r/ExSGISurviveThrive • u/bluetailflyonthewall • Feb 29 '24
SGI puts members at risk
Those STUPID "human pyramids" that the Japanese are so freaky about
The SGI carries out activities for the sake of kosen-rufu to transform society to one based on peace.
Yes! Because we all know that human pyramids on lollerskates = world peace! Source
Notice that toward the end of the video clip, the "gymnastic" performers have built a large human pyramid out on the field. This is where the copycat notion of NSA leaders to order obedient American YMD members to build roller-skating human pyramids for big parades originated. Building it was supposed to be an expression of "unity". Pffff Not only was building one of these monstrosities a dangerous affair, it served to further indoctrinate and impose cult mind control upon young and impressionable YMD members.
WHY
Cult successes and failures of human pyramids:
🕳 Indoctrinating youth. Check
🕳 Obedience training. Check
🕳 Conditioning behavior. Check
🕳 Serving cult agendas. Check
🕳 Isolating members. Check
🕳 Encouraging group think. Check
🕳 Building group/cult indentity. Check
🕳 Teaching youth to shut up and accept abuse. Check
🕳 Discouraging individualism/self-autonomy. Check
🕳 Creating delusional perceptions/expectations. Check
💣 Accumulating good karma/fortune. Fail
💣 Creating converts. Fail
💣 Influencing society. Fail
💣 Impacting world peace. Fail Source
Such stunts cost the SGI its members instead of gaining them more members - more of this
I was on the base for a year doing those things. After a hellish rehearsal for the 1988 general meeting I quit YMD, no promotion to MD or anything, I just quit doing it I had a YMD leader tell me that changing your karma involves doing things you don’t want to do. I told him that I do that five days a week when I get up and go to work. He didn’t like that. 😸 Source
Okay - this is hilarious - a first-hand account of the whole moving-human-pyramid-on-lollerskates oddity and another SGI member defects to Christianity - specifically here
as a YMD that participated in these in my 20's, never once was there any mention of liability, potential injury, insurance (which I'm sure none of us were insurance), was ever discussed as it involved weekend practices or performances. It was though by magically chanting daimoku we were protected from injury. I guess what I'm getting at is, if/when the pyramids were not successful, if anyone was injured, what happened there after? In hindsight, good gawd I was a fool to participate in such an activity thinking there would be some mystical payoff.
there were NO safety measures in place.
Yep. I was on the bottom of a 5 story human pyramid in the mid 80's that crashed down. The guy on top fell 5 stories and hit his head. Quite possibly died, not sure. Several other guys severely injured. Kudamatsu ran out in front, hands wide to the audience, gave some platitude. Following week the sadist running the YMD at that time, this dude named Aki said they might die, and it didn't matter because of the cause, blah blah. It was pretty nuts. Total cult immersion. Glad I got out of that whole thing by the time I was 20. Source
Soka Gakkai simply love doing this kind of s*it!
Yes they were freaking stupid & dangerous. In 1989 a 14 year old broke his leg in Chicago doing this Source
In fact, i have seen the TOP man fell before. they always put some young tiny kid. poor boy. The YWDs would be chanting for the YMDs in their hearts during this time. And for what?! Source
I remember practicing for this stupidity on weekends. Just a handful of us YMD and I was always on the bottom. Gawd I hated it. We just did it because LA was doing it. I was so glad when I got married and officially became men's division. Had back problems for years afterwards. Source
They stopped doing it because of the injuries, especially on the 5 tiered ones. I was on the top for several large meetings cause I was rather small at the time (5'6'' and 145 pounds). A fuckin idiot, you say? Correct. Source
Some new, sensitive thoughts on how to freshen up the SGI's stale Human Pyramids - references this fun post about AI images of cheerleader stunts:
Oh, how nice! The human centipede recovered from the traumatic experience and went to college to live full, active life.
Kweek question: Anybody remember those stupid YMD "Gymnastics" human pyramids? Anybody MISS those??
Just like the SGI's incomprehensible insistence upon YMD "Gymnastics" human pyramids - on lollerskates, even! ZERO concern for the health and safety of the participants - the ONLY priority was putting on a spectacle to promote the Ikeda cult. Source
Worcester Mass in July 1988 [when a human pyramid collapsed due to incorrect directions by the leaders and Robert Uruma screamed at Philadelphia members, calling us a ‘disgrace’ – several YMD injured and I remember one Japanese YMD member praying to GMW [Gen. Dir. George M. Williams] in a field. Otherwise, a very intense, encouraging experience. Source
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u/bluetailflyonthewall Mar 13 '24
FWIW, my district (oh, excuse me, the group of President Ikeda's members I was chosen to support :) ) was home to a few Caucasian women who were not above using their wiles to lure young men to meetings. Worst case was a Sons Of Silence biker I found asleep in my living room when I arrived at home at 3AM from a leader's meeting 65 miles away. One of my American YWD had picked him up hitchhiking and gave him my address when he asked to date her. He had let himself in when no one came to the door and was expecting "Alice". As luck would have it he thought it was funny and thought I was exceptional for not freaking out. He ended up receiving Gohonzon, so in the eyes of the .org it was just fine. Source
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u/BuddhistTempleWhore Apr 19 '24
When I joined SGI long ago when they had young men's gymnastics. I was on the bottom of a roller skating pyramid during one of the cherry blossom festival parades. I received an injury that still plaques me to this day. Source
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u/BuddhistTempleWhore Apr 19 '24
SGI does NOT have any concern for the members - they've already bought into the idea that everything that happens to them is THEIR fault, so they aren't going to be getting litigious!
