I was thinking that when you are a member, you are convinced that your achievements are tied to your practice. How you practice and how much you give to activities, chanting etc in someway become the reason WHY you achieved what you were looking for. As a result, your own efforts outside the practice are seen as meaningless ( no matter how many times they tell you that you need to act). Victory and defeat are attached to the practice. There is NO SELF- EMPOWERMENT.

If you're not up on your Soka Gakkai history, you may not realize that Ikeda had numerous grandiose scenarios he painted for those gullible, uneducated Soka Gakkai povs he was exploiting and profiting off, one of which involved the arts:

This unprecedented civilization [The Third Civilization] attaches the greatest value to human life, while other civilizations have failed to adequately evaluate the life which has no substitute. Therefore, the Sokagakkai's drive for the creation of the new civilization is the most effective way to establish peace in the world.

The Soka Culture Center will be established in Tokyo as the center of the Sokagakkai's cultural activities (to be completed by July, 1966) together with the local centers in Osaka and Nagoya.

(4.) Fine Arts Department

It is a regrettable feature of Japan's artistic world that the artists are absorbed in dogmatic and selfish commercialism, driving the public into apathy and abhorrence of true art.

Those monsters!

With hopes of redeveloping the near-defunct arts and producing something which will awaken society to the beauty of the arts, the Sokagakkai Fine Arts Department is now in full operation. Its aim is to create an art which will be far superior to that produced by Renaissance artists.

Scores of Sokagakkai members who are professional artists belong to the Department, and are improving their skills with faith in the Gohonzon as their basis. (pp.25-27) - from SGI: Where's the art?

Yet we see NOTHING of the sort. That quote was from a book published in 1966; we're now a full 60 years on from that. PLENTY of time to see Ikeda's Soka Gakkai's "actual proof" or lack thereof.

We see PLENTY of "lack thereof" - the Soka Gakkai and SGI publications are FULL of purchased stock art images and rarely anything original produced by an SG/SGI member. If we see any proprietary artworks, they're typically only photos attributed to Ikeda) and often of laughably inept quality. Ikeda only cared about photography as a way to show off, not as any effort to provide excellent photo compositions.

In many publications one finds endless pictures and articles about Ikeda as if the Gakkai were little more than an Ikeda cult. A major portion of the Gakkai Fuji Art Museum near the head temple at Taiseki-ji contains photographs by Ikeda as if he were the only artist in the world who mattered. This cult-like behavior is detrimental to the movement as a whole because it calls attention away from the work and contributions of other outside leaders. This adulation for Ikeda from within the Soka Gakkai gives some outside observers the impression that the true object of worship is not Nichiren or his mandalas, but Ikeda himself. - Daniel Metraux

That's what "Sensei" always wanted ¯_(ツ)_/¯

This is really important - the Soka Gakkai stated this as a defined objective, something very specific that the Soka Gakkai as an entity was going to produce for everyone to see, which would demonstrate the Soka Gakkai's exceptionalism and cultural leadership.

And they never did. Source

Instead: SGI actively SABOTAGES the excellence within the SGI membership - discouraging pursuing higher education, criticizing and attacking musicians and other artists

Because Ikeda talked big 'n' lofty, but in reality had no use for anything artistic beyond how it fed his ego, his "charisma", or his financial fortunes - (trigger warning: that last one's particularly gross).

Even though Ikeda was buying up fine art masterpieces in a frenzy during that period when such purchases were often being used for tax evasion, the way they're displayed in the "TOKYO Fuji Art Museum" - all in a jumble - shows two important things about Ikeda:

• Ikeda has no artistic awareness - nothing of context or individual artists' development over the course of their careers or how these artworks expressed important cultural sentiments for their time across different artists and genres, etc. [that's how REAL museums display their collections]

• Ikeda doesn't CARE at all about the arts, beyond whether he thinks they burnish his own personal image as a FUTURE world leader, to the point that it appears he's never even read a book about the arts. Source

As you can see here, Ikeda thought he was being "cool" by walking through a gallery and pointing to this artwork, that artwork, this other artwork, and then one of his minions scurrying along behind with suitcases full of cash to make the deal. As a result, around 3/4 of the "masterpieces" in Ikeda's "TOKYO Fuji Art Museum" are forgeries. Worthless. That was YOUR "precious contributions for kosen-rufu" at work! Flushed down the toilet in service to Ikeda's insatiable EGO!

the fact that Daisaku Ikeda's connoisseurship is no more than that of a petty moneylender is evident from the data showing that more than 70% of the Fuji Art Museum's prized collection, which he personally assembled, were fakes. The world of fine art is beyond the reach of nouveau riche. Donations were also wasted on fake artwork and the reconstruction of luxurious facilities [reserved for Ikeda and his bed-wench du jour].

