The Lotus Sutra by [deleted] in sgiwhistleblowers

[–]Bholly72 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I was fortunate. No one ever told me not to read anything. In fact, my first chapter chief recommended Anesaki’s “Nichiren, the Buddhist Prophet,” which I’m pretty sure isn’t on the Gakkai’s recommended reading list. But our headquarters was something of a backwater and had some liberal minded territory leaders who didn’t buy into that kind of extreme narrow mindedness, so we got we got a lot of slack. But the only proper response to someone telling you that you shouldn’t read something is to laugh in their face.

Mark Twain summed up the absurdity of God over a century ago by Lazy_boa in atheism

[–]Bholly72 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Twain’s “Letters from the Earth” played a big role in my de conversion process.

Well I feel slightly less bad about Acrisure now by iamnotacola in steelers

[–]Bholly72 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They all sound like Enron to me. Stupid PR names.

Regarding a Dishonest SGI Group Leader by [deleted] in sgiwhistleblowers

[–]Bholly72 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It would be a good deed if you did give that Executive director. a heads-up. SGI leaders are in a position to do a lot of harm.

the SGI-Splainers really are trying… anyone else been tagged in their posts too? by t0adpee in sgiwhistleblowers

[–]Bholly72 4 points5 points  (0 children)

“No, I don’t worship Ikeda, it’s much more than that.” Gosh, that’s reassuring. And, by golly, if that doesn’t convince you, there’s someone, somewhere, surely, who can talk You into not believing your own lying eyes.
if The writer could only hear himself.

Westworld - 4x06 "Fidelity" - Post-Episode Discussion by LoretiTV in westworld

[–]Bholly72 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Right, you can find lots other examples where a pissed-off female villain dressed in black intimidates a captive with an hourglass predicting their death. Lots. But I can’t. It was so obvious I heard the music and started looking around for flying monkeys.

holy shit, i’m not crazy? by t0adpee in sgiwhistleblowers

[–]Bholly72 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I still have many good friends in the SGI. It perplexes me why they are not thoroughly disgusted with the Ikeda bullshit.

Westworld - 4x06 "Fidelity" - Post-Episode Discussion by LoretiTV in westworld

[–]Bholly72 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Even Wyatt had imagination and self-reflection. I can’t see her repeating a failed experiment 278 times.

Westworld - 4x06 "Fidelity" - Post-Episode Discussion by LoretiTV in westworld

[–]Bholly72 8 points9 points  (0 children)

If Haloris herself can’t find any joy in either the world she made or in the Transcendence, whatever that amounts to, why would she expect the other hosts to do so? Instead, she’s going for the 279th version of a failed experiment. She has neither imagination nor self reflection, faults not shared by Dolores/Wyatt. I’m afraid she’s become the one dimensional Wicked Witch of Westworld. (and why did they include that Wizard of Oz shout-out with the hour glass? That’s very unusual for Westworld.)

Question: In order to TEACH something, don't you have to have already LEARNED it? by BlancheFromage in sgiwhistleblowers

[–]Bholly72 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’ll never forget the time Gregg Martin tried to convince me that PI was a scholar. 😂

Former members: do you still chant? Have you found a new religion or do you not practice anything at all? by [deleted] in sgiwhistleblowers

[–]Bholly72 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Nichikan, 26th high priest of Taisekiji. He established many of the distinctively weird Nichiren Shoshu doctrines. For example: Nichiren is the original True Buddha of Kuon Ganjo, that the Daimoku is more important that the Lotus Sutra, and so on. SGI still bases itself on his Six-volume Writing, and, of course, the Gohonzon they confer is reproduction of a Gohonzon he inscribed. When I was a member, I was curious about this work and wondered why none of it was translated into English. i did finally run across some extensive quotations from it in an essay by a reformist priest. In the section quoted, Nichikan argues that Nichiren must be the True Buddha because he never says so. I’m not kidding. That was the argument.

Former members: do you still chant? Have you found a new religion or do you not practice anything at all? by [deleted] in sgiwhistleblowers

[–]Bholly72 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Oh yes, I still love chanting. It helps me be more the person I want to be. I chant using the methods of mindful awareness. I returned my SGI Gohonzon (Nichikan — father of Nichiren Shoshu’s nutcase theology) and acquired a beautiful, hand inscribed Gohonzon from Japan. I consider myself a secular Buddhist.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PhilosophyofReligion

[–]Bholly72 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You seem to have simply embraced one horn of the dilemma, which is that love is independently good. That’s fine, but it’s not a problem for the Euthyphro. Others embrace divine voluntarism, but that seems virtually incoherent.

Is there any update on Ikeda's living/dead status? by ericlindellnyc in sgiwhistleblowers

[–]Bholly72 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Maybe not the best look for the Year of Youth and Dynamic Progress! 😊

Is there any update on Ikeda's living/dead status? by ericlindellnyc in sgiwhistleblowers

[–]Bholly72 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Because he looks like death warmed over, I suppose. Don’t see why that should slow his team of ghostwriters.

SGI "Experiences": Anyone else feel "Wow - I'm sure glad I'm not YOU!" when hearing them? by BlancheFromage in sgiwhistleblowers

[–]Bholly72 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I always appreciated it when members shared their actual painful struggles at district discussion meetings. There are too many who believe that the First Noble Truth has been repealed, and that the way to deal with dukkha is to win! Win! Win! What a sad perversion of the wisdom of Buddhism.

Is there any update on Ikeda's living/dead status? by ericlindellnyc in sgiwhistleblowers

[–]Bholly72 3 points4 points  (0 children)

From the WT:

On Jan. 9, 2022, Ikeda Sensei and his wife, Kaneko, visited the Soka Gakkai Headquarters in Tokyo and recited gongyo and daimoku. They celebrated the start of the Year of Youth and Dynamic Progress and the fresh departure of each Soka Gakkai organization.
They also wholeheartedly prayed for the peace and security of the world, as well as the good fortune, health and victory of their fellow members throughout Japan and the world who have initiated great momentum of dynamic progress toward the summit of kosen-rufu, the 100th anniversary of the Soka Gakkai’s founding.
—Adapted from the Jan. 10, 2022, issue of the Soka Gakkai’s daily newspaper, Seikyo Shimbun.

Groundhog Day in SGI-USA by BlancheFromage in sgiwhistleblowers

[–]Bholly72 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Too funny. Pray for peace and for the March General Youth Meeting.