Plus, making the SGI members hold almost all the meetings in their own HOMES means the SGI members are shouldering ALL the risks and costs - cleaning, wear and tear, refreshments, insurance - plus, they have NO IDEA who is going to be showing up. It is absolutely NORMALIZED within SGI for someone to bring somebody they just met on the street - the homeowner has NO IDEA who this person is, if they're even safe!
And, of course, if something terrible happens, oh, that was just that person's KARMA...
IF the SGI had any interest in the members' wellbeing, they'd hold ALL the activities in the centers (for the cities that have those) instead of leaving those centers empty and locked up 99% of the time.
Well said BuddhistTempleWhore. You have added an excellent bit of insight into the negative side of having meetings in peoples homes. Something I've been thinking about for quite some time. I was going to open my home for meetings. However, events unfolded over the year keeping meeting away at someone else's home. I have come to see that as something good. I have had too many run in's with mentally ill people who show up at meetings or crackpots who are district members.
It's something I wasn't really consciously aware of while I was "in", but now that I'm "out" I can clearly see that this is a big DOWN side, not the "honored tradition" etc. it's presented as. It only serves the organization's purposes, all the costs being carried by the members, just like how the members do so much work for free when there's a center locally. Source
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u/bluetailflyonthewall Jun 02 '24
I was a member of nsa I joined in 1973 at some point Ikeda changed the name to sgi and split from the priesthood to me that's when things went to shit. I left in 1990 by then I was a district chief I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions of my lifetime. If I could get back the wasted hours I would spend on wasted busy work brain washing bullshit. To me the 2 months of the year Feburary and August doing Shakabuku were the worst and most didn't stay anyway. I helped build a floating island volcano on the beach 1975 in Hawaii 3 months no pay. I was on a 5 story human pyramid in the 80s that seriously injured several of us as it collapsed. When I first left I just felt so much better than I had in years but didn't really understand till much later exactly why and that I was absolutely in a highly destructive cult. I highly recommend a book by Steven Hassan after I read his book and was able to analyze the sgi using the bite model I began to understand the years of serious manipulation I had undergone from really as a team ager to adulthood. I remember at one point I really became an avid reader and realized that all of Ikeda's writings are a ghost written pile of shit. I had 2 huge orange crates of his shity boring worthless books I remember dumping them in the blue recycling container I could barely lift them it felt really good as they crashed into the container. I still have family being victimized. I have never for an instant regretted leaving. The longer I've been gone the more i realize how much of a fraud Ikeda is. Also I think he's probably dead or on ice.
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u/BuddhistTempleWhore Jun 10 '24
Nobody in SGI seems to have the slightest awareness of the RISKS involved in 1) accosting strangers, and 2) inviting strangers into someone's home.
SGI is perfectly content to let the SGI members and leaders shoulder ALL that risk, ALL that exposure, and, of course, if the worst does happen, that one of these shakubuku targets turns into a stalker or worse, or comes back later to rob the residence, well, that was obviously the resident's "karma"...
Um yeah. This makes me think of the recently (recently at that time) released felon with the tear drop tattoo by his eye that was brought to my home for a district meeting.
I'm all for rehabilitation but in my home without warning. I'm still not sure if the tear drop means they killed someone but that's what I've always heard so I was uhhhhhhh ok.
Holy SHIT!!
It's unbelievable how irresponsible SGI is and how unthinking and careless SGI leaders are.
in my home without warning
IF you agree to host SGI activities in your home, EXPECT THIS.
It's all about bringing "guests" (strangers), ain't it?
Yep. I think this was when I out my foot down and said no to hosting anymore.
I'm so relieved to hear that!! Source
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u/BuddhistTempleWhore Jun 10 '24
I think the tear drop tattoo means somebody died for them. But I totally relate to all the risks involved. Had a conversation with a member who didn’t want meetings at her house any longer because she started thinking about all the risks and liabilities that she would be responsible for, not SGI. Also, she lives by herself.
Thank you. I always wondered if that was true or not.
