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figure it out 03/24/2012 11:46:00 AM
All these aggressive sua student comments come off arrogant and are supporting the following argument: "It's sort of ironic that they are a group for peace, but essentially, they declare war on anyone who raises a question."
Instead of asking themselves the truth, they immediately went searching for an argument that could compete with the article's stance. Do you really know the truth? Or are you just content to feel that you are part of something you don't really understand?
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03/19/2012 7:28:00 PM
it is really sad and obvious that these students immediately tried to think of every way they could argue against this article. It is as if every single student rushed to their laptops to write a comment declaring their allegiance with the school. I really doubt that they even considered the possibility that they could be wrong.
You have to realize, when you are practicing with this religious group, you are reading books much like the bible which state in abstract forms that you must not give up your adherence to the laws of "kosen rufu," which stands for world peace. Of course there are good intentions but if you are practicing day by day, reading these excerpts every morning, you become a bit carried away from reality. All of a sudden it's as if you are not you unless you are praising this founder called Daisaku Ikeda. You are not you unless you are chanting every morning and evening. The purpose of the practice is to make you feel that you can not live without it. So obviously they are going to defend this school with all their heart.
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03/19/2012 7:28:00 PM
it is really sad and obvious that these students immediately tried to think of every way they could argue against this article. It is as if every single student rushed to their laptops to write a comment declaring their allegiance with the school. I really doubt that they even considered the possibility that they could be wrong.
You have to realize, when you are practicing with this religious group, you are reading books much like the bible which state in abstract forms that you must not give up your adherence to the laws of "kosen rufu," which stands for world peace. Of course there are good intentions but if you are practicing day by day, reading these excerpts every morning, you become a bit carried away from reality. All of a sudden it's as if you are not you unless you are praising this founder called Daisaku Ikeda. You are not you unless you are chanting every morning and evening. The purpose of the practice is to make you feel that you can not live without it. So obviously they are going to defend this school with all their heart.
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Dave 12/19/2011 12:16:00 AM
Pretty worthless article when you consider the "dean" mentioned (Ex- Dean of Faculty) was terminated from that position in 2003 for making inappropriate comments about religion (like the ones quoted here) and the courts deemed the arguments of this disgruntled, non-notable professor to be unconvincing. If Gaye had talent, she would land on her feet at another school instead of going for a payday against her former employer on inept charges. The ex-prof proved to be a toxic hire and I would never want to hire that kind of faculty member. Sometimes bad profs are just bad profs. Soka needs to be creative to hire faculty and isnt going to get tier one talent--some just don't work out. If it weren't for the PhDs involved this could easily be a fake-discrimination suit at a Taco Bell.
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08/15/2011 12:45:00 AM
There are people who "take it too far" in every religion, unfortunately. With the best of intentions many SGI members will shakabuku continuously. Personally, I've been a member of SGI for 6 years, and have had no adverse experiences, but yes, there are a few members who are just a tad too zealous, but like I said -- you get that everywhere. Similarly you will have people who get "shakabukued" two or three times and whoooaaaa, it's a "cult"!!!! How about a firm: "No, thank you. I'm _____ (athiest, Christian, etc)"? People can be ridiculous on BOTH sides of this coin. And, as an aside, look up "cult" in the dictionary sometime. It's so vague and ambiguous it can be applied to every, and I mean EVERY religion or organization.
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Illarraza 05/21/2011 4:04:00 AM
The Law [Dharma] is free TJ, not the Law taught by SGI but the Law taught by the Buddhas throughout past present aqnd future. Copy and paste to your hearts content!
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05/17/2011 8:35:00 PM
http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg02_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=1961
Let's see in the next decades. This university will globally be accepted from great scholars and leaders from around the world likes the founder has had those honors.
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05/17/2011 8:32:00 PM
*paste
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05/17/2011 8:31:00 PM
Can I copy to edit and past somewhere about the numbers?
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Guest 05/11/2011 7:56:00 PM
The situation is not so different today. Soka Gakkai's use of coercive "shokobuku" today reminds everyone of the Nichirenists participation in "forced Japanization" in Taiwan under the Japanese Imperial Army. Today Soka Gakkai uses its 'thugs division' as the enforcer rather than the Japanese Imperial Army. What is criminal is the use of students at Soka University to coerce victims. It has nothing to do with genuine Buddhism which is not coercive.
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Guest 05/08/2011 4:22:00 AM
Your comment is ahistorical. It is preferable that you read history books but at least look at wikipedia. The history of Japanese Buddhism in Taiwan is not a happy one, and it does not begin 10 years ago.
During the Japanese occupation (1895–1945), Japanese Buddhism, including Nichiren Shu, was introduced as part of the overall policy of cultural assimilation by the colonial government. It was believed that used properly, religion could accelerate the assimilation of the Taiwanese into Japanese society.
Although many Buddhist communities affiliated themselves with Japanese sects for protection, they largely retained Chinese Buddhist practices. Many Taiwanese temples experienced pressure to affiliate with Japanese lineages. After Japan invaded China, the Japanese colonial authorities promoted a Japanization cultural policy to prevent Taiwanese sympathy for Chinese on the mainland. This accelerated Japanese influence over Taiwanese Buddhism and turned the religion into a tool of state control used in its military mobilization program. Ideological indoctrination through Buddhist training posts established throughout Taiwan meant that, until Japan’s retreat from Taiwan in 1945, indigenous Buddhism completely lost its autonomy. [source: The Buddhist Channel] What this means is: Nichirenists collaborated with the Japanese military government on Taiwan. After WWII, under the KMT, government policy was the active destruction of any trace of Japanese Buddhism.
The situation is different today but I suspect it wouldn't take much to bring up the old resentments towards forced Japanization.
if these wikipedia blurbs inspire you to investigate history more thoroughly, then that would be a positive outcome putting you on the path to enlightenment.
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Guest 05/08/2011 1:35:00 AM
Actually, the SGI in Taiwan is applauded by the Taiwanese government and has been honored as the most contributing social group in Taiwan, several years in a row in the past decade.
The Taiwanese government banned many religious groups during that period, which was also under martial law and oppressive to the Taiwanese people. When martial law was lifted, the Taiwanese government underwent a massive change, allowing for more than one political party and the freedom of speech and religion.
Don't bring in Taiwan because you know nothing about the government of Taiwan, or how SGI functions in Taiwan,
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Illarraza 05/07/2011 4:08:00 PM
I imagine you are very proud that SGI has won a lawsuit since their track record for winning Lawsuits, at least in Japan, is so absolutely horrible.
