Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Corgan Sow · 07-25-2003, 09:23 AM

anyone knew a dang thing of this movement? It has a university based in ..California if I'm not mistaken. I went to a talk at the movement's centre in Kuala Lumpur and it seems to teach Nicheren Daishonin Buddhism along with Secular Humanism and philosophy. Not bad for a religion (it has a church-like cult in this country with loads of funds and are part of Malaysia's NGO groups). Their leader, Daisaku Ikeda, seemed to have a Jesus-like reverence from his followers and have been compared to peace activists like Gandhi and Martin Luther King. I hate the rituals though. You gotta mumble the same exact phrase again and again (or chanting) in front of an altar.

Waning Moon Conrad · 07-25-2003, 10:08 AM

Keep looking.

There are other types of Buddhism around which do not claim to be the one and only valid form and which are not stupid enough to claim that the Lotus Sutra is absolute truth.

My experience with it suggests that it is cheap, fundamentalistic and spiritually bankrupt.

muon · 07-25-2003, 12:28 PM

Soka Gakkai is actually rather notorious as a nasty organization with a cult-like reputation:

http://www.factnet.org/cults/soka_gakkai/?FACTNet

I'd run, not walk, the other way!

lugotorix · 07-25-2003, 12:36 PM

The SGI are a truly scary bunch. They make the Religious Right of the US look like boy scouts. They are very active in politics and will instruct their members in how they should vote. I think there is some sort of long-standing feud between the SGI leadership and the Nichiren priesthood, which lead to Ikeda being excommunicated.

As for Nichiren Buddhism, it really rubs me the wrong way. They've taken a wonderful way of life and reduced it to a magic formula (Namu myoho renge kyo, or "Homage to the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law"). They also are the only Buddhists who will say that they are the only True Buddhists and that followers of all the other Buddhist sects are doomed to be reborn in Hell. Sounds like some other cults I've been exposed to.

Nichiren himself was psychotic. He wrote to the Japanese Emperor and Shogun asking that they put other Buddhist teachers to death and start following his teachings, or a terrible catastrophe would befall Japan. This earned him a death sentence (which was later commuted). He was a far cry from being the "True Buddha" that his followers make him out to be.

Yeah, I don't care for them. The only time I've been threatened with going to hell by another Buddhist was from a Nichiren fellow. Feh!

lugotorix

emotional · 07-25-2003, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lugotorix
They also are the only Buddhists who will say that they are the only True Buddhists and that followers of all the other Buddhist sects are doomed to be reborn in Hell.

I can't believe it! A Christian Buddhism! A nice example of what happens When Religion Becomes Evil...

They might be useful, though, in debating Christians. I could tell my Christian adversaries that if they don't follow Nichiren Buddhism, which is the Way, Truth and Life, they're doomed to hell. What fun to give them a dose of their own medicine!

Deacon Doubtmonger · 07-25-2003, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lugotorix
As for Nichiren Buddhism, it really rubs me the wrong way. They've taken a wonderful way of life and reduced it to a magic formula (Nam myoho renge kyo, or "Homage to the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law").

It's worse than that. In practice, the above formula is a chant repeated rapid-fire over and over and over and over, both by individuals and in group worship settings, for a bare minimum of one hour a day; of course, the longer and more robustly you chant, the more devout you are. It's the backbone of their theology and is held to be the secret to getting whatever one wants. In fact, years ago I read an account of a worshipper chanting for drugs; not only did the members of his "congregation" never question the wisdom of wanting drugs, they also praised him for the diligence of his chanting!

Here's the Soka Gakkai (formerly Nichiren Shoshu of America) page on Steven Hassan's Freedom of Mind website:

http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourc...groups/s/soka/

Nichiren Shoshu has the distinction of being the only non-Xian religious group I almost fell for during my misspent youth. Silly me for thinking Xians and Moslems had an oligopoly on aggressive spiritual wackaloonery ...

