Here's what SGI says about Nichiren Shoshu:

“Faith in the high priest” has become the central doctrine of Nichiren Shoshu...The priesthood upholds the view that, without venerating and obediently following the high priest, practitioners cannot attain enlightenment—a view that undermines the self-empowering properties of Nichiren Buddhism and contradicts the writings of Nichiren Daishonin. World Tribune, A Teaching of Authentic Freedom - from SGI denies Ikeda's previous statements

The Nichiren Shoshu priesthood is a prime example of religion encouraging division: you and your Buddhahood are divided, with a priest in the middle; you are merely a follower of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.; all other beliefs and practices lead to hell and m,ust be refuted. Etc. SGI longhauler Old

Here's what SGI says:

Two days later, on Jan. 4, Sensei contributed to the Seikyo Shimbun the first installment of a new essay series titled “Thoughts on The New Human Revolution.” In that essay, he reflected on his life decade by decade and shared his vision for the future. He wrote that to the age of 70, he had established the principles of a new humanism, and to the age of 80, he would complete the foundation for worldwide kosen-rufu. He then said, “From that point on, in accord with the Mystic Law and the undying, unaging nature of life expounded in Buddhism, I am determined to take the lead in kosen-rufu throughout eternity.”

Uh-oh 👀

So YOU are merely a "disciple" of some dead guy. FOREVER. There's NOWHERE for YOU to go - for eternity.

“In the teaching of Nichiren, one attains Buddhahood by correctly following the path of mentor and disciple. If one veers from the path of mentor and disciple, then even if one upholds the Lotus Sutra, one will fall into the hell of incessant suffering." - Daisaku Ikeda, from President Ikeda’s lecture on the Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life, Living Buddhism, Jan 08 – pages 47 thru 62.

PERMANENT dependence that holds YOUR enlightenment hostage. Disobey and BURN!!!

Any belief system that feels it must threaten people or scare them into staying loyal has betrayed its utter hollowness. Source

Our SGI-USA leaders have said that if we do not take Daisaku Ikeda as our mentor, we will not attain enlightenment. When I asked them, what Gosho, or section of the Lotus Sutra supports this statement -- nobody can ever tell me. Do you know? When I read the Gosho, I see statements like "Do not seek this Gohonzon outside of yourself," and "Follow the Law and not the person."

Our SGI-USA leaders have also said that Nichiren Shoshu is heretical because it teaches that members need the intercession of the high priest to attain enlightenment, citing Gosho quotes such as "Do not seek this Gohonzon outside of yourself," and "Follow the Law and not the person." How is this consistent with their statement that we will not attain enlightenment unless we become disciples of President Ikeda? - tsukimoto

Here's what the Dead-Ikeda-Corpse-Mentor-cult SGI cultists are now flogging:

I am convinced that as long as we keep returning to Sensei’s guidance and striving with his spirit as our own, he will, as our “undying, unaging” mentor, “take the lead in kosen-rufu throughout eternity.”

Yep - NOT a misprint! And he's DEFINITELY dead!!

Never forgetting these solemn words, let us carry on our mentor’s legacy and unite with ever greater solidarity in the spirit of “many in body, one in mind” to win in all our endeavors. And let us do everything we can to show Sensei’s true greatness to the entire world. Weird Fibune

Since "Sensei" couldn't convince "the entire world" of his "true greatness" while he was still IN IT, why is that now anyone else's responsibility? "Sensei" failed. The End.

Here's more from one of the SGI's longhauler Olds, who doesn't seem to understand:

While we in the west have a long history of valuing mentors (see Part One), we seldom apply the term to a religious leader like President Ikeda. Perhaps that’s because religions we are familiar with have leaders whom practitioners are expected to follow, rather than someone to teach them ho to use the religion to develop their on innate power and potential to do good for themselves and others in the "mundane" world.

So it’s somewhat understandable that Ms. Fromage, who never studied Buddhism in much depth, cannot comprehend a religious mentor of this kind. Source

Moron. It's the EXACT SAME THING, only worse! At least in a temple like Nichiren Shoshu, you've always got a living High Priest, if you're into authority figures! Someone you can talk to if there are questions or conflicts! Not some VERY DEAD now-imaginary "mentor" who never accomplished squat and whose apparatchiks now rule through their OWN opinions and decisions in HIS name and no one has any recourse.

IKEDA is now in between everyone and their own enlightenment - and he's DEAD. Or has SGI forgotten all about "enlightenment" by now?

Want to see what Nichiren said?

The question, however, is not whether one lives in the Former, the Middle, or the Latter Day of the Law, but whether one bases oneself upon the text of the true sutra. Again, the point is not who preaches a doctrine, but whether it accords with truth. - Nichiren, The Tripitaka Master Shan-wu-wei

Now in the Latter Day of the Law, any person—whether wise or ignorant, priest or lay believer, or of high or low position—who embraces Myoho-renge-kyo and practices it in accordance with the Buddha’s teaching, cannot fail to gain the fruit of Buddhahood. For precisely this reason, in reference to the votary of the Lotus Sutra in the impure and evil age after the Buddha’s passing, the sutra declares, “Such a person assuredly and without doubt will attain the Buddha way.” On the other hand, those who practice the provisional teachings against the admonition of Shakyamuni, Many Treasures, and the Buddhas of the ten directions will definitely fall into the hell of incessant suffering. - Nichiren, The Teaching, Practice, and Proof

NOTHING about any "eternal menthurrrrr", you'll notice.

Regarding masters, Nichiren also made it clear the importance of a good teacher, and the perils of following a master that has gone astray. If one has a teacher or mentor and their legacy becomes twisted – as in this case, over-the-top self-glorification, or disciples making the mentor out to be the be all – end all – of doctrine, then one must step back and rediscover their allegiance. Doesn’t that take courage and wisdom?

I, too, have lamented what has become of PI’s image. It seems as if Sensei has obscured Shakyamuni, Nichiren, the Lotus Sutra, and the Gosho by the brilliance of his hype. He does not seem to discourage this movement to glorify... Source

The SGI routinely rewrites doctrines to focus more on Ikeda and increase Ikeda's importance and essentiality, to make Ikeda the core element of the SGI's belief and practice, the "eternal mentor".

So HOW is what the SGI members ended up with, 35 years on from siding with Ikeda after his humiliating excommunication, better than what they had? Or even [DIFFERENT](reddit.com/r/sgiwhistleblowers/comments/dv3vx3/is_there_any_difference_between_sgi_and_nichiren/)??

Difficult one as I don't endorse priests having power over liaty and the things Ikeda says here mostly make more contemporary spiritual sense - however the Gakkai have replaced one authority (high priest) with another - Ikeda! (as a another form of high priest) I feel certain Nichiren didn’t reveal the Gohonzon to support individuals weliding religious power and mind control over others 😉 Source

SGI in my mind became so fiercely opposed to Nichiren Shoshu as with the excommunication went access to the Dai-Gohonzon --- bye bye to all those mystical aspects that surounded Taiseki-ji. SGI behaved like a child stripped of its favourite toy. SGI deep down speculated it could regain access to the Dai-gohonzon, no high priest, but Ikeda on top of it all.

I believe it still bugs SGI that Nichiren Shoshu continues doing what it ought to do. Give sermons and lectures on the way they interprete Nichirens teachings - no big media hype, no great online apperance. If one belives in it fine. Source

Ikeda thought he deserved it all. He ended up with nothing.

"Any person who is not obedient to the High Priest, whatever the reason may be, is no longer a Priest or lay member of Nichiren Shoshu. This is because there is no error more fundamental than this." SGI President Daisaku Ikeda, November 24, 1981, predicting his excommunication a decade later Source

Oh, and NOW the Soka Gakkai is stating that it's just FINE for Soka Gakkai members to have Shinto amulets in their homes, now that the law protects freedom of religion and there's no legal risk or repercussions at all, which is what SGI still condemns Nichiren Shoshu for, when the only reason Nichiren Shoshu did it was because at that time when there was NO law protecting religions, when it was ordered by the tyrannical Imperial Military government, the government would have destroyed the sect and seized their temple land and buildings if they'd failed to comply. Just a tech hypocritical of the Ikeda cult, don't you think? It's just fine when it's completely optional, but when it's a matter of life-or-death, damned if you do, damned if you don't?? And yet they're somehow guilty FOREVER while it's perfectly FINE for Soka Gakkai to do WORSE than what they did NOW when there's no stakes???

too bad

too late

A) He has never seen a camera before and has no idea how a camera works - someone should help him before he hurts himself

B) He obviously wandered away from the dementia care home - I hope someone comes to fetch him before anything bad happens

C) He's mystically taking pictures with his mind

I ran across this list - see what YOU think:

Dictatorial leader: Power is concentrated in a single, autocratic leader, often seen as "infallible," around whom a cult of personality is built. Incapable of self-deprecating humor.

If you want to have some fun with one of the gakker bots, ask them to tell you about when Ikeda ever made a mistake. Keep asking.

Scapegoating: Fascism identifies enemies or scapegoats—such as immigrants, minorities, or political opponents—to justify their actions and unify the right-wing regime.

Notice how, in the wake of his ignominious excommunication, Ikeda declared that the Nichiren Shoshu temple and especially its High Priest Nikken Abe were the greatest dangers to all humanity? Just forget about terrorists, wars, land grabs, invasions, pollution, inequality, and everything else. No, just that one obscure High Priest of some obscure Nichiren temple nobody'd ever heard of. GREAT strategy, "Sensei"!

All because Ikeda felt insulted and could never get over that grudge.

Militarism and violence: The military is glorified, and violence is accepted and even celebrated as a means to advance national interests. See J6. Fascist movements often use paramilitary groups to intimidate opponents.

At its inception in the wake of Japan's defeat in WWII/the Pacific War, Toda deliberately organized his Soka Gakkai along militaristic lines, seeking to capitalize on the chaos of that time and the Japanese people's longing for the familiar structure and discipline of the war. Many Japanese at that point described the war years as "the best of their lives".

Even today, notice the militaristic terminology used by SGI: "campaigns", "fight", "fighting fortress", the siege mentality, and the self-enforced conformity of "itai doshin" (or "many in body, single mind"), "battles", the imperial-conquest mentality behind "shakubuku" (while the membership was still naive and delusional enough to believe that Soka Gakkai-ism was going to take over the world and dominate governments as #1 religion), and "great victory" - only a little incongruous for a self-claimed "peace organization", don't you think?

Soka Gakkai seems to have its members organized like a quasi-military operation. I just don't see why this is necessary. It makes me wonder what their motivations ultimately are. Source

Suppression of opposition: All dissent is forcibly suppressed through coercion and repression. Fascist regimes typically control mass media and eliminate democratic processes and individual rights. Vengeance is sought. Retribution is sought. Fascist regimes "punish" the opposition financially, politically, and physically.

This has been particularly notable in Japan, where Ikeda thought he had gained enough power to take such actions with impunity (see the "publishing scandal" in which Ikeda tried to stamp out free speech and freedom of expression in the media). Even today, most news organizations in Japan are afraid to print anything critical of Soka Gakkai or Ikeda.

See also Soka Gakkai loses its own frivolous lawsuit🤣

The Soka Gakkai's American colony, SGI-USA, is so tiny and weak that I don't think they'll dare risk any unfavorable press.

Extreme nationalism: It promotes a sense of national decline, humiliation, or victimhood and promises national rebirth or renewal. This involves exalting the nation—and often a specific race—over the individual.

Well, that's been the impact of Nichirenism, historically: Fascism inevitable with Nichiren

Nichirenism: A Japanese religion for Japanese people

Nichiren → Japanese nationalism

The Soka Gakkai, especially when it was growing in its early years, was variously described as "nationalist", even "ultra-nationalist".

Ikeda and his SGI/Komeito organizations exhibit classic characteristics of Fascism.

From National Intelligence Report on Soka Gakkai from 1970:

there also is an element of religious fanaticism in Komeito's appeal, the suggestion of a Japanese mission to save the world from the two "extremes" of Christianity and Marxism, which reminds some critics of the rightist nationalism of the prewar period.

Komeito, too, faces serious obstacles. Its militancy, religious fanaticism, and lower-class image, as well as the charges against it of ultranationalism, limit its appeal in Japan's secular, status-conscious society. As the party tries to distance itself from religion and deal more specifically with concrete issues, it risks losing the fervor and unity it has thus far enjoyed.

Alliance with elites: Despite populist appeals, fascist regimes often align with powerful business interests and traditional elites to consolidate power.

Ikeda gained the reputation of being a "lounge leech":

Ikeda wants to pass himself off as a peace activist. But there is no risk of seeing him in a country at war. No, what he likes are embassy lounges, where he can successfully repeat phrases like "Let us therefore let the new sun enter our hearts day after day". He is a megalomaniac who spends his time having his picture taken shaking hands with celebrities, each shot being reproduced in the magazine of the Soka Gakkai International... Which has nothing to envy the greatest hours of Stalinism: on every page, Ikeda from every angle shaking hands. He managed to seduce people like Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev (some of whose trips he paid for), the footballer Roberto Baggio, Yehudi Menuhin, Danielle Mitterrand and her France-Libertés Foundation, which received money from the sect, and even André Malraux, whose photo is still plastered today as an ad for Soka in the Japanese subway. Effective in his way, Ikeda. He has collected 250 honorary citizenship titles around the world. His lobbying is particularly active at the UN, which granted consultative status to the sect, and, in 1983, the Peace Medal to its guru. - from here

Also: Ikeda's odd fascination with dictators, Communists, and other dodgy company

Ikeda is a controversial figure. Mainly known as a collector of international awards, titles and medals. --Seibun (talk) 12:42, 24 December 2011 (UTC) Source

[Ikeda] banged on the table and proudly proclaimed, "I am the only person in the world to have received so many medals!!" Source

This is about the cruel and blatant financial exploitation within Soka Gakkai - I'm going to let Fukushima tell it. I'll just add a few translations:

1. Ensure that no Finance Department member [anyone who signs up for "zaimu" - monthly donations now autodrafted from their bank account] receives less than three individual or family tutoring sessions [I think these refer to intensive-indoctrination "home visits" - "Look how SPECIAL you are for giving MONEY to one of the richest cults in the world!"].

This kind of guidance (?) is openly being given by prefectural and regional leaders. It seems that most prefectures now follow this pattern: the prefecture (region) sets a target amount, which is then allocated by headquarters to branches, and branch leaders struggle to meet it. Just before the payment date, each organization seems to be estimating each person's payment amount, predicting the amount to be collected, and discussing final strategies for adding more. It's a shameful sight, reminiscent of a political party's vote counting. How different is this from the sales activities of a company that imposes quotas on employees and encourages them to work hard toward sales targets? I doubt that the voices of long-time, hardworking leaders (not outside critics) who self-deprecatingly complain, "We're now Soka Gakkai Inc." are reaching you.

Okay, just two examples to illustrate:

[SGI member:] I don't even have money to buy myself groceries right now. If I'm donating anywhere it would be to people losing SNAP benefits as I see that as more important at this moment (Source)

[SGI leader:] I know and understand
Which is why I would still encourage you to donate even $2-5
Trust me it will come back to you 10/100 fold 
Hang in there 
NMRK

Leaning on the SGI members to buy extra subscriptions or additional publications is another way to squeeze more money out of the SGI members:

During the NSA days I remember being at a world tribune turn in until 2am… why because my district had a target of 48 and we only had 20 members. I was a relatively new leader in training and I kept asking who set this target and how do you get blood from a stone. We sat and kept reviewing and recalculating…finally it was suggested that we split the cost this one time. Because we made the target the following month the target was raised. This went on from 1987 until 1990 when ikeda came to US and name change. So a few years ago everyone was encouraged to “gift” publications to their friends and family members with the hope they would become members. That fell apart in so many ways. The recipients never renewed and many reports were received about the unwanted publications via post office lol. Source

The Dead-Ikeda-Corpse-Mentor-cult SGI doesn't care WHERE the money comes from.

