What is Soka Gakkai?
SokaGuy
(Source: www.sgi-usa.org)
The Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is an international association of 76 Soka
Gakkai constituent
organizations in various countries around the world.
The SGI is administered by a board of directors and a committee of standing
directors, and it
commissions the Soka Gakkai of Japan to carry out its secretarial functions.
The organization was
founded in 1975. Daisaku Ikeda, third president of the Soka Gakkai, became the
first SGI president,
a post he continues to hold.
The SGI aims to realize the absolute happiness (enlightenment) of individuals
and the prosperity of
each country by spreading understanding of the Buddhism of Nichiren
(1222-1282). Toward that
end, the SGI engages in various activities to promote peace, culture and
education based on
Buddhism.
Nichiren Buddhism, on which the activities of the SGI are based, places special
emphasis on the
sanctity of human life and, as a natural outgrowth of this, on peace. In the
final analysis, however,
lasting peace can only be realized by challenging and overcoming the inner
impulse toward hatred
and violence that exists within us all - what Buddhism terms the "fundamental
darkness of life." It is
this dynamic process of self-reformation - "human revolution" - and the
resulting rejuvenation of
society, that forms the core of SGI's vision of a peaceful world.
The basic guidelines of the SGI's activities are:
- To work for the prosperity of society by being good citizens who respect the
culture,
customs and laws of each country;
- To promote humanistic culture and education based on the fundamental, humane
principles of Buddhism; and
- To join our efforts for world peace, for instance, with those of the United
Nations by
supporting the spirit of its charter thereby helping achieve our ultimate goal
of the
abolition of nuclear arms and universal renouncement of war.
With these guidelines, each organization has been established in accordance
with the laws of
incorporation applicable in each respective country.
Our world, as we approach the end of the century, is in a period of transition
of enormous
proportion. The challenges facing humanity in such fields as disarmament,
environmental protection
and human development are without precedent. So, at the same time, are the
possibilities. The
members of the SGI are dedicated to the task of working for a new era based on
the universal values
of human equality and dignity.
Charter of the Soka Gakkai International
In 1995 an SGI Charter was adopted which sets forth the purposes and principles
with which the
SGI directs its movement for peace, culture and education.
SGI General Meetings and Culture Festivals
Community Centers Throughout the World
History and Development of the Soka Gakkai International
Humanistic Education
SGI's support of the United Nations
SGI General Meetings and Culture Festivals
The SGI holds international conferences and general meetings on a regular
basis, providing a vital
forum for the exchange of opinions and information. Culture festivals and
events organized by
younger members in each country have also been widely acclaimed. In addition,
SGI-affiliated
organizations publish magazines and newspapers designed to promote Buddhist
studies as well as
demonstrate the congruency between Buddhist theories and secular affairs.
SGI General Meetings
Attended by representative members from around the world, SGI general meetings
provide a venue
to discuss and reconfirm the direction and vision of the SGI's activities. The
human solidarity fostered
in these meetings quietly contributes to a firm foundation for peace.
SGI Conferences
These conferences bring together SGI members active in professional and
specialist fields.
Participants from all continents share their experiences and concerns, bringing
the humanist
perspectives of Buddhism to bear on the challenges of their respective
professions. The SGI World
Educators' Conference has been held annually since 1985. Other conferences
include: the SGI
World Physicians' Conference, the SGI World Lawyers' Conference, the SGI World
Scientists'
Conference and the SGI WorldArtists' Conference.
World Youth Peace Culture Festivals
The First World Peace Culture Festival was held in June 1981 in Chicago. In
1985 theevent was
renamed the "World Youth Peace Culture Festival" commemorating the
UnitedNations' "International
Year of Youth." That year, the festival was held in Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.A.
Eleven such culture
festivals have since been held in various countries and areas such as the
U.S.A., Brazil, Argentina,
Hong Kong and Japan. These festivals celebrate our common humanity and the rich
cultural diversity
of our world.
Community Centers Throughout the World
Community centers, where members can study about Buddhism and pursue their
movement for
peace, culture and education, have been built in many countries and regions .
In some countries, such
as the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Italy, existing buildings
have been purchased
for use as community centers, restoring historically significant structures .
Conference and retreat
centers with a wide range of uses have also been established in the United
States, France, Brazil and
other countries.
tony the pony
>What is the Soka Gakkai International ?
The Straits Times
TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 1991
HOME
PAGE 19
We were roughed up, says group from Japanese Buddhist sect
Singapore body denies its members started commotion
By David Miller
A GROUP comprising monks from a Buddhist sect in Japan and their followers from
Indonesia have claimed that after arriving
by ferry at Finger Pier on Saturday, they were assaulted by about 50 people.
One member of the group of four monks and six followers said they were verbally
abused and punched by local members of
the Singapore Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist Association (SNSBA) [Note: Soka Gakkai
Singapore].
But the SNSBA, which claims some 20,000 members, has denied that its members
harmed or abused the monks and their
followers.
The visiting monks -- who left for the airport on Sunday night -- are from the
Nichiren Shoshu Head Temple, a Buddhist sect
of about 1,000 monks in Japan.
A spokesman for the group, who wanted to be known only as Mr. Suzuki, said on
Sunday that the incident could have been
linked to a move three months ago by the Indonesian branch of the Nichiren
Shoshu to dissociate itself from the parent body,
known as the Soka Gakkai, and align itself with the Nichiren Shoshu Head Temple
in Japan.
The Soka Gakkai is an international association of lay believers which oversees
the administration and activities of Nichiren
Shoshu branches all over the world, including the SNSBA.
The association, with about 10 million members in Japan, is one of the largest
religious groups in that country.
Giving his group's side of the incident, Mr. Suzuki -- who is a member of
Nichiren Shoshu Association of Indonesia -- said the
visiting monks were in Singapore on Saturday on their way back to Tokyo after
officiating at a religious ceremony in Tanjong
Pinang near Batam.
"We had just cleared customs at about 6:45 pm when we were confronted by the
protesters who shouted abuse at us," he
said.