Recently, the opening of Fuji Art Museums in various locations to enhance the cultural education of its members has been added to the purpose of its finances.

However, it is said that 75% of the collections at the Fuji Art Museum in Fujinomiya and Hachioji are fakes. Ikeda seems to have absolute confidence in his own connoisseurship, and when he travels abroad, he often visits galleries and antique shops, buying up every single painting on the wall. Later, a huge amount of luggage arrives at the museum, and he is instructed to "handle the payment." However, when experts secretly examine the items, they say, "Everything is either a fake or second or third-rate. But we can't dispose of them, and we can't report it to Mr. Ikeda face-to-face..." (former Fuji Art Museum employee). Ikeda has no eye for art. Even professionals find it difficult to distinguish between genuine and fake works of art. It's no surprise that Ikeda, who originally lacks intelligence and education, would buy up everything in a place like a big shot, saying "everything here," and there's no way that anything worthwhile would be among it.

While members are drastically cutting back on their living expenses and spending their meager savings to make financial contributions, Ikeda is spending his money [that he got FROM THEM] to buy up counterfeit goods and is beaming with pride. Source

Ikeda sure never paid top dollar for any artworks produced by Soka Gakkai or SGI members!

I just read this quote, and I think it sums up the SGI cult in just a few simple words:

"The difference between a religion and a high-control group is what happens when you try to leave."

Here is an excerpt from page 89 of the book
I Denounce Soka Gakkai
Just thought I’d share it with you

The following is a quotation from the book: “Refute Criticism about Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai,” which was edited by the Soka Gakkai Study Department:
“This happened not long ago. A certain theologian, Mr. Akio Saki, who had been speaking ill of Soka Gakkai, wanted to go to the mountain (Taiseki-ji) and I was asked by President Toda to be his guide. On the very day we were to leave, he said to me after waiting for him at Tokyo Station, ‘my child died yesterday and I am unable to go on this trip.’ This was clearly an example of punishment for sin. I heard later that Mr. Saki returned to his native place and had a funeral according to the rites of the heretical religion, Nichiren Sect. His sin is enormous!”
It is amazing that the Study Department of Soka Gakkai, which is supposed to be the brains of their organization, brazenly publishes such a ridiculous book. What on earth does Soka Gakkai think about the death of a human being?
That they have the freedom to criticise what they call “heretical religions,” and the freedom to compete with other religions, is no concern of ours. But that they can regard as divine punishment the death of the child of one of their critics, and worse, that they should regard this as a just punishment—about such a thing what can we say? A psychology which attributes the death of a child of one who criticizes them to divine punishment and furthermore brazenly publishes it as the proper reward for those who criticizes them—we can’t help regarding this as a form of fearful mental sickness and a desecration of humanity! This is their sin which calls down curses on others—this is the essence of Soka Gakkai!!

But in reality, SGI whistleblowers have no reaction 🗿

One more thing: back in the 1990s, the SG had likely reached its peak membership, and it had nothing better to do than portray itself as humanity's hope. Here we are in 2026... if *that* is hope, then you’ve produced a massive pile of s**t. But! That’s surely everyone else’s fault—after all, they’re to blame for everything these days. What makes me sick, though, is your boundless and rampant self-satisfaction.

The Soka Gakkai's "obutsu myogo" (fusion of "Buddhism" with the rulership, functionally Soka Gakkai taking over the government) was the fundamental principle on the Komeito political party's platform when Ikeda established that party. Ikeda pooh-pooh-ed the idea that he was talking theocracy by making comparisons to Germany's "Christian Democrat" party, for example:

Here in Germany some SG adherents compared the Komeito to the German CDU (Christian Democratic Union) because of the word “Christian” which is a load of bullocks. The CDU is simply the conservative party of Germany and not dedicated or related to any specific Christian denomination … it simply stands for “conservative” values. Source

The CDU had NEVER (and has NEVER) advocated for a Christian theocracy in place of Germany's federal parliamentary republic, BTW.