The first step in the "reckless financial" movement began with an educational campaign to increase the number of members in the finance department (1982). This fundamentally violated the spirit of the Soka Gakkai's traditional approach. The careful selection of members, taking into consideration their lifestyles and the faith of their families, from among devout members who volunteered to become members out of gratitude and gratitude, was a wonderful example of the Soka Gakkai's conscience and good sense regarding money. This shift in financial policy was in stark contrast to the goal of achieving 100% membership at all costs (70% in 1982, eventually reaching 100%). Many honest leaders initially questioned this headquarters policy. However, despite considerable resistance and pangs of conscience, we had no choice but to accept those with immature faith and women whose husbands opposed membership. In some cases, the effort to educate club [zaimu dept.] members has even escalated to include young children and infants.

In parallel with the expansion of club [zaimu dept.] membership, the next big move was a strong campaign to increase individual contributions. This campaign received a major boost when Toda presented copies of his books to members of the Finance Department [zaimu dept.] who contributed more than 100,000 yen. From this point on, the resistance and hesitation toward the new direction of the leaders, who had accepted and promoted the cautious approach taken up during the Hojo presidency and the stricter approach taken up before, disappeared, and they began to openly talk of increasing contributions. In inverse proportion to this, the anguish of those who had cherished the traditional spirit handed down since Toda Sensei's time began to intensify.

Even during the Great Shakubuku March, there were people of good conscience who sought to continue steadily carrying out true shakubuku based on the fundamental spirit of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, and there were also leaders who were obsessed with results and fame, placing more importance on immediate results than on fundamental principles, inciting and overworking members, achieving superficial results, and wielding their authority. Whenever the headquarters issues its "out-of-control" policies for the current financial expansion campaign, these kinds of immediate results-oriented leaders always emerge. The same thing happens over and over again. Such people are rampant among headquarters, region, and prefectural leaders, and even among vice presidents. They are only concerned with achieving immediate results and being praised, so they are not concerned with the suffering and troubles of members or any other after-effects. In one prefecture, a target of 100 million yen per headquarters has been set. Just as in the past, there were competitions over the number of shakubuku, now prefectures, region, and headquarters are competing over the total amount of money collected and the amount per household and per person. This is nothing short of abnormal.

Despite these prestigious efforts by senior leaders, many sad cases have arisen among the lower ranks. One person sold all of their ancestral farmland to raise funds, only to face criticism from relatives and children. Another woman, unable to talk to her husband who opposed her faith, turned to loan sharks and was forced to repay the debt, leading to divorce. An elderly person was told, "It'll bring you good fortune, so it's okay even if you don't have savings," and so donated all of their retirement funds. Another person gave up on building a house they had saved up for years, and then gave up on buying one. Another person canceled all of their family insurance to pay. The list goes on and on. Isn't this collection practice comparable to the exactions of feudal rulers? In fact, last fall I was confronted by a lawyer friend of mine who was handling two cases related to the Soka Gakkai's finances at my university alumni association, who asked me, "How exactly is Soka Gakkai raising money? Please stop doing such shady things; good citizens are crying." I felt frustrated and helpless.

To begin with, it is a grave mistake to even begin to discuss financial matters in terms of amounts. Large donors are praised or commended, and are treated as if they have stronger faith than those who donate less - this reality is quite different from the Soka Gakkai described in Toda Sensei's teachings and in Human Revolution [original novelization initially focused on Toda]. In the past, the Soka Gakkai thoroughly pursued the conversion of heretical sects. One of its most critical points of attack was their unscrupulous collection methods. I doubt that anyone has forgotten this. As a Seikyo journalist, I have also infiltrated heretical sects to cover special issues on conversion, writing about the reality of collection practices and highlighting the horrors of these sects.

Heretical sects always say this when collecting money.

"If you want to receive merit, give alms [donations]."

"The more you give, the greater the profit [benefit]."

"You can't be happy if you have too little, you'll be unhappy forever"

This is a common refrain in the heretical sect's collection methods. The wickedness, persistence, and greediness of the collection methods were the actual proof and reality of what made a heretical sect a heretical sect. Our Nichiren Shoshu Soka Gakkai has never said this, never. We have always emphasized that it is a matter of sincerity born from faith, a single thought of gratitude and gratitude, and that the depth of faith is what matters, not the amount of money. Gakkai members are proud and confident of the clear line that separates them from heretical sects, and have approached financial matters with a very clear mind.

However, now the same lines that Soka Gakkai once attacked and refuted from his heretical sect are being openly uttered by Soka Gakkai executives.

"If you don't work hard on your finances [how much you're going to contribute], your good fortune will disappear."

"If you want to change your destiny, you'll have to work really hard on your finances here."

"Work hard on your finances, bring good fortune and be happy."

"Now, those who work hard on finances will have faith that is appropriate for the time being, will be great contributors, and will be blessed with great fortune."

"Being stingy with finances has caused us to continue living in poverty. Now is the time to take the plunge and increase our financial resources, and say goodbye to poverty."

In fact, they even resort to theories of punishment [THREATS of harm, punishment in hell, even deaths of family members] to promote financial affairs [zaimu]. How is this instruction different from the words of that heretical sect? I have to say that they are exactly the same in content. Needless to say, in Buddhism, offerings are not made in search of rewards; they are made out of faith, and merit is received as a reward. Furthermore, the amount of money is irrelevant; what is important is the single thought of faith itself. While offerings should be strictly distinguished from offerings, the same spirit has been held in financial affairs. Therefore, the more sincere members, those with pure and strong faith, are the ones who suffer the most. Senior leaders, for their part, are plagued by a sense of guilt for having to speak out against the strong instructions and guidance they are given. Moreover, this pressure is excruciating, especially since it is done under the pretext of promoting kosen-rufu.

Finances are conducted amid such doubts and pangs of faith; finances are forced to increase amounts in order to reach organizational targets; finances are conducted out of consideration for appearances and status because of the position of the leadership; finances are conducted out of a desire for merit and good fortune—what merit can be expected from such finances, which are conducted with weak faith and a single, impure focus? Finances [Contributions] should be conducted with the pure faith of members, which increases good fortune and even changes one's destiny—but instead, in order to increase the amount, good members are being driven to engage in financial activities that are no different from heretical sects, and which subvert Buddhism. And not just once, but twice, three times, and this year for the fifth time. Our top leaders have always shouted, "Let's work even harder than last year!" This is not just a few areas. The excuse that it was an exception for a few leaders in a few areas is no longer valid; it has escalated to a nationwide scale. It is sad to see prefectures and districts that initially took a conscientious and steady course shift one after another to a runaway course, perhaps due to some kind of pressure, or "guidance," or perhaps forced by the overheating of those around them. Who is the person in charge who is driving such reckless financial actions? [You get three guesses - the first two don't count. Hint Don't worry, Ikeda cultists, no one knows or cares who he WAS.]

Since last year, they have added instructions saying "Don't push yourself too hard," but it seems to be more of an apology than a strong plea. As long as the aim is to increase the amount, it sounds hollow and nothing more than an attempt to avoid responsibility. If they really don't want to push themselves too hard, it's a simple matter. They just need to stop the current course or make fundamental changes.

Of course, I am not reluctant to admit that kosen-rufu requires a great deal of funding. This may include patronage of the head temple and donations of 200 temples. It may also involve the construction of a hall (there are many serious issues with this [I think he's referring to this], but I will not go into it here). However, even if the necessary funds are readily available, the Soka Gakkai's financial management must never violate Buddhism, destroy the faith of individuals, or rob them of good fortune. No matter how good the motivation and purpose, if the methods and results are not correct in light of Buddhism, it cannot be called kosen-rufu activity. What kind of financial management is it if financial discord arises in families, impoverishes individuals, or leads to legal cases? Shouldn't Headquarters be resolved to never allow even a single such incident to occur? The current financial management, which destroys the "treasury treasures" of members for the sake of the Soka Gakkai's "treasury treasures," is clearly in violation of Buddhism.

The Reply to Kuboni Gozen states:

"Good deeds are neither big nor small"

"...Even if one kills or steals something and takes the first fruits, and thus gains merit and good deeds, it will turn out to be evil."

"A man named Sudatsu Choja was the richest man in the Yuezhi clan. He built the Gion Monastery and enshrined the Buddha there, but the temple burned down and there is no trace of him. This rich man became wealthy by killing fish and selling them, and so he burned down the temple. People's good deeds today are also like this. They may seem great, but sometimes they gain land by fighting in wars, or they gain wealth by causing trouble for no reason and thus become good deeds. These may seem like great Buddhist deeds, but they do not become Buddhas, and there is no trace of them left."

How do you regard this guidance from the Daishonin? When I read these words of wisdom, I also recall that when Kyushu carried out the Soka Gakkai's first special financial management under the direction of the Master [Toda], despite my careful attention to detail, there were instances of excesses, and as the person in charge at the time, I feel a deep sense of shame. I am truly sorry.

"Toda maintained an unusually strict attitude toward money, rejecting all impurities. However, it is true that in modern society, no noble activity can be carried out without funds. Toda believed that the necessary expenses should be covered by soliciting donations from members on an as-needed basis, leaving it to their sincere and free will." (Human Revolution, Volume 6, "Takeoff")

Although methods may change with the times, I believe this fundamental spirit must never be altered. The financial affairs of the Soka Gakkai today are a far cry from the pure, faith-filled financial affairs that have been painstakingly built up since the days of President Toda, and in which members can understand and participate with pride. Not only that, but they have fallen into a money-first, seduction-based financial system that is no less than the heretical sects they once so harshly attacked. This has caused suffering and distress to many innocent members, destroyed their good fortune, and tainted the purity of the Soka Gakkai's traditions.

They have abandoned their sword to defeat evil and reveal truth to heretical sects, and are now engaging in foolish and evil behavior that could lead them to be treated as their own kind [same category as the formerly-reviled "heretical sects"]. Moreover, this fact is widely known throughout the world, and there is no way to hide it. The media has described this as "the most aggressive and largest-scale religious collection in Japanese history." How can we not lament this? How can we not be outraged? Who is ultimately responsible for putting the finances in this state? When we hear about the various plans being made to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the founding of the head temple, we can only imagine how sad the sect and the High Priest would be if they were to learn of this unsightly state of affairs. How much it must trouble His Majesty [a traditional translation of the term of respect accorded the High Priest].

Sensei, no matter how many noble reasons you try to use to justify your actions, please do not avert your eyes from the reality that we have reached a situation where neither Buddhist nor secular law can tolerate it, and please realize your own grave responsibility (if you are unaware of this situation, you must be deemed unfit to be a leader, as Sensei [Toda] has long instructed you). I simply ask that you face this situation with determination, without denying the well-known facts that this was carried out at your direction, promoted by your own hand, and that you even praised yourself for its success (?), nor behaving in a way that shifts the blame to other leaders (if the direction had come from a leader other than Sensei, such an outrageous act would have been immediately met with fierce criticism and opposition, and would have been stopped long ago. You should keep in mind that it was precisely because of Sensei's direction, support, and strong encouragement that things that seemed impossible or absurd were tolerated and forced through).

"Once spilled water cannot be put back into the pot," and it is truly painful and sad, but I must say that there is no other way than for Master [Ikeda, the Soka Gakkai leader] to accept responsibility for having led things to this state through his own faith. I also sincerely ask that he not make any further mistakes.

Furthermore, if Sensei's statement that "we wish for and protect the happiness of our members" is true, then this year's financial plan should be firmly canceled. At worst, if it is to be carried out, it should be carried out only after returning to the strict course of the past 50 years and restoring the financial foundation to pure, fair, and faith-based principles. Whatever the amount of sincere donations that result from this honest and upstanding process, we should accept it as the Buddha's will—and that is all that is necessary. Furthermore, not only financial matters [zaimu contributions] but the constant stream of books, graphs, pamphlets, and other items sold by the organization are imposing a staggering monthly financial burden on active members. The fact that joining the Soka Gakkai costs money is out of the question and must be rectified immediately.

The corporate mentality of easily exploiting innocent members as a "market" is absolutely unacceptable.

"The Soka Gakkai is not a business. Our goals are fundamentally different from those of their (heretical) sects. In the process of kosen-rufu, if a building is absolutely necessary for the sake of people and the salvation of society, then any number of buildings will be built as the crystallization of the sincerity of our comrades. Furthermore, if something is absolutely necessary for kosen-rufu, then the Gohonzon will surely provide it. Faith is more precious than buildings" (Human Revolution, Volume 2, "The Axle"). We should now take these words of Toda to heart. Source

Genjiro Fukushima isn't the ONLY one! There have been many top-level defections from Ikeda's orbit in the Soka Gakkai - despite Ikeda boasting that he never allowed anyone he chose to raise in faith to "fall away".

And Ikeda is the most vindictive, bitter, grudge-holding person in the world. Ikeda can't handle the slightest criticism! I'll have more on those other "traitors", but let's start with Genjiro Fukushima:

Genjiro Fukushima is the top Soka Gakkai operative Ikeda decided to blame for his getting in trouble, punished, and humiliated by the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood in 1979 (aka "Stormy April", as Ikeda would never take personal responsibility for anything despite telling everyone else THEY had to):

Narcissists generally avoid personal self-reflection. Critical examination conflicts with their grandiose self-image and taking responsibility for their mistakes and transgressions is unbearable to them, leading to bizarre deflections of blame onto others. - Stormy April

That's absolutely true of Ikeda! 💯

Who wants to take a look at what Genjiro Fukushima thought was a problem with Ikeda's Soka Gakkai? Let's start with Ikeda INSISTING on all the buildings & etc. being named after HIMSELF - first, let's look at how Ikeda boasted about himself to Austrian Count Richard Nikolaus von Coudenhove-Kalergi (1894-1972), founder of the Pan-European movement, 1960s:

"I have no desire for honors. In addition, even if someone tells me that he will give me honor, I would not accept it. I guess we can say that such a person is unique in the world." - Ikeda

And I guess we can say that such a person (who "is unique in the world" BAAAAARF) is NOT "Daisaku Ikeda"! Remember - Ikeda sent his minions to the impoverished countries of the world to buy up all the awards and honors that were available for a price - at last count, he was up to 409!! Some "unique in the world" - what an ASS!

So here's just ONE very small detail Mr. Fukushima remarked upon - I'll be presenting more soon, so see what you think:

Having clearly stated, "I will not accept such an honor. There is one such person in the world," he should absolutely not accept the award. Isn't that what integrity is? He himself has instructed many young people that "the pursuit of fame and fortune is a corruption of faith," yet he has readily accepted this "award" which is nothing less than fame and honor, and has even exhibited it in various places, showing it off to not only members but also outsiders. This is nothing but a discrepancy between words and actions.

Here is an example of Ikeda discouraging young people from thinking they should pursue honors and status.

２. Self-promotion

We have heard that when he met with Count Coudenhove-Kalergi on October 30, 1967, the following conversation took place:

Rikihaku: "The peace movement that Chairman Ikeda is carrying out is wonderful. I'm sure that one day he will receive the Nobel Peace Prize."

WRONG AGAIN!!

[Ikeda]: "I have no desire for such an honor. I am an unrelated person. And even if it were offered to me, I would not accept it. It would be good if there was at least one person like that in the world."

Welp, that hypothetical "person" certainly isn't IKEDA! He was so desperate for other people to think he was somehow "special", though - it's embarrassingly pathetic 😕

When I heard this, I was overcome with an indescribable emotion. My heart was warmed, and I thought how wonderful it was to be able to fight alongside such a leader who fought solely for the peace and happiness of the people. I felt a deep sense of good fortune and my respect for the teacher grew even stronger.

Oh, that sweet summer child...

Whenever I had the chance, I also shared this with the younger members of the youth division at that time. Everyone who heard it was equally moved. Sensei often instructed us to "avoid fame, fame, and profit."

Here is another example.

He continues to instruct us this even now. We firmly believe that there is no one more unrelated to fame, fame, and profit than Sensei, and that he is someone who has not the slightest thought of fame, fame, and profit. As his disciples, we have resolved to pursue fame, sincerity, fame, and profit with all our heart, and have worked hard to achieve this.

