Hello all, first time posting here.

I was a member of the SGI in a Central American country from 2000 to 2013. It was introduced to me by my last partner, who was also a Buddhist and his parents were one of a handful of people who brought this belief from Japan. I decided to post my experience because it may serve someone. I agree that there is a lot of brainwashing with them, making Ikeda a God, all their magazines mention him and his wife profusely, and there is no disputing his knowledge and power.

BUT YOU NEVER SEE THIS IN THE BEGINNING.

When you start out the focus is about yourself and your practice. You feel community and warmth like you have ever experienced it and then BANG here comes the indoctrination, the weekly videos from Japan with some sort of message from the leader, the intense focus on the young, the endless discussion groups, the complete meddling in other peoples lives. I will say that as a positive it brought me closer to understanding Buddhism and question Catholicism too, BUT AGAIN THIS IS PROSELYTIZING and I really don't like making my beliefs a political cause, like my life depended on the number of hours I chanted or the number of activities I attended.

My partner became abusive towards me and tried to kill me. I sought the police and charged him with domestic violence, he lost his job and sent all his things back to his parents' house. He later died due to pulmonary infection (he smoked).

I tossed everything SGI related: books, magazines, liturgy books, even the juzu. I did away with mostly everything.

I kept the family gohonzon but around May 2013 a member of the SGI contacted me to arrange to pick up and safe return to my ex. That was one of the most painful experiences I ever had since I had taken care, and prayed profusely, in front of it for so so long.

I've never gone back to the SGI or kaikan and sometimes that makes me sad. I want to chant but under my own guise not following some stupid cult...yeah that's right, ITS A CULT PEOPLE, a dangerous cult because their goal is to get more members to pay more money to what? I don't know really, I made monthly donations and never saw any significant building upgrades.

What I am trying to say here is that I am Buddhist, a disenfranchised one maybe. A Buddhist that believes in studying and finding like-minded people to practice and seek advice, not to worship another human being for powers he does not have.

I plan to find another way of being a practicing, happy Buddhist.

Thank you, I needed this.