QuoteTaitenAndProud I was told that, when people leave the organization, their lives deteriorate. Oh, it can take a while, because the good fortune they've accumulated through their practice up to that point takes a while to run through. Your life is compared to a large container - somehow, I'm thinking a ship - and as you chant and do activities and give LOTS of money to the organiza
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Meh, just stand your ground and they shall eventually fade away. They may pop up from time to time in the future, but just stand your ground and be firm. Your email was very diplomatic and crystal clear. Just remember, "Taiten" means the opposite of cult doublespeak --> it means you've finally broken the shackles (a critical step that many are never able to reach). ****
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Quotemeh I was reminded that I almost got hooked into another Buddhist cult a number of years ago - New Kadampa Tradition. They were such an obvious personality-cult and had a clear proscription about reading from other traditions that even I recognized the signs. Apparently, I need to be hit over the head with a 2x4 (or possibly 6x6). Interestingly, I didn't find any postings on this entire
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QuoteTaitenAndProud QuoteDiehard male Ikeda-bots do indeed emulate The Dear Leader & Japanese salaryman dress code. The WD / YWD in Japan also like to wear certain common bright pastel colors to all the official cult org. meetings. I joined up in early 1987, and for some months after that, the SGI - which was still called NSA at that point - was still segregating men and women on different
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Quotesleepy skunk "Forever Senseless" does have a ring to it doesn't it? HAHA!! I love it. Quotemeh I would watch the dvd's at krg every month and look at the members there . . . all the men dressed like ikeda and all the women dressed like mrs. ikeda, and I felt that there was something deeply wrong and kind of scary. I attributed it to the differences between japanes
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Taken from Nichijew's site (I don't think he'll mind my reposting it here, at least I hope not), in full - "There is absolutely no ACTUAL PROOF in the Soka Gakkai! Nichiren tied an oath to the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, prayed to it, and saved his temple from falling into the hands of Tojo Kakenobu and the Amidists: "...The villainous Tojo Saemon Kagenobu once
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"Cousin Rufus" is kind of an inside joke on this mb. It comes from a fellow (mis)fortune baby (I've forgotten her moniker on here) who heard the "Forever Sensei" song as a little girl and mistook the "Kosen Rufu's on the way!" portion for, "Cousin Rufus' on the way!" Who's Cousin Rufus --> it's "Kosen Rufu" and every
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Quotesleepy skunk One of the best ahem..."experiences", is watching those people lose their mind when you don't obey their every command. Very entertaining stuff. That is one of the uhhh "benefits", of leaving. You can watch that any time you want because they can't do a thing about it. Boy oh boy (!), you got that right, Sleepy Skunk! Some of the YMD leaders had
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Quotemeh . . . . one of the reason I joined sgi was because of its self-proclaimed members-first policy, . . . . . . . . I responded to the md leader with a polite but firmly-worded email reminding him of how we're supposed to support the members and quoting ikeda about the organization existing for the members, not the other way around. Cult doublethink-doublespeak 101. It's
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QuoteShavoy . . . . SGI die-hards have more lightning bolts than anyone I've ever seen. It's the SGI way or the Highway. Boy, oh boy, Shavoy (rhyme unintended), you have definitely got that RIGHT!! My time with the gakkai cult org. was one of being surrounded by manipulative control freaks (especially the "leaders"), who thought they knew everything, what was best
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(Bit of a long response, but I hope it is OK . . . .) Meh, Greetings, welcome, and I'm glad you are here. Most of all, I'm glad you have found the courage to take the first step in getting away from the Gakkai Cult Org.. Quotemeh I now find that meetings are no longer being scheduled at my place and am no permitted to do the schedule. I was given some lame excuses about it, b
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Recent clip (April 2013) from $oka Gakkai Cult Org. Shinanomachi "Cult Town" - A protest drive through all the highlight spots (The Dear Leader's home, Old Gakkai HQ main gate, $eikyo $himbun Propaganda Office, new Gakkai HQ construction area, Shinanomachi Station and surrounding Gakkai Cult associated business, etc.). Clip opens with driver, speaking over the loudspeaker, s
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More background on the "tooth" - " ... one of Nichiren Daishonin's teeth came out with a piece of his gum flesh attached to it. He gave it to Nichimoku Shonin with the wish that he would become better and better at debate. We call this tooth, "Onikuge( The tooth with gum)." It is guarded in the Treasure House at the Head Temple. The gum on the tooth is s
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QuoteTaitenAndProud Given that the Nichiren schools founded by the OTHER elder priests all have different accounts of the events in question, and that there are many gosho which are regarded as illegitimate (aka forgeries, pseudonymous, etc.), I think we can be confident that this little homily about those horrid non-Nikko priests and their nefarious wrongdoing can be understood as just another p
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QuoteScoobyDooby JMO, Nammy is either very naive (not a good attribute for a lawyer) or an SGI troll. I vote for the latter. Or perhaps a combination of both. I definitely think that a nerve has been hit, either way. On that note: "The Goreiho Mushibarai Ceremony (in Head Temple)." "The Goreiho Mushibarai Ceremony of the Airing of the Sacred Treasures, conducted at the
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It's "The Cousin Rufus" tooth. It's kept under priesthood custodial care at Taiseki-ji, brought out from time to time, like the shroud of turin to share with the faithful. Absolutely no joke here either. Just like when they "air" out all of the daishonin's documents, the tooth is also put out to be viewed, inspected and shared (though not as often, I think).
