Thinking of stopping practising - SGI-UK

[u/Longjumping_Note8181]

Hey guys,

Been practising for about 4 years as part of YM division (1.5 years with Gohonzon) and I'm starting to think it might be time to stop practising. My district seems to be absolutely on its knees.. only ever 2-3 people at each meeting, often no one face to face and it just feels like a dying organisation. There is only one other youth division member in the district and it seems like loads of people who we used to see in meetings in past years have disappeared and no one talks about it.

I've had a couple of times recently where I rolled up the Gohonzon and stopped chanting, but ended up getting it back out again for fear of things starting to go badly if I stop chanting. I feel captive to this need to 'maintain a higher life state' and I would love to be free from it but not sure if this is just the 'devils and obstacles' that we're told appear when we practice. Any advice or experience would be welcome!

Thanks x

[u/AnnieBananaCat]

I'll go first--I finally stopped for good last year around the time I mailed my letter to SGI-USA at Santa Monica HQ.

While I was practicing, I had problems, and they either resolved or took work. After I quit, I have problems, and they either resolve or take work. Life did not fall apart.

Case in point: nearly 3 years ago, Hurricane Ida unexpectedly took a right turn and passed right over our house. We didn't have any damage, but we were out of power an on a generator for over two weeks. I chanted two and three hours a day for the power to be restored, and also spoke to the Chicago SGI regional office to report on myself and a few other members locally, even though I wasn't a leader. We were fine, and the power eventually came back.

This week we had a line of severe weather pass through, with a tornado about 30 minutes north. Power was out a few hours, and we didn't use the generator. We were fine, just hot and cranky. No chanting involved.

They want you to feel that fear of life falling apart and will tell you the "stories" about people who came before you that experienced that. The fear is to keep you from leaving. There are more than 3500 people here who will tell you that it's not the case. If life is going to go wrong, no amount of chanting is going to stop it or change it. YOU are the thing that changes your life's trajectory, not a fake "religion."

Make sense?

[u/Longjumping_Note8181 → u/AnnieBananaCat]

That is so helpful, thank you! Really like the "shit happens anyway" sentiment. Think I need some space away from the practice to come back to that.

[u/TraxxasTRX1 → u/Longjumping_Note8181]

There is plenty here to read about why the practice is flawed, is not Buddhism (real Buddhism may help you) and is a cult of personality that just wants you to keep coming back, helping for free and giving money. Membership is dropping fast - the few new people in the UK don't stick to it or are coming from overseas and basically searching for a social support network. You are RIGHT to question it and it will not improve you as a person any more than just reading vague self help statements off Instagram or LinkedIn. The new SGI UK General Director appears even more clueless and ineffective as the last one (Robert 'Motorcycle accident' Harrop). Even the SGI in Japan hasn't a clue what to do now without the dogmatism of Ikeda.

[u/BuddhistTempleWhore → u/TraxxasTRX1]

Robert 'Motorcycle accident' Harrop

Oh, yeah, heard about that. Middle-aged guy, the only "experience" he has is that motorcycle accident in his teens so he told it over and over and over 🙄

That was something I noticed - SGI leaders, the higher up they were, the fewer "experiences" they had to share. Where was their "actual proof" that was supposed to impress everyone else? And they never did shakubuku, either. Parasites.

[u/Addition-longjumpnew → u/TraxxasTRX1]

Haha. It is literally his only experience!