had study and meetings – it was all good – after that I got my Gohonzon and I must say things were more or less the same – It did bring me more into focus for that is what it was designed to do - however I did fine over these many years
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

If only it was as easy @ this to tell SGI to leave you be! Years ago I was a leader and I had a YD member parents call me and they told me that there kid would not be going to any SGI activities so take their kid name off the list - I horned their request and said the kid would be taken off! This occurrence took place during the IKEDA is your mentor campaign! Well about two months later I got
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

For Sure – SPOT ON - You are correct when the split occurred – there was a huge PR campaign telling everyone that the Temple had EVIL priest that wanted total control over the members and that IKEDA resisted these EVIL one’s - and we were not to talk to the temple because we might be seduced by the dark side of the Temple influence – so we went on as I recall a few wanted dialog because some of
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families