He added that when members of his group tried to make their way out, they were
punched and pushed.
Several of the protestors carried banners accusing the monks of disregarding the
wishes of the lay people, he said. The group
finally managed to leave after friends who were waiting for them escorted them
to their cars and took them to their hotel, Mr
Suzuki said.
But, Mr Eddy Yue, a committee member of the SNSBA, disputed Mr Suzuki's account
of the incident.
Mr Yue told The Straits Times on Sunday that several association members had
gone to finger Pier to welcome the monks and
to find out why only some SNSBA members, and not the association itself, were
invited to take part in the religious
ceremonies in Indonesia.
He said one follower accompanying the monks started a commotion by preventing
some of his members from delivering a
letter to the monks. He said he did not know the contents of the letter. He also
said that neither the monks nor those who
accompanied them were verbally abused or harmed.
Mr Yue added: "The reception by our members was not organised by the
association. They wanted to talk to the monks."
Mr. Suzuki, in his account, had also said that when the group arrived at
Mandarin Hotel in Orchard Road, they were jeered at
by about 20 people.
Hotel security was alerted and the police were called in. Police, who confirmed
they received a call from the hotel, said they
were investigating the case which has been classified as an unlawful assembly.
But SNSBA's Mr Yue said his association was not aware if any of its members were
involved in any incident at the hotel.
A police car was seen stationed outside the hotel on Sunday when a Straits Times
team interviewed Mr Suzuki.
tony the pony
>What is the Soka Gakkai International ?
BBC WORLD NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS
Assignment:
THE CHANTING MILLIONS
October 14th, 1995
NARRATION:
In the year we commemorate the allied victory over Japan and the terrible
atrocities it revealed, we are again reminded that this
is a land of puzzling contradictions. As well as ornate temples and pastoral
calm, and mysticism, and pacifism, there are sudden
eruptions of extreme violence.
When, this year, poison gas was released into the Tokyo subway, the shocking
suspicion emerged that it was done by a
religious cult that claims its roots in Buddhism. It was in the foothills of
Japan's sacred Mt. Fuji that the Aum-Shinrikyo sect that stands accused of a
gas-attack trained its followers. It was in Buddhist Teachings and in The Book
of Revelation, grossly
perverted and corrupted, the justification was somehow found for mass-murder.
That is the charge that faces the charismatic
leader of Aum, Shoko Asahara, when he shortly goes on trial.
The Aum-case raises many concerns that have come up in foreign relation to other
cults around the world. But it also poses
questions that are peculiar to Japan. Above all, the Aum case calls into
question of law the status and the influence of the vast
number of other religious groups. Believe it or not, in Japan, today, there are
roughly 241,000 officially registered religious
organizations. Most of them are very small, but some are big and powerful. But
with ten million followers, is by far the biggest,
Soka Gakkai.
SOKA GAKKAI ACTIVITIES
Soka Gakkai is much more than a religious organization. It's a wide spread
social and political movement, highly disciplined,
some say dangerous. Head of Soka Gakkai since 1960 is Daisaku Ikeda.
Ikeda is the great cultural and, for his supporters, spiritual leader. Another
view says he's a bully with a lust for power.
INTERVIEW WITH IKEDA: I'm a common, serious-minded man. The mass-media ..., with
the exception of the BBC, make
up this image of me as a dictator, and so forth. This troubles me.
Common men, however serious, do not find themselves as Mr. Ikeda frequently
does, in the company of international elite that
includes the likes of Mrs.Thatcher. He's frequently photographed with royalty,
prime ministers and presidents. When president
Mandella came recently to Japan on a state visit, his only private audience was
with Mr. Ikeda. Why is a man who has never
held public office found in such company? He has access to great wealth, but is
that enough? Since powerful people seek the
company of other powerful people, what does that tell us about Mr. Ikeda?
INTERVIEW WITH POLITICAL COMMENTATER MR. MINORU MORITA: I don't think anyone has
more power in
Japan than Ikeda. No one.
FOUNDATION OF IKEDA'S POWER -- TAISEKIJI-TEMPLE OF NICHIREN SHOSHU
This is the foundation of Mr. Ikeda's power. S.G. was the lay- organization
founded to support Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, a
700 year-old sect. These followers of a 13th century Japanese monk, are
considered heretical by main-stream Buddhist's.
Central to their belief is the power of chanting, that by the invocational
recitation of the words "Nam'-myo-ho-ren-ge-kyo"
almost anything can be achieved. S. G. took these ancient simple beliefs and
marketed them with astounding success. It may
look spiritual, but S.G. is all about practical things. That includes personal
wealth and political power. It's in Japan's cities that
Soka Gakkai gained most of its support. In the post war years, it grew rapidly,
and it's thought to have had special appeal for a
defeated and disillusioned generation. The faithful are expected to chant daily,
to donate generously to Soka Gakkai funds, and
to recruit new members.
INTERVIEW WITH S.G. MEMBERS IN KAWASAKI CITY, SOUTH OF TOKYO
In the city of Kawasaki, south of Tokyo, Soka Gakkai has devoted support from
the Umezawa family, who own a small chain
of beauty parlors. Apart from the father of the family, all the others, son,
daughters and inlaws are in the business. First to join
Soka Gakkai was Mrs. Umezawa. Not only she converted the rest of the family, but
between them, they've introduced 112
other families to the practice of daily chanting. Now retired Mr. Umezawa
sometimes chants for 5 hours a day. He and his
family have no doubt that the growth of their business and other good fortune is
entirely due to regular practice of this ritual.
They faithfully pay their dues to Soka Gakkai, and according to Mrs. Umezawa,
their loyalty and their chanting is rewarded.
MRS. YOSHIE UMEZAWA: We were always short of money. Although we worked very
hard, things were tough. Now we
travel abroad without any financial difficulty.
It's not only to make money that the Umezawas practice their daily chanting.
MR. TADASHI UMEZAWA: When my wife was pregnant, we talked about an abortion
because I didn't want any more
daughters. Soka Gakkai members told me that if I practiced hard, we might have a
son. We chanted, and as a result, we had a
son!
