For Corboy, Thanks for that info. re: "disgust." (Taken from one of your links.) Quote ... the emotion of disgust has evolved as a response to that may cause harm to the organism. Many researchers have claimed that the emotion of disgust functions to protect us from disease. Disgust appears to be triggered by objects or people who possess particular types of features t
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The Cult Ma$ter - $GI (11 seconds) Banners. (15 seconds) Strict automaton obedience. (2:22 minutes) The infamous Dear Leader fan dance. At the 2 min. mark, "Saannk You! Shiii yuuu agaaaeeen!" Brainwashed mis-fortune babies. Ikeda: "I know about everything." / (Paraphrased) "Win the Nobel Peace Prize for the org.." "Never leave the org.,
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Typical hardcore $oka Gakkai International Cult Org. Pseudo-buddhist altar set up . Take particular notice of The Dear Leader golden embossed / stamped signature with official "hanko" (Ikeda seal), golden framed certificate display piece AND the glossy full color photos behind glass (one is a common "poem" often handed out at larger cult meetings - usually printed in both
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Whether it be in the cult motherland, @ Cult U. ("What's about to happen??!?" / "Everybody's a Rock Star!") Or @ a cult org. bldg. ("We are about to have a Rock Star experience." / "What's the name of this center?" "Tochigi." "Tochigi?" "Yeah, Tochigi", in Japanese "Tochigi is the NUMBER COOLEST PLACE
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Quotemeh I couldn't watch but a few minutes of the FNCC crap; I have some kind of weird issue where I really have a lot of trouble watching people being humiliated ... it becomes almost physically painful. That video was absolutely excrutiating. I had the same reaction, meh, exactly the same, both then (when I was in) and still now (watching these things on YouTube). I often put my head
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For those of you in the $GI-USA Cult Org. who know Greg Martin (salaried leader), you may find this clip interesting - FNCC Gakkai Cult Org. Retreat "experience", in a nut (all pun intended) shell. "karma into mission, retreat, FNCC, Buddhism, fun," are the tag keywords Arrive at the airport, arrive at the FNCC, line up at wait for food, food, more food, entertainmen
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Bizzaro-World $oka Gakkai International Cult Org. clip (I wonder if it will stay up) - Turkey (~99% Muslim country) welcomes the cult org.. Turkish rock star, Baris Manco (deceased) is seen rocking out, in concert, with The Dear Leader in attendance. Gotta watch the whole clip (I kid you not). The venue, I believe, is a gakkai cult org. building / theatre, and the entire audience has
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Quoteeyzopn Horrific. (re: Blockbuster News @ Buddha Jones) What remains to be seen is how the organization responds. Will the award be rescinded or will the whole thing be swept under the rug? Will the org. close ranks to protect its image or make a public statement against human rights violations? It's the worst case scenario of the fallacy of equating enlightenment with earthly desires. O
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Some random replies to many of the recent posts here: **** QuoteNichijew SGI and Codependency Control patterns: --I believe most other people are incapable of taking care of themselves. — Giving guidance whether or not guidance is sought. --I attempt to convince others of what they “should” think and how they “truly” feel. — “President Ikeda says we should…” --I become resentful whe
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$GI-USA FNCC Cult Retreat - "It's really 'buddha-land', in many respects ..." / "We're far away from everything, there are no highways, no airports, no movie theaters, no TV's, or really no interest in even watching TV ..." (From ~ 1:10 min. mark on.) "It's really beautiful here, very peaceful." / "There are no distractio
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$oka Gakkai Australian CULT Centre . Large golden framed Dear Leader portraits, Dear Leader calligraphy, bronze plaques and cult "President" photos, grace the walls. The magic chant throughout the entire video clip, in the background. Typical gakkai cult "kaikan" (formerly "community center", now renamed as "buddhist centers"), in both appearance, an
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Lawrence Carter (discussed earlier on this thread), presenting the award to Walter L. Williams: "Professor Lawrence Carter of Morehouse College, Dean of the Martin Luther King Center and Director of the Gandhi Institute for Reconciliation, presenting the 2006 Gandhi King Ikeda Award for Human Rights to Walter L. Williams for his life of activism devoted to expanding human rights in the Un
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Thanks, Nichiju. **** $GI-USA Cult Org. pre-cult-event hype Part I. Huge build up, . . . . . the cult event happens, . . . . . Part II. Post-cult-event feelings (at least it was always this way with me, and after checking portions of these clips out, I'm left with the same feelings now, as then) . . . . . . "Where's The Beef?!?" (Watch for Ikeda at the 0.17 sec
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QuoteSporatica The last straw was when they stranded my mom in San Diego. The bus broke down. The group was left waiting on the side of the road. Then they shuffled her to a cheap motel and crammed her into a room with four people, instead of two. Running late, they shuttled her to the convention center and assigned her to "clean the tunnels," at which point they neglected to retrieve h
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Welcome to the ex-gakkai-cult-org "member" community, "Sporatica" and "eyzopn." Some random thought to your first posts: **** QuoteSporatica I joined NSA in 1984. At the time, I was 19. I was told that they were open to dialogue. Being inquisitive by nature, I had many questions, about the practice. Most couldn't be answered. So I went to the temple and
