Does anybody know through the pipeline about how many newbies the SGI has been attracting lately? Reason I'm curious is...reading the most recent great posts (Welcome!) about the gatherings at FNCC and the totally-out-and-not going-back-obviously "Reply to my/our mentor" stuff....I've said it more than once, but if I, in 2013, was invited to attend these soirees and saw/heard
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteSpartacusQuotemehGreat analogy! The state of sweetness and light can't hold forever; whether I agree with her or not, her response came from a place of shock and disappointment. Whether we can remain friends is doubtful, but one never knows. I'd certainly be happy to support her leaving the org. Does anyone actually leave after 40+ years? I have to wonder if the programming isn
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meh and Hitch, thanks for breaking it down for me. She sounds over-the-edge and down-the-cliff. I don't think I've witnessed anything like that, you are right about that! Your descriptions also reminds me of me longggg back in the days of 1980s' shakabuku fever. I would get totally emotional and cry with frustration that people I was shakabuking could not/would not accept
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QuoteTaitenAndProudQuoteTwo features that, IMO are the mark of a hurtful group or relationship Too much purpose, not enough time for play, real play. Ever hungry groups and partners are insatiable and want your attention all the time and want your attention all the time. Any hint that you are playing or just plain having fun in a way that has zero to do with the group or relationship is r
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Okay, guys, I still cannot download YouTube videos, sooooo could I have this particular video described? Thank you much..I am very curious.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuotemehThat is horrifying, there's no other word to describe it. Oh, yeah there is . . . totally non-Buddhist. Is his family still practicing? These people are so twisted, and they actually think they're right and there's no room for any doubt. Poor kid. I'm surprised the leaders didn't blame her for the whole thing, since she was obviously diluting her practice and poll
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These posts are wonderful and don't take away from the confirmation that SGI works out of both sides of its mouth. The whole "WINNING!!!" was always another thorn in my side. Because "FAILING!" means you are a.....miserable failure, right?? Win or lose, I mean, it put such a negative connotation on losing. We all lose, as well as win in our lives--come on, now! Lik
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QuotemehOkay, so the "so sorry for any misunderstanding!" and "don't give up!" Cards are arriving - are greeting cards possibly another line of business for sgi? Most notably, there was a card from the general chapter leader who, other than to call me a few weeks ago to reprimand me for my disharmonious behavior, has had no direct contact with me whatsoever. I'd
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Bingo, meh, about those darn KRG videos!!! Oh my goodness! I used to like going to KRG back in the day. But one of the final death nails in my own SGI coffin were those videos. Ikeda All The Time Now. I mean, we could not get away from The Man, it was very much apparent that SGI truly is a cult of personality. Back in the day, members actually had fun! Yeah, seriously! We could plan the m
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meh, you sacrifice freedom when you are in the SGI---the freedom of your own mind and your own gut feelings. Your friends in the SGI will probably no longer be around, since your relationships tend to be "super-special" in the SGI and then if and when ya gotta hit the highway away from the SGI, they will fall by the wayside, too. Because these relationships are SGI-based. (You sound
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Taiten, I have been thinking, in regards to chanting to have all desires met and prayers answered, that a fundamental, if you will, concept that had been hit upon at times during my practice, but never as much as wish fulfillment, is: To be happy no matter what your circumstances in life. To reach unshakable/breakable happiness. To not be fazed by yuck-stuck karma and painful events. This wa
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Taiten, thanks again for another on-the-nose post. You sum it up with your last sentence: The "prime point" will always be about Daisaku Ikeda. Kim from Italy's post---so true, so true. I still can't believe that die-harders can't sniff a whiff about 300+ honorary degrees. Who gets that amount?? I also chanted for goals, a lot reached, but real sticky, impor
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QuoteTaitenAndProudHere's the thing: If it's all "magic", then how can you know if you've got the correct "recipe" or "spell" to make it work? How do you know if the people who are telling you what to do really know how to do it? What if they're telling you to do it wrong? I looked around me while still in the SGI-USA and saw a lot of people
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I'm also suspecting Scooby's wife has the fear of Ikeda put into her regarding the annual May contribution season, along with the sincere belief that financial protection and yes, maybe a windfall will come their way. It sounds as if Scooby's wife is truly sincere with showing appreciation through the $$$ activity. Taiten, you are spot on regarding the magical protection one i
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Soooo, I have a thought...which is, I guess all the kind acts bestowed upon me when I was chanting for answers to my prayers were....acts of CHARITY, no? Which means that SGI-ers can certainly accept charity as actual proof but not give it, yes?