176 lawsuits filed between the temple and Soka Gakkai from 1991 to 2005:
The temple filed 41
Soka Gakkai filed 135
The temple won 116
Soka Gakkai won 22
38 cases reconciled
[Re. Temple - Soka Gakkai trials index]
Lets do some simple math and analysis:
176 lawsuits filed minus 38 that were reconciled = 138 contested lawsuits. The temple won 116. This means that SGI, with all their "sincere" Daimoku and 50x more revenue and assets and 50x the lawyer fees of the Nichiren Shoshu, won only 16% of the lawsuits [SIXTEEN PERCENT folks] and with all the cards stacked in their favor. What we have here is: Actual proof of the ABSOLUTE POWERLESSNESS of the SGI faith and practice; and/or the incompetance of the very best and expensive lawyers money could buy; and/or SGI is cheap and hired terrible lawyers; and/or SGI hired SGI member lawyers who are terrible lawyers; and/or SGI's terrible member lawyers worked on the case for free. The bottom line is the result of LOSS not GAIN, the most important doctrine of the SOKA "Beauty, Goodness, and Gain" philosophy.
I am not a temple member but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
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Guest 05/07/2011 9:24:00 AM
Soka University writes its own entry in wikipedia and the Soka Gakkai internet scrubbing committee makes sure 24/7 that no one else enters any critical comments on the university.
Newsweek states that it wants to provide an amusing “quick but colorful snapshot of today’s most interesting schools,” relying on a university's own description of itself. Newsweek's blurb on Soka University is straight from the university's PR materials which are colorful. There is no methodology used and no real ranking of schools. By comparison, U.S. News & World Report college rankings are based upon peer review of universities by reviewers not at the university they are reviewing. US News does not mention Soka U.
Soka University was included in Newsweek's categories of 'small', 'terrific weather near the beach', 'suburban' and 'diversity'. It is not a serious rating of the university. It does not add to Soka University's credibility to say that it is very small, more colorful than a university should be, and has terrific weather.
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Arika 05/05/2011 1:20:00 AM
I don't know, but I want to hear from the people, not thru the paper, which may be prejudiced against the school. I would like to interview all parties involved, not just believe this article because it seems fair. I know the SGI isn't perfect, but Sensei is enlightened, and I've trusted him implicitly for 28 years. He's never been wrong since I've listened to him; he wasn't always enlightened, but he has been my whole practice. If any of these incidents happened the way you believe they did, I would be pretty surprised, but not totally. There are buddhists who go to far.
And btw, the NS priesthood IS incredibly corrupt! You cannot use them as proof of any gakkai misdeed! The high priest claims one can only gain enlightenment through him!! That's absolute bullshit, completely wrong, against Buddhism and Nichiren Daishonin!
Arika
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05/04/2011 3:02:00 AM
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soka_University_of_America
It describes its mission as the fostering of a steady stream of global citizens committed to living a contributive life—with an emphasis on principles of pacifism, human rights, and the creative coexistence of nature and humanity.[2]
Between 2005-2007 SUA graduated its first three undergraduate classes with an average graduation rate of 90%. More than a third of the students in each of the first three graduating classes have gone on to graduate school. Forty percent of the 2006 graduating class entered graduate school (compared to 20% at Claremont McKenna in the same year). Cumulatively, 38% of SUA graduates have gone on to graduate programs, according to the 2008 Peterson's Guide to Four Year Colleges (p. 2228). Students have been admitted into graduate programs at Cambridge University, Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, Teachers College, Duke University, Harvard University, Hawaii Law, Indiana University, London School of Economics, New York University, Oxford University, Stanford University, St. Johns, University of California, Berkeley, UC Irvine, UCLA, University of Liverpool, University of Maryland School of Law, University of Pittsburgh, University of Southern California, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Vanderbilt University, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, and others.[16]
In September 2010, Newsweek rated Soka University in the top 25 of small US colleges in four categories, including the "most desirable small colleges."
(http://education.newsweek.com/2010/09/12/the-25-most-desirable-small-schools.all.html)
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Justice 05/03/2011 3:06:00 AM
CHRISTOFFERSEN v. SOKA UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
GAYE CHRISTOFFERSEN, Plaintiff and Appellant,
v.
SOKA UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA, Defendant and Respondent.
No. G042935.
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Infinitepla 04/27/2011 12:02:00 PM
Gaye lost in her court filing. You can Google for court's ruling.
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Infinitepla 04/27/2011 12:00:00 PM
To moderator, why don't you allow me to post the court's ruling about SUA? Where is your justice?
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Guest 04/18/2011 6:51:00 PM
before and during WWII, it was the Nichiren shoshu who were tainted by collaboration with a right-wing paramilitary secret society engaged in espionage in Asia and the US. Tanaka Chigaku created "Nichirenism" which justified the expansion of the Japanese empire. Both organizations collaborated with the Japanese Imperial Army in Taiwan and Korea in maintaining its colonial domination. Nichiren ideology regarding the importance of propagating Japanese civilizational values in order to maintain order, “hakkō ichiu”, was the ideological foundation for the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere and it is the basis of Soka Gakkai's goal of creating world order through aggressive proselytizing and covert operations.
Post-WWII, the Taiwanese and South Korean governments identified many of these secret society members among the Soka Gakkai membership. Taiwanese and Koreans recognized them as operatives from the Japanese colonial era. Post-WWII, the US occupation in Japan banned right-wing paramilitary secret societies engaged in espionage. Soka Gakkai, previously an educational society, became home to many of these groups that could not legally operate openly. In the 1960s and 1970s, they changed Soka Gakkai into a political organization with a Buddhist peace movement facade which could then infiltrate 192 countries. It has always been the overt and covert political operations of Soka Gakkai that indicate its dark side. The Taiwanese and South Korean governments banned Soka Gakkai in the 1960s and 1970s for its political operations. Although Soka Gakkai demonizes the Nichiren shoshu, it has inherited much of its ideology and aggressiveness.
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Edmundlmurray 04/18/2011 3:12:00 PM
Guest, are you kidding me? My fellow, only other member in Tiffin Ohio, became a member of the SGI in France, in the 1970's. Korea has the largest membership outside of Japan with over 500,000 members. It was the Temple that got thrown out of Korea and other country's for falsely trying to built temples and saying that they weren't. The Taiwanese SGI has been awarded several times with national merit for their activities. The banning was due to military governments and the horrible treatment during Japanese Imperial occupation. The founders of the SGI Makaguchi and Toda went to prison as thought criminals during the war for being vocally against the invasion and treatment against fellow asians, by the Japanese Army. If they had not done so, the teachings of the Daishonin would never have spread to asian countries. Ever. Let me also point out there are dozens of Christian political parties around the world.
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Alexgorman 04/17/2011 7:07:00 AM
Julie, if you are, in fact, a native speaker of English, your poor command of the language and lack of basic logical faculties does more damage to the reputation of your school than this article ever could have.
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observer 04/13/2011 11:45:00 PM
Does anyone else find it amusing that so many supposedly former sgi members are commenting here (or youtube, or any other thread with sgi related topics), even though they claim that they want nothing else to do with the sgi because it's a cult?
And they all say the same thing... "I'm a former sgi-member, they treated me like shit, they are a cult, now i'm free, and i love commenting on sgi topic threads"
If I really didn't like something I don't think I'd waste my time like that... just sayin. It takes some effort to find these things.