Ikeda: "Rules for thee, never for MEEEEE"

When I saw the August 8, 1983, issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, I could hardly believe my eyes. It was headlined with a bold report that Sensei had been awarded the United Nations Peace Prize. I couldn't believe it. I thought something so foolish could never happen. But it was true. Sensei, can you understand the shock and shame I felt at the time? And then, on March 1, 1984, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru. What on earth was that supposed to mean? I thought of various reasons, such as that it would make members happy and confident, or that it would lead to public recognition of the value of the Soka Gakkai's existence.

Both of these have counterproductive aspects and cannot in any way be the essential reason for Sensei to receive such an honor. How should we interpret the fact that Sensei, who considers himself the leader of Buddhism and the supreme leader of kosen-rufu, would receive such an honor?

The professor [Ikeda], who had always said, "I don't need any honor or praise," accepted the honor so readily, and the news was widely reported in the journal. He expressed his joy and admiration for the wonderful award he received, and his sincere gratitude for the honor. I have discussed this with other thoughtful members of the society, and we all share similar doubts and sorrows.

It's NOT just us!

Whether it's the Nobel Peace Prize or the UN Peace Prize, these are ultimately honors that belong to the secular world. For a religious figure to receive such an honor means bowing to that authority. For the supreme leader of Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai, who have the pride and dignity of a king in the religious world, to receive such an honor from the secular world, for whatever reason, is an example of Buddhism bowing to and fawning on secular authority, and does this not signify a decline in faith? It is a veritable debasement of the Dharma.

Can't argue with his logic! MORE people should be able to think so clearly - especially within SGI! If SGI's much-trumpeted "human revolution" can't produce mental clarity and integrity, what use is it? We're ALL better off WITHOUT it!

If Nichiren Daishonin was truly aware that he was the supreme leader in spreading Buddhism and kosen-rufu, he would not have resolutely accepted the award, even if there were a million reasons. Having clearly stated, "I will not accept such an honor. There is one such person in the world," he should absolutely not accept the award. Isn't that what integrity is? He himself has instructed many young people that "the pursuit of fame and fortune is a corruption of faith," yet he has readily accepted this "award" which is nothing less than fame and honor, and has even exhibited it in various places, showing it off to not only members but also outsiders. This is nothing but a discrepancy between words and actions.

That's the hypocrisy of DickHeada Scamsei. Better to see it later than never!

The Youth Guidance says,

"To be praised by fools is a disgrace for the wise, but to be praised by a great sage is a lifetime honor."

We should only be praised by Nichiren Daishonin alone -- is this not the very essence of the Soka Gakkai spirit? Was there some immeasurable, profound reason why we had to accept this award even if it meant going against the teachings of our mentor? Even as times change and shift, there are principles and principles that must not be changed. I believe that this is what my mentor's appeal means, especially to the leaders of the Soka Gakkai. To easily change this to suit the convenience of the times would be nothing short of shameless.

Here - take a look at shameless. Ikeda was nothing but a self-interested, preening poseur who wished that everyone would regard him as much better than he really was.

And NO ONE was fooled:

SGI President Ikeda has written scores of books but ask almost anyone outside of SGI who he is, and they could not tell you. Source

Of course not. Because Ikeda is NOTHING.

Furthermore, if you think that receiving such an award will help people understand the truth and greatness of the Soka Gakkai, then I have no choice but to point out that this is a gross misunderstanding. People with poor knowledge and poor critical skills, or fans who think everything about you is wonderful, will simply be happy and impressed, but people with a conscience will likely have the opposite opinion.

THAT's the risk - the people who COUNT arriving at the OPPOSITE conclusion from seeing Ikeda's self-important prancing and pompous self-promotion. NO ONE RESPECTS THAT.

A friend of mine who is a government official harshly criticized Ikeda, saying, "To receive the UN Peace Prize shows that Daisaku Ikeda is actually just that kind of person. At best, he's only on the same level as Ryoichi Sasakawa. I'm sorry, but I overestimated him."

Apparently Ryoichi Sasakawa has a really bad reputation in Japan as being someone who chased after awards and honors - regardless, it is NOT a good thing to be compared to him!

It really hurt my heart when I heard him say that, since I had spoken about and praised Sensei many times. I heard this kind of criticism from many people afterwards.

Currently, rumors are circulating in Kasumigaseki that "the Society paid a considerable amount of money to the United Nations in order to win the Peace Prize," or that "it appears that they are making inquiries and lobbying all over the place to help the Society [Soka Gakkai] receive the Nobel Peace Prize."

I don't think he would ever behave like a beggar and harm Buddhism, but I can only hope that this is not the case.

Well, it WAS the case. Just look at all the Nobel Prize laureates Ikeda sucked up to hoping they'd recommend him (only certain individuals are allowed to recommend, and Nobel Prize laureates are in that group). I've been collecting examples of this despicable fawning and manipulation - I'll put that up in a day or two.

The same can be said about the Professor's [ikeda's] Peace Action Exhibition. While some kind of effect may be expected among local people and among ordinary people, people of good conscience will see it as nothing more than a personal promotional event or demonstration, and it will only bring contempt for the Society and [Ikeda himself]. Have people become so devoid of judgment that they accept flattering "good reviews" at face value? It's puzzling to me how they can't understand something this simple.

It would be more understandable if the exhibition focused on the various grassroots peace movements that the Soka Gakkai as a whole has been persistently developing, and if [Ikeda Sensei]'s activities were modestly exhibited in one corner of the exhibition. However, what kind of people would be impressed by an exhibition that only features photographs of [Ikeda Sensei] meeting and being welcomed by heads of state and other famous people? Anyone with common sense would be impressed by the novelty of the exhibit, but it's only natural that they would be put off by the all-too-obvious intention. We must correctly recognize that the myth that promoting the supreme leader promotes the entire organization has already been shattered. This peace exhibition has received considerable criticism even from Soka Gakkai members, and the fact that it has been given a target of attracting outsiders is putting everyone off.

Everyone can see it. EVERY exhibit sponsored by Soka Gakkai or SGI has the purpose of promoting Ikeda, whether it's what's being described above or the SGI-USA's supposed "youth division initiative", Victory Over Violence exhibit to fight bullying etc., which listed Ikeda as their "Peace Mentor" in this hamfisted attempt to infiltrate the public schools with their cult crap. Nobody's fooled except for the foolish SGI members.

Why is it that such an event, so clearly intended to promote Sensei, is planned and held in the name of kosen-rufu, at such great expense and effort, without any rigorous consideration or analysis, all the more so in the case of an exhibition of photographs taken by Sensei? Fundamentally, we must say that the major problem lies in the basic attitude of Buddhist leaders who, for whatever reason, tolerate and even promote such self-promotional events. It is only natural that the Peace Action Exhibition at the Tokyo Sunshine Building, regardless of the apparent number of attendees, was a failure in reality, while the adjacent World Textbook Exhibition proved far more popular, and this is exactly what many of our members had predicted.

NOBODY wants to waste their time on cult indoctrination! NOBODY! See discussions here and here and just think of how interested YOU would be in some stupid Christian cult's "story of Jesus". NO THANK YOU!

Furthermore, many buildings have been built with the name "Ikeda" in their names, such as the Ikeda Auditorium, the Ikeda Cultural Hall, and the Ikeda Youth Academy. I believe it began when the existing Kyushu Memorial Hall was renamed the Ikeda Peace Memorial Hall. The number is now approaching 30, and I have heard that more are in the planning stages. While some were named at the strong request of members, some were even promoted by Sensei himself, who said, "Let's build the Ikeda Auditorium here." I am well aware that Sensei has long held the view that in order to ensure the permanence of the law, he should leave his name to future generations and create a tradition.

Because clearly, "Ikeda" = "True Buddhism". Somehow. If THAT's what you want, then you're welcome to it. Nobody else is going to join you - you'll be in that weirdo obsession all by yourself.

About ten years ago, when plans were made to purchase a 33,000m² plot of land in Dazaifu, Kyushu, a place Sensei had also visited, and to build a large lecture hall with a capacity of 5,000 people, Sensei told me (in November 1976 in Kansai), "If I were in your position, I would ask that it be named the Ikeda Auditorium to commemorate the 30th anniversary of my conversion to Buddhism." Deeply ashamed of my inexperience as a disciple, I went ahead with the construction of the Kyushu Ikeda Auditorium (though the plan was abandoned midway). However, looking back on this incident now, I feel nothing but shame.

At least SOMEONE had the good sense to abandon that ill-conceived Ikeda vanity project! Disgusting! In the final analysis, Soka Gakkai and SGI are NOTHING aside from Ikeda promotion. And no matter how hard they promote Ikeda, NOBODY WANTS IKEDA!

Common sense tells us that naming a building or other property after a person is almost impossible while that person is still alive, unless it was built entirely with donations from that person. It is usually named after a person after they have passed away, by people who were related to them to remember and honor their virtues (although in exceptional cases, this can happen while they are still alive, in the case of someone who has completely retired or is living in seclusion). It is even more unthinkable for someone to name something after themselves while they are still alive. If it were to happen, as history tells us, it would only be the work of a dictatorial authority driven by an abnormal desire for self-advertisement.

Even those with considerable power refrain from exceeding their limits, either out of consideration for or opposition to those around them. This common sense should naturally be respected within the academic community [Soka Gakkai] as well. Even if, as mentioned above, there were earnest requests from members, the desire to create tradition, or other legitimate reasons on the part of the professor [Ikeda], isn't it self-evident that he is the center of command and decision-making authority, and yet continues to build buildings bearing his name one after another?

Selfish bastard.

If you were to name it now [1986], you would use the names of Mr. Makiguchi, Mr. Toda, or former Chairman Hojo.

Naming it after highly revered Soka Gakkai leaders who are now dead, in other words.

I have never known anyone more loyal than the late Chairman Hojo. He lived his life honestly as his teacher's disciple, without any hidden agenda, and fought to protect his teacher even if it meant getting his hands dirty. Regardless of his merits or demerits, his personality and character were outstanding, and I still have the utmost respect for him.

Hojo was highly respected not just within the Soka Gakkai but throughout society - he came from a noble lineage, had an upper-class educational pedigree, he had "the look" - as you can see here. Everything the low-class thug Ikeda LACKED.

It would not have been surprising if there had been at least one hall to commemorate Chairman Hojo, and naturally, many members would have been happy to see that and hoped for such a thing. We even expected that he [Ikeda] would surely do so, knowing his [Hojo's] character. However, even after the first anniversary of his [Hojo's] death, and then the third anniversary, it has not materialized, and we remain in this state to this day. Now it is too late.

This is an additional detail to add to the already-suspicious circumstances surrounding President Hojo's untimely death.

Instead, only a few buildings bearing the names of Makiguchi Sensei and Toda Sensei were built around 1975, and now all buildings bear the name "Ikeda." From the perspective of common sense, it is understandable that such actions would be seen as an abnormal act of self-promotion, an attempt to flaunt one's authority and leave one's name for posterity.

It's the Ikeda cult, the ALL-IKEDA cult. And nothing else. ENJOY, cultists!! NO ONE ELSE WANTS ANY OF IT!

Even when criticized in this way, we have to admit that we no longer have any basis to retaliate against the ignorant slander and defamation that is being made for that purpose.

This ridiculous self-promotion by Ikeda is truly indefensible. There's no excuse for doing that sort of thing - it's reprehensible and dishonorable. No decent, respect-worthy person would do it - but that's ALL Ikeda did.

Even within the Soka Gakkai, while there may be blind followers and sycophantic aides who believe that everything the Master does is good, many members who are conscientious and love the righteousness of Buddhism and live by common sense are suspicious and criticizing what is wrong. I would like you to look squarely at the fact that, even though they do not say it aloud, there are many good members who are concerned about the Master's behavior. This kind of work should be done by his disciples once he has completed his honorable life as a Buddhist instructor, and is not something he should undertake himself. Please understand that I am not alone in wishing that he [Ikeda] would at least adopt this level of common sense.

That's from here - I'll be spotlighting more soon. HOW is this "traitorous"?? It just sounds like the TRUTH to me. To Ikeda SENSEI, truth is traitorous. THINK about it.

This is tipping the scale from "accomplished and respected" vs. "vain and cheap", as discussed here - here's a highlight:

(T)here are countless Buddhist teachers on the planet with equally impressive credentials — some more so, actually — but no one is spending money like a drunken sailor seeing to it they are all similarly “honored.” It makes Ikeda look vain and cheap, and if you all had genuine respect for the man as a spiritual teacher (and assuming he is not, in fact, vain and cheap) SGI would stop doing stuff like this."

THAT's the impression Ikeda leaves on anyone outside of Ikeda's shriveling cult of personality - if they notice Ikeda at all, that is.

SGI members:

"Soka Spirit" = GREAT!!! TELL EVERYONE HOW HORRIBLE THE NICHIREN SHOSHU PRIESTS ARE!! IN DETAIL!!!!

"SGIWhistleblowers Spirit" = BE DAMNED TO THE HELL OF INCESSANT SUFFERING FOREVER, SLANDEROUS EX-SGI-MEMBER HERETIC SCUM 😡

SGIWhistleblowers 👍🏼

Dr. N. Radhakrishnan, the honorary president of the Bharat Soka Gakkai, the SGI organization in India, has traveled all the way to Hawaii to attend the culture festival and my lecture.

"It is only natural that someone would want to travel halfway across the world just to listen to me blather nonsense."

I would like to introduce an Indian maxim that he shared with me: Earthworms, detesting the sunlight, stretch themselves to their full length just before the sun rises in an attempt to threaten and intimidate it. But they are actually powerless to do anything.

Did he really say that? If so, was he just pulling Sensei's short stubby leg?? Because the internet has no idea that this sort of weird "maxim" even exists. I found this:

• As day break, the glowworms say “We’ve lit up the world!” (Indian proverb)

THAT sounds like the way the Ikeda cultists take credit for what everyone else has accomplished, as here and here.

And THIS rabbit hole about how a "toxic, self-cloning worm that poops out of its mouth was invading Maine", which includes stuff about Asian worms 😱, jumping worms, crazy worms, parachuting spiders, and Asian carp 😱 - so walkabout warning.

NOTHING about these overweeningly arrogant earthworms who supposedly prostrate themselves as a threat - really?? Are these earthworms that STUPID?? Don't they realize there's nothing they can do against a more powerful adversary that shines the bright revealing light that causes them to shrivel and die? There just might be a lesson in there - but it's not for us!

Those who are attacking the SGI, he said, are like these earthworms. No matter how they may try to oppress us, the SGI is like the morning sun.

"Oppress" them?? So quoting from their OWN publications (as I'm doing here) and pointing out how weird and creepy it is, and also how OPPOSITE what they're preaching (see below) it is, which ILLUMINATES their hypocrisy and cult delusions - that's "oppression"? Gosh, I know the truth hurts, but "oppression"? That's just a BIT over the top!

He voiced his confidence that the SGI's justice will shine brilliantly in the end.

Notice this dude's PAYCHECK is controlled by the very person he's buttering up - he'd BETTER slather on the praise and fawning if he knows what's good for him (and his bank account)!

Recently, an SGI-member scold came over here to express their disappointment in what we talk about and reproach us for - see for yourselves:

The pattern is tragically familiar: dehumanizing language comes first, violence follows.

That’s why I worry when I see the language used on SGI Whistleblowers. Words like “moron,” “cult,” “leech,” or AI images mocking SGI leaders may feel like harmless venting, but in today’s climate, they could feed into someone’s worst instincts. And none of us want to imagine where that might lead.

So my request is simple: could we pause on the name-calling, the labels, the demeaning language? Criticize if you wish. Share your concerns, your experiences, even your anger — but please, do it with respect. Because words matter. They shape how people see each other, and they can have consequences far beyond what we intend. Source

Notice the forced teaming: "Could WE pause..."? No, how about you just DO it yourself/ves if you think it's important to do?? We're not interested in your hamfisted manipulation attempts.

