A Byrd's Eye View

I have a motto for all this:

"What works in Japan will not work here ... and actually it doesn't work in Japan either."

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei

Byrd:

Important stuff. Anyone who has held a leadership position in the SGI-USA, knows that those who rise up through the ranks are those who are willing to to say hai! If not hai!, they have that the attitude of "without question or pause." It often boggled my mind how certain people were singled out for leadership and others were the perpetual bridesmaid.

Intresting about that Leadership Manual. Right around the time of The Winning Life, the publications department broched the subject of contracting me to possibly write that. I don't believe they were too thrilled with me after The Winning Life, so nothing came of it.

I too am interested in the response you get from this line of reasoning. I once resigned from the position of district chief because my hancho hit on my ten wife. After I had a conference with the sogocho about this little problem and resigned, the hancho was promoted to district chief! How bout that? In 2001 I was a district chief and my marriage broke up (too juicey to discuss here), and I was removed from my position. That decision had zero impact on my departure from the organization a couple years later. But I have not forgotten how arbitrary and insipid their decision was.

Final, you created a perfect image of the "fighting daimoku" and the "hugging daimoku" scene. She talked right over you and your perspective, which was actually more in line with Buddhist compassion. When I think of "fighting," I think of agression. Whaever happened to quietude, non-attachment, and peace of spirit? Do we need to thrash everyone and everything into obedience? The Lotus Sutra is not about aggression. I can't help but think that these slogans and attitudes are distinctly Japanese. We all know how Nichiren took on the various sects and schools of Buddhism, while batteling the ruthless athorities, but those times are long gone. Is this "fighting daimoku" geared at saving individuals and whole societies from the urge of violence, war, and fanaticism? This approach of fighting daimoku seemes destined to failure because it is not based in the Lotus Sutra, smacks of the ordering principles and pecularities of Japanese culture, and it is a sort of an antonym of world peace or happiness. Just a thought.

Charles

Howdy --
As you know, I've amassed a whole shelf of books on Japanese culture, while trying to sort out what is Buddhism, and what is merely cultural peculiarity -- essentially Confucian...
I can recommend "The Unspoken Way --Haragei in Japanese Business and Society" by Matsumoto, "Hidden Differences: Doing Business with the Japanese" by Howard & Mildred Hall, "Japanese Culture and Behavior" edited by T.S and W.P.Lebra and the not-outdated classics by G.B Sansome and Ruth Benedict.
I have misplaced a main one by a Japanese psychologist, with the word "Dependent" in the title -- explaining all Japanese relationships -- in corporations, the military, social organizations, etc -- in terms of the "amae" emotional dependency of spoiled small boys upon their mothers. He's so right! And maybe why Douglas MacArthur called Japan "a nation of twelve-year-olds."
Ideally, superiors are nurturing, indulgent and very much feared. Inferiors are unquestioning, blindly dependent upon their betters, learning how to behave when they get dependent inferiors of their own.
It seems to be emotionally growth-stunting -- sort of training human bonsai trees. I don't think that most of them ever learn to cope with adult life the way that grownups in the rest of the world do.

Barbara

As Buddhism traveled across Asia into Japan, it had already been influenced by the hosts' cultural values along the way. This can be an exhausting subject. The causes and conditions are complex. So we need to tread carefully. It may not be easy to peel away the cultural varnish without thoroughly understand the historical, political and economic background of the regions of the time - Including Nichiren's time.

On another note, if the Buddha's teaching about how we should "discard the boat once we cross the sea of suffering", then SGI, as a driver of this boat is making it difficult for us to discard it. Because it is confusing the teaching by making itself the destination rather then a mean.

This is fascinating subject. It deals with issues there are near and dear to me. I am looking forward to read more.

Dharmaseeker

Byrd,
I was not going to comment about your view of the SGI-USA, but since you mentioned my name indirectly...

I recommended to "speak to the lady" because everyone deserves respect, even a Japanese Pioneer.

You are willing to talk about "that lady" in public without confronting "that lady" directly. bad manners, as far as I am concerned.

Just so you know Byrd, I am a Black American and acknowldege myself as such; Black; not as a Japanese-like individual.

I see you found a book to justify your actions and beliefs, conrgratulations.

Patrick

Yes, it is a very good book, Patrick - I'd be interested in your reaction, if you get a chance to read it.

Thanks as always for checking in, Byrd in LA

Me again.
I understand that there is no word for principle in Japanese. It's too non-situational. I think even their math is situational, in that there are several words for one, two, three, etc., depending upon who is involved.
Also -- I've been trying to remember a very important verb in Japanese that describes the activity before any business meeting, in which all issues are decided and concensus arrived at. Meetings are just feel-good formalities.