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theremonstratiion 04/08/2011 9:56:00 PM
For those not familair with the way that that SGI has done things over the years please understand that it has already shot itself in the foot and will bleed itself to death. On the surface it is one thing and behind closed doors it is another. It is not a case of persecution of Buddhism it is a twisting of Nichiren Buddhism that is the real issue here---and that Buddhiusmn in the American Nichiren Buddhists need not conform to their new teachings which uses Buddhiskm as a front for politics and money gathering. It is a disgrace to twist real Buddhism as they are doing, Se the videos on the youtube channel: thermonstration
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Guest 04/08/2011 4:51:00 PM
American Soka Gakkai students are encouraged after graduation from Soka University to take on leadership roles in the US government at every level and in every branch. As a religious organization this would not be a problem but as a political organization representing Soka Gakkai based in Japan, they should probably be registered as agents representing the interests of a foreign entity. Criticism of Soka Gakkai centers on its use of religion as a means to political power which has for decades been its dark side. This includes sinister activities such as hiring yakuza and training Aum Shinrikyo security forces. The dark side has been well-known in Japan for decades (see Time magazine, November 20, 1995, "The Power of Soka Gakkai: Growing Revelations About the Complicated and Sinister Nexus of Politics and Religion."
Soka Gakkai as a political organization has been banned in several countries usually due to activities that bring out its dark side. France banned Soka Gakkai as a cult. The Taiwan government banned Soka Gakkai in the 1960s because many of its members were former members of a right-wing secret society that had engaged in espionage before and during WWII throughout Asia and even in the US. The South Korean government also banned Soka Gakkai for the same reason. But Taiwan and South Korea now have Soka Gakkai groups because Taiwan and South Korea were successful in getting Soka Gakkai to reform; they weren't fooled by its facade.
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guest 04/07/2011 4:53:00 PM
southwell settled for over 7 figures
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Edmundlmurray 04/03/2011 8:33:00 AM
I am the person who said 'Thugs Division". It was not an statement of such a group existing, ever, but was rather a sarcastic summing up of the Yakuza connection stated earlier in the comments. The youth that are 'security' in the Young Mens Division are the Suiko-kai. I am unsure I know what the name means off hand. I am rather puzzled by the assertion about Aum Shinrikyo having a number of Gakkai members in it. If that is so, why would they have anything to do with trying to kill Predsident Ikeda? And if they were in it, don't you think that they would have made the authorities aware of such a plot to kill him much less being involved in training Aum members to carry the attack out? As I have studied Aum in both my undergrad and graduate courses, its beliefs and combining of Hindu, Buddhist and Christian theology is very much outside of Nichiren Buddhism, as practiced by the SGI. I state again that I came across this article because I have Soka Gakkai and Komieto listed in my Google Search terms. Students and Professors would of course be aware of the article. I am in Ohio and would normally never come across it. I am active in my district and have not heard about it from our members here. It may be because I am in the boonies with only 2 members (including me) in the small town I live in. As to the connection to the Temple and Nichiren Shoshu, President Ikeda. as well as all the members of the SGI were ex-communicated by the Priesthood in 1991-2, twice. So Guest, please read more carefully statements from others before you regurgitate them back in warped form. Please.
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04/03/2011 6:02:00 AM
Dear Kyochi:
You are spinning like an ultracentrifuge. Nine Lives was hardly talking about the campus. She was talking about the cult mentality that permeates each and every response by an SGI member, supporter, or affiliate. There is an old saying, one who tells little of the truth is actually a great liar. When an SGI leader, long standing member, supporter, or affiliate tells me it raining outside, I check it out for myself. Anyone who would lie about the teachings of the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Daishonin can not be expected to tell the truth about the true nature of the Soka Gakkai, SUA, Daisaku Ikeda, SGI's finances, or anything else directly or indirectly related to Buddhism. Since everything relates directly or indirectly to Buddhism, I would exhort everyone to take with a grain of salt any of your [SGI's] views.
Please pardon me if I repeat myself here and in reply to Mike. I didn't see my reply to Mike posted. Besides, I make a very important point for the sake of others and it bears repeating.
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E D Lowe 04/01/2011 2:28:00 AM
A late update: I was asked to delete this comment because it misrepresented one of the student activities on the campus. But since I logged in as a guest when I posted it, I am afraid I can't delete it (or if some reader knows how, please reply and let me know). So to set the record straight, I'll just post this comment. When I wrote, "I prefer to keep the lines clear between my academic work and the spiritual work of those students who belong to this religion," I implied that the Ikeda Speech Discussion group was a religious or spiritual activity that some students engage in. Apparently this is incorrect, the most recent mission statement for this student group suggests that it is explicitly focused on discussing the "Soka Education" pedagogical model that is at the root of all Soka Schools that may be found in any number of Ikeda's writings.
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Tamra30 03/28/2011 10:30:00 PM
If Buddhism is personal then why do you feel the need to have to be a part of an organized religion? It just doesn't make any sense. I think it's hard for practicing members to realize that you will be 100% perfectly fine without practicing. It's all about the fear. I was a practicing member for years so I understand how the organization works. I doubt things have changed much since I was a member. I feel so free now, it's wonderful :)
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Guest 03/21/2011 6:16:00 PM
It seems important to acknowledge that many of the comments here are from students and faculty, not SGI members and although SGI members may have responded it is simply to state their opinions (similar to yourself).
-SUA c/o 2012 student
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Guest 03/21/2011 7:58:00 AM
It is puzzling to non-cult members how a cult's credibility can be established by an outpouring of hatred, demonization, and implied threats of violence. Yet, it is very common for Soka Gakkai to mobilize members to engage in demonization and character assassination of someone perceived to be a Soka Gakkai critic. Among cults this probably makes sense. Soka Gakkai demonized Nichiren shoshu even though they had much doctrine in common such as belief in “hakkō ichiu”. Nichiren shoshu has demonized Soka Gakkai. This may explain the previous question "are you a Temple member?"
Soka Gakkai demonized Aum Shinrikyo, although they shared many characteristics. Aum Shinrikyo was the group that released sarin in the Tokyo subway in 1995. According to the Japan Times, Aum Shirikyo had many Soka Gakkai members in it, and its self-defense team had been trained by Soka Gakkai's security forces. ("Soka Gakkai's French Connection," Japan Times, November 4, 1995). Aum Shinrikyo had tried to assassinate Daisaku Ikeda. One person in this OC Weekly comments section has mentioned Soka Gakkai's "Thugs Division" which must be the security forces. Another person stated that Soka Gakkai doesn't need the yakuza because it has its own troops. I wonder if these people are licensed to be thugs in the US.
As an American non-cult member, this kind of demonization seems out of place here in Orange County. The comments section [numbering 360+ to date] demonstrates that Soka Gakkai can mobilize members in a no-holds-barred frenzy which is hard to understand for anyone who is not a member of Aum Shinrikyo, Soka Gakkai, or Nichiren shoshu. This outpouring of maliciousness has said much more about Soka Gakkai than any critic could have.
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January Joy 03/21/2011 4:51:00 AM
I apologize in advance if I am repeating anything that has already been mentioned. However as an SUA student, (currently studying abroad) I feel it is very important for the student voice to be heard as often as possible in response to the claims and quotes issued in this article.