No doubt, Soka Gakkai has many satisfied members. But some feel betrayed,
sensing that their loyalty, and their money, and
their votes have been exploited to serve the political ambitions of Mr. Ikeda.
He founded his own political party in 1964, and
although it's been partially dissolved, suspicions remain, some of them,
expressed at this protest meeting of former Soka Gakkai
members.
KEIGO OUCHI (Member of Parliament at a meeting of AVSG - Asociation of Victims
of Soka Gakkai): Mr. Ikeda often
says he will take over Japanese politics and become the real leader of the
Government.
Although Soka Gakkai has taken steps to sever former links with its political
party, it still commands a block vote to use as it
wishes.
INTERVIEW WITH POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, MR. MINORU MORITA:
Soka Gakkai is able to mobilize 6 million votes. These 6 million votes represent
more than ten per cent of the electorate. Mr.
Ikeda, as the head of S.G. has a strong influence over the political world.
Of 700 disgrunted former members here (at the meeting), many complain of how
Soka Gakkai extracted money from them.
HIROHISA MASUDA (Former S.G. member): In 1982, when my grandfather died and we
inherited his property, members
of Soka Gakkai came, repeatedly, and demanded contributions. They wanted 10
million yen (U.S. $100,000). In the end we
gave them 5 million yen.
Of course, Soka Gakkai justifies all of its money raising activities.
INTERVIEW WITH IKEDA: We want to promote a good religion. Religion is a
metaphysical concept, but it needs to be
advertised like any good product.
ADVERTISEMENT OF SOKA GAKKAI (S.G.I. PR video-tape): Soka Gakkai has gloriously
embarked on its voyage
toward the 70th anniversary of its founding. The Soka family throughout the
world will continue to advance cheerfully and
harmoniously in its Kosen-Rufu activities day and night, widening the current of
Buddhism among the people throughout the
universe, heralding the era of peace and freedom.
Yes, Soka Gakkai is now international. In the U.K. this is its lavish
headquarters used by some 8,000 members. But in the U.S.
and notably in California, Soka Gakkai has greater success, claiming some
150,000 adherents. But it's also been much
criticized and even classified as a dangerous cult.
FRANK ROSS (Former S.G.I. leader): I think by anybody's definition of a cult, if
someone's life is completely controlled by an
individual or an organization, that would certainly fit into the category of a
cult. When I was in S.G.I., I would have died for
Ikeda. And I know hundreds of people that felt the same way.
AL ALBERGATE (SGI-USA Public relations director): I reject categorically the
idea that we are a dangerous cult, because to
me that would imply a pseudo religion that exists mainly to take advantage of
people, whether financially or psychologically, and
I know in my 28 years in the organization, we have never done that.
In America too, there are certainly satisfied customers. Among the affluent, who
have seaside homes at Malibu, are those who
believe that chanting has brought them health, wealth and happiness, and spread
the word among their friends and neighbours.
NEIL STEVENS (S.G.I. member) (Note: At a discusiion meeting): I'd like to
welcome everyone. We're going to chant, what
we call morning evening gongyo...
Neil Stevens is an investment banker. He and his wife, Lynn, hold weekly
meetings, where they introduce new comers to the
practice of chanting.
(Scene of members chanting.)
For some newcomers, chanting in a foreign tongue seems odd. (Shot of woman
sitting on couch at meeting, rolling her eyes as
she looks on in disbelief, looking as if she wants to bolt out the door any
second.) But believers are keen to extol the reward
and the enlightment it brings.
INTERVIEW WITH MR. AND MRS.STEVENS:
LYNN: (Gushing tears) I thank, I thank everyday, the girl that introduced this
practice to me, 'cause it changed my life. I have
such a beautiful husband, a beautiful daughter. When I had, lost three little
babies....and I had such, uh, oh, I don't know...I had
so much fortune, but yet, that doesn't guarantee that you are going to be happy.
And I was able to, ummm, uh tap into the joy
in my life, and change such poison into medicine, and make all my dreams come
true, and I really have.
NEIL: (Tears smeared on his face) So then Katy's got me going on this doing the
Nam-myo-ho-ren-ge-kyo thing, and, uhh, it
really empowered me to create, uhh, pretty much my business dream, the beginning
of it, anyway, and, uhh, really helped us
push it through, uhh, when we had, you know, tremendous obstacles.
AL ALBERGATE: The actual practice of Buddhism is very accesible to everybody.
Because there's a very simple formula and
a daily practice, plus the idea that you tap so directly into your Buddha
nature, your life condition, that you can actually see
results in your daily life.
DIANE HONEYMAN-BLOEDIE (Former S.G.I. member): It turned my life into a living
hell, basically. I was miserable!
INTERVIEWER: Why principally?
DIANE: Mostly because of my husband. They manipulated my husband into becoming a
totally different person. He was not
the person I fell in love, and married, and wanted to spend the rest of my life
with. He became totally obsessed; was never
home. They had him going 24 hours a day. And he was hell to live with.
AL ALBERGATE: If we put pressure on each other, it was only so that we could,
duh, move forward and advance as a
religious organization in this country it was not..., primary, our idea was
never to take people's money.
DIANE HONEYMAN-BLOEDIE: As I was walking out the building, one of the "Women's
Division leaders said, "Did you
make a contribution today?" and I said, "No, I don't have any money to make a
contribution. I have 5 dollars in my purse" (She
said), "You should give that $5." (I said,) "It's Tuesday. I don't get paid
until Friday. I have to buy milk." She said, "If you give
the $5 today, it'll come back to you in a much bigger way." So I said, "So
you're telling me, I shouldn't buy milk for my 18
month old daughter and I should give the $5 to you?" and she said, "Yeah." and I
said, "No."
AL ALBERGATE: Some of our members and leaders, although sincere, were
over-zealous. And, basically, about 5 years ago,
we just put an end to most specific targets and just decided that the best way
to go was to just help people practice Buddhism,
and as their own personal circumstances improve in society, as they feel
appreciation for this Buddhism, then they will donate.