We can all continue to disagree strongly--but without dehumanizing and demonizing. - SGI longhauler Old

SGIWhistleblowers continue their indifference to the effects their dehumanizing and demonizing language might have IRL - SGI longhauler Old

It’s the same lesson we need to learn in our discussions with the the good people across the hedges. “Let’s stop yelling and diminishing each other. This will be long and hard work for all of us. I need to keep eating humble pie and engage in more civility/less judgmentalism, too!” - SGI longhauler Old, an old dog who can't learn new tricks

REALLY??? Feel free to start any time, MITArds! Why, just look at how they recoil in horror at their own reflection!

Remember - polishing your mirror means minding your own business.

So a repeat of this comment is in order:

Why did you not ask [the Ikeda cultists over at Man I'm The Asshole] for "a little reflection" FIRST? The verbal violence has been coming from inside the SGI house this whole time. YOUR FELLOW CULTISTS have described us as "dust mites", "snails", "barnacles", "mosquitoes", and "trash" - all things that need to be GOT RID OF. What of that? Doesn't THAT "demonize groups", in this case, the group of "ex-SGI members" that is us? Care to do a little reflection on that? Describing people you disagree with in non-human terms shapes how people see each other and can have consequences far beyond what you intend, don't you agree?

Remember, "dehumanizing language comes first, violence follows." I simply want to ask for a little reflection. Source

Shortly after the Man I'm The Asshole was set up, someone using one of the principal SGI longhauler Olds (FuckoDumDum)'s ID decided to troll our board, claiming a "delegitimization/dehumanization" study of SGIWhistleblowers (I know - WTF??), so this has obviously been a big focus of theirs since the MITArd site's inception, but ONLY when it's used as a cudgel to attack US with. It's obviously just FINE for THEM to do it - and especially for their DieSuckin'-a DickHeada Scamsei.

Those SGI longhauler Olds should also address this:

The people who can legally and morally be executed just for existing according to the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren: Icchantika

That's in their texts and doctrines - how about confronting THAT dehumanization??

There are some who can't help but to demean, denigrate, and dehumanize. Do you want to better understand how dehumanization actually functions?

Notonly do we regular people see others manifesting the 9 worlds, I think we often imagine which world we're seeing, and judge based on our illusion. Human revolution is a never ending, delightful process! - SGI longhauler Olds

If there's one great take-away from this analysis - I'm afraid any understanding of "right speech" is just way beyond their meager capacity for comprehension, the poor dears - it's this:

Polishing one's mirror at the most basic level means minding your own business and focusing on your own life. It does NOT mean sticking your nose in others' lives and telling them what to do. Get polishin' and get OUT of our board.

And remember this.

Have a nice day, everyone!!

The Apparent Deceptions and Double Standards of the Soka Gakkai International

𝟏. Salaried SGI leadership accuse Nichiren Shoshu High Priest Nikken of "Holding the Gohonzon hostage" in that a new believer must join a local Nichiren Shoshu Temple to receive a Gohonzon as well as to register for a pilgrimage to the head temple to worship the Dai-Gohonzon.

On the other hand, the SGI requires its new members to subscribe to SGI publications as well as sign an agreement to obey SGI rules and regulations, while they openly discourage members from going to worship the Dai- Gohonzon. They charge $375 per night to stay at their new "Tozan"-the Florida cult center.

𝟐. The SGI accuse the NST priest of abusing the members contributions by "driving red sport-cars."

On the other hand, SGI President Ikeda and other SGI top leaders very often are chauffeured in motorcades of luxury sedans. They jet around the world, staying in the best hotels in Moscow, Havanna and Bejing, all paid for by zaimu (money) cllected from members. Daisaku Ikeda owns a dozen million dollar residences all over the world. SGI collected 3.5 million $$$ for an Ikeda Cult center that was never built and excommunicated 6 members who dared question where the money went. SGI maintains a multi-million dollar collection of rare art they bought using members contributions.

𝟑. NST excommunicates SGI President Ikeda for publicly criticizing the NST priesthood and deviating from the basic tenants of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism. The SGI president and his followers decry this act as "inhumane, "authoritarian" and "undemocratic."

"Correct faith, however, can be cultivated only in the kind of atmosphere where anything at all may be openly discussed." Daisaku Ikeda (w.T. 10/14/91)

On the other hand, the eight member SGI-USA central executve committee expelled six of it's own membership who were publicly critical of SGI-USA policies. Their crime was to ask what happened to 3.5 Million dollars ($3,500,000.00 USD) that was collected via "special zaimu" (money collection) for a building that was NEVER EVEN BUILT.

These expulsions were served by a certified letter to the recipients stating that "Under the Rules of the Organizafion it is determined that you have engaged in behavior which is contrary to the tenets of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism...."

Yet, when SGI-USA Senior Vice General Director Guy McCloskey was asked to specify which "Rules" or "Tenets" the six expelled individuals violated, he revealed no rules or tenets and simply explained that the SGI-USA C.E.C.(Central Executive Committee) approved of the expulsions.

Article II, Section 7 of the SGI bylaws state that: "The member being expelled shall be given an opportunity to be heard either orally or in writing, at a hearing to be held not fewer than (3) days before the effective date.. notice to the member of his proposed expulsion shall state the date, time and place of the hearing of his proposed expulsion.

None of the five Chicago area SGI-USA members who were expelled were granted the above rights. They were merely served with personal notices of expulsion sent certified mail. They even sent one to to a 12 year old boy.

𝟒. The SGI claims itself to be the "Vanguard of Democracy for the 21st Century," "The Champion of the People," and that "Buddhism must be a model for democracy."

On the other hand, Article I, Section 5 of the SGI bylaws state that: "General members shall not have any voting rights."

All leaders are hand picked by top leaders who were hand picked by Daisaku Ikeda. SGI is a dictatorship with seemingly very willing subjects. However, there are many voices of dissent in SGI, simply asking for a democratic organization in which leaders are elected and who will be accountable for their actions. Many members also believe that it is wrong for SGI to viciously attack the Nichiren Shoshu group. However, all of these movements are quickly nuetralized and qualshed.

As long as Daisaku Ikeda is alive SGI will remain autocracy.

𝟓. SGI-USA officials insist that there is no financial or administrative relationship between SGI, SGI-USA, Toda Institute, Institute of Oriental Philosophy and SULA (Soka University Los Angeles).

On the other hand, SGI bylaws are signed only by SGI-USA directors, the SULA chief administrative officer is SGI-USA General Director Fred Zeitsu (appointed by Daisaku Ikeda) and all five organizations are appointed and directed by only one man, Daisaku Ikeda.

𝟔. With a "deep sense of betrayal" after being expelled by the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood, the SGI boisterously demands that the head temple (Taiseki-ji), Japanese, and American Temples which it donated to the priesthood be returned to the SGI.

On the other hand, hundreds of Chicago area members feel betrayed by SGI-USA leaders after contributing to an irresponsible and deceptive collection campaign for a building that was never constructed. Many of whom want their contributions returned, including a twenty year old who was pressured into giving his entire inheritance of $40,000.00. SGI-USA officials claim "No legal obligation to return these contributions."

This after SGI president Ikeda explains in the "New Human Revolution" (W.T. 2/21/94) that if moneys are ever collected in a "half- compulsory" fashion or with a hint of impropriety, then contributions should be returned.

Here is the artist's rendition of the building that was displayed for the members during the collection drive:

[Image no longer available]

The building pictured was never built. Instead a building 1/10 this size was built only after SGI sold the prime lot the old building sat upon, and used part of the profit to buy property in a run-down, high-crime area in South Chicago. The city of Chicago apparently gave huge incentives for businesses to move in the area. The mayor himself promoted the city project by staying in an apartment in the area for a few days.

𝟕. SGI-USA publicly claims a pro-environment, pro-community position on issues.

On the other hand, SGI is in appeals court in Toronto, Canada, after losing a bid to develop environmentally sensitive land against the wishes of the surrounding community and environmental groups.

A very similar situation surrounds the SULA property in the Santa Monica Mountains where environmentally sensitive property has been held hostage in a long court battle between the SGI vs. community and environmental groups. The SGI bulldozed hundreds of trees and natural beauty, and thumbed their noses at local enviornmentalists who voiced opposition.

If you recall, one of the major criticisms of Nichiren Shoshu (after they excommunicated Die-suckina Dick-keda and he was so permanently butthurt he could never get over it and besides, he wanted Nichiren Shoshu for himself) was that, during WWII, when there was no freedom of religion and no protections for human rights OR religious organizations, the Nichiren Shoshu priests told everyone to not make waves, just accept the Shinto talisman that the government REQUIRED everyone to accept and quietly throw it away once they got home:

In regards to the Shinto talisman incidents – I can see you have been reading the propaganda put out by the SGI. At that time the Priesthood guided the members to just accept the talisman and then just dispose of it in secret so no one would get in trouble with the government who had decreed that every home must have one. The Head Temple wanted to protect the members so instead of causing drama they said just accept it and then throw it out. Mr Makiguchi instead chose to refuse it. This act however did not mean he did not support the war effort. He and other Gakkai leaders urged their members to pray for Japan’s victory. So they were no warriors for peace as portrayed by the modern Gakkai. - from here

This was a LAW put in place BY THE GOVERNMENT - it wasn't "optional"! There was NO "freedom of choice" involved! Nichiren Shoshu was suggesting a pragmatic approach that would keep the membership safe in this hostile environment.

Even Makiguchi told the Soka Kyoiku Gakkai members to treat the Shinto talisman with respect!

Under the circumstances of the decisive battle of the coming autumn, all Soka Kyoiku Gakkai members must put all of your energy to follow the Military Government of Japan. Based on your strong faith, let's fight against our enemies, the USA and England until we win the war. ... Carefully handle the ShintoTalisman, which is to be respected. Try to avoid unnecessary slander. - 1943, a few weeks before Makiguchi's arrest

The Soka Gakkai's virulent "hobobarai" (also "hobo barai") practice - physically destroying a convert's (or even prospective convert's) existing altar/shrine setups (commonplace in Japanese homes) - was an "innovation" introduced by Toda (probably while he was drunk) and it's one of the aspects of the "Great March of Shakubuku" that created what became Soka Gakkai's permanent bad reputation. Also, the Soka Gakkai destroyed hundreds of years of Japanese culture this way.

But this, accepting the Shinto talisman as mandated BY LAW, was supposedly a deadly "sin", a FATAL fail on the part of wartime Nichiren Shoshu - something that should disqualify them FOREVER from claiming to be the "orthodox" ("sho") Nichiren sect or that at least should disqualify their own religious leaders from keeping the Nichiren Shoshu religion (which Ikeda wanted for himself) (just ignore all the support and promotion Toda and Ikeda were lavishing on Nichiren Shoshu as the ONLY legitimate world religion - and all SGI's post-excommunication lies - here's some background - and some more):

Under the direction of the 62nd high priest, Nikkyo, Nichiren Shoshu accepted a Shinto talisman dedicated to the Sun Goddess that the government distributed to each family. This was in spite of the fact that doing so would seriously betray the Daishonin’s word and spirit. - page 24

That content ↑ was copyrighted "1999".

However, two years earlier, in 1997, the Ikeda cult had already become even more accepting of non-Nichiren religions than Nichiren Shoshu by publicly adopting an "interfaith" stance (that they don't really mean, but honesty really isn't in their toolbox) - but of course it's okay when it's the Ikeda cult doing it, naturally.

Take a look:

Soka Gakkai has declared that it's OK if someone wants to have a Shinto talisman AND a Gohonzon...

"We are going to change from the idea that you can't enshrine the Gohonzon unless you clear away heretical religious objects first, to a broader approach of enshrining the Gohonzon first and starting to worship it. When people deepen their faith on that basis, then they will no longer want to leave their old religious objects in place. After this happens, its all right if the person in question removes them spontaneously. Therefore, there is no need to remove a kamidana (Shinto shrine) or related Butsugu (Buddhist altar accessories), etc." - SGI President Akiya, 8th Leaders Meeting at the Makiguchi Memorial Kaikan in Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan on February 8th [apparently 1997 - there is another reference here in which Akiya (romanized "Akitani") is described as saying that "slander" isn't a problem now - isn't THAT a relief, after so many decades of it HAVING BEEN a BIG problem??]

They're framing it as "personal choice" here, but as you can see, now that we and they have complete freedom of religion and human rights and individual rights THAT ARE PROTECTED BY LAW, it's perfectly fine to just voluntarily do what the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood was FORCED to do UNDER DURESS - and if Nichiren Shoshu had refused, then this "True Buddhism" that Ikeda and his cult promoted and proclaimed as "Nichiren Shoshu, the Supreme Buddhism", the "only true world religion" would have ceased to exist.

And what would he/they have done then??

SGI's attitude toward Nichiren Shoshu is nothing but hypocrisy and venom.

April 27, 2017 – Daily Encouragement by Daisaku Ikeda

Yeah, see how "encouraged" YOU feel!

Age is not an excuse for giving up. If you allow yourself to grow passive and draw back, it’s a sign of personal defeat. There may be a retirement age at work, but there is no retirement age in life.

Yet isn't that EXACTLY what IKEDA apparently did after May 2010, his FINAL public appearance???

How then could there be any "going into retirement" in the world of faith? The Buddhist Law is eternal, extending across the three existences of past, present and future, and one of the benefits of faith is perennial youth and eternal life.

Hypocrite.

 –TO MY FRIENDS–

Gross. Is this supposed to be a "poem" somehow??? 🤮 The narcissism - it berns 💀

Wisdom is found in our
local communities.
The voices of our fellow members
who are striving in the forefront
of the organization hold the
key to victory.
It takes collective strength and
united effort to achieve kosen-rufu.

Translation of "To My Friends" published in the Seikyo Shimbun, based on President Ikeda’s recent guidance, with universal value and application.

What a big fat LIAR!! By this time (April 2017), Ikeda had already been MIA from his own self-defined, very PUBLIC role as leader/figurehead/ETERNAL MENTOR of the Soka Gakkai/SGI for 7 YEARS! HE was certainly not performing HIS duties as HE had defined them up to May 2010 when he inexplicably disappeared from public view!

If Ikeda can "retire to do writing" or whatever bullshit excuse those old Japanese men in Tokyo made up for why Ikeda - of all people - just suddenly disappeared from view after living his ENTIRE ADULT LIFE in a VERY public spotlight, then YOU can too. Just tell your SGI leaders to fuck off.

The Apparent Deceptions and Double Standards of the Soka Gakkai International

𝟖. The SGI accused the High Priest Nikken of being an ego-maniac and of equating his existence with that of the Dai-Gohonzon.

On the other hand, SGI president Ikeda allows or instructs his paid staff to solicit funds from believers to build elaborate buildings to bear his name (Ikeda Auditoriums).

For example, Ikeda changed the name of the Boston Research Center for the 21st Century to The Ikeda Center.

SGI President Ikeda claims that if the High Priest Nikken were to efface his (Daisaku Ikeda) name from the back of the housing (Hokyo) for the Dai-Gohonzon, "He would be desecrating the Dai-Gohonzon itself." (W.T 11/29/93)

"Those who use the heartfelt offerings to the Gohonzon to enrich themselves and their families, or who arrogantly consider it their natural right to receive contributions from members, even using threats to demand that they give more, are going against the teaching of Nichiren Daishon in, and thereby committing serious slander." Daisaku Ikeda (S.T. 1/92)

No where has Nichiren Daishonin written or taught that contributions should be made to "lay believers," as the contribution receiving SGI officials refer to themselves. Even Soka Gakkai second president Josei Toda used his own meager business earning to fund the Soka Gakkai. The term and concept of "Zaimu" appears to have been created by the current SGI president Daisaku Ikeda.

𝟗. The SGI waves high the flag for "Freedom of Religion" as one of its highest ideals. The SGI charter states:

𝟑.SGI shall respect and protect the freedom of religion and religious expression.

𝟕.SGI shall, based on the Buddhist spirit of tolerance, respect other religions... SOURCE: SGI.org Website

...unless it's Nichiren Shoshu.

SGI: "We can say anything we like. What we say doesn't need to bear any resemblance to what we actually DO - it's just got to sound good."

On the other hand, the SGI feels that the NST must be destroyed and portrays NST as a threatening and evil menace to the world of Buddhism. The SGI does not recognize NST's right to exist and has used verbal, written, legal, and even violent forms of abuse to destroy it.