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Let us also not forget the infamous Nichiren Daishonin (mystical) tooth, the "onikuge." Nichiren Shoshu has its own bizarre relics, too. It's human nature. When I first heard about it, I think as a teenager, the first thing I did was ask some hardcore pioneer Japanese members about it. They were shocked I knew about it (this was way before the internet and I learned about it
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Quotecorboy This bit about 'relics' is fascinating. Are they for private sale to or among hardcore members? Used as marks of distinction in place of paying salaries? Not many people know about this aspect of the $GI Cult. Many also won't or don't want to believe it. I've never seen or heard of any of Ikeda-associated items for sale amongst members, but they a
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Quotesleepy skunk Yes, you've reminded me that I was told one of them was a "gift from sensei". I thought, "as if, but whatever". Same as any other little trinket like pencils, pens, booklets, cards, etc. Unless you give it to me personally and say whatever, I don't make the connection. Especially if they are thousands of miles away and I have never met them. I�
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A gakkai cult member sings her own version the $oka Gakkai "Laverne & Shirley" (American, old TV sitcom show) song. "Make our dreams come true, chanting with SENSEI!" "We'll do it 'The Middle Way", with Sensei." Depending on the day of the week, you might also find her Snake Dancing with one of her pet snakes, "Grayscale." (I&
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Quotesleepy skunk Thanks for the information. I'm also curious if there's a reason they'd give out more than one and in different colors, is that of any significance like to show who's new or "seeking spirit" or any other kind of status or levels I've heard of like in your post? I remember now that one was for the scroll, from the senior leader, but there was an
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Came across this (in part): "Unnatural superstitions amongst SGI and Nichiren practitioners." "Among my travels in life I have encountered some strange superstitions, from the uncanniest of characters however i have not encountered such bizarre superstitions as those amongst the SGI and other Nichiren practitioners. Growing up I entertained all the local superstitions and cus
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Quotesleepy skunk Pardon the probably odd question but this made me think of the scarves they give to people in the begining. Does anyone know of their significance and if the above was the purpose of giving them out? It's not an odd question at all. It's part of the Japanese custom of wrapping (especially important items) things with a "furoshiki" cloth. In the case
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The Dear Leader's "Poem" - . - Hitch
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Two, of two, continued . . . " . . . . Italian Soka Gakkai . . . . orginated from the interaction of three elements: the perception of Japanese as the official language of Buddhism, the desire to imitate Japanese leaders, and the desire to climb up the hierarchic echelon of the organisation." "The use of a high degree of foreignisation, . . . . helped Italian Soka Gakkai t
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Two (very) long posts alert. One, of two: An interesting thesis, from 2007, on the $GI, specifically "Italy", cult movement (but it does also discuss the cult motherland and U.S.A. movements as critical background). Some (for me) really accurate observation excerpts (My own thoughts / comments, bolded.): **** "The Translation and Domestication of an Oriental Religion i
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Long Post Alert, but I hope worthwhile . . . . $oka Gakkai International ($GI) and $cientology not as far apart as many would probably like to think at first glance: Here, , a former $cientology AND $GI member discusses the stiking similarities. EXCERPT - "I heard about scientology in 2008 during Chanology but at the time was still an SGI member in good standing. As i dove more
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Magical Thinking - The Seven Basic Principles: 1. Anything can be "sacred" = The Magic Paper Scroll (Mandala / Gohonzon / Joju Gohonzon / Omamori Gohonzon / Dai-Gohonzon / etc.) 2. Anything can be "cursed" = Anything or anyone outside of your "specially" "chosen" sect / group / circle / faith mindset. (Inter-faith tolerance is a ruse.) 3. Mind over
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Bit of a long post, but I do feel it is worthwhile to see how the gakkai cult org. functions. Came across this, not sure if it has ever been posted here before: **** (All of my comments, bolded) "The SGI (Soka Gakkai International) is the lay organization for the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonen. I started practicing this Buddhism in 2004 and received my Gohonzon (a holy scroll that r
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I can add many names and stories to the list about long time, sincere practicing gakkai members who met with some horrible deaths (alone, wasting away with metastasized bone cancer, senseless accidents, etc.) in the end. These things are never faced, thought about, mentioned, nor discussed by other gakkai members. It's all quickly brushed aside, put out of mind and bypassed so as to avoid an
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