BBC AFFIRMS SGI CULTS CORRUPTION
Jack Shoults
Some excerpts and comments thereon from "The Chanting Millions"
(*emphasis mine*)
"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."
And "some say" the earth is flat, the CIA killed Kennedy and nobody ever
went to the moon.
*****
"Ikeda is the great cultural and, for his supporters, spiritual leader.
*Another view* says he's a bully with a lust for power."
see "some say" above
*****
"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?"
"Since powerful people "often" or "tend to" seek the company of other
powerful people..." would be more accurate. Ghandi was a powerful
person (he convinced the British to leave India), yet he seemed to
gravitate towards unpowerful people. Nelson Mandella's power comes from
his uncompromising integrity. That such a man has a private talk with
with Daisaku Ikeda while in Japan as head of state is somehow cast in a
sinister light by the author of this article, when in reality, the
meeting can only reflect credit to Daisaku Ikeda without casting
aspersions on Nelson Mandella as well.
*****
"FOUNDATION OF IKEDA'S POWER -- TAISEKIJI-TEMPLE OF NICHIREN SHOSHU"
I don't think so. This statement dates the article as pre December,
1991. More accurate would be to say that the foundation of Pres. Ikeda's
power is his practice of Buddhism.
*****
"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."
More accurate would be to say that the SGI has been very successful in
propagating the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin.
*****
"It may look spiritual, *but S.G. is all about practical things*. That
includes personal wealth and political power."
Patently false. Absolutely untrue. Based on the concept of the oneness
of the spiritual and the physical, the SGI teaches that we cannot ignore
the realities of this "saha" world, that, in fact, this world of
physicality is the Pure Land and that to believe that some other land,
i.e. heaven, is the Pure Land is a false and misleading teaching that
will lead people to prolong their suffering. To say that that is all the
SGI is about is grossly misleading.
*****
"The faithful are expected to chant daily, to donate generously to Soka
Gakkai funds, and to recruit new members."
Two out of three, although the phrase "recruit new members" sounds a bit
harsh. How about "show others the way to overcome suffering and become
happy". That is the purpose of the SGI's efforts to propagate Nichiren
Daishonin's Buddhism.
*****
"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."
I assume the author is referring to the Komeito Party. "Partially
dissolved" is inaccurate. I believe it was required that those who held
positions in the Komeito party were forbidden to hold positions in
the Soka Gakkai of Japan.
*****
"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."
Says Keicho Ouchi. No documentation. No source. I have never heard of
Pres. Ikeda saying such a thing or anything remotely close to it. A
blatant lie.
*****
"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."
Sounds far-fetched to me. If I inherited wealth and my SGI leaders told
me I should contribute $100,000, I don't believe I would have any
problem at all telling them to go fish and easily make it stick.
*****
"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."*
So has the PTA. I classified it as such this morning on a cocktail
napkin. No documentation. No source.
*****
"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."
This is just the kind of person that created so many problems for SGI
members in the first place, a half-baked individual who was looking
for someone else to take responsibilty for his 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."
"Mostly because of my husband." Placing the locus of blame for one's
problems outside of oneself is the same as failing to take
resposibility for one's life and actions and will prevent one from
effectively dealing with the problem. Even therapists realize that. How
many people who have never practiced come to realize that the person
that the person they married is not the person they married? Could it be
that the reason this woman's husband was never home was because he was
using the practice to escape being with her? Could it be that they had a
disfunctional relationship from the get-go? There are plenty of couples,
one or both of whom are practicing in the SGI, who don't have this
experience. When people act unreasonably, it is totally unjustified to
blame someone or something else for their behaviour.
*****
"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."
Apparently, the author failed slightly in his mission to completely
distort the SGI.
*****
"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
realizethat it was abuse. I was part of that operation, and we thought
that nomatter what people did for the organization, it would be good for
them."
"...and we thought that no matter what people did..." should read
"...and I thought that no matter what people did..." I have never
run into the kind of pressure that this guy is speaking of. This
guy is obviously blaming others for his actions based on an
incomplete understanding of Buddhism.
*****
"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."
Wow. A whole paragraph in which nothing twisted or distorted is
written about the SGI.
*****
"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."
Not bad
*****
"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."
Do we get a wide sampling of the wishes of these 2nd graders? No, we are
presented just one that backs up the authors preconceived premise, that
the SGI is nothing more than a money collecting organization.
I will post this now and return with the second half of the BBC
documentary, "The Chanting Millions"
Jack Shoults
Jack Shoults
Jack Shoults
Craig Bratcher wrote:
>
> From: Jack Shoults <jsho...@pacbell.net>
(snip)
> >No documentation. No source.
> >Jack
>
> See below...
>
> Craig
> The arbn Truth Detector...
(snip)
We have an old man of 69 who alleges he was beaten by a group of Soka
Gakkai members. This, along with some of the other allegations with
which you paper your posts, is a serious offense and should be
prosecuted and the perpetrators brought to justice. Has this happened?
Have there been any arrests and/or convictions? If not, WHY not? Anyone,
acting with others, to severely beat a 69 year old man should be
punished. Anyone, acting with others, to beat a 69 year old man
unconscious does not sound like any SGI member that I have ever met. Was
it ever discovered whether these thugs acted on their own volition or
were set to the act by others? I cannot imagine a old man being beaten
to the point where he must spend three months in the hospital and
nothing is done to bring the culprits to justice, especially seeing as
how they have already been identified as SGI members. Surely, someone
must have gotten a good look at these men. Apparently there were many
other people at the scene. This incident was mentioned in the S.F
Chronical on Dec. 27th, 1995, where it was reported that the old man's
hospitalization took place in April, 1991. Surely there must have been
SOME headway made in that time in identifying the men responsible. I
would like to hear about any cases of violent acts against those who
have dropped their association with the SGI perpetrated by SGI members
in which arrest and conviction have occurred. I would like to hear of
any proof that any SGI leaders instructed others to carry out acts of
violence against anyone who has quit practicing within any SGI
organization. Have violent acts of this nature or incitement by leaders
to violent acts been conclusively verified? These are serious
accusations and I want to know if there is any truth to them.