DIANE HONEYMAN-BLOEDIE: We're their little worker bees. We're collecting all
their little money, all their little honey for
them, and we gladly give it over. You know, I just... My feeling was that they
just think we're stupid. And if we're promised
that we can get anything we want, that if we can get instant gratification,
which is sort of the American way, we're gonna go for
it. So that's how they pass it off. You want a car? Chant! You want a better
job? Chant! You want more money? Chant!
INTERVIEWER (to Al): It occurs to me that one of the attractions, perhaps, of
your particular type of Buddhism is that it does
promise practical benefits.
AL ALBERGATE: That's correct. And I think that's very attractive to many people.
Maybe more so Americans. We're sort of,
err, an instant microwave kind of culture, and I'm sure that appeals to many, I
know it appeals to many people.
INTERVIEWER: Is it somewhat dangerous, though, that if you expect it to work
miracles in your life, that if you expect the
Porche tomorrow, that you're going to be disapointed, and that you may think the
religion has failed you?
AL ALBERGATE: Yes, that's true. It is a problem if we don't take the time to
help people really study the profundity of
Buddhism and to understand it's not about Porches and cars and things like that.
These are nice incidentals that might come
your way as a result of a higher life condition and your increased ability to
work and perform your daily life. But we have to
teach that, after all, the idea is to become an enlightened human being, with or
without a nice car.
FRANK ROSS: People are approached from the standpoint of doing something for
their personal lives, and, little by little, they
are told that the only way they can advance their personal lives is to advance
the organization. Once you've made that
connection, that advancing the organization is advancing your personal life,
then they have total control over you. So, watching
the people who have been abused over time and just fleeced, you know, year in
and year out for money, that certainly is a
horrible form of abuse.
INTERVIEWER: But you were one of the abusers?
FRANK ROSS: Yes, I certainly was. But at that time, I didn't realize that it was
abuse. I was part of that operation, and we
thought that no matter what people did for the organization, it would be good
for them.
If that's the way it is in the United States, how much greater is the money
making machine in Japan?
Soka Gakkai means "value creating society" and essentially it peddles another
one of those familiar "Samuel Smile's Recipes
For Self-improvent." While other philosophies suggest the ultimate values of
"truth" and "goodness," Soka Gakkai contends that
happiness lies also in profit, and it's something the organization itself is
very good at.
PROF. HIROHISA KITANO (Professor of law at Nihon University): Nobody knows
actually how rich Soka Gakkai is.
Experts estimate Soka Gakkai has more than 1,000 properties throughout Japan
with total assets of more than 10,000 billion
yen (125 billion U.S. dollars).
In the wake of the Kobe earthquake, S.G. used its money raising skills to great
effect. Special appeals were launched and
Soka Gakkai membership responded with extra donations, on top of those they
routinely make. More than a dozen fund raising
drives have supported U.N. relief activities for refugees, and numerous
exhibitions have been mounted to promote Mr. Ikeda's
good works.
DAISAKU IKEDA: Religion can be compared to mother earth. We must cultivate the
earth in order to bring forth plants and
flowers. The promotion of peace, education, and culture is a fundmental role for
religion.
This is the Tokyo Soka Elementary school, part of an integrated system of
private schools ranging from kindergarten to
university, founded by Daisaku Ikeda. Today, the children celebrate the Tanabata
Festival. These are the wish trees decked out
with wish paper streamers. Each one carrying a child's wishes and dreams. Almost
all of the children are from Soka Gakkai
families.
HIDETO IIJIMA (Soka Elementary School, 2nd grade): I am Hideto lijima, a
second-year pupil. I want to become a
millionaire so that I can help the poor by giving them my money.
Like the elementary school, the Soka High School is four times over-subscribed.
No religion is taught here. But the children are
certainly well versed in the achievements and importance of their school's
founder, Mr. Ikeda.
MITSUKO YAKANI (Soka High School student): He has a philosophy based on humanism
for the education. He is also a
poet, and he is like, I feel very warm meeting him. He's like, I feel like he's
like my father.
DAIGO KURAISUKO (Soka High School student): If you compare, compared to other
schools, I found my friends, friends
much brighter, and...
INTERVIEWER: Much brighter? Really?
DAIGO KURAISUKO: Brighter. Yes. And...they know why they're studying. Because
they have dream.
Mr. Ikeda's biggest and most powerful dream machine is another one of his
creations. Seikyo Shimbun, Soka Gakkai's
newspaper, is part of a large publishing empire, and has a daily circulation of
5,500,000. It's virtually compulsory reading for
Soka members, as it carries a regular column by the leader, as well as
promoting, in its own words, the movement for peace
and culture. The paper is extremely profitable, making more than 60 million
pounds a year. It has its own special view of the
world and is not averse to tidying up the picture to match the Soka version of
reality.
From the cradle to the grave, Soka Gakkai cares for its members. In a country of
many religions, it's always been the Buddhists
of Japan who have looked after the "here-after." This has worked very much to
the financial benefit of Soka Gakkai. In
partnership with the Mitsubishi Bank, a country- wide chain of cemetaries has
been constructed, complete with piped Mozart,
and with thousands of plots, all of them sold.
In Japan, it's believed that the spirits of the ancestors care for the living,
and so strong emotional bonds are expressed in the
way the living remember and treat the dead. This means there's great pressure to
purchase a suitable and expensive memorial,
and to tend it diligently.
This deep sense of duty to the ancestors appears to be useful to Soka Gakkai in
its dealings with members and employees.
JIRO OSHIKO (Former S.G. official): I was forced to buy a cemetary plot in
Hokkaido (The northern-most island of Japan).
I live in Ohmiya, a suburb of Tokyo. So, there was no need to buy a cemetary
plot in a remote place like the island of
Hokkaido. I was not allowed to pay for the plot in cash. I was, to some extent,
coerced to take out a loan with Mitsubishi
Bank. The bank calculated my monthly payments. And, in the end, I think I
finished up having to pay twice the normal amount.
