Dharma Wheel

I take exception to the general claim of the organization being filled with "dysfunctional" people, its plainly judgemental and inaccurate. As far as low denominators go, thats true- all you need in order to practice in SGI and transform yourself is a pulse. And I never said that. I sugge...

Your previous posts, and the title are replete with judgement based on a few meetings over 2 months. Dysfunctional and marginalized are the words you used. I have made no metaphysical argument, only that these judgements are hasty. I was hand selected by Cesar Chavez himself to represent marginaliz...

I find it entertaining that SGI receives so much judgement as to its constituency from folks that have spent so little time in it. And I find it entertaining that people keep putting words in my mouth. Who ever “judged” SGI? All I have done is describe my encounter with the organization, which I ce...

I knew this would happen, so I need to write the following: MY POST ABOVE IS ABOUT DEMOGRAPHICS, NOT METAPHYSICS. I have no problem with people who are marginalized, poor, have experienced racism, etc. Please see the link in my signature where I as a child appeared in an advertisement for “Colegio C...

but I won't agree with Nichiren Buddhism schools in general as being dysfunctional (with the exception of SGI) So, you don’t agree, but you do. Or, you agree … partially? 🤷‍♂️ I just agree regarding Soka Gakkai. Also, regarding your comment on Nichiren Shu; it does not focus on the marginalized. Ma...

Glad I started this thread, because it really got me thinking…. 1. Soka Gakkai. A member of this forum wrote that when you get down to it what Soka Gakkai really teaches is spiritual triage. In other words, SGI is largely focused on helping people who are in difficult situations. I have even seen re...

Shiva wrote: ↑Fri Mar 13, 2020 8:57 pm but I won't agree with Nichiren Buddhism schools in general as being dysfunctional (with the exception of SGI)

So, you don’t agree, but you do. Or, you agree … partially?

I see a few around, generally kept in little cases on the altars of folks who have been fully engaged in SGI leadership for some time. Back in the old NSA days my district chief was given one- he being a very old-timer in the area since the beginning- he often wore his on a chain around his neck. S...

As I posted before, I practice Nichiren Buddhism, but largely independently. After trying Nichiren Shu, Nichiren Shoshu, and SGI, I simply gave up trying to be a part of any Nichiren organization. It’s a real paradox for me that the practice works for me but the organizations (which promote the pra...

Shortly after Nichiren passed away the sect started to split and split and become other things as well.. that happened in japan... what you are witnessing here is just the same karmic/ sansho shima/ nightmare as in the beginning. According to the Lotus sutra all that is left in mappo is counterfeit...

At what point in their practice is a member given an omamori Gohonzon?

Queequeg wrote: ↑Thu Mar 12, 2020 1:20 pm A lot of counting other people's money in this thread.

What does that mean?

Sounds like you only went to a few meetings. I think you gave up way too easily. I practiced by myself for about 10 years.. it didn't amount to much. SGI is a mixed bag, but I want the good parts so I participate and pursue it. If you went to a few meetings over the span of two months, and the peop...

In SGI "shakabuku" means talking to people about the practice and what its done for oneself, asking if they'd like to attend some meetings and if not, leaving them be and allowing your example to make the statement. Its been that way since the early 90's. I thought that “Shakubuku” meant ...

Sure wrt DC. There was also plenty of evidence of leadership in Maui and Colorado Springs and those are fairly remote. I've not been to any of the really small centers however. I'm not proposing all centers are equal, some may well be toxic. From looking at the pics online, the Portland SGI center ...

Washington DC metro area, lots of 1st gen members started here and we have 3 regional community centers. OTOH while on travel I visited the community center in Colorado Springs, and another in Maui. Both were well-attended in the occasionally somnolent way SGI tends to do things. I've not been to t...

The organization is nothing other than the people in it, thus a variety of perspectives exist. As far as I'm concerned I focus on what I'm interested in and leave the rest. I see a lot of community centers open with many people going to meetings and likewise in their respective districts, I see a v...

I go to SGI meetings pretty often, and volunteer at the local community center- I have never heard any language even remotely similar to domination of anything much less world domination. The constant refrain is individual transformation via the practice, and by the individual's transformation the ...

I mean it is called the holy Roman empire. Slightly off-topic but the Holy Roman Empire was a long time after the fall of the roman empire. A quick look at Wikipedia indicates that it didn't have much to do with Rome, either. It was basically a germanic empire. Rather ironic, really, considering th...

Since the 1960's, SGI has opened and operates community centers in every state I can think of, sometimes several, plus meetings in member's homes all over the place, there are organized publications online and the most organized collections of Nichiren gosho available anywhere in English. The commu...