I am a junior at SUA and like many students I have had qualms with administration and I know that being apart of a new school can present difficulties. However, not once have these difficulties had to do with religious affiliation. I think it is very important to look at SUA and it's connection with the SGI in a rational manner. Certainly there are many SGI students (and I would presume faculty) at SUA. I note my presumption here because in the faculty student relationships I have with my professors I nor they have ever had the need to share our religious affiliations (this excludes professor Orin Kirshner, who frequently discussed his ties to the Jewish faith). This of course is my experience and I can not speak for all other students and faculty.
Now, as far as the specifics of this article I would like to point out that Woo writes, " In March 2008, Soka denied Christoffersen tenure "due to low student evaluations, which showed a deficiency in teaching ability." Other professors with fewer achievements were granted tenure, she claims."
This is written as a negative thing, when in fact it highlights the importance of student evaluations. Having been a student of Christoffersens in 2008, I would like to share that although the texts we read outside of class were well written and informative, I personally thought that her inverted personality and personal in class tangents made it incredibly difficult to learn anything outside the readings for class. I recognize that Gaye is an incredibly intelligent and well studied individual but I am personally happy that her low student evaluations were taken seriously into consideration and she was not granted tenure.
This said it disheartens me that an academic of Christoffersen rank would blame her lack of tenure on "religious discrimination" when a definite reason was already put forward: her students didn't particularly gain much from her courses. Her religious affiliation (as I was unaware of it) had nothing to do with my feelings towards her class or I'm certain the other 10 or so students who sat in my class.
In closing I ask Ms. Woo, to please better research your next article as you have surely failed in writing this one.
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Guest2011 03/20/2011 5:12:00 PM
Proof? instead of assertion?
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guest 03/20/2011 8:54:00 AM
As a student from the Class of 2012, currently studying abroad in Osaka, Japan, I was shocked to read this article, particularly because of all the inaccurate information. However, I felt more than reassured to see the responses from students, professors,and alumni alike- all making efforts towards setting the record straight.
For me, that in itself speaks volumes about SUA. But what makes me even happier is knowing that this article has led to more of exactly what it is dubious of- dialogue. Regardless of how cliched it might sound, I'm glad to see that SUA seems to be using this article as a springboard for further growth, into the next 10, 20, 100 years and beyond. That's value-creation (which is what the "Soka" of Soka education means) in practice for me: using a seemingly negative situation as an impetus for positive growth.
For me personally, this article has made me realize all the more keenly, that as a student of Soka University of America, I am representing my university at all times. So I'm going to continue to do my best, right here right now. Now and always.
Please continue to watch us grow not only as individuals, but also as a university!
Thank you!
Nandini Choudhury
Class of 2012
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Guest 03/19/2011 3:41:00 PM
Phat Vu is indeed married to a Soka Gakkai member. Soka Gakkai was very successful in Southeast Asia, especially among those without any families such as orphans. Soka Gakkai became their "family". The concept of "membership" in Soka Gakkai would not begin to capture this relationship as it implies making a choice to enter a relationship. Phat had no family until he found Soka Gakkai, or they found him. Phat Vu is being disingenuous when he claims he is not a member since he is completely consumed with his devotion.
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Mike 03/19/2011 7:06:00 AM
My apologies for the formatting in the above post. I sent what I wrote
though a spell-checker (openoffice) and it added all sorts of carriage
returns and double line feeds without my knowing before cutting and
pasting into the discus posting text box!
Mike
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Mike 03/19/2011 6:58:00 AM
Hello Dr. Vu,
I read today your letter to-the-editor in the current issue of the OC weekly
(March 17) in which you restated that you are a professor at SUA but not a
Soka Gakkai member, supporting your position that the Gayle Christoffersen
case against SUA, claiming discrimination against non Soka Gakkai members of
the SUA faculty, was without merit. I can completely believe you, especially
since the Kirshnir part of the original article seemed to describe a professor
who suffered a breakdown during a semester while he was teaching at SUA,
My sympathies to Kirshnir and those who care about him.
But earlier in this thread I read an anonymous poster named "Guest" who
asserted that while you are not a Soka Gakkai member, your spouse is. I have
no idea if this is true or not and absolutely you and your spouse have every
right to be part of any religious organization that you care to belong
to. But
in this case, if this is true, I think it would represent a
potential conflict of
interest that should have been disclosed in your
deposition to the Christoffersen
case and your letter-to-the-editor this
past week.
What do you think, Dr. Vu? Was the anonymous "Guest" poster correct in
his/her statement?
-Mike
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Guest 03/19/2011 2:37:00 AM
Koichi, unfortunately, I am inclined to believe that SGI could be using the yakuza in the US. Please see the behavior of top leaders in the US organization and you will see the pressure tactics they apply if you do not oblige. Very sad but as Nichiren says the law of cause and effect is strict and permeates the entire universe. So, I believe aligned to this law, SGI will face its consequences and time will tell the story.
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Phat Vu 03/18/2011 9:08:00 PM
Thanks to the editor for publishing the first half of my letter to the editor. It was a long one, and the excerpt published is the one I would have chosen as well. Cheers.
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Edward David Lowe 03/18/2011 2:16:00 AM
I have been thinking about this article and the subsequent discussion on the comments for the past week and I am finally moved to comment too. The article does a nice job pointing out that Soka has rather unique roots as a newcomer in the American liberal arts scene. As the article states, it is rare to start a new college in the US and rarer still for the funding to establish such a school to come from a non-Western source, in this case a Japan Buddhist organization. I didn't know much if anything about SGI, or Japan for that matter, when I left a productive research gig at UCLA to join the Soka faculty in 2005, the same year as Gaye. But, I was intrigued by its mission. Here was a well-funded school dedicated not to the stale old West-West tradition typical of American Liberal Arts college, but a college dedicated to an active engagement and dialogue between philosophical traditions of East, Southeast and South Asia and the various Western traditions. I was also intrigued by an educational mission where the student mattered as more than as a body-count for course enrollments. At Soka, the scale would allow a much more engaged relationship between faculty members and the students, this would allow the sort of mentorship that is generally only available through doctoral study at other institutions. Soka might be the place where I could stretch my intellectual chops, so to speak, and get out of the same old intellectual retread of the Western cannon and its discontents that seemed so stifling in the American intellectual debates I had been exposed to since my undergraduate study.
Soka has definitely allowed me to develop professional interest and experience in comparing Eastern and Western perspectives and I have had wonderful mentoring relationships with many SUA students. But, unlike Gaye, I never was invited to an SGI event off campus and I rarely read any of Ikeda's speeches over the past few years, though it is good to have some connection to many of the student's interests, so I have read one or two. I was invited by the Ikeda speech discussion club on campus a few times, but I don't take students up on that sort of thing and I tell them so directly, but respectfully. I prefer to keep the lines clear between my academic work and the spiritual work of those students who belong to this religion. I probably don't get nominated much for the very prestigious "professor of the year" award as a result :D -- or perhaps its because I am an -- ahem -- *difficult* grader :D. But the university did grant me tenure the same year Gaye was denied -- hmm imagine that -- after actively turning down invitations to read Ikeda! If your interested in my academic credentials ... I am on the interwebs! (PS -- To be honest, I did get Professor of the Year one year -- thanks again SUA students! -- you rock!)
