QuoterattyboyI . . . . . was given cold stares when expressing this. Those cold stares were because you were doing something that you were not supposed to be doing - thinking. "Guidance" is just code for go get reprogrammed how to not think for yourself and become even more dependent on others thinking for you so that they can manipulate you further on down the road. QuoteNichijew
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Nichijew - that chainsaw behavior is insanity incarnate. Reckless and irresponsible behavior were commonplace in the ymd back in my day. It seemed to me that the salaried gakkai leaders always knew who to use and in what capacity all the way down to selecting the most reticent of the young members as guinea pigs in their delusional escapades. I also slowly started to notice that those same &qu
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QuotecorboyFinally, Anticult noted that many recruiters for these groups EXPLOIT our usual politeness. These persons are using sophisticated covert sales techniques and they cannot be silenced by a simple refusal, because THEY DO NOT RESPECT OUR BOUNDARIES. They treat the word 'No' as a signal to 'Keep Pushing' The only way to deal with these sharky recruiters is not lis
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Quoteholly_golightlyWell I think the older members were quite bored of the human and new human revolution, and didn't really bother with the books unless they were leaders. But being in the Youth Division and part of this special activity as well, there was a big drive to embed HR and NHR in our lives, and also the with the 'Volume 10' campaign I mentioned before. Anyone who
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Re: Former members rejoining other groups - You folks have opened my eyes here. Like I said, I only have a sample of "1" to compare it to and I never "joined" as a willing adult. I had no choice in the matter and it was literally shoved down my throat at times. It was "normal" for me up 'till a certain age, but then slowly started to become more and more awkw
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In the spirit of humor: QuoterattyboyIn my own district I grew tired of hearing: "So and so from youth division just came back from FNCC." ooooh. Let them give their experience at the discussion meeting. The first details I had heard from a YMD, while on the way to a meeting, is that it was like a palace and "hot ladies" were everywhere and you get treated like a king. The
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I have a general question for Rick Ross or rrmoderator. I'm quoting the original posts, below, in so as to keep the full context as it pertains to my question: QuoteJeeniaHello everyone, I am a former member of SGI. I joined it because my Japanese friend was raving about how it is a great Buddhist organization in Virgina. Well I Joined and received my Gohonzon one year from today in fact
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I believe this is the FNCC clip . I must say, going thru some of the videos under the same theme leaves me just shaking my head. It looks like commune behavior with everyone under the same chemical influence (endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, etc.) tenderizing their minds to be more receptive to the core brainwashing that takes place in the conferences/discussions. On that note: Quotebackn
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With Nelson Mandela in the news recently, it reminded me of a gakkai anecdote that I experienced and have always remembered for its revealing pettiness. Back in the 90's Ikeda met with Mandela in Japan and hot news burning up the gakkai WD grapevine at the time was how Mandela was falling asleep during his meeting with the dear leader. It was discussed in a manner and tone implying that
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Btw, I forgot to add that the portion re: "Williams" can be seen at the beginning of part 2. And incidentally, I know one of those clumsy wanna-be Ikeda secret service agent bodyguards that escorts him to the stage in part 1. It is quite amusing to me because I shall just say that, although he has mastered the professional football player wearing a suit look perfectly, in reality, he
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I'm sure these have been posted before (but I repost them in order to make a point regarding the above discussion) - 1. Part 1 (All Japanese) 2. Part 2 (All Japanese) 3. Selected excerpts (English subtitles) Is this the behavior of a human being that anyone in their right mind would choose to follow (operative words here are "right mind"). Is this how a wise, compa
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I agree with everyone above, bobze39. Very encouraging! And, just like I said earlier, decent people reserve judgement and think for themselves. I love happy endings! Come to think of it, the fact that we are all here sharing our stories is another happy ending in and of itself, because we are all survivors . . . . and thinking for ourselves, too.