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QuotemehSo now poor little girl is out on her butt, unemployed and pregnant, no source of income, no medical care - enter the mystic law to rescue her! And of course it did, by helping her find the right lawyer who guided her through the minefield she found herself in, knowing-nods-wink-wink to the captivated audience in the kaikan who is cheering her on! And big fat financial settlement from her
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Corboy, I had intended to include the additional comment, with my original post, but had forgotten (your post reminded me): Throughout my time in "Jr. Pioneers" (the old cult name for the now "ESD - Elementary School Division"), I had no inkling whatsoever that cult kiddy meetings-activities were somehow "not normal." I just went with the flow, without giving it
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I find it both interesting and extremely revealing that gakkai cult org. members' blinders are so strong that they feel it's completely normal and secure to post YouTube clips of their cult meetings. Having been to hundreds (or more?) during my time in, it's equally fascinating that absolutely nothing has changed. The themes, the corniness, the format, everything, it's all e
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QuoteSpartacus I would venture to say that those with 40+ years do leave, but most likely depart - in a casket. Used up, burnt out, beat down, drained, fried, chewed up, spit out, tossed aside, and ultimately forgotten. You know - like a Sadanaga, no further use to the cult.org . . . Agreed, 100%. QuoteSpartacus I am so much happier than ever before in my life, I will never again be sucke
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Quotemeh . . . her friendship is conditional upon me re-joining sgi? Thanks, but no thanks. I prefer my freedom and having relative control over my own thoughts. Anyone or any group that requires you to not think or shut down your critical faculties, is never your "friend." The $oka Gakkai Cult Org. = coercion by groupthink and manipulators / users, for their own (and the group&#
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And perhaps this one, , too.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

My take on the priesthood rift, is that it had been a marriage of convenience from the beginning, for both sides. They made it last for as long as each side could stand and tolerate the other. They've always had their fights and spats (kept secret / private / hidden from the international membership), then made up and carried on. That is, until each side no longer really needed the other
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Quotecorboy Guys, am not sure if this is just my foolish brain doing tricks, or if its truth. I was reading Holly's remark and Hitch's response. Quoteholly_golightly had written When I think about the amount of chanting I used to feel that I had to do just to attend a meeting at work or have a normal conversation it reinforces how debilitating it was for me and how I created a
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteSpartacus The gross hypocrisy of the SGIcult made me feel both sick and angry! Spartacus Equally sickening, it's an open secret that The $oka Gakkai Cult Org. "President", The Dear Leader Ikeda, is highly covetous of The Nobel Peace Prize. In fact, he drools for it. In lieu of that, however (because I think he knows he never will), he wants somebody from the cult or
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quoteholly_golightly It's funny how these things can be forgotten so quickly. I remember also being told that the long gongyo was essential, and a sign of being committed to the practice. I also used to find it mind numbingly painful and never-ending - the wasted hours I will never get back!! Re: Wasted hours / time with the cult org. (activities, commutes, TOSOS!!, activities, the mag
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quoteholly_golightly When I think about the amount of chanting I used to feel that I had to do just to attend a meeting at work or have a normal conversation it reinforces how debilitating it was for me and how I created a prison for myself, with fear of what might happen if I didn't chant. Quoted again, for truth. And it's entirely self created. Therefore, one can also break i
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Just some random points that I wanted to add my own thoughts to: Quotemeh It's funny - my son did come to a new year's day krg with me; he's a stone atheist, but came because it was also my birthday and he knew it would mean a lot. I dragged him out right after gongyo - I was too embarrassed for him to see the circus that was upcoming. Maybe that's when the veil actually st
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QuoteTaitenAndProud Me too. But here's the thing - we were told it was VITALLY important, essential, even (!) for the morning gongyo to be that long! So when they shortened it, most members felt relief, but a lot of members felt betrayed - WHY had we been told we had to do the whole long thing every morning, that to shorten it would be a "bad cause", and that there was such gre
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Quotemeh A perfect description of almost everyone I've ever seen during gongyo (and myself as well, I'm sure). And, as someone noted on this mb somewhere, perfect preparation for receptivity to further indoctrination. Sancho is perfect for breaking the trance . . . a perfect ending for the programming session. Go ye forth and spread the good word, my friends. At times, it's the utt
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On that note (new clip): "Sneak Peak (sic) - Ikeda Youth Ensemble Competition and Brazil/US SGI Exchange Documentary" - from The Official SGIUSAmedia YouTube Channel. (4:10 minute mark) "Show the power of $GI Buddhism! MAKE SOME NOISE!!!!! YYYAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!" Become an $GI cult Ikeda-Bot! **** The irony runs very deep in this cult org. comme
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families