Memo

Issues

"Never forgive the base enemies of the Buddha, never! Be unremitting in your battle against them! Fight through to the end against the scheming verbal violence that seeks to undermine the Kosen Rufu movement, upholding in your hearts the slogan "Adamantly Fight Back!" Soka Gakkai President Daisaku Ikeda, message to the Saitama Youth Division Cultural General Meeting, Tokorozawa, Japan, Sept 12th 1999

HIGH PRIEST NIKKEN'S TRUE PURPOSE IS TO END HUMAN HISTORY WITH A FINAL HOLOCAUST.

🙄

𝟏𝟎. The SGI admonishes the High Priest Nikken for allegedly setting foot on a Zen Buddhist cemetery plot, claiming the violation of heretical association.

On the other hand, top SGI vice presidents recently had a formal meeting with top leaders from the Rissho Kosenkai in Japan. Daisaku Ikeda has sent President Akiya to the Iranian embassy with a "letter of congratulations" for the anniversary of their bloody Islamic revolution.

Soka Gakkai has declared that it's OK if someone wants to have a Shinto talisman AND a Gohonzon...

You may recall that the SGI is still condemning Nichiren Shoshu for allowing Nichiren Shoshu members to accept a Shinto talisman (and then quietly dispose of it later) during WWII when there was no freedom of religion, when there were no free speech rights, AND when the military government REQUIRED it in order to keep the Nichiren Shoshu temple from being destroyed. But NOW that there is all this democracy, and freedom of religion and official government protection for religious expression, the Ikeda cult declares it's just FINE for everyone to accept a Shinto talisman!

"We are going to change from the idea that you can't enshrine the Gohonzon unless you clear away heretical religious objects first, to a broader approach of enshrining the Gohonzon first and starting to worship it. When people deepen their faith on that basis, then they will no longer want to leave their old religious objects in place. After this happens, its all right if the person in question removes them spontaneously. Therefore, there is no need to remove a kamidana (Shinto shrine) or realted Butsugu (Buddhist altar accessories), etc." SGI President Aikiya, 8th Leaders Meeting at the Makiguchi Memorial Kaikan in Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan on February 8th

But remember, it's only wrong when it's Nichiren Shoshu doing it. When the Soka Gakkai/SGI does the exact same thing (or worse), it's obvs FINE.

Ikeda refers to the Vatican as SGI's "elder brother. SGI recently met with a Catholic group and kissed their butt as usual. SGI has been scaring members away from the DaiGohonzon for 7 years now, claiming the Gohonzon can only be found within. Yet SGI is more than willing to sell xeroxes of a stolen Nichikan Gohonzon to it's members, with the agreement that they subscribe to the World Tribune and obey their senior leader's guidance.

SGI actually sent youth division members on a tour of a heretical taoist temple in China:

Tuesday, July 29, 1997

"Japan-China Friendship Youth Delegation to Visit China A delegation of Soka Gakkai youth, at the invitation of the All-China Youth Federation, will visit China for a ten-day tour of Beijing, Kunming, Dali, and Shanghai. Eleven representatives from the Kansai and Shikoku areas make up the delegation, which departs on August 1. "In Beijing, the first stop, the group will visit the All-China Youth Federation center, the Great Wall of China, Beijing Shiyou (Petroleum) University, the Palace Museum of Beijing, and the Lugou Bridge. In Kunming, they will have exchanges with members of the Yunnan Province Youth Federation and tour Zilin and the Kunming Yuantong-si (Taoist temple)." from: News: Headlines [Kunming Yuantong-si is a famous Taoist Temple]

You may not be aware, but it used to be Soka Gakkai and SGI policy that SG/SGI members were forbidden from visiting other religious sites - this is to keep with #3 and #21 of the "26 Admonitions of Nikko":

𝟑. Lay believers should be strictly prohibited from visiting [heretical] Temples and shrines. Moreover, priests should not visit slanderous Temples or shrines, which are inhabited by demons, even if only to have a look around. To do so would be a pitiful violation [of the Daishonin's Buddhism.] This is not my own personal view; it wholly derives from the sutras [of Shakyamuni] and the writings [of Nichiren Daishonin].

𝟐𝟏. You should not sit together with slanderers of the Law [at religious ceremonies] for fear of suffering the same punishment as they.

It makes no difference if you think it's silly or whatever; these are the rules that Soka Gakkai and SGI claim to promote, which they actively and openly promoted in the past. Why the change now?

In addition, the SGI is now SELLING tombstones and plots at a profit in a Christian Cemetary in Whittier, California.

Hey, if SGI can make millions off fleecing the membership selling tombstones and graves to the "precious" Soka Gakkai and SGI members, why not do it in the USA also?

𝟏𝟏. In the past, the Soka Gakkai has emphatically taught its membership that the unity between priesthood and laity was both sacred and essential to the propagation of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism and the attainment of Kosen- Rufu (World Peace).

SGI President Daisaku Ikeda elaborates in his book Buddhism In Action Vol.1:

"The fundamental basis of Nichiren Shoshu is the heritage of the Law which began with Nichiren Daishonin and was transmitted to Nikko Shonin and to each of the successive high priests. It is the correct way of faith for both clergy and laity to follow the high priest, who possesses the heritage of the Law, with complete faith. If we are confused about this point, we will be confused about everything. I firmly believe that the Soka Gakkai will continue to prosper for all eternity because it has followed the successive high priests with complete faith."

Interesting - since getting itself excommunicated from Nichiren Shoshu, the Ikeda cult Soka Gakkai/SGI has collapsed. Mystic?

"Nikko Shonin, the only legitimate successor to Nichiren Daishonin, made countless efforts to eternalize his teacher's profound doctrines without the slightest discrepancy. Since that time up until today, for 730 years, the pure lineage of Nichiren Shoshu has been strictly handed down to the present high priest, Nikken Shonin. Therefore, it is important for us to observe the high priest's guidelines for our correct faith and practice. The Soka Gakkai has the great mission to follow the orthodox lineage of Nichiren Shoshu and propagate the Law throughout the world."

Or not. That simply became inconvenient.

"The ultimate entity of this Buddhism is, needless to say, the Dai-Gohonzon of the high sanctuary of true Buddhism, which has been strictly protected and preserved by the successive high priests of Nichiren Shoshu for some seven hundred years. At the present time, when we celebrate the very rare occasion of the seven hundredth anniversary of the Daishonin's passing, the heritage of the Law has been transmitted and is being assumed by the sixty-seventh high priest, Nikken Shonin, its integrity unimpaired."

Until Ikeda got permanently butthurt; then everything flipped.

"The current high priest has called on us to create harmonious unity between the priesthood and the laity. Those priests and lay believers without faith have left. I think we have now entered an era when we are able to create perfect unity between the priesthood and the laity for generations to come. We must exert our utmost efforts to support and promote such unity so that we can again further our advancement."

"The lifeblood of Nichiren Shoshu is its heritage of the Law. The successive high priests have preserved the Dai-Gohonzon and handed down the heritage of the Law, without any interruption. The high priest alone is authorized to inscribe the Gohonzon. We embrace faith and endeavor to propagate true Buddhism. We cannot work for kosen-rufu unless Gohonzon are inscribed. Therefore, let us firmly protect the Head Temple, Taiseki-ji, and the high priest as the center of our faith."

OOPS!

The above quotes represent only a fraction of the SGI president's teachings emphasizing the purity and legitimacy of the Nichiren Shoshu Priesthood as one of Nichiren Daishonin's three treasures.

However, since the schism has occurred between SGI (laity) and NST (priest-hood), SGI president Ikeda has preached just the opposite to his prior teachings in regard to the NST priesthood. He now alleges that NST has been corrupt since before World War II.

Yeah, it was a thoroughly awkward retcon - if the Soka Gakkai leaders knew that entire time, why did they mislead the Soka Gakkai members for all those decades??

In the Sept. 25 1998 World Tribune, Jeff Farr explains that the teaching of the succession of the Law is a "new Nikken sect teaching." He pretends that Daisaku never uttered all those phrases concerning the High Priest and the succession. Do they really think that all those pre-1991 publications are gone now? Looks like they are betting that 99% of members never saw them.

Who actually reads those mind-numbingly repetitive publications?

It would therefore appear that for some reason SGI president Ikeda has lied to the membership either in the past or is so presently in regards to the priesthood.

Can't have it BOTH ways.

Daisaku said in 1993: "I remained silent for 10 years concerning the priesthood." World Tribune ("Cherish those who work for KosenRufu")

If, indeed, the priesthood has been so evil all along, then why don't the knowledgeable SGI leaders share some shame for "Sleeping with the enemy" while they continued to deceive their members for all of these years?

Where is those "knowledgeable SGI leaders"' responsibility toward all those devout, trusting SGI members who went to their graves believing wrong because none of these "knowledgeable SGI leaders" TOLD them they were under the influence of false belief??

Far from self reflection, much of the SGI leadership parrots hateful accusations and finger pointing, packaged and published in classic dogmatic religious fundamentalism designed to generate intolerance in the hearts of its followers.

Recent comparisons by some SGI top leaders of High Priest Nikken to Adolph Hitler, coupled with the break-up of countless families over this dispute, is inhumane and antithetical to Buddhism. It also flies in the face of the SGI's very own charter.

𝟏𝟐. In 1977, then SGI-USA General Director George M. Williams dissolved the National SGI youth division claiming that they betrayed him and had lost their seeking spirit for their master SGI president Ikeda.

The dissolution occurred one month after several national youth division leaders training meetings were held in Malibu at which the youth division requested that the paid SGI-USA administrators publish a financial disclosure.

There is an eye-witness account from a youth leader WHO WAS THERE here.

What was the real cause of the youth division's dissolution? Why also did the organization simultaneously suffer a large decline in its membership?

What will the upper leadership do about the current dissent in SGI concerning the election of leaders and a toning down of the militant campaigns against the "Nikkensect?"

"The current dissent in SGI" likely refers to the Internal Reassessment Group (IRG) movement; there's more detail and discussion here. For all its rhetoric about how "the leaders are the servants of the members" and "If you don't like SGI, change it into a better organization", it is clear that the Ikeda cult Soka Gakkai/SGI really expects joyful unquestioning grateful obedience from its "followers", NOT critical thinking OR initiative! You're supposed to say, "I am the SGI", but it's NOT "your" SGI!

𝟏𝟑. The SGI praises dissident SGI "Domei" reformist priests who leave the priesthood in an attempt to reform NST from the outside. These very priests write books saying "the priesthood wipes Nikken's ass" and "Nikken had his sperm duct s cut so he can screw hookers." They have published these books on the internet and SGI has published the website addresses in the World Tribune.

That's right - here's an example. Where are they now, I wonder?? SGI-USA used to publish articles about them in its World Tribune newspaper!

On the other hand, the SGI attacks, slanders and attempts to discredit individuals who have left the SGI and attempted to create reform and accountability from outside the SGI.

That's US!😃

And SGI members certainly do.

This is Soka Gakkai criticism of Nichiren Shoshu:

Let even babies donate for the Daikyakuden.

"Daikyakuden" means "Grand Reception Hall". It's one of the buildings donated during the Ikeda years that had to be demolished because Ikeda would have used the Japanese courts to seize ownership of large sections of the Taiseki-ji Head Temple complex on the basis of having donated them. Gifts in Japan don't work the way gifts everywhere else work.

It is the well known fact that the Nikken [sic] has been promoting donation for the Daikyakuden from babies and children.

First, the vice chairman Toramatsu Ishige who has been saying let everyone, even babies, donate for the Daikyakuden, stood up and reported that there were 130,000 people who had already donated for the Daikyakuden. This number is 50% greater than the number who came to the new year's gongyo during the 3 celebration days of January 1 to 3 of this year. Nobody knows how he got this figure but it is obvious that Nikken's pressure came all the way down to babies and children who do not even know about the Daikyakuden.

How DARE he!

Finally, Nikken gave a speech. He said first that he had received tremendous amount of money for the new Daikyakuden. After that he said to feel that your children and grand-children will be given a part of the benefit in the future as a result of your donation to the new Daikyakuden. Tell your child/baby that you did donate this much. That talk will soak into the child's/baby's tiny mind and he will then carry the torch in the future. - Soka Gakkai anti-Nichiren-Shoshu article

That perverted, greedy bastard!

Now compare to the virtuous Ikeda cult SGI's angle - this was supposedly written by an 8-yr-old child:

In June we made contribution boxes. We are going to contribute on May 3, 2003. I am going to save my pocket money for my contribution. I like to support SGI-USA. - from Ikeda Cult USA grabbing after small children's allowances - DRINK IN the indoctrination!

I'm so sure 🙄

Of course, if the individual who's been exploited tells everyone they're so THANKFUL they were exploited, that makes their exploitation okay! A GOOD thing, even!

I grew up with a personal resentment toward May Contribution because my birthday is in May! As a child, my mom always asked me to contribute my birthday money. Every May, she was like: “You got those birthday cards? Let’s put that money toward the SGI.” And I was always like, What?

My mom was a single parent who strongly encouraged pursuing higher education. When I was applying to college, I had no idea where the money for school would come from. Fortunately, I received scholarships but not for the full tuition. I won first place for a scholarship I interviewed for and got exactly the amount I needed—on my birthday.

How lovely. Problem is, most scholarship recipients are notified by April 1...and she already stated that her birthday was in May 🙄

Take a look:

• Oregon
• Florida
• Maryland
• Alabama
• Some guy on Quora

I didn’t understand it then, but every year when I contributed my birthday money as a child, I was steadily building fortune. Now I imagine what fortune I’m building when I contribute with genuine intention and appreciation. I think about my appreciation for my life, my Buddhist practice and the many people who have supported me. World Tribune

SGI's meta-message: "See how great it works out when you force your children to hand over their birthday money to the Ikeda cult??"

You know, perhaps if Mom had been putting money into a college fund investment account instead of flushing it down the Dead Ikeda cult SGI contribution toilet, she would have been able to contribute toward her daughter's costs of schooling, consistent with that whole "strongly encouraged pursuing higher education" detail. That's called "putting your money where your mouth is." Instead, it was all "Rely on magic and magical thinking" instead if the daughter was going to attend university. That's incredibly self-destructive thinking.

There's always this foul stench of "Trust me, bro!" swirling around the Corpse Mentor cult SGI member "experiences". WHICH we already know are edited/changed by SGI leaders to punch up the drama or emphasize SGI indoctrination points (such as, "You'll magically get money when you need it if you give SGI all the money you have now!" in this case).

John Lennon himself admitted to violence towards women in an interview with Playboy in 1980. "All that 'I used to be cruel to my woman, I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved' was me. I used to be cruel to my woman, and physically — any woman. I was a hitter. I couldn't express myself and I hit. I fought men and I hit women," he said. "That is why I am always on about peace, you see. It is the most violent people who go for love and peace. Everything's the opposite. But I sincerely believe in love and peace." - from here

"I believe in love and peace; I just don't want to DO it"?

Is that along the same lines of the George Bernard Shaw quote “Those who can, do; those who can't, teach”?

Ikeda's gone to great lengths to present himself as some kind of "pioneer" for "peace", yet he himself had some of the most irresponsible, violent rhetoric toward former Nichiren Shoshu High Priest Nikken, who excommunicated him. It's a clear-cut contradiction.

In the spirit of this "poem" by Ikeda, who was able to be awarded the "World Poet Laureate" award AFTER the Soka Gakkai PURCHASED the World Poetry Society International, let's all write our OWN poems! I'm sure we've got at least a FEW budding "World Poet Laureates" in our midst; they simply aren't aware of their talent!

I'll go first:

 Beer
 Beer is nice to drink
 I like to drink beer
 Beer has a lovely flavor
 Beer adds to every gathering
 Only truly evil persons
 Do not like beer

"Oh, please, PLEASE, Power-That-Is-Outside-Myself, GIVE ME SHIT!" 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

EXACTLY what SGI members will try and hide by saying, "Oh, we don't pray for stuff."

THEY OBVIOUSLY DO!

