"Wonderful article and furthermore reading comments from people following their instincts rather than the group pressure and tricks used to keep people on Ikeda's plantation provides hope that more members will develop the courage to exit Gakkai.
I was once a member who out of natural curiosity sought out the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren writings and opening up mainstream Buddhism and the myriad of sects and schools of thought. SGI's Ikedaism cannot withstand the wealth of information when viewing it from a sincere perspective free of shame or guilt that is drilled into people's heads. SGI's defense against a member opening up greater understanding is through group pressure rallying around books and articles that view Nichiren and the Lotus Sutra through the corporate lens of Ikeda and company.
Reducing the Lotus Sutra to "its about the heart"and other painfully simple abstract concepts..creating a blocking pass from a trend of discovery free of the Gakkai intellectual leash. They don't want members freely accessing non organizational publications and research materials, let alone craft different interpretations at district meetings. Leadership obtained their own private study videos from headquarters to control the study narrative at meetings in which to control the content.
What's most profound is Nichiren's writings if viewed with a clear head, go directly against the grain of SGI. Deepening one's understanding of Buddhism will set one naturally on a journey away from the stifling feudalistic confines of the SGI. The great fear for many beyond punishment and retribution by the law for leaving the SGI (Absurd nonsense) is losing friends, community and practicing alone. The greater fear is feeling used and discovering that the network was largely artificial and the result of pressures to conform.
Leaving and ignoring the constant pleas to return, emails and holiday cards going on over 2 years, with mailed materials after returning the gohonzon, which by the way isn't a kami worship object (shinto practice) but an object representing the ceremony in air where one can in a timeless way enter and make a vow...not obtain things like a beggar kicking a vending machine....anyways, SGI knows it's seductive element for members who have left...the community and will continue to show interest.
Which leads to practicing alone. For some a desperate proposition. Many stay in the SGI for Sangha or fellowship even if rejecting the ideology. This is no different than a slave remaining on a plantation doing very little work while knowing of a hole in the fence. Not trying to help others break out or liberating oneself.
In total, there is nothing sweeter than developing a sincere, integrity filled practice with a Nichiren Gohonzon (google they can be downloaded across the net) and study the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren free from the Ikeda-esque perspective. A whole world of Buddhist thought opens up and one's practice becomes golden. Not the frenzied Gakkai Marching fanaticism, but the ageless and serene connection and deepening. Of course once a personal practice deepens and ripens, it's only natural to share with others in an organic way, purposely focused on the key content...Buddhism, not all of the noise hammering on about "organization, Ikeda and legacy of the presidents", things that have little relation to the beauty of the Lotus Sutra.
Have no fear, wonderful things await those that seek the unfiltered and pure relationship of themselves, their Gohonzon, the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren's writings, free to study all of Buddhism to gain greater perspective and sense of it all...the fears will evaporate in a timely way. Appreciation and patience will deepen. A practice that has been perfectly crafted for your own pace, in your own organic way. Not some template in which the speed is dictated by people who want your energy for their purposes." -- Anonymous
I was once a member who out of natural curiosity sought out the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren writings and opening up mainstream Buddhism and the myriad of sects and schools of thought. SGI's Ikedaism cannot withstand the wealth of information when viewing it from a sincere perspective free of shame or guilt that is drilled into people's heads. SGI's defense against a member opening up greater understanding is through group pressure rallying around books and articles that view Nichiren and the Lotus Sutra through the corporate lens of Ikeda and company.
Reducing the Lotus Sutra to "its about the heart"and other painfully simple abstract concepts..creating a blocking pass from a trend of discovery free of the Gakkai intellectual leash. They don't want members freely accessing non organizational publications and research materials, let alone craft different interpretations at district meetings. Leadership obtained their own private study videos from headquarters to control the study narrative at meetings in which to control the content.
What's most profound is Nichiren's writings if viewed with a clear head, go directly against the grain of SGI. Deepening one's understanding of Buddhism will set one naturally on a journey away from the stifling feudalistic confines of the SGI. The great fear for many beyond punishment and retribution by the law for leaving the SGI (Absurd nonsense) is losing friends, community and practicing alone. The greater fear is feeling used and discovering that the network was largely artificial and the result of pressures to conform.