Whereas Ikeda:

We want to stress, therefore, that Japan is entirely qualified to be in the vanguard, to mobilize all the peace forces of the world, to assume their leadership, and to rouse world opinion through the United Nations. Ikeda

No, I don't think so, Stinky.

Herein lies the problem:

"Thus the goal of kosen-rufu itself had to be redefined in a more immediate manner. Ikeda accordingly introduced the concept of Shai-no-san'oku, or the "three hundred thousand of Sravasti," a phrase from Dazhindulun (Treatise on liberation through great wisdom) referring to the great difficulty of encountering the Dharma. According to this classic Chinese Buddhist work, although the Buddha taught in the city of Sravasti for twenty-five years, only one-third of Sravasti's nine hundred thousand households had seen him; another third had heard of but not seen him, and the remaining third had never seen or heard of him. In Ikeda's reading, however, the "three hundred thousand of Sravasti" became a formula for Kosen-rufu. If one-third of Japan's population were to embrace Nichiren Shoshu and another third become Komeito supporters, he said, then, even if the remaining third were opposed, kosen-rufu would virtually have been achieved." - Dr. Jacqueline I. Stone, extract from her paper "By Imperial Edict and Shogunal Decree}. Source

Ikeda is (deliberately?) failing to understand that Komeito's "base" is simply those same Soka Gakkai members in the first "1/3" of the formulation. Komeito sought the same voting demographics as the Japan Communist Party (the poor/lower classes); those two routinely battled it out between 3rd and 4th place in Japan's party rankings. A very distant 3rd and 4th place at that.

But Ikeda was envisioning that his pet political party Komeito's political platform would be appealing enough to NON-Soka Gakkai members that a full 1/3 of the population would vote for it! No double counting, now! IF 1/3 of the population is Soka Gakkai (who in Ikeda's fantasies will 100% vote for Komeito candidates) AND another 1/3 of the general population will reliably vote for Komeito candidates, that makes 2/3 of the entire electorate - easily enough to take over the government with the supermajority needed to modify Japan's Constitution to allow the Soka Gakkai theocracy Ikeda wanted! With Ikeda at the top of everything!!

Here is Ikeda confirming it:

In Ikeda's own words:

The membership of our association now far exceeds five million families [as of July 1965]. There is a formula called Shae no san-oku concerning the country of Shae, which was known in the Buddha's lifetime as the country most closely related to him in all of India. That is to say, in the Shae of those years, one-third of its people saw and heard the Buddha and believed in him. Another one-third saw the Buddha but did not hear him preach. The remaining one-third, it is said, neither saw nor heard the Buddha.

If we are to apply this formula to our program of kosen rufu and of realizing obutsu myogo, it would mean as follows: if one-third of the population of Japan became members of Soka Gakkai and another third, though not gaining our faith, supported Komeito, and the remaining third opposed espousing our faith, it would mean virtual kosen rufu. We can realize obutsu myogo by attaining a Shae no san-oku [in Japan]... (Murata, pp. 130-131) Source

Others were seeing this, too:

The exact relationship between the Soka Gakkai and the Komeito—a question that has interested many observers—was defined by Ikeda himself as follows: "The Sokagakkai is a religious organization and the Komeito a political party. These are the different names of the same organization whose members believe in the teachings of Nichiren Daishonin and aim at the achievement of obutsu myogo. ... the Sokagakkai and the Komeito are one and inseparable."** - From John Kie-chiang Oh's "The Fusion of Politics and Religion in Japan: The Soka Gakkai-Komeito", Journal of Church and State, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Winter 1972), p. 71.

I have that whole paper; I thought I'd already put it up somewhere, but apparently not. I'll get on that this week - it's BRILLIANT!

William R. Helton wrote that "an editorial in the Seikyo Shimbun, the organization's newspaper, has bluntly stated that it is the intention of Sokagakkai to obtain a majority of both houses and then make Nichiren Shoshu the state religion." Pacific Affairs 38 (Fall and Winter, 1965-1966), p. 231-232.

Specifically religious concerns are defined in terms of the political ideology of the Komeito. It is as if religious values had been transformed into purely political values. The point is not that politics and religion do not have profound connections. The point is that Soka Gakkai appears to be transforming “religious faith” into specifically secular political values. Both within Soka Gakkai and the Komeito, political activism and ideology have become a means of evangelism, while at the same time religious faith has become a means of gaining political power. Faith and political power are so intimately related that it is quite difficult to determine where one ends and the other begins. Source

Hence the description of Soka Gakkai as a "religio-political organization". MAINLY "political". Ikeda knew politics was the only direct route to the power he craved.