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Edward David Lowe 03/18/2011 2:16:00 AM
I have been thinking about this article and the subsequent discussion on the comments for the past week and I am finally moved to comment too. The article does a nice job pointing out that Soka has rather unique roots as a newcomer in the American liberal arts scene. As the article states, it is rare to start a new college in the US and rarer still for the funding to establish such a school to come from a non-Western source, in this case a Japan Buddhist organization. I didn't know much if anything about SGI, or Japan for that matter, when I left a productive research gig at UCLA to join the Soka faculty in 2005, the same year as Gaye. But, I was intrigued by its mission. Here was a well-funded school dedicated not to the stale old West-West tradition typical of American Liberal Arts college, but a college dedicated to an active engagement and dialogue between philosophical traditions of East, Southeast and South Asia and the various Western traditions. I was also intrigued by an educational mission where the student mattered as more than as a body-count for course enrollments. At Soka, the scale would allow a much more engaged relationship between faculty members and the students, this would allow the sort of mentorship that is generally only available through doctoral study at other institutions. Soka might be the place where I could stretch my intellectual chops, so to speak, and get out of the same old intellectual retread of the Western cannon and its discontents that seemed so stifling in the American intellectual debates I had been exposed to since my undergraduate study.
Soka has definitely allowed me to develop professional interest and experience in comparing Eastern and Western perspectives and I have had wonderful mentoring relationships with many SUA students. But, unlike Gaye, I never was invited to an SGI event off campus and I rarely read any of Ikeda's speeches over the past few years, though it is good to have some connection to many of the student's interests, so I have read one or two. I was invited by the Ikeda speech discussion club on campus a few times, but I don't take students up on that sort of thing and I tell them so directly, but respectfully. I prefer to keep the lines clear between my academic work and the spiritual work of those students who belong to this religion. I probably don't get nominated much for the very prestigious "professor of the year" award as a result :D -- or perhaps its because I am an -- ahem -- *difficult* grader :D. But the university did grant me tenure the same year Gaye was denied -- hmm imagine that -- after actively turning down invitations to read Ikeda! If your interested in my academic credentials ... I am on the interwebs! (PS -- To be honest, I did get Professor of the Year one year -- thanks again SUA students! -- you rock!)
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Edward David Lowe 03/18/2011 1:47:00 AM
My next thought concerns the assertion that Soka is filled with professors pissed off for being discriminated against if they are not SGI. The article reports the facts associated with rapid turnover and general chaos at SUA in the 2000-2004 period. But when Gaye and I arrived in fall 2005, the problem was essentially fixed (SUA replaced the second of two troublesome administrators who had been in charge in the first four years). After that time, there was almost no faculty turnover -- And we have gone on to hire and retain some excellent faculty since -- This might also be the result of instituting a traditional tenure system after 2005 and some other administrative improvements since. Gaye and I were among the first to apply for formal tenure at the university. When she alleges that the Uni granted tenure to individuals with fewer accomplishments in teaching and research, I assume she was referring to me. Well, as I said above, I am on the interwebs -- I report, you decide -- if I have accomplished anything professionally! So, Gaye left when her contract was up in 2010. As for Orin, well the material in the article speaks for itself. And, the threats received that the article mentions are just the tip of the iceberg. These were given independently of his claim of antisemitism associated with his having used is position of power and authority to invite a student to bring her Nazi doll to his class. We urged Orin to seek professional treatment well before his having been locked out of his office, I hope he has.
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03/17/2011 9:24:00 PM
I'll read the article when I've got the time. Skimming it a bit, I'd probably just leave off commenting as I personally know a few young people (graduates) who are quite amazing in their world outlook, so yes I'd be probably be biased against it and adding a little more wood to the fire (in my opinion) the fear-tactics the article seems to engender and just detracts attention from the accomplishments & efforts of their academic career. The proof is in the product -- in how these young people will contribute to the future and their accomplishments and that's the real story. best, Dan (Soka Gakkai member)
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Kandi 03/17/2011 7:55:00 PM
No, it was actually La Opinion. But LA Weekly had the decency to fix their mistakes in a prompt and efficient manner.
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Handrio 03/17/2011 3:01:00 PM
Hear, hear! a fair proportion to what is problematic and what is not, must clearly be stated. Let no exaggeration prevails both on the favorable and not favorable ones.
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Guest2011 03/17/2011 7:30:00 AM
I'm sorry, but saying that 300+ universities were "bought" is a bit of a hard pill to swallow.
http://www.daisakuikeda.org/sub/resources/records/degree/by-country-order.html
Names that I see on here that are definitely "world renowned":
Chapman - George Mason - UMass-Boston - Moscow State Univ. - Queen's Univ. Belfast - St. Petersburg State Univ - Kyung Hee University - University of the Philippines - University of Guadalajara - University of Bologna (where we get the word "university" from) - University of Delhi - 8 the top 9 Universities of China (Peking, Fudan, Nanjing, Shanghai Jiao Tong, Tsinghua, University of Science and Technology of China, Xi'an Jiao Tong, Zhejiang) plus another top Chinese University - Wuhan - Universite Laval - Federal Univ. of Sao Paolo & University of Sao Paolo (top 2 universities in Brazil)
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Anonymous 03/17/2011 6:17:00 AM
Buddhist PRINCIPLES not PRINCIPALS!!! Aurea mediocritas regnat in OC.
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03/17/2011 12:33:00 AM
Nice try, but I think I've been very candid in saying that I have my own concerns about SUA and the SGI. I don't think anyone has really said that the campus is nice and should be thought of as so by everyone. Your statement just goes to show that you were so desperate to use "confirmation bias" in a comeback, you lost objectivity. What I am criticizing people for is trying to imply there is a huge problem when there isn't. It really is just a loud (very small) minority.
Of course there are people with qualms (me being one), but these individuals calling foul (i.e. like "religious discrimination") when no such issue exists, does undercut discussion on issues like how the campus community can improvement management, how it presents itself, how the SGI students and campus culture can better accommodate people that have not been a religious minority to a group that they will probably never again be a minority to in their lives.
I have accepted that there are things that need to be worked on at SUA. But if you come in throwing out accusations, I will respond critically, especially if I know the source of your bias.
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Guest 03/16/2011 10:01:00 PM
Please do not think that one person, or even the several people who speak on here speak for all SUA students. I certainly don't speak for all SUA students. Everyone has their own experience at SUA, and each experience is valid, regardless of how they feel about the campus. Even though Murphy didn't have the same experience as maybe other alumni did, that doesn't mean his experience is less valuable.
The problem with this discussion now is the generalization. Many students have come forward saying they are non-SGI and they have never felt discriminated against or pressured, which is awesome, but they do not speak for everyone. On the other side of that same coin, students who feel they have been pressured also do not speak for everyone, but this does not mean that any of their perspectives or viewpoints should be disregarded.
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Nine Lives 03/16/2011 9:34:00 PM
It's interesting that many SUA students and faculty insist that the only *valid* perception of SUA is an overwhelmingly favorable one. No matter how much personal experience a critic has with SUA, his or her perceptions are discounted -- and he or she is personally insulted and diminished -- by those who demand that SUA be admired and praised.
Just who, exactly, is suffering from "confirmation bias" here?
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03/16/2011 8:41:00 PM
Nice try, but there is no evidence for this except from a supposed quote from a questionable criminal. Even the journal you cited doesn't elaborate on this content, because there probably isn't much to it. If you haven't realized, the Soka Gakkai doesn't need the support of a 1,000 manned group. It has a huge grassroots organization. The only time it seems to even go on the offensive is when people go around making unsupported claims and then don't have the guts to face anyone in debate or discussion.
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03/16/2011 8:22:00 PM
I'm sorry you felt that way Murph, but you never really saw through the reality of campus. You were a victim of your own confirmation bias: You just always had to believe that there was some conspiracy going on. The reality was that there wasn't: only inexperienced management (natural for such an experimental venture), a student body with a high proportion of SGI students the first few classes (also natural considering the lack of prestige and accreditation at the time). But time has clearly shown the validity of what was and is going on at SUA. SUA has a expanded and attained prestige. It has around a 90% graduation rate if I recall correctly. The average drop out rate is 20% the first semester alone at other campuses. A huge proportion of the students get into graduate school each year as well. And not just any graduate school, but the best in the world, an unbelievable proportion going to IVY league schools. I myself am in the top PhD program in my field, under the instruction of the top two academics in my field and on a full ride. Graduates have already received plenty of awards for the work in academia and for peace.
"Lofty rhetoric" you say? It isn't just "lofty" when you actualize it. SUA has grown and the students have exceeded all expectations. The spirit of the students may have seemed homogeneous to you but that is simply because we were united by our dreams. This is why even though the percentage of SUA students from SGI backgrounds and Japanese backgrounds has decreased by more than half of what it used to be, the spirit of the university is unchanged, because the real "context" lives in the hearts of the students that seek to better improve society by bettering themselves. You undermined our intellects because you assumed that just because many of us shared similar backgrounds that we lacked "intellectual vitality", but if you only would have stayed, you would have seen how much we all grew....
There is a reason why we SUA grads are in demand. I don't you ever really saw that. You were blinded by your obsession to see what you wanted to see. I really wanted to tell you this in person. I really admired your intellect when we were younger and looked up to you too, so it was hard for me to tell you this. I always watched you and your choices. And it seems like one thing hasn't changed: You're insight might be razor sharp, but you suffer from near-sightedness and tunnel vision.
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Murphy McMahon 03/16/2011 5:03:00 PM
My feeling while a student there was that I was living in a Potemkin village. It looked like a university, there were classrooms, professors, and young people, but there was something amiss.
Behind its 'non-sectarian,' 'liberal arts' façade there was a teeming faith-based culture with the insularity of a religious boarding school which greatly diminished the school's intellectual vitality.
In light of real problems and shortcomings, the endless drone of lofty rhetoric seemed not only divorced from reality, but a deliberate distraction, and indeed very cult-like in its homogeneity and frequency.
If SUA had just called itself 'Daisaku Ikeda University,' there wouldn't be articles like this, nor people like me attending. Maybe going forward the school would be wise to emphasize not just its founding principles, but their particular origin and context?
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Guest 03/16/2011 4:48:00 PM
I don't think we should dismiss what was written by Jake Adelstein.
The World Policy Journal is one of the most respected journals in the U.S. It is not a tabloid. It is published by the World Policy Institute. The article by Jake Adelstein, "The last Yakuza," World Policy Journal Summer 2010, is the journal's most downloaded article at the moment. According to World Policy Journal website, the journal "was recognized by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service as the best reading material for Congress on America's global role..."
This article is not tabloid. The point of his article is that every political organization in Japan has used the yakuza. As political organizations, Soka Gakkai and the Komeito, have used the yakuza to enforce organizational discipline on their members.
The article is not trying to be sensationalist but rather point out that the yakuza are permanently embedded in Japanese politics and business. He states, "The yakuza are not confined to the shadows. They have office buildings, business cards, even fan magazines. They are heavily involved in construction (including public works projects), bid-rigging, real estate, extortion, blackmail, stock manipulation, gambling, human trafficking and the sex trade. They often use civilians to front their operations."
If the yakuza are using front organizations, then they can thoroughly penetrate the US as they have Japan. Adelstein is focused on the yakuza, not Soka Gakkai. What is shocking is Soka Gakkai's use of the yakuza; this is only shocking because Soka Gakkai claims to be a religious organization rather than a political organization.
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03/16/2011 4:40:00 PM
Dude, I was raised in SGI too. I also quit in high school to explore philosophy and religion on my own. No one ever threatened me or said anything to me when I stopped. It was through my personal investigations of philsophy that I made the decision, on my own, to join SGI again when I was 17. I'm incredibly glad I did, but I won't get into my whole autobiography. I don't doubt your experience, I don't know you so I don't have a right to argue about your personal experience, but the SGI is made up of individuals.
Human beings are not perfect. You may have been in the company of very imperfect people who did not understand Buddhism. Buddhism is personal. If I ever feel pressure to do something I have an automatic rebellion reflex so I get where you're coming from and I respect you. The people who tried to pressure you were wrong and shouldn't be allowed to do that. But I have not experienced that in my lifetime of familiarity with SGI.
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03/16/2011 4:10:00 PM
I am a millionaire. I am the president of the universe. I know who shot JFK.
Need I check my facts? Need I investigate my own bank account? Why, that's ridiculous. I'm making a claim here. I'm blowing smoke. And where there's smoke, there's fire.
Am I being immature? Yes. Seems like that standard has been set by the OC Weekly.
I'm reminded of the film The Invention of Lying. It's great. Watch it. Lying can get you very far when people don't check your facts.
I will always cherish my time at SUA. No half-baked article full of ridiculous assertions could change my mind.
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Jacqueline Mills 03/16/2011 2:39:00 PM
Dear Hong-yi,
I appreciate your comments. You were a fantastic professor, and I greatly enjoyed your class. You truly epitomize the ideals of global citizenship and humanism inside and outside the classroom. You supported the students 100%, making us feel respected. You and many other professors at SUA have continuously supported me, and I am deeply grateful. I believe that at SUA, we have built a culture of equality among students and professors. The academic environment at SUA is not conducive to hierarchical relationships between professors and students or the general authoritarianism that prevails at many other universities, as I have witnessed in graduate school and supplemental courses outside of SUA. When SUA professors are confronted with students who question teaching methods, actively engage in the teaching and learning process, and demand excellence all for the sake of improving their own education, their university, and the world at large, many thrive in the dynamic and democratic process of learning and improving themselves together with the students. On the other hand, some professors seem threatened by the empowered student populace and begin to act defensively, searching for ways to maintain their false authority over students, not considering who they may harm along the way.
As a graduate of SUA, I can confidently declare that professors like you, Xiaoxing Liu, Jim Merod, Anthony Mazeroll, Anna Varvak, Phat Vu, Jon Merzel, Seiji Takaku, Mikey Golden, James Spady, John Kehlen, among many others helped me to love learning, become a critical thinker, and learn how to become a dedicated global citizen, now working in international development and health policy in Washington DC. I feel that I was always highly respected by each one of you, even when I was just a runty freshman, confused about life outside of southern Illinois. No matter what anyone wants to say about Soka University of America or the Soka Gakkai, they cannot deny that my education there showed me how to live a truly happy and successful life dedicated to the continual advancement of world peace.
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03/16/2011 11:30:00 AM
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03/16/2011 8:34:00 AM
I love your vague and mysterious exit from the conversation. You better be careful though, I might become even more "paranoid" LOL. Take care.
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DTR 03/16/2011 8:28:00 AM
At this point though, it's kinda ridiculous because you say my views are skewed and I see yours are. So which is it? Maybe both are views are skewed but we both think we are evaluating things objectively.
I'm sure we definitely will see each other in person some time. Until then...
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03/16/2011 8:28:00 AM
I'm glad that we could see into each others humanity and end this discussion on a civil note. I would really love to continue this chat, but my body has reached it's limit: cold, jet lag, sleep deprivation, and obviously too much excitement LOL. I'm sure that if we weren't speaking over a public and very slow medium, we'd probably be able to reach a fair compromise. Like I said before, I have been very critical and still am critical about a lot of the SGI and even SUA. I've even been criticized by members of the SGI and SUA community for my opinions; however, I have reached a different conclusion from you: For all there faults, SUA and the SGI are still great organizations. I would also like to add the USA, humanity, and the world.
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DTR 03/16/2011 8:23:00 AM
I wish you well, too. You and I are not much different you know. You see BS and I see BS so I call people out on it. The only thing is that we are see BS in each other. Good luck with everything especially your studies.
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03/16/2011 8:20:00 AM
I hope you realize that a lot of that criteria is that you are talking about are based on subjective criteria. And being a virulently "SGI is a cult" person, I hope you realized that your evaluations of the SGI are going to be particularly skewed. Now if you want to go into REAL research into cult behavior and not your cult of cults analysis then we can discuss the cognitive psychology behind these phenomena some time in person.
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03/16/2011 8:15:00 AM
You clearly are playing a game of semantics with me so I am just going to wish you well. There is no playbook. When I see BS and fishy comments, I will call people out on it. It has nothing to do with paranoia. I used to be very critical of the SGI and SGI members until I noticed people unfairly slandering them, then something my mother (who is a devote Christian) used to always teach me started to well up inside and I realized that I needed to stand up for what is right. By the way, she is also the person that encouraged me to write comments to defend the SGI and SUA (yes, my non-SGI and formerly anti-SGI mother).
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DTR 03/16/2011 8:08:00 AM
"Even if a group of people get together and complain about an organization, that doesn't mean the organization is a cult. And yes I've seen the site."
- Right. But we're not talking about people just complaining here. You may have seen the site but did you read it? Have you been, specifically, to the forum posted above? If you have, then you would know that people aren't just complaining but are instead citing third-party criteria on what a cult is and how the SGI measures up against that criteria. Among other things, of course.
I am not implying that you are brainwashed. I am saying that you ARE brainwashed especially now that I have an idea of who you are.
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03/16/2011 8:06:00 AM
By all means no. There are dissatisfied students and clearly faculty. I still keep in touch with quite a few. I was merely responding to extreme claims, like the ones implying conspiracy and brainwashing.
As for the AntiSGI group comment, don't play stupid with me. I have an interest in cults too, so I have looked at a lot of antiSGI and "SGi is a cult" sites. You can tell that they are published by the same people because they always do the same shoty job. There are multiple parties to gain from libeling the SGI. Looking at these sites, I have realized that there are people that go around spreading misinformation as a hobby or for a living.
As for my comment about Nichiren Shoshu, I'll even take it back. Not because I don't believe what I said, but because it is not relevant. I'm just sleep deprived and not writing as well as I could.
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DTR 03/16/2011 7:59:00 AM
"Fear Mongering" Another word that's really in common use among SGI members especially when referring to material that are critical to the SGI. I hate to say it, but you are subconsciously falling in line with that playbook again.
Now for those sites, no games. I would think some sites are legit some are not. But all of them not? Come on? That's the paranoia I am talking about. And it's not just you. It is pervasive throughout the organization.
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03/16/2011 7:59:00 AM
Even if a group of people get together and complain about an organization, that doesn't mean the organization is a cult. And yes I've seen the site.
Perhaps before you imply that I am brainwashed, you should also take a look at your own attitudes and how you've pigeon-holed yourself with your own biases.
Trust me, I'm not getting a PhD at the top university in my field because I don't know how to think for myself.
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DTR 03/16/2011 7:55:00 AM
It is not just about denying the presence but the EXTENT/MAGNITUDE of such presence. After all, you can say that there is a presence, yes, but not anything to stressful or pressuring. The fact is that extent of the SGI presence is overwhelming and stressful/pressuring. Not for SGI people of course. Otherwise, why would you have people even care to post here? Oh right, because they are working for an AntiSGI group or their lying, or they are Temple members?!
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03/16/2011 7:52:00 AM
Let's not play games here. You know very well that there are a bunch of websites set up to look like "SGI victims sites", but are poorly made and very unconvincing using articles from tabloids that have been retracted because of court orders and other obviously fake testimonials like "Ikeda is a racist". Plus SGI members don't think temple members should be "eliminated" or anything of the sort.
Also, you make it sound bad that someone would get discredited. Aren't you trying to do the same. I'm just pointing out biases based on facts and logical argumentation. You are using fear mongering.
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DTR 03/16/2011 7:47:00 AM
Paranoia again. Is it really hard to imagine that former students, current students, or alumni can have a bad experience at SUA or with the SGI?
So if they are not satisfied and all praises (or at least ho hum whatever) about SUA then they must not be former students. Worse, they must be working for an AntiSGI group! Paranoia.
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03/16/2011 7:46:00 AM
Nobody is denying that there is a presence. Of course there is. I admittedly was irritated by the presence at first, but even then I did jump to the wild conclusions being made by some here.
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03/16/2011 7:44:00 AM
That only makes the university guilty of incompetence at the level of management. There is still no evidence for the conspiracy implied by the comments here.
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03/16/2011 7:42:00 AM
Sorry. Not my intention at all. Having a cold and being up at 3am because of jet lag has interfered with my word choice LOL.
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DTR 03/16/2011 7:41:00 AM
I have no doubt that YOU physically ARE making these comments. Of course, no one is telling you to log on and respond to my comments. But who controls your mind, Koichi? Why do you sound like everybody else? Why do you follow the same pattern, almost as if from a playbook? Think about that.