Jack Shoults
Craig Bratcher
From: Jack Shoults <jsho...@pacbell.net>
"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."
> And "some say" the earth is flat, the CIA killed Kennedy and nobody
>ever went to the moon.
*****
"Ikeda is the great cultural and, for his supporters, spiritual leader.
Another view says he's a bully with a lust for power."
> see "some say" above
But some feelbetrayed, 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.
Mr. Ikeda often says he will take over Japanese
politics and become the real leader of the Government.
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
DIANE HONEYMAN-BLOEDIE (Former S.G.I. member): It turned my life into a
living hell
>No documentation. No source.
>Jack
See below...
Craig
The arbn Truth Detector...
Open letters of protest are welcomed by both the British Broadcasting
Corporation and my ISP...
Har!
Craig
"They tried to chase us when my sisters
went out. They came to our home to try to harass us. My former
friends told lies to get my phone number. When they called,
they said,‘You will go to hell, you will be unhappy’. Some were
subjected to physical violence. There was an order by Ikeda to
harass members who leave the cult."
Japan’s Rush Hour of The Gods
THE AUSTRALIAN MAGAZINE
http://coyote.accessnv.com/tamonten/96-09-28_29-the-australian-magazine.html
..."a mob of Soka Gakkai members, marched into the Kaishinji temple during a
religious service. Shoving aside worshippers, they seized Yahiro and
Kashiwazaki. I thought I was going to die, recalls Yahiro, an
asthmatic. He almost did. A large man grabbed Yahiro by his necktie and lifted
him off the floor, and others took turns punching him until he passed out."
TIME Magazine November 20, 1995 Volume 146, No. 21
http://pathfinder.com/@@S4Ji*gUAlYDFN9mI/time/international/1995/951120/TIDE.HTM
"...several hundred Soka Gakkai members invaded his temple during a
service and beat him so severely that he was hospitalized for three months.
Yahiro's hospitalization in April 1991 brought to light a brewing battle..."
San Francisco Chronicle: - Japan Fears Another Religious Sect
http://www.sfgate.com/programs/srch_archive/srch_archive_wrap?unregistered=true&WAISdocFile=/WAISlink/chronicle/archive/1995/12/27/MN62956.DTL&WAISdbName=/doc_root/wais/chronicle/1995&WAISaction=retrieve&WAISdocID=0666914397+0+0+0&WAISheadline=PAGE
The Soka Gakkai also has begun a campaign of harassment
against the priests. Rumors have been spread that the Taisekiji
Temple grounds are in disarray, with stray dogs wandering
about and robbers lurking in the shadows. Right-wing groups
park their sound trucks outside the temple and blast out their
criticism of the priests..."
Los Angeles Times, 12/16/91
"I know what the group does to people whom it
regards as its enemies. It's not safe for anyone
who dares to criticize it."
TIME - THE POWER OF SOKA GAKKAI
http://pathfinder.com/@@cQhxKQUA1N@02C68/time/international/1995/951120/japan.html
The list showed this powerful
nonprofit group, which has been involved in several other scandals
this year, received slightly more than $3 million from
Kokusai Securities...
New York Times - THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1991
But as the police have begun to unravel puzzle of the Yokohama safe
...the money has been linked to a powerful, militant Buddhist religious
sect, the Soka Gakkai. The sect, in turn, controls the Komeito or Clean
Government party.."
New York Times 7/20/ 89 - - Japan Finds Latest Scandal in a Dump
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) [Soka Gakkai Singapore].
The Straits Times - TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 1991
SGI corporate charter:
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 Homepage
To reply by E-mail, please delete "nospam" on my address
____________________________________________________________
http://www.angelfire.com/nd/NST/index.html
http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/jqpublic/lectures1.html
http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/jqpublic/sgi.html
http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/jqpublic/budismo.html
jqpu...@netnitco.net
>I would like to hear of
>any proof that any SGI leaders instructed others to carry out acts of
>violence against anyone
> Have violent acts of this nature or incitement by leaders
>to violent acts been conclusively verified? These are serious
>accusations and I want to know if there is any truth to them.
>Jack Shoults
"They [the priesthood] are enemies of Kosenrufu and enemies of Buddhism
who seek to render the Buddha's words meaningless. For this reason, we
must resolutely CRUSH them. Between the Buddha
and devilish functions, there is no middle ground."
World Tribune, June 28, 1993, p. 4
"Let us proudly advance on the supreme road to Kosenrufu as we
BRING AN END to the [High Priest] Nikken [Shonin] sect"
WT, March 1, 1993, p. 4
The militant SGI army-ants mobilized under the direction of their
little Buddha for the modern age and proceeded to
physically assault priests and members of the temple
that expelled him:
TIME Magazine
November 20, 1995 Volume 146, No. 21
International Edition: Asia
YOSHIO YAHIRO, 69, DID NOT MERELY DECIDE TO QUIT SOKA GAKKAI; he resolved
to take all the friends he
could with him. A senior official in the sects branch at Fukuoka, Yahiro
concluded nearly five years ago that he'd had enough
of what he calls a vote-gathering and fund-raising machine that was
growing increasingly violent. He announced his change of
heart publicly and, with Jusen Kashiwazaki, chief priest at Kaishinji, a
temple of the Nichiren Shoshu sect, set up a circle to
encourage others to quit Soka Gakkai, too.
After about 100 sect members followed Yahiro's example, Soka Gakkai
believers decided to strike back. On April 13,
1991, some 300 young men dressed in navy blue suits and white shirts, a
mob of Soka Gakkai members, marched into the
Kaishinji temple during a religious service. Shoving aside worshippers,
they seized Yahiro and Kashiwazaki. I thought I was
going to die, recalls Yahiro, an asthmatic. He almost did. A large man
grabbed Yahiro by his necktie and lifted him off the
floor, and others took turns punching him until he passed out.