Leaving and ignoring the constant pleas to return, emails and holiday cards going on over 2 years, with mailed materials after returning the gohonzon, which by the way isn't a kami worship object (shinto practice) but an object representing the ceremony in air where one can in a timeless way enter and make a vow...not obtain things like a beggar kicking a vending machine....anyways, SGI knows it's seductive element for members who have left...the community and will continue to show interest.
Which leads to practicing alone. For some a desperate proposition. Many stay in the SGI for Sangha or fellowship even if rejecting the ideology. This is no different than a slave remaining on a plantation doing very little work while knowing of a hole in the fence. Not trying to help others break out or liberating oneself.
In total, there is nothing sweeter than developing a sincere, integrity filled practice with a Nichiren Gohonzon (google they can be downloaded across the net) and study the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren free from the Ikeda-esque perspective. A whole world of Buddhist thought opens up and one's practice becomes golden. Not the frenzied Gakkai Marching fanaticism, but the ageless and serene connection and deepening. Of course once a personal practice deepens and ripens, it's only natural to share with others in an organic way, purposely focused on the key content...Buddhism, not all of the noise hammering on about "organization, Ikeda and legacy of the presidents", things that have little relation to the beauty of the Lotus Sutra.
Have no fear, wonderful things await those that seek the unfiltered and pure relationship of themselves, their Gohonzon, the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren's writings, free to study all of Buddhism to gain greater perspective and sense of it all...the fears will evaporate in a timely way. Appreciation and patience will deepen. A practice that has been perfectly crafted for your own pace, in your own organic way. Not some template in which the speed is dictated by people who want your energy for their purposes." -- Anonymous
Compelling Evidence That The SGI Does Not Practice Nichiren Buddhism
ReplyDelete#1 - Although I resigned my SGI membership 11 years ago I occasionally will attend the Saturday morning Men’s Division Gongyo Meetings for no reason other than I miss chanting alongside others.
Upon entering the main Gohonzon Room one finds it adorned with the following:
1. The United States Flag (not a problem).
2. 3 SGI Flags
3. 2 posters promoting the SGI-USA Men’s Division Meeting
4. Photos of all three SGI Presidents
5. A banner encouraging Kosen Rufu
Nowhere in the room is Nichiren’s name found nor the word “Buddhism”!!!
#2 – EVERY Nichiren Sect holds an annual Commemorative Gongyo Meeting referred to as the Otanjo-e Ceremony honoring Nichiren’s Birthday on February 16th. And while the SGI failed to honor Nichiren on his birthday this year, they did hold 2 Commemorative Gongyo Meetings to honor SGI President Daisaku Ikeda: one in August to commemorate his joining the SGI and a second one on 2/28/16 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Ikeda’s establishing the Men’s Division.
So the SGI-USA honors Daisaku Ikeda while neglecting and ignoring the founder of the Buddhism they falsely claim to follow, that of Nichiren.
I am currently writing a book entitled “The Truth About Buddhism” in which I am titling one of the chapters
“Compelling Evidence The SGI Neither Studies nor Practices Nichiren Buddhism nor the Lotus Sutra”
Yes, Ikeda is constantly quoting Nichiren and the Lotus Sutra but I shall prove him to be a hypocrite: He is ALL TALK & NO ACTION!
In a few months I shall return to this site to ask former members to provide their reasons for leaving the SGI in order to publish some of those in my book. In my opinion the SGI operates more like a profit-making business than a religion. Daisaku Ikeda is The Pied Piper of Buddhism! And the only reason he has 12 million members is because those people are too lazy to read the “Gosho and Lotus Sutra and simply believe everything they read in the SGI publications.
A few weeks ago I quoted Nichiren to then Administration Vice President Clifford Sawyer and he said he was unfamiliar with that quote. It came from a Gosho which the SGI deems to be one of Nichiren’s 10 most important. He was shocked when I told him I has read all 412 Gosho published on the SGI website and I asked, “Why haven’t you?” Mr. Sawyer has since been promoted to the #2 position in the SGI-USA as Vice General Director. How can the
SGI claim to practice Nichiren’s Buddhism when they appoint leaders who are unfamiliar with Nichiren’s teachings???
Kasho
Kasho, notice also that the "SGI Women's Division General Meetings" are held in February because Mrs. Ikeda's birthday is in February O_O
ReplyDelete