PROF. KITANO: The Mitsubishi Group is a major (business) concern. Before the
war, Mitsubishi was even more powerful.
Today the Mitsubishi Bank is Soka Gakkai's main bank. There are strong ties
between them.
An investigation into Soka Gakkai's gravestone business was triggered by the
discovery of the yen equivalent of 1.2 million
(U.S.) dollars in a safe discarded in a scrap yard.
PROF. KITANO: A top member of Soka Gakkai said it was his own, personal money,
and that it had no connection with
Soka Gakkai. The tax office thought it strange, and they started a full-scale
investigation.
MINORU MORITA (Political Commentator): Contributions to Japanese religious
organizations are not subject to either
taxation or inspection. They are free to collect and spend money as they choose.
In the shadow of Mt.Fuji, there is spectacular evidence of how Soka Gakkai spent
some of its vast wealth. They constructed
here a complex that included halls, guest houses, shrines, and a structure
that's the largest temple in Asia, and possibly the
largest in the world. This is where the Nichiren Shoshu priesthood tended to the
spritual needs of the Soka Gakkai faithful. But
not any longer, following a long running power struggle between Ikeda and the
priesthood. He and the entire Soka Gakkai
membership were excommunicated. Since 1992, the temple has been off limits, and
the war of words continues.
REV. KOGAKU AKIMOTO (Nichiren-Shoshu Bureau of Religious Affairs): Our High
Priest had talks with (gave guidance
to) Soka Gakkai. They refused to change their ways, and we had to excommunicate
them.
DAISAKU IKEDA: They 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.
INTERVIEWER: And you see yourself like Luther, reforming the church and bringing
it away from the corruption of Rome?
DAISAKU IKEDA: Yes, it's the same thing. History is repeating itself. It's just
like Luther. I am proud of it.
Mr. Ikeda's role as a thinker, rivaling Martin Luther, is enhanced by Soka
University, which he founded in 1971, which is now
regarded as one of Japan's more successful seats of learning, and one of the
fastest growing. It's already linked to a sister
campus in California, and soon to be joined by a second. Thanks to lavish
endowment, the pangs of recession have scarcely
been felt here. The department of bio- engineering has recently opened and a new
building program will make room for more
faculties and departments that feature in the founder's vision of the future. In
the university prospectus is a fullsome account of
the founders life and works, pointing out that he has tirelessly devoted his
life to promoting peace, culture and education by
establishing numerous cuItural and educational institutions. It also lists his
honorary doctorates and professorships from around
the world -- over 40 of them, and his national decorations, and other major
awards, and major publications in English. There's
also a translation of the founding spirit of the university, penned, of course,
by Mr. Ikeda. -- "Be the highest seat of learning for
humanistic education, be the cradle of a new culture, be the fortress for the
peace of mankind."
One of Ikeda's major publications in English is titled "Choose Life."
It's a dialogue with the late Arnold J. Toynbee, distinguished British
historian, and grandfather of Polly Toynbee.
POLLY TOYNBEE (Journalist): It's hard to imagine here, but the name "Toynbee,"
in Japan, is still extraordinarily influential.
Not just in the academic world and in the political world, but the students
still read his books, because he is this prophet of the
rise of the Pacific Basin and the power of the Pacific.
STEVE GORE (Former SGI employee): Ikeda went to London, England to have a series
of dialogues with a noted British
historian, ArnoId Tynbee, and we were part of the entourage traveling in a
capacity as a liaison agent, but also in the ever
presence, our job was to jump on a bomb, or in front of a bullet, or in front of
a knife in case this man was attacked by some
fanatical, unhappy person.
DAISAKU IKEDA: Dr. Toynbee welcomed me like his own son. Our talks were intense
and at a very high Ievel. We had to
change interpreters twice.
For the Soka faithful, the book is almost Holy Writings. Years after Prof.
Toynbee's death, and to their great surprise, Polly
Tynbee and her husband were invited to visit Mr. Ikeda in Japan.
POLLY TOYNBEE: Everything that we did was formal; huge, formal gatherings;
meetings, with different people; meetings with
the women of Soka Gakkai; meetings with different groups, people associated in
their minds with my grandfather in some way
or another, and we found it very oppressive; very alarming; and certainly by the
time it came to the meeting with him, by then
we had formed a very clear idea of this extraordinary, militarily run
organization. Phenomenal power, wealth, and a sinister level
of obedience.
INTERVIEWER: Did you get any impression of Ikeda, "the great spiritual leader"?
POLLY TOYNBEE: I think it would be hard to imagine a less spiritual man. He was
in every way earthy. A powerful
megalomania; we got this aura of power from him that was extremely alarming. We
then went, on another day with him, to
some huge Nurenberg style rally in a stadium, where everything was to the
greater worship of him. And again, what he really
liked was this feeling of power.
Power and the trappings of power. This palace is the Japanese government's
official guest house, where its most important
visitors are housed. Recently, the press was summoned here for a photo-call to
witness the presentation to Pres. Nelson
Mandela of an honorary degree by Daisaku Ikeda. Throughout the ceremony, Mr.
Ikeda appeared to be on the most intimate
terms with the distinguished visitor.
DAISAKU IKEDA: We first met five years ago. It was a very warm occasion. He had
read my book in jail. He said we
should foster our friendship for the rest of my life.
POLLY TOYNBEE: What he did with my grandfather he has done time and time again
with distinguished people all over the
world, who haven't a clue who he is, or what he is, and just imagine that he is
an important and serious Japanese leader. And so
they agree to have a meeting with him, and out of perhaps one meeting comes the
impression that it's a very close and important
relationship, and that this person has given their full support to Ikeda and his
movement.
As founder of Soka-University, Mr. Ikeda has been able to confer honorary
degrees on many of Japan's most eminent visitors.
When Mr. Gobechav was so rewarded, it was another splendid opportunity with
Ikeda at center stage -- friend of the powerful
and patron of the arts.