They demanded that we apologize to Ikeda for our disloyalty or they would
drown us in the river outside, says Kashiwazaki,
43. Police arrived in 30 minutes and restored order. The incident was
national news and marked the start of a full-blown war
between Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai, which included clashes at other
temples. In November 1991, Nichiren Shoshu's
chief priests severed ties with Soka Gakkai and excommunicated Ikeda.
Yahiro spent three months in the hospital recovering from damage to his
lungs and other internal injuries, then emerged as a
crusader. He turned the leadership talent he once deployed for Soka Gakkai
to enticing members to quit and encouraging
disenchanted members to visit the Kaishinji temple for counseling sessions
that could take months, even years. Today Yahiro
and Kashiwazaki point to pictures that line the temple entrance, showing
more than 800 people they have saved from Soka
Gakkai. Nichiren Shoshu has a policy of trying to win back members from
the sect and Kaishinji boasts the highest
conversion rate of any temple in Japan: 14 to 18 people a month. One
advantage the priests have is that they regained control
of all the temples and the priesthood when they split from Soka Gakkai.
Says Kashiwazaki, I fill the void with Nichiren's
teachings.
Yahiro has received numerous death threats, but is an inspiration for
thousands of others who have earned Soka Gakkai's
vengeance. When former members organized the 10,000-strong Soka Gakkai
Victims Association a year ago, Yahiro was
named honorary leader. Says he: By banding together we can protect
ourselves and spread the truth about Soka Gakkai.
By Irene M. Kuni/Tokyo
( For full text, go to:
http://coyote.accessnv.com:80/tamonten/kaishinji.html
This can be found by searching for it at Time magazine's homepage, like I
did, at: http://pathfinder.com/time/)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Yoshio Yahiro, 69, says that after he quit the group and took 100 others
with him to form another Nichiren Shoshu sect four
years ago, several hundred Soka Gakkai members invaded his temple during a
service and beat him so severely that he was
hospitalized for three months.
Yahiro's hospitalization in April 1991 brought to light a brewing battle
between Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai. Animosity
intensified with several other clashes at temples, and in November of that
year Nichiren Shoshu severed ties with Soka Gakkai
and excommunicated Ikeda.
Yahiro, now honorary president of the Soka Gakkai Victims Association, a
10,000-strong organization formed last year, says
he has succeeded in encouraging some 800 people to leave the sect.
Tomoko Suzuki is one of them.
The 42-year-old Tokyo housewife did part-time volunteer work for the local
arm of Soka Gakkai, raising funds through
neighbors and shopkeepers. But when she became disillusioned with the
group and tried to quit, she learned that the sect
regarded her commitment as a lifetime one.
``I enjoyed the religious practices, but I was not happy with how we were
made to collect funds all the time,'' said Suzuki, who
declines to use her real name. ``They tried to keep us from leaving and
made it very difficult for my family to have peace. We
had many disturbing phone calls. For a while I thought it would never
end.''
Other Soka Gakkai members have told stories of violent intimidation and
death threats against critics of the sect and those who
have tried to quit the group.
Asaki, the late assemblywoman, received several death threats shortly
before her demise, according to her family.
A sect spokesman strongly denied all such allegations.
Much of the unease about Soka Gakkai is laid on the stout, balding Ikeda,
who urges senior members on with such phrases as
Tenka o toru (Conquer the country).
Ikeda was born in 1928 into a family of producers of edible seaweed. He
joined Soka Gakkai at the age of 19 and quickly
rose through the ranks.
He married another follower and had three sons -- the eldest of whom was
being groomed as his replacement before dying of a
sudden illness at the age of 29. Ikeda's second son, Hiromasa, is now said
to be the heir apparent. Ikeda's public image is one
of a charismatic leader, but he has been known to display a violent
temper.
A videotape filmed at a 1993 Ikeda speech to followers in Santa Monica,
later released by a disgruntled former sect member,
shows Ikeda yelling and pounding on tables in anger and later railing
against President Clinton for having refused to meet with
him.
After taking control of Soka Gakkai in 1958, Ikeda accelerated efforts to
gain political influence for the group.
He developed an official political arm, known as the Komeito party. But a
1970 scandal in which Komeito members tried to
pressure retailers into not selling a book critical of Soka Gakkai caused
the hierarchy to disassociate itself from the party. But
few doubt Ikeda's continued control over Komeito, which has since been
renamed Komei.
© The Chronicle Publishing Company
Find this article on the Chronicle's Home Page:
http://www.sfgate.com/programs/srch_archive/srch_archive_wrap?unregistered
=true&WAISdocFile=/WAISlink/chronicle/archive/1995/12/27/MN62956.DTL&WAISd
bName=/doc_root/wais/chronicle/1995&WAISaction=retrieve&WAISdocID=06669143
97+0+0+0&WAISheadline=PAGE ONE -- Japan Fears Another Religious Sect
Los Angles Times, 12/16/91
Religious Battle Taking Shape in Foothills of Mt. Fuji
Japan: The Buddhist order of Nichiren Shoshu has expelled its lay
organization, Soka Gakkai. Political fallout is probable.
By LESLIE HELM
TIMES STAFF WRITER
The Soka Gakkai also has begun a campaign of harassment against the
priests. Rumors have been spread that the Taisekiji Temple grounds are in
disarray, with stray dogs wandering about and robbers lurking in the
shadows. Right-wing groups park their sound trucks outside the temple and
blast out their criticism of the priests intransigence.
Temple signs have been splashed with paint. Soka Gakkai's youth group
members, in numbers as large as 200, have shown up at temple prayer
meetings to badger the priests.
