A letter from Lisa Jones
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Dear Representatives of the SGI Corporate Entity:
There will never be a really free and enlightened SGI organization until the organization comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are derived, and treats him (or her) accordingly.
I paraphrased that line from Thoreau's Civil Disobedience, the treatise that inspired Gandhi and countless others. Thoreau's allegiance was to his conscience: "The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right."
I have read the recent SGI memo
regarding the Gohonzon and the IRG. I note that it was not signed by an individual or individuals, but is the expression of a religious corporation. I am writing to inform you that I respectfully decline to be bound by any authority that the SGI corporation wishes to exert over me. I have taken refuge in the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha -- the community of individuals who seek kosen-rufu -- and this is where I remain with or without corporate blessing or censure.
Any religious organization that asks its members to follow its dictates instead of the dictates of individual conscience, is, in my view, arrogating to itself an authority which it cannot rightly possess.
To borrow again from Thoreau: I imagine an organization that can afford to be just to all people, and to discuss all topics openly -- an organization that does not feel threatened if a few members live aloof from it, or wish to reform it, or disagree with some points of organizational policy, who otherwise fulfill all the duties of Nichiren Buddhist practitioners and fellow human beings. An organization which bore this kind of fruit, and suffered it to drop off as fast as it ripened, would prepare the way for a still more perfect and glorious organization, which I have also imagined, but not yet anywhere seen.
Wishing you a pleasant May 3,
Lisa Jones
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Sunday, April 16, 2017
A letter from Lisa Jones
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Unfortunately, the organization that Lisa envisions-- indeed and group that was based solely on the teachings of Nichiren would not meet criteria for 501 (3) (c) tax exempt status!!
ReplyDeleteThe requirements for application to be recognized as a legitimate religion are on-line. The hierarchy, control, regimentation of the dissemination of a "single" message is central to meeting criteria to be called a "true religion".
Think about the plight of the top leaders who had to do an about face with members who had known them for years in order to establish what is now a very lucrative livelihood for them.
Ultimately, the failed SGI experiment just proves that their is "no sangha, high priest, head honcho, mentor"---etc. in the Latter Day of the Law-- Once you set up the organization of "power and authority" you lose Nichiren's teachings as the basis for anything you do...
Greg Martin, Guy McCloskey, Danny Nagashima, Jean Rosenberg--- to name a few all sold out to become the C.E.C of the SGI-- and their 'friends in faith" were all thrown under the bus whenever they tried to remind them of the true teachings!! Their mission was attaining tax exempt status, which entailed the creation of what the organization is today--.
Just saying--- the vision of SGI based on Nichiren's teachings has no basis in reality..
~Katie
not to mention ......all traitors to george m williams aka masayasu sadanaga. not an ounce of integrity in the bunch. gentle and upright? i think not....more like rotten to the core!
DeleteIt looks to me like the transition form "lay organization" to "legitimate religion" is the back drop for all of the crazy behavior noted in those top leaders who were chosen to usher in the new religion: Ikeda-ism--. The promise of six figure salaries was just for starters-- Maybe these "pioneers" felt it was their due? The thing is, you will note the disconnect from the "teachings of Nichiren" emerging from the 80's when the idea of splitting from NST most surely was Ikeda's vision!
ReplyDeleteIt does still surprise me though, that these pioneer leaders could not note that their "organized religion" was based on slander of the Law from the moment of it's conception!!
I also waned to point out that it is really not possible to put Nichiren's teachings in the "box" labeled "organized religion"-- I wonder if NSA had opted to be a non-profit instead of going for the 'secrecy" to amass wealth that is afforded religious organizations-- IF the goal was to maintain a connection with and for a community of believers -- maybe the true teachings themselves would have become the prime point for propagation-- rather than the sustaining of the lifestyles of the 'priestly class" ??
I wish George M. Williams had opened a keg of whoop-A**!! He was in a position to head off the corruption of Nichiren's teachings by outing the thugs who were carrying our Ikeda's orders!!
~Katie
i think ikedas plan took shape in the middle seventies. the shoshu called ikeda on his hunger for self-aggrandizement and it was too much for the megalomaniac. with the shoshu the priestly class is above any lay person. even though we now know that they are what nichiren would describe as phony votaries. ikeda could walk away from the shoshu because he knows their teachings don't match what nichiren taught. it also shows that ikeda never really cared about what nichiren really taught, or even what his preparatory vehicle, the nichiren shoshu taught. power is ikeda's game. gmw drove himself nuts trying to satisfy ikeda...literally. gmw was a little more popular than ikedas ego could handle. the senior leaders mentioned here are actual proof that the sgi/nst lead to a deeper, more profound delusion, and the ticks(members)benefit in the same manner. it seems in the latter day.....big money wins. hence....trump(thirst for power). however, the actual proof is that big money cannot buy character, integrity or even sanity. yep !!
Deleteyes , the point about reading a whole gosho stands tall. another name for senior leader is....trained bullshit artist.
our leech anonymous would say its all a little too ayn rand@$%#&*%. worthless !
Ugly. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete