Reader letters to BuddhaJones.com. Letters are separated by blank lines or bold headings.

A Terrible Cause

For your own sake I hope you will reconsider your sacrilege movie unavailable. It is a terrible cause which I could actually feel in my body when looking at it.
Mari Gorman

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Org Shmorg

Since IRG came on the scene I have witnessed an outbreak of Not-My-Org rash. The symptoms? People say "Oh, bad things don't happen in my org because everyone is happy and nice and we talk about everything." Or people say "My org is tolerant and open to change." Or "My org would never tell lies or mislead me or use me." People who have the rash don't even know it. It took some growing up on my part to realize that the SGI is not an inherently just and tolerant place. No organization or business or agency is!! We have to work to make it just and tolerant. The cream for Not-My-Org rash is called eternal vigilance. Apply it daily.
Bob

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Gawd am i sick of reading the organization this, the organization that. enough already with the organization. here's a quarter, call someone who gives a rat's bum about politics. please sir I want some more buddhism.
Stanlee

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When I joined SGI-USA I was joining an organization for people who don't like organizations. The sense of freedom and open-ness was remarkable, and I have found it in no other religious group. The Gohonzon is awe inspiring, the practice of Nichiren Buddhism is efficacious, and the SGI-USA is (was?) for real. How did the group dynamic change so much for the worst (paranoia, members denouncing members) in just the last four or five years?
Nameless2

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You fault the SGI have no gratitude. Where is you gratitude? What gives you rights to say what you want on a stupid web site? your web site is giving people opportunity to commit slander. You help slander you are a slanderer. you have evil karma
I feel sorry for you

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The Gakkai is NOT a "corporate entity unavailable" even tho they may act like it. It is made of ordinary people who make mistakes. We could all use more understanding and patience.
J.

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Don't let any organization get in the way of your Buddhist practice.

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For obvious reasons, I have problems with the memo unavailable, especially regarding the officially stated positions about the IRG, which are based on false assumptions. It's sadly clear that the author(s) have not read the IRG documents, which is an interesting way to go about forming official policy about a group.

Our web site dead link is public and our positions are clear, for anyone interested. We are also easily locatable, yet none of us were consulted regarding the veracity or accuracy of statements made about us. That's a sad statement about our organization.

I won't take up your space here with a detailed rebuttal or discussion of these matters. Hopefully fairly soon we'll have material up on our web site. I do want to say how encouraging your own statement unavailable was to read, and also how encouraging it is to see the letters you've received. Even many of those who disagree with us understand that the way this was handled was, shall we say, bad form?

In your letters section, Ben said this: "Let the members at least talk about the IRG stuff, because members are smarter than anyone seems to give them credit for. They will be able to separate the BS from the good ideas, but they have to at least have a chance to dialogue about differing views."

Thanks, Ben. That is one of the core IRG positions as well, nicely summarized. Would that it were a core SGI-USA position. Then we wouldn't need the IRG.
Andy Hanlen
IRG central committee member

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The great thing about the SGI is the organization. The only problem is...the organization.

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About the SGI-USA Memo

Wow, I really was stunned by that memo unavailable. The main word was "unacceptable." I don't care for the IRG's position papers and I don't like (what I perceive to be) their lack of appreciation for SGI President Ikeda. My stance on it though is to let these people speak, engage in dialogue about what they are saying (because they're not the only members raising questions) and come to some kind of a place where we can agree to disagree. The main thing is to listen and let people have their say. I think it's a mistake to shut members down. Let the members at least talk about the IRG stuff, because members are smarter than anyone seems to give them credit for. They will be able to separate the BS from the good ideas, but they have to at least have a chance to dialogue about differing views. I love the SGI, there is no other religious organization like it and it can withstand constructive criticism (it has withstood libelous criticism), I have confidence in this.
Ben.

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I REPEAT!!!! If you thumb your nose at the policies of SGI, you don't qualify as an SGI member or a Buddhist. Period.
No Spam

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irgdaimoku has nothing to do with Gohonzons online. They are against it. Your memo is wrong. Please tell the people that irgdaimoku and online Gohonzons have nothing to do with each other.
please do not put my name.

