Voodooism or Buddhism?

Update: The deadline for SGI USA's campaign to use Buddhist prayers to cause misfortune among another religious group was on 11-18-99. The campaign failed miserably, as was expected by most outsiders. The campaign seems to have had the reverse affect- that is, more people have been reported coming to the temples, and at least 3 SGI centers were closed down in different areas of the USA in 1999. SGI lost many hundreds of old and new members alike because of the hatred and fanatic obsession the organization eminates in their publications and at meetings. Many SGI members have even gone as far as to say that it is getting "scary" at meetings, and new people are not returning.

Because of the failure of SGI's policies in the USA, SGI General Director Fred Zaitsu was uncerimoniously removed from his position and replaced by a reportedly "more militant" SGI leader, Danny Nagashima. This, despite the fact that Mr Zaitsu was just appointed for a 3 year term just 6 months ago. Many SGI members have expressed dismay at the fact that Zaitsu was replaced without any concern for the opinions of the general membership. But all "senior" leaders of SGI have always been hand picked by Daisaku Ikeda.<<<  SGI's voodoo curses

Soka Gakkai International: Buddhism or Voodooism?

SGI mobilizes official campaign to use Buddhist Prayers to cast evil spells of misfortune on the Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist community

SGI-USA San Francisco Regions 1 and 2 newsletters, January 28, 1999 

"If you haven't already gotten your DAIMOKU CARD IN THE SHAPE OF THE UNITED STATES it isn't too late. This is an idea of the youth division, to have individuals chant 52 hours of daimoku for justice and victory by Nov. 18, 1999 so that 10 billion daimoku total is chanted so that all Danto temples will shut down. The sheer power of such daimoku had that effect in New York. Get them at SFCC or from YD leaders." [emphasis in the original]

SGI Vice General Director, Guy McCloskey had this to say about the campaign to use prayers to close temples: 

Subject: Temple related Mtgs Report 

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 22:48:27 -0700 

From: kyoshikawa@sgi-usa.org (Kay Yoshikawa) 

... 

During the recent training course in Japan, the representatives of the various SGI organizations renewed their determination to not allow one other member to be affected (or infected) by the Nikken sect. At the June 1999 meeting of the SGI-USA Central Executive Committee, the members agreed to focus on faith, practice and study as the keys to victory. We will pray to the Gohonzon that the US temples will close and that the priests will return to Japan; that no one among our current members will be deceived by the priesthood; and that those who have gone to the temple will arouse doubts to understand the correct practice of the Daishonin's Buddhism and withdraw from the temple...

From the Official SGI "Ichinet" message board: 

Actually, Paul, you can ask Mr. Zaitsu... I resigned my position in official protest against the current campaign to chant to close all the temples.

"Tell me, why should we have such sympathy for those seeking to destroy the Law? The only mistake I think SGI's making is not chanting 2 Billion daimoku, instead of one. There were also people who needed a visit from Fred Zaitsu far worse than you. The only difference is that they aren't grandstanding for attention. " Paul Wersant, SGI-USA leader

From the same board: 

On Mon, 09 Aug 1999 13:07:08 -0700 thomas ultican writes: 

"Every morning with Gongyo, I pray for the perverted Budhist doctrines of Nikken Abe to be totally discredited and defeated. I pray for the demise of the Nikken Sect and that the Nichiren Shoshu temple in the bay area be closed because of lack of support. I feel these are positive things. I am not praying for bad things to happen to people. I am praying for evil philosophy to be eliminated." Tom Ultican, SGI-USA member

"It is time to stand up with the hearts of lions and chase these heretical priests from our land. I do not want any more Americans to fall into the spiritual death traps set by the temple." Terry Ruby, SGI-USA member

"I'll chant for the temples to closeand for the sad people like your self to find wisdom to cure your blindness." Public statement by Joe Stevens, "Jinzai-net" [SGI-USA Internet propaganda organization] security official (from the SGI Discussion board)

Subject: Re: Origins of NSS "Gojukai" 

Date: Sat, 19 June 1999 02:34 PM EDT 

"We learn to guide our lives to happiness and good fortune by practicing the Mystic Law, and sometimes our actions also involve protecting the Law. This is one of those cases... And since you, a NShu member object to it as well, it seems the daimoku campaign is having an effect. I will therefore redouble my own efforts to chant for the temples to close, and I invite everybody to join me!" Wiley SGI-USA member (AOL Buddhism bulletin board)

"Yes, some members have mentioned using the campaign to close temples. I PERSONALLY support that idea.... Those SGI-USA members who are chanting for the temples to close are chanting just for that -- for the temples in the US to close." Public statement by Kathy Ruby SGI-USA

True nature of the Daimoku campaign 

Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 16:08:29 GMT 

From: KathyRuby@yahoo.com:

"All that you have proved is that some in the SF Region regard the campaign to be a "close-the-temples" campaign. It is not represented that way in the WT or any official national publication, as you well know. Of course, I have no problem personally with chanting for the Nikken Sect temple in my neighborhood to close" - Public statement by Kathy Ruby

"We all know people going through a bad divorce, or with evil parents, who chanted for them to die. They never did, there is no easy way to get rid of evil ex-spouses, parents, or evil High Priests...I might have chanted for Nikken to die if I had thought it would do any good." - Public statement by Chris Holte SGI-USA

"Based on the amount of needless hostility that has arrisen between the Gakkai and the Temple over some clearly self serving dogmas that needed to be jettisoned by both organizations, I can understand that members should just chant that he would "die or something". I still wish I could lock Nikken on Sado in a temple in a graveyard for about one year, while Nembutsu believers wait in ambush and the snow comes in through the walls." - Public statement by Chris Holte