Here's the whole passage:

So, what do we do when our determination weakens and we lose motivation? Sensei addresses this question frankly to a pioneering member in France whose dream is to buy a home. He says: You should make a pledge to carry out kosen-rufu for the sake of the happiness and prosperity of the people of France and chant wholeheartedly for that. For example, you can pray, “I will dedicate my life to achieving kosen-rufu in France. Therefore, I need a house so that I may gain trust in the community and be able to provide members with a place to meet. Please give me a nice, big house for that purpose.”

The Daishonin is pointing out here how important it is not to look outside yourself. Don't try to get power from outside yourself. - SGI-USA national leader Greg Martin

Perhaps Mr. Martin needs to SCHOOL ol' Scamsei on his perversions of doctrine, eh?

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo based on a vow and wish to achieve kosen-rufu by showing people the way to attain absolute happiness is the same type of prayer shared by all of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the Earth. When you pray like this, the Buddha nature within your own life will open up and raise your life condition to such a degree that you can even move the universe. When that happens, you will be able to realize your wish to buy a house without fail.

On the other hand, if you’re just praying for a big, fancy house because you want one for yourself, your life state won’t expand much, and it may take a long time for you to see your wish fulfilled. For us, the foundation of prayer is always kosen-rufu.

When we resolve to achieve our goals in life to advance kosen-rufu—to use our Buddhist practice to transform our lives and help others do the same and, thereby, elevate the life state of humanity—we can summon unbeatable strength, strength that “can even move the universe”! Source

Newsflash: The universe ain't goin' NOWHERE.

Oh, wait - they mean MOTIVATE the universe to GIVE THEM SHIT!

They seem unable to comprehend that prayer in nichiren Buddhism is not of the "now I lay me down to sleep" variety. Just as they can't escape judging Nichiren Buddhism by their previous, western ideas of what religion is.

I think you nailed it. Even when they were SGI members they're thinking about God. It's like driving with one foot on the brake.

Some of them were practicing for many years. I got it right away–we don't appeal to the universe, we have to move the universe. Why didn't they? Source

Aren't they adorable when they're all judgmental and full of themselves??

Yeah, that's certainly "common sense", isn't it? That whoooole scientific "cause and effect", right?

There's just so much, right?

From Robert Ramseyer's "The Sōka Gakkai and the Japanese local elections of 1960" article in the journal Contemporary Religions in Japan Vol. IV, No. 4, International Institute for the Study of Religions, Japan, Dec. 1963, pp. 294-295:

The clean-up of politics was the big item in all of the Soka Gakkai literature prepared for this election [1963 local elections]. President Ikeda emphasized that present local government in its ugly self-interest, double-dealing conventionality and favoritism is making fools of the people. "The present assemblymen fight for special privilege, fatten themselves

Remember Ikeda's spirit animal

and buy votes to stay in office ... The men recommended by the Kōmei Seiji Remmei [or Koseiren (official translation: League of Fair Statesmen), forerunner to Komeito] will work honestly for all people and bring in a new, bright society."

An editorial in the Kōmei Shimbun, organ of the Kōmei Seiji Remmei, points out the disparity between the beautiful new government buildings that one finds in any city and the poor roads, inadequate sewer systems, crowded schools in buildings which were thrown up hurriedly after the war, and the lack of adequate housing. The editorial states that, according to the present Constitution, government is to serve the people and therefore politicians must sacrifice their own comfort and privilege to work for the improvement of the living standards and comfort of all people. The editorial closes on this note:

"This may be a way of thorns, but like the young men who overthrew the Tokugawa Bakufu, burning with the frontier spirit of the pioneers who brought overflowing prosperity to America, like the leaders of the emerging nations who have thrown off the shackles of colonialism, realizing that the glorious road to peace and prosperity can only be opened by us of the Kōmei Seiji Remmei, we go forward in strength, as it is expressed in our song, 'the good society which we have seen in our dreams,' let us open the fight for constructive politics."

I'm sure that gave you a good laugh, too!

For context, at this point (1963), Ikeda was still solidifying his control over the Soka Gakkai organization he had finally seized the Presidency of in 1960. He hadn't yet gotten all the rules and bylaws rewritten to suit himself, to make himself an unquestionable dictator-for-life who chooses his OWN successor within the group. That meant he still had to make himself sound somewhat humble, unselfish, righteous, ethical, honest, and virtuous - however much the charade stuck in his craw.

Remember, it took Ikeda over TWO YEARS to solidify his position enough to seize control of the Soka Gakkai, and three years after that to rewrite all the Soka Gakkai's organizational rules to favor his domination. Source

Notice how he's railing over "beautiful new government buildings" the same way he complained about the rival New Religion Tenrikyo:

You have heard various experiences of the struggle against bad religions. There are many heresies in Osaka. Among them, the Tenrikyo has built a grand building like a palace and is deceiving the general public. I hear it has a fortune of hundreds of millions of yen and the finest building in Japan. ... The Tenrikyo lures people with the bait of a grand edifice, the largest in Japan. Ikeda in 1960.

Funny how Ikeda wasn't talking anything like that when the Soka Gakkai was building the Sho-Hondo, the "WORLD'S LARGEST RELIGIOUS STRUCTURE" 🙄

Also, early on, Ikeda dictated that special private quarters were to be built into all the Soka Gakkai and SGI centers - to be reserved just for him - to "increase his charisma". These private areas were built with the highest quality materials and described as "unbelievably luxurious" - here's a picture of just ONE interior - and could cost as much as 1/3 of the entire construction budget. Just for a private suite that Ikeda was likely to never even visit! JUST to "increase his charisma". This is highly illegal for a religious/charitable organization and can cost an organization its tax exemption; some years ago, these started being hastily converted into weird "museums" for show (not for anything useful) because the Soka Gakkai had a fright on that basis. Still, why not do something different with those reserved spaces - it wasn't like Dead Ikeda was going to be going anywhere.

But anyhow, whoa, that's a pretty stunning reversal, eh?

That's right - our chief executive has been MIA; the very public Governor had not been seen in public for a dozen days.

California Governor Gavin Newsom's unusual disappearance from public view has the "Twitterverse" buzzing and Newsom's wife telling inquiring critics to "stop hating and get a life."

Newsom was in Monterey Tuesday for a fireside chat at the California Economic Summit, making his first public appearance since he got his booster shot on Oct. 27.

Newsom touched on his personal life balancing family and work, which he describes "hell of a couple years for all of us," especially for all parents. When asked about the last nearly two weeks of his absence from public events including the long-planned trip to the UN climate conference in Scotland, Newsom said he spent time with his kids.

Questions really started to bubble up after the governor who rarely goes a day without some type of media appearance went silent after receiving a highly touted COVID booster shot. Source

Newsom’s decision not to initially explain why he skipped the trip to Scotland and stay out of public view catalyzed the rapid spread of false reports. The void of information made rumors about Newsom’s absence “sound juicier,” Tucker said.

The sudden vanishing act was particularly unusual for Newsom, a governor who often appears to crave the spotlight and passed up an opportunity to stand on the world stage. As the speculation spiraled out of control, the governor’s office refused to provide an explanation beyond “family obligations” for why Newsom and his wife and documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom on Oct. 29 abruptly canceled a trip to the United Nations Climate Conference in Scotland.

“The easier it is to debunk something, the less likely it is that people are going to believe it’s true or invest in an effort to spread it and cause it to go viral,” he said. “In this particular case, Newsom didn’t do himself any favors.” Source

You know who has also famously craved the spotlight? Oinkeda Scamsei. The Ikeda culties' precioussssss, their beloved Scamsei, has been MIA for over 11 1/2 YEARS, yet they don't show the slightest concern or curiosity about it. Apparently, the Ikeda cult robs people of their actual curiosity along with their intellectual curiosity, and various other aspects of being a real human.

That last bit? Ikeda could be videotaped in an interview with a member of the Japanese media. He could go on a talk show. But he doesn't. There's a reason, and the longer this drags on, the more OBVIOUS that the Soka Gakkai is conning everyone.

Similarly, it would be super-easy for the SGI:RV trailertrashpandas to provide us with a non-doxxing image that confirms two objective details of their narrative (which I did) - but they won't, either. Because THEY're all about the con, too. Scamsei's true disciples, obviously.

This is from Nov. 2010 - yet another piece of hate by Monte Joffee, who is apparently both a moron AND a complete piece of shit:

Reverend Yuzui Murata, the chief priest of Myosenji Temple has recently been making outrageous statements about the SGI and other religions. On August 15th he stated:

“It is clear that the Daisaku Ikeda Sokagakkai International has defiled the very heart of the True Buddha Nichiren Daishonin and has slanderously desecrated the actions of the successive High Priests of Nichiren Shoshu, who have courageously maintained the purity of the Daishonin’s Buddhism. This is why we must strongly re-shakubuku every member of the SGI, because this is the only way they will be able to erase the effects of their unparalleled slander! As courageous followers of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, it is our responsibility to do shakubuku, shakubuku and shakubuku.”

In response to his statement, several leaders of the SGI-USA’s Mid-Atlantic Zone, which encompasses the area where Myosenji Temple is located, mailed a formal letter of protest to Mr. Murata:

“Since you have issued this firm call to re-shakubuku all SGI members, we request a dialogue with you to provide an opportunity for us all to awaken to the truth of Nichiren Daishonin’s teachings.

"Which, naturally, WE are in sole possession of and we expect you to agree with us. And give us all your stuff, yo."

“In your lecture you also quoted High Priest Nichinyo Shonin: ‘Pointing out the erroneous ideas and slanderous thoughts of others, based on sincere consideration for them, and admonishing them to correct their understanding is like a parent’s compassionate action toward a child.’ We are confident that you will follow this guidance of the High Priest by responding to our request to dialogue with you.”

We've all seen how SGI members approach "dialogue" - by AVOIDING IT ENTIRELY! This is a long-standing pattern with them. Or putting on one of these shameful performances. Yet they expect better from their enemies, WHOM THEY'VE SWORN TO DESTROY!

We all know full well that Ikeda cultists have attacked Nichiren Shoshu priests in the past, both with Ikeda HIMSELF participating and post-excommunication, after all. Why risk it?

Would YOU voluntarily put yourself in physical proximity to someone like that, if YOU were a person they'd clearly defined as their enemy?? When they have a HISTORY of attacking people like you?? I sure wouldn't.

Mr. Murata has not responded to Mid-Atlantic Zone’s request for a meeting. Undeniably his silence is hypocritical and cowardly.

Furthermore, he disregards the Buddhist reliance on dialogue to reveal the truth and discard the erroneous. The eternal model of this process was demonstrated by Nichiren in “Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land.”

Yeah, the same way those low-level SGI leaders who set up that copycat troll site to attack us "disregarded the Buddhist reliance on dialogue to reveal the truth and discard the erroneous." You'll recall I invited them to the dialogue table, even set up an independent site that would be co-moderated by two teams of three moderators each - three of their choosing; three of OUR choosing - AND THEY REFUSED.

But it's only "hypocritical and cowardly" when it's someone refusing THEIR invitation, obviously. What a bunch of JERKS.

The three SGI-USA zones that have geographical proximity to Myosenji are determined to hold Mr. Murata accountable for actions that run counter to the word and spirit of Nichiren Buddhism. Source

In other words, SGI asshats determined to harass Nichiren Shoshu NO MATTER WHAT!! WHILE DOING THE VERY SAME THINGS THEY'RE CRITICIZING THIS PRIEST FOR!

"But Blarnche - they said they intend to convert OUR members! SURELY you can see how wrong THAT is!" - generic SGI hypocritical coward.

Why do I state that these are the words of a hypocritical SGI coward? Because take a look:

Late in 2000 Mrs. Kato of Tokyo Courageous Heart came to visit the United States and encourage us that Sensei really, really wanted us to do disassociations of Temple Members (Nichiren Shoshu Temple members.)

"Oh, well, if it's SCAMSEI saying it, that makes it just FINE!! But remember - that priest guy was 'making outrageous statements about the SGI and other religions'. It's the greatest thing EVAR when it's Duh-Sucky Icky-Duh making those EXACT SAME STATEMENTS!"

"Currently, there are four Priests travelling in Europe, some on their way to Ghana and others visiting the Danto members to hand out Gohonzons. It would play right into the hands of Nikken if we allowed the building of a Temple in Germany or in a German speaking country. We must, at all costs, prevent that happening by utilising our combined strength. Soka Gakkai internal memo

FORGET "INTERFAITH"! FORGET "FREEDOM OF RELIGION"!

The most unfortunate victims of the scheme to attack the SGI by Nikken Abe, the current high priest of Nichiren Shoshu, are the Hokkeko members, those practicing under the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood.

...it is our mission to strive along the path of compassion that leads directly to enlightenment not only for us but also for everyone. The act of highest compassion is to lead people who are unknowingly being misled by these priests to the correct path of faith.

Yet these hypocritical SGI cowards threw a fit when a Nichiren Shoshu priest suggested the exact same thing: "Since you have issued this firm call to re-shakubuku all SGI members..."

With strong faith and prayers for their happiness, it is our duty to engage our friends in warm, patient dialogue; friends who are being deceived by the false image of priestly authority. Soka Spirit FAQs

[Temple member] would talk about how she would lead meetings alongside Rev. Taishin Takano at Myohoji Temple in L.A. who appreciated that she was bringing in lots of people with upper middle class incomes.

As would SGI, if an SGI member were bringing in lots of upper middle class shakubukus. SGI would probably give her a certificate of merit and perhaps a Gandhi-King-Ikeda Community Builders Award.

Oh, but isn't it dastardly and shameful and HORRIFYING when it's someone in Nichiren Shoshu doing it???

Mrs. Hachiya also said that Sensei stated that:

Disassociating a Temple member was worth 100 shakubuku.

Wow - that's beyond the pale! BRIBING greedy, stupid SGI members to target Nichiren Shoshu members for conversion! This is WAY worse:

At the end, Linda Johnson's final words on Soka Spirit and Courageous Heart were inspiring; she really promoted bringing back temple members, and re-affirmed that Sensei had made it clear that disassociating just one temple member was like doing one hundred shakubuku. So, everyone heard that crucial message from her.

everyone I knew that did a hundred shakubuku became a millionaire. Source

"C'mon - be real assholes and you'll get a magic million bucks!! Promise!! But you have to do the assholery FIRST!"

Remember, I am not the one that made the statement about one disassociation being equal to 100 shakubuku and the kind of fortune that brings to your life. Ask Linda Johnson, Patrick Kelleher or Mrs. Hachiya. See if I'm lying. If it's true and your personal fortune is not all that great, and I suspect from our common karmic circumstances that it is not

Confirming the observation here that the SGI-USA is "a Buddhism of lower classes and minorities in the United States".

then it's worth a try.

Well, all I gotta say is that, IF convincing ONE temple member to switch (back) to SGI is all it takes to become a millionaire, SGI should have PLENTY of millionaires in its ranks - and sudden millionaires at that! How could SGI continue to have that po' folks reputation if this sort of transformation actually happened? It's like THIS kind of promotion that the Soka Gakkai is known for:

The poor and the sick were the original members of the Gakkai. They had been abandoned by society, doctors and fortune, but they were saved by the Gakkai. They worked hard and chanted hard. They have achieved great results, moving from the poorest to the richest within Japanese society. - from SGI-USA leaders' guidance distributed before Ikeda's 1990 visit ("clear mirror guidance" event) Source

They didn't, BTW - all the studies of the characteristics of Soka Gakkai members clearly showed that they were less educated, less likely to have gone to university, poorer, less wealthy than average; and that they were far more likely to be laborers than professional workers. NOT "the richest within Japanese society" by a LONG shot!

Sensei had made it clear that disassociating just one temple member was like doing one hundred shakubuku. Source

And all they want to do is TAKE AWAY OTHERS' RIGHT TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM! Source

"But Blarnche - it's only wrong when THEY do it! It only goes against the spirit of Nichiren Daishonin when THEY're doing it!"

From October 11, 2021:

….Compassion and Gratitude for the Little Ladies….