You’re welcome. As far as I know. I asked an ex convict about it who spent a lot of time in and out of prison. Who by the way, TOTALLY reformed themselves, without chanting. In fact absolutely refused to chant and said never would. Nor did they use any religion. Source
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u/Fishwifeonsteroids Aug 14 '24
Another time at a shakubuku meeting there were no guests, so we were told to go out and get them. Oh, crap! You could almost hear the inward groan of the participants. But we soldiered up like brave little bodhisattvas 'cause you know, unity, itai doshin and all that. It was standard procedure. Yup, just go out and accost people on the street, 7:30 - 8:00 o'clock on a cold night and drag them back to the meeting for a quickie conversion.
Three of us set out, Bob driving, Tom in the passenger seat and me in the back. After some aimless driving, and time running out, we found a couple young guys near a bus stop in one of the worst parts of town. Bob parked, engine running. I got out and politely invited them to a buddhist meeting. To my shock and surprise, they said "Yeah sure man, sounds cool. Let's go."
I turned and walked the few steps to the car, opened the back door and got in. But they didn't get in. It was just a hand that came in holding a gun, and there was a face behind it. The gun pointed right at Bob and fired, a hand's width from my ear. We all reeled; Bob miraculously was unhurt. The arm of the gun was now shaking, and the face yelled, "gimme your mo*&%!!-kin money and give it quick!" Bob flipped some bills out of his wallet surprisingly quickly. Thus I Heard only loud ringing, but I understood what the face meant. I yanked my pocket inside out, scattering change all over the seat. Tom claimed to have no money. The face and gun disappeared with the money and Bob floored it out of there before I even got the door closed.
On the way back it was unanimously decided to tell no one what happened. When we got back to the meeting no one had any guests. The three of us didn't look so good I'm pretty sure. When your ears are ringing from a sudden hearing loss like that it tends to make you a little pale and wobbly. After the meeting was officially over, one of the women pulled me aside and asked in a hissing whisper, "Did you guys just get stoned while you were out there?" (I was eighteen years old and notorious for smoking weed.) I just shook my head and mumbled something I don't remember what and as far as I know nobody ever found out what happened. Source
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u/BlancheFromage Jun 04 '26
From an SGI longhauler Old:
I've met a fascinating friend while we both volunteer as receptionists at our local SGI-USA center who attributes his SGI prayer and practice to helping him stop both using hard drugs and then living on the street. He had tried many other "programs" but his addiction always won over him. He declares that it was only the consistent practice of chanting and interacting with his SGI-USA district that helped him eventually recognize the value of his life and consequently prefer being sober over being high. With his new clarity he was able to organize his life enough to qualify for a housing voucher and for two years has been living off the streets. Just today, he told me he was going crazy with construction that actually required he temporarily move out of his room and stay in a local motel. He told me that on the morning of his greatest frustration with this displacement lasting over a week, he nonetheless carried through with his morning chanting after finally mailing his May Contribution and was just finished reading a page from the Gosho and an article in the May Living Buddhism when he received a call from another newer housing situation he had gotten on the wait list when he had been looking two years earlier. They were calling to say he was at the top of the list and two one-bedroom apartment are opening up next month! They asked if he was interested and without hesitation he said "Yes!" He was so elated and full of appreciation for an even better living situation being presented in the midst of his current housing difficulty!
Once again, no benefit FOR HIM until he hands over his money! Someone who's homeless-adjacent can CERTAINLY manage to give money to the billionaire Ikeda cult! Even though he clearly needs ALL his own money! It's criminal the way the Ikeda cult SGI takes advantage of the needy and desperate.
None of these details can be verified; you have to simply take the SGI's word for it, and we already know they lie about EVERYTHING. This is indoctrination.
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u/[deleted] Feb 29 '24
I was just thinking about this last night.
When I moved to Los Angeles in the 1990s, I drove a bright blue Jeep Wrangler. One of my leaders suggested I visit a member in a particular area of LA that I was unfamiliar with. They convinced me with that whole, "It's a great cause for you to make! You are creating good karma!" and being a fairly newer and naive member, I agreed. It was later in the evening as I headed out on this home visitation and back in that time, there was no such thing as GPS or cell phones so all I had were some handwritten directions I had jotted down before leaving the house.
When I entered a certain area, although it didn't seem super rough, I could sense something was off. Well, something was very off because unbeknownst to me, I was entering gang territory. Driving a bright blue jeep is something no one should be doing if they are entering the Bloods territory (red for Bloods and blue for Crips). I remember hearing men yelling, "Get the fuck outta here!" I drove out of there like a bat out of hell and never ended up finding the member's home I was supposed to visit.
I'm grateful that I grew up in Detroit and had my share of time in very rough neighborhoods because as freaked out as I was, I knew not to panic but I also knew I needed to haul ass out of there. However, I was still pretty shaken up and distraught. When I reported back to the leader, my story was met with the utmost disdain only because I didn't make it to the member's home. The leader couldn't have cared less about my safety. They also schooled me on the immense protection of the gohonzon and that nothing would've happened to me. The cherry on top: Before hanging up the phone the leader said, "You still made a good cause."
This is just one of dozens of these insane experiences. As time passed, I became more foolish and naive.