And we need to consider the passionate patriotism of Japanese expats. I'm recalling, in Mexico City, the exaggerated Frenchness of colonials at 14th of July parties, the veddy Britishness at Queen's Birthday parties, even gringos' homesickness on 4th of July... it brings out a lot of shared complaints about the wrongnesses of the foreign place where they happen to be.
Moreover, to some Japanese after WWII, we have been the enemy in what they called a Hundred Years War which was far from over. Before the Japanese economy tanked, they could feel arrogant.
As I recall, NSA offered training to upper echelon people in what it termed "mastery."

I remember World Tribune editor Gary Curtis, after a year of gakkai training in Japan, saying, "The Japanese have Democracy brand shoes and Democracy brand cigarettes. But they will never understand democracy."

Barbara

I'd like to know if you come accross anything explaining the high rate of suicide in Japan.
ch

Interesting ideas, Byrd. I just wanted to mention another book which may be helpful in understanding
the Japanese culture...expecially Samurai ideals...Bushido by Inazo Nitobe.
Thanks, Patty

Hi Byrd,

Thanks for the insights. I consider them spot on, but you would already have guessed that.

One observation to offer: the Japanese way of personal and group allegiances in place of written constitutions described by van Wolferen, doesn't sound all that unlike the structure and management style of gangs and criminal organizations.

Having said that, I must emphsize there is no intention to portray any Japanese organization as being in any way equivalent to any criminal organization, only that there is an interesting similarity in their styles. What is important is that an org like SGI is benevolent, if a little whacked, whereas the criminal gang is not.

Still, that type of personal benevolence also strikes me as being extraordinarily vulnerable to corruption if an unscrupulous person or persons gains that type of authority.

Hi Byrd,

Sound very familiar to me. I believe we also discussed this topic last year at the SokaGakkaiUnofficial group of yahoo groups.
Like I told then; the way the west looks at Buddhism isn't nesseseraly the way it is presieved in, for instance, Japan. Like you said back then, SGI-USA leaders tend to think that they have to act like the people do in SG. Only then your a "true Nichiren Buddhist". Also, like at the forum, I quote again Nichiren's Gosho: "Follow the Law of the Lotus Sutra, not the person."
I believe that the topic at the forum was called "indoctrination by SGI" or something like that. You changed it in "Help, I think I'm turning Japanese!"
If I compare the European situation with the US situation, I can only conclude that SGI Europe has followed more closely the words of Nichiren then SGI-USA. By maintaining it's own identity SGI Europe achieved more towards Kosen Rufu then the SGI-USA, I think. Each European member state does it, and for that matter, interpretate the Lotus Sutra and the words of President Ikeda to it's unique situation. The Dutch do it by using it's famous polder model, the French do it their way and so on. Their country responsibles , even the Japanese one's like in the Netherlands, look to the situation of the country and it's needs for the members. Often this means that those in power, as far as it goes for the Japanese members, have th change their way of dealing with problems and have to listen to what the members really need. Depending on in which country they life.
Let me give an example. Last week I wrote a gardening budget for our Dutch cultural center's garden. When I had sent it and spoke to the grounds keeper of the center, he said that our organization didn't have so much money in cash. And that he thought that the amount mentioned was to much. I told him that i would explain to the chairman of SGI Netherlands about the amounts mentioned. He couldn't believe that maintaining and renovating a garden brings up these costs. As a professional gardener myself i assured him that a typical gardening company would ask double the amount of what I proposed for the same amount of work. And I didn't tell him about what a gardening company normally charges at a hourly base.
It's just the way people tend to think and react as learned when they where brought up, I think.
It would be nice to discuss this topic more often with you.
Looking forward to it.
André

For Harry, about "vulnerability to corruption"...
It happens.
I am presently trying to be compassionate and non-judgmental about appointed leaders whose livelihoods are criminal by U.S. standards, painfully harmful to innocent people.
But by Japanese standards of good and bad, fortunate is good, unfortunate is bad.
Those leaders are wealthy winners, deserving of admiration.
Their victims should be despised for their own bad karma.

I would so much like to see a Buddhism that had a concept of "scruples."

Barbara

Byrd: I am always surprised at how racist your comments about the Japanese are. In your eyes, all of the problems that exist in the SGI are the result of Japanese culture. I have many of the same concerns about the SGI as you do. I find that there is little tolerance in the organization for any position that has not been espoused by President Ikeda; that there is little financial accountability; that everyone is required to walk in lock step behind President Ikeda, questioning nothing that he says; that people are almost conned into making large contributions to the organizations on the grounds that they will receive large “benefits.” In fact, I agree with everything that you say except your attempts to blame it on the Japanese. To act as if this is a Japanese problem, is racist, and runs counter to everything that we are taught in Buddhism. These very problems are also found in many very American Christian churches, which have not been influenced by the Japanese. It does you no credit to blame it on the Japanese and Japanese culture.
Disenchanted SGI Member

Please don't blame Byrd for the criticisms that I have been posting. They're my own. And I don't think they have anything to do with "racism."

