"Additionally, what the Oguchis said and how they expressed themselves did not cohere neatly with a satisfying narrative arc of ruination leading into spiritual renewal that is common in member testimonials promoted by Soka Gakkai administrators. As the Oguchis spoke to me of their experiences with the tsunami and its aftermath, strong emotions rose to the surface easily and often. They derive joy from their daily work, and they clearly place a great deal of importance on their new, elevated role within Soka Gakkai, but years after 3.11 they remain fragile, prone to expressing profound grief. Unlike many survivors who have moved into reconstructed homes or far away from the disaster area, the Oguchis never escape the voices of the bereaved infiltrating their home at all hours, and they themselves are still visibly distraught. They shed tears of joy at having rediscovered their faith by gaining purpose in aiding others after the tsunami, but speaking with the Oguchis, hearing their anguished stories, and witnessing their wrenching mix of gratitude and sorrow, one might think the tsunami swept through weeks ago, not years. Summaries of their aid efforts do not convey this lingering trauma, nor do they do justice to the layers of life experiences that may explain why the Oguchis remain in their tiny temporary housing unit." -- Professor Levi Mclaughlin expert and sympathizer of the Soka Gakkai, from his tome, Religious Responses to the 2011 Tsunami in Japan
How different my experience: The pure inexpressible and near permanent joy of faith after leaving the Gakkai for Nichiren Lotus Sutra Buddhism and overcoming similar life and death hardships.
Levi McLauglin summarizes:
ReplyDelete"Attention to religious aid efforts promises to complicate reports provided by religions’ administrative leaders in productive ways. Soka Gakkai celebrates the Oguchi couple for their pioneering grassroots aid, but the precise nature of their contribution to post-3.11 aid efforts cannot be easily summarized; there is a sense that the institution’s refrain of “fortunate light” (fukkō) may be at odds with the anguish that lingers within areas that have received this designation. In general, reports on disaster aid provided by religious organizations reflect the eagerness of these groups to overcome the stigma that clings to religion in contemporary Japan, often at the expense of important nuances. In their efforts to present themselves as nonthreatening contributors to post-disaster reconstruction, religions publicize their altruism and eagerly comply with international norms by providing statistics. In doing so they tend to erase messy details about how these numbers were collated and the traumas their own contributors continue to face."
And as I see it, zero protection of SGI members for their organization slandering the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren for nearly nine decades. A pity. A shame.