Soka Gakkai International USA

Clean facility, mobbed bookstore which needs more staff on hand — but all in all a friendly center with vibrant members and inspiring/​rousing morning tosos. The Soka Spirit toso on Sunday blew my mind. One hour of chanting and then a hal hour of experiences and announcements. I hope to return!

I’m a bit unsure about where some in these reviews have practiced, but here in SoCal I’ve had nothing but positive experiences. I think some need to remember that even though you’re dealing with a sound religion/​philosophy you’re still also dealing with regular human beings. That’s too bad about their experiences but mine has been great, far from overbearing and super chill.

I am giving my experience three stars because the men at the front desk were all so enthusiastic, which I find charming.
However, it was overbearing. I just wanted a peaceful experience where I could
meditate and experience something quietly. Instead it was like a team of salespeople
jumping on me. The one thing that makes me open to going back is that I know and like a trusted friend who is enthusiastic about this place.

EDIT: Since I wrote this review, a number of SGI members, who are not Unilocalers and have no reviews, have reached out to me by messaging me here. Please know that I will block SGI members who reach out to me «just to talk» based on this Unilocal review. This is a platform for user experience reviews. The below is one such review. Thanks.
* * *
SGI practitioners chant for material things. They also chant for non-​material things. I believe there are issues with SGI.
My personal experience lasted three years and went as follows:
1. I visited the home of SGI practitioners.
2. We chanted daimoku.
3. There would be a talk session.
4. Someone in the group talked about how evil Jews are.
5. The Japanese people in the group (who had been with SGI for a long, long time) would enable the «evil Jews» and «Israel is evil» talk by stating, «Why are *they* like that?»
6. I would counter the «evil Jews» moderator and tell him he didn’t know what he was talking about, and let’s switch the topic. Usually, he would then extol the virtues of Hamas. I wish I were making this up.
7. Another time, we had a meeting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and no one bothered to mention Martin Luther King Jr. At all. Daisaku Ikeda ALWAYS talks about MLKJr as if Ikeda wants to emulate him. It was bizarre that MLKJr. was overlooked. Or maybe this was part of the plan? When I spoke up and said, «I think we should remember that we are having this meeting on MLKJr. day and the right thing to do would be to mention him,» a Japanese SGI member stood up almost school-​marmy to ask me to be quiet. Again, bizarre.
8. I had to complain about the meeting «topics» to higher ups at SGI. Nothing discussed on this issue or resolved.
9. I then advised the higher ups that I was sending my SGI stuff to Japan, to Mr. Ikeda, with an explanation why.
10. When I decided to leave SGI, I was followed on the train by SGI folks for several days. This had never happened before. I posted something on my social media channel about it, and it stopped.
The person who recruited me, I found her posting tons of anti-​Israel stuff on Facebook. I mean, really hateful, biased stuff. She is from Nigeria (doesn’t the whole world have a bone to pick with THAT country?). I thought SGI was a loving, accepting, Buddha-​like group. (Also — I could be wrong, but I believe SGI’s position is officially anti-​Israel).
Once, during a home visit, a Japanese SGI practitioner commented on my gas fireplace as being a «nice Jewish fireplace.» I had never heard that expression before, but I was more shocked that the Japanese SGI lady would think that was a perfectly normal thing to say to another person.
There are wonderful things about Nichiren Buddhism. SGI… I am not 100% sure about.

People are friendly and ready to answer questions if you’re new. There’s a bookstore which is open to anyone. Going into the center and attending their activities doesn’t cost anything. The philosophy is about realizing your own potential, being happy and helping others.

It saddens me to see some of the negative reviews on here, because I have been practicing Buddhism with this organization for my entire life, and – even after exploring many other religions and spiritual paths – I still find that chanting «nam myoho renge kyo» (devotion to the mystic law of cause and effect through sound/​vibration) works best for me. Chanting gives me inner peace and deepens my resolve to take on the many myriad challenges of life. The first Sunday of every month is known as «World Peace Prayer» and includes chanting, faith experiences, performances and encouragement. I always leave feeling revitalized. I sometimes drop in just to chant or chat with other Buddhists. It’s a very welcoming environment.
Contrary to a prior review, the SGI is not a cult, not do we worship Daisaku Ikeda. He is an example of someone who overcame countless trials and tribulations, and has dedicated his life to working for people and world peace. He is an example, not an idol. We consider him a mentor, or teacher. But every person is encouraged to think for themselves and instructed to take the initiative to study and deepen their faith.
We all meet and have discussions, but it really is a very personal and unique experience for each person, wherever they are on their journey.
We believe that everyone has equal potential to obtain enlightenment, in their present form and place, in this lifetime. Completely egalitarian and accessible. No monks, no moving to a mountaintop, no renunciation or solitude. You are a Buddha right here, right now. We all are.