To see actual photos of these trucks with their anti-Nichiren Shoshu
banners and loudspekers clearly visible, go to:
http://coyote.accessnv.com:80/tamonten/visitors.html
TIME Magazine
November 20, 1995 Volume 146, No. 21
JAPAN
THE POWER OF SOKA GAKKAI
GROWING REVELATIONS ABOUT THE COMPLICATED AND SINISTER NEXUS OF
POLITICS AND RELIGION
EDWARD W. DESMOND/TOKYO REPORTED BY IRENE M. KUNII/TOKYO
According to ex-followers, Soka Gakkai spies on its own ranks,
trailing and intimidating those who are unsure of their
commitment. Shuichi Sanuki, editor of a biweekly newspaper for the 10,000
members of the Soka Gakkai Victims
Association, claims to have overseen, among other activities, the sect's
alleged spying apparatus in Tokyo. He quit, along with
many other disenchanted members, in 1991 when the Nichiren Shoshu, which
provided the sect's priesthood, grew angry
over Ikeda's attempts to take over the religious wing and excommunicated
him. Sanuki says he received death threats over
the phone, and members of the Soka Gakkai Housewives' Association even
contacted his wife and urged her to divorce him.
Says he: "I know what the group does to people whom it regards as its
enemies. It's not safe for anyone who dares to
criticize it." For its part, Soka Gakkai resolutely denies any involvement
in such harassment.
THE OGASAWARA INCIDENT
A book about the Soka Gakkai, highly praised by Daisaku Ikeda for its
accuracy, renders this account of the circumstances surrounding the
Ogasawara incident, wherein an 80 year old priest was stripped to his
underwear and assaulted: 1
"Toda had not always displayed the reverence and humble loyalty
that might be expected of a lay believer toward the priests at
Taisekiji. Addressing members of his organization, he would often speak of
'bad priests,' compared with whom Toda was a far better student of the
canon of Nichiren Shoshu in both knowledge and conduct....Toda felt
particularly bitter toward one Taisekiji priest, Jimon Ogasawara....
" (He) felt that the priests, and Ogasawara in particular, were
largely responsible for the government suppression of Soka Kyoiku Gakkai
and for Makiguchi's death in jail
" ...Toda never forget this, nor did he forgive Ogasawara. On the
eve of April 28, 1952, when Taisekiji held a major service to
commemorate the founding of the Nichiren sect in 1253, Toda visited the
temple with _4000_ members of his Youth Division (__led by__ __Daisaku
Ikeda__) and assaulted Ogasawara. Toda felt justified in doing so to
avenge his late teacher and demanded an apology from the octogenarian
priest. When Ogasawara refused, the young men mobbed him and carried him
on their shoulders, tagging him with a placard inscribed: Tanuki Bozu
(Racoon Monk). Ogasawara was taken to Makiguchi's grave, where he was
forced to sign a statement of apology.
"Interviewed on July 2, 1956, in the Japan Times, [Toda] admitted
hit ting the priest 'twice' and said that this was the cause of the
extremely unfavorable press his organization then received --which
labeled Soka Gakkai as a 'violent religion.' "
"Ogasawara filed a complaint with the authorities against Soka
Gakkai for assault and battery. In November 1952, Nissho, the high priest
of Taisekiji, reprimanded Toda for the April 27 incident and Toda
responded with an apology printed in the Seikyo Shimbun....He promised
that Soka Gakkai would follow the iron rule of absolute obe-
dience to the policy of the (Taiskiji) administration would con-
tinue to serve its interests.. " 2
1 Murata, Kiyoaki; Japan's New Buddhism: An Objective Account of Soka
Gakkai; John Weatherhill, Int, Tokyo, 1969.
2 bid.,pp.95 -97.
[Ikeda actually wrote the preface to this book!]
FILE
IN CLERKS OFFICE
COURT OF APPEALS
STATE OF WASHINGTON, DIVISION III
DATE: JUNE 9, 1994
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
KEN B No. 13065-7-III
Respondent,
V.
) Division Three
LARRY T ) Panel Four
Appellant.
)
KEN B ) No. 13066-5-III
Respondent,
V.
EDDIE Y
Appellant. FILED JUN - 9 1994
SCHULTHEIS, J.-- After trial to the bench, the Spokane County Superior
Court found in favor of Ken
B on his civil harassment claim and entered protection orders against
Larry T and Eddie Y.
Appellants contend: (1) the findings are unsupported by the evidence and
in turn fail to support the
conclusions; and (2) the civil harassment statute is vague and overbroad.
We reverse.
Nichiren Shoshu Temple (NST) is the "temple side" of Japanese Buddhism and
is a religious order
operated by ordained priests. Various lay groups also practice Buddhism,
but without official sanction by
NST. One of these is Soka Gakkai International (SGI). SGI was affiliated
with NST and supported the
parent organization, financially and otherwise, but about a year prior to
the events giving rise to this
controversy, NST expelled SGI. The record does not disclose what prompted
this action.
Among those SGI members affected were Mr. Y, Mr. T , Dave M , Shizuko S
and Melissa S. Mr.Y
learned the regional high priest of NST, Reverend Jiho Takahashi, had left
San Francisco and was due to
arrive in Spokane. Mr. Y alerted Mr. T who contacted Ms. S and Ms. S. They
decided to meet Reverend
Takahashi's plane so Mr. Y and Ms. S could confront him about the rift.
Mr. Y left his home in Seattle,
bringing with him surveillance equipment, and met with the others in the
group who resided in Spokane.
On May 23, 1992, they drove to the Spokane International Airport. Mr. T
and Mr. M did not enter the
terminal and remained in their respective vehicles, each equipped with a
walkie-talkie.