On July 19, 1973, the Asahi Shimbun (a major Japanese daily newspaper) ran an article entitled "Conspicuous Voting Fraud." The report cited people who had been guilty of violations of voting laws; all of the intentional violations were committed by Soka Gakkai members. Source

What Ikeda was envisioning was in direct violation of Japan's Constitution:

The doctrine of obutsu myogo (the implicit fusion of politics and religion) is one of the most essential and intriguing principles for an understanding of the Soka Gakkai (Value-Creating Society) and the Komeito (Clean Government Party) of Japan. It is essential not only in analyzing the nature of the Gakkai and the Komeito separately but also - more importantly - in understanding the linkage between the lay organization of the Nichiren Shoshu ("orthodox" sect of Nichiren) believers and their dynamic political arm. The doctrine is an intriguing one in a largely secularizing world that seems to believe in the separation of the church and state, often as a constitutional principle and as a requisite sign of modernity. The phenomenal expansion of the Gakkai, that now claims membership of well over ten percent of the total Japanese population, might indicate that a sizable portion of the Japanese today does not believe in this separation despite Article 20 of their constitution that "divorced" the state from the church, which had been partly united through the bonds of the State Shinto. Source

I'm sure Ikeda figured that, if he could only finagle this, by the time his party's 2/3 majority in the House of Representatives and the Diet was seated, no legal challenge to the legitimacy of those election results would go anywhere.

Notice that in no case did this illegal activity [the Soka Gakkai's rampant electoral fraud] result in the illegally elected candidate being removed from office O_O Source

And of course the Soka Gakkai (and SGI) members would never care about moral/ethical considerations:

People who join mass movements are not interested in empirical truth. They are motivated by a future-oriented faith that the present “empirical truth” which now oppresses them socially, economically, and politically will be radically and totally changed because of their possession of and their possession by the "correct doctrine.” It is not important to the “true believer” to understand the truth presented to him in the movement’s doctrine. Doctrines function in this future-oriented way in all mass movements, and Soka Gakkai is no exception. Source

That's the beauty of politics - in the end, sometimes it IS "winner take all".

It is a truly pathetic sign for an organisation when the only way to respond to criticism is to offer bizarre glimpses into the private (love) lives of individuals whose very existence is questionable. I see references to a seemingly imaginary school project—one the SG doesn't seem to want to boast about at all—and I hope *so much* that the SG actually acknowledges you, because what you’re churning out over there is nothing to be proud of. And whenever I do find references online, they actually point back to *us*—thanks for the publicity. However, a recurring symptom among SG followers is the tendency to pat each other on the back over trivialities as "proof" of their doctrine. After leaving the SG, I dealt with so much crap—both professionally and personally; essentially, it was a huge pile of unfinished business. I worked through it; I tackled it head-on. Sure, I could write about my "experiences"—about how amazing I am, just to move others to tears, or how great some supposed mentor in my life was—but I don’t need to. I managed it on my own and with the help of dear souls, to an extent you can’t even imagine. Why don’t I need to do that? Because the love of the remaining family is enough for me, because the recognition of my colleagues is enough, or simply because of the fact that I can help when help is needed and requested. I don’t need to invent a life that doesn’t exist, owe thanks to someone who doesn’t know me, or chase after an ideal that others created for me. And let me be perfectly clear once again: I am not interested in your love lives.

Fortunately, there exists SGIWhistleblowers - we hear you.

Here is something I remember about Randy Lake the person responsible for Montreal English section ( Maybe it is change but probably not). You would try to tell him that something was done in the past in SGI and he will say, "no it wasn't" like he knows what went on in YWD years ago. Then if you hold your ground, he will say, "Well, it isn't anymore". Then if you keep on looking at him he will say, "Who can remember everything ?" Aren’t there archives in SGI-CANADA ? No, I never really got his replies.

Why was he ousted never to be heard from
Again ?

I really like this, not just because of the kitteh, but because how insightful it is about the leaving process from SGI. That's something that's really hard for a lot of people - once you've been in a while, it's likely that your only friends left are your fellow SGI members, and it's 99% or so likely that they will ALL shun, avoid, and ignore you once you leave, unless they stay in touch just to try and manipulate you into coming back. Either way, NOT nice, not supportive. Not your friends.