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QuotetsukimotoWhen I joined SGI/NSA in the late eighties, the DaiGohonzon was revered. It's a large wooden Gohonzon, and we were told that Nichiren carved it in the 1200's as a symbol of his vow to spread his Buddhist teachings throughout the world. SGI leaders urged their members to make a Tozan, or pilgrimmage to see the DaiGohonzon, which was enshrined in the Shohondo Buil
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Quoteholly_golightly . . . it was all very good natured and in high spirits I felt, coerced, manipulated and completely negative. Coerced - to do (street) shakubuku, to do lifelong zaimu, to subscribe to all the publications (multiple copies in some cases), to do more and more activities until you transform into a walking gakkai-zombie, to give more and more of your time and essentially do ever
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Quotewakatta1I guess there are lots of devils of all stripes out there, eh? The secret may be to know what kind of "devil" you end up being.... A couple of examples of other devilish behavior that I've seen/heard in the gakkai: a huge cardboard sign sitting on a easel at the kaikan, next to the bustudan, with things written on it like "things to chant for - the destructio
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Some more partial identification behavior (what's funny is that the guy in the front, if he were in Japan, would be completely castigated for having his hair like that - some ironic ignorance on his part). On the topic of harassment, the gakkai members can also get borderline violent when confronted in a direct and strong way. That sure says a lot about their inherent buddha and peace
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I can only speak as to the sg and sgi-usa situation. In America, the rooms are a prerequisite to any site before selecting as a "kaikan." They are created, the center is opened and the rooms always sit empty (except for maintenance and regular cleaning). It's supposed to embody the spirit of the leader and the spirit of your true faith - a potential connection; the cleaner, shin
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The "HAI!"-ing is even much more intense in Japan (where it is deeply indoctrinated into the fabric of the cultural mindset obsessed with artificial rank/levels). When you add the "Hai"-ing along with the rigid straight body stance and bowing by some of the American members, I've always found it ultra-creepy. An interesting study into psychology, for sure. QuoteNich
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Sgi leaders' code of conduct = SIEG HEIL!!
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I'm continuing to go thru this long Gakkai thread and have just found another point I'd like to add to: QuotelthomasAlso, another thing that I noticed within SGI was the fact that, the higher you were promoted, the more colder you seemed. It was as if normal human emotions such as, sadness (and in some cases anger) were not allowed. I remember one time suffering as a result of a emot
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoterattyboyBack in the late '80s during the high pressure NSA/SGI days, . . . I watched a group of young men's division members, (all of us dressed in our 'whites'), pressure a new member to shave his mustache before some big event the next day. He was not into that idea at all but they kept at him. Some of them with borrowed Japanese accents. (Remember the non-Japanese tak
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuotecyclopsWhile I was distancing myself I was called by leaders for a “home visitation” , if you are asked for one “just say no!” once they get into a home visitation situation then the mind games begin usually 3 of them will visit to see how they can “help you” or reprogram you. Also please be aware that even if you decline a home visitation you just may get an unannounced one where they jus
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quotewakatta1 . . . it was packaged and sold as a "deep oriental philosophy that provides an answer to lifes issues" it was incredibly oversold. That overselling was for the most part the core of the cover-up, and the skimming of donations and thought control that came along with that sunk its roots deeply into the organization. Once a lie is told, then another lie must be told to cov
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QuoteShavoyWhich follows in other religions as well....How many deeply professed Christians are guilty of the same thing...what is preached doesn't translate in the behavior. It's a sad but true part of the universal human condition, yes? The Soka Gakkai can't really claim that practicing SGI Buddhism will automatically elevate them to The Ultimate and Only Perfect Humanity on e
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QuoteevergreenI 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 Nichiren retir
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Edit (to previous post): I meant to type "Saturday Night Fever" above (kinda ruins the joke, but . . . .) Quotewakatta1Only if the practice/religion had no real basis or power (was heretical or unfounded or slanderous or erroneous, you name it) that a person or persons could get away with that without getting "GO SEIBATSU or BATCHI" (The BIG punishment). Remember the &quo
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Thank you for your kind welcome "simplify." I'd like to reply to some random posts that I came across while working my way thru this long Gakkai thread: QuotetsukimotoShortly after that, in the early 90's, the Soka Gakkai had a bitter feud with the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood, and broke off from them entirely. Again this was a complete 180 degree shift...before 1991, or
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Quotewakatta1I have really enjoyed reading everyone's insights into the questions posed by the new arrivals. Certainly there is a lot to be shared amongst us both in regards to insight into the practice, but also to put form to the many concerns that each of those of long standing have had. Someone mentioned about old members and their reasons for holding on to the SGI. I agree, there a
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteevergreenHitch - former fortune baby here. I didn't get to bypass anything nor did I get a get out of jail free card either. evergreen Hi evergreen, I know you didn't. I'm just sometimes a bit sardonic in my posts. On that note: I'm sure that members have told you already that "your karma must be very, very heavy", even more so than most other fortu
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteThe AnticultThat is planned Social Engineering by SGI-USA. It really is. After all, in Japan, there are planned socially engineered SGI towns, right? People live and breathe SGI in those areas, that is the mothership. ..... All the power is in Japan. 100% correct. Everything starts and ends in Japan, like a finely tuned machine that operates flawlessly. Sgi-usa is just a bastardize
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