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These "reform guys" rankle with their self-righteous "we know better" attitude. I have read their essays and have found nothing convincing and therefore nothing dangerous about them. I can't defend their position, but I defend their right to articulate it and everyone else's right to investigate if they so desire. Grumble, grumble.
Fij

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Independent Reassessment slandered the Gakkai and are now being slandered by it. They are reaping the negative effects of their actions.
No Sympathy

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Encouraged

I felt encouraged seeing Sue Hutchins' artwork unavailable. I self-censored myself until I read "The Artist's Way". Then I finally did what I really wanted to do at the time, which was photograph some drag performers, which lead to my doing some of the stuff on my website (imagefugace.com dead link). Anyway, I met with Gary Murie at FNCC, showed him a couple of my shots, tried to justify what I was doing from a Buddhist perspective, and he told me not to worry about it, just shoot more photos. I'll leave art criticism to the (Arthur) Danto movement, and just say I responded to Sue's art on an intuitive level.
Peter Nellhaus

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Thank You for the wonderful posting on your website about GLBT unavailable!! I am a relitively new member to the SGI and when I read the article my spirits soard. I recently came 'out' to my family and friends, where's my family are ok with it, i have met a little 'opposition' but when I read the GLBT article It gives me great hope!!
thanks once again,
Michael in ireland

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Whose Thing?

Your Gohonzon movie has sparked discussion in my district. We find that we are divided into two camps. First, there are those of us who agree that <image of Gohonzon> It's your thing. <image of Gohonzon> Do what you want to do. We are the group that likes the movie.

Second, there is the group that has problems with the movie. This group feels that <image of the Gohonzon> It's NOT your thing. <image of Gohonzon> Do NOT do what you want to do.

Group 2 thinks that Group 1 is irresponsible. Group 1 thinks that Group 2 is terrified of life. Thank you for posting such a clear, concise statement about the object of devotion. Someone said that it is a litmus test and I concur.
Bossy LaRue (not my real name, I just think it's funny)

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Tolerance

Who is this "No Spam" person who sent you that self-righteous note about people with the Prayer Gohonzon not being members of the SGI? That person should read the article called Gandhi on Religious Tolerance unavailable. Go Gandhi!
Still enjoying your site,
Diane

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Thanks for posting artwork by Sue Hutchins unavailable. I like her stuff. It is dark but I can see her sense of humor in it. If we could all acknowledge our "darkness," maybe we would learn to be more tolerant and compassionate toward others.
namaste,
Bette

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The GLBT article unavailable on your website encouraged me a great deal. I am glad that diversity is not just tolerated but welcomed in the SGI!!
your webpal Al

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About the Prayer Gohonzon Controversy unavailable

You have to look at the context in which a Gohonzon is given out or embraced. What's the mission and intent of the people giving it out? It sounds great and all -- a Nichiren Gohonzon, from the public domain. How can that be wrong? But why does a person want one? What is their intent? This is the key question, IMHO.
Dan-o

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Hulloh! SGI is not by default the organization of kosen-rufu. That distiction must be earned each day in the conduct of the organization and its members.
<grinning tom>

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If you thumb your nose at the policies of SGI, you don't qualify as an SGI member or a Buddhist. Period.
No Spam!

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We all need to chant to the same copy of the Gohonzon to maintain organizational unity? Since when is unity in the SGI dependent upon external uniformity? I discarded that provisional teaching when I donated my NSA "uniform" to Goodwill. There's no going back. Viva diversity!
R.

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Ooh what a fine mess Don Ross has gotten us into. Bless him.
sign me,
M.H.

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Thank You

Marvelous site, stem to stern. I love it all. But, I'm going to sue Brooke St. George. I cracked my cranium guffawing all the way off my chair and onto the floor over that darned "Interview With Nichiren Daishonin's Tooth unavailable!" If I was still Catholic, I'd say it's a sin you make people laugh their arses off with such obvious glee.
Keep it up, please!
metta,
Ardith Oakes
(non-SGI, & clearly "generic" Buddhist at the moment)
p.s. The more "serious" stuff is top-notch, too. Kudos.

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Thank you, Mr. Wolfson unavailable for reminding me how rich a moment can be. Sessen Doji unavailable is my hero. If I had a website I would post nothing but Gohonzons.
Wert_1999

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Lee Wolfson is a treasure. I have read his articles with great pleasure in the World Tribune, and now on your site. I hope to read more from him.
always,
Desiree

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I wonder if I wrote an article in my sleep and sent it to you under the name Orvy Romanov. His experience with unavailableinternet bulletin boards unavailable is so much like my own that I had to check my "sent email" folder to make sure I am not Orvy. I am not. He is more entertaining than me. Darn.
PST