Pay close attention kiddies, not everything you see before your eyes is real
Ex-member #1 “Those damn leaders - I quit SGI because of those leaders, yeah - that’s right - leaders made me quit. There was that leader who said it was my fault my daughter was injured by falling out of a second story window. Mr. K, that bastard. I’m not coming back until he’s GONE“.
Ex-member #2 “Yeah, well that same leader told me I would never be successful in music until I devoted myself 100% to Youth Division activities. That asshole. I quit. I’ll show him. I’ll show him I don’t even need to quit my cocaine habit. Who does he think he is?”
New-age member #1 “Well, I don’t know about that, but I think all leaders who give guidance should be trained to read auras. If you can’t read someones aura, just how can you tell which guidance is right for them?”.
BAHSG (Buddhist abused housewives support group) - “Leaders should be trained in Domestic violence counseling. Our leaders are so misinformed about domestic violence. How can they call themselves leaders?”
Educated SGI member #1 - “Soka Gakkai leaders should all be required to have at least a Bachelors degree in Asian studies. They don’t understand the 8 fold noble path or anything of the other schools of Buddhism. How can they claim to know about Buddhism when many don’t even have a college education? “
Rev. Greg, Nichiren Buddhist Ninja - “All leaders should be at least a black belt in Ninpo arts. They should all be able to accurately throw shuriken, make fires from household chemicals, and be trained with the Japanese sword. These are dangerous times we live in. Nichiren says “There is no safety in the three-fold world”. How can a leader possibly be called a leader when they can’t even defend their member from enemy Ninjas and temple members?”
Phyllis Goodson, SGI-USA Vice General Director, “…If I want to live my life as golden, I have to capture the Soka Spirit. And it's in that section the he (Pres. Ikeda) talks about, where he says “the heritage of Buddhism is open to all, it’s not limited to any one“ and the one aspect that was uh, very uh, amazing to me is that when we separated uh, from the Nikken sect, as that they cannot BE Bodhisattvas of the Earth, and one of the key aspects I found out, and this section is trying to find out, how I can live my life as Golden, is that the heritage of the law is open to anybody and everybody, we’re all Buddhas and we all function as Bodhisattvas of the Earth…”
Posted by revgreg at February 22, 2008 07:47 PMPhyllis Goodson is really trying to say, that the SGI is so great, that only we can come to this conclusion. It's like Germany saying lets forget about the Holocaust.
FACT: WITHOUT BUDDHA THERE IS NO BUDDHISM..
screw the study
MALTZ
Posted by: Bruce Maltz at March 30, 2008 10:56 PMlabour, which we exchange for what is supposed at the time to contain the myspace div layouts for music page not. That bounties upon exportation have been abused, to many pkkqjxvgcf
Posted by: Faith at March 29, 2008 08:25 PM"This Buddhism" is a very SGI kind of thing to say.
Posted by: riamu at March 10, 2008 03:40 PMNice - I love a reader who stands behind their statements... But seriously, which perverse views were you referring to?
RG
Posted by: Rev.Greg at March 9, 2008 08:05 PMnoob. stop defiling this Buddhism with ur perverse views.
Posted by: ZZZ at March 9, 2008 06:15 PMYou are one funny dude!
Posted by: riamu at March 9, 2008 05:43 AM"Is it true that...written by George Orwell?"
No. If he had written it it would be condemning what it's condoning.
Posted by: joe at March 5, 2008 12:16 AMBuddha knows why but I read the Phyllis Goodson part again and I realized what she was trying to say. It seems like she is trying to say we are all Bodhisattvas of the Earth except for the "Nikken sect" because they deny that we are all Bodhisattvas of the Earth. It still doesn't make sense of course, but at least I was able to parse what she was attempting to say. Gotta love that double-speak. Is it true that the latest SGI leaders training manual was ghost written by George Orwell?
Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei
Greg,
It is just as Nichiren says, "without study there is no buddhism."
Those folks expecting others to do their studying for them is a reflection of many of the above quotes regarding what others think and say, as you have so noted, along with other's responses.
I think all members should hold a blackbelt in Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism, than it does not matter what any leader says or does, the correct understanding is always at hand.
Recognizing the difference between a hip toss and a leg sweep is essential in today's buddhist world. I am sure to keep from being swept off my feet or thrown down, when all I wanted was a leg up today, learning how to block a leg sweep or a hip toss is just as essential, I am afraid.
rhondori!
Patrick
Posted by: Patrick at February 25, 2008 09:23 PMHi, Greg - I think the problems and the chaos of perspectives you outline above develops from the Gakkai's insistence on "taking people for guidance." I had this discussion with someone last Friday evening.
If the SGI essentially holds out this process of "talking to leaders" as having some sort of religious/spiritual significance, then there have to be standards of some sort, no? Otherwise, you may as well talk to the Pakistani check-out guy at the AM/PM minimart.
The whole foundation of SGI "training" has to do with teaching leaders to "take their member up the line."
Why, if there's no real insight or expertise there? What is the Emperor is as naked as the day he was born?
If we are going to continue to see the line as having a religious or spiritual or "guidance" significance (rather than simply being a governance sructure), then the membership needs to be able to rely on standards of some sort, don't you think? That "blind spot" explains (IMO) the confusion you remark on in your post.
Wonderful reading you, as always, Byrd in LA
Best, Byrd in LA
Posted by: Byrd in LA at February 24, 2008 10:46 PMHi Rev. Greg - glad to see you're still blogging! I chant and do Gongyo every day here in Denmark, and you'll be happy to know that I have continued to take my medication everyday as my psychiatrist prescribes.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo,
Peter
Posted by: Peter Ulrik Röder at February 24, 2008 08:31 PMPhyllis Goodson, an SGI Vice General Director? Phyllis Goodson from Chicago? Holy Crap! How golden is that?
Charles
Posted by: Charles at February 24, 2008 05:10 PMPart of my point, as obscure as it may seem is that everyone has some personal idea of just how leaders are suppose act, what their training is suppose to encompass and so forth.
"Leader" just means "Buddhist" in SGI, nothing more. One of these cynical examples was invented, but the rest represent real members I've encountered. The last one is a direct and literal quote.
Point being - even the paid leaders don't know what the hell they're talking about. But this further illustrates a point I've been making for years - there's no such thing as a "professional Buddhist".
"Beware Japanese waitress bearing Chinese Fortune Cookie"
Rev. Greg
Posted by: Rev. Greg at February 24, 2008 01:15 AMThe one about BAHSG. I don't understand how you can make light of this situation. Maybe I'm missing something.
Posted by: Vanya at February 23, 2008 11:22 PMI have no idea what your intent is here, but your comments seem extremely insensitive.
Posted by: Vanya at February 23, 2008 07:16 PMWTF !! I've heard most of these, but what the hell was that last thing? Is that real? Did you make that up or did you transcribe it from something?
It doesn't make any sense. If "We're all Buddhas and we all function as Bodhisattvas of the Earth" then how can she just throw in that ... oh, never mind - this Mentor/ Disciple thing has gone too far. How can you live your life as "Golden" while hating other Nichiren believers?
This is not going to end well.
Nancy
Posted by: Nancy at February 22, 2008 08:07 PM