I started going to an SGI center about 7 months ago and was LOVING it. The practice totally resonated with me, I saw immediate, obvious benefit, and felt like it was a simple practice, with a solid philosophy, and a vibrant community supporting the practice. 3 months later I received my Gohonzon and now have just quit the organization completely LOL. The week before I received my Gohonzon one of the more complicated “leaders” began to harass me, including calling me on the phone to threaten me that he knew people that had died of cancer, in car accidents, and even ended up in mental institutions because they didn’t “practice buddhism properly” (whatever that means). I had from the moment I started attending district meetings steered clear of this guy, and I’d actually been warned by another member that he had chased off people he didn’t like in the past, and had had many problems over the years with other members. He was sure that I wasn’t a “proper” practitioner and tried to jam up the process of my moving forward. Other leaders intervened when I asked because they all knew his personality conflicts and they encouraged me to just breathe through it, and keep chanting. One also admitted to me out of frustration that the SGI tends to hand out leader titles like they’re candy, to pretty much anyone that will take it. And that once you get the title there’s no process to remove you from your position if you abuse it, so it just continues. That did not sit well with me. I DID receive Gohonzon but my partner stopped chanting and attending classes and meetings because he thought the whole thing was really disordered. A friend that we had introduced to the practice also left because whenever he went to a meeting in his district the “leader” would harass him that he REALLY needed to bring his partner to a meeting in order for his life to get better. (Lame).
Within a few weeks I was so soured on the lack of organization and oversight in the organization, and the strange prosyletizing practices that I had to quit. I like the practice but the people seem REALLLLLY damaged. I saw more than a few “stepford wives” walking around parroting “Sensei” quotes, people climbing over themselves to give “encouragements” that seemed totally inappropriate/wrong/damaging, and also people that seemed like they didn’t have much else in their lives, so climbing the ladder at the SGI was probably the only way they were ever going to “be somebody”. The whole organization seems about 180 degrees away from where it could be, given the revolutionary and really empowering message you get from reading the Gosho and Lotus Sutra itself. What a pity. In the meantime, I still think the practice is good, and I wasn’t one of the people showing up in dire straits, my life was already really great, so this hasn’t been a disaster at all. I do hope they figure out how to do better. I also will warn anybody that ever asks that they are probably not a good place to go.
because they practice a distorted form of buddhism, everything and everyone they touch becomes distorted. thank you michael.
ReplyDeletewarning: stay away before its too late.
what you said is so true
ReplyDelete"The whole organization seems about 180 degrees away from where it could be, given the revolutionary and really empowering message you get from reading the Gosho and Lotus Sutra itself"
How true! Nichiren stated that doctrine is the mother of faith, Their doctrine is 180 degrees from Nichiren's. I fear they will never right themselves, not in 10 years, not in 10 thousand.
ReplyDeleteAre you still going to SGI meetings, Noel? If you keep talking like this, you will no longer be welcome.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot Mark, are you saying that it is wrong to think and have hope that an organization like SGI or any of the Nichiren sects that you find fault with according to your interpretation can transform itself? One of the most important aspect of Buddha nature is infinite compassion and that includes hope which is something that you are presently deficient in according to the above statement "I fear they will never right themselves, not in 10 years, not in 10 thousand". So now you want to excommunicate me like Niken did to the Sgi or what happened to you on fraught with Peril blog. As far as going to meetings I have only been to one meeting in the last year a few months ago where I spoke to the New National General Director. I told him that I have been saying unkind comments about the organization that I consider as constructive criticisms because I'm unhappy about the direction of where it's been going. He has a very tough job considering what his predecessor has done, but it turns out that he has been acting under his superiors in Japan. So the transformation needs to come from the top since so many follow the leaders. Hopefully those who can see the problem can pray for them as we can for one another. "If you keep talking like this, you will no longer be welcome" is really pathetic Mark, this is where you need to grow up mate, I'm sure Shakyamuni and Nichiren would agree !
Deletefollow nichiren. he has been appointed by the eternal buddha as the teacher for the latter age. if we are to believe the lotus sutra(myoho renge kyo).
ReplyDeleteOnce again sad sgi is exposed by a true seeker of the way.
ReplyDeleteNot at all Noel. I too had hope that they would change for the better but they are trending away from Nichiren rather than towards him. I don't have the power to excommunicate anyone since I am not the leader of any sect . All I can do is point out errors according to the Sutra and Nichiren's writings, admonish, remonstrate, rebuke and refuse to bestow Gohonzon on those with weak faith.
ReplyDeleteAs far as my comment, "you will no longer be welcome", I meant at SGI meetings. You are always welcome here as long as you don't slander the Lotuas Sutra, Nichiren, or anyone who upholds the teachings, It was a compliment for your ever stronger stand against the falshoods of the Gakkai.
I will try and be more careful in wording my comments in the future. Sorry for the confusion.
ReplyDeleteThankyou Mark, it just shows how well meaning words can be taken the wrong way, it is a common misconception that we all share from time to time. I apologise if I have caused any hurt from my accusations and will try to learn from this by not retaliating out of anger so quickly without first checking what has been said. I took you the wrong way, I imagined you to be somebody else and now relieved that you are not like that.
ReplyDelete