Among Ikeda's more grandiose ventures in his cultural crusade is the
establishment of two major museums of art. This one
(Tokyo Fuji Art Museum) houses 5,000 works, including paintings by many of the
greatest European masters, from all the
principle periods and schools, up to the present day. Although there are fine
paintings here, experts regard it as a curiously
mixed bag, which may be explained, in part, by the way it was put together. When
Mr. Ikeda went shopping in the art galleries
of Europe, he didn't waste time on second thoughts or second opinions.
STEVE GORE: The rapidness at which Ikeda would walk through the galleries
impressed me. He would spend maybe 4 to 6
minutes in each gallery. He would point and utter these commands. The names of
the works, the prices and the catalog,
everything was written down. Several hours later, one of the general secretaries
would come back with the briefcase full of
money. If the man was willing to meet for the bulk price - - the 3, 4 or 6
pieces from his gallery -- he was given the cash. I
found it amazing to see how fast one man could spend so much money.
Very serious questions have been asked on how so much money was spent on certain
works of art, and where the money
went. Here at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, negotiations allegedly took place, in
1989, for the purchase of two French
impressionist paintings that are now in the Soka Gakkai collection. Tax
authorities became suspicious, because both Soka
Gakkai and Mitsubishi claimed to have purchased the same paintings, on the same
day, in the same place, but at a different
price.
Tax investigators could find no trace of two French nationals who supposedly
sold the two Renoir paintings to Mitsubishi. It
appears to have been a double sale of the paintings in which 11 million (U.S.)
dollars went astray -- simply disappeared.
Japanese newspapers suggest that the money probably finished-up in a political
"slush-fund," and that Soka Gakkai is more
interested in pedaling political influence than it is in French impressionism.
DAISAKU IKEDA: Our museum bought the Renoir masterpieces for a very high price,
but I knew nothing about it. If there is
a scandal, people always blame me.
No one was really made the scape-goat, although the authorities raided the
premises of art dealers to discover who did sell the
paintings, and to whom. And aIthough they confiscated documents, and although
Mitsubishi was ticked- off for dealing in
antiques without a license, and although inquiries went on for months by
official agencies and the press, nothing was resolved.
PROF. KITANO: Without finding what happened to the money, the Japanese tax
office stopped their investigation. We
believe that this was the result of strong political pressure by Soka Gakkai.
DAISAKU IKEDA: They can say or write what they like. They won't imprison me, or
kill me with poison-gas. But I am
concerned at the way the mass media becomes emotional and prejudiced. This can
hinder democracy and human rights.
To make sure that its members are not corrupted by hostile media, Soka Gakkai
has its own communications network to
spread the word to 1,000 meeting halls and cultural centers. This can be of
great value when it comes to election time.
Last year, Soka Gakkai's own party, Komei, was partially merged to form a new
party, Shinshin-to (New Frontier Party
[NFP]). Recently, elections for the Upper House were the first real test of its
strength. The voter turn-out was the lowest in
recent history, benefiting the party that could best deliver the votes. The
results sent shock-waves through the political circles,
with the new party winning 40 seats, thanks to the Soka Gakkai vote, and that
must have profound implications for Mr. Ikeda.
INTERVIEWER: As Shinshin-to, it must stand a reasonable chance, does it not, of
being actually elected and forming a
government?
IKEDA: I am placed in a very difficult position. If I say yes, then people might
slacken their efforts. If I say no, some people
may lose confidence. And so, I must say, maybe yes, and maybe no.
PROF. KITANO: Although Soka Gakkai calls itself a religious body, in reality,
it's Ikeda's political organization. Ikeda's aim is
to use Soka Gakkai to take over Japanese politics and the civil service.
If we conclude from all the evidence that Soka Gakkai is not quite the great
force for peace and harmony and human happiness
that it claims to be, does that really matter except to a number of hurt and
angry individuals? For surely, the Aum- Shinrikyo
case tells us that it does matter. What that bizarre story reveals is a
dangerous weakness in the Japanese Constitution that
leaves it virtually powerless to deal with the religious organizations. The
constitution imposed on Japan by the United States, at
the end of World War II, guarantees freedom from state interference with
religious groups, and that provision protects their tax
exempt status. Now, unless changes are made to the law, they will continue to
use, or misuse, their great wealth as they will.
Changes to the Religious Corporation Law could check the secret use of funds
that, in the Aum-Shinrikyo case, were used to
develop chemical weapons. Such reforms are now before Japan's legislatures. If
they become law, they could curb the power
of all religious groups, including Soka Gakkai.
In a recent development, Japan's Justice Minister announced his resignation
following allegations that in a secret deal with the
opposition, Shinshin-to party, he would agree to obstruct his own government's
efforts to make religious organizations more
accountable. The name of Soka Gakkai, through its support of Shinshin-to is
bound to be linked to the scandal.
The Japanese public is well aware that if recent election results are repeated
in a general election, Shinshin-to could take the
reign of the government. And where then, would the real power lie?
tony the pony
>What is the Soka Gakkai International ?
Japan's Religious Sect Bent On Worldly Power
by Robert Guest
Sunday Telegraph 15th Oct 1995
FORGET the banking crisis. Forget ultra-nationalism at home and
an increasingly aggressive China. The biggest single threat to Japa-
nese democracy is an ostensibly peace·loving lay Buddhist group,
according to many members of the political establishment
Last week, the huge power of Japan's religions and charities
leapt to the top of the news agenda when Tomoharu Tazawa, the jus-
tice minister, was forced to resign after newspapers alleged he
struck a secret deal with his political enemies to block changes to
the law which guarantees the groups their tax-free privileges.
His resignation is part of a much bigger and more sinister whole.
Soka Gakkai, Japan's largest religious organisation, is campaign-
ing relentlessly and covertly to grasp backstage control of parlia-
ment, the conspiracy theory goes.
