For the record, I am a general member in the SGI-USA with thirty years practice. I regard Shakyamuni, the Lotus Sutra, Nichiren, the Gosho and the Gohonzon as my foundation. I regard President Ikeda as my mentor. I am bewildered by the SGI-USA yet hopeful for its future. Although the split between the priesthood and the SGI seemed justified, both groups lost credibility. The priests became even more insular and dogmatic while the SGI became too secular and devoid of clerical mystique. Together there was substance -- apart they lack what the other had. I also believe a number of the top people in LA regard me as a misguided heretic and loose cannon. There is rumor that they don’t trust me, and for good reason: I am not and never was a conformist. I have arrived at some different conclusions. Apparently, I am not alone.

Personally, I don’t think President Ikeda knows just how off base the American organization is at the top, just like he didn’t know what was going on in 1990, prior to his sweeping reorganization. I have good reason to believe this theory is so. If we were so right as a movement we would be growing in numbers, but we constantly have to inflate our membership numbers to make us look bigger than we actually are. Why is that? The truth is that we have lost hundreds of thousands of members over the years and many of the old members have left the organization in frustration.

Recently it came to light that a top leader at the SGI Plaza confirmed that SGI teaches Nichiren Buddhism according to Daisaku Ikeda. Lisa Jones wrote in an open letter to Andy Hanlen that was posted on online message boards in August 2003 relaying what she was told by this leader:

Lisa was not quoting the leader directly, but paraphrasing based on the entire content of their conversation.

To be included with such talented writers and intellects as Jackie Stone, Cris Roman, Brian Holly and Chris Holte is an honor for me. I have admired their work for a long time. They’re all brilliant and original thinkers who have a bounty of profound insights to share. I find it tragic that the SGI-USA doesn’t embrace, nurture, and promote these writers and philosophers and others like them that will surely emerge in the future. They have much to teach us beyond the scripted word of infallible authority issuing from the Plaza on Mt. Sumeru.

Our independent writers and artists are treasures and products of the Buddha dharma. I find it sadly ironic that other sects like Tibetan Buddhism back their writers to the hilt. Isn’t it interesting that these other forms of Buddhism consistently outsell the SGI in the free marketplace? Why is that? As a former bookseller in charge of the Eastern Philosophy section, I can say with some certainty that the other books are more popular because they are fresh and interesting. The American reading public is genuinely interested in Buddhism, but not "exclusive Buddhism" with all the mystic appeal of a Sony alarm clock radio.

SGI books are written by committee, even books attributed solely to Daisaku Ikeda, such as the revised edition of Unlocking the Mysteries of Birth and Death. Editorial review there has more flaky layers than a fine French croissant. Any genuine emotion or stream of consciousness is blended into a puree of indigestible pabulum. What’s produced is the literary equivalent of a Happy Meal. The SGI-USA is so afraid to give anyone credit besides President Ikeda they had to list three authors for The Buddha in Your Mirror. We don’t want to give anyone a big head because they might try and exploit Buddhism for their own selfish gain.

A managing editor of one of the SGI-USA publications confided in me prior to her demotion that they had “done a very poor job bridging the gap between Nichiren Buddhism and the general public.” She was encouraging me to continue to publish articles and books about the Daishonin’s Buddhism regardless of the publication department’s direction or official position. I found her advice to be true.

I knew that something was not right when I was commissioned to write half of SGI's book, The Winning Life. I was assigned to write about ichinen sanzen in a voice that was like Deepak Chopra and that invented a new Buddhist terminology for the American reading public. I did that and more. Two versions and some 15,000 words later, I was paid. SGI publications staffers were shocked when I asked for credit as author. I guess they forgot that all writers want a byline. Not long ago, I happened to run across a hard copy of my version of The Winning Life and was surprised at how well it stood up. What was bizarre to me was that not one single sentence of my manuscript was used in SGI's finished book. If they thought it was lousy or unacceptable writing, they never told me so. Needless to say, I was appalled at the waste of the members’ money and my time. It’s a pity that the members never got to read my version -- after all, they paid for it.

In the early days, NSA intensely trained us in study and practice with the idea that we would spread the Daishonin’s Buddhism around the planet. Now that those youth have grown up into compelling and formidable voices on Buddhist philosophy and have the will to speak their own mind, they are treated like outcasts if their viewpoint hasn’t been funneled through the publications department.

I am especially grateful for the BuddhaJones site. Although it would be impossible for me to agree with all of the opinions and articles, it is a hilarious and thought-provoking bastion for free speech. There is no such free exchange between our publications and the members. If there were freedom of speech in the SGI-USA, and not just a one-way monologue, there would be letters to the editor in the World Tribune and Living Buddhism, both pro and con. Don’t be looking for that anytime soon.

As mentioned in my interview, my book, Modern Buddhist Healing, was in effect blacklisted from organizational comment or support. Some members have suggested that the reason why the SGI-USA didn’t support my book or me was primarily because there is no mention in the Gosho or President Ikeda’s writing about the practice of concentrating sound and imagery to specific parts of the body. For this reason it was deemed not in keeping with Nichiren Buddhism according to Daisaku Ikeda. (It’s not like I made up the practice -- got it from our own publications covering Mr. Tsuji’s speeches.) There is also no mention of the SGI and many modern Buddhist ideas in the Gosho, or the Lotus Sutra. In my dealings with the SGI-USA publications department, I was given no chance to respond to their objection regarding my book, because they never shared their objection with me directly. The official word to me was that they had to remain neutral -- no advertising, no book review, no publication of my experience, but “good luck.”

The SGI-USA policy makers apparently did not know that President Ikeda’s top copy and content editor provided a complete analysis and criticism of my entire manuscript with suggestions. Official SGI endorsement and support from Tokyo was given to the manuscript and they offered me all their intellectual resources, which I fully utilized. When I had a technical question, no matter how complex or obscure, a detailed answer was sent back to me in 24 hours. The executive director of the staff became my friend. He even asked me to help a member of his staff whose father was dying of cancer.

After the publication of my book, President Ikeda sent me a letter of congratulations and praise along with gifts. Vice President Tsuji had the book translated into Japanese and sent me a letter of praise. If Mr. Ikeda, Mr. Tsuji, and the Japanese publications department approved, how, then, did the SGI-USA come to their conclusions?

What is even more poignant is the many hundreds of people who have used the techniques described in the book and have overcome their illness, including myself. If what I wrote were false and heretical, people would not have recovered. If I thought for even one moment that I had somehow misled people or misrepresented the Daishonin’s Buddhism, I would admit my error to the world.

So what is the “real” reason why SGI-USA wants nothing to do with Modern Buddhist Healing? Any answer I could offer would be speculation, but the alternatives don’t flatter the SGI-USA publications department.

Regarding my novel series, Mokuren, I am most appreciative to Lisa Jones for providing a forum for people to read it. Before its publication, we discussed the reaction it would create. I was very thankful for the two letters to the editor that appeared prior to my writing this essay. Each writer had keen insight into the novel. I knew that some would call it stupid and disgusting. Some would say it’s not satire. Some would even like it. The one thing to remember is that it is a work of fiction -- the character is not real. The fact that one reader actually took great offense to the behavior, emotions and observations of Mokuren, castigating him like he was a bad person indicates to me that I did my job in creating a real character.

Mokuren is a tragic figure. He is a Gakkai-taught warrior who does exactly what he has been trained to do. Of course, he is on his own without any support. As astutely pointed out by one of BuddhaJones' readers, there is no happy ending for Buddhists who fight amongst themselves, and who cannot support fellow Buddhists in their efforts to teach the dharma. Someone should have told Mokuren.