Vice Zone leader leaves SGI

From SGIwhistleblowers:

"I didn't like how the org was getting more and more about Ikeda and less and less about the members. Kofu gongyo became all about showing those fucking videos instead of teachings about what I'd been attracted to in the first place: how to find happiness within ourselves. Instead of touching the hearts of others through true heart to heart connection and dialog, I saw more regurgitation of the same old "lines", you know what I mean? It seemed to get more superficial. They'd brag about the increasing numbers (I hated all that statistics bs) but the meetings never grew in size because just as many people were disappearing from the organization lol. And those that were leaving were the ones I could connect to, those of the heart. The same people are still in leadership positions because no one wants to do it. As a leader, I tried to communicate to the leaders above me about how the members viewed the way the organization was moving, how we felt, how this is not fucking Japan and we're not going to change the hearts of people with forcing the Ikeda video down people's throats, not by MORE activities, etc. All the "experiences" shared at meetings weren't how a person did their own personal deep transformations, but just I needed this, I chanted, I got this. Like it's magic. That's not the intent of the Buddha's teachings, I don't believe. I felt like I represented a whole lot of members that were open minded intelligent people, and I fought and fought. So did my son, B, who was the yd zone leader, and T&RD, and R&DM, and LC. We all one by one began to see the light. I think some leaders and members, have been there so long that they are just blind to the reality and are all in their heads instead of their hearts. The new leaders that were being appointed would all piss me off, not team players, etc. The arrogance! People that members wouldn't be comfortable opening up to. My/our words fell upon deaf ears. In a nutshell, I am all about the heart. I connect with people via my heart. I want to be happy within and I want the same for every human on earth. The SGI has polluted the teachings it is based upon. I get together frequently with the above named ex-leaders and we talk about how we survived a cult!

This was 5 years ago now (how time flies when you're having fun!). And I was a vice zone leader by then. Four of the others I listed who left the same year were area leaders, one was chapter, one was zone ymd. We really thought we could impact our local organization but we all tired of not being heard, and seeing things only worsen. The "old school" leaders always got their way, keeping things in the 1960s. It was the videos being force fed that was really gross. No way would I ever invite anyone to a kofu gongyo meeting once that shit started and we all fought hard to make it stop. Rebel rousers we were lol. Another .02 cents.

...the hierarchy, it was hard to keep up. I felt it was important to clarify our positions so you guys could see that it was happening at many levels.

And just fyi, I don't know how it's organized now but when I left (my membership was 2001-2011) it was Territory, Zone, Area, Chapter, District, and larger Districts had Groups or Units within them. And there is a Vice position to each of those. (I know, sigh.) They made me a Group leader and then District leader after my first year I think, then Chapter, then right past Area to Vice Zone. District was the most fun for me, after that, bleh."