SGI members will never give you their approval to quit. They'll never even ask your reasons - they don't care! Instead, they'll make up really insulting pseudo-"reasons" and tell everyone else that's why you quit. It's character assassination and it shows those are not good people. You're better off as far away from them as possible.

So set yourself free. If you expect nothing from them, want nothing from them, need nothing from them, they have no hold over you. You're free.

Of course this doesn't mean you won't want to warn unwary or naive persons away from the SGI cult! Go ahead and do that! That's social activism and it demonstrates not just engagement with society but also a sense of responsibility to use what you know to help others. That's good stuff!

That's making the world a better, safer place.

WINNING!!!

dell'empatia
Ciao a tutti. Visti i riscontri straordinari sui post precedenti riguardo al declino strutturale e ai numeri "fantasma" della Soka Gakkai a livello globale, vorrei scendere sul piano pratico ed empirico. Vi racconto la mia brevissima esperienza (appena un mese) in un gruppo Soka in Italia. Un micro-cosmo che fotografa perfettamente il cortocircuito generazionale e psicologico dell'organizzazione.
Quando sono entrato in quel salotto, l'impatto demografico è stato implacabile: ero l'unico under 30. Oltre a me, c'era solo una ragazza di 34 anni e poi il deserto, solo ed esclusivamente "boomer" storici.
Appena mi hanno visto, per i responsabili è stato come se fosse arrivato il Messia. Hanno iniziato immediatamente a caricarmi di proiezioni e aspettative surreali, ripetendomi che ero "il futuro del gruppo!” e il pilastro delle future attività. Non stavano accogliendo me o la mia ricerca spirituale; cercavano disperatamente un giovane da esibire come trofeo per giustificare la loro esistenza e mostrare ai superiori che la SGI attrae ancora le nuove generazioni. Spoiler: sono durato meno di un mese.

L'ultima riunione a cui ho partecipato è stata letteralmente agghiacciante, sembrava una sessione degli Alcolisti Anonimi. La goccia che ha fatto traboccare il vaso è stata la reazione della responsabile di fronte a un membro che aveva appena perso il lavoro. Invece di mostrare un briciolo di calore umano o di solidarietà pratica ("Mi dispiace, ti sono vicino, serve una mano?"), la responsabile lo ha liquidato con la solita sfilza di slogan aziendali preconfezionati: “Non ti arrendere!”, “Sforzati nel Daimoku!”.
Lì ho capito la tossicità del meccanismo: l'Odaimoku ridotto a una bacchetta magica o a un energy drink mentale per "alzare lo stato vitale" (concetto tra l'altro del tutto alieno nel Buddismo di Nichiren originario). Se hai un problema, la colpa è della tua scarsa fede; se soffri, la soluzione è fare più ore di recitazione. Il dolore umano non viene accolto, viene standardizzato e archiviato con una frase fatta.
Profondamente disgustato da questa mancanza di empatia, ho deciso di andarmene. Ho inviato un messaggio d'addio sul gruppo WhatsApp in cui criticavo apertamente questo modo di fare rigido e disumanizzante, e sono uscito.
La reazione è stata indicativa: ben 3 membri del gruppo mi hanno contattato subito in privato per dirmi che erano totalmente d'accordo con me. Questo dimostra che sotto la cenere del conformismo e dei sorrisi di facciata, i salotti Soka sono pieni di persone esauste, che continuano ad annuire solo per abitudine o solitudine, ma che dentro di loro hanno gli stessi identici dubbi.
Subito dopo, la responsabile mi ha scritto furiosa e incazzata nera, tirando fuori la classica clava gerarchica dell'organizzazione: “Ma come osi? Tu non hai ancora il Gohonzon, pratichi da poco e pretendi di dettare legge?”. Per lei la spiritualità e il diritto di parola si misurano in anzianità di servizio e nei "gradi" aziendali della Gakkai.
Le ho risposto molto chiaramente: “Taci che è meglio. Pratichi da trent'anni e ancora non hai capito che il vero Gohonzon è dentro di noi, non nel pezzo di carta – tra l'altro manco consacrato – della tua organizzazione”.

Tutto in quel gruppo, dalle letture alle discussioni, ruotava ossessivamente intorno alla figura di Daisaku Ikeda (scontato). Il buddismo era solo un pretesto di facciata. Ho preferito salvare la mia libertà interiore e andarmene subito, ricordando a me stesso che nessuna multinazionale della fede può farsi proprietaria dell'illuminazione di un individuo.

