Quoteholly_golightlyQuoteShavoy holly, were you encouraged at the time to reevaluate your 'mentor-disciple' relationship, in regards to the turmoil you felt? I certainly was. And I remember on every course I went on after that time, the whole emphasis was on the mentor-disciple relationship - it was the key to changing everything. I decided to take this on board wholeheartedly (i
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Quoteholly_golightlyQuoteShavoy Did any of these leaders, who were giving encouragement to "use your heart", "say yes no matter what", etc. etc....ever reveal that they were experiencing Enlightenment, or Buddhahood--in other words, were they finally in that state of Unshakable Happiness?....(Probably not that they would truly reveal their Life Condition...) Good ques
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QuotesimplifyQuoteHitch The Führer Ikeda room is another fascinating glimpse into psychology. I've seen those rooms, sitting under lock and key (controlled by a pioneer Japanese SS-Obaasan), fully and grandly furnished, yet empty shrines where they even bow before entering to clean them. Again, creepy, but also sad. I heard that the Scientologists keep a special office for Ron L Hubbard
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@Nichijew---all I can say is, brilliant!!! Hai!, indeed! @bobze39, that you've had to endure this "enemy of SGI!" mindset, is just....so un-Buddhist. If Kosen-rufu would ever be achieved, it would be a chilly world. There will be no democracy. People will have to tow the Ikeda line. It's amazing that there is always talk of "heart-to-heart, sincere dialogue",
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Wow, great posts in the last few days from everyone.... So much to comment on, but I want to ask the question again: Did any of these leaders, who were giving encouragement to "use your heart", "say yes no matter what", etc. etc....ever reveal that they were experiencing Enlightenment, or Buddhahood--in other words, were they finally in that state of Unshakable Happiness?.
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QuoteHitchQuoteevergreenI have to say that I married an Amerasian or Asian-American. One other distinction the Japanese make is against the Okinawan people. I have even had Japanese members, who are supposedly more enlightened than others in Japan by virtue of Ikeda's worldliness and dialogue, tell me that my husband's mother isn't really Japanese. It makes me laugh. Did Nich
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@wakatta 1.....great query...This may not be a direct answer/thought, but it makes me think of how I 've been regularly "slandering" P.I. for almost a year, and yet, I've received tremendous love, benefits and "protection from the universe", which by rights of the SGI's Cause and Effect, should not have happened...The opposite should have happened..."break
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Hitch summed things up quite well...KR finding shakabuku cards in the trash reminds me of the 80's when gohonzons would end up in the trash in droves. Rick Ross's post brought to mind the fact that talented, smart people, e.g. Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, etc. are sworn Ikeda disciples. Of course, one can look at Mr. Cruise and Scientology as well. Ahhhhh, it's all for one
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@quiet one....right on, you are! The message always was you must determine never to abandon your faith, determine to practice with the SGI til the end of your time. The underside message, of course, is that ol' Fear Factor. A religion that serves up the Fear Factor, is no religion to me. I find it interesting that you felt that a lot of members were not able to hide their dissatisfacti
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QuotetsukimotoShavoy, KR, Anticult, These posts make me think of a discussion that I had with a friend over the Christmas holidays. She and I had been SGI members together in our hometown, some years ago. She moved to another state a few years ago, and is still involved in an SGI group there. We talked about SGI...and this thread. I asked her, "Do you really believe all the hy
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KR, this comes as another surprise for me, a good surprise, to know that such a low percentage are slurping contentedly on the kool-aid. Life in Mid-City is sure different from Japan. It's interesting, too, to note that along with the low number, SGI-ers don't have the fervent motivation. Fascinating stuff!
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QuoteJackie_FlashHi, everyone. I posted a couple of months back (was having problems finding my car keys, check book, I.D. badge for work, etc.). This could be the result of not chanting anymore and I'm spacing out, or simply because I'm in my 50's and I'm just having some "Senior Moments". In any case, I'm doing okay. I joined in 1976, but went through
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QuoteKR@tsukimoto - Great point, I had looked all over for any independent claim but it's all just a bunch of "he said, she said." I would argue that NST wouldn't like it any other way. There is no disagreement in SGI frivolous practices but it would be fair that even NST be placed under the same amount of scrutiny today as they were when it was under the NSA umbrella. Quotet
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QuoteNichijewJean Gilbert, Ireland’s Womens Division Leader Brutally Murdered In Front of Her Three Children Earthly Desire Equal Enlightenment in the Soka Gakkai is taught from the perspective of a common mortal rather from the perspective of the Buddha. The members are taught by their leaders that any desire or goal the member has, as long as they chant Namu Myoho renge kyo, is equal to E
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QuoteThe AnticultIkeda wants people to follow the person. Ikeda. It seems every single sect or cult works in this fashion. It doesn't work to get people to follow an idea or even a group, they need to be trained to follow a PERSON. And like Ikeda, it doesn't matter if they have never met the person, but its personality marketing. There must be psychological reasons that this work
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QuotetsukimotoOver the holidays, I had lunch with a former boss, who was my mentor when I was in my early 20's. When I worked for her, she let me know that she valued my skills and hard work. She encouraged me, advised me, taught me new skills, and gave me more responsibility. We are still in touch, though I work for a different organization now, and she has long since retired.