Deacon Doubtmonger

Doctor X · 07-27-2003, 03:00 AM

Just stoping by to say "how interesting" in that cult-like activity can spring from just about anything.

Though I must admit I find it "funny" for a Buddhist to try to condemn everyone else to hellfire!

--J.D.

andy_d · 07-28-2003, 01:48 AM

Why's that? You can still be stupid if you're a Buddhist

lpetrich · 07-29-2003, 04:16 PM

I recall from somewhere that Nichiren Buddhism teaches a form of prosperity theology, something like the "Prayer of Jabez" thing where one prays for wealth.

Waning Moon Conrad · 07-31-2003, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by andy_d
Why's that? You can still be stupid if you're a Buddhist

Absolutely!

07-25-2003, 09:23 AM	#1
Corgan Sow Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Posts: 1,537	Nicheren Daishonin Buddhism and Soka Gakkai movement anyone knew a dang thing of this movement? It has a university based in ..California if I'm not mistaken. I went to a talk at the movement's centre in Kuala Lumpur and it seems to teach Nicheren Daishonin Buddhism along with Secular Humanism and philosophy. Not bad for a religion (it has a church-like cult in this country with loads of funds and are part of Malaysia's NGO groups). Their leader, Daisaku Ikeda, seemed to have a Jesus-like reverence from his followers and have been compared to peace activists like Gandhi and Martin Luther King. I hate the rituals though. You gotta mumble the same exact phrase again and again (or chanting) in front of an altar.

07-25-2003, 10:08 AM	#2
Waning Moon Conrad Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Victoria. Australia Posts: 1,417	Re: Nicheren Daishonin Buddhism and Soka Gakkai movement Keep looking. There are other types of Buddhism around which do not claim to be the one and only valid form and which are not stupid enough to claim that the Lotus Sutra is absolute truth. My experience with it suggests that it is cheap, fundamentalistic and spiritually bankrupt.

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07-25-2003, 12:28 PM	#3
muon Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 1,767	Soka Gakkai is actually rather notorious as a nasty organization with a cult-like reputation: http://www.factnet.org/cults/soka_gakkai/?FACTNet I'd run, not walk, the other way!

07-25-2003, 12:36 PM	#4
lugotorix Regular Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Western Massachusetts, USA Posts: 162	The SGI are a truly scary bunch. They make the Religious Right of the US look like boy scouts. They are very active in politics and will instruct their members in how they should vote. I think there is some sort of long-standing feud between the SGI leadership and the Nichiren priesthood, which lead to Ikeda being excommunicated. As for Nichiren Buddhism, it really rubs me the wrong way. They've taken a wonderful way of life and reduced it to a magic formula (Namu myoho renge kyo, or "Homage to the Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law"). They also are the only Buddhists who will say that they are the only True Buddhists and that followers of all the other Buddhist sects are doomed to be reborn in Hell. Sounds like some other cults I've been exposed to. Nichiren himself was psychotic. He wrote to the Japanese Emperor and Shogun asking that they put other Buddhist teachers to death and start following his teachings, or a terrible catastrophe would befall Japan. This earned him a death sentence (which was later commuted). He was a far cry from being the "True Buddha" that his followers make him out to be. Yeah, I don't care for them. The only time I've been threatened with going to hell by another Buddhist was from a Nichiren fellow. Feh! lugotorix

07-27-2003, 03:00 AM	#7
Doctor X Banned Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: USA Posts: 3,794	Just stoping by to say "how interesting" in that cult-like activity can spring from just about anything. Though I must admit I find it "funny" for a Buddhist to try to condemn everyone else to hellfire! --J.D.

07-28-2003, 01:48 AM	#8
andy_d Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: umop apisbn Posts: 568	Why's that? You can still be stupid if you're a Buddhist

07-29-2003, 04:16 PM	#9
lpetrich Contributor Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Lebanon, OR, USA Posts: 16,829	I recall from somewhere that Nichiren Buddhism teaches a form of prosperity theology, something like the "Prayer of Jabez" thing where one prays for wealth.

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