I was introduced to SGI many many years ago. It has apparently since been re-​organized after scandals, but I am, as of tonight, not sure that the re-​organization has helped much. When I joined, the organization was accepting of all comers. I came to NYC and didn’t find where to go, so I have just continued my practice on my own. Tonight, I was invited by a friend to her home for dinner. There I found that everyone was SGI. I thought that would be pleasant. Instead, one person accused me of not knowing Spanish, and when I spoke Spanish, which he did not understand, to him, he told me to go back to Puerto Rico (I am not from Puerto Rico) One woman was telling tales about an armless saint. She told me I have never been to Japan (I have, but she insisted it was not true — I did not have my passport on me to show the visa, and I don’t think I should have been made to feel such a necessity — why would a person I don’t know accuse me of lying?) Another gentleman told me that I would have to go to upstate NY to experience the proper SGI (I’m sorry, I work 7 days a week and cannot afford to take time off to do that — when did this religion become elitist? When I started with SGI, we worked to help the homeless). In short, I do not really think I would like to become involved with such a racist, exclusivist, and ignorant group. I will just continue chanting by myself, and chant for my friend to keep her eyes open to what is going on around her. When I was SGI, people were welcoming, and we did not jeer at others because of their background, and we did not tell others that they could not have a good practice if they did not go to Japan or if they did not go to some other city. What is the organization about anyway? Tina Turner likes it, but then she has a lot of money and can go wherever she wants to go whenever she likes. What was the racism about? What was the nastiness about — I had never met any of these people but they turned on me like a pack of wolves, and all I said was that yes, I chant. It was a very sick experience. If it had been my first introduction to SGI, I would never learn another thing about what there is there. As it is, I just think that SGI has made some ugly turn, and I don’t want to be involved with it (I will also be very shy of accepting invitations from this friend ever again, seeing as she didn’t see to mind seeing her friends attack me so viciously. I suppose she needs these new friends, but they may eventually cause her to lose all of her old friends)

I’ve been practicing Nichiren Buddhism with the SGI for almost 9 years now. Before that, I was very skeptical about organized religion and was an atheist for quite a while. Participating in Soka Gakkai activities, however, showed me that it is possible for a religion to have some organizational structure without being heavy-​handed, controlling, or harmful. I think that the reason it’s able to do this is that the practice is based on the Lotus Sutra (the sutra written by the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, in the last eight years of his life). The Lotus Sutra states that ALL people, regardless of who they are, have a Buddha nature and are therefore completely capable of attaining enlightenment without the sanction of anyone else.
That translates to the belief that all people are created equal — no leader is superior to a member, and no person is better or worse. No person is more or less capable of becoming enlightened or becoming happy than any other person. Even though we all come to this practice with various situations, backgrounds, and degrees of baggage, we are all capable of becoming happy and changing our circumstances by practicing Buddhism and living according to the Lotus Sutra and the writings of Nichiren Daishonin, a 13^th century Japanese Buddhist scholar who started this practice after studying all the Buddhist sutras and concluding that the Lotus Sutra was the essence of the Buddhist teachings.
It’s no wonder, then, that the SGI-​USA is one of the most diverse religious groups you’ll find in the country. If you visit the NY Culture Center on 15^th Street, you’ll probably be a little surprised to see the degree of cultural diversity, and to see people from all different ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientations, etc. who are close friends with each other and are able to find commonality. The SGI-​USA has marched in the NY Gay Pride parade for quite a while now, and both LGBT members and heterosexual members march together in solidarity. That is who the SGI is — a welcoming organization to all. (And by the way, there’s nothing anti-​gay in the Buddhist teachings.)
The SGI is not a very formal religious practice. There are not a lot of «thou shalt’s» or black-​and-​white rules. Treating others with respect is what we do because we want to create good karma. The most important gathering is the discussion meeting, an informal gathering of a group of people held in members’ homes every month. In these meetings, we study Buddhist teachings, discuss Buddhist concepts and share personal experiences of how we have overcome our problems or achieved victories by using our Buddhist practice to change our circumstances. In other words, we encourage each other. Meetings are open forums– anyone is welcome. You don’t have to be a member to attend an SGI meeting. We’re Buddhists! We have no secrets to keep!
Soka Gakkai members chant «Nam-​myoho-​renge-​kyo» as their meditative practice. We prefer to chant in front of a scroll called the Gohonzon, which was originally inscribed by Nichiren Daishonin and which represents our potential for enlightenment and the teachings of the Lotus Sutra. The Gohonzon is not an idol and does not have magic powers; it is more of a mirror to reflect upon our innate potential to become happy and capable people. You receive one for your home when you decide to join the SGI.
Nichiren Buddhism is not a practice of austerities; by living in this world and using the strategy of the Lotus Sutra to overcome the daily challenges we face, we are able to develop an unshakable, joyful and compassionate life condition. It is only by facing life’s obstacles that we can become stronger.
You can chant for anything you want. However, this is not a selfish practice. There are two parts to the practice: practice for oneself and practice for others. You chant and take action to become happy AND to help others become happy and to alleviate their suffering. Buddhism applies to every moment of life.
Through this practice, I have been able to win over my anxiety disorder and go from an antisocial person to a person with many wonderful friendships. I have used this practice to summon up the courage and wisdom to make many difficult life decisions and have surmounted many obstacles in the process. I could go on and on about how this Buddhism has changed my life. Most importantly, because I have seen actual proof of how this practice has worked in my life and the lives of others I know, I live with a great sense of hope.
You can come to the NY Culture Center anytime it’s open and ask about Buddhism. Everyone is welcome.

I’m not a fan of following groups. I think people tend to get a little too gung ho when they are gathered together.
Having said that Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is a sect that follows the Japanese Nichiren Buddhism. Nichiren Buddhism in part is a practice of chanting Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Nam Myoho Renge Kyo roughly translated means, «I take refuge in the Lotus Sutra».
We chant Nam Myoho Renge Kyo for peace and to attain the things we want for ourselves and others.
I don’t spend a lot of time at the center. I mostly practice at home, but I think it’s worthwhile for those interested in finding out more to check out the center on 15^th Street and go to a beginners meeting. Or, write to me and I’ll help you out.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​