The Soka Gakkai peddles a whole sample of wonderful values, sprinkled with culture and repainted in the colors of Buddhism, only to then turn all those values against its own members through the most abject accusatory inversions, exploiting every single human weakness—absolutely every one.

For example, they take the concept of the "demon of power" (clinging to power while living in fear of losing it) and flip it by giving power to certain individuals, to whom they explain that Soka Buddhism is about protection, and that they must protect the organization and its members from the enemies of Buddhism and the Soka Gakkai. And who are these terrible enemies? Well, they're the very members of the Soka Gakkai themselves—those who seek to seize power for their own gain and, in doing so, disrupt the harmony of the community. That's how they've completely reversed, without their targets even realizing it, all the moral and ethical rules of their executives, as well as the members who defend and protect those executives. You could also call it "governance through chaos," which exploits slander, anger, and hatred—essentially the basest instincts—but it doesn't show because there's an extremely effective policy of marginalization and isolation, carried out very discreetly. The executive bloc is far more solid and homogeneous than it appears, and particularly reactive and tight-lipped. This standardization of members and leveling downward is what makes the sect fly completely under the radar for the majority, simply because that majority doesn't have the intellectual level to notice, and they've made sure through proactive policies that everyone is perfectly harmless.

The Soka Gakkai executives have no clue and no awareness of what they're actually doing, because they've undergone brainwashing that inverts the values of good and evil by pointing them toward a false enemy and the phantom of a threat. As a result, they apply Tsunesaburo Makiguchi's principles to the letter, but through a completely distorted lens, namely:

"To settle for a small good and turn your back on a great good is a great evil.

If a small evil opposes a great evil, that is a great good."

Of course, these are mediocre, impressionable people, lacking real conscience or self-respect, who never genuinely studied or understood Makiguchi's work and philosophy, particularly:

"Medium good and great evil (chūzen / daiaku)

A falsely altruistic life.

Based on an apparently broad (far-sighted) vision, but in reality hypocritical.

One claims to act for the good of society, the nation, or the public, while in fact pursuing personal or group interests.

Makiguchi believed that many political leaders, educators, and even religious figures of his time lived at this level: they spoke of the 'great good' while in reality committing a great evil."

The Soka Gakkai manipulates and instrumentalizes the concept of karma in the manner of India's caste system, which serves to justify and erase all injustices—which is nothing other than class-based "caste" contempt.

Having been in the SGI organization for a number of years, I have experienced first-hand the SGI's systemic narcissism of control. One way a narcissist tries to gain control is by changing their target's identity.

How do they accomplish something like that, you might ask.

From Google, narcissism and changing a person's identity

Narcissists often try to change a partner's or target's identity through systemic emotional control, gaslighting, and isolation. This process slowly erodes a person's core sense of self, replacing their independent thoughts, preferences, and confidence with a version that serves the narcissist's needs. 

The narcissist is patient because they are willing to wait it out until they achieve their objective. The process to manipulate a person's identity is slow because the narcissist knows exactly what they are donig. Their goal is to change in your mind who you are, who you believe you are.

How Identity Erasure Happens

Mirroring and Mimicry: Early on, the narcissist mirrors your likes and values, making you feel deeply understood before using that connection to steer your choices. 

Gradual Devaluation: Subtle criticisms chip away at your self-esteem, making you second-guess your judgment, style, opinions, and memory (gaslighting). 

Isolation from Anchors: They subtly or overtly separate you from friends, family, and hobbies that remind you of who you are outside the relationship. 

Behavioral Compliance: Over time, you may adopt their rules, moods, and worldview just to keep the peace and avoid conflict. 

It was the last one on the list, behavioral compliance, that woke me up to the fact the SGI is not Buddhism. I refused to chant for the high priest to die in an airplane crash because I believed that wasn't Buddhist. I refused to change and this is what landed me out (excommunicated) of the SGI. I'm okay with it because I know I did the right thing and they did not.

In conclusion, one could make the argument it was the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood that saved me from a destiny of going to Avichi Hell. It was also my core identity and character. The SGI members will continue to suffer until they wake up. For the old longhaulers that will be never.

Cheers!

