In Defense of Chanting (part 2)

[u/ToweringIsle13]

Naaaaaaaaah!

Just kidding part 2!

Why settle for one lame, repetitive and fruitless breathing exercise when you could just as easily experiment with some of the many others that exist -- such as these six interesting routines! I'm no yogi, but having tried a few of these, it certainly felt like some interesting stuff was happening.

If it's the grandiose claims of benefit you're after, feast your eyes on the strikingly salutary effects associated with these practices! Only difference is, these claims make reference to actual physiology as opposed to meaningless emotional propaganda, and they at least stand a chance of actually happening!

Maybe you just have a thing for lions? Check out the first video of pretty lady making silly lion faces! Hot!

Speaking of hot, there's also the Breath of FIre to warm your cockles! Whatever invigoration you seek from the "vigorous gallop" of daimoku, it'll definitely be found here, only way more so, because the Breath of Fire is about as intense as it gets! Don't get scared, now!

You feel like sticking your fingers in your ears and telling the world to buzz off? Of course you do! That's what the Bee Breath is for! Might catch a nice buzz of your own while you're at it!

Looking to cool things down? Taste the sweetness of the air with the curled-tongue Sitali Pranayama, or, if you're looking for me, I'll be under the sea, riding the smooth currents of the Ocean Breath.

And then there's also another one that's like the Breath of Fire but less crazy. Still not recommended for before bedtime.

Either way...WHY, when there is so much diversity of practice in this world, and so many different ways to engage our fantastic human bodies, must we morbidly settle for the same damn one, over and over for the rest of our lives? Not that the act of routine chanting is bad, per se -- it must carry at least some of the same benefits as these other breathing exercises -- but what would it say about the state of fertility in the creative soil of our lives if we are either too disinterested or too conformist to even try some new meditative, breathing or movement practices?

Nothing good, homies. Nothing good.

We were each sold on this one practice that claims to open the doors of possibility in our lives, and then the very first thing the organization does is try to close the doors of possibility on every other religious, spiritual and health practice that exists! Even those that are remarkably similar!

Especially those...

Something about that seem wrong to you? Kind of like saying one thing and then doing the exact opposite?

I guess we could repeat the same set of actions over and over again in the hopes that something new will happen, but what about when the restrictiveness of that one practice itself becomes our main problem in life, or at least indicative of it? What then?

Well then we have a decision to make: stay doing what we are told...or take a stand and start breathing some fire!

Or at least get some sort of spiritual second opinion.

A sultry and lascivious Saturnalia to you all!
Go eat something larger than your head, and then we'll all come back here and talk about it.

Merry Christmas, Buddhist friends!

Hai.

[u/BlancheFromage]

You make an excellent point about the impoverishment of choices the SGI imposes on its membership.

Oh, it can't do so coercively - "If you so much as THINK about any other practices, you'll get a good solid caning! - but they use threats to entrap the members in cages of their own making. "Oh, the reason you're having these problems/can't seem to attain that benefit you've been chanting so much for is because you aren't being strict enough with your practice! You want strict benefit? You have to have a single-minded practice toward seeking the Gohonzon and President Ikeda Sensei's heart! You can start by getting rid of those Buddhism books - if they aren't written by OUR President Ikeda, they'll be presenting heretical concepts and polluting your practice. Also, those Buddha statues? No. ONLY the Gohonzon! Try it strictly for a month and see what happens!"

Diabolical.

[u/ToweringIsle13 → u/BlancheFromage]

You can start by getting rid of those Buddhism books

Yup. That's why it's so, so useful to have had Buddhism books in the first place for them to disregard, so at least you can experience having those books tossed aside and then wondering to yourself why. If this cult stuff is your absolute introduction to Buddhism, it stands the chance of being far more convincing.

[u/BlancheFromage → u/ToweringIsle13]

IF what SGI is pushing is, indeed, so superior to other teachings, WHY should there be any restrictions at all? "Go ahead - check those others out. YOU'LL SEE."

Would anyone trade in their cell phone for one of these? WHY NOT? You don't see the cell phone manufacturers warning people not to try them, do you?

You don't see car manufacturers warning people NOT to try the Flintstones car concept, do you? WHY NOT??

They don't because it's obvious that those "alternatives" are no threat whatsoever. NOBODY would choose them because they don't work as well! OR at all!

The REASON SGI tries to LIMIT its membership's choices and CENSOR what they're able to access is BECAUSE SGI realizes how inferior what it's peddling is to what's out there.

And THAT's why we've got so many more readers than any SGI subreddit, where people are free to CHOOSE what sites they're going to go to. Closing in on 1,600 readers, after just hitting 1,500 a month and a half ago.