I have been practicing Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism for 30 years. I have had a very rich and beneficial practice until the last 4 years. I do not find it coincidental that my progress in life came to a screeching halt and fell into the state of hell with the progression of this Buddhism revolving into "Ikedaism" Our publications have been inundated with only the interpretations and viewpoints of Ikeda. I am trying to find other Buddhists who see the same thing and want to continue practicing and supporting each other without the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth being shoved down our throats from SGI and it's transition into "Ikedaism"
Welcome Unknown.
ReplyDeleteYou are not alone in your experience of SGI as it becomes more and more overt in pushing dependence on Ikeda and drives members away from faith, I was likewise, watching the organisation lose it's cohesion, members and leaders up to Area level become stilted, fearful and joyless, leaders abive that level becoming disordered, gushing incoherant Ikeda praise yet barely mentioning the Daimoku, Gohonzon, Faith or Nichiren. And my own life screaming out to me, trying to get me to take notice.
We are told we will be warned in dream, I was, repeatedly until the penny finally dropped and I was able to fit the final bit of the jigsaw about what was wrong. I left when it became clear but continiued to chant and my study of Nichiren (which had always been pretty decent) deepened and increased.
I've been very grateful to Mark, Greg, Katie, Noel and other independent practitioners here and elsewhere for focussing firmly on following the Law and developing correct faith.
My life, practice, relationships and wellbeing have all increased, the warning dreams have stopped.
Outside the SGI bubble, I see clearly the distance between what the SGI pushes and how behaves. I've also seen how other long term and sincere members of my generation have likewise left (quite independently of me), fed up with the same muck being foisted on them. I was told I'd miss the SGI, I don't. Although individually members are often sincere and well meaning, the org is anything but. So I chant and do what I can to point out the falsehoods, half truths, inconsistancies in modern SGI teaching, especially it's claim that buddhahood is dependent on following "the mentor" (Mr Ikeda) rather than sincere faith alone. I feel duty bound to do this, I wish I had been better at fitting the jigsaw of SGI deceit together earlier and had listened to my life when it was desperately trying to tell me what was wrong.
That I did not, is a measure of how persuasive, subtle and insidious the SGI culture and publications are at inculcating it's members and blinding them to what's going on and stopping them from asking the right questions or carefully examining it's claims.
I don't want anyone else to not have a better chance than me, to wake up earlier and leave that corrupt and damaging SGI path and set themselves back on a good path and claim a better life. I don't want anyine else to waste their precious lives, time and money supporting SGI, thinking they are doing something great and nobel when actually they are doing the opposite in pursuit of glorifying one man, selling his books and enriching the paid leaders if a closed, opaque and unaccountable organisation.This is not buddhism or humanism, it's just cynical manipulation of spiritual belief for the all too base and worldly ambitions of SGI leadership and staff.
I hope all goes well for you outside the SGI, it's in some ways more difficult to practice independently but my experience it is much more rewarding, much more effective and as the SGI poisin leaves the system, much, much more life enhancing.
Nichiren Buddhism is a beautiful thing, my good fortune has been to see that so clearly since I left, in no small part due to the stark contrast between SGI teaching and the real deal.
Great evil occured, great good followed, I hope it is the same for you too. :)
mudpie...........excellent! imho this is a great experience. make copies of it and use/keep it.
Deletehave no doubts, you are on the right path. go at your own pace.
thanks.
Holy Roman Empire! For the past few weeks, I've been reevaluating my practice, saying what is wrong with my life? Why am I practicing SGI Buddhism, since 1987, and my life seems pretty crappy since they completely changed this practice. I compared my practice to before I changed Gohonzon to now and for the past week, I decided to practice reciting Hoben and Juryo chapters. Once, I shared this with other SGI members, they've gone hog wild and can't believe that I still have the old prayer book. I feel the same way. I noticed a few years ago at the kaikon that the person who introduced me to the practice will not speak to me (this is way before I started practicing pre SGI). Once she got her numbers of up, she didn't care anymore. Anyway, I told a SGI member today, the day before they changed prayers and formats, everything else was important. Come the New year, nope, time to change it again, and you need to follow the program.
ReplyDeletecrazywoman, hello. i joined nsa/sgi in 1967, i ran 24/7 working to grow the organization. one of the early american members. i was excited about buddhism. i could write an experience for days, but i will keep this short. by 1987 i had studied enough and seen enough(ugly/and outright lies to know that ikeda and the cult were not interested in the real nichiren buddhist teachings. if you think they changed a lot from 1987 till now you are right, but compared to what is was like in the 60's and 70's, it is like a completely different universe. they were never correct regarding their teachings and their practice but in the early days they were much closer to what nichiren actually taught and practiced. FYI.
Deletethanks for your input here. please continue to read this blog and don't allow yourself to become discouraged.
also, i agree with what rogow said..."follow nichiren and your...."
cheers
Follow Nichiren and your life will shine.
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