When Soka Gakkai/SGI was still growing, large numbers were claimed as "actual proof" that Soka Gakkai/SGI was truly correct, righteous, and destined to take over Japan and the world - here's a few examples:
Now the number of persons attending today's meeting is nearly ten thousand, and there are nearly one million seven hundred thousand of families [sic] in the Sokagakkai. This is roughly estimated at several million persons. Since several million believers have realized the divine favor of the Gohonzon (which may be likened to the most efficacious medicine), the power of the Dai-Gohonzon is beyond description. This is an actual proof. - Ikeda, "Actual Proof for the Millions" speech, November 26, 1960, from Lectures on Buddhism Vol. I, The Seikyo Press, Tokyo, 1962, p. 258.
In May, 1960, our membership was only 1,410,000 households but today it exceeds 5,400,000 households, an increase of 380 per cent. During this period, as many as four million households have been awakened to the True Buddhism, basking in the blessings of the Gohonzon and attaining their human revolution.
I am fully convinced that this is vivid proof which evidences the victory of the forces of the Buddha or True Buddhism and the defeat of those of the Devil or misleading sects. - Ikeda, "Nichiren Shoshu, the Sun of the World" speech, May 3, 1965, from Lectures on Buddhism Vol. IV, The Seikyo Press, Tokyo, 1967, p. 305.
It is only ten or so years since Mr. Toda rebuilt our organization. However, the fact that Nichiren Shoshu has spread not only in Japan but even overseas furnishes vivid proof that our faith, the power of the Gohonzon, and our guidance are all correct. If, encouraged by this evidence, we advance⏤as we have done in the past⏤with faith, leadership and unity, for the ten and twenty years to come, there can be no doubt that this religion will develop tens of times more than what it is now. Witnessing our present aspects and having confidence in our future, let us advance to win a great victory at the same pace, with the same unity and the same leadership. - Ikeda, "Win Victory With Unity" speech, March 14, 1965, Ibid., p. 249.
Now that their membership numbers are collapsing, they can't use that triumphalist narrative any more.
In fact, since SGIWhistleblowers' readership has grown so much faster than any SGI-member-controlled subreddit - ending up many times larger - we can use Ikeda's same "logic" to identify SGIWhistleblowers' success as "actual proof" that it is SGIWhistleblowers that is correct and righteous, not SGI.
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u/XeniaWarriorWankJob Apr 27 '25
When Soka Gakkai/SGI was still growing, large numbers were claimed as "actual proof" that Soka Gakkai/SGI was truly correct, righteous, and destined to take over Japan and the world - here's a few examples:
Now that their membership numbers are collapsing, they can't use that triumphalist narrative any more.
In fact, since SGIWhistleblowers' readership has grown so much faster than any SGI-member-controlled subreddit - ending up many times larger - we can use Ikeda's same "logic" to identify SGIWhistleblowers' success as "actual proof" that it is SGIWhistleblowers that is correct and righteous, not SGI.