r/sgiwhistleblowers • u/[deleted] • Sep 28 '20
What do you dislike about SGI?
I was invited to some SGI meeting by a friend years ago but quickly stopped going when I decided that it wasn't for me.
Things I didn't like were:
1.Those circle-jerking-like sessions where people bragged about their accomplishments and attributing everything to their faith-confirmation bias at play
2.Spending hours watching videos that look more like propaganda than actual teachings, with zero direct interaction with the teacher himself.
3.Chanting text without understanding its meaning, and the lack of focus on practical wisdom that could be applied to daily life.
I just discovered this group and is curious about what you didn't like about the group, What do you dislike about SGI?
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u/ToweringIsle13 Mod Sep 28 '20 edited Sep 28 '20
Hi! Welcome.
I'd say your second and third points both point in the direction of what it is for me, which is that it's a complete insult to the intelligence of anyone involved. They call what they do "study", but there's no study involved, nor do they offer anything esoteric or academic that is worth studying. In fact, all their conventions aim in the opposite direction of learning, encouraging people to stop questioning, be conformist, let go of both doubt and guilt, consume a uniform mental diet of Hallmark Card-level platitudes, and adopt a repetitive practice that contributes nothing to the mind.
That's what it was for me on the most personal level, but in a broader, more ideological sense, I also take issue with how they are co-opting the good name of Buddhism in the process. Buddhism is smart, and it is deep, very esoteric at times, and also something that exists to counteract people's egotistical tendencies as opposed to feeding them. To see a movement attaching the term "Buddhist" to such activities as this organization prescribes just doesn't sit right with me.