Paranoia? Unfortunately not. Soka Gakkai holds the balance of
power in the main opposition New Frontier Party (NFP). Sixty·three
MPs from Soka Gakkai's political arm, the bizarrely named "Clean
Government Party", merged with the NFP last year.
The NFP welcomed them because they brought a guaran-
teed six million votes from the faithful, plus copious funds and an
army of volunteers prepared to hand out policy leaflets. The trou-
ble is, there are enough Clean Government MPs to veto any NFP
leader they dislike. They always vote as one block and they were
the political enemies Tazawa was accused of conspiring with.
Soka Gakkai was founded in 1930, the lay arm of a venerable
Buddhist sect, Nichiren Shoshu. It was uncontroversial until Daisaku
Ikeda became chairman in 1960, since when it has grown larger
than Nichiren itelf.
Ikeda's followers believe in attaining enlightenment through
chanting seven sacred syllables repeatedly and abandoning
worldly desires. But Soka Gakkai meetings tend to concentrate
more on venerating Ikeda himself and watching videos of him meet-
ing world leaders. As far as religions go, it is not too demanding.
except on acolytes' pockets.
The group gives generously to charity, and campaigns for
"peace, culture and education". Ikeda denies any political ambi-
tions. but few people in Japan believe his protestations of politi-
cal innocence.
The government is currently trying to close loopholes in
Iapan's Religious Corporations Law. which allows almost anyone
to register as a sect, and exempts them from taxes and police scru-
tiny. In the aftermath of the Aum affair in March, when crazed cult-
ists allegedly nerve-gassed the Tokyo subway, the government's
plans enjoy popular support. But Soka Gakkai likes its tax·free
status. so the NFP opposes any change to the law, saying it would
erocle religioas freedom.
The law was passed as a reaction to the wartime persecution of
anyone who failed to worship the emperor. Under it, police may not
even ask a registered faith how many members it has. Donations
are tax-free. Sect-owned businesses pay less tax than ordinary
firms, and accounts can be kept secret and tax-free.
Since religious status is laughably easy to acquire, it should
come as no surprise that Japan has 180,000 registered sects. And
the Aum cult was allegedly able to get away with murdering its oppo-
nents for six years before the authorities took note.
Soka Gakkai is sometimes likened to Aum, but there are few
similarities. Aum was tiny, with an estimated 3,000 members. Its
leader - Shoko Asahara. was obviously deranged. Aum's plans for
world domination were crude, to say the least: killing twelve ran-
dom commuters by releasing nerve gas on crowded trains was
hardly the best way to launch a coup d'etat.
Soka Gakkai. on the other hand, is huge, claiming 10 million mem-
bers worldwide. Ikeda is brilliantly sane. And since the NFP
may well win the next election, his bid for the role of political puppet
master looks likely to be rewarded with success.
To what end would Ikeda like to wield power? Soka Gakkai litera-
ture gives no clue, and critics worry that power itself is the
group's only concrete aim.
The fact that Ikeda once tried to make Nichiren monks worship a
statue that looked rather like himself is not encouraging.
tony the pony
>What is the Soka Gakkai International ?
The Weekly Post - Jan. 11 - Jan. 17, 1996
Japan-Heaven for a Religious Group But Danger for Country's Politics
<Picture>Moved by an enormous amount of concern of Japanese people about a
series of horrifying murders committed by a Japanese extremist cult sect, Aum
Shinrikyo, last year, Japanese politicians have been fiercely arguing the issue
of religious groups for new legislation.
However, their argument is not about the issue of Aum sect, but the involvement
of religious groups in politics. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) which
governed Japanese politics for almost four decades until their defeat in the
1993 election, took full advantage of increasing outrage of Japanese public
toward Aum. They wasted no time in shifting the nation's attention to attack
Sokagakkai which is the most powerful religious organization in Japan and
possesses a significant amount of influence over Japanese politics.
Sokagakkai was established in 1930 and in 1960, when Mr. Daisaku Ikeda became
the leader, Sokagakkai expanded its size of followers very rapidly and evolved
quickly to the largest religious organization in Japan.
Sokagakkai has its own representative political party called the Clean
Government Party (CGP) which has become one of the most important components of
the New Frontier Party (NFP), the largest powerful opposition party against the
ruling coalition including LDP.
The New Frontier Party is headed by Ichiro Ozawa, a most convincing rival of the
Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto of LDP, and the political power game between
two parties has accelerated the stormy argument over the issue of religious
groups in Japan.
The Sokagakkai has about 18 million followers in Japan as well as abroad, and
their voting is significantly important in Japanese elections. Sokagakkai's
Clean Government Party accounts for 52 members in the total number of 170 of the
New Frontier Party in the Lower House which has decision power over the Upper
House.
A money machine for collecting big cash
The Sokagakkai's power is important also in money. It is estimated that
Sokagakkai's total revenue reached $2 billion in 1995-less than those of normal
years which recorded $2.5 to $3 billion. The largest chunk of their $2 billion
came from the collection of annual dues of their followers.
At 12:00 a.m. on the New Year's Day, Sokaggakai starts their ceremonies at their
temples across the country to celebrate the new year. During their three days
ceremony, about 3.5 million followers come to these ceremonies and make
financial contribution at the entrance of their temples where they find an
envelope to enclose their donation. On an average, they contribute $50 each,
which means about $150 million in total. It is a money machine for collecting
big cash.
No receipts are issued to these contributors. It may create opportunities for
some local officers to embezzle these funds and for the Headquarters to use
these monies for purposes which cannot be made public. No government authority
checks for what purposes these monies are spent. No one, other than high ranking
monks of the organization, knows where the money goes.
Segregation between religion and politics
It is a well-known fact, in various forms and ways, Sokagakkai spends money
directly or indirectly for their political purposes.
Japanese constitution dictates the segregation between religion and politics and
does not allow any religious groups to practice their authoritative power over
politics. Also, Japanese tax laws which were structured under the U.S. guidance,
prohibit religious groups' movements for organizing political groups,
legislative activities, election campaigns and even using their facilities for
political activities.
