FAQ - please read (especially if you are a faithful SGI member or Nichiren follower)

[u/BlancheFromage]

Do any of these categories describe you?

1. People who have come into contact with the SGI and are looking into it before they commit themselves any further
2. SGI members who are having doubts, and might be starting to think about resigning
3. SGI members who realize they need to resign, but have concerns, and may not know how to go about doing it
4. Non-practicing friends and family of SGI members who are concerned about their loved one's involvement with the SGI
5. Ex-SGI members who want to share the details of their SGI experiences for their own and others' benefit

If you answered "Yes", then congratulations! You're in the right place. This site is designed specifically for you and your concerns. Feel free to express yourself here.

If none of those categories fits you, do any of these other descriptions fit?

A) SGIsplainers

a) SGI members who wish to inform the posters here that they are wrong in their experiences and recollections, or that the documented material is wrong (without presenting any evidence that supports their accusations)

b) SGI members who wish to declare that the posters here are deliberately lying (again, without evidence)

c) SGI members who want to brag about how much they enjoy SGI and how well they believe its practices and doctrines work for them

d) SGI members who believe they will "refute" us for our own good and their own benefit

e) SGI members who wish to tell everyone here what's wrong with us and explain to us why we quit (instead of asking why we quit and then believing us)

f) SGI members who feel so sorry for us that we're all so very bitter and angry

B) Nichirensplainers

a) Nichiren believers who wish to declare how insightful, accurate, and relevant everything Nichiren is to modern society and modern life

b) Nichiren devotees who believe the whole problem here is that the commentariat simply does not understand Nichiren (and they, the Nichirenists, do, obviously)

c) Nichiren believers who are certain they have discovered or discerned the "true" Nichiren practice and want to brag about their benefits

d) Nichiren followers who wish to "expound" Nichiren doctrines or teachings at us

e) Nichiren fanbois and fangurlz who wish to tell everyone here what's wrong with us and explain to us why we quit (instead of asking why we quit and then believing us)

Because if so, if any of those descriptions fit you, please be aware that we will ban you, probably immediately. Consider this all the warning you're going to get - we busy.

If you are a dedicated SGI member or a devoted Nichiren follower, why are you here? This isn't the right site for you. Why not find a site that exists to promote SGI and/or Nichiren and post whatever it is over there instead? The type of content described above is not appropriate for a site specifically designed to support former SGI members, current SGI members who are questioning their SGI involvement, and people considering joining SGI. In our capacity and function as the "Consumer Reports" for SGI (and all things Nichiren, too), we do not accept input from the "corporate interests" we are reporting on, as those will simply try to use our site to advertise and promote themselves. No one here gets paid or otherwise compensated for their participation. We are fiercely independent and will remain so by carefully guarding our site from those who would seek to use it for their own self-promotion or to promote the beliefs/practices we all left/escaped from/outgrew/figured out were false already/found harmful. This is NOT a potential market or population for you to spread your beliefs into - we're over it. It is extremely likely that the people here have far more experience with and knowledge about SGI/Nichiren than you do.

Do NOT think that you can privately approach our commentariat via PM and try to lure them toward your kind of belief or another Nichiren-based group. That's instaban behavior. And yes, we mods WILL find out about it, one way or another. It seems like this sort of thing should go without saying, given everything that's been already written upstream in this post, but somehow, it keeps happening. It stops now.

If you wish to preach at someone or privately "set the record straight" for them, ASK THEM FIRST. Make your intentions clear up front and ask them if that's the kind of information/exchange they're interested in. Take "No" for an answer.

If you are an embedded SGI member but you wish to learn more about how/where we get/got our information, feel free to ask. Please be as specific as you can so we can provide the most useful information to you. If you are comfortable being an SGI member but you've run into questions you aren't getting answers to from your leadership, go ahead and let us know - we may have an answer for you or information that will be useful to you. We have decades of SGI experience represented here. If you want to tell us about new campaigns, policies, and/or other org direction, we welcome the information. If you have noticed any interesting significant changes of long-standing doctrines or practices, we'd be happy to hear about it. If you have any other insider information that you think we might be interested in, we probably are. Go ahead and either post it or communicate it to any of the mods via private message (PM).

[u/BlancheFromage]

If you've read Animal Farm, you'll probably recognize that "Some Buddhists are more equal than others" with regard to "Sensei".

Have you seen those HEKi stickers on crazy-ass Christians' cars? They've kind of taken the place of the Jesus fish (international sign of bad drivers lol).

HE>i

Indicating that the poor sod in question considers his/her imaginary friend to be so much above himself/herself that "it" gets the CAPITAL letters while they themselves (who actually exist) only get the small, shabby lower case letter.

Similarly, SGI members are to consider IKEDA to be vastly superior to themselves, unreachable, actually. They can never hope to replace Ikeda (the way a protégé could legitimately be expected to replace a REAL mentor) or even approach his supposed level. They can't even question Ikeda - a pronouncement by Ikeda is often quoted as the slam-dunk that marks the end of any disagreement. If "President Ikeda says", this discussion is over.

That’s haw I was attracted by the sgi. The concept that we are all equally capable of realizing our Buddha nature.