Forewarned of a possible confrontation, two NST members, Mr. B and Paul K
, were at the airport to
greet the plane. Mr. B had been a member of SGI but left to join NST. The
reason for Reverend
Takahashi's presence in Spokane was to officiate at Mr. B's wedding over
the weekend. Reverend
Takahashi and his assistant, Yoshiko Huseth, deplaned and as the four of
them stood together, Mr. Y
approached the group and began speaking to the priest in a loud and
aggressive manner. The two were in
bodily contact and Mr. Y was "in his face". Mr. B directed Mr. Y to step
back. A scuffle ensued when
Mr. B interposed himself between Mr. Y and Reverend Takahashi in response
to a perceived threat of
physical violence. The NST party then proceeded through the concourse
toward the exit. Along the way,
Mr. Y continued to shout at Reverend Takahashi who did not respond. The
one-sided conversation was
in both English and Japanese. Mr. B did not understand Japanese and at
trial, the only comments he
could attribute to Mr. Y were "Stop. We want to talk to you. We want to
talk to your priest. We want to
go to your meeting."
As the party walked toward the main terminal, Ms. S, accompanied by Ms. S,
confronted Reverend
Takahashi. Mr. K positioned himself between the priest and his adversary.
In the process, he hooked Ms.
S's purse with a luggage cart and tugged it from her grasp. On reaching
the magnetometer station, Mr. B
asked one of the attendants to summon airport security for assistance in
preventing the SGI contingent
from following and harassing Reverend Takahashi. Mr. Y and Ms. S continued
to try to talk to the priest.
All of the SGI members were chattering loudly and several were grasping at
the NST group. Security
personnel contacted the SGI contingent in the terminal parking garage
which allowed the Takahashi party
to escape. After engaging in brief conversation, the officers took no
action.
The NST members retrieved their automobile and prepared to drive to Coeur
d'Alene, Idaho, where Mr.
B resides. Still intent on confronting Reverend Takahashi, the SGI group
put into operation a backup plan
to maintain contact. Mr. M observed Mr. B's vehicle leave the parking
garage and radioed Mr. T on a
walkie-talkie. The two surveillance vehicles fell in behind Mr. B's
vehicle as he left the airport. While on
the Interstate 90 freeway, Mr. B sensed he was being followed and brought
his vehicle to a halt at an
access ramp to confirm his suspicions. Another vehicle did likewise, and
in the front seat were Mr. Y and
Mr. T . No threats, menacing gestures or verbal abuse occurred, although
Mr. B did observe one of the
men had what appeared to be a walkie-talkie. Mr. B then took evasive
action by leaving the freeway. He
was followed by Mr. T . He re-entered the freeway, again followed by Mr. T
's car, and proceeded to his
destination.
Various incidents occurred in Idaho later in the day and the following
morning. Among them, Mr. Y and
Mr T had "difficulty finding accommodations" that evening and finally
located a bed and breakfast facility
where they remained for the night. It happened to be the same bed and
breakfast where Reverend
Takahashi and his assistant were staying. Testimony relating to events
transpiring in Idaho was excluded
because the court concluded that extraterritorial harassment, if any, was
not relevant. Some information
developed nonetheless when Mr. T testified without objection to meeting
Reverend Takahashi in Coeur
d'Alene. The priest and his assistant were having breakfast. Mr. Y and Mr.
T joined them, there
apparently being only one table at the facility. The situation was
"tense", but not confrontational. The
SGI members were still intent on engaging the priest in dialogue, but
another couple staying at the bed
and breakfast sat down at the table and Mr. T felt it would not have been
"really appropriate to talk to
him" under the circumstances. The priest left the table after the first
course of the meal and did not
return.
Mr. Y, Ms. S and several other SGI members returned to the airport later
that day in the belief Reverend
Takahashi would be departing and they might again have an opportunity to
speak with him. He was, but
security personnel allowed the priest to avoid public access areas and to
leave through a special gate.
There was no contact at the time between any of the NST and SGI members.
THE AUSTRALIAN MAGAZINE
2, Holt Street, Surry Hills, Sydney 2010.
Tel: (02) 9288-2442 Fax: (02) 9288-3371
September 28-29, 1996.
Pg.30-35
By Robert Garran
What is it about Japan that led to the growth of the
mad, sadistic Aum cult, with the brutal treatment of
its members, its crazy plans for world domination?
Was Aum just an aberration, the rotten fruit of a few
social misfits? Or does it foretell a broader, deeper
malaise in this most affluent of nations? And what
does Aum, which had 10,000 members before the subway
attack, have in common with any of the other of the
abundance of new religions?
The biggest is Soka Gakkai. It claims to have 10
million members --- almost one in 12 Japanese --- who
are active in seeking new recruits and doing good
works. It operates numerous educational institutions
and international cultural exchanges. It is also much
maligned and feared by many Japanese.
To its members it is only path to true happiness, but
Soka Gakkai’s efforts over the years to portray itself
as a benign and benevolent institution have failed
dismally: it is widely reviled for what many
outsiders regard as its malevolent responses to its
critics and deserters. Those who try to leave,
especially the more senior members, are frequently
harassed, and there are stories that opponents have
been murdered.
Soka Gakkai was formed in 1930 as a lay arm of the
Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist sect, one of the 30 groups
following the teachings of Nichiren, a monk who lived
from 1222 to 1282. Thousands of members left Soka
Gakkai in 1991, complaining that the group was being
taken over by its leader, Daisaku Ikeda, for his own
political purposes. The split led to bitter
recriminations between remaining and former members.
One former member, Tomiichi Yamada, claimed he was
harassed for two years after he left. “I was an
executive responsible for looking after 4000 members,”
he says. “After I quit, I received phone calls every
day. They either hung up without speaking or said,
‘You will be killed’. Early on the calls came every
day, morning and night; later they became
intermittent. It wasn’t just me, it happens to all
former members. Sometimes they followed me home from
work, or left frightening messages saying, ‘Watch out
what happens to your kids’. I had Soka Gakkai members
piss on me. Others have had dead cats, rats and dogs
thrown over the fence into their gardens, or fires set
against their houses.”
Soka Gakkai denies all this, saying such stories are
the invention of irresponsible tabloid journalists.
“I can categorically deny that any kind of pressure
like that exists in our organisation, because people
can come and go,” says Yoko Kaitani, 46, a member for
40 years. “There is absolutely no pressure from the
organisation.”