Of course, there are polemics in interpreting the constitution among
politicians. They interpret it in favor of their own political convenience. Even
in LDP, there are some politicians who want to restore their friendly ties with
Sokagakkai. Former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone is one of them.
It is more obvious than ever that Sokagakkai's no tax status privilege for a
non-profit religious organization must be in serious question. Considering their
handling of finance and the accounting book as well as their degree of
involvement in national politics, if Sokagakkai were in the U.S.. they would
have lost, a long time ago, all the privileges given to a non-profit religious
group.
-Atsushi Mizoguchi
tony the pony
>What is the Soka Gakkai International ?
On July 4th 1957 Mr Ikeda was arrested for illegal election activity
in Osaka
In July 1968, during the election for the house of councillors,
numersous Soka Gakkai members cast illegal substitutive votes. Eight
people were later found guilty.
In March 1969, Mr Takieri (chairman of Komeito) obstructs the
publishing of an article called "The unpainted face of Komeito". (A
blow against press freedom !!!)
On July 13th 1969, During a Tokyo assembly election, numerous Soka
Gakkai members raid & occupy a polling station in Nerima.
In October 1969, Soka Gakkai ask the Liberal Democrat secretary Mr
Tanaka to pressure Mr Fujisawa to withdraw his critical book about the
Soka Gakkai. He refuses (A blow for press freedom !!!)
In May 1970, a group lead by Mr Yamazaki (Soka Gakkai's legal
advisor), bugs the telephone of Japanese Communist Party Chairman Mr
Miyamoto. This was in retaliation for Communist Party's condemnation
of the Soka Gakkai's attempted obstruction of press freedom.
On December 28th 1970, a "Mutual Noninterference and Coexistence" pact
between Soka Gakkai & the Communists, was signed. However, on
completion, Mr Ikeda bragged that he had deceived the Communist Party
Chairman, and the pact immediately became worthless.
In April 1976, The Gakkai sues a Japnaese magazine over editorial
articles about Mr Ikeda's illicit affairs with women.
In May 1981, The Gakkai wins it's case against the magazine, in the
Tokyo courts. However, during a hearing at the Supreme Court, a judge
says that, as Ikeda is a public figure, writing about his affairs with
women IS in the public interest. He orders a re-trial.
In April 1980, Legal advisor Yamazaki has a crisis of faith, becomes
estranged from Ikeda & resigns. Many consider him to be the holder of
Ikeda's darkest secrets, and he is handsomely paid off. However, part
of the money is later found to have been obtained through coercion,
and he charged by the police & arrested in January 1981.
In June 1988, Komeito politician Toshio Ohashi is thrown out of the
party for critising Ikeda in the press. His revelations expose the
so-called separation between the Komeito & the Gakkai to be a sham.
In May 1989, The Chairman of Komeito, Mr Yano resigns due to suspicion
of unlawful dealing in stocks and making huge profits.
On May 22 1989, Komeito politician Katsuya Ikeda is prosecuted for
helping a company recieve government funding in return for shares in
that company. The Soka Gakkai's huge money-gathering activities are
brought to light, in the successive financial scandals.
In June 1989, An old safe containing 170 million yen was found in a
rubbish dump in Yokohama. The safe was traced to Soka Gakkai. When it
was discovered that Soka Gakkai owned the safe, a member of it's
General Affairs Division "took the rap" for it, and said that the
money was his. However, it became apparent from circumstancial
evidence that the money was actually illicit funds of the Soka Gakkai.
In January 1990, The Gakkai concealed a stone monument bearing the
inscription "Jardin Noriega" at it's training centre in Fujinomiya
City. Ikeda had previously boasted of his close association with
Panamanian drug king Noriega, and constructed the gardens at the
centre in his honor. (nb. Noriega named a small Island off of Panama
"Ikeda Island" after the Soka Gakkai president)
In March 1991, Unaccounted-for funds totalling 1500 million yen
surfaced in connection with the Soka Gakkai's purchase of two Renoir
paintings, from Mitsubishi.
In May 1991, the Japanese tax office points out that the Gakkai had
not declared 2380 million yen from tombstone sales. It ordered SG to
pay 640 million yen back tax & fine.
In June 1991, Soka Gakkai owned up to making additional profits of 640
million yen from tombstones & plots, resulting in another 150 million
yen tax bill. The actual nature of the Soka Gakkai accounts for it's
tombstone & burila plot business remains unclear. It is from here that
the hush money for Legal advisor Yamazaki was paid.
In July 1991, It was revealed that Soka Gakkai received 450 million
yen for improper reimbursement for losses suffered owing to a decrease
in the value of stocks bought from a securities firm. This revealed
that although the SG has special tax status as a religion corporation,
it acts like a business corporation in it's dealings in the stock
market."
taken from Japanese magazine Marco Polo - so concientious was this magazine that
it volontarily closed itself down after its owner discovered it had printed a
nasty inaccurate report about the holocaust.
QuarterRat
Quart...@AOL.Com
Jim Cub 3D
>
>On 30 Nov 1998 19:10:02 GMT, sok...@aol.com (SokaGuy) wrote:
>
>>What is the Soka Gakkai International ?
>BBC WORLD NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS
So, what are we to conclude, Paul? Have you given up all hope of arguing for
your religion based on doctrine or anything positive? Just gonna wallow in
character assassination from now on?
Jim
Visit <bekkoame.or.jp/~bone>
tony the pony
>IPCRESS posts:
>>
>>On 30 Nov 1998 19:10:02 GMT, sok...@aol.com (SokaGuy) wrote:
>>
>>>What is the Soka Gakkai International ?
>>BBC WORLD NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS
>
>So, what are we to conclude, Paul? Have you given up all hope of arguing for
>your religion based on doctrine or anything positive? Just gonna wallow in
>character assassination from now on?
>Jim
Not me bubba - moan at that shady, clandestine BBC group - for they are surely
the evil ones attacking the good name of the Gakkai. Send the Priesthood Issues
Committee and Nigel Lloyd to sort out the mysterious Julian Pettifer...
P