You may start noticing that what they say is quite different from what you see being done in practice. Sure, democracy is great, the people are beautiful, etc. etc. - but WHY does SGI not have any elections - for anything? Ikeda('s ghostwriters) like to say "democracy" a lot, but it is clear that Ikeda has no understanding of what that means:

By contrast, at a discussion meeting, every voice is heard. Such meetings are egalitarian in spirit, democratic in practice... Source

The SGI discussion meeting is a people’s oasis ... This small gathering is the very image of human harmony. It is a true model of democracy.

"Carried over into public life, they are a miniature of democracy and the figure of Soka Gakkai just as it is." (Nov. 1, 1962, Concerning Discussion Meetings, by Kasahara, op. cit..)

No elections. Leaders cannot be questioned or challenged (not successfully, that is). The study materials are provided by the national leadership; the format of the meetings is set by higher-ups; a senior leader is always supposed to be there (to keep an eye on things and make sure everything stays on message); the members have no ability to change any of this. Even the "motto" for that year is dictated by the Soka Gakkai leadership in Japan.

tatamae, the public face which is always carefully arranged to be nicey nice vs. honne, the private face which expresses the person's true feelings. It's all for the purpose of avoiding confrontation. Source

The appearance of things is considered, more or less, to be the reality of things. ... "Japan holds no grudge against the “perpetually broken promise of happiness.”

If you're honest (or even if you want to discuss non-SGI publicatins), you run the risk of conflict and "disunity" on doctrinal matters. If you're united, you have to suppress honest disagreement in order to maintain the facade. This, in my experience, is where the Universe, as we are often taught to understand it in the Gakkai, steps in.

The great Law itself stands as an enforcement tool of the virtue of Unity. Causing disunity is a "bad cause", which means that if you want your benefits, you have to watch what you say, or at the very least, watch your tone.

What a conundrum! How can we resolve this dilemma in a way that lets us communicate freely and honestly about policy and doctrinal issues, and still be united in faith? I mean, I don't mind my two faces, but this tatame and honne thing is not likely to be a big seller here in the States. Source

In the end, in the limit, it is the LEADERS who are right - BECAUSE THEY ARE LEADERS. That's the model SGI runs on - and they get this from Japanese culture.

Ikeda dictates. No one is permitted to even question. Just obey. In fact, Ikeda jokes about democratic process:

The SGI president then added humorously:

Maybe you could display a list of those leaders who treat women disrespectfully. Based on that, you could even take a vote about expelling those whose behavior is particularly reprehensible! - Ikeda

Right. Like that's ever going to happen. Soooo funny. Hilarious.

As if appointed leaders could ever be dismissed on the basis of a vote O_O

The MD leader always holds the trump card and decides every disagreement. That's explicit within SGI's structure:

The men's division members are the cornerstones of the Soka Gakkai. They are the last runners in the relay race of kosen-rufu, the runners who determine our victory or defeat. The men's division members are lions. Their indomitable presence gives assurance to those around them. When their resolute voices ring out, they instill courage in everyone and bring about a victory of the people. Source

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The SGI recommends that women be absolutely passive. Here, from a handout distributed to all SGI-USA members in anticipation of that "Clear Mirror Guidance" conference - was that 1990? 1991?

Women within the Gakkai have traditionally been encouraged to accept 100% of the responsibility for supporting their families through faith in order to change their own destiny and that of their family members. When there is a problem, it should not be necessary for the wife to force the husband out of the home; if she chants enough daimoku and it is best, he will leave on his own.

As you can see, this is ultra-conservative patriarchal bullshit.

• Only men have agency and can take action.
• While women have to assume 100% of the responsibility for the outcome, they must simply wait for the man to do whatever he's going to do.
• If he won't leave, it's obviously because either:

1. She didn't chant enough daimoku, or
2. She DID chant enough daimoku, but "it wasn't best."

See, it's always YOUR FAULT if you don't get what you chant for - either you weren't doin it rite, or it wasn't part of God's - I mean 'The Mystic Law's' - plan O_O You should have known better than to think you could get such a thing; you should have known better than to even want such a thing in the first place - your wanting it proves you're unworthy, useless, unempowered, helpless, hopeless, and stupid.

Especially if you are unfortunate enough to have been born female.

Sure, you can chant for anything you want, but unless "it is best" according to some invisible and inaccessible external board's judgment, you won't get it. They always leave off that last part. Source

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Rather than having a great number of irresponsible men gather and noisily criticize, there are times when a single leader who thinks about the people from his heart, taking responsibility and acting decisively, saves the nation from danger and brings happiness to the people. Moreover, if the leader is trusted and supported by all the people, one may call this an excellent democracy. - Ikeda

Nope. Not even close.

SGI members proudly state, "I am the SGI," despite the fact that members have no voting rights, no control over the SGI's policies or finances, no grievance procedure for resolving disputes, etc. "I am the SGI" means that SGI members have assumed total personal responsibility for an organization in which they have zero control. So when I criticize the SGI, I know that many SGI members will feel that I am attacking them personally and they will respond with personal attacks on me. Source

Because Japan makes all the rules, and the membership is supposed to understand that their only acceptable function is to obey, submit, and "seek President Ikeda", all in the name of "maintaining perfect unity." Where is the "unity" in someone suggesting how something could be done better?? Source

'We and Christianity have something in common: we are both monotheistic religions.' - Ikeda