Michiko Watanabe (as did Yamada, she asked that her
real names not be used), also left at the time of the
split, after being a member since her birth 32 years
before. “When I left, my family and I were harassed by
members of the Soka Gakkai division,” she says. “They
tried to chase us when my sisters went out. They came
to our home to try to harass us. My former friends
told lies to get my phone number. When they called,
they said,‘You will go to hell, you will be unhappy’.
Some were subjected to physical violence. There was an
order by Ikeda to harass members who leave the cult.”
Experience From Korea:
Discovering the Truth
By Kim Tai Kun, Korea
March I, 1993 Daibyakuho
Around midnight on November 1st, more than ten Soka
Gakkai Korea YMD members barged into my store and be-
gan to harass me. They told me, "We will stab you to death
for sabotaging Sensei's efforts! Why have you tumed
against Ikeda Sensei after having given us guidance for
more than twenty years that he is our master in life?"
I answered, Mr. Ikeda pledged that he would forever re-
spect the high priest as the master of the Law. But he broke
his promise and has rebelled against Nichiren Shoshu and
the high priest. That is why I have refused to go along with
him. However, I am not violating Nichiren Daishonin's
teachings. I am following what I believe."
In spite of my words, they remained on my property for an
hour. Finally they left me with the following menacing
words. "We will come again. Prepare for the worst.A traitor
like you is sure to come to a tragic end."
After that. for the next twelve days, from 7:00 a.m. until
midnight and sometimes until 2:00 a.m. they surrounded my
house, entered my property and threatened me. One night
they told me, "Mr. Kim, we are here because the YMD
members want to stab you or beat you up."
I replied, "You can stab me, you can attack me. I am ready
to die. I am not a&aid in the slightest of dying."
But my wife. mother-in-law and children were terrified.
My wife could not sleep for several days.
So I called the Chief of the Soka Gakkai Korea Adminis-
tration Department and demanded that he order the YMD
members to leave me and my family alone. Two senior lead-
ers requested that I meet with them, and I agreed.
At this meeting they told me, "Mr. Kim, come back to the
organization and we will give you any position you wish.
We will ask Wako Publishing Co. to give you any job you
want, along with a nice salary."
I answered, "I resigned to support the Nichiren Shoshu
priesthood, to receive guidance from the High Priest Nikken
Shonin. Do you think I will accept a payoff like this?
"Some people become more confident and courageous the
more they are threatened and intimidated. Therefore. I want
you to call off your members right now. I have not taken
any action yet because of our former friendship. But I can-
not keep silent anymore. If you do not stop the harassment
immediately I will go to the press and speak out publicly
about what has been done to me.
"As if all of this weren't enough, the Gakkai is planning to
set up its own sect and produce counterfeit gohonzons, isn't
it? Imagine the confusion that revelation will cause among
your members."
After that conversation. members came over twice more.
After that. they stopped completely. I received threatening
phone calls several times, but those did not continue. I have
heard that they followed me for one month, but I was not
aware of that. I have also heard that they continue to vilify
me both privately and in their meetings.
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet
Jim Cub 3D
The BBC is an impartial and never-erring news organization.
Yet I am personally aware of three complete untruths in this "thing" Craig
keeps trying to scam off on everyone. If I, without leaving my desk, can
spot that many, one wonders how many others there are!
In article <33e7c387...@news.netnitco.net>,
jqpu...@nospam.netnitco.net (Craig Bratcher) writes:
>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.
There was no connection at all between the two incidents. The gravestone
inquiry was initiated during a routine audit by the Tokyo Regional
Taxation Bureau on May 7, 1991.
So what do we call this? "Misrepresentation"? "Honest mistake"? "L..."
-- no, the BBC would never do that.
Like other media (Time comes to mind) they had their point-of-view, found
someone to endorse it, and didn't bother checking what he said.
>
>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.
The two gallery owners were found and were charged. One was fined and
sent to prison while the other was heavily fined.
>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.
"We believe" is usually sufficient proof in a Gakkai-bashing hatchet job
like this.
Jim
Mr T
> *****
>
> "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?"
The SGi has also contributed much money to Mandela's causes. This was how
Ikeda got to meet with him in the first place. This is how Ikeda meets with
all popular world leaders.
>
> "Since powerful people "often" or "tend to" seek the company of other
> powerful people..." would be more accurate. Ghandi was a powerful
> person (he convinced the British to leave India), yet he seemed to
> gravitate towards unpowerful people. Nelson Mandella's power comes from
> his uncompromising integrity. That such a man has a private talk with
> with Daisaku Ikeda while in Japan as head of state is somehow cast in a
> sinister light by the author of this article, when in reality, the
> meeting can only reflect credit to Daisaku Ikeda without casting
> aspersions on Nelson Mandella as well.
The SGI PAYS for Ikeda to meet these people. This is how it's done. They
don't just call him up because is is some sort of person they want to know.
ALL meetings are instigated by the SGI. Donations are made to these
people's causes.
> *****
>
> "FOUNDATION OF IKEDA'S POWER -- TAISEKIJI-TEMPLE OF NICHIREN SHOSHU"
>
> I don't think so. This statement dates the article as pre December,
> 1991. More accurate would be to say that the foundation of Pres. Ikeda's
> power is his practice of Buddhism.
This is merely fip-flopping on his part. Doctrine was important to Ikeda-
-once upon a time - but his years of adoration by millions proved that he
is human, like many who attain such positions of power and influence. They
become corrupted by their own delusions.
> *****
>
> "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."
>
> More accurate would be to say that the SGI has been very successful in
> propagating the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin.
> *****
The SGI gained benefit because it once was praticinig the correct religion.
Period.
>
> "It may look spiritual, *but S.G. is all about practical things*. That
> includes personal wealth and political power."