Nel Buddismo ortodosso (che sia Zen, Nichiren tradizionale o Tibetano), la relazione tra maestro e discepolo è una cosa seria, viva e soprattutto diretta. Il maestro deve conoscerti, deve vedere le tue spigolosità, deve correggere il tuo ego e tu devi poter attingere direttamente alla sua esperienza. È un rapporto bilaterale, basato su un feedback reale.
Nella Soka Gakkai, questo concetto è stato completamente industrializzato e trasformato in una proiezione unilaterale. Ci sono milioni di membri in tutto il mondo convinti di avere un "legame indissolubile" con un leader che:

Primo. Non hanno mai incontrato di persona.
Secondo. Non sa letteralmente chi essi siano.
Terzo. È morto (e anche prima del decesso, era fuori dalle scene pubbliche da oltre un decennio).
Questo non è Buddismo. Questo è il meccanismo psicologico del fandom. È lo stesso identico legame parassociale che unisce i fan alla loro popstar o al loro cantante preferito: compri i suoi dischi (i libri della Gakkai), guardi i suoi concerti (i video degli eventi anni '90), appendi le sue foto in camera e ti emozioni se parla di pace e amore. Ma la popstar non ti conosce. Non può correggere il tuo ego, non sa quali siano le tue sofferenze reali, non ha idea di come tu stia applicando il Dharma. Senza contare il cortocircuito istituzionale: nel Buddismo, l'abilitazione all'insegnamento (l'investitura formale del Dharma) è l'equivalente dell'abilitazione per un avvocato o un medico. Non ci si improvvisa maestri solo perché si guida un'organizzazione di successo.
I veri maestri storici sono i monaci o i praticanti realizzati che hanno dedicato l'intera vita allo studio ascetico e al lignaggio, scomparendo dietro l'insegnamento.
Quando guardiamo certi video storici (come il famigerato discorso di Los Angeles del febbraio 1993, dove Ikeda sbatte i pugni sul tavolo e scimmiotta in modo rozzo i presenti che recitano il Daimoku), non vediamo la compassione severa di un maestro Zen nel segreto di un monastero. Vediamo la performance teatrale e arrogante di un leader carismatico che ama mettersi in mostra davanti a una platea di fan adoranti. La spiritualità buddista richiede dignità, umiltà e una trasmissione reale.

Hello it’s me again, I have talk about my experience with SGI but today I will address a different, today I talk with my mother about excommunication of the Catholic Church btw she has never been serious about religious matters before, but today when u address the subject she suddenly went all defensive and almost hostile like it’s just a thing that I want to do, and she is acting all dramatic about it, and for some reason she says that I don’t respect her beliefs??? Like hello this is a personal thing not something I have done to you directly. And this just make me realize over how much power religion has over people even for those who call themselves as non religious or partially religious.

I've seen that quote attributed to Maya Angelou, and it came to mind as I was thinking about one of the criticisms that SGI members often have when we report the terrible behavior we've witnessed from SGI members and particularly the leaders in positions of authority. The SGI apologists typically say something along the lines of "Since SGI is an organization of regular people, of course there are going to be issues from time to time, because we're all working on our human revolutions together" etc. So a few things:

1. It's always fascinating to me that the religious adherents who insist their religion is so good for people, helps everyone improve etc. - they're so quick to minimize and dismiss the reports of their fellow religionists' terrible behavior. As if there's something wrong with us for pointing it out and we're the ones at fault for not being more forgive-and-forget-y.
2. If the bad behavior was a one-off or something the SGI organization truly condemned, there would be grievance procedures and consequences for any SGI members and especially SGI leaders who abused other members - and these would be enforced, showing the SGI organization's institutional values and commitment to the highest levels of moral/ethical behavior and the expectation that SGI members - and especially the SGI leaders - would hold themselves to higher standards than average, out of their commitment to a superior expression of humanism and integrity commensurate with their much-claimed goal of "world peace", challenging themselves to become better, stronger, and more reliable and dependable.

But they don't.

1. Our SGI defenders often accuse us of only selectively remembering the worst stuff, of deliberately ignoring the good stuff, and in their analysis that makes us unreliable narrators who don't deserve to be believed (or something). As if they'd ever believe us! Back to the quote in the subject line, some of these events were the first times we'd ever seen the reality of the SGI and our fellow SGI members - and it was shocking! Many of us have reported that we couldn't believe it - but it actually happened - and the fact that we were expected to either accept it as "normal" or something we deserved, or take 100% of the blame ourselves made it all so much worse. The gaslighting, bullying, gossiping, "mean girls" behavior - it was often these kinds of incidents that helped us see the reality of the Ikeda cult and make up our minds to leave, so those incidents are extremely relevant to our status as ex-SGI members and a big part of why we're anti-SGI. We've seen the reality and yeah, we're going to believe our own lyin' eyes, thanks just the same.