"All I've ever heard about is SGI members CHANTING for temples to close - not the outlawing of a religion." - Public statement by Jim Celer, SGI-USA

Re: Inter- or Intra-Faith Dialogue with SGI 

Date: 24 Mar 1999 20:09:45 GMT 

From: jimcub3d@aol.com (Jim Celer) 

"Why do you think it's a misfortune for "Nichiren" Shoshu if its temples close?" - public statement by Jim Celer

"We are merely chanting for the sources of the confusion to close, so the Daishonin's Buddhism can apread more freely. Pretty good karma, I would say." - Public statement by Jim Celer, (SGI "Living Buddhism" magazine midwest Bureau Chief ) 

Subject: RE: [Fwd: Here I am finally. (From July 1998)] 

Date: Fri, 21 May 1999 17:31:59 -0700 

From: Craig Ellis [SGI member]

regarding chanting to close temples: I regret that this campaign was given such a poor shortcut to what we really need to chant about. Since I do view that the SGI is correct and generally doing okay in its approach to Buddhism, I want to see it continue to grow. I don't need to tell you that the Daishonin always debated and was not subtle in his attacks against religious organizations that he felt were leading people to unhappiness. Well, SGI feels this way about Nichiren Shoshu... 

-- 

From your perspective, you should be overjoyed that we have the 10 billion campaign to close the temples. Chanting Daimoku works. If Nichiren Shoshu is indeed correct in it's study and interpretation of Buddhism, then we will receive the negative consequences of our campaign. It really is putting everything on the line, isn't it? Email from Craig Ellis, SGI-USA member

From the public AOL Buddhist newsgroup:

"Has anyone heard about the latest chanting goal for SGI members? Goal: Chant one billion Daimoku to close all NSTemples"

Perhaps most disturbing of all is how the SGI members don't even try to hide their hate and intolerance, blatently disregarding basic Human Rights and even their own SGI Charter:

" I just recently heard about how the New York members did a special daimoku [Buddhist Prayer] campain [sic] to close the temple annex that was near the Cultural Center. Great work! Now the youth division of San Francisco region will be starting a daimoku [Buddhist Prayer] campain [sic] to close all the temples in the U.S.A. Maybe it will have an effect on the temple in Spain." Public statement by Michael, SGI member, Stockton (posted on the SGI's public bulletin board 1-10-99)

From: Ten_Ren (34/F/San Mateo, CA) (SGI member) 

Jan 11 1999 1:33PM EST 

I finally got to go to the Culture Center again. It was such fun. They had a little play called Spiritually Incorrect. They gave us a good laugh about the situation as kind of a kick off to ask for 1 billion daimoku to close all the temples. Everyone was excited by it. I plan on filling up several cards of chant time. (ibid)

Subject: Re: 10 Billion Daimoku. 

Date: 1/28/99 11:33 AM Pacific Standard Time 

Message-id: <19990128143338.20240.00000492@ng12.aol.com> 

GI has set a daimoku goal to close NST Temples?

[Marc] 

If it works..can we have them ?>> 

Marc, 

Please join in. I think it's a great idea to use daimoku for problems, and the Nikken sect is such a negative force that I can't see what's wrong with chanting to close their temples down.I certainly don't want a Nikken temple 

in my area. I have no problem with people who practice with other Nichiren sects, the only problem I have is when they single out situations they may have had with individuals and blame it on the whole organization, or when they spread tabloid stories around about President Ikeda that aren't true... 

The less Nikken temples the less opportunities for people to support Devadatta. Is it true the followers of Devadatta had a small sect that lasted about 500 years after the Buddha's passing? Hopefully, with daimoku, the 

Nikken sect won't last that long. Public statement by Maureen, SGI-USA

Re: The Prophecies of the World Phibune 

Author: mbh <mbhowell@nospamzimailbox.com> 

Date:1999/01/21 

"Closing all the temples is not a positive thing? I don't see anything negative about it. You are not unlike the hoards of sterile bugs they breed to destroy a species, after they think they have mated and stop looking to mate, they find out that they were fooled, and have nothing in side, they just die empty. Of course it is a result of our communal actions from the past that we have to suffer the likes of you and the Nikken Shu. I don't think the most of us want to repeat those causes and for you to go away and stop causing misery and confusion means that we would have to change our negative karma first. So chanting to close the temples is a good thing and the result will be that we finally over come the negative destiny we have to suffer y'all and then y'all will have some other mission to fulfill cause one hand clapping doesn't make much sound, like you gotta make the cause to get the effect. At a more profound level, you actually are no different than the despots and dictators you complain about. You just haven't been give the power to enact your will to that degree. They have just kept you tethered in. Even when you get loose for a moment, you still stay put. Like the guy in front of the fire making boogeyman shadows and the fools who believe in those shadows. Chanting to close the temples is a good thing. Chanting for your happiness ridiculous. Oh please Mr. Bill can't you just make the cancer happy?"Public statement by Bruce H. Miller SGI member, San Francisco

"What right does any religion have to persecute individuals, temples, churches etc in this country? They have no right and it is strictly forbidden by our laws. Yet an army has been formed to fight a religious war in the USA that started and belongs in Japan. Many people chanted for the high priest to die before chanting to close the temples. While most people in sgi-usa find this disgusting, and have not participated, there are those who do."(From an SGI message board)

Soka Gakkai thinks Buddhist Prayers can be used to cast their evil spells of misfortune. However, no matter how much Daimoku such a hateful group chants, their silly Voodoo curses will never be answered... it can only lead to their own misfortune..." 

Do not misunderstand, we too believe the Nichiren Shoshu is an evil sect. However, we use logic, reason and the scriptures to overturn their doctrine and practices. SGI uses every strategy other than the Lotus Sutra, including spying, harassment, vilification, and slander.