One reason for the emphasis on personal guidance is that SGI members do not have a valid Gohonzon. Therefore, they have no way to tap into the guidance and encouragement of the Original Buddha Shakyamuni, Nichiren Daishonin, and the Law. Another reason is to create uniformity in thinking and behavior. Still another reason is that the SGI needs to reinforce the SGI way since not ALL their teachings are found in the authenticated writings let alone the Lotus Sutra and Five Major Writings of Nichiren. Lastly, it is the honey for the unpaid senior leader bees to feel important [power] since they aren't paid for their hard work.
I think the emphasis on "personal guidance" serves another unsavory purpose. Senior leaders need access to the personal life details of members so that they can both control and expel members via their consensus -- which amounts to sharing gossip that maintains the gap between their superiority and the members lowly status.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be rare to find a leader who *imparted guidance in faith* as opposed to all too frequent one who gave advice based on their judgment of the member and her personal circumstances.
This personal guidance relationship also binds members to even the most ill behaved leaders-- in a manner similar to the brotherhood of the mafia.
~Katie
Similarly, I find that many patients with mental illness are overly dependent on their counselors, to the point that they don't rely on their own perception and volition when confronting a problem. I wouldn't even know where to start to break their unhealthy bonds.
ReplyDeleteTeaching "Learned helplessness" is a very profitable skill in the U.S.-- and, don't forget that our co-dependent culture is the shadow of that Buddhist organization that is hell bent on creating world peace...
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