>
> Patently false. Absolutely untrue. Based on the concept of the oneness
> of the spiritual and the physical, the SGI teaches that we cannot ignore
> the realities of this "saha" world, that, in fact, this world of
> physicality is the Pure Land and that to believe that some other land,
> i.e. heaven, is the Pure Land is a false and misleading teaching that
> will lead people to prolong their suffering. To say that that is all the
> SGI is about is grossly misleading.
> *****
>
> "The faithful are expected to chant daily, to donate generously to Soka
> Gakkai funds, and to recruit new members."
>
> Two out of three, although the phrase "recruit new members" sounds a bit
> harsh. How about "show others the way to overcome suffering and become
> happy". That is the purpose of the SGI's efforts to propagate Nichiren
> Daishonin's Buddhism.
It's a "feel-good" self-help group that uses elements of Buddhism and other
philosophies along with strong support system to attract people who are
searching for greater meaning to their lives.
There are many such groups that are far more succesful.
>
> I assume the author is referring to the Komeito Party. "Partially
> dissolved" is inaccurate. I believe it was required that those who held
> positions in the Komeito party were forbidden to hold positions in
> the Soka Gakkai of Japan.
So what? They followed guidance from their leaders. They were politicians
for the SGI. President Ikeda was their master.
>
> "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."
>
> Says Keicho Ouchi. No documentation. No source. I have never heard of
> Pres. Ikeda saying such a thing or anything remotely close to it. A
> blatant lie.
> *****
>
> "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."
>
> Sounds far-fetched to me. If I inherited wealth and my SGI leaders told
> me I should contribute $100,000, I don't believe I would have any
> problem at all telling them to go fish and easily make it stick.
You were not in Japan when the SGI was a very strict and authoritarian group.
They've gone to great lengths to avoid this sore point of the SGI history.
(Which existed for many years)
> *****
>
> "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."*
>
> So has the PTA. I classified it as such this morning on a cocktail
> napkin. No documentation. No source.
> *****
PTA? How so......
There is documentation, but, of course, you don't want to research it.
Jack, she sincerely followed the SGI. This is how the SGI taught Buddhism
in those days. There were MANY such relationships. Hundreds of SGI
marriages ended in bitter divorce because of lack of understanding. How
soon you forget that in the 70's top SGI leaders gave guidance for people
to marry (and sometimes who to marry). There were many such marriages. I
went to their weddings. Gay men told to marry women for the sake of
appearance.
It was sick. You cannot schluff off blame from the SGI on this matter.
> "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."
>
> Apparently, the author failed slightly in his mission to completely
> distort the SGI.
No he didn't, he was merely interviewing the top PR man of the SGIUSA. Al
Albergate is a career PR spokesman, for many years for the Los Angeles
District Attorney's Office (no easy job) and now full time with the SGI. It
is his job to deal with the press and public with the more controversial
issues.
He's very good at it.
> *****
>
> "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
> realizethat it was abuse. I was part of that operation, and we thought
> that nomatter what people did for the organization, it would be good for
> them."
>
> "...and we thought that no matter what people did..." should read
> "...and I thought that no matter what people did..." I have never
> run into the kind of pressure that this guy is speaking of. This
> guy is obviously blaming others for his actions based on an
> incomplete understanding of Buddhism.
As "incomplete" as the leadership above him then, if you want to be fair.
Power corrupts. Simple as that. And when you have an organization where
leaders held tremendous spritual authority over others, it easily gets out
of hand (and did).
There was and is no reason for the "leadership" bureacracy that the SGI
still has in place today.
Kurt
--
To reply by E-mail, please delete the extra "m" before "martman" on my address.
_______________________________________________________
http://www.primenet.com/~martman/TDG.html
http://www.primenet.com/~martman/renault/Caravelle.html
Jack Shoults
Kurt
You write,
"The SGI has also contributed much money to Mandela's causes. This was
how Ikeda got to meet with him in the first place. This is how Ikeda
meets with all popular world leaders."
How do you know this? Did your priest tell you? Or do you just assume
that it is true? And if true, why is this necessarily a bad thing? You
and others are hair-trigger ready to ascribe the worst possible
intentions to ANYTHING that Pres. Ikeda does. Personally, if President
Ikeda handed a big ol' glob of money over to Nelson Mandela's causes,
GREAT! Better to someone like Nelson Mandela than Nikken. Nelson Mandela
is respected in the world community as a leader of integrity and grace
who is struggling with the insurmountable problems that are, in part,
due to the legacy of apartheid in his country.
Jack Shoults
Kenneth W. Burchell
In article <33EA6C...@pacbell.net>, jsho...@pacbell.net wrote:
> Some excerpts and comments thereon from "The Chanting Millions" Part 2
>
> (*emphasis mine*)
>
> "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."
>
> The author neglects to mention that many of the families waiting to
> send there children to Soka schools are not members of the SGI.
> *****
>
> "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."
>
> And now, using this interview with a Soka High School student, the
> author segueys into another innuendo in his attempt to portray the
> SGI as nothing but a money-making enterprise:
>
> "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."
>
> I like the part about the Seikyo Shimbun being "virtually compulsory
> reading for Soka members". As far as the last sentence is concerned,
> the author gives no example of what exactly he means. He just leaves
> you hanging there and skips off to write about something else.
> *****
>
> "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."
>
> My god, what a distortion. Believed by some, maybe. In the SGI we are
> taught that it is the LIVING who care for the spirits (lives) of the
> dead through our daimoku. I can't comment on what kind of pressure
> members in Japan are put to in circumstances involving the death of
> a relation. I only know that in my own experience and the
> experiences of my fellow members here in the U.S. with which I am
> familiar, the only money that was asked for, went to the priest who
> performed the ceremony and then left as soon as he came.
> *****
>
> "JIRO OSHIKO (Former S.G. official): I was forced to buy a cemetary plot
> in Hokkaido (The northern-most island of Japan)."
>
> Someone hold a gun to his head??
>
> "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.
>
> Either you are coerced or you aren't. Was his daughter being held
> hostage against his buying a cemetary plot in Hokkaido? What's the
> full story here??