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QuoteThe AnticultNo question, many SGI true believers just force themselves to believe it. Example, they worked hard, made lots of calls, show up on time, have talent, etc. so they get some career success...instead of patting themselves on the back, they tell themselves its the chanting-Karma that did it. Or if they mess up due to being lazy, arrogant, or incompetent...its "bad karma&
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@Nichijew.....Priceless!!! @The Anti-Cult...your post makes me query two things. First, if you polled all the die-harders and asked them if they felt with all they have done for the SGI and Senor Ikeda, if they felt their own enlightenment, or absolute happiness at the very least....I really wonder what they would say. Second, I've been pretty perplexed with the bone-numbing M/D stu
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QuoteThe AnticultWikipedia can be managed by persistence by followers of a sect. They just keep deleting, and trying to massage the rules, and eventually others give up. Also, Wikipedia is hardly neutral in cultic matters, there have been endless cases where some wikipedia Admins have been biased towards various cults and sects. But in cultic areas, the cults seem to win on Wikipedia as th
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QuotesimplifyQuoteShavoy It makes me wonder how otherwise intelligent people would accept at face value their leader's seemingly awesome accomplishments. Shavoy, I'm totally with you on this, completely at a loss to see how any of the leaders or members in SGI can be taken in by this rubbish. Researching these awards was the thing that really brought it home to me that Ikeda was a hy
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QuotetsukimotoPages 314-316 of this thread discussed Ikeda's "World Poet Laureate" award. Simplify also raised a good point about Ikeda's claim that he is "a friend of the Bodleian Library," also on page 315 of this thread: ----------------------------Beginning of quote, Simplify's post, page 315 of this thread------------------------------------- O
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QuoteThe Anticulthttp://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/bodley/friends/membership Honourable Friend Life Friend £500 as one payment ---------------------------------------- (how many of these donated books are SGI books?) ------------------------ "The largest donations of works in Japanese came from the Soka Gakkai International (a worldwide organisation of lay Buddhists). In succession t
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@Simplify, thanks for answering...all I can say is, Good Grief! And there is that 'Dr' salutation again...is he really a Dr? Of what? This whole thing goes in line with receiving that absurd number of honorary doctorates/degrees from obscure universities in struggling countries, who were very happy to receive needed funds, I'm sure, in exchange. Wait, maybe it is from all t
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QuotesimplifyHe is (or his disciples are) still allowing himself to be called World Poet Laureate - check out the banner on the podium in the photo. Walt Whitman Birthplace award If I was a member of Walt Whitman's family I'd be livid about this. Actually, I'm pretty cross anyway at the people who didn't do their research before presenting a cult figurehead with an awar
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Quotewakatta1With the recent and unanticipated demise of the North Korean "Dear Leader" I began to wonder about Ikea's last days. No doubt the Seikyo Shimbun (Seikyo times) will be fillied with pictures of WD members weeping and articles about how his "legendary and valiant efforts to advance Kosen Rufu" must be continued. Like Kim Jong Il, does Ikea have a son that can
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@Nichijew...thanks for answering my query. This leads to another question, I'm sure I saw it addressed over this thread, but I'll ask: Are there more than one Gosho? In other words, what SGI has as the Gosho is SGI-sanctioned, correct? So is there another version as well? @Mitchell....what you said about the entire world converted to SGI/Ikeda is right on. No, it is not a place
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QuoteNichijewHi Mitchel. I don't speak Japanese but I imagine the violence is directed at those who left the SGI to join the Temple. The more insidious and sometimes more damaging violence perpetrated by SGI members is psychological violence. For example, blaming the victim rather than the abuser. Who is it that is abused? Whomever is lower in the SGI hierarchy is invariably blamed for a com
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

@Miss66, I just want to add to Nichijew's suggestion on returning the Gohonzon personally....I know you want to be low-key and that's totally understandable. I've found that returning the Gohonzon back to a district/chapter or whoever leader to be pretty painless. They may request a home visit to discuss your decision, of course, but you just put your firm foot down, and they sho
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QuotebacknforthWhile in the SGI-USA I became very good at ignoring my life. Sound familiar anyone? Get to the meeting, chant for the members, visit the members, chant for everyone and everything besides yourself. Chant while your so sleep deprived that the quality of daimoku is totally lost. Since stepping back and opening my eyes to this personality cult called SGI, my chanting is so muc
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QuoteThe AnticultThere is a movie about Idi Amin called The Last King Of Scotland. In the Idi Amin biography it lists the string of titles that Idi awarded to himself, as he was a meglomaniac. "His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Alhaji Dr. Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, CBE" Ikeda is also President For Life. Has purchased a string of bogus doctorates and bogus deg
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