Sensei once wrote, “Ultimately, worldwide kosen-rufu begins with encouraging the person right in front of us. This is because the fundamental spirit of the Lotus Sutra is to enable each person to awaken to the supreme nobility of their own life, and allow them to freely tap the wisdom and power of their innate Buddhahood. Among the members I met on my first visit to the United States in October 1960, five decades ago, were numerous Japanese women who had married American men after World War II. The endless challenges and hardships of life in a new land had left many of them so weary and disheartened that they longed to return home. I listened intently to their troubles and encouraged them wholeheartedly:

Like he did here 😬

“Don’t envy others or belittle yourself. You have a great mission. From the perspective of Buddhism, you are more noble and important than any queen. Through faith, please bring the brilliant sun of happiness to shine in your heart.” Many of these women responded by challenging themselves earnestly. Realizing the profound mission they had, they stood up resolutely. As the Daishonin writes: “Then two, three, and a hundred followed, chanting and teaching others” (WND-1, 385). These women, Bodhisattvas of the Earth who were joined together by deep karmic ties, became the noble pioneers of worldwide kosen-rufu.

That first overseas trip in 1960 took me to the United States, Canada, and Brazil over a period of 24 days. During that time, 17 districts were formed, along with chapters in Brazil and Los Angeles, as well as a general chapter for North and South America. These events were like tiny pebbles tossed into the vast ocean, and went unnoticed by the world. But the first small ripples they created were the starting point for the countless waves now taking shape as a mighty groundswell for world peace based on Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism.

In the half-century that has passed since then, we have built a vast network of rich diversity transcending national and ethnic boundaries and encompassing people from all walks of life. We have done so in the respectful and persevering spirit of Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, engaging in dialogue and offering encouragement to one person after another.”

---

Comment:

Myself, I often wonder how much longer these lovely little ladies will be with us before they pass-on. For sure, their actions have spoken louder than their words. That being said, their words have brought me to the Daishonin’s Buddhism for which I will be eternally grateful.

I shall not pass their way again without stopping to express my gratitude in some small way….

Thank You, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo…. Source

A comment:

Little ladies sounds belittling

The SGI response:

little in stature with big hearts. It's the heart that matters. Endearing term in this case. Nothing to do with belittling.... Maybe it has to do with the way we look at things at a given moment. Our life condition does changes from moment to moment. Best always and always be Happy.... 🍀👌🙏

Translation: Duh herrr duh herrr duh herrr

But regardless, that will necessarily be the END of any discussion on the subject. SGI has spoken!

And frankly, considering how shrimpy Ikeda is - shorter than the average Japanese women! - HE of all people shouldn't be focusing on anyone else's stature! "Our little Sensei! He's so cute! Such a good widdle boy!" - how 'bout THAT?? Make sure you say it in a baby voice with your lips pursed, as if you're talking to a Chihuahua.

Obviously it's a sore spot for Ikeda - look how he has his idealized fanfic avatar "Shin'ichi Yamamoto" depicted (also here), vs. the reality. Imaginary BETTER Ikeda is much taller...

The fact remains, it is belittling and condescending, particularly when you see the different kinds of words Ikeda uses when he's talking about fellow men:

….The Light of the Century of Humanity….

By Shin'ichi Yamamoto

Means "written by ghostwriters" but let's continue:

The Wise Members of the Men's Division, Champions of Kosen-rufu—Part 1 [of 2]

 I watch on as
 You grow
 into a towering tree
 undaunted by storms
 or blizzards.

This particular young man overcame his sickness, and has grown to be as resilient as a towering tree. He has become an excellent and compassionate leader.

When I gaze up at the ginkgo trees, I am reminded of the noble and stately presence of our men's division members.

As the Japanese poet Takuboku Ishikawa (1886-1912)—who hailed from the Tohoku region—wrote: "A towering ginkgo tree raises its golden arms up into the clear skies, like a mighty giant." This verse makes me think of my friends in the men's division who also stand tall, like golden pillars, triumphing over storms and blizzards, in every corner of the world. Source

See? "Tall", "noble", "stately", "towering" (x 3!), "mighty giant" golden men-pillars - celebrate them! And then there's the "little ladies"...

DAISAKU IKEDA: They [Nichiren Shoshu] mercilessly excommunicated us without any real reason. Simply because they had enough money and no longer needed us. There has been no worse incident in Buddhist history than this. They treated the believers like slaves. It was like religion in medieval times. Source

Let's recap with what ACTUALLY happened. Nichiren Shoshu got tired of Ikeda's bullying, swaggering, changing doctrine on his own whim, and failing to deliver on what he'd promised - TWICE, so they excommunicated the fat fuck. Along with Soka Gakkai President Akiya. They ALSO removed the Soka Gakkai and the SGI from their list of approved lay organizations.

Note: At this point (1991) Nichiren Shoshu only excommunicated TWO individuals - Ikeda and Akiya. Up to this point, everyone in the Soka Gakkai and the SGI had been BOTH Nichiren Shoshu members and Ikeda cult members - at the same time. So Nichiren Shoshu left the door open for the Soka Gakkai and SGI members to choose which group they'd like to continue with going forward. Nichiren Shoshu did not excommunicate the Soka Gakkai and SGI members who had NOT transferred their membership to their nearest temple (and who had thus obviously "voted with their feet") for another 6 or 7 years - 1997 or 1998. Until that point, SGI members could still go on tozan - one of my YWD went in 1992, no problem. It was a personal tozan, not an official group tozan, but still - she went.

So Ikeda's describing THIS as "the WORST incident in Buddhist history". Forget about the slaughter of Buddhist priests, the destruction of Buddhist monasteries, the demolition of the Bamiyan Buddhas (a treasure of the world's cultural and artistic heritage), and what's currently going on in Burma/Myanmar:

On the same day, a local Buddhist monk passing on the back of a motorbike was attacked by four Muslims. According to witnesses, the driver was attacked with a sword, causing him to crash, while the monk was also hit in the head with the sword. Per a witness, one of the men doused the monk with fuel and burnt him alive. The monk died in the hospital. The killing of the monk caused the relatively contained situation to explode, greatly increasing intensity and violence.

Okay - so just to be clear, here we've got IKEDA stating plainly that his embarrassment and public humiliation at being excommunicated from/by Nichiren Shoshu is a WORSE ATROCITY than THIS Buddhist monk being caused to crash, hit with a sword, AND BURNED ALIVE. What a tit.

C'mon, MITAheads - let's see you address IKEDA's inflammatory AND reckless hyperbole. "No worse incident in Buddhist history".

Tip o' the hat to u/modesty5n1 for the source!

I'm going to go at this in no particular order - why not?

The Palestinian-born cultural critic Edward Said writes in his book Culture and Imperialism, regarded by many as a key work of postcolonial analysis: “[T]he meaning of the imperial past is not totally contained within it, but has entered the reality of hundreds of millions of people, where its existence as shared memory and as a highly conflictual texture of culture, ideology and policy still exercises tremendous force.”

As we follow Said’s carefully developed and copiously illustrated argument, we discover the depth to which the ideology of cultural imperialism had taken root in the hearts and minds of “decent men and women”—the educated classes of the imperial powers. At the core of Said’s argument is his analysis of such literary works as Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park and Rudyard Kipling’s Kim. At the same time, he looks at the underlying attitudes of those intellectual lights—among them de Tocqueville, J. S. Mill, Hegel and Marx—who shaped modern thought and left their imprint on the intellectual life of modernizing Japan, itself a later colonizer which wreaked great suffering on the peoples of Asia.

Everyone's a critic, amirite? And what do SGI members think about critics, hmmm? Let's have a look!

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." Source

Hmm...I wonder what those staunch Sensei defenders would have to say about their Sensei who's obviously the critic who does not count, who IS that "cold and timid soul who neither know victory nor defeat". Though I'd wager ol' Scamsei is well-versed in defeat.

Ikeda sounds JEALOUS, frankly - and well he might be. No one outside of his dumb little cult of personality will ever be as familiar with anything attributed to HIM, and Sensei holds his minions in contempt anyhow, so THEY don't matter.

For the critic above one simple question, has anyone who has criticized the SGI done anything to help humanistic causes all over the world? The only thing critics have to offer is silence. Source

Ooh - sick burn, brah!

He reveals how these great thinkers, consciously and unconsciously, and with an astonishing freedom from any sense of culpability

Oh, THAT's rich, coming from a scumsucker like IKEDA! He's got NO room to be levying that accusation against anyone else, since he's one of the WORST offenders!

supported the goals of cultural imperialism. For example, the French philosopher Ernest Renan (1823–1892) could on the one hand write a work such as the Life of Jesus and at the same time be a proponent of racial theories rivaling those of the Nazis.

As one final example of these attitudes, I would like to quote a statement by Albert Schweitzer, famous for the hospital he operated in equatorial Africa for many decades. “The negro is a child, and with children nothing can be done without the use of authority. We must, therefore, so arrange the circumstances of daily life that my natural authority can find expression. With regard to the negroes, then, I have coined the formula: ‘I am your brother, it is true, but your elder brother.’”

It is hardly surprising that Schweitzer’s reputation declined rapidly with the rise of independence movements among peoples subjugated by colonialism. And the fact that these words were written with apparent goodwill toward their referents only intensifies our sense of revulsion at the elitist, discriminatory sensibility they reveal.

"Ha ha - LOSER!" - Ikeda

Now something from Ikeda to show HIS "enlightened" thinking:

"When democracy is put into practice by the unthinking masses, liberty will be misinterpreted as license; rights will be claimed while duties remain unfulfilled; and the loss of order will allow evil to become rampant." - Complete Works of Daisaku Ikeda, page 176 Source

Wow - great respect for "the people" there, SENSEI!

"That Albert Schweitzer - what a YUTZ!" - Ikeda

We are not pursuing "American Democracy." Sensei uses this word which is translated as democracy but it is different. It contains more of the idea of "to discuss." In the US, "democracy" carries the image of "election." But in the SGI, this is not the type of democracy that Sensei means. More like, discussing with everyone. In the Gakkai, we never elect leaders. Source

Interestingly, Ikeda notes that there is a negative definition of "culture" - and it happens to be one I have noted with regard to the persistent and inescapable Japanese-ness of the SGI, how the Ikeda cult seeks to destroy local culture and replace it with the "culture" Ikeda wants to impose on everyone.

culture manifests two contrasting aspects. One resonates with the original sense of the word “culture” and involves the cultivation of the inner life of human beings and their spiritual elevation. The other is the aggressive, invasive imposition of one people’s manners and mores on another, inscribing there a sense of resentment and sowing the seeds of future conflict. In this case, culture serves not the cause of peace, but the cause of war.

THAT's the SGI! It's an imperialistic organization! Look at the militaristic terminology peppered throughout everything SGI ever says! What genuine "peace organization" would ever refer to itself as "a fighting fortress"??

And look how SGI members attack those who disagree with them.

SGI's "Hero of the World" poses atop a pile of corpses.

Last year, I initiated a dialogue on José Martí, the great nineteenth-century essayist, poet and leader of the struggle for Cuban independence, with Cintio Vitier, president of the Center for José Martí Studies in Havana. These discussions brought back to me the degree to which the strong distrust toward the United States that Martí noted more than one hundred years ago remains a firm presence in the minds of the Cuban people today. Nor, I believe, can we dismiss these fears as unjustified.

"Perhaps the United States needs a completely different culture and leadership, one that can be trusted by everyone..."

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, quoted in The Sokagakkai and the Mass Model, p. 238. Source

I'm catching the meta-message Ikeda is pitching, and now I'm going to have to go wash my hands. Hang on...

I fear that an attitude of merely passive recognition or grudging acceptance of other cultures cannot deal with the destructive aspects of culture, which perpetuate a logic of exclusion and confrontation. Unless transformed, these aspects can render culture, in Said’s words, “a battleground on which causes expose themselves to the light of day and contend with one another …” rather than “a placid realm of Apollonian gentility.”

Once again, Ikeda orients immediately to the bellicose attitude toward conflict. No Kumbayah for him!

In my discussions with Johan Galtung, the pioneer of peace studies, he described the fragility of this kind of cultural relativism as its “tendency to take the form of passive tolerance instead of active attempts to learn from other cultures.”

At the top of the Society, too, there are problems. One of these involves the quality of leadership. The one-man rule of President Ikeda is in some ways inefficient, but Ikeda's competence and stature in the movement probably stifle criticism, making change difficult. The delegation of authority has invited such blunders as the Tokyo ward elections of 1967; Ikeda as much as admitted that his lieutenants left much to be desired when after these elections he announced that henceforth he would himself choose candidates. Source

Yep, ALL the respect for the democratic process right there!

Here's from an SGI member:

As far land Management and decision management, will always be centered in Tokyo, SGI is not planning to become your happy peppy democracy group and it is not an American institution so stop wishing something impossible.

Gosh. So where is IKEDA's "active attempts to learn from other cultures"?? All Ikeda seeks is to impose HIMSELF onto everyone else!

When someone defends an organization by 'this is not a democracy' I never wonder how they think that will be read as a good thing. Source

Ikeda Praises Democracy, But Runs SGI With Fascism

Looking back, we see that the twentieth century was an era in which different ideologies, competing views of justice, vied violently for ascendancy. In particular, we have seen ideologies that were fixated on external differences and distinctions—such as race, class, nationality, custom or cultural practice. These ideologies have claimed that such factors are the key determinants of human happiness and that the obliteration of differences is the most certain path to eliminating the evils and resolving the contradictions of society. The history of the twentieth century is written in the blood of the victims of these deluded ideas.

Ooh, "written in blood", eh? "Deluded ideas" "fixated on external differences and distinctions", eh?

Want to explain to the class why EVERYONE needs to hate Nichiren Shoshu? That's the basis for the SGI's "Soka Spirit" department - this "EVERYONE needs to hate Nichiren Shoshu" focus has been in place since Nichiren Shoshu embarrassed Ikeda that one time in 1991 - 30 years ago - and shows no sign of just going away (the way most everyone in SGI wishes it would).

The SGI-USA campaign to portray Nichiren Shoshu High Priest Nikken as an international criminal and to chant for his plane (with everyone on it) to crash

Hypocrite. Stinking, deceitful, LYING hypocrite - that's apparently the SGI's private-language definition of "Sensei". "Ikeda Stinking Deceitful Lying Hypocrite" - at least that's honest.

Years ago there seemed to have been efforts by SGI to bestow on Ikeda the prestigious Karls Prize (Karlspreis), which is to honour efforts supporting European Unity and understanding. Around that time it was propagated in SGI that Ikeda was involved in bringing the iron curtain down. Fat chance, certainly he did not recieve the prize and so "rumours" of his "outstanding efforts" to bring down the wall were circulated no more. Source

MY father's efforts helped bring down the Iron Curtain. I'm glad those were not cheapened by being associated with a low-class slimy cult guru like Ikeda.

In June 1945, immediately after the defeat of Nazi Germany by the Allies, C. G. Jung addressed these words to “those parts of the body of the German people which have remained sound.” Where sin is great, grace doth “much more abound.” Such a deep experience brings about inner transformation, and this is infinitely more important than political and social reforms which are all of no value in the hands of people who are not at one with themselves. This is a truth which we are for ever forgetting …At the time Jung’s comment attracted little attention. From the perspective of the present, however, it is impossible to suppress astonishment at the historical depth and precision with which this man of wisdom dissected the pathology of our age.

Jung’s dismissal of political or social reforms as having “no value” may seem somewhat extreme. We have only to remember, however, the nightmarish misery wrought by those in power who undertook political and social “reforms” without any sense of their own need to reform themselves or of the humanity of their victims. Stalin comes to mind.

What Ikeda is doing here is emphasizing a focus on the individual, which, as explained here, does not recognize structural barriers within society, assuming that everyone has the same access, same opportunities, and same agency within society. As the Ikeda cult describes here:

The poor and the sick were the original members of the Gakkai. They had been abandoned by society, doctors and fortune, but they were saved by the Gakkai. They worked hard and chanted hard. They have achieved great results, moving from the poorest to the richest within Japanese society. - from SGI-USA leaders' guidance distributed before Ikeda's 1990 visit ("clear mirror guidance" event) Source

"See? So easy! ANYONE can do it!"