It is the rigid culture imposed upon a crowded, isolated island population...behavior that is unacceptable to the rest of the world, and a great impediment to the world peace that might be possible with a Buddhism that doesn't carry so much Confucian baggage.

Barbara

Barbara: what leaders/jobs are criminal? Do you mean SGI leaders?

I tend to agree that focusing on Japanese culture as a source of SGI's problems comes close to racism. It's a slippery slope. However we have to acknowledge where our traditions and practices come from. But people are human and wherever you have two or more interacting you're going to have these kinds of problems. Now SGI may not have the best system for addressing them, but you're never going to get rid of them completely.

Having informal rules does lead to more abuses of power. It also keeps people off balance. We used to refer to this as "training." ;)

I have to agree that not all problems with SGI or other organizations related to Japanese Buddhism are the fault of the Japanese. And certainly many dysfunctions are universal and not tied to any particular ethnic group.

However, as someone who works with Japanese very closely and has as much of an insider point of view as anyone who is not Japanese is likely ever going to get (my wife is Japanese, my sensei is Japanese, I go to Japan at least once a year, I am constantly working with the Japanese ministers in one capacity or another) I know for a fact that there are traditional mindsets and ways of doing things that are inappropriate here and in fact don't even work very well in Japan. The Japanese themselves recognize this - just as we Americans recognize that we have our own dysfunctions that we as a culture have not yet overcome.

This is not to say that everything the Japanese do is wrong. I don't think that. My little motto is tongue-in-cheek. And just so you know, my wife also makes fun of American foibles - and we have enough mutual affection and undestanding to know that these are not condemnations or racism but gentle chiding.

As a matter of fact - one foible of Americans is to constantly scream "racism" or "victimization" at the drop of a hat. We are constantly a nation of paranoid defensive victims. This is not to say that there isn't still a lot of real racism in our country, or at least certain areas and regions - but the race card really gets overplayed and played in situations where it's not racism at all.

Now the thing about criminal gangs I found interesting. Think about criminal gangs - they are tribes or extended families - clans. It's not that being clannish or tribal is criminal - it is just that criminal subcultures are retaining or reverting back to a more basic level of human organization. What I see in Japan is that the transition from a fuedal clan based culture to a modern industrial culture happened much later than it did for Europeans - and it was done in a kind of artificial forced manner during the Meiji Restoration. I think even some stages of development were skipped in the rush to modernize. And there was definately the intention to adopt Western methods but retain Japanese culture or spirit. They even made mottoes out of this. But what the Japanese were identifying as the Japanese spirit, were oftentimes relics of a fuedal family or clan based way of doing things. I am getting the sense that only now are the Japanese losing these ties of close knit extended families and ties to the land (my own in-laws being a good example with the way they have been spread all over Japan, constant moves and changes of jobs, and losing touch with the ancestral lands and graveyards). This, of course, has its pros and cons - as they lose touch as we have with what it means to have close-knit extended families and enter into a more cold and impersonal way of doing business and organizing society. I think a lot of anime and manga are about this in one way or another - either projections of a cold machinelike cyberpunk future, or nostalgiac reminscence of folktales and the Edo period - or postmodern mixtures of both.

Bottom line though - my seemingly harsh critiques about Japanese culture comes from a deeper affection and from being so closely enmeshed in it - and from digesting the Japanese own self-critiques as well as personal observation. Far from disliking the Japanese as a culture (much less in a racist sense), I think any objective observer could only conclude that I am a Nipponophile, in the same way that other North Americans have been and are Francophiles or Anglophiles.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei

Hi, Disenchanted, and thanks for your input. I guess I have to anticipate that any criticism of the Japanese Social structure is going to be interpreted by some as racist. I'm sorry that's the case - what do you think would be a better way of examining organizational issues such as the lack of clear and coherent accountantability and transparency in the organization? The lack of general membership participation in policy and other decision-making? The secretive leadership appointment process?

The problem for me was that I had been led to believe that these things were in some way "Buddhist", when in fact they are not. The books about Japanese culture help me to tease out what is "Buddhist" from what is just a foreign culture and social power structure.

Other people have fled from the SGI (in particular) and Nichiren Buddhism (in general), screaming that we are a "cult", and citing the kinds of issues I am trying to discuss. I think that looking at these questions as real cultural conflicts allows for a less alarmist interpretation of the SGI for outsiders. Do you not agree?

I am very interested in hearing what you feel would be a better wzay of understanding the issues. I'm not saying, for example, that the Japanese have smaller brains than the Europeans,or making any kind of claim as to a physiological or genetic inferiority (something which racist anglos frequently have tried to do with people of non-Europoean descent in our culture). I'm interested in cultural issues, in what will and will not work in a Western setting.

What do you think is a better way of approaching these matters? I'm genuinely interested. Thanks a lot in advance, Byrd in LA