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Some incredible (as always) and informative posts in the last few days. T&P's breakdown on Nichiren is excellent, for one. Really, where does the intolerance generate? This is what Nichiren preached. Squashing whole groups of humanity and belief systems in the name of his feeling absolute. Okay, humor me here, but I used to work that around in my mind, giving Nichiren the benefit of
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I remember back in the day the overall feeling in the air from leaders was that if you chant hard enough, you could chant yourself back to heterosexuality. Gay people I knew in the org told (particularly gay men) of the discomfort on both sides when in the proximity of certain male leaders. Then, like the posts above have noted, 1990 came along---Viva La Revolucion! Anyhoo, my feeling is t
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QuoteTaitenAndProudI sent off my official letter of resignation on Tuesday, demanding that the SGI remove *all* my personal information (and that of my children) from their records. Under US law, they have to do that. If they don't, I have grounds to sue the pants off them. I don't have to do *anything* for them - they have no choice but to do as I say - OR ELSE. I asked for a lette
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Looking back at the time when Mr. Zaitsu was GD, I have to say that was the time I enjoyed the most, as far as being able to open the WT and see members' opinions, whether good or "not so good" being shared as one example. He was a low-key kind of guy who seemed pretty down-to earth. It figures that he more than likely got the boot, leading the way for Danny Nagashima. I will s
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@corboy and T&P---Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing these excerpts. Bravo! The insights are explained in a down-to-earth manner and really hit so many nails on the head regarding what humans do to get the reward. And how people who have been treated horribly from the get-go scramble to get and keep the reward. Let's add why Sensei is addicted to his reward, too. It all mak
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@Hitch, thanks for explaining what the Lady in Gray was doing! The last few years I participated in meetings, especially when the P.I. videos were the main course, I found myself retracting and looking around to gage others' reactions. That's when the interest started going down the drain. @Taiten, I agree with you about accepting degrees on the members' behalf. P.I. knows
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QuoteHitchQuotesleepy skunk I have more stuff to PM when I get to the ones I've been waiting to get to. Not terribly interesting, I'm afraid but it's all starting to pick up again. I haven't forgotten you Corboy or T&P. Hitch I tried PMing you a while back a few times your box was full. Oops! Sorry about that! Thanks for telling me, I've done some Spring Cleaning
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@Hitch=since I still cannot download the videos, what exactly is The Lady in Gray doing that speaks volumes for her individuality? Thanks to you and holly_golightly for your thoughts on the 300 degrees. I had forgotten reading in the WT that Sensei accepts the degrees on behalf of the SGI membership. More Frames, more justifications.
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In reading these last several posts, it is completely apparent that there is no NMRK left in SGI. Where's the NMRK??? It is all about worshipping the Master. The duality thinking is quite something, too. Like Hitch wrote about, it was his fault/karma that he got so sick and had to bail on the activity==yet, it was his great victory by overcoming the obstacle! What do you guys thi
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@Hitch, unfortunately we still can't download videos where I'm at. I was scrolling down the list on YouTube and saw one from a guy called Fooligan. It looked like a potshot one--"Daisaku, wanna be like youuuuu". Have you seen it? Thanks for your reply to my query about the M/D thing. All these tributes to Sensei, I've never seen anything like it. It makes you thi
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@opendoor, it has been about the same timeframe that I started to question and pull away from the SGI after a quarter century of practice. Not that long, 2 years, to process something that was a vast part of our lives for that long. I am still trying to process the whole thing, and obviously it's still very much on the mind, as with you. I think in time, it will take its proper place fo
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Is it solely charisma? What is it that makes people go all mushy deferment to one guy?
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@Taiten--I am in agreement with your post. Enlightenment is more of a vague concept to Westerners--they want gratification NOW, so their immediate concerns being answered would be more the draw. Also your observation about the Japanese model failing to ignite en masse in America--spot on! For a guy who wanted world domination and worldwide KR to think that Americans, for one culture, would j
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corboy, your resposting of leeduffield's observation brought up a good point. The whole Enlightenment goal. In SGI, the push to chant and overcome all adversities--to WIN! as it were, and also the chant for material comfort and other protections pushes aside The Enlightenment goal. How I heard this goal was that ultimately, if you practice 100% correctly, you should reach this state w
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@Taiten----That convention that was planned for 1991 was the last hurrah--don't think it ever got off the ground because G. Williams was being shown the door, that "rhythm" was his sort of thing. You know, the bigger, the better. Those conventions we did through the 80's (and before) had G.W. stamped all over them. 300,000 in 2004...a lesser amount of members than previou
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