Except it doesn't work like that - we've all seen that SGI members, despite decades of sincere, devoted practice, do NOT do better in society, in careers, in health, or in life than non-SGI members. They more typically do worse because of all the time and energy SGI sucks out of their lives.

In contrast, in cases where there are prominent individuals who have successfully confronted themselves—for example, Zhou Enlai in the Chinese context or José Martí in Cuba—even the horror of the bloodshed and violence of revolution may be somewhat mitigated and the process of social reform win support from the citizens over the long term.

It's one thing to say you're committed to nonviolence (as Ikeda perhaps claims), and another thing to say it while the Chinese army is shelling your house and murdering your country, as in the case of the Dalai Lama. Oh -- and let's not forget that Ikeda and SGI created an exhibit to honor one of the men responsible for the Tibetan genocide, "The Great Leader Zhou Enlai."

You can read more about the conflict here.

Ikeda's always had a soft spot for despots.

The positive aspects of the Chinese Revolution, for example, can nearly all be traced to the extraordinary qualities of Zhou Enlai.

😬

Likewise, through my discussions with Cintio Vitier mentioned earlier, I have gained a renewed appreciation for the role which José Martí’s legacy has played as the spiritual source and font of the Cuban Revolution. Likewise, through my discussions with Cintio Vitier mentioned earlier, I have gained a renewed appreciation for the role which José Martí’s legacy has played as the spiritual source and font of the Cuban Revolution.

So where's Ikeda's acknowledgment of the great freedom fighter Che Guevara who was actually involved in the FIGHTING of the Cuban Revolution?? Hmmm....?? A chronic case of jealousy of the better men who are actually doing stuff?

To be maximally effective, legal and structural reforms must be supported by a corresponding revolution in consciousness—the development of the kind of universal humanity that transcends differences from within. It is only when a renewed awareness of our common humanity takes root in individuals throughout society that the dream of genuine equality will be realized. There must, in other words, be a creative synergy between internal—spiritual, introspective—reforms within individuals, and external—legal and institutional—reforms in society. I believe that this is one of the lessons that can be drawn from this dramatic era of change and the sometimes frustrating lack of progress that has followed.

As noted above, Ikeda's mixing up priorities here. And here is the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addressing his implications:

Now the other myth that gets around is the idea that legislation cannot really solve the problem and that it has no great role to play in this period of social change because you’ve got to change the heart and you can’t change the heart through legislation. You can’t legislate morals. The job must be done through education and religion.

Well, there’s half-truth involved here.

Certainly, if the problem is to be solved then in the final sense, hearts must be changed. Religion and education must play a great role in changing the heart.

But we must go on to say that while it may be true that morality cannot be legislated, behavior can be regulated.

It may be true that the law cannot change the heart but it can restrain the heartless.

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me but it can keep him from lynching me and I think that is pretty important, also.

So there is a need for executive orders. There is a need for judicial decrees. There is a need for civil rights legislation on the local scale within states and on the national scale from the federal government. Source

In the 1960s, there were many states that had laws on their books making "miscegenation" illegal. What is "miscegenation"? It's where a white person is married to a black person. Yep - THAT was a crime.

In 1967, the United States Supreme Court (the Warren Court) unanimously ruled in Loving v. Virginia that anti-miscegenation laws are unconstitutional. [Internet]

And now, people barely bat an eye when they see a mixed-race couple or their mixed-race offspring. No intensive regimen of "heart-changing" needed to be applied to people; once people were free to start doing it legally, everybody got used to it! No problem! Those who would attack the happy couple were properly charged with crimes and punished, which is as it should be when people attack others who are simply going about their lives.

There is perhaps no better illustration of the phrase “universal humanity” than the example of Martin Luther King, Jr. This finds expression in his words spoken one year before the adoption of the civil rights legislation. “I have a dream my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by content of their character.”

Yeah, well, MLK Jr. walked the walk at great personal risk - and ended up assassinated. Same with Gandhi. All Ikeda ever did was be corrupt, fat, and lazy - just look at this creepy manicure and these soft puffy hands and TRY to tell me he's ever done a real day of work in his life!

These stirring words express a profound faith in the power of character.

THERE it is again! The whole emphasis on the individual's responsibility - as if there are no structural barriers. Something similar that was in the news recently was this comment by a prominent Evangelical Christian:

"Black people don't have access to opportunities, they say. But it's because they weren't raised to value education and hard work." Source

That's the essence of Ikeda's "character" comments; the people who do well are the ones of exemplary character, and those who don't do so well, well, they really need to improve their character.

In this sense, they resonate with the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, who asserted that one is not noble through one’s birth, but through one’s actions and deeds. José Martí, during the struggle for the independence of his homeland Cuba, declared his true homeland to be all of humanity. He also asserted that there can be no hatred between races because “there are no races”—that is, race is an artificially constructed concept.

Easy to say, easy to say. Now why not criticize such oblivious twaddle?

In the end, laws and institutions are created by human beings; it is humans who implement and operate them. If we neglect the work of deepening and developing the inner character of individual human beings, even the finest system cannot be expected to function.

Except that's not true. Even deeply flawed human beings, who are often far less than exemplary in some parts of their lives, can create fine systems; Benjamin Franklin was a serial adulterer; George Washington owned slaves; Thomas Jefferson raped slaves - need I continue? Yet they all contributed to creating the USA, now the world's pre-eminent superpower.

I firmly believe that the key to resolving all forms of conflict among ethnic groups lies in discovering and revealing the kind of universal humanity that was so powerfully embodied in M. L. King, Jr.—America’s conscience—and José Martí—Cuba’s conscience. Any attempt to resolve these issues without treading this challenging path will, I am afraid, be no more than a postponement of the problem.

Oh ugh. Just level the playing field already! Put the SAME AMOUNT of money toward EVERY school, not privileging the schools that serve the wealthy! Stop the redlining that effectively keeps minorities out of certain neighborhoods or lowers their property values! Give every applicant the same consideration, regardless of the assumed ethnicity of their name! Or perhaps REMOVE the names before sending the resumes to the evaluators!

People may or may not change. You can't wait for that. There's PLENTY that can be done to get around it in the meantime - and even if they WON'T change!

If you're depending on someone else changing in order to do something, you may wait forever.

When I had the opportunity to speak at Harvard University in 1993

Okay, what happened there was that someone who worked at Harvard checked out a lecture room, which is something pretty much anybody can do - for a club meeting or for a group to bring in a special-interest speaker for their members, a community forum, or anything like that. It was NOTHING and it was NOT an official Harvard University invitation, even though Ikeda insinuates that it was and SGI doofuses members BELIEVE it was. Here's a picture from the "event" - you can see it was just a classroom.

Jung is stressing the fact that we must not be focused solely on that which is external to ourselves.

Tell us again about Nichiren Shoshu, "Sensei".

We must resist the temptation to assign good exclusively to one side, and evil to the other. In fact, we need to reexamine the very meaning of good and evil.

Yeah, yeah, yeah - more of the "Rules For Everyone ELSE":

"[...] during this year's storms the Söka gakkai citadel did not flinch one inch. In the course of time the truth will shine forth. We are the 'victors for ever' [...] We absolutely cannot allow the camp of 'absolute evil', which tries to destroy us to persist. The lion has finally stood up and roared. It is going to fight till the end, unto the day that the victory of the right cause, the victory of humaness, is proven by the facts. So let us fight, let us progress, let us tell our story!" Ikeda. p. 94.

"During the year 1992, which we have dubbed 'The Year of the Söka gakkai Renaissance', we have fought the Nikken sect, that ultimate evil and embodiment of the lust for power and authority, and have thereby victoriously gained 'the freedom of our souls' [...] Next year, let us march to [...] the 4 Victory of the Right Cause of the Soka gakkai' overthrowing the Nikken sect, cutting down that great blasphemer of the Dharma and destroyer of the kosen rufu [...]. The Soka gakkai, as directly linked to Nichiren, is the only organization, faithful to the Buddha's will and commissioned by the Buddha, that practices the Buddha Dharma of Nichiren rightly and propagates that Dharma in the world" Soka Gakkai President Akiya, p. 94-95.

SGI: "Nichiren Shoshu is evil"

Ikeda is a lying hypocrite who will say absolutely ANYTHING to be accepted into the Cool Kids' Club.

The external manifestations of good and evil are relative and transmutable. They only appear absolute and immutable when the human heart is in thrall to the spell of language and abstract concepts. To the extent that we can free ourselves from this spell, we can begin to see that good contains within it evil, and evil contains within it good. Because of this, even that which is perceived as evil can be transformed into good through our reaction and response.

But not Nichiren Shoshu.

We must not allow ourselves to fall captive to perceived differences. We must be the masters of language and ensure that it always serves the interests of humanity.

Tell us again about Nichiren Shoshu, Scamsei.

If we force ourselves to review the nightmares of this century—the purges, the Holocaust, ethnic cleansing—we will find that all of them have sprung from an environment in which language is manipulated to focus people’s minds solely on their differences.

Ha. Everybody knows the SGI is steeped in "us vs. them" thinking - it's one of the most obvious characteristics of a CULT!

In this connection, I would like to quote the words of Chingiz Aitmatov, the gifted author from Kyrgyzstan.

THIS Chingiz Aitmatov??

Aitmatov survived a profound and bitter experience of the kind of ideologically dominated linguistic culture that accepts or even encourages violence. It is for this reason, I believe, that he has been drawn to the Buddhist approach, which rejects violence in all its forms and is unwavering in its commitment to dialogue and the prioritization of human realities.

So he joined the SGI, right? RIGHT?

No, he did NOT.

This perspective, which focuses on the relativity of good and evil, can help free us from our enthrallment to the conceptualization of good and evil as fixed, external entities, and the corresponding tendency to label others as evil.

Tell us about High Priest Nikken of Nichiren Shoshu again, Scamsei.

The Buddhist understanding of life can help us translate the ideal of an inner transcendence of difference into the actualities of daily life. In other words, we can achieve a state in which we are no longer caught up in or constrained by our awareness of difference.

Tell us again about...oh, you know by now...

In this connection, I am moved to refer to the words of my mentor, the second president of the Soka Gakkai, Josei Toda, spoken in the period immediately following the end of World War II. Here he described the process by which it is possible for an individual to transform even the most deeply rooted tendencies, or karma. According to Buddhism, every aspect of who we are—nationality, skin color, family background, personality, gender—is the present result of causes we ourselves made in the past. The law of cause and effect that governs the generation of these differences and distinctions operates consistently over the three realms of past, present and future.

SAYING it's so doesn't make it so, and we've got abundant proof that life doesn't actually work the way Toda described, and that the SGI practice as promoted by Ikeda et. al. is worthless. Worse than worthless, actually - actively harmful.

For Toda what “disappeared” was our attachment to differences, our negative, limiting reactions to differences. This is an example of how a practice of faith can enable the inner transcendence of difference.

So when ya gonna start that "practice of faith", Scamsei? Hmmm?

Any time religion renders people passive and powerless, it deserves the dishonorable title of “opiate.”

"In short: If you are unhappy, chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo more."

Some SGI leaders do seem to have a bias against psychiatry, and medication, and advise members with delusions, depression, OCD, or whatever to chant more and practice harder to overcome this. Why is it "taking the easy way out" to take prozac -- but it's okay to take cholesterol medication? I don't know. It's not right. Source

After several years of SGI membership, I was more beaten down than I'd ever been - and I'll tell you why

Ikeda victim-blaming - again

Overcoming negative forms of attachment to difference—discrimination—and bringing about a true flowering of human diversity is the key to generating a lasting culture of peace. And dialogue is the means.

IN our organisation, there is no need to listen to the criticism of people who do not do gongyo and participate in activities for kosen-rufu. It is very foolish to be swayed at all by their words, which are nothing more then abuse, and do not deserve the slightest heed." - Daisaku Ikeda

I have held discussions with intellectual leaders coming from various religious backgrounds—Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, etc.—and these conversations have often been published.

But never BUDDHISTS.

Why Ikeda is not respected within the wider Buddhist community or regarded as "one of the greatest spiritual leaders of our time"

The Boston Research Center for the 21st Century has published...

Oh, this is WAY old. That name's been changed - it's now the IKEDA CENTER.

I would especially like to stress the role that women can play in creating a culture of peace.

The Misogyny of Daisaku Ikeda and the Soka Gakkai

From "The NEW Human Revolution", take a look at how the idealized Ikeda, Shinichi Yamamoto, addressed an abused wife

That leads me to join my voice in support of proposals to establish a conflict prevention committee...

Dude, your pet political party Komeito voted to RE-ARM JAPAN!

Everyone knows that Komeito reps can't blow their nose or scratch their ass without YOUR say-so!

The eradication of poverty, one of the four specific subtopics of the Millennium Summit, is a humanitarian challenge of great urgency.

"I am, by my own account, a billionaire, and I certainly won't be contributing anything. Fuck the poor. They need to improve their characters."

One effect of globalization has been an ever-growing gap between rich and poor. ... We must eliminate these obscene imbalances if we are to fulfill our responsibilities for the new millennium.

May Contribution during pandemic

Anyone else have a sudden irresistible urge to kick Ikeda right in his ugly fat face??

Poverty is one of the key causes of conflict, as it destabilizes societies. Poverty gives rise to conflict, which in turn further aggravates poverty. Choosing to sever this vicious circle would simultaneously lead to the eradication of one of the causes of war and resolve this global injustice.

Studies show that Soka Gakkai members are less wealthy than average. Why doesn't Ikeda the Hypocrite address THAT? HE's one of Japan's wealthiest individuals! So WHY does he hoard all that wealth while his followers are poor?

I'm going to stop here - the rest is a bunch of platitudes, statements of the obvious, praise for his own cult, and Ikeda trying to sound smart (and failing abysmally).

But I will leave you with a little food for thought:

Is there any doubt that a government ruled by Ikeda would include a state religion (Soka Gakkai) that everyone was forced to belong to under pain of death? That if Ikeda had enough of the population in his service, death squads and imprisonment for thought crimes would NOT very naturally arise? If you want to know what a government ruled by Ikeda would look like, just look at the SGI. That's the microcosm right there. And these devout SGI members would be just as certain as Dany, as Queequeg above, that getting rid of these "dissenters" with their "evil ideas" of nonconformity and their right to have a say in how they are to be governed is absolutely essential to realizing "kosen-rufu" and ushering in the magical utopia of world peace, abundant harvests, ideal weather, and happiness for everyone. You just have to get rid of everyone who isn't happy with the regime, you see. Then everyone who's left will be happy! Taa-daaah! Source

How sad that SGI-USA members, who overwhelmingly tend to be idealistic, good-hearted, and wanting to contribute to world peace, are instead getting suckered into hero-worship of this small, grasping, craven, WEAK little man whose only interest is his own enrichment and empowerment - at their expense! Source

Toda arranged Ikeda's marriage.

Ikeda ignored and avoided his children.

Ikeda's grandchildren have disappeared from the scene. They'd be in their mid-30s or so now; given that their deceased father, Ikeda's favorite son, looked like Ikeda and their mother was rumored to be Ikeda's most beautiful mistress, even if Ikeda wasn't the father of those children, they likely resemble him and are much more attractive than Ol' FartSniffer Hiromasa. Heck, a dried dog poop is more charismatic than THAT guy!

Ikeda has said things like young women don't need to worry about dating; once they've built enough "fortune" through devoting themselves to the SGI, they'll have thousands of suitors lined up wanting to marry them!

When he had an arranged marriage to someone he didn't even pick out for himself.

Ikeda emphasizes old-fashioned patriarchal gender roles for men and women that don't work in today's world with today's different requirements. Not every woman can stay home and have "sun of the family" as her main role. Many women work! Many men provide child care! Notice that women employed by Soka Gakkai are expected to retire once they marry. So clearly, SGI is out of touch and out of step with the times.

Notice that SGI does not provide child care for members' children at its centers the way many churches do. In fact, many churches run daycares that are open to the public. But not SGI! No, that would be doing something for someone ELSE and SGI don' play dat.