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03/16/2011 7:39:00 AM
Or a fog machine. Raising vague fears. This is very common political tactic.
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03/16/2011 7:36:00 AM
Hello! I'M making these comments. Don't generalize. Don't play the victim. What playbook. I currently live in the middle of nowhere, very disconnected from the SGI organization. I never received directions to respond to your comments. I just see you making false claims and I noticed that you have an agenda so I'm not going to stand by and let you lie.
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DTR 03/16/2011 7:33:00 AM
I guess having profiled and classified hundreds of cults means one does not know about cults. Great. Have you even looked or read the site? Or is it going against your conditioned aversion for anything critical to the SGI?
But don't take it from him. Read the forum posted above and hear straight from the many people who were inside the cult, still there but doubting, those who narrowly avoided it, and the families of those affected. Maybe you'll get something out of those 279 pages. Most likely, you'll think it's 279 pages of made of lies. I dare you.
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03/16/2011 7:28:00 AM
You are referring to outdated theories of Japanese culture that don't even apply very well in modern Japan anymore.
"Also, several ex-Gakkai comments have revealed the Honne of SUA to the outside world, causing Gakkai to react defensively."
This is a very convenient statement for you to make isn't it. You are basically saying, "We will berate the SGI and SUA and if they defend themselves from our allegations, it only proves our point"
Like I said before, your desperate attempts to trap us with you logical fallacies aren't going to work.
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DTR 03/16/2011 7:23:00 AM
Either that or the SGI developed into a cult-like entity... he said she said.
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03/16/2011 7:22:00 AM
This guy, Rick Ross, knows nothing about cults. He's just another person try to make a buck through sensationalism and exploiting stories like these. It's easy to find problems when you want to believe there is a problem.
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03/16/2011 7:21:00 AM
It has "left the orbit of its mothership". That "mothership" originally wasn't a cult, but has developed into a cult-like entity. The SGI split from that mothership because of this difference.
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DTR 03/16/2011 7:19:00 AM
I see, another classic response from the SGI playbook of excuses and justifications: If one is critical of the SGI then they are either saying non-sense, lying, or working for an Anti-SGI group. Wake up. SGI is not too important in this world however much you think of it. Just sayin'...
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DTR 03/16/2011 7:16:00 AM
Ouch... did I strike a nerve there? It's that paranoia coming out. Quick, mentally refresh what your leaders have taught you about the evil temple members and why they should be eliminated. Check. Okay, now discredit the hell out of this guy because he is saying stuff SGI and its members don't want to hear.
Breathe.
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03/16/2011 7:14:00 AM
They do this so they can't get sued too
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03/16/2011 7:13:00 AM
This guy is working for an AntiSGI group. Just ignore his comments. He's just spouting nonsense to scare Non-SGI members.
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DTR 03/16/2011 7:12:00 AM
Mark was quoting an article on Forbes Magazine article regarding SGI entitled "Sensei's world" link: http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2004/0906/126_print.html. From the article:
What are Ikeda's aims? Five years after gaining command of Soka Gakkai, he told a Japanese writer:
"I am the king of Japan; I am its president; I am the master of its spiritual life; I am the supreme power who entirely directs its intellectual culture."
HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT THIS WAS TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT? How do you explain that entire line? How do you even make excuses for that? I am the King.. it's president... spiritual master... supreme power that directs intellectual culture? He sure is egotistical, which is perhaps why Ikeda's photos and name are plastered everywhere in SGI land. Anybody for a new photo of Daisaku and Kaneko to replace their old photo of Daisaku and Kaneko beside their butsudan (altar)? Or the one of Daisaku near the bed or the desk?
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03/16/2011 7:11:00 AM
I doubt these guys are former students. These people have run the same antiSGI sites for years. They just got from site-to-site, writing the same non-sense. Their tactics never change. Just look at the above comment from firelotus or whatever. They claimed to know so much about the SGI but then acted dumb when someone made a reference to the "temple". They know very well what we are talking about. They are just working for an antiSGI outfit.
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03/16/2011 7:03:00 AM
This guy is lying. If he knew so much about the SGI, he would know EXACTLY what you are referring to.
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03/16/2011 7:01:00 AM
Those articles that you are talking about are published in TABLOIDSs and funded by groups and political parties that have a vendetta against the SGI, especially since it challenges the status quo and has a history of fighting for the rights of the little people. The only reason why those articles were published back in the day was because the SGI didn't have a department to address false accusations. Now very few articles making blatant accusations are printed because the SGI will take the publishers to court and WILL win.
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Anonymous_Because_Of_Fear 03/16/2011 6:59:00 AM
Dear Hong-Yi,
You are a great professor (probably the best one at SUA) and I appreciate that about you. As far as this article goes, I agree that it would have been nice for the author to have done very intensive research. However, what if you can't find enough people that want to come forward?
I, for one, am afraid of backlash from my peers! How many other non-SGI professors, current students, and alumni are in the same predicament? You and I don't know. But where there is smoke there is most likely fire.
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03/16/2011 6:56:00 AM
How in any part of your comment did you prove that the quote was not taken out of context? You just introduced another idea taken out of context from a guy hypothesizing about the nature of the SG.
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03/16/2011 6:53:00 AM
Nice attempt at pulling a fast one. You do realized that your comments are logically inconsistent, right? Of course, someone with a clear agenda wouldn't be able to realize it. A text cited out of context is no longer the original person's words, but YOURS. And what is this single drop nonsense you are spouting as false gospel? It's metaphor, not a law of nature!
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DTR 03/16/2011 6:48:00 AM
And here we go again... straight from SGI's playbook of excuses and justifications: Oh, BUT BUT that's from a tabloid! So predictable.
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03/16/2011 6:45:00 AM
First of all, that is great that you pulled that quote out of a TABLOID-style article. I think you fail to realize that Yakuza are NATIONALIST and the founders of the SGI died fighting AGAINST nationalism.
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DTR 03/16/2011 6:32:00 AM
The point is the SUA/SGI apologists try to downplay it like people can't tell who the SGI members are and how many they are. It's not that way and we should at least recognize it. Let's face it, the SGI presence and influence is strong and very pervasive on campus. Plain and simple. Why hide it? Or do you not see it because you are an SGI member/Affiliate?
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03/16/2011 6:26:00 AM
Yeah, never seen that before. In fact, I've never seen ANY faculty start class with a quote.
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DTR 03/16/2011 6:26:00 AM
Koichi, Balitzer may have had other agenda - but he didn't just act "like he was doing some bidding for the unviersity just to stir up controversies of his own".
The FACT IS Balitzer and his firm, PACIFIC RESEARCH AND STRATEGIES, INC. were PAID by the university to lobby on its behalf as well as all sorts of other jockeying for the SUA. That's indisputable. You can ask Arch Asawa about that.
"... just to stir up controversies of his own". Really? How so?
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03/16/2011 6:22:00 AM
Your point is....??? So if I worked at a company and a lot of people commuted and even carpooled to the same church, should I be offended? Would there be an injustice done???