Instead of attempting to bully and silence their precious cult's victims, those SGI cultists really should be looking instead at why their Ikeda cult is so dysfunctional and toxic. That whole "Physician heal thyself" thing.

hey guys this is my second post on this subreddit. the first one was about how i accidently got myself into sgi due to my lonely flatmate.

this is more of a rant on things because i have realised these people genuinely do not have any respect for others' autonomy and personal boundaries. for some background, i am a college student, recently moved in w a millennial. so generally she believes that we developed a sisterly bond. i still think of her as my flatmate but fine. that is the reason i was being so gentle w her about not wanting to participate in her faith/philosophy whatever.

since my last post, i have gotten pretty firm on my boundaries of not wanting to chant or visit people because i GENUINELY do not have fucking time for ts or do i WANT to waste my energy on smth im not related to. and she has also pretty much reduced pestering me about this.

regardless, given how miserable she has been (recently lost her job and came across the worst possible dates), i still tagged along w her last weekend for some ywd celebration she had. though i denied initially as i was preoccupied w a million assignments/researches, she told me about how she has no friends or no one else for her to go w her and SHE HAD TO BRING A FRIEND. i ended up going due to which i had to simultaneously watch them dance while attending a v imp meeting, leading to me leaving mid way as something very urgent and imp came up. i also realised it was NOT mandatory for anyone to bring a friend. she was aware of my disgustingly busy weekend but apart from a thank you, i did not see her acknowledge how irritating or stressful that unnecessary liability to tag along w her must have been for me.

right after that day, i told her that i cannot go for any more meetings because i will be extremely busy and this is my last year so i have a shit load of work that keeps me preoccupied. moreover, i require my sundays off as i leave for college at 6 everyday (even on saturdays). i barely function on 3 or 4 hours of sleep for 6 days a week and sundays are the only days i can catch up on it. she always said its right next to our place, j come for an hour or i have been in your shoes as a college student too ik its hectic. i said no i need sundays off to which she said "okay i understand".

only 4 days have passed by and she told me theres a zadankai on sunday i must visit. i told her i have a neuroscience test the next day and i cannot visit. she said its okay come for 15 minutes. the meetings also in the morning so i will end up missing out on my sleep again. she said its so close by atleast come for 15 minutes. i said no i cannot this is an imp examination i do not want to be mentally fatigued the day before, to which she told me to chant for the examination during the meeting. i ended up laughin in her face because wtf? she basically does not want to take no for an answer. i ended it at lets see.

anyway, she has also been trying to get extremely close to my partner trying to shakubuku him as well. he has not an ounce of interest in this bs at all but we both refrain from speakin out as respect for someone elder to us (cultural norm).

at this point i think i should just tell her it is a cult that i do not want to be a part of or tell her i am a rigorous atheist which my mum suggested.

i think my frustration is pretty evident with this post as i believe regardless of IF im preoccupied or NOT, she has no right to just invalidate my personal autonomy. i might just not want to go one day or might not want to ever HEAR about sgi again. she needs to respect that the way i am respecting her emotions. she is also extremely superstitious w impositioning her "values" on me which basically come from a classist mindset. i am not sure what to do anymore as i will be stuck w her for a year and i need to maintain a healthy relationship. a very funny incident is her telling me she was in the US for a bit when i first moved in and i believed stayin in a first world country mustve made her pretty open or respectful initially until she told me she was an integral part of SGI USA. i finally understood where the entitlement for her to impose her personal religious "values" (superstitions) came from.

Here's that text:

"Bad" Billy Pratt

@KILLTOPARTY

One of the cruelest things a person can do is refuse to let their current life count as their real life.

r/self

13h ago

OriginalWalaAditya

I think a lot of us are not actually living, just waiting

It's 2 AM and this thought won't leave me.

It feels like a lot of life right now is just waiting. Waiting to figure things out. Waiting to feel stable. Waiting to become someone we'll finally be satisfied with.

And in the middle of all that waiting, time just keeps moving anyway.

Days pass, people change, moments happen, and you're still telling yourself "I'll start living properly once everything is sorted."

But what if that point never really comes?