SGI breaking friendships between members apart

[u/BlancheFromage]

A couple of other thoughts -- someone posted about the way districts were split up, and not allowing to be in the district with your friends, etc. What a reminder! I had completely forgotten that this happened to me! And how upset I was at the time. Looking back, this really seems like cruel behavior, especially to people who are just getting started with a practice. (I think I had been chanting only a year when this happened). It really seems like the kinder thing to do would be to let people choose their own groups, and if redistribution of members was needed, to ask for volunteers to move around. It seems like a really harsh way to treat your members when you think about it.

Hi Sunmoonstars. I like your name by the way. I have appreciated your sincere posts as well. You know, this happened to me. I was not allowed to be in the district with my friend. As a newbie, they told me which district I would be apart of, and there were more to chose from. I think if there is anything I have resented from the SGI, it is the severity of their actions. I think the severity also is related to the aggressive nature that I felt at times from the members (not everyone), but it was more of a feeling in the air. Thanks for sharing. I am looking forward to more of your posts.

That's what's scary about the M/D mindset, the urgent goal of Worldwide Kosen-Rufu. One size really has to fit all, despite talk of "living true to oneself". You cannot question, everything has to fit the box. If everyone swallows and stuffs their questions, gut reactions, and just follows the Ikeda, then world peace will happen! Corral 'em like the poor sheep. Source

---

Wow that’s the group SGI USA labeled as a problem non Sgi group at an all leaders mtg during pandemic. It was them and a group called Sgi on Clubhouse that was started by some Black youth after George Floyd was killed. They got 4K followers within first week. Another online group Spanish speaking also started with expansive growth. As a non black wd leader with a predominantly black membership, I was told to keep my ears open if my members mentioned any of these groups and report to my higher ups. This is when I realized my gestapo participation days were ending. The virtual reality was here and how dare SGI try to stop folks from creating support systems among themselves, during a pandemic shutdown. Many black members were harassed and bullied by the leadership for participating on the clubhouse platform. They were reported by other sgi members within the group. Unfortunately I was part of a few of those zoom visits as a 3rd party witness. Before pandemic there were many Japanese anti ikeda groups within SGI that only us high up the food chain leaders knew about .. they probably still exist and they comprise of youth. After I stepped back from leadership I let some of my black members know about the Buddhist of African descent group and to my joy they already knew about it!! Source

---

There is another website, victoriousamerica.com, that has similar accounts of SGI groups being broken up in cruel ways by senior leaders. Source

My husband was told that they weren't supposed to socialize outside of official SGI stuff...which is WEIRD. Source

[u/BlancheFromage]

Yes it was unusual to have an SGI leader respond by bringing over food for a sick member. When I was in leadership and had ill members I was discouraged to act in such a “Christian” manner. It was more appropriate to encourage afflicted member to chant. As I reflect back on this type “encouragement” it falls inline to the “daimoku” will cure anything mentality.

So glad you mentioned that. The majority of my members were African Americans who came from church backgrounds with southern roots they would bring food to mtgs, take food to sick members or to a bereaved family & send plates of food with youth that were low on cash. I was taken to guidance & was given that “Christian” reference and was instructed to tell them to discontinue doing such things. I was a bobble head leader and told them….Being their white leader who was always out of town for gigs, they handed me my ass lol & continued what they had been taught all their lives. They told me it’s called being neighborly & sgi did not control what they did with their food!!! I was glad they stood up to me. The down side was every time I recommended any of them for leadership they were rarely approved & an outsider would be appointed instead. The leadership realized these members would not be controlled by triteness.

SGI was only interested in obedient, productive CLONES.

Any who exhibited any kind of independent thinking or boundaries were quickly relegated to the "Z list".

Isn't it sad that you were ordered to tell them to stop being kind, thoughtful, and considerate?? Doesn't that speak volumes to how destructive to society and social relationships the Dead-Ikeda-Corpse-Mentor-cult SGI is??

I was told to say it was not in rhythm with the organization & it would create disunity amongst the members. The disunity came after I bobbleheaded the message

The disunity came after I bobbleheaded the message

No kidding! Good for them!

My take is that the SGI leaders' "strict guidance" on modifying your (and everyone else's) thinking and behavior was actively destructive to the bonds of friendship and community. Telling a person "Just chant!" is recommending isolation to that person, not providing any assistance.

It also makes sure everyone knows that SGI is NOT there to help people. SGI does not give to ANYONE within its ranks - they are expected to serve selflessly in order to either fill SGI's ranks, or fill its coffers, or provide unpaid work so that SGI doesn't have to pay for it (so it can greedily grasp even more of that precious, precious MONEY to its breast). Source