> *****
>
> 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.
>
> Is it any different here in the U.S.?
> *****
>
> "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."
>
> So now we have it that this article was written after December, 1991.
> How can the author conlude, then, that Nichiren Shoshu is the foundation
> of President Ikeda's power?
> *****
>
> "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."
>
> Everyone here knows this is a joke. The priesthood refused to talk with
> President Ikeda or any other leader of the SGI.
> *****
>
> More later. I have a life.
>
> Jack Shoults
Nevertheless, BBC along with virtually every reputable news organ in the
world has reported exactly what SGI is.........a new pseudo-buddhist cult
centered on their charismatic "master" named Daisaku (great sage?) Ikeda.
Anyone else want to see a copy of BBC's "Chanting Millions" for
themselves? I've sent out four or five copies already.
--
Ken Burchell
For more information on Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism:
http://www.primenet.com/~martman/ns.html
http://vanbc.wimsey.com/~glenz/nikken.html
http://www.angelfire.com/nd/NST
http://www.cebunet.com/nst
http://www.cebunet.com/budhismo
http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/jqpublic/lectures1.html
http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/jqpublic/sgi.html
For info on Thomas Paine:
http://www.mediapro.net/cdadesign/paine
To reply by e-mail remove "nimrod" from the address above. Hope this eliminates some of the JUNK MAIL SPAM that loads my mailbox virtually every day ;)
Mr T
> Kurt
>
> You write,
>
> "The SGI has also contributed much money to Mandela's causes. This was
> how Ikeda got to meet with him in the first place. This is how Ikeda
> meets with all popular world leaders."
>
> How do you know this? Did your priest tell you? Or do you just assume
> that it is true? And if true, why is this necessarily a bad thing? You
> and others are hair-trigger ready to ascribe the worst possible
> intentions to ANYTHING that Pres. Ikeda does. Personally, if President
> Ikeda handed a big ol' glob of money over to Nelson Mandela's causes,
> GREAT! Better to someone like Nelson Mandela than Nikken. Nelson Mandela
> is respected in the world community as a leader of integrity and grace
> who is struggling with the insurmountable problems that are, in part,
> due to the legacy of apartheid in his country.
>
> Jack Shoults
The part I have trouble with is that the SGI is not up front with respect
to how they solicit world figures to meet with Ikeda.
Since the end result is to make Ikeda look like a maverick world leader to
his followers, this seems shameless. Just like how SGI members are taught
that he is enlightened (never publically or in writing, of course).
BTW- I should mention on this note that today at our temple we had two SGI
members who had joined the SGI only last October. They somehow found out
that a Nichiren Shoshu temple was down the street and were happy to come.
Their problem with the SGI is typical of anyone who's objective.
This is their commentary:
1) It was too personality oriented at meetings.
2) It didn't seem like a religion.
3) All anyone spoke about at meetings was Ikeda.
Mr T
In article <33EBB...@pacbell.net>, jsho...@pacbell.net wrote:
> Kurt
>
> Your whole reply to my post is completely colored by a complete lack of
> responsibility for your own actions. You hold the SGI responsible for
> whatever bad experiences you or anyone else had while practicing with
> the SGI. There was never any hidden agenda. No one ever said it was
> going to be easy.
Wrong, Jack. I practiced freely and by my own choice their for many years.
I spent my "formative years" totally in the SGI.
I did not leave the SGI because I personally had bad experiences. I left
because the SGI no longer practcied the religion I joined, which had given
me much benefit. If the SGI was still practicing NS today, I still would be
there today.
I cared about what I was doing.
Countless others that I have known, however did have bad experiences.
The SGI leadershuip structure is cliquish and puts too much emphasis on
peers for direction and guidance. Some sincere, some not.
When Ikeda came in 1990 and "freed the slaves." I was suspicious. I had no
idea that this was his prelude for splitting from Nichiren Shoshu a year
later.
He was prepping the membership for the split so that they wouldn't leave
when he did.
Hidden agenda? I think so...
>
> You write:
>
> "As "incomplete" as the leadership above him then, if you want to be
> fair. Power corrupts. Simple as that. And when you have an organization
> where leaders held tremendous spiritual authority over others, it easily
> gets out of hand (and did).
> There was and is no reason for the "leadership" bureacracy that the SGI
> still has in place today."
>
> I am not going to apologize for the past. I am going to keep on making
> progress into the future. I like how the SGI is developing. Follow the
> priests on their fancy-dress march into oblivion, if you like. Criticize
> the SGI til you die. It won't change the fact that it was the SGI
> members, imperfect as they are, who spread the teachings and practice of
> Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism to all parts of the world and it will be
> the SGI members who will continue to do so in the future.
The bottom line is that no matter what anyone does to reform the social
stucture of the SGI, it doesn't mean doodly-squat. It's just another
self-help group trying to self-improve itself. It no longer practices a
religion that has the means for leading people to true happiness. Only
superficial social support and newq-age ideology.
This is the basis of the SGI today.
IMHO- The problem with most SGI members is that they cannot separate what
they gained socially in the SGI,with the actual benefits of practcing
Buddhism correctly.
I was an SGI member who spread the teachings for many years. I continue to
do the same today in the Hokkeko. Another lay organization, but,
importantly, the same religion- and much more pure direction and agenda.
Craig Bratcher
>I would like to hear of
>any proof that any SGI leaders instructed others to carry out acts of
>violence against anyone
> Have violent acts of this nature or incitement by leaders
>to violent acts been conclusively verified? These are serious
>accusations and I want to know if there is any truth to them.
>Jack Shoults
"They [the priesthood] are enemies of Kosenrufu and enemies of Budhism who
San Francisco Chronicle:
THE OGASAWARA INCIDENT
Experience From Korea:
Discovering the Truth
To reply by E-mail, please delete "nospam" on my address
____________________________________________________________
http://www.cebunet.com/nst
http://www.cebunet.com